374 THE GERMAN PASSION-PLA Y 



the conduct of the soldiers who, amid the lamentations 

 of Kachael and the women of Bethlehem, destroy the 

 infants, not without a taste of the women's distaves. In 

 one play at least Herod dies terribly, and is carried off by 

 rejoicing devils. 1 Other additional incidents frequently 

 introduced into the first day's performance are the 

 Banquet of Herod, the Dancing of Herodias's daughter, 

 the Beheading of John the Baptist, and the Dance of the 

 Devils with Herodias and her daughter to hell. 2 Some 

 plays went as far in the first day as the Banquet in 

 Simon's house, but the usual and more fitting beginning 

 of the second day's performance was the commencement 

 of Christ's public ministry. 3 



On the second day there would be the Calling of the 

 Disciples, the Temptation, and several of the more note- 

 worthy miracles, 4 but the incident for which the audience 

 looked with the greatest expectancy was that of the 

 Magdalen and her lovers. Of the general method of 

 treating this incident enough has been said (p. 362). 

 Mary's repentance is followed by Simon's banquet, 

 which, in the Donaueschingen play, consists of bread 

 and fish. This takes place much in the gospel fashion, 

 the actual anointing, however, being occasionally a 



1 See J, p. 91 ; I, pp. 15 etseq., especially p. 23 ; F, pp. 73-89 ; B, vol. ii. 

 pp. 161, 172, etc. ; Eosenheimer Dreikonigspiel, R, p. 187 ; Chester Plays, 

 p. 185. 



2 Mediaeval legend describes an illicit passion of Herodias for John. At last, 

 when she has his head on the charger, she can kiss the lips ; but the head springs 

 upright on the charger and blows her into space. A head on a charger frequently 

 appears in mediseval legend, and the folklore of the subject deserves critical 

 examination (see C, p. 35). 



3 Compare the Egerer Play (F) with the Alsfelder (C) and Luzerner (B, 

 vol. ii. pp. 125-127). 



4 The Frankfurt Play works off the miracles in a batch ; a blind, a lame, a 

 dumb, a leprous, a sick man are cured in rapid succession (see S, p. 140). 



