THE CONTENTS OF THE PASSION-PLA Y 385 



only let the reader bear in mind that they are an all- 

 important feature in the latter portion of the typical 

 passion-play. 



The third day's play opens with a considerable 

 amount of bustle, the 'beadles' and soldiers, foremost 

 among them Barabbas and Malchus, hurry about 

 seeking the necessary implements ; one brings the 

 Cross, 1 another the three blunt nails, 2 a third the 

 hammer and pincers, and so on. The two thieves, 

 Dismas and Jesmas, are taken from the stocks, and 



1 Occasionally reference is made to the well-known legend of the Holy 

 Rood as grown from a twig of the tree of life brought by Seth from the garden 

 of Eden. Separate mysteries of this legend were common, and it formed an 

 integral part of some of the longer plays (see Jubinal, Mysteres intdits, vol. ii. 

 pp. 17-20 ; B, vol. i. pp. 307, 313, vol. ii. pp. 28, 46). Generally, as to the 

 legend of the Holy Rood, consult Morris, Legends of the Holy Rood, E.E.T.S. ; 

 Keller's Fastnachtspiele, Nachlese, Das heilig kreutz spil, No. 125 ; Nurnberger 

 Buch der Croniken *x* ; Simrock, Volksbucher, xiii. p. 445 ; Reinke de Vos, 1. 

 4886 ; Das alte Passional, p. 98 ; Geffcken, Bildercatechismus, p. 71 ; Schbne- 

 mann, Der Siindenfall, p. 43 ; and, of course, the Gospel of Nicodemus, chap. 

 xiv. 4, etc. 



2 As to the number of nails used for the crucifixion, we find, according to 

 Didron, that three or four were used indifferently up to the tenth century. 

 Gregory of Tours and Durandus were in favour of four. After the thirteenth 

 century the practice of using only three came definitely into the ascendant 

 (Christian Iconography, p. 271). Much interesting information, with copious 

 authorities, is given by Morris (Legends of the Holy Rood, p. 19). Knackfuss, 

 in a recent monograph on Velasquez, speaks of that artist in his Crucifixion (in 

 the Prado Museum at Madrid from about 1640) having reintroduced the 

 ancient four nails, therein following the advice of his father-in-law Francisco 

 Pacheco, who, in his book on painting, is very much opposed to the custom 

 which had arisen in the thirteenth century of crossing the legs and using only 

 three nails (p. 30). My own notes on German representations give the following 

 among other results : 



Four Nails. Processional cross from Stift Essen about 980 ; ivory reliefs, 

 tenth-eleventh centuries (Berlin Museum and elsewhere) ; cross of gilt bronze 

 (Berlin Museum) ; extremely early colossal crucifix at Munich (National Museum, 

 Saal I.) In short, reliefs and crucifixes before 1200 have usually four nails. 



Three Nails. Munich, National Museum : Pohl altarpiece (Saal III.), 

 1380-1420 ; altarpiece from Franciscan church at Bamberg (Saal IV.), 1429 ; 

 Calcar altar (Saal X.), 1450-1500. Munich, Pinakothek : Wolgemuth (No. 27), 

 1450-1500 ; Wolgemuth, Hopfer altar ; Cologne master (No. 622), circa 1466. 

 Cologne Gallery : Master Wilhelm's School (No. 44), circa 1380 ; Gothic 



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