THE RELATION OF THE ENGLISH CORPUS 
CHRISTI PEAY) FO: "THE: MIDDEE 
ENGLISH RELIGIOUS LYRIC: 
By GEORGE CoFFIN TAYLOR? 
The historians of the English drama, in seeking to record its origin 
and development, have almost without exception failed to take notice 
of the Middle English religious lyric in its relation to the Corpus 
Christi plays. An occasional note, made at random from time to time, 
indicates, it is true, that certain writers have been aware that a relation 
of some sort exists between these two forms of Middle English literature. . 
These notes, however, have for the most part concerned themselves 
with calling attention to very slight, though interesting, parallels. It is 
with such similarities, for example, that the observations of Wright,’ 
Hone,* Courthope,’ E. Mall® and W. A. Craigie? have had to do. 
Davidson,® moreover, and Chambers? have taken notice in a very general 
fashion of the fact that the plays are very considerably indebted to the 
great body of devotional poetry of the day; while Cook?® has called 
attention to the frequent occurrence of the Testament of Christ in Middle 
English literature. 
One specific type of the mediaeval religious lyric, the Planctus 
Mariae, has for many years attracted considerable attention among 
European scholars and its relation to the rama has been fairly clearly 
t Reprinted from Modern Philology, Vol. V, pp. 1-16. 1907. 
2 For kindly aid and valuable suggestions, I wish to thank Professor Karl Pietsch, Professor Philip S, 
Allen and Miss Ethel P. Waxham. 
3 The Chester Plays, Vol. II, p. 204 (Shakspere Society, Vol. I). 
4 Ancient Mysteries Described, pp. go ff. 
s History of English Poetry, Vol. 1, pp. 413 ff. 
6 The Harrowing of Hell. 
1 An English Miscellany, pp. 52 ff. 
8 Studies in the English Mystery Plays, p. 170. 
9 The Mediaeval Stage, Vol. II, pp. 145 ff. 
10 The Christ of Cynewulf, pp. 207 ff. 
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