Charles Davidson — English 3Iystery Plays. 141 



That is, the first of the three is used on Thursday, the second on 

 Friday after the priest returns to the altar, and the third rests in 

 the sepulchre/ 



1 Parker's Glossary of Architecture gives under ' Sepulchre ' the following: " A rep- 

 resentation of the entombment of our Savior, set up in the Roman Catholic church at 

 Easter on the north side of the chancel, near the altar; in this country previous to the 

 Reformation, it was most commonly a wooden erection, and placed within a recess in the 

 wall or upon a tomb, but several churches still contain permanent stone structures that 

 were built for that purpose, some of which are very elaborate, and are ornamented 

 with a variety of decorations, as at Navenby and Heckington, Lincolnshire ; and Haw- 

 ton, Nottinghamshire, all of which are beautiful specimens of the Decorated style : 

 sepulchres of this kind also remain in the churches at Northwold, Norfolk; Holcombe 

 Burnell, Southpool, and Woodleigh, Devonshire; and in several others. . . . The lower 

 part generally contains representations of sleeping soldiers, intended for the Roman 

 guard." 



Britton's Redcliffe Church, p. 37, quoted by Parker :— 



Item, That Maister Canynge hath deliver'd this ith day of July, in the year of our 

 Lord, 1470, to Maister Nicholas Fetters, vicar of St. Mary Redcliffe: Moses Conterin, 

 Philip Barthelraew, procurators of St. Mary Redcliffe, aforesaid : a new sepulchre well 

 gilt with golde, and a civer thereto. 



Item, An image of God Almighty rising out of the same sepulchre, with all the ordi- 

 nance that 'longeth thereto, (that is to say) a lathe made of timber and the iron-work 

 thereto. 



Item, Thereto 'longeth Heaven, made of timber and stain'd clothes. 



Item, Hell made of timber, and iron-work thereto, with Divels to the number of 13. 



Item, 4 Knights armed, keeping the sepulchre, with their weapons in their hands ; 

 that is to say, 2 axes and 2 spears, with 2 paves. 



Item, 4 payr of Angels' wings for 4 Angels, made of timber and well painted. 



Item, The Fadre, the Crowne and Visage, the ball with a Cross upon it, well gilt with 

 fine gould. 



Item, The Holy Ghosht coming out of Heaven into the sepulchre. 



Item, Longeth to the 4 Angels 4 Chevelers. 



Articles of Visitation, by Abp. Cranmer, 2 Ed. VI., quoted by Parker :— 

 Item, Whether they had upon Good Friday last past the sepulchres with their lights, 

 having the Sacrament therein. 



Test. Johan. de Ledes, 1379. Test. Ebor. 196, quoted by Parker :— 



Lego duo tapeta rubea diotae ecclesiae me* pro reparacione sepulchri in die parascues. 



Accompts of S. Helen's, Abingdon. Archaeol. vol. 1, p. 16, quoted by Parker :— 

 A. D. 1558 : Payde for making the Sepulture, 10s. 



For peynting the same sepulture, 3s. 



For stones, and other charges about it, 4s. 6d. 



To the sexton for meat and drink, and watching the sepulture, according 

 to custom, 22d. 



Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 221, quoting the Beehive of the Romish Church, says : 

 " Yea, and in some places, they make the grave in a hie place in the church where men 

 must goe up manie steppes, which are decked with blacke cloth from above to beneath, 

 and vpon euery steppe standeth a siiuer candlesticke with a waxe candle burning in it, 

 and there do walke souldiours in harnesse, as bright as Saint George, which keepe the 

 grave, till the priests come and take him vip : and then commeth sodenlie a flash of fire, 

 wherewith they are all afraid and fall downe : and then vpstarts the man, and they 

 begin to sing Alleluia, on all hands, and then the clock strikes eleuen.'' 



