142 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



IV. 



THE DRAMA OF HOLY WEEK IN THE YORK LITURGY. 



We turn now to the Easter service in the mediaeval liturgies, and 

 place the York liturgy in comparison with the continental order of 

 service. An interesting situation is revealed. In the York Missal 

 the traces of dramatic action are scattered, as in the modern liturgy, 

 through the services of Easter, Easter Monday, and Easter Tuesday, 

 not concentrated, as in the continental liturgies, in the service of 

 Easter. In the Yictimse Paschali Laudes occurs : 



Die nohis, Maria ! quid vidisti in via ? 



Sepulchrum Christi viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis, 



Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes, 



Surrexit Christus spes mea, praecedet vos in Galilaeam. 



This is repeated also on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday we find 

 the verse preceding to be : 



Angelus Domini descendit de caelo, et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat 

 super eum. 



On Tuesday the verse is : 



Surrexit Dominus de sepulchre, qui pro nobis pependit in ligno. 

 In the York Missal the Resurrection Drama also appears in a 

 broken and disconnected condition. On Easter Sunday, after bless- 

 ing the fire and the water, the clergy assume festal garments, but the 

 Victimse Paschali Laudes is not the Sequence for the day, so there is 

 absolutely nothing of a dramatic nature in the Easter service. In 

 Feria ii post Pascha, however, we find clear traces. Luke 24. 13- 

 35, is read. The Offertorium gives :^ 



Angelus Domini descendit de cselo, et dixit mulieribus : quem quaeritis ? 

 surrexit, sicut dixit, alleluya. 



In Feria iii post Pascha appears -."^ 



V. Angelus Domini descendit de caelo, et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat 

 super eum. 



V. Eespondens autem angelus dixit mulieribus : Quem quaeritis ? Ulae autem 

 dixerunt : Jesum Nazarenem. 



Then follow the Victimse Paschali Laudes, containing : 



Die nobis, Maria, quid vidisti in via ? 



Sepulchrum Christi viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis, 



Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes. 



Surrexit Christus spes nostra, praecedet vos in Galilaeam, 



Credendum est magis soli Mariae veraci, quam Judaeorum turbae fallaci. 



Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere ; tu nobis, victor Eex, miserere. 



1 York Missal, p. 128. 2 York Missal, p. 129. 



