Charles Davidson — English Mystery Flays. 143 



How much acting accompanied this song it is impossible to state 

 with certainty, but one may venture the supposition that a portion 

 of the choir or certain priests sang the question : " Die nobis, Maria, 

 'quid vidisti in via?," that the three following lines were sung by 

 single voices personating the three Maries respectively, that the 

 former singers then followed with the line beginning " Credendum," 

 and that all joined in the last line. There is nothing in the text to 

 indicate the method of rendering. The passage is in prose as given 

 above, not in verse, as the passage given by Pollard^ seems to be. 



This ends the direct evidence from the York Missal, but not the 

 indirect. There must have been more to this drama than that indi- 

 cated in the text. In the Good Friday service the crucifix and host 

 were placed in the sepulchre to await a resurrection on Easter, as 

 we know from the continental liturgies. No account of this resur- 

 rection is given, and, as there is a distinct change in the service on 

 Easter, when, after days of mourning vestures and lamentation, 



Praelatus cum septem vel quinque Diaconibus dalmaticatis, et totidem Sub- 

 diaconibus tunicatis festive paratis, prsecedentibtis Cereferariis et duobus 

 Thuriferis, introeat ad Altare, 



I incline to the opinion that the Resurrection Play took place 

 immediately before that action. 



That the directions for the drama should be omitted is not strange, 

 as in many churches, continental as well as English, the Play was 

 regarded as foreign to the service and excluded from the Missal. 

 Moreover, we have direct references to such plays in two j^laces in 

 the York Missal. On Christmas — Ad Missam in Gallicantu,'' MS. 

 D says : 



Peractisque ibidem omnibus quae juxta morem. dicenda vel facienda sunt, 

 incipiat Executor Officiis ad Altare Gloria in excelsis cum nota de angelis. 



And for Ad Magnam Missam MS. D adds :^ 

 Et peractis omnibus ibidem, quae peragenda sunt, incipiat Sacerdos orationem. 



These prove the recognized standing of such plays, though out- 

 side of the Missal, and also that the directions for them were not 

 always inserted, as MS. D alone has them, the other MSS. being 

 notably deficient in rubrics in many places. This closes the York 

 testimony concerning these plays, and we pass to the continent, as 

 I have not the Sarum Use at hand. 



1 Pollard, p. XV. 2 York Missal, p. 14. s York Missal, p. 18, 



