164 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



h. In O, Mary's return and lamentation. 



i. In O, Mary's seeing the two angels in the tomb and their con- 

 versation. 



j. In E, the turning of the women to Peter, and Mary's song in 

 three stanzas. 



k. In E, the use of Victimae Paschali. 



1. In E and O, the appearance of the Savior to Mary. 



m. In E, the Savior's song. 



n. In O, the angel's invitation to view the sepulchre, the display 

 of linen with, later, the placing of it upon the altar. 



o. In E, the use of the remainder of Victimse Paschali. 



p. In E, the running of Peter, John, and the women. 



q. The chorus in E, the part song in O. 



r. In O, the return of the Savior to speak to the audience, at 

 which time he speaks the part assigned to the priest in 

 Group I. 



s. In E and O, the close with the Te Deum. 



The redactor whose work we have in the Orleans play has sought 

 additional material, portions of points f, g, i, and 1, which ha& 

 greatly improved his play, in St. John, Chap. 20. The author of 

 E has drawn but little from this, the most dramatic account of the 

 incident ; he seems, however, to have found p in Luke [24. 12], 

 which may account for its undramatic position in the play. 



A comparison of E and O reveals instantly certain characteristic 

 differences. Peter and John's dialogue after entering the tomb, 

 included in g, and Mary Magdalene's conversation with the angels,^ 

 point i, are wholly lacking in E. The higher dramatic character of 

 O is evident not only in points g and i, since Mary's action in f and 

 h is for dramatic effect. The part song in a, the use of the grave 

 clothes in n, and the return of the Savior in r, all improve the dra- 

 matic quality of the play. E as plainly shows a desire for lyrical 

 features. The song in a, e, and especially in j, together with the 

 somewhat cumbersome device for using the two parts of the Vic- 

 timae Paschali, sufficientl}^ demonstrate the lyrical tendency. It 

 may be added here that the other French plays of this group agree 

 so closely with O as to argue a common origin, but the German, 

 while not agreeing so closely with E, still show evidently the lyrical 

 drift. 



This lyrical tendency becomes more evident if we compare E 

 with the Ludus de Nocte Pasche,' into which the vernacular is 



1 See p. 149. 



