Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 169 



hobby-horse in the halls of old England. Many other customs 

 derived from the old faith still held the hearts of the German peo- 

 ple, and were incorporated into or modified the later celebration of 

 Christmas. As one result of these customs, the church festivities 

 naturally fell in with the holiday temper of the season, grew rapidly 

 in popularity, and quickly passed more or less into the hands of the 

 people. The Cbrist-child made the visits from house to house in 

 company with Ruprecht, Frau Mary rocked his cradle in the drama, 

 and Goodman Joseph lent a willing hand.^ 



We cannot stop now to consider the Christmas songs and carols 

 in their bearing upon the drama, or to trace the growth of folk- 

 humor and de\'il-play within the dramas themselves, all of which 

 bear testimony to the heartiness with which the common people 

 adopted these holiday plays, and the extent to which they made 

 them the vehicle of their own humor and the expression of their 

 rough, hearty good nature. After a similar fashion the York and 

 Woodkirk plays of England embody the folk spirit of Yorkshire. 

 A comparison of plays so kindred in spirit, but wholly unconnected 

 in literary development, would prove an instructive study in racial 

 characteristics. 



1 Thus in a play given by WeinhoJd we read, p. 106: 



MARIA : 



Ach Joseph lieber, Joseph mein, 

 wiege mlr das kleine Kindelein. 



JOSEPH : 



Kindla wiega, Kindla wiega ! 



Ich koan nich menne Finger biega ! 



Hunni sausi, 



der Kitsche thut der Bauch wih ! 



ALLB singen : 



Lassl. uns das Kindlein wiegen, 

 das in dem Kripplein thut liegen. 

 O Jesulein siiss, o Jesulein siiss. 



Lasst uns das Kindlein speisen, 

 Ihm grossen'Dank erweisen. 



O Jesulein siiss, o Jesulein stiss. 

 Gloria in excelsis Deo, 



