190 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



Here we close the second step of our investigation. We have 

 seen the simple liturgy of the early churcli grow into an elaborate 

 symbolism, which presented the life and work of Jesus so indirectly 

 that the hearts of men were seldom touched by its teachings. This 

 symbolism the new faith in a daily sacrifice revivified, and through 

 it men's hearts were again melted by the tragedy of the cross. In 

 the Western church the desire to view concretely that which had 

 touched the heart so profoundly, led to theatrical representation of 

 the highest dramatic moments of the ritual. Two groups of such 

 moments we have followed down : the first, until we found it pass- 

 ing over to the vernacular, a sure sign of severance from the church 

 ofi&ces ; the second, until single plays became but scenes or episodes 

 in a more complicated drama, another sign of approaching inde- 

 pendence, since such plays could no longer hold their appropriate 

 places in the church calendar.^ 



As these plays conform more and more to the popular taste, the 

 sphere of their influence broadens, and their volume expands. 

 Soon they will supplant the chanson de geste in the affections of 

 the French, and the literati of a nation will express through them 

 the mocking spirit of the Gaul, cutting with its satire the foibles 

 of church and nation. 



It is no part of our present plan to seek in these later plays of the 

 continent for testimony concerning mediaeval thoughts and manners, 

 nor to examine, except cursorih^, into their development or stage- 

 setting. We are n earing the time when the English plaj^s, 

 evidently the outcome of long-established literary traditions, will 

 present themselves fully developed, the most sympathetic exponent 

 of the popular life of England in their day, and will offer to us, in 

 the question of their literary ancestry and relationships what, to my 

 mind, is the most interesting literary problem of the Middle Ages. 



Some knowledge, however, of the impress of the national spirit 

 upon the cyclic plays of the continent, as shown in their form and 

 in the manner of their presentation, will give increased significance 

 to many features of the English plays. Accordingly, we turn again 

 to the continental plays to learn how cycles were built up, with 

 something of their content and dependence upon the devices for 

 their presentation. It will be necessary, also, to consider the atti- 

 tude of the church towards the plays while they remained within 

 the church edifice, as well as after they had passed out from under 

 clerical authoritj^ and to notice in passing the organizations, liter- 

 ary and otherwise, that made them their care. 



1 It must be borne in mind that the simple plays of the church offices held their own 

 until the Reformation, side bj' side with the expanded plaj'S, and that sometimes clergy 

 and laity were in active competition. 



