Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 195 



Christ enters, stripped for the scourging-, with His tormentors, who lead Him thi-ough 

 the throng- to the assigned spot where the cohimn stands. John stands near Christ. The 

 scourg-ers strike Him a little reverently, and listen to Christ's words to John, who kneels 

 before Him. He bids John call the Virgin. The men now strike and revile Christ and 

 lead Him away. John asks the people where Mary is. He shows a black garment 

 which he would carry to her, and seeks to rouse feeling by reminding the women of 

 their own sons.i 



Mary Magdalene now comes from the women's side of the church to the stages and 

 steps before John while she bewails the sad news she has heard. John prays her to 

 accompany him to Mary, as he has not the heart to go- alone. ^Meanwhile IV^ary appears 

 on the other side and they go to her. She laments when she sees the black garment, 

 Mary Magdalene informs her of Christ's captivity, and invites her to take the garment. 

 Christ now appears bearing His cross, accompanied by a throng of women, to whom He 

 teaches the words of the Bible. Meanwhile, He approaches the spot where Mary, Mary 

 Magdalene, and John stand. Mary hastens to Him to embrace Him. The Jews drive 

 her away. Christ drops His cross. Mary, bemoaning her fate, would take the cross,3 

 but the Jews drive her back. She falls fainting, and Christ passes on to Golgotha. 

 Mary revives, seeks for her Son, inquires of the women, then goes with Mary Magda- 

 lene and John to the place of execution. 



Now the preacher^ explains the situation, and at a signal from him the Jews nail 

 Christ to the cross and lift it up. Christ speaks, and prays for His enemies. Mary 

 addresses the cross. " Bow down thy branches that thy Creator may find rest." 



Inclina li toi rami, o croce alta, 

 E dola [dona] reposo a lo tuo Creatore ; 

 Lo corpo precioso ja se spianta ; 

 Lasa la tua forza e lo tuo vigore. 



Here again the preacher speaks, while the play pauses until he gives the sign, when 

 Christ's speech with the robbers follows. Now the dead^ arise. Three of these speak to 

 Jesus, declaring that the souls in Hell expect Him, the Patriarchs and Prophets ; one 

 has also come to stand by Mary and serve her. 



The preacher finds it necessary to explain this. Again at the signal the play goes on.. 

 The Virgin prays Mary Magdalene to direct Christ's attention to her, saying that He 

 had spoken to the robbers, but not a word to her.e MaiT Magdalene complies, and 

 Christ commends His Mother to the care of John, Avho, kneeling and kissing Mary's 

 feet, strives to comfort her. Mary laments, embraces the cross, and faints.' 



The px-eacher takes up his discourse until Jesus cries out, "My God, My God, why 

 hast Thou forsaken me ?" Meanwhile, God says to His angels that they must strengthen 

 His Son.« The angels prostrate themselves, withdraw and descend. 9 They examine to 

 see which is the Son. Meanwhile, the devil appears and approaches the cross upon the 

 right side. One of the angels now descends fully, to receive the blood of Christ. Jesus 

 thirsts. The Jews hand Him with jokes the vinegar mingled with gall, and He refuses 

 to taste it. Mary bewails the malice of the Jews. Jesus exclaims, " It is finished." 



1 See note 4, p. 194. 



2 The stage is only one location. The action is in different parts of the church.— Klein, 

 vol. 4, p. 164. 



3 So Mary desires to take the cross in the Woodkirk Mj'^steries. The Towncley Mys- 

 teries, p. 212. 



4 Compare the preacher with the expositor in the Chester plays. 



5 See cut, p. 199. 



6 This complaint Mary addresses to Christ in the Coventry Mj'steries, p. 332. 



1 Note the author's repeated recourse to this as an expedient for removing Mary tem- 

 porarily from the action. 



8 Ebert believes there was a scaffold in the choir which represented Heaven, that 

 there was a Hell moiith and a post for scourging, but that some action took place in 

 the aisles of the church.— Ebert, vol. 5, p. 68. 



* 9 There must have been a stairway from Golgotha to Heaven, or some means for paus- 

 ing midway. 



