208 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



to the people of that day, and, still further misled by the frequent 

 use of a single favorite name for different species of amusements, 

 have included in their discussion of mystery plays^ much that was 

 but indirectly related to the matter in hand. It becomes, then, our 

 task to attempt to disentangle some threads, and to segregate the 

 plays of the craft gilds which were presented on movable scaffolds, 

 or pageants, from the multitude of similar but not closely connected 

 phenomena. 



I. The Puy and the Gild of Parish Clerks in London. 



We haA^e noted in France the rise of the Puy, and its position as a 

 cultivator of the mystery. England at this time contained many 

 French ecclesiastics, and it would not be surprising if we found, 

 where sufficient numbers were congregated, something similar to the 

 French Puy on English soil. The following points of similarity 

 seem to me to establish at least a strong presumption in favor of 

 kinship between the Puy and the Gild of Parish Clerks in London. 



These are characteristics of the Puy : 



1. Date, the eleventh and twelfth centuries. 



2. In the thirteenth century admitted la}^ members, 



3. In the thirteenth century cultivated the mystery.^ 



4. In the fifteenth century abandoned the mystery. 



5. Was dedicated to the Virgin. 



6. Object, the cultivation of literature, probably music also, and 



sometimes had philanthropic features. 

 T. Most numerous in the West and North of France. 



8. Often formed of parish clerks with or without lay members.' 



9. Sometimes given to j^laying in honor of Saint Nicholas.^ 



These are the characteristics of the Gild of Parish Clerks : 



1. Incorporated as a gild by Henry III about 1240.^ 



2. Formed of ecclesiastics and lay members.^ 



3. Object, the cultivation of church music and literature.^ It had, 



also, philanthropic features.^ 



1 Collier, vol. 1, p. 52, considers what was probably a French shepherd play presented 

 before the Queen, a French woman, a mystery play. 



2 The Miracles de Notre Dame in the fourteenth century were the Avork of a Puy.— 

 Julleville, vol. 1, p. 120. 



8 The Puy de I'Assomption at Douai was formed about 1*30 under the name of the 

 Confr^rie des Clercs Parisiens, called 'clercs parisiens' because they spoke French.— 

 Julleville, vol. 1, p. 119. 



4 As the Saint Nicholas of Jean Bodel of the Puy d' Arras.— Julleville, La Comedie, p. 37. 



6 Hone, p. 208. 6 Survey of London, ed, 1842, p. Gi. 



