Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays, 217 



the trades, and furnishing conclusive evidence that these were not 

 spoken plays, but mute, whether with or without action I cannot de- 

 termine/ 



Early in the fourteenth century gilds of Corpus Christi began to 

 rise in England. The fraternity of Corpus Christi of the Skinners 

 of London dates from 132V. 



" This fraternity had also once every year, on Corpus Christi day afternoon, a proces- 

 sion which passed through the principal streets of the city, Avherein was borne more 

 than one hundred torches of wax (costly garnished) burning light, and above two hun- 

 dred clerks and priests, in surplices and capes, singing. After the which were the sher- 

 iff's servants, the clerks of the compters, chaplains for the sheriffs, the mayor's sergeants, 

 the counsel of the city, the mayor and aldermen in scarlet, and then the Skinners in their 

 best liveries. "2 



1348, The Gild of Corpus Christi at Coventry was instituted. It was to carry eight 

 torches about the body of Christ in procession.s 



1349-50. The Gild of Corpus Christi of Leicester, which contributed to the most splen- 

 did procession in the city except that of St. George. 4 



1408. The Gild of Corpus Christi at York, which, after the separation of procession 

 and plays in 1426, became responsible for the procession. 



Before 1349. The Gild of Corpus Christi at Cambridge, which held a procession with 

 pixies and shields until 1535, when Dr. Leigh, deputy to Lord Cromwell, ordered it abro- 

 gated, s 



As at York so at Coventry, it became necessary to separate the 

 procession from the plays. At York this was done by appointing 

 the vigil of Corpus Christi^ for the plays ; at Coventry by bringing 

 the procession early in the morning.' 



It seems, then, that shortly after the confirmation of Corpus 

 Christi in 1318 pageants of the Biblical story were introduced in 

 conjunction with the banners of the crafts. These at first were 

 mute mysteries expressed by action. In a short time, however, 

 spoken drama, found also in isolated cases in France, became an 

 established custom in England. A spoken drama necessitated fre- 

 quent halts by the procession, as it was impossible to act satisfactorily 

 in motion. Indeed, connected pantomimic action would seem im- 

 possible in a moving procession ; therefore this custom may be 

 older than the spoken drama. These halts prolonged the procession 

 beyond reasonable limit, and were avoided by transferring the pa- 

 geants to the rear of the procession. A division of the procession 

 immediately arose through the slower movement of the pageants, 

 but the plays, though much belated, followed the traditional course 



1 Cp. p. 223. 2 Survey of London, p. 87. a English Gilds, p. 333. 



i Kelly, p. 36. s Masters, p. 80. 



6 The citizens, howevei', continued to hold their plays on Corpus Christi day, and the 

 clergy were compelled to postpone the procession until the morrow.— Davies, p. 244. 



7 The description of the Corpus Christi procession as given in the Popish Kingdom 

 illustrates the demoralization of the pageantry.— Sharp, p. 170. 



