222 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



vas distended with hoops and laths and painted after nature, at a cost of three shillings. 

 No evidence that the play was ever repeated. 



VI. Dublin, 15th century (cycle, 11 plays known; Corpus Christi). Pageants for 

 Corpus Christi, Dublin. i 



1. Glovers. Adam and Eve with angel bearing sword before them. 



2. Corrisees (perhaps curriers). Cain and Abel with offexnng and altar. 



3. Mariners and vintners. Noah and the persons in the ark appareled as carpenters 

 and salmon-takers. 



4. Weavers. Abraham and Isaac Avith offering and altar. 



5. Smiths. Pharaoh and his host, 



6. Skinners. Camel2 with children of Israel. 



7. Goldsmiths. King of Cullen. 



8. Hoopers. Shepherds with an angel singing Gloria in excelsis Deo. 



9. Corpus Christi gild. Christ in his passion with the Marys and angels. 



10. Taylors. Pilate with his fellowship, and his wife cloathed accordingly. 



11. Barbers. Anna and Caiaphas. 

 13. Fishers. The Apostles. 



13. Merchants. The Prophets. 



14. Butchers. The Tormentors. 



A comparison of these pageants with those of Aberdeen and 

 Bethune^ reveals such striking similarities as compel us to pro- 

 nounce them a series of mute pageants and not a cycle of spoken 

 plays.* 



This series is much nearer the primitive type than that of Aber- 

 deen, the only breaks in the story appearing in 13 and 14, and in 

 the introduction of the cameP in 6. 



Furthermore, the allusions in the records to plays and Corpus 

 Christi processions justify this conclusion. In 1541 the procession 

 of Corpus Christi was followed by the play of the Nine Worthies. 

 We read of no cases where the genuine craft plays were so easily 

 abandoned for a new play. It was no unusual thing, however, for 

 the crafts to present plays on festival occasions and before notables. 

 In 1528 certain crafts acted plays during Christmas week before 

 certain high officials.^ The plays were chosen for some supposed 

 reference to the craft ; thus the taylors pla^^ed Adam and Eve ; the 

 shoe-makers, Crispin and Crispianus ; the vintners, Bacchus and his 

 story ; the carpenters, Joseph and Mary ; the smiths, Vulcan and 

 what related to him ; the bakers, a comedy of Ceres, the goddess of 

 corn. The Priors of St. John of Jerusalem, of the Blessed Trinity, 

 of All-Hallows, presented, the one the Passion of our Saviour, the 

 others the several deaths which the Apostles suffered. It Avould 



1 Hist, of Dublin, vol. 1, p. 110. 



2 Cp. with the camel in the pageant show on Midsummer-eve at Chester.— Lyon's 

 Magna Britannica, Cheshire, pp. 583-4. 



3 See p. 219. 4 Vs. ten Brink, vol. 3, p. 290. 



s This was possibly copied from some spoken mystery play, though I do not recall one 

 that refers to the camel. e Hist, of Dublin, vol. 1, p. 108. 



