240 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



Ex. 18. York Plays, Xo. X, stanza 1. 



Grett god, | hat a lie Tjis world 1 has wrought. 

 And wiselj' Avote ll both gad and ille, 

 I thank hyni thralj' !l in my thought 

 Of kW his laue '\ he lens me tille. 

 That hus fro barenhede ] has me broght, 

 A hi'mdereth wynter II to fulfille, 

 Thou graunte me myght | so J^at I mought 

 Ordan my werkis || after hi wille. 

 For in this erthely lyffe 

 Ar non to god more boune. 

 Then is I and my wyffe 

 For f renshippe we haue f oune. 



— ^ — '-> == ^ ababababcdcd. 



This stanza illustrates the typical septenar stanza within the limits 

 of the ancient INorthumbria. It is, however, an imperfect example, 

 since signs of deterioration are present, especially as regards allitera- 

 tion. Possibly a perfect specimen was neyer produced. But such 

 as it is, it will enable us to establish the characteristics of the stanza, 

 and will give us a starting point from which to trace the variations, 

 expansion, and disorganization of the stanza in its later history. 

 With immaterial changes this form appears in the York plays II, 

 X, XI, XX, XXIII, XXIY, XXYII, XXXY, XXXYII, XLIV, and 

 in portions of XII, XY, XYII. 



Characteristics : — 



1. A tirst section of eight verses with two alternate rimes. Yaria- 

 tion in this section marks extreme deterioration of stanza. 



2. A second section, consisting of a 3-stress quatrain. 



This frequently contains six verses, and may vary in the method 

 of rirainof. 



3. The regular iambic movement. The stanza drifts steadily 

 toward the anapaestic movement, finally exceeds it in the number 

 of unstressed syllables, and breaks down through lack of carrying 

 power in the voice ; then irregular accents are introduced, and the 

 first verses of the stanza receive five or six accents. 



