Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 24d 



With the more difficult rime a a b a a b, this stanza occurs also in 

 the Woodkirk plays — 



VIL The Prophets. 

 IX. Caesar Augustus. 

 XXII. The Flagellation, in the part of the Tormentors. 



Also in the Chester play, The Shepherds, among other stanzas. 



This stanza is interesting as the germ of the metrical-romance 

 stanza, which was possibly rejected by the writers of drama as too 

 monotonous. The following partial lists will illustrate its use — 



aabaabccbccb. 



Romance of Duke Rowlande and of Sir Ottuell of Spayne.^ 



aabaabccbddb. 

 Amis and Amiloun,'^ 

 Libius Disconius,^ 

 The King of Tars,' 

 Mary Legend, No. 11.* 



aabccbddbeeb. 



The Romance of Athelston,^ 



Emare.^ 



Romance of the Emporor Octavian,'^ 



Erl of Tolous and the Emperes of Almayn,^ 



Le Bone Florence of Rome,^ 



Sir Isumbras.^" 



Rouland and Vernagu," 



Torrent of Forty ngale,^'^ 



The Wright's Chaste Wife,^' 



Sir Amadace,'* etc. 



Certain other stanzas were of wide-spread use, and appear in the 

 different cycles of Mystery Plays. Of their origin it is sufficient to 

 say in general that they sprang, for the most part, from the Latin 

 stanzaic forms of the church service, especially from the service of 

 song. Some of them, also, show evident marks of French influence, 



1 E. E. T. S. No. 35. a Kolbing, No. 2. 



3 Ancient Engiisl\ Metrical Romances. 



4 Horstraann, p. 503.— Note. Kolbing's criticism, Amis and Amiloun, p. XIV, of 

 Horstmann's statement concerning the rime, is itself incorrect, as Horstmann speaks 

 of the Mary Legend, No. II, but Kolbing of the Mary Legend, No. I. 



B Keliquae Antiqune, vol. 1, p. 85. c Ancient Metrical Romances, vol. 3. 



7 J. O. Halliwcll. 8 G. Liidthe. 



9 Ancient English Metrical Romances. lo J. O. Ilalliwell. n E. E. T. S. No. 39. 



12 E. E. T. S. Extra Series, No. 51. is E. E. T. S. No. 14. h Robson. 



