250 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



and it is probable that the sources of some are to be sought for in 

 the Proven9al. A general view, as exhaustive as seems necessary 

 for our purpose, is appended, a a b a b. Ex. 30. 



V u — 



\J \J — 



\J — 



is found in six stanzas spoken by Lucifer, W I. 

 a a a b a b. 



York VI, XXII, XXXVIII, XLII. 

 Woodkirk XIV, XXVII, XXXII, XXVI (in the part spoken by 



Jesus). 



aaabaaab and aaabcccb. 



Woodkirk XVII, XXIII (Mary's lament), XXIV (the Torment- 

 ors), XXIX (certain stanzas). 



Coventry XIV (a portion of the play), XVI (stanzas by shep- 

 herds), XVII (stanzas by Magi, and certain 2-accent stanzas), XIX 

 (one stanza), XXVII (by Judas in part), XXXII (by Jews and 

 others), XXXIII, XXXIV (by Nychodemus), XXXV (in 4-accent 

 and 2-accent verses), XXXVI (in part). 



Chester. The whole Chester cycle was written by a poet who at- 

 tempted to use the stanza a a b a a b, but frequently resorted to 

 a a b c c b as an easier stanza, and sometimes lost his footing com- 

 pletely. 



a a a a b c c c b. 



Woodkirk III, XII, XIII, XVI, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIV (certain 

 stanzas), XXX (in stanzas by demons). 



Many modifications of these stanzas appear infrequently in the 

 plays. We note in closing our review a favorite stanza of the Cov- 

 entry plays, ababbcbc, from which it is but a step to Spenser. 



Finally, we form from the foregoing examination of the stanzas of 

 English in the mediaeval period certain conclusions — 



1, A distinctive stanza, formed from the septenar line, obtained 

 in the district — to speak in general terms — extending from the Hum- 

 ber to the Forth ; and was not used, except in a much altered form, 

 outside of those limits. 



2. The characteristics of this stanza were — 



d) Two 4-verse, 4-stress pedes ; a 4-verse or 6-verse 3-stress cauda. 

 5) The pedes rimed in two riming quatrains ; the cauda originally 

 rimed alternately, but variation was permissible, 

 c) The verse kept carefully the iambic movement. 



