258 Charles Davidson — English 3Iysteri/ Plays. 



In Y, p. 99, Goddis h an dm ay den, lo ! me here, 



To his wille all redy grayd. 

 In W, p. 75, I am his raadyn at his hand. 



In Ch, vol. 1, p. 35, Loe ! Godes cossen meklye here. 

 In Co, p. 114, Se here the hand-mayden of oure Lorde, 



Aftyr thi worde be it don to me. 



The stage direction — 



In J, p. 50, Cy descende 1 coulom qui soit fait par bonne maniere. 



In D, p. 189, Allora lo Spirito Santo discende sopra di lei, ed in 



cielo si fa grandissima festa, e I'Angelo ritorna in 



cielo. 

 In Co, p. 114. Here the Holy Gost diseendit with iij. bemys to 



our Lady, the sone of the Godhed vest with iij. 



bemys to the Holy Gost, the fadyr Godly with iij. 



bemys to the sone, and so entre alle thre to her 



bosom, and Mary seyth. 



It is absurd to suppose, because of the above coincidences, that 

 the writer of each English play had the Italian and French plays be- 

 fore him. The Bible narrative was familiar to each writer. This 

 sometimes necessitates the action, sometimes the language seems the 

 natural outcome of the situation ; both reasons would operate as con- 

 servative agents to prevent change in the church play„ I think one 

 is forced to admit that there must have been a uniformity of action 

 and of expressions closely connected with action, in the important 

 situations in church plays, similar to that obtaining in the liturgy 

 itself, and that, in many instances, the agreements of plays in short 

 passages and in the sequence of action is due to the essential identity 

 of the church models from which these plays sprang. 



But further, if it can be shown that the action of the Chester plays 

 agrees with the action of other English plaj^s at points where all or 

 several disagree in action or accompanying words with the continen- 

 tal plays, a divergence of the English church plays from the customs 

 of the continent will be established, and the Chester plays will fall 

 into the category of English plays, though in the Anglo-Norman 

 tongue. 



Unfortunately, the French texts necessary for the settlement of 

 this question are not accessible to me. I can simpl}^ contribute one 

 item, and must pass on to other matters. A significant agreement 

 between Ch and W may be a case in point. I refer to Peter's 

 speech after cutting off the ear of Malchus, — 



