288 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



XXV. 

 CHRIST WITH THE DOCTORS IN THE TEMPLE. 



This play, Y XX, is a play of the parent cycle. It is also, with 

 variations, the 'Pagina Doctorum' of the Woodkirk cycle, the 

 * Weavers' Pageant ' of Coventry, and ' The Purification ' of the 

 Chester cj^cle. Certain relations exist also between it and the Cov- 

 entry play, ' Christ Disputing in the Temple.' As this is the only 

 play of the parent cycle that has found its way into four gild cycles, 

 it is worthy of a somewhat minute analysis. 



The introduction. — In W of Co a play of the prophets comes first. 

 It is unlike the play of any other cycle. How this play could find 

 place as an introduction to ' Christ in the Temple ' in a cycle which 

 contained the Salutation, is difficult of explanation. There is every 

 reason for believing that these cycles at first followed strictly the 

 sequence of the Biblical narrative. This transference of the play of 

 the prophets to a position subsequent to that of the Salutation must 

 be a late innovation, though I see no reason for attributing it to 

 Robart Croo, who has enough to answer for without it. 



The episode of Simeon, Anna, and the Angels. — The agreement 

 among the plays is that of a common church tradition reinforced by 

 literary convention. This episode, together with that of Joseph and 

 Mary's journey to the temple, bears the marks of the later literary 

 fashion in most of the plays. I cannot say that it does in the 

 Chester play, but in the York ' Purification ' the later style is very 

 evident, and many traces of it appear in W of Co, and Co. 



Joseph and Mary homeward bound. — Y opens with this. W of 

 Co agrees throughout the scene. Croo's adaptation places them 

 upon a 'for pageant,' yet puts words into Mary's mouth that imply 

 the journey. Ch introduces Mary with eight verses that are evi- 

 dently patchwork. Mary says that she wishes the child had not left 

 them, but advises in the first stanza borrowed from the York play 

 that they proceed on their journey. Her later appearance in the 

 temple is whollj^ unaccounted for. The remainder of the first stanza 

 in Y is omitted in Ch. 



The introduction of the Doctors. — In Y and W of Co the Doctors 

 prepare to announce the Jaw to all comers. In Co a similar subject 

 receives very different treatment. In W the talk is of the prophecies 

 of Christ. 



