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the church. Later the direction of these productions passed from 

 the churchman to the various guilds of artisans. 



With this transfer of management began the secularization of 

 the drama. From the treatment of merely theological themes 

 it turned to the teaching of moral lessons, instituting a third class 

 E play, known as Moralities. The characters in these plays rep- 

 resented abstract qualities, such as Piety, Charity, Ignorance and 

 Avarice. A familiar character in many of these old Moralities 

 was the " Vice." A deal of latitude was permitted to the actor 

 of this part, with the result that much buffoonery was introduced. 

 ( Hit of these Moralities grew another form of drama, the Inter- 

 lude, which was frankly and avowedly comic. Both the themes 

 and situations in these Interludes were broadly farcial and, 

 having their beginning at a time when England was rent by relig- 

 ious dissention, they were freely used as controversial weapons. 

 John Heywood, who lived in the reign of Henry YIII, is credited 

 with the invention of this form of drama. It was during the 

 reign of this monarch, too, that we hear of the introduction of 

 the Masque, a form of drama of Italian origin. 



The spirit of the mediaeval drama, even after it had passed 

 from the direct control of the clergy, was intensely religious, and 

 the performances were invested with all the solemnity of divine 

 worship, and where the Mystery play has survived to the present 

 day — at Ober-Amergau and in the remote corners of France, 

 ( anada and other Catholic countries — the religious motive is still 

 evident. Those who witnessed the recent presentations of " Every 

 Man," and noted the effect it produced even on sophisticated 

 metropolitan audiences, can realize what a power for good the 

 drama must have been in its infancy. 



