OF CORNWALL. 297 
The poetry is the leaft exceptionable part of thefe interludes: A Drama, 
perfon called the Ordinary was the chief-manager; every thing was 
done as he prefcribed, and fpoken as he prompted \ The perfons 
of the drama are numerous, in this no lefs than fifty-hx in number; 
in the 2d, 62; in the 3d, 60; Princes, Patriarchs, Saints, Angels, 
(good and bad) and even the perfons of the ever-blefled Trinity 
are introduced. Unity of time, aCtion, and place, is not at all 
attended to ; this full-mentioned play runs through a fpace of time 
from the creation to King Solomon’s building the Temple, and incon- 
gruoufly ordaining a Bilhop to keep it w . It takes in alfo the fabulous 
legend of the Martyrdom of Maximilla, in which part the aCtors 
are a Bilhop, a Crolier-bearer, a Meffenger, four Tormentors, the 
Martyr, Gebal, and Amalek. The Bilhop gives to the tormentors 
for putting the Martyr to death, Behethlan, Bofaneth, and all Che- 
nary \ King Solomon fpeaks the Epilogue ; the audience, with a 
ftriCt charge to appear early on the morrow in order to lee the 
PA S S I O N a died, is difmilfed in thefe words : 
Cornifh. 
Abarth an Tas, 
Menftroles a ’ ras 
Pebourgh whare. 
Hag ens pub dre. 
Englifhed. 
In the name of the Father, 
Ye Minftrels holy, 
Tune your pipes. 
And let every one go to his home. 
This may ferve to give a general notion of thefe interludes, 
which were all tranllated into Englifh by the late Mr. John Keig- 
wyn of Moufehole, at the delire of the late Right Reverend Sir 
Jonathan Trelawney, Baronet, Bilhop of Winchefter, in a literal 
manner, for the better underftanding the language, tho’ to the dis- 
advantage of the Poet, and his language too. The bell compolition 
now extant in the Corniih tongue, is that called Mount Calvary, 
which is not dramatic, but narrative, and more folemn ; the inci- 
dents ( with few exceptions ) are all taken from the Golpel Hiftory of 
the Pallion, and the circumftances of diftrefs and luffering very affect- 
ing. It was firft turned into metre (as I imagine 7 ) by the before- 
mentioned Mr. Keigwyn at the inltance of Mr. Scawen of Molinek be- 
fore-mentioned ; but Mr. Scawen dilliking that tranllation, has placed 
a literal one in the Lyttelton copy. But to return to the interludes : 
The places where they were aCted were the Rounds , a kind of amphi- 
theater, with benches either of ftone or turf. Of the former lort 
that exhibited in the Antiquities of Cornwall (page 196, Plate xvi. 
Fig. 1.) ferved this purpofe ; but a much larger one, of higher 
“ Car. page 72. and Kegyllek. 
w The wages he gives to the mechanics for x Places in Cornwall, 
their labour is all the field of Behethlen, all 1 See Scaweti’s own account in Tonkin’s M S, 
Penryn-wood, Enys, and Arwinek, Tregeuler, page 96. 
4 G mound, 
