38 
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
D’abord, les trois premieres strophes, qui sont comme le prologue ou 
1’exposition du mystere, devaient etre dites ou chantees par un eccldsi- 
astique elevd en dignite. Ensuite ce personnage appelait a haute voix 
chacun des acteurs du drame, lesquels s’avangaient et prenaient succes- 
sivement la parole. Ce principal interlocuteur etait, comme nous dirions 
pour un spectacle profane, le meneur ou le directeur du jeu. II se tenait 
probablement debout sur les degres de 1’ambon ou au milieu du jub£, 
entoure des musiciens. Les autres personnages, pretres ou moines, vetus 
du costume de leurs roles, etaient assis dans les stalles, attendant le 
moment de se lever et de venir au milieu du choeur psalmodier ou chanter 
leur verset. 
We are left in uncertainty also as to the day on which the 
Limoges Ordo was performed and as to its position in the liturgy. 
One might infer that the words natus hodie of the opening verses 
were sufficient for identifying the Ordo with Christmas day ; 101 
but the same verses are found also in the Rouen Festum Asinorum, 
which was undeniably presented on the day of the Circumcision . 102 
As to the precise liturgical attachment of the Limoges Ordo our 
only possible shred of information is the rubric at the end: <H>fc 
incoant Benedicamus. If this rubric is to be regarded as belong¬ 
ing to the preceding dramatic text, it must, of course, be inter¬ 
preted as meaning, “Here let them begin the Benedicamus.” Since 
the Benedicamus was sung at the end of each of the canonical 
“ horse ”, this interpretation, upheld by Sepet , 103 would locate the 
dramatic performance at the end of one of these services. But the 
rubric may be interpreted also as meaning, “Here begin the Bene- 
dicamuses.” Since the rubric is followed by a series of metrical 
pieces evidently composed as tropes of the Benedicamus, this second 
interpretation, advanced by Magnin , 104 is by no means inept. Be¬ 
tween the two interpretations I am unable to decide positively. It 
may fairly be said that the plain facts of the manuscript, in which 
tropes of the Benedicamus follow the rubric, give some support 
101 DuMeril (p. 180) chooses to assign the Limoges Ordo to the day before 
Christmas; Sepet (pp. 14-15) is unconditionally for Christmas day. 
102 See below, pp. 66—68. 
103 Sepet (pp. 25-26, 84) regards as part of the dramatic text not only the 
rubric under discussion but also some score or more of verses of text following 
it. Petit de Julleville (Vol. I, p. 36) appears to accept Sepet’s view, as, ac¬ 
cording to Monmerque and Michel (p. 1), does Lebeuf. Monmerque and Michel 
themselves do not (p. 3) regard the Benedicamus trope as part of the dramatic 
text. 
104 Magnin (p. 92) prints the rubric Inchoant Benedicamus, and translates it 
as follows: “Ici commencent les Benedicamus.” Monmerque and Michel give 
(p. 9) precisely the same translation. 
