TIIE il MYSTERY " OF THE " PASSION." 
377 
From these pips sprung three rods, which Closes cut down and used 
in performing his miracles, and afterwards planted on Mount Tabor, 
whence David removed them to Jerusalem, on his way curing a 
lame and a blind man by the virtue inherent in them. The rods 
were then laid down and left for a while, aud when they went to 
fetch them they were found rooted in the earth, and all three 
joined in one. When Solomon's temple was in course of erection, 
the builder, struck by the size and beauty of the tree, had it cut 
down, and removed to the site of the building, but could make no 
use of it ; for, to whatever purpose they put it, it was found 
" either too long or too short, too broad or too narrow ;" so it was 
thrown aside, and afterwards made to serve as a foot-bridge over 
the brook Kedron, which the Queen of Sheba refused to cross, 
saying it would one time prove the ruin of the Jews. From the 
brook it is fetched to make Christ's cross. 
In the Ammergau play the nailing to the cross is done behind 
the scenes, and the elevation, which takes place before the spec- 
tators, is very solemn. In the Cornish play all is done before the 
spectators ; and a great deal of petty malice is shown, and insulting 
remarks made, while the executioners stretch with ropes Christ's 
arms, to make the hands reach the holes made for the nails, which 
are too far apart. After this comes the agony of the cross ; the 
insults by the priests ; the dividing of the garments ; the repent- 
ance of Dysmas ; the address to Christ's mother and John ; the giv- 
ing of the vinegar ; and then Christ bows his head and dies. Then 
the Cornish play introduces a scene from the gospel of x^icodemus. 
A blind soldier (Longius, or Longinus) is led in. His hand is 
guided, so that he may thrust his spear into Christ's side. Some of 
the blood flows down the spear to the hands of Longius ; he wipes 
his eyes, recovers his sight, and is converted. After this comes the 
taking down from the cross, and the entombment, with which the 
Cornish play ends, the people, in the epilogue, being invited to 
come on the morrow to see the " Resurrection." This, however, 
forms the subject of the seventeenth and last scene of the Ammergau 
play, which play takes eight hours (with an interval of one hour) 
to represent. The Cornish play of the " Passion " has 3,240 lines; 
that of the "Resurrection" (which has an episode, the "Death of 
Pilate," that might form a separate mystery, quite as long as some 
of the other mediaBval mysteries), 2,646 lines. 
At the end of the manuscript of each drama is a circle, which is 
2 o 
