A Literary History of the English People Part 54

[746] "Dialogue of Salomon and Saturnus," in prose, ed. Kemble, aelfric Society, 1848, 8vo. See also the "estrif" between Joseph and Mary in "Cynewulf's Christ," ed. Gollancz, 1892, p. 17; above, p. 75.

[747] "The Owl and the Nightingale," ed. J. Stevenson, Roxburghe Club, 1838, 4to. "The Thrush and the Nightingale"; "Of the Vox and the Wolf"

(see above, p. 228); "The Debate of the Carpenter's Tools," in Hazlitt, "Remains of the early Popular Poetry of England," 1864, 4 vols. 8vo, vol. i. pp. 50, 58, 79.

[748] "Anonymi Petroburgensis Descriptio Norfolcensic.u.m" (end of the twelfth century); "Norfolchiae Descriptionis Impugnatio," in Latin verse, with some phrases in English, in Th. Wright, "Early Mysteries and other Latin Poems of the XIIth and XIIIth centuries," London, 1838, 8vo.

[749] "Harrowing of h.e.l.l." This work consists in a dramatic dialogue or scene, but it was not meant to be represented. Time of Henry III.; text in Pollard, "English Miracle Plays," Oxford, 1890, p. 166.

[750] This game is described in the (very coa.r.s.e) fabliau of the "Sentier batu" by Jean de Conde, fourteenth century:

De plusieurs deduis s'entremistrent Et tant c'une royne fistrent Pour jouer au Roy qui ne ment.

Ele s'en savoit finement Entremettre de commander Et de demandes demander.

Montaiglon and Raynaud, "Recueil general des Fabliaux," vol. iii. p.

248.

[751] "Prohibemus etiam clericis ne intersint ludis inhonestis, vel ch.o.r.eis, vel ludant ad aleas, vel taxillos; nec sustineant ludos fieri de Rege et Regina," &c. "Const.i.tutiones Walteri de Cantilupo, Wigorniensis episcopi ... promulgatae ... A.D. 1240," art. x.x.xviii., in Labbe, "Sacrorum conciliorum ... Collectio," l. xxiii. col. 538.

[752] The two sorts are well described by Baudouin de Conde in his "Contes des Hiraus," thirteenth century. The author meets a servant and asks him questions about his master.

Dis-moi, par l'ame de ton pere, Voit-il volentiers menestreus?

--Ol voir, biau frere, et estre eus En son hostel a giant solas....

... Et quant avient C'aucuns grans menestreus la vient, Maistres en sa menestrandie, Que bien viele ou ki bien die De bouce, mesires l'ascoute Volenticis....

Mais peu souvent i vient de teus Mais des felons et des honteus,

who speak but nonsense and know nothing, and who, however, receive bread, meat, and wine,

... l'un por faire l'ivre, L'autre le cat, le tiers le sot; Li quars, ki onques rien ne sot D'armes s'en parole et raconte De ce preu due, de ce preu conte.

"Dits et Contes de Baudouin de Conde," ed. Scheler, Brussels, 1866, 3 vols. 8vo, vol. i. p 154.

[753] "Ad quid illa vocis contractio et infractio? Hic succinit, ille discinit.... Aliquando, quod pudet dicere, in equinos hinnitus cogitur; aliquando virili vigore deposito in femineae vocis gracilitates acuitur.... Videas aliquando hominem aperto ore quasi intercluso habitu expirare, non cantare, ac ridiculosa quadam vocis interceptione quasi minitari silentium; nunc agones morientium, vel extasim patientium imitari. Interim histrionicis quibusdam gestibus totum corpus agitatur, torquentur l.a.b.i.a, rotant, ludunt humeri; et ad singulas quasque notas digitorum flexus respondet. Et haec ridiculosa dissolutio vocatur religio!.... Vulgus ... miratur ... sed lascivas cantantium gesticulationes, meretricias voc.u.m alternationes et infractiones, non sine cachinno risuque intuetur, ut eos non ad oratorium sed ad theatrum, nec ad orandum sed ad spectandum aestimes convenisse." "Speculum Chantatis," Book ii. chap. 23, in Migne's "Patrologia," vol. cxcv. col.

571.

[754] Latin text in "The Exempla ... of Jacques de Vitry," thirteenth century, ed. T. F. Crane, London, 1890, 8vo, p. 105 (No. ccl.), and in Th. Wright, "A Selection of Latin Stories," 1842, Percy Society, p. 16: "De Dolo et Arte Vetularum." French text in Barbazan and Meon, "Fabliaux," vol. ii., included into the "Castoiement d'un pere a son fils," thirteenth century. English text in Th. Wright, "Anecdota Literaria," London, 1844, 8vo, p. 1; the t.i.tle is in French: "Ci commence le fables et le cointise de dame Siriz."

[755] Text in Wright and Halliwell, "Reliquiae Antiquae," London, 1841, 2 vols. 8vo, vol. i. p. 145. "Hic incipit interludiam de Clerico and Puella."

[756] "Here bigynnis a tretise of Miraclis Pleyinge," end of fourteenth century, in Wright and Halliwell, "Reliquiae Antiquae," vol. ii. p. 46.

Elsewhere in the same treatise, "to pley in rebaudye" is opposed to "pley in myriclis," p. 49.

[757] "Ludi theatrales, etiam praetextu consuetudinis in ecclesiis vel per clericos fieri non debent." Decretal of Innocent III., year 1207, included by Gregory IX. in his "Compilatio." Richter and Friedberg, "Corpus Juris Canonici," Leipzig, 1879, vol. ii. p. 453.

[758] "Const.i.tutiones Walteri de Cantilupo, A.D. 1240," in Labbe's "Sacrorum Conciliorum ... Collectio," vol. xxiii. col. 526.

[759] Wilkins, "Concilia Magnae Britanniae," London, 1737, 4 vols. fol., vol. i. p. 617, Nos. lxxiv., lxxv. The same prohibition is made by Walter de Chanteloup, _ut supra_, art. lv. The custom was a very old one, and existed already in Anglo-Saxon times; see "aelfric's Lives of Saints," 1881, E.E.T.S., p. 461.

[760] "... Ne quis ch.o.r.eas c.u.m larvis seu strepitu aliquo in ecclesiis vel plateis ducat, vel sertatus, vel coronatus corona ex folus arborum, vel florum vel aliunde composita, alicubi incedat ... prohibemus,"

thirteenth century, "Munimenta Academica," ed. Anstey, Rolls, 1868, p.

18.

[761] Decretal of Innocent III., reissued by Gregory IX. "In aliquibus anni festivitalibus, quae continue natalem Christi sequuntur, diaconi, presbyteri ac subdiaconi vicissim insaniae suae ludibria exercere praesumunt, per gesticulationum suarum debacchationes obscoenas in conspectu populi decus faciunt clericale vilescere, quem potius illo tempore verbi Dei deberent praedicatione mulcere." Richter and Friedberg, "Corpus Juris Canonici," vol. ii. p. 453.

[762] Thirteenth century. See Gaston Paris, "Romania," vol. xxi. p. 262.

Songs of a much worse character were also sung at Christmas. To deter his readers from listening to any such Gascoigne writes (first half of the fifteenth century): "Cavete et fugite in hoc sacro festo viciosa et turpia, et praecipue cantus inhonestos et turpes qui libidinem excitant et provocant ... et ymagines imprimunt in mente quas expellere difficillimum est. Novi ego, scilicet Gascoigne, doctor sacrae paginae qui haec scripsi, unum magnum et notabilem virum talem cantum turpem in festo Natalis audivisse." He could never forget the shameful things he had heard, and fell on that account into melancholy, by which he was driven to death. "Loci e libro veritatum ... pa.s.sages selected from Gascoigne's Theological Dictionary," ed. Thorold Rogers, Oxford, 1881, 4to. On the Christmas festivities at the University and on the "Rex Natalicius"

(sixteenth century and before), see C. R. L. Fletcher, "Collectanea,"

Oxford, 1885, 8vo, p. 39.

[763] "c.u.m domus Dei, testaute propheta Filioque Dei, domus sit orationis, nefandum est eam in domum jocationis, scurrilitatis et nugacilatis convertere, loc.u.mque Deo dicatum diabolicis adinventionibus execrare; c.u.mque circ.u.mcisio Domini nostri Jesu Christi prima fuerit nec modic.u.m acerba ejusdem pa.s.sio, signum quoque sit circ.u.mcisionis spiritualis qua cordium praeputia tolluntur ... execrabile est circ.u.mcisionis Domini venerandam solemnitatem libidinosarum voluptatum sordibus prophanare: quapropter vobis mandamus in virtute obedientiae firmiter injungentes, quatenus Festum Stultorum c.u.m sit vanitate plenum et voluptatibus spurc.u.m, Deo odibile et daemonibus amabile, ne de caetero in ecclesia Lincolniensi, die venciandae solemnitatis circ.u.mcisionis Domini permittatis fieri." "Epistolae," ed. Luard, Rolls, 1861, p. 118, year 1236(?). Same defence for the whole diocese, p. 161.

[764] "Wardrobe Accounts," in "Archaeologia," vol. xxvi. p. 342; "Issue Roll of Thomas de Brantingham," ed. Devon, 1835, p. xlvi; "Issues of the Exchequer," ed. Devon, p. 222, 6 Rich. II.

[765] "Inhibemus ne de cetero in festis Innocentium et Beate Marie Magdalene ludibria exerceatis consueta, induendo vos scilicet vestis secularium aut inter vos, sed c.u.m secularibus, ch.o.r.eas ducendo, nec extra refectorium comedatis," &c. Eudes Rigaud, archbishop of Rouen, to the nuns of Villarciaux, thirteenth century. "Registrum Visitationum"

ed. Bonnin, 1842, 4to, p. 44.

[766] "Historia Major," Rolls, vol. iii. p. 336.

[767] Matthew Paris, _ibid._

[768] Described by Richard of Maidstone (d. 1396) in a Latin poem: "Richardi Maydiston de Concordia inter Regem Ricardum II. et civitatem London," in the "Political Poems and Songs" of Wright, Rolls, vol. i. p.

282.

[769] Entry of Isabeau of Bavaria into Paris, in 1384.

[770] On the popularity of Robin Hood in the fourteenth century, see above, p. 224. In the fifteenth century he was the hero of plays performed during the May festivities: "Reced for the gathering of the May-play called Robin Hood, on the fair day, 19s." Accounts of the church of St. Lawrence at Reading, year 1499, in the _Academy_, October 6, 1883, p. 231.

[771] "Quem quaeritis in praesepe, pastores? Respondent: Salvatorem Christum Dominum." Pet.i.t de Julleville, "Histoire du Theatre en France.--Les Mysteres," 1880, vol. i. p. 25.

[772] Pet.i.t de Julleville, _ibid._, vol. i. p. 26.

[773] Same beginning and same gradual development: "Quem queritis in sepulchro o Christicole?--Jesum Nazarenum crucifixum o celicole.--Non est hic, surrexit sicut predixerat; ite nunciate quia surrexit.

Alleluia." In use at Limoges, eleventh century. "Die lateinischen Osterfeiern, untersuchungen uber den Ursprung und die Entwicklung der liturgisch-dramatischen Auferstehungsfeier," by Carl Lange, Munich, 1887, 8vo, p. 22.

[774] "Ci comence l'estoire de Griselidis;" MS. fi. 2203, in the National Library, Paris, dated 1395, outline drawings (privately printed, Paris, 1832, 4to).--"Le Mistere du siege d'Orleans," ed.

Guessard and Certain, Paris, 1862, 4to (Doc.u.ments inedits).

[775] This story was very popular during the Middle Ages, in France and in England. It was, _e.g._, the subject of a poem in English verse, thirteenth century: "The Life of St. Katherine," ed. Einenkel, Early English Text Society, 1884, 8vo.

[776] "Vitae ... viginti trium abbatum Sancti Albani," in "Matthaei Paris monachi Albanensis [Opera]," London, 1639-40, 2 vols. fol., vol. ii. p.

56 "Gaufridus decimus s.e.xtus [abbas]."

[777] _Ibid._, p. 64.

[778] He writes, twelfth century: "Londonia pro spectaculis theatralibus, pro ludis scenicis, ludos habet sanctiores, representationes miraculorum...." "Descriptio n.o.bilissimae civitatis Londoniae," printed with Stow's "Survey of London," 1599, 4to

[779] This can be inferred from the existence of that "estrif" the "Harrowing of h.e.l.l," written in the style of mysteries, which has come down to us, and belongs to that period. See above, p. 443. Religious dramas were written in Latin by subjects of the kings of England, and, among others, by Hilary, a disciple of Abelard, twelfth century, who seems to have been an Anglo-Norman; "Hilarii versus et Ludi," ed.

Champollion-Figeac, Paris, 1838. A few lines in French are mixed with his Latin.