on Whitsun Monday and Tuesday; and it may safely serve as a text for a few rambling sketches of the entertainments that were wont to gratify the taste of the lovers of the drama, in the age before the stream of imperishable philosophy had been poured forth from the waters of Avon, or its banks had resounded to the harmony that was destined to sweep over the length and breadth of the earth, vibrating through the chords of every living heart that felt its breath.
Deep in the human mind lies the yearning for amusement, great have been those who, laying hold of this inherent principle of our nature, could make it a means for enlightening and ennobling it; nor must we judge of the sincerity of the attempts that were made in this work, by their impotency or failure. In dark and barbarous times, what may seem gross buffoonery to our refined senses, may have had power to convey a moral lesson or excite a worthy impulse; and we may scarcely with any justice withhold our meed of praise and admiration of the philosophy of those old monks, who, seeing the immorality that characterized the exhibitions provided by strolling players, jugglers, tumblers, dancers, and jesters, journeying from town to town, and castle to castle, and filling the large square court-yards provided for their express accommodation by every house of any pretensions to rank, set their
inventive powers to work, to find a substitute for these recreations of dubious tendency, and endeavoured to supersede the secular by the religious drama. Appolonarius, and Gregory, Archbishop of Constantinople, had done likewise, and dramatised scenes both from the Old and New Testament, as substitutes for Euripides and Sophocles, when the study of Greek philosophy was deemed heresy, and to have read Virgil required from St. Augustine penitence and prayer for pardon. Hence priests turned playwrights and actors, and instead of profane mummeries presented scriptural stories, or legendary tales, which they at least deemed improving and instructive. Most old cities present traces, more or less distinct, of these specimens of clerical ingenuity.
The Coventry and Chester mysteries have been preserved almost entire; royalty honoured them with its presence, both in the person of Richard III. and Henry VII. and his queen; York and London have contributed their store of relics, and the performances of the company of Clerks that gave the name to far-famed Clerkenwell, and the fraternity of the Holy Trinity, St. Botolph’s Aldersgate, have become matters of history.
We have to borrow light from these richer stores, to comprehend the full meaning of the few traces left among our chronicles, that bear evidence of similar practices in the other localities; and here we
return to the petition of the St. Luke’s guild or fraternity. Each branch of trade had then its company, or guild, and was governed by laws of its own, under general supervision of the municipal authorities. The St. Luke’s guild was composed of pewterers, braziers, bell-founders, plumbers, glaziers, stainers, and other trades, and upon them it would seem that the whole expense of the Whitsunside dramatic entertainments had fallen; wherefore they besought their “discreet wisdoms” to enact, and ordain, and establish, that every occupation within the city, should yearly, at the procession on Monday in Pentecost week, set forth one pageant, by their “discreet wisdoms” to be assigned and appointed of their costs and charges, which should be “to the worship of the city, profit of the citizens and inhabitants, and to the great sustentation, comfort and relief as well of the said guild and brethren of the same;” which favourable aid should bind them and their successors “daily to pray to God for the prosperities long to endure of their discreet wisdoms.”
Which petition being heard and understood, it was agreed and enacted that thenceforth every occupation in the said city should find and set forth in the said procession one such pageant as should be appointed by master mayor and his brethren aldermen. In the same hand-writing as the minute to this effect is a list of pageants, probably arranged in consequence of it.
1. Mercers, Drapers, Haberdashers. | Creation of the World. |
2. Glasiers, Steyners, Screveners, Pchemyters,Carpenters, Gravers, Caryers, Colermakers Whelewrights. | Helle carte. |
3. Grocers, Raffemen, (Chandlers). | Paradyse. |
4. Shermen, Fullers, Thikwollenweavers,Covlightmakers, Masons, Lymebrenrs. | Abell and Cain. |
5. Bakers, Bruers, Inkepers, Cooks, Millers,Vynteners, Coupers. | Noyse Shipp. |
6. Taillors, Broderers, Reders, and Tylers. | Abraham and Isaak. |
7. Tanners, Coryors, Cordwainers. | Moises and Aaron with the children of Irael, and Pharowith his Knyghts. |
Conflict of David and Golias. | |
9. Dyers, Calaunderers, Goldsmythes, Goldbeters,Saddlers, Pewterers and Brasyers. | The birth of Christ, with Shepherds and three Kyngs ofColen. |
10. Barbors, Wexchandlers, Surgeons, Fisitians,Hardewaremen, Hatters, Cappers, Skynners, Glovers, Pynnmakers,Poyntemakers, Girdelers, Pursers, Bagmakers,“Scepps,” Wyredrawers, Cardmakers. | The Baptysme of Criste. |
11. Bochers, Fismongers,Watermen. | The Resurrection. |
12. Worsted Wevers. | The Holy Ghost. |
“These plays were performed on moveable stages constructed for the purpose, described by Dugdale as ‘theatres very large and high, placed on wheels;’ and Archdeacon Rogers, who died in 1595, and saw the Whitsun plays performed at Chester, gives a very minute description of the mode in which they were exhibited: ‘They were divided there into twenty-four pageants, according to the companies of the city; every company brought forth its pageant, which was the carriage or stage in which they played; these were wheeled about from street to street, exchanging with each other, and repeating their several plays in the different places appointed. The pageants, or carriages, were high places made like two rooms, one above the other, open at the top; the lower room was used as a dressing-room, the higher room was the performing place.”
The first of the Norwich pageants, the Creation of the World, is similar to one described by Hone, as performed at Bamberg, in Germany, so late as 1783; and its details so precisely accord with the stage directions still extant of similar representations in this country, that it has been adopted as a fair specimen of the play alluded to in the list.