It will be seen that the Mayor and Corporation had ordered a procession at Corpus Christi, and that the clergy were to provide a play. What this play was we have, unfortunately, no means of knowing.
This may account for the transference of the gild plays to Whitsun week. The clergy, anxious to have the Corpus Christi procession to themselves without the trade gilds, may have said to the citizens, “If you will have your plays at another time we will, at our own charge and expense, provide a play on Corpus Christi, so that there shall be no loss to the citizens in that respect.”[36] Thus the plays got transferred to Whitsuntide.
[36] This is precisely what happened at York, where after 1426 the Corpus Christi procession and the plays were separated.
My third quotation must be:—
“Sir John Arnway was maire of this citie[37]
When these playes were begon truly
God graunt us merely
And see theym many a yere.”
[37] Arneway was Mayor, 1268–76.
This is the earliest mention of their origin.