Historic%20Yorkshire

Chapter VI.
MYSTERY PLAYS IN YORKSHIRE.
O better index to a certain phase and epoch of
mediæval life can be obtained than from the
ancient Mystery Plays. Prevalent on the
continent, and performed there with great
spirit from very early times, they were introduced
into England by, it is said, an Englishman
named Hilarius, soon after the Norman Conquest,
and rapidly became popular. During the 12th century
they werereceived with the greatest favour, but gradually
declined towards the end of the 14th, though they were
performed(on Sunday) so latelyas the middleof the 16th.
The origin of the Mystery Plays, Corpus Christi Plays,
or Moralities,is ascribable to the Church, monks being,
as a rule, both the authors and actors of the pieces,and
the object in presenting these strange performances to
the people was the expounding of the Bible's lessons.
As might be expected,the arrangements are, to a modern
mind, extremely ludicrous. The stages on which the
plays were shown usually consisted of three floors, the
highest representing Heaven, the next Earth, and the
lowermost Hell. On one occasion we read of " Hell "
being accidentally set on fire, and great uneasiness was
thereupon exhibited by its occupants! Such accidents,
of course, rendered repairs necessary, and we hear of an
item — payd for mending hell mought, ijd.; and payd for
keeping of fyre at hellmought, iiijd. Hell was generally