These dedys doth 30w spylle. for 3oure love was I rent on rode, And for 3our sake I shed my blode: Whan I was so mercyfulle and so gode, Why have 3e wrought agens my wylle? Secundus Diabolus. I fynde here wretyn in thin forheed, Thou were so stowte and sett in pryde, Thou woldyst nott 3eve a pore man breed, But from thi dore thou woldyst hym chyde. Tertius diabolus. And in thi face here do I rede, That if a thryfty man com any tyde, for thrust thow he xulde be deed, Drynk from hym thou woldyst evyr hyde; On covetyse was alle thy thought. Primus diabolus. In wratthe thi neybore to bakbyte, Them for to hangere was thi delyte, Thou were evyr redy them to endyte; On the seke man rewyst thou nought. Secundus diabolus. Evyr more on envye was alle thimende, Thou woldyst nevyr vesyte no presoner; To alle thi neybores thou were unkende, Thou woldyst nevyr helpe man in daunger. Tertius diabolus. The synne of slauthe thisowlexal shende, Masse nore mateynes woldyst thou non here, To bery the deed, man, thou woldyst not wende, Therfore thou xalt to endles ffere; To slowthe thou were ful prest. Primus diabolus. Thou haddyst rejoyse in glotonye, In dronkesheppe and in rebawdye, Unherborwyd with velonye Thou puttyst from here rest.

Secundus diabolus. Sybile Sclutte, thou ssalte sewe,
Alle 3our lyff was leccherous lay :

To alle journeybores 3e wore a shrewe,
Alle 3our plesauns was leccherous play.
Goddys men 3e lovyd but fewe;
Nakyd men and febyl of array
3e wolde nott socowre with a lytel drewe,
Nott with a thred, the sothe to say,
Whan they askyd in Godys name.
Omnes dampnandi. A, mercy, Lord! mekyl of myght,
We aske thi mercy and not thi ryght,
Not after oure dede so us quyth,
We have synnyd, we be to blame.

NOTES.

Page 1, line 6. With pleys ful glad..] In the Promptorium Parvulorum is given the following curious analysis of the different kinds of plays and players:—“Pley, ludus; pley, or somyr game, spectaculum; pley that begynnythe with myrthe and endythe with sorowe, tragedia; pley that begynnythe with sorow and endythe with myrthe, comedia; pleyare, lusor; pleyare that alwey wyl pley, ludibundus; pleyar at the bal, pililudius; pleyyng garment, ludix; pleyyng place, diludium.”—MS. Harl. 221, fol. 129. Chaucer gives us the same definition of tragedy in the prologue to The Monkes Tale:— Tragedie is to sayn a certain storie, As olde bookes maken us memorie, Of him that stood in gret prosperitee, And is y-fallen out of high degree Into miserie, and endeth wretchedly.

P. 9, l. 17. Mevelyd.) So in the MS., but probably it ought to be mervelyd.

P. 17, l. 10. Dele the comma after the word duere.

P. 19. THE CREAtion.] Bagford has preserved in MS. Harl. 5931, v. 13, a printed bill of the latter end of the seventeenth century, wherein it is stated that “at Crawley's show at the Golden Lion, near St. George's Church, during the time of Southwark-fair, will be presented the whole story of the old creation of the world, or Paradice Lost, yet newly reviv'd, with the addition of Noah's flood.” See Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, ed. Hone, p. 166. The specimen 272 in the same volume is still more curious, and shows that the performances of mysteries, howbeit in a very different state, were continued in England up to a much later period than is usually believed :“By Her Majestie's permission. At Heatly's booth, over against the Cross Daggers, next to Mr. Miller's booth, during the time of Bartholomew-Fair, will be presented a little opera, called The old creation of the world, newly reviv'd, with the addition of the glorious battle obtained over the French and Spaniards by his Grace the Duke of Marlborough. The contents are these:— 1. The creation of Adam and Eve. 2. The intreagues of Lucifer in the garden of Eden. 3. Adam and Eve driven out of paradice. 4. Cain going to plow, Abel driving sheep. 5. Cain killeth his brother Abel. 6. Abraham offering his son Isaac. 7. Three wise men of the East guided by a star, who worship him. 8. Joseph and Mary flew away by night upon an ass. 9. King Herod's cruelty; his men's spears laden with children. 10. Rich Dives invites his friends, and orders his porter to keep the beggars from his gate. 11. Poor Lazarus comes a begging at rich Dives's gate, and the dogs lick his sores. 12. The good angel and death contend for Lazarus's life. 13. Rich Dives is taken sick and dieth. He is buried in great solemnity. 14. Rich Dives in hell, and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, seen in a most glorious object, all in machines descending in a throne, guarded with multitudes of angels, with the breaking of the clouds, discovering the palace of the sun, in double and treble prospects, to the admiration of all spectators. Likewise several rich and large figures, with dances, jiggs, sarabrands, anticks, and country dances between every act: compleated with the merry humours of Sir John Spendall and Punchanello, with several other things never yet exposed. Perform'd by Mat. Heatly. Vivat Regina!” In Braithwayte’s “Strapado for the Devil,” 8vo. Lond. 1615, p. 161, there is an allusion to the performance of Mysteries in London in ancient times:— “Saint Bartlemews, where all the pagents showne, And all those acts from Adam unto Noe Us’d to be represent.”