!
the nativity & adoration cycle of the
Chester Mysteries
J
伽
​as played in new york on christmas eva at
The greenwich Village Theatre
frank conroy and roy milchell ←→← editors
published by egmont h. arens in new york

11914 41
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EX-LIBRIS
LOLON
SCENICIS
DANIEL L QUIRKJR

Daniel L. Quirk, Jr.
To
Marguerite
this little book is
affectionately
dedicated.
ï

chester plays.
THE NATIVITY AND ADORATION CYCLE OF
The Chester Cysteries
AS PERFORMED IN NEW YORK ON CHRISTMAS Eve at
THE GREENWICH VILLAGE THEATRE
WITH A PREFATORY NOTE ON THE SOURCES AND METHOD OF PLAYING
THE
INCLUDING
SHEAPHAR DES' PLAY
THE OFFERING OF THE SHEAPHARDES
THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI
EDITED
ED BY
FRANK M. CONROY
AND D % Z
ROY MITCHELL
1917
EGMONT H. ARENS, PUBLISHER, AT THE
WASHINGTON SQUARE BOOK SHOP
17 WEST EIGHTH STREET
NEW YORK

1
822.08
053
1917
}

D. L. Quirk
6-26-56
INTRODUCTION
NLY within very recent years have workers in the
theatre come to realize the dramatic values of the
mediaeval religious plays. For many decades they
have been available in the publications of learned
societies but the tendency has been to regard them as
mere curiosities and valuable only as university texts
for the study of the so-called pre-Shakespearean drama.
With the modern revaluation in the theatre has come a
renewed interest in the communal plays of a simpler age
and dramatic experiment has justified the research.
It is only to be expected that among a people whose
community centre was the church, these plays should be
religious in their subject matter. It is further to be
expected that arising directly out of the community life
of non-professional players they should be festival plays
keeping step with the rhythm of the seasons. The un-
expected thing about them is the dramatic merit which
they reveal, when delivered from the archaisms of spell-
ing and diction which make them seem unnatural and
stilted. So modernized they are found to possess mar-
vellous playing qualities as well as a beauty of language
and thought which is rare in modern pieces.
The extant manuscripts of the mediaeval drama may
be divided roughly into two classes: those called mys-
teries, and based upon Biblical stories, and those called
moralities, occupying themselves with allegorical figures
typifying the human virtues and vices. It is customary
to look upon the moralities as an advance on the mys-
teries because they mark a movement towards the secular
drama. The reverse is nearer to the truth. Dramatic
presentation reveals that the morality plays represent a
decadence of the more sincere and less artificial mystery
drama.
Several cycles of the mysteries survive in more or
less complete form. The most complete and from an
ما
5
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
bew.
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
artistic viewpoint the best is the Chester cycle played at
Chester, England, and written down by George Bellin
late in the fifteenth century. The modern text is that
of T. Wright published in 1843-4. The plays were pre-
sented in complete cycle on Whitsunday and each play
was allotted to one of the guilds. Information varies as
to the manner of presentation but the usual custom was
to play in the market place on big wagons with scenery
suited to the play. Performances were also given in the
chancels of churches.
In addition to their completeness and their dramatic
values the Chester Mysteries possess one quality which
puts them above all other like plays. They are written
for the human voice. Whether this is the work of the
long forgotten author or is the result of repeated per-
formances in which the player made the alterations
needed is open to doubt, but one has only to read the
text aloud to perceive the breadth and beauty of the
vowel sounds and the skilful handling of consonants.
Of the entire cycle of the Chester Mysteries three are
especially suited to Christmas presentation and are set
forth in this volume, with the emendations required for
modern playing. Certain clarifications of the original
spelling have been found necessary, also considerable
cutting to eliminate figures only understandable in the
light of mediaeval theology.
In performances these plays require the simplest
technique and the rigid avoidance of any stage effects
whatsoever. In the Greenwich Village Theatre festival
productions the stage is set to suggest a church chancel.
At the back is a tall stained glass window and in front
of it an altar with candelabra and a bowl of lilies. The
shepherds enter and sit upon the dais in front of the
altar. The curtain is up at the beginning and is not
lowered during the performance. In the places required
in the plays and in the intervals between the plays there
is plain-song for choir and organ.
For successful representation the acting, movement
and stage business must have all the simplicity and
naivete of the original fifteenth century originals. Thus
played the little dramas have unbelievable beauty and
power
Greenwich Village Theatre,
December 10, 1917.
F. M. C.
R. M.
6
C
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
LIST OF PROPERTIES
Four crooks for shepherds.
Three haversacks for same.
Three bottles for same.
Horn for First Shepherd.
Tar-pot for same.
Herbs for same.
Food:
Bone with little meat.
Jannacke.
Bread.
Tongue.
Bell for First Shepherd.
Flaggette and Spoon for Second Shepherd.
Casket for First King.
Incense casket for Second King.
Casket for Third King.
Staff for Joseph.
Lily for Angel.
7
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
THE CHARACTERS
Firste Sheapharde
Joseph
Second Sheapharde
Mary
Thyrde Sheapharde
Firste Kinge
Trowle
The Angel Gabriel
Second Kinge
Thyrde Kinge
Expositor
The Sheaphardes' Play
The play is given in the chancel of a church. At the back
is a tall window and in front of it a high altar with cande-
labra and a bowl of flowers. The stage is in two levels, the
rear half a foot higher. On the spectator's right is a curtain
on two pillars; behind it sit Joseph and Mary. The curtain
remains closed except when instruction is given in the text
for the Angel Gabriel to draw it.
Firste Sheapharde enters at the left and comes to the
middle, where he sits on the edge of the platform.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
On wouldes I have walked full wylde,
Under bushes my bower to builde,
From stiffe stormes my sheepe to sheilde,
My seemlye wethers to save;
From comelye Conwaye unto Clyde,
Under tyldes them to hyde.
A better sheapharde on no syde
No yeairthlye man maye have.
Takes out articles severally.
Loe, here be my herbes safe and sounde,
Wiselye wrought for everye wounde,
That woulde a wholl man bringe to grounde
Within a littill while;
Of henbane and horehounde,
Bybbey raydishes and egremounde,
Which be my herbes saffe and sounde.
Heare is tarre in a potte,
To heale from the rotte;
Well I can and well I wotte
The cough from them take.
But no fellowshippe heare have I,
Save my selfe alone in good faye;
Therefore after one faste will I crye,
But firste will I drinke yf I maie.
He drinks. Calls off left.
Howe, Harvye, howe!
Drive thy sheepe to the lowe;
Thou maye not heare excepte I blowe,
As ever have I heale.
Blows his horn.
9
:
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Enters at left and joins Firste Sheapharde.
Felowe, nowe we be well mete,
And thoughe me thinkes nedes,
Hade we Tudde heare by us sette,
Their mighte we sitte and feede us.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Yea, to feede us frendlye in faye,
Crye thou muste lowde, by this daie,
Tudde is deafe and (maye) not well heare us.
Howe, Tudde, come for thy father kyn.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Naye, faye, thy voyce is wounderous dym;
Why, knowes thou not hym?
Fye, man, for shame!
Calle hym Tudde, Tybbes sonne,
And then will the shrew come,
For, in good faith, it is his will
To love well his dame's name.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Howe, Tudde, Tybbes sonne!
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Enters. He is very deaf and quite old.
Sir, in faith nowe I come,
For yette have I not all done
That I have to doe;
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Nowe seinge God hath gaithered us togeither,
With good harte I thanke hym of his grace.
Wellckome be thou,
Tudde, will we shape us to some solace?
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Solace woulde beste be seene
That we shape us to our suppere;
For meate and drinke well, I wene,
To eiche deede is moste deare.
+
10
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Laye fourth iche man aleiche
What he hath lefte of his livereye;
And I will put fourth my piece
With my parte, firste of us all three.
Digs into his haversack.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Taking out victuals.
And suche store as my wife hade,
In your sighte sone shall you see,
For in good meate their is moche glee.
Heare is bread this daie was baken;
Onyans, garlicks and leickes,
Butter that boughte was in Blackon,
And greene cheese that will greese your cheekes.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Taking out victuals.
And heare ale of Halton I have,
And whotte meate I hade to my hire;
A puddinge maye no man deprave,
And a jannacke of Lancaster shire.
Loe! heares a sheepes heade sawsed in ale,
And sower mylke my wife hade ordened,
A noble supper as well is seene.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Nowe will I caste off my cloke,
And put out parte of my liverye,
And put out that I have in my pocke.
My secchell to shake oute
To sheapardes am I not ashamed;
And this tonge pared rounde aboute,
With my tonge it shalbe atamed.
Howseinge enoffe have we heare,
While that we have heaven over our heades;
Nowe to wete our mouthes tyme were,
This flagette will I tame, yf thou reade us.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
And of this bottill nowe will I bibbe,
For heare is but of the beste;
Suche licore makes me to live.
·
11
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Fellowes, nowe our bellye be full,
Thinke we on hym that kepes our flockes.
Blowe thy horne and (call) after Trowle,
And byde hym some of our bittlockes.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Well sayde, Hancken, by my south,
For that shrewe I suppose seekes us.
My horne to blowe I will not lette,
Tell that ladde have some of our leekes.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Leekes to his livereye is likings,
Suche a lade nowher in lande is.
Blowe a note for that mittinge,
Whyle that horne nowe in thy hande is.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
With this horne I shall make a howl
That he and all heaven shall heare;
Yender ladde, that sittes on a lowe,
The lowde of this horne shall heare.
Blows loudly.
Here Trowle enters impudently and stands behind the
shepherds.
TROWLE
Here sitte downe I will,
Harmless, as I hastelye hope;
No man heare shall drinke,
Save my selfe, the devill of the sop.
He snatches bottle. Drinks.
All this bottill I sette at littill,
For kinge nor duke by this daie
Rise I will not, but take my reste.
Yf any man come me bye,
And woulde witte which waie were beste.
My legge I leifte up as I lye,
And wishe hym the waie este or weste.
The old shepherds laugh.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Trowle, take teene to my talkings,
For thy teeith heare is good tugging,
While thy wethers bene walkinge,
And on this loyne thou maie have good luginge.
Throws him a bone.
12
THE
CHESTER
TROWLE
Fye on your loynes and on youer livereye!
You sause and your saverye.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
For thou saves our sheepe,
Good knave, take kepe;
Seith thou maye not slepe,
Come eate of this sauce.
TROWLE
Naye, the durte is so depe
And the grobbes theirin doe crepe,
Therfore meate, yf I maie,
Of your dightinge to daie
Will I naughte, by no waie,
Tell I have my wages.
I wende to have been gaye:
See so ragged is myne araye,
Indignantly.
Aye, pynckes is your paye
To everye poore page.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Trowle, boys, for Godes fee!
Come eate a morseill with me,
And then wrastill will we
Here on this greene.
TROWLE
That shall I never flee,
Though yt be with all three,
That wages will I houlde.
Put hym fourth that moste is of mighte.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Trowle, better never thou knewe,
Eate of this meate for a knighte.
TROWLE
Naye, spare I will, thoughe I spewe,
All upon thy heade shall lighte.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Howe shoulde we suffer all this shame,
Of a shrewe thus to be shente?
MYSTERIES
L
13
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
This ladde lusts to be lamed
And lose a limb ere he wente.
TROWLE
Have done, begyne we this game.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
False lade, fye on thy face,
On this grounde thou shalte have a falle.
TROWLE
Hancken, sheapharde, shame thee I shall;
Ware leste thou welter here by the wall.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Boye, leste I breake thy bones,
Kneele downe and aske me a boone,
Leste I destroye thee heare on these stones.
Going toward Trowle. They are about to rush at him,
when suddenly they see the star.
What is all this lighte here,
That makes so brighte heare,
On my blacke beyrde?
For to see this lighte heare,
A man maye be afrighte heare,
For I am afeard.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Afraide, for a fear nowe,
May we be all nowe,
Ah! yet it is nighte,
Yet seemes yt daie nowe,
See I suche a sighte!
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Suche a sighte seemings,
And a lighte gleminge,
From a starre streminge,
It to me strocke.
TROWLE
A! God mighte is,
In yender starre lighte is,
Of the sonne this sighte is,
As yt nowe sheines.
14
THE CHESTER
MYSTERIES
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Fellowes, will we
Knele downe on our knye,
After comfortes,
To the trewe Trenitie,
For to leade us to see
Our elderes Lorde.
They all kneel.
TROWLE
Lorde, of this lighte
Guyde us some sighte,
Why that it is sente.
Before this nighte,
Was I never so afrighte
Of the fermament.
Here is chanting of the Gloria in Excelsis. At the end of
it the Firste Sheapharde speaketh:
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Fellowes in feare,
Maye you not heare
This mutinge on heighte?
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
A glorey and a glare,
Yet no man was nere
Within our sighte.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Naye, it was a glorye!
Nowe am I sorye.
Chanting begins again.
But more songe.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
As I them demed,
Celsis it seemed
That he sange.
Chanting again.
15
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
What songe was this, say ye,
That they sange to us all three?
Expounded shall yt be,
Ere we hense passe.
The Angel enters behind and draws close to them.
TROWLE
Nay, it was glory, glory, glorious!
Me thoughte that note ran over the howse.
Naye, it was glory, glory, with a glo!
And moche of cellsis was thereto.
ANGEL
Sheaphardes, of this sighte
Be ye not afrighte,
For this is Gode's mighte,
Take this in mynde;
To Bethlehem nowe hie,
Ther you shall se in sighte,
That Christe is borne tonighte,
To ken all mankinde.
TROWLE
To Bethlehem take we the waye,
For with you I thinke to wende,
That Prince of Peace for to praye,
Heaven to have at our ende.
And singe we all, I rede,
Some mirth to his magistie;
For certain nowe shows it in deed,
The kinges sonne of heaven is he.
:
The Angel goes out at the right, followed by Trowle and
the Sheaphardes. This is the end of the "Sheaphardes' Play."
There is an interval, and in the same scene begins:
!
16
of
"The Offering Sheaphardes”
the
The Angel enters left, and crossing the stage, draws back
the curtain of the Lady Shrine. The Sheaphardes enter left,
and stop.
There follows an interval of chanting.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Heare I see Marye,
And Jesus Christe faste by,
Lapped in haye.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Kneyle we downe in hye,
And praye we hym of mercye,
And welckome hym worthelye.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Awaye all our wo is,
And many mans more is!
Christe Lorde, let us kysse
The creche or the clothes.
TROWLE
Solace nowe, to see this,
Buildes in my breste blisse,
Never after to doe amysse
Thinges that hym loth is.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Whatever this oulde man that heare is,
Take heede howe his head is hoary.
17
THE
CHESTER
3
MYSTERIES
MARIA
First lifts her eyes.
Sheaphardes, southlye I see
That my sonne you hither sente,
Through Godes mighte in magistie.
That in me lighte and heare is lente,
This man married was to me,
For no sin ner suche assente,
But to kepe my virginitie,
And trewlye for no other intente.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Greate God, sittinge in thy throne,
That made all thinges of naughte,
Nowe we maie thanke thee each one,
This is he that we have soughte.
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Goe we nere anon,
With suche as we have broughte,
Lett us se yf we have oughte to proffer.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Let us do hym homage.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Who shall goe firste? The page?
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Naye, ye be father of age,
Therfore ye muste offer.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Kneeling at shrine.
Hail, kinge of heaven so hie!
Borne in a crib,
i
Heale, kinge! borne in a maydens bower,
Proffittes did tell thou shouldest be our succore,
Thus clarkes doth saye.
Loe, I bringe thee a bell;
I praie thee save me from hell,
So that I maye with thee dwell,
And serve thee for aye.
18
•
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
SECOND SHEAPHARDE
Doing likewise.
Hail thee maker of the starre,
That stode us beforne;
Hail thee, blessed full barne,
Loe, sonne, I bringe thee a flaggette,
Theirby heinges a sponne,
To eate thy pottage with all at noone,
As I my selfe full ofte tymes have done,
With harte I praie thee to take.
THYRDE SHEAPHARDE
Hail thee, granter of hope,
For in yeairth nowe thou dwelleste,
Loe, sonne, I bringe thee a cap
For I have nothing elles;
THE
This gifte, sonne, I bringe thee is but small,
And though I come the hyndmoste of all,
When thou shall them to thy blesse call,
Goode Lorde, yet thinke on me.
TROWLE
Comes forward and kneels.
Of other gifts, my dear,
Have I non for to geve,
That is worth anye thinge at all,
But my good harte, while I live,
And my prayers tell death doe me call.
FIRSTE SHEAPHARDE
Nowe fare well, mother and mayde,
For of synne naughte thou wottests,
Thou haste brought fourth this daie,
Godes sonne of mighteste moste.
Wherfore men shall saye,
Blessed in everye coast and place
Be thou memoriall for me and for us all.
And that we maie from syne fall,
And stande ever in thy grace,
Our Lorde God be with thee.
1
19
THE CHESTER
1
MYSTERIES
TROWLE
Brethren, let us all three
Singinge walke homewardes;
Unkinde will I in no case be,
But preache ever that I can and crye,
As Gabryll taughte by his grace me,
Singinge awaye hense will we.
They go out chanting. The Angel closes the curtain of
the Lady Shrine.
This is the end of the play of "The Offering of the Sheap-
hardes." There is an interval, and in the same scene begins
the play of
"The Adoration of the Magi”
The Kinges enter left, looking towards the Lady Shrine.
FIRSTE KINGE
Mightye God, moste of mayne,
To honoure thee we maye be fayne.
The starre I see it come againe,
That was out of our sighte.
THYRDE KINGE
A! Lorde, honoured be thou aye,
For nowe we shall knowe well the waye;
I will folowe it, in good faye,
My forwarde to fulfill.
FIRSTE KINGE
I hope without dread to daie
To see that childe in his araye;
But me thinkes, lordes, by my faye,
The starre it standeth stille.
SECONDE KINGE
That is a signe we be nere,
But highe hall see I non heare;
To a childe of suche power
This howsinge standeth Joe.
THYRDE KINGE
Nowe well I wotte, withouten were,
Without pride he will apeare,
To make men meeke in such manere,
An exsample us to shewe.
20
·
FIRSTE KINGE
The starre yender over the stable is,
I wotte we be not gone amisse,
And nowe there it is glente.
SECONDE KINGE
I wotte he wonnes here, i-wysse,
And this symple howse is his.
Ordayne we nowe that kinge of blisse
Apeartlye our presente.
FIRSTE KINGE
What presente beste will for hym fall,
Caste we here amonge us all;
For though he lye in an oxe stalle,
His mighte is never the lesse.
Also it seemes by this place,
That littill treasure his mother has;
Therfore helpe her in this case,
Golde shalbe my presente.
SECONDE KINGE
And sith he hath in hym godheade,
Me thinkes, as eate I breade,
Incense to geve hym through my rede,
In name of sacrifice.
THYRDE KINGE
You saie full well bouth, sires towe;
And myrre is good me thinkes also.
Sith he for man will suffer woe,
And dye on a rood-tree,
For myrre is beste to balmbe his thews,
That shall he have of me.
FIRSTE KINGE
Nowe we have proveid it here,
These geiftes be to hym moste dere,
Goe we fourth in good manere,
And make we our presente.
SECONDE KINGE
The starre it shines faier and cleare,
Over this stable, aye, entire;
Here is his woninge withouten were,
And hearein is he lente.
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
Here the Angel Gabriel draws back the curtain of the
Lady Shrine.
21
THE CHESTER
MYSTERIES
THYRDE KINGE
A fayer mayden yonder I see,
An oulde man standing atte her syde;
A childe also, as thinkes me,
Three persons theirin are.
FIRSTE KINGE
I saide in certain that this is he,
That we have soughte from our cuntrey;
Therfore nowe, with all honistie,
To honour I will that barron.
He advances and kneels before the Lady Shrine.
Hail be thou! Christe and Messye,
That from Gode arte comen kindlye,
We knowe well, by prophescye
Of Jewes thou shalbe kinge.
Therfore as falleth for thy crowne,
Golde I have heare readie bowne,
To honouer thee with greate renowne,
After thy royaltie;
Take heare, Lorde, my intenscion,
That I doe with devocion,
And geve me here thy beneson,
Ere that I goe from thee.
SECONDE KINGE
Comes forward and kneels.
Hail be thou! Christe Emanuell,
Thou comen arte for mans heale,
Therfore nowe, as thinkes mė,
Insence will fall beste for thee,
And that nowe heare I bringe;
In token of thy dignitie,
Receive, Lorde, heare of me,
Devoutlye my offeringe.
THYRDE KINGE
Also advancing.
Hail conqueror of all mankinde!
Myrre to thee here have I dighte,
To balme thy bodye faier and brighte,
Receive my presente, sweete wighte,
And blesse me with thy hande.
22
THE
CHESTER
MYSTERIES
MARIA
You, royall kinges in riche araye,
The highe father of heaven I praie
To geve you will nowe and allwaie
To yeairne the life that lasteth aye,
That to my sonne you shalbe deare,
That hym to daie hath honoured heare,
And me also for his sake;
When tyme is come intyre,
To prove his strengthe and power,
To hym you shalbe loved and deare.
Here the Kings go out, and the Angel Gabriel draws the
curtain. He also goes out. There enters the Expositor who
says:
EXPOSITOR
The grace of Jesus Christe, who is our Lorde,
The love of God the Holy Ghosts accorde,
Rest with us all and heaven be our rewarde.
Finis
Amen.

23
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