LATIN
28
LATIN
them ; still many sporadic attempts at play-writing
were made by them. The pagan classics were naturally
adopted as models — Seneca for tragedy, as is shown by
the plays of Mussato, Loschi, or Dati, and especially
the " Progne" of Corraro. On the other hand Plau-
tus and Terence found more numerous imitators, whose
works did not degenerate into ribaldry, as is seen from
the attempts of Poggio, Beccadelli, Bruni, Fidelfo, etc.
These humanistic attempts attained a measure of
success in the school drama. A beginning was made
with the production of the ancient dramas in the
original text; such productions were introduced into
the curriculum of the Lidge school of the Hieronymites
and they are occasionally mentioned at Vienna, Ros-
tock, and Lou vain. A permanent school-stage was
erected in Strasburg by the Protectant rector, John
Sturm, who wished that " all the comedies of Plautus
and Terence should be produced, if possible, within
half a year."
The second step in the development was the imita- tion of the classical drama, which may be traced to Wimpfeling's "Stylpho"; produced for the first time at Heidelberg in 1470, this play was still produced in 1505, a proof of its great popularity. A glorifica- tion and defence of classical studies was foun<l in the comedy of "Codrus" by Kerkmcister, master of the Miinster grammar school. The contrast between humanistic studies and medieval methods, which does not come into prominence in Wimpfeling's " Styl- pho", forms here the main theme. Into the same category falls a comedy by Rebel, demonstrating the superiority of humanistic culture over medieval learn- ing. Into these plays important current events are introduced, such as the war of Charles VII against Naples, the Turkish peril, the political situation after the Battle of Guinegate (1513), etc. The best-known of these dialogue writers were Jacob Locher, Johann von Kitzcher, and Hermann Schottcnius llessus.
Another hybrid class of drama was the allegorical festival plays, which were fitted out as show-pieces after the fashion of the Italian mask-comedies. A briUiant example of this class is the " Ludus Dianaj", in which Conrad Celtes (1501) panegyrizes the pre- eminence of the emperor in the chase. Similar to that of the festival plays was the development of the so- called moraUties in the Netherland schools of rhetoric. These represented the strife between the good and the bad principles (virtus et voluptas) for the soul of man, e. g., Locher's "Spectaculum de judicio Paridis" or the well-known dramatized version of the " Choice of Her- cules". • Side by side with these semi-dramatic plays proceeded the attempts to follow more closely the ancient dramatic form in the school drama with its varied contents. Reuchlin with his three-act comedy, which treats as subject the wonderful skull of Sergius, may be regarded as the real founder of the school drama. With "Henno", his second and still more famous drama, the humanistic comedy became nat- uralized in Germany. The great master of this art is unquestionably George Macropedius (i.e.,Langh veldt), with his three farces "Aluta" (1535), "Andriska" (1537), and "Bassarus" (1540). A further develop- ment led to the religious school drama, which fmerallv drew its subject -matter from Holy Writ. o further his own objects Luther had counselled the dramatization of Bibhcal subjects, and tales from the Bible were thus by free treatment of the in- cidents made to mirror the conditions of the time, while containing occasional satirical sallies. Among the numerous writers of this class must ])e mentioned before all as the pioneer, the Netherlander Wilhelm Graph&us (Willem van de Voldergroft), who became a Protestant: his much-discussed " Acolastus" (the story of the prodigal son), which follows the Protestant ten- dencjy^ of representing the uselessness of good works and justification b^ faith alone, was reprinted at least £orty-seven times in various countries between 1529
and 15S5, frequently translated, and produced ev^iy-
where.
This species of drama was cultivated by the Catho- lics also, who introduced greater variety of subject- matter by incluiling lives of the saints. Thus Corne- lius Crocus wrote a "St. Joseph in Egypt", PetriiK Papeus a "[Good?] Samaritan", and George Holonins several martyr-plays. The founder of the school drama in Germany was Sixt Birk (Xistus BetuHus): his "Susanna", "Judith", and "Eva" have primarily an educative aim, but are coupled with Protestant tendencies. His example was followed by a fair num- ber of imitators: George Buchanan (1582), a Scot<*.h- man, wrote " Jephthe" and " Baptistes", and the belli- cose Naogeorgus treats with still more bitterness the differences between Catholics and Protestants in his "Hamanus", "Jeremias", and "Judas Iscariot". Among the polemical dramatists on the Catholic side Cornelius Laurimanus and Andreas Fabricius must be mentioned.
Although the number of the Biblical school-dramas was not small, it was far surpassed by the number of the moralities. As has Ixjcn said, those originated in the "Netherlaiuls, and it was the Maiistricht priest, Christian Ischyrius (Sterck), who freely adapted the famous English morality "Everyman". This is the dramatized and widely circulated " Ars moriendi" and represents the importance of a good preparation for death. The same subject in a somewhat more de- tailed fonn is treated by Macropedius in his " Hecas- tus" (1538). The conclusion of the drama is an exposition of justification bv faith in the merits of Christ. This inclination of the Catholic poet towards Luther's teaching found great applause among Protes- tants, and fostered the development of polemico- satirical sectarian plays as Naogeorgus's " Mercator" (1539) shows. The Catholic standpoint also found its exposition in the moraUties, for example in the " Miles Christianus" of Laurimanus (1575), the "Euripus" of the Miooritc Levin Brecht, the "Pomius" of Iiannar- dus Gamcrius, the "Evangelicus fluctuans" (1569) of Andreas Fa})ricius, who had composed his "Religio patiens" three years earlier in the service of the Coun- ter-Reformation. Still more bitter now grew the polemics in the dramas, which borrowed their material from contemporary history. The most notorious of this class is the "Pamachius" of the pope-hater, Thomas Naogeorgus, who found many imitators.
Towards the end of the sixteenth century materials derived from ancient popular legends and history first came into greater vogue, and gradually led to the Latin historical drama, of which we find niunerous examples at the famous representations given at the Strasburg academy under its founder Sturm. This example found ready imitation, especially wherever the influence of the English comedy-writers had made itself felt. In this way Latin drama enjoyed a period of prosperity everj^'here until the seventeenth cen- tury. The best-known dramatic poet of the latter half of the sixteenth century was the unfortunate Nicodemus Frischlin. Examples of everj' kind of school drama may be found among his works : " Dido" (1581), "Venus" (1584),and"Helvctiogcrmani" (1588), owe their subjects to the ancient classical period; "Re- becca" (1576),'*Susanna" (1577), his incomplete Chris- tianized drama of " Ruth", after the manner of Terence, the " Marriage of Cana", and a " Prologue to Jaseph", treat Biblical topics; German legend is represented by " Hildegardis", the wife of Charlemagne, whose fate is copied from that of St. Genevieve; of a polemico- satirical nature are "Priscianus vapulans" (1578), a mockery of medieval Latin, and " Pliasma" (1580), in which the sectarian spirit of the age is scourged. A play of an entirely original character is his "Julius redivivus": Cia^ro and CiPsar ascend from the lower world to Germany, and express their wonder at Ger- man discoveries (gimpowder, printing). All these
