are neglected, there are not less than forty-five. Twenty are Henrican;[1] perhaps seven Edwardian or Marian;[2] eighteen Elizabethan.[3] Characteristically, they are morals, presenting abstract personages varied in an increasing degree with farcical types; but several are semi-morals, with a sprinkling of concrete personages, which point backwards to the miracle-plays, or forward to the romantic or historical drama. One or two are almost purely miracle-play or farce; and towards the end one or two show some traces of classical influence.[4] Subject, then, to the exceptions, the interludes—and this, as already indicated, is a fundamental point for staging—call for no changes of locality, with which, indeed, the purely abstract themes of moralities could easily dispense. The action proceeds continuously in a locality, which is either wholly undefined, or at the most vaguely defined as in London (Hickscorner), or in England (King Johan). This is referred to, both in stage-directions and in dialogue, as 'the place', and with such persistency as inevitably to suggest a term of art, of which the obvious derivation is from the platea of the miracle-plays.[5] It may be either an exterior or an interior place, but often it is not clearly envisaged as either. In Pardoner and Friar and possibly in Johan the Evangelist
- ↑ Mundus et Infans, Hickscorner, Youth, Johan Evangelist, Magnificence, Four Elements, Calisto and Melibaea, Nature, Love, Weather, Johan Johan, Pardoner and Friar, Four PP., Gentleness and Nobility, Witty and Witless, Kinge Johan, Godly Queen Hester, Wit and Science, Thersites, with the fragmentary Albion Knight. To these must now be added Henry Medwall's Fulgens and Lucres (N.D., but 1500 <), formerly only known by a fragment (cf. Mediaeval Stage, ii. 458), but recently found in the Mostyn collection, described by F. S. Boas and A. W. Reed in T. L. S. (20 Feb. and 3 April 1919), and reprinted by S. de Ricci (1920).
- ↑ Wealth and Health, Nice Wanton, Lusty Juventus, Impatient Poverty, Respublica, Jacob and Esau, and perhaps Enough is as Good as a Feast, with the fragmentary Love Feigned and Unfeigned.
- ↑ Trial of Treasure, Like Will to Like, The Longer Thou Livest, the More Fool Thou Art, Marriage of Wit and Science, Marriage between Wit and Wisdom, New Custom, The Tide Tarrieth no Man, All for Money, Disobedient Child, Conflict of Conscience, Pedlar's Prophecy, Misogonus, Glass of Government, Three Ladies of London, King Darius, Mary Magdalene, Apius and Virginia, with the fragmentary Cruel Debtor.
- ↑ For details of date and authorship cf. chh. xxiii, xxiv, and Mediaeval Stage, ii. 439, 443. Albright, 29, attempts a classification on the basis of staging, but not, I think, very successfully.
- ↑ Cf. e.g. Hickscorner, 544; Youth, 84, 201, 590, 633; Johan Johan, 667; Godly Queen Hester, 201, 635, 886; Wit and Science, 969; Wit and Wisdom, 3, p. 60; Nice Wanton, 416; Impatient Poverty, 164, 726, 746, 861, 988; Respublica, V. i. 38; Longer Thou Livest, 628, 1234; Conflict of Conscience, III. i. 2; et ad infinitum. Characters in action are said to be in place. For the platea cf. Mediaeval Stage, ii. 80, 135, but Kinge Johan, 1377, has a direction for an alarm extra locum.
