RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. VU
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hat these master-rimours were, which were sotroublesome in Wales in particular, we cannot teli ;possibly they might be the degenerate descendants ofthe antient bards. It is also difficult to determine whatis meant by their making commoiths. The word sig-nifies, in Welch, any district, or part of a hundredor cantred, containing about one half of it; that is,fifty villages; and might possibly be made use of bythese master-rimours when they had fixed upon a placeto act in, and gave intimation thereof for ten or twelvemiles round, which is a circuit that will take in aboutfifty villages. And that this was commonly done, ap-pears from Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, which waswritten in Queen Elizabeth's time. Speaking of thediversions oT the people, “ The Guary Miracle,” sayshe, '' in English a Miracle-play, is a kind of inter-** lude, compiled iq Cornish, out of some scripture“ history. For representing it, they raise an amphi-** theatre in some open field, having the diameters of“ its inclosed plain some forty or fifty feet. The“ country-people £ock from all sides many miles off, to see and hear it; for they have therein devils and“ devices to delight as well the eye as the ear.” Mr.Carew has not been so exact, as to give us the timewhen these Guary Miracles were exhibited in Corn-wall ; but by the manner of it, the custom seems to bevery antient. The year 1378 is the earliest date we can find, inwhich express mention is made of the representationof mysteries in England. In this year the scholars ofPaul’s school presented a petition to Richard II. pray-ing his majesty “ to prohibit some unexpert petople** from presenting the History of the Old Testament,** to the great prejudice of the said clergy, who have“ been at great expence in order to represent it publicly“ at Christmas.” About twelve years afterwards, viz,in 13C)0, the parish-clerks of Condon are said to haveplayed inferludesat Skinner’s Well, Julv 18, It), and{20: and again in 1409, tbe 10th y ear Henry IV.,they acted at Clerkenwell (which took its name front
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