scene-shifting, of which
an illustration occurs in the Coventry Play of "The Last Supper:"

"Here Cryst enteryth into the hous with his disciplis, and ete the
Paschal lomb; and in the mene tyme the cownsel hous beforn seyd xal
sodeynly onclose, shewynge the buschopys, prestys, and jewgys sytting in
here astat, lyche as it were a convocacyon."

And again:

"Here the Buschopys partyn in the place, and eche of hem here leve be
contenawns resortyng eche man to his place with here meny to take Cryst;
and than xal the place that Cryst is in sodeynly unclose round abowt,
shewynge Cryst syttyng at the table, and hise dyscypulis eche in ere
degre. Cryst thus seyng."

The outlay on these plays was necessarily large, and the accounts of
gilds and corporations prove that not only were considerable sums
expended on the dresses of the actors, but the latter received fees for
their services. The fund needed to meet these charges was raised by an
annual rate levied on each craftsman--called "pageant money"--and
varying from one penny to fourpence. The cost of housing and repairing
the pageant, as well as the refreshment of the performers at rehearsals,
would also come out of this fund. As the actors were paid, they were
expected to be efficient, and the duty of testing their qualifications
was delegated either to a pageant-master or to a committee of
experienced actors. A York ordinance dated April 3, 1476, shows that
four of "the most cunning, discreet, and able players" were summoned
before the mayor during Lent for the purpose of making a thorough
examination of plays, players, and pageants, and "insufficient persons,"
in whatever requirement--skill, voice, or personal appearance--their
defect lay, were mercilessly "avoided." No single player was allowed to
undertake more than two parts on pain of a fine of forty shillings.

From the York proclamation of 1415 we learn that the players were
expected to be in their places between 3 and 4 a.m., while the prologue
of the Coventry plays contains the lines:

At Sunday next yf that we may
At six of the belle, we gynne our play
In N---- towne.

This is interesting, as proving that pageants were sometimes acted in a
number of places, somewhat in the style of strolling players. It is
known for a fact that the Grey Friars of Coventry had a cycle of Corpus
Christi plays; and it has been conjectured that they were forced by the
competition of the Trade Gilds to exhibit them outsi