aries of the spectators both in
garb and character; they are not Orientals of ancient times, but
Europeans of the end of the Middle Ages. Bethlehem is a "faier borow,"
Herod a "mody king," like unto some haughty, capricious, and violent
monarch of the time, the shepherds are rustics of England or Germany or
France or Italy, the Magi mighty potentates with gorgeous trains, and the
Child Himself is a little being subject to all the pains and necessities
of infancy, but delighted with sweet and pleasant things like a bob of
cherries or a ball. The realism of the writers is sometimes astounding,
and comic elements often appear--to the people of the Middle Ages
religion was so real and natural a thing that they could laugh at it
without ceasing to believe in or to love it.

The English mediaeval playwrights, it may safely be said, are surpassed
by no foreigners in their treatment of Christmas subjects. To illustrate
their way of handling the scenes I may |130| gather from the four great
cycles a few of the most interesting passages.

From the so-called "Ludus Coventriae" I take the arrival of Joseph and
Mary at Bethlehem; they ask a man in the street where they may find an
inn:--

"_Joseph._ Heyl, wurchepful sere, and good day!
A ceteceyn of this cyte ye seme to be;
Of herborwe[43] ffor spowse and me I yow pray,
ffor trewly this woman is fful were,
And fayn at reste, sere, wold she be;

We wolde ffulffylle the byddynge of oure emperoure,
ffor to pay tribute, as right is oure,
And to kepe oureselfe ffrom dolowre,
We are come to this cyte.

_Cives._ Sere, ostage in this towne know I non,
Thin wyff and thou in for to slepe;
This cete is besett with pepyl every won,
And yett thei ly withowte fful every strete.

Withinne no walle, man, comyst thou nowth,
Be thou onys[44] withinne the cyte gate;
Onethys[45] in the strete a place may be sowth,
Theron to reste, withowte debate.

_Joseph._ Nay, sere, debate that wyl I nowth;
Alle suche thyngys passyn my powere:
But yitt my care and alle my thought
Is for Mary, my derlynge dere.

A! swete wyff, wat xal we do?
Wher xal we logge this nyght?
Onto the ffadyr of heffne pray we so,
Us to kepe ffrom every wykkyd whyt.

_Cives._ Good man, o word I wyl the sey,
If thou wylt do by the counsel of me;
Yondyr is an hous of ha