Solemn and sour, and angry as a wasp,
All things must be kept under lock and hasp;
All that which will make me to fare full ill.
All your care shall be to hamper poor Will.

The liberty and, we may infer, good hearing extended to these
unblushingly didactic Interludes attracted into authorship writers with
purposes more aggressive and debatable than those pertaining to wise
conduct. Zealous reformers, earnest proselytizers, fierce dogmatists
turned to the drama as a medium through which they might effectively
reach the ears and hearts of the people. Kirchmayer's _Pammachius_,
translated into English by Bale (author of _King John_), contained an
attack on the Pope as Antichrist. In 1527 the boys of St. Paul's acted a
play (now unknown) in which Luther figured ignominiously. Here then were
Roman Catholics and Protestants extending their furious battleground to
the stage. This style of thing came to such a pitch that it was actually
judged necessary to forbid it by law. Similar plays, however, still
continued to be produced; and even King Edward VI is credited with the
authorship of a strongly Protestant comedy entitled _De Meretrice
Babylonica_.

A very fair example of these political and controversial Interludes is
_New Custom_, printed in 1573, and possibly written only a year or two
before that date. Here, for instance, are a few of the players' names
and descriptions as given at the beginning: Perverse Doctrine, an old
Popish Priest; Ignorance, another, but elder; New Custom, a Minister;
Light of the Gospel, a Minister; Hypocrisy, an old Woman. Then, as to
the matter, here is an extract from Perverse Doctrine's opening speech,
the writer's intention being to expose the speaker to the derision of
his enlightened hearers.

What! young men to be meddlers in divinity? it is a goodly sight!
Yet therein now almost is every boy's delight;
No book now in their hands, but all scripture, scripture,
Either the whole Bible or the New Testament, you may be sure.
The New Testament for them! and then too for Coll, my dog.
This is the old proverb--to cast pearls to an hog.
Give them that which is meet for them, a racket and a ball,
Or some other trifle to busy their heads withal,
Playing at quoits or nine-holes, or shooting at butts:
There let them be, a God's name.

Or here again is a bold declaration from New Custom, the Reformation
minister:

I said that the mas