| Show 74 STUDENT LIFE he large crowd of anxious noisy peo- and lies ’down to sleep While is asleep an angel appears to him ple eager for the performance and explains all and he returns They stood of course perfectly satisfied and perhaps never dreamed 'repentant to Mary The two then of the modern opera house The set out for Bethlehem In another stage or better the scaffold upon scene the shepherds are wandering which the acting was done was a around on the hill outside of Bethlehem searching for their lost sheep very crude ponderous machine when they behold the “star” While consisting of two compartments the upper which formed the stage marveling at its wondrous beauty proper and the lower one defended they hear the angels singing The from vulgar curiosity by coarse angels then appear to the shepherds canvas draperies and serving the and tell them that lying in a “cribbe of pore repaste” is the Son of God purpose of dressing rooms Let us now briefly examine these The shepherds go to the stable two plays which were acted before the people in this manner and which illustrate pretty well the attitude of these people in regard to the sacredness of the incidents connected with the birth of Him whose birthday comes on Christmas Their treatment of these sacred events was anything but reverent Taking up first the Pageant of the Shearmen and Taylors we have the represented at the beginning Reof Isaiah that the prophecy deemer “schall ryse” and that he “schall be bom of a mayde” then the angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary telling her that she “schall conseyve upon this ground” and become the mother of Jesus Mary marvels much at this but the angel goes on to explain that all will be well as God ordained The angel leaves and Joseph appears Seeing the condition of his young wife he accuses her of sinning He will not believe her story — but rebukes her then leaves her worship the Babe and make him presents one gives his “pype” the second his “myttens to pytt on his hondis” and the third his hat which he puts on the head of Jesus The shepherds then depart and we have the scene of the three kings speaking together about the “star” and the Child Finally the wrath of Herod is shown wherein he commands that all male children two years old and under shall die Lastly Joseph and Mary take the little child and hasten into Egypt to escape the decree of Herod The other play the Second Shepherd's Play opens with a scene among the shepherds who are on the hills outside of Bethlehem They lie down with their flock to sleep While the others are asleep Mak one of their number rises steals a sheep and hastens home He fears the suspicion of the shepherds so he hides the sheep in bed with his wife returns to the shepherds and lies down again as if nothing had The other shepherds happened |
