BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE STORY OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
With twelve illustrations in half-tone, and frontispiece in colours.
2/6 net.
Miss Syrett writes with a remarkable freshness anddeftness of touch which will appeal to readers of allages, but especially to the young reader. For thestory as she tells it has the colour and joy of a fairytale—and yet is true; and the delicate reserveshown in dealing with the religious side of thenarrative adds to its impressiveness.
A. R. MOWBRAY & CO. Ltd.
London and Oxford
Entrance of the Magi. [Page 83].
THE
OLD MIRACLE PLAYS
OF ENGLAND
By NETTA SYRETT
AUTHOR OF
“THE STORY OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA”
WITH TWO ILLUSTRATIONS FROM WATER-COLOUR DRAWINGS BY
HELEN THORP
A. R. MOWBRAY & CO. Ltd.
London: 28 Margaret Street, Oxford Circus, W.
Oxford: 9 High Street
The Young Churchman Co., Milwaukee
First impression, 1911
PREFACE
In the hope of bringing the actual presentment ofMediaeval Miracle Plays more vividly before the mindsof children, I have cast information concerning theminto the form of a story. But, while this method ofdealing with the plays may prove to the childish readermore interesting and palatable than a mere summaryof what is known concerning them, it leads to certainliberties difficult to avoid in fiction.
It seemed, to take an example, in some ways moreconvenient to lay the scene of the little story in York.Yet many of the Wakefield and Coventry plays lendthemselves to description better than those of theYork series. However, when in the course of thetale I have made use of an alien play, I have takencare to mention the fact, and to invent a reason(plausible enough, I trust, in a story) for its performanceat York.
Again, the stage directions for some of these oldplays are so vague that the precise manner of theirpresentment must be left to individual imaginationand common sense. In a story there is no room forvitentative speculations, nor for suggested alternativetreatments; and this being the case, I trust I may beforgiven if occasionally I handle my material over-confidently.This explanation is offered to olderstudents, to whom, simple as it is, my little summary,compiled from the recognized authorities on the subjectof miracle plays, may yet be of some value.In writing it I found most helpful and delightfulMr. Sidney W. Clarke’s book, The Miracle Play inEngland, and, written by Mr. Ernest Rhys, the prefaceto Everyman, in Everyman’s Library. To both thesegentlemen my thanks are specially due.
N. S.<