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Transcripts of old gild plays or Mysteries, and papers about them, from British Museum MSS., written in about A.D. 1800

 File
MS. Malone 4
Held at the Weston Library

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Comprises:

1 (pp. 1, 121). Seven Chester plays, preceded by a proclamation of 1532 and 'Banes 'of 1600. The plays are:

  1. the Water leaders' (Noah, p. 10)
  2. the Cappers' (Balaam, p. 33)
  3. the Painters' (the Shepherds, p. 121)
  4. the Websters' (Last Day, p. 143)
  5. the Drapers' (the Creation, p. 167)
  6. the Goldsmiths' (Herod, p. 191)
  7. the Fletchers' (the Passion, p. 207)

These appear to be all from MSS. Harl. 2013, 2124. At p. 57 is a list of the Chester Gilds which performed the plays, etc., from 'Holmes's MS. [i.e. Harl.] 2125 'and 2142.

Also comprises four Coventry plays:

  1. (p. 24) Pilate's Wife, including part of the Crucifixion
  2. (p. 77) the Woman taken in Adultery
  3. (p. 95) Mary and Joseph
  4. (p. 109) the Creation

At p. 61 is a list of forty plays performed at Coventry, in English verse. The whole is from MS. Cotton Vesp. D.viii.

Dates

  • Creation: written in about A.D. 1800

Extent

222 pages

Language of Materials

  • English

Shelfmark

MS. Malone 4

Other Finding Aids

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, no 20552

Physical Facet

On paper

Dimensions

10 × 7 5/8 in.

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom