Four Miracle-Plays have come down to us, which were written by Bishop Bale, and printed on the Continent in 1538.  The most notable point concerning them is their being the first known attempt to use the stage in furtherance of the Reformation.  One of them is entitled Christ’s Temptation.  It opens with Christ in the wilderness, faint through hunger; and His first speech is meant to refute the Romish doctrine of the efficacy of fasting.  Satan joins Him in the disguise of a hermit, and the whole temptation proceeds according to Scripture.  In one of his arguments, Satan vents his spite against “false priests and bishops,” but plumes himself that “the Vicar of Rome” will worship and serve him.  Bale wrote several plays in a different line, of one of which I have given some account in another place.[2]

    [2] See the chapter on King John, vol. ii., pages 10 and 11.

The Miracle-Play of King Darius is scarce worth notice, save that Iniquity with his wooden dagger has a leading part in the action.  He, together with Importunity and Partiality, has several contests with Equity, Charity, and Constancy:  for a while he has the better of them; but at last they catch him alone, each in turn threatens him with sore visitings, and then follows the direction, “Here somebody must cast fire to Iniquity”; who probably had some fireworks about his person, to explode for the amusement of the audience, as he went out.

Hitherto we have met with nothing that can be regarded as portraiture of individual character, unless somewhat of the sort be alleged in the case of Mak the sheep-stealing rogue.  The truth is, character and action, in the proper sense of the terms, were hardly thought of in the making of Miracle-Plays; the work aiming at nothing higher than a literal or mechanical reflection of facts and events; sometimes relieved indeed with certain generalities of popular humour and satire, but without any contexture of individual traits.  The piece next to be noticed deserves remark, as indicating how, under the pressure of general dramatic improvement, Miracle-Plays tried to rise above their proper sphere, and still retain their proper form.

The History of Jacob and Esau, probably written as early as 1557, and printed in 1568, is of very regular construction, having five Acts, which are duly subdivided into scenes.  Besides the Scripture characters, are Ragau, Esau’s servant; Mido, a boy who leads blind Isaac; Hanan and Zethar, two of his neighbours; Abra, a girl who assists Rebecca; and Debora, an old nurse.  Esau and his servant Ragau set forth together on a hunt.  While they are gone, Rebecca urges Jacob to secure his brother’s birthright.  Esau returns with a raging appetite, and Jacob demands his birthright as the condition of relieving him with a mess of rice pottage; he consents, and Ragau laughs at his stupidity, while Jacob, Rebecca, and Abra sing a psalm of thanksgiving.  These