Another piece of Skelton’s entitled Magnificence, and designed to expose the vanity of worldly grandeur, has survived in print.  Magnificence, the hero, being eaten out of substance by his friends and retainers, falls into the hands of Poverty and Adversity:  in this state he meets with Despair and Mischief, who furnish him with a knife and halter; he is about killing himself, when Good-hope steps in and stays his arm; Redress, Circumspection, and Perseverance then take him in hand, and wean him from his former passion.  The most note-worthy feature of the thing is, that comic incident and dialogue are somewhat made use of, to diversify and enliven the serious parts; which shows the early disposition to weave tragedy and comedy together to one dramatic web.

The play of Every-man, printed some time before 1531 opens with a soliloquy by the Deity, lamenting that the people forsake Him for the Seven Deadly Sins.  He then summons Death, and sends him after Every-man, who stands for the human race.  Death finds him, delivers the message, and tells him to bring his account-book; but allows him to prove his friends.  First, he tries Fellowship who, though ready to murder any one for his sake, declines going with him on his long journey.  Next, he tries Kindred who excuses himself as having “the cramp in his toe.”  Then he applies to Riches, who also gives him the cold shoulder.  At last he resorts to Good-deeds, whom he finds too weak to stand; but she points him to the blank in his book of works.  However, she introduces him to Knowledge who takes him to Confession:  there he meets with Strength, Discretion, Beauty, and Five Wits, who undertake to go with him.  Arriving at the brink of the grave, he calls on his friends to enter it with him.  First, Beauty refuses, then Strength, then Discretion, then Five Wits; even Knowledge deserts him; Good-deeds alone having the virtue to stick by him.

Considering the ecclesiastical origin of the English Drama, it had been something wonderful if, when controversies arose, different sides had not used it in furtherance of their views.  In the reign of Henry the Eighth, Bishop Bale, as we have seen, wrote Miracle-Plays for the avowed purpose of advancing the Reformation; and his plays were printed on the Continent in 1538.  This, no doubt, was because a royal proclamation had been set forth some years before, forbidding any plays to be performed, or any books printed, in the English tongue, touching matters then in controversy, unless the same had been first allowed by public authority.  The King, however, was not at all averse to the stage being used against the Reformers; the purpose of that measure being, so far as regarded plays, to prevent any using of them on the other side.