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lowship that every person that shall be made free of the craft by redemption shall pay 20s. to his fine without any pardon; and when he is enabled, shall give a breakfast to the master and wardens, before he is admitted free man of the city. And every person so enabled from henceforth shall have, the first year, but one servant, the second year, two, the third, three, and an apprentice if he be able. And he that doeth against this ordinance shall forfeit, at the first fault, 20s. at the second offense, 40s., at the third offense, he shall be put out of the fraternity and craft for evermore.

ORDER OF THE PAGEANTS OF THE CORPUS CHRISTI PLAY IN THE CITY OF YORK, A. D. 1415.

English L. T. Smith's "York Plays." Introduction, xix.

:

Each fraternity or craft-gild had charge of one scene in the whole series and performed it on a platform on wheels, successively, at each appointed station in the city on Corpus Christi day. As one scene was completed, its players moved on to the next station, their place being taken by the company having in charge the next pageant in the series.

Tanners.-God the Father Omnipotent creating and forming the heavens, the angels and archangels, Lucifer and the angels who fell with him into the pit.

Plasterers.-God the Father in his substance creating the earth and all things which are therein, in the space of five days.

Cardmakers.-God the Father forming Adam from the mud of the earth, and making Eve from Adam's rib, and inspiring them with the breath of life.

Fullers.-God forbidding Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of life. Coopers. Adam and Eve and the tree between them, the serpent deceiving them with apples; God speaking to them and cursing the serpent, and an angel with a sword driving them out of Paradise.

Armorers. Adam and Eve, an angel with a spade and distaff appointing them their labor.

Glovers.-Able and Cain sacrificing victims.

Shipwrights.-God warning Noah to make an ark out of planed wood.

Fishmongers and Mariners.-Noah in the ark with his wife, three sons of Noah with their wives, with various animals.

[graphic]

Parchment-makers and Book-binders.-Abraham sacrificing
his son Isaac on the altar.

Hosiers. Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, King
Pharaoh, eight Jews looking on and wondering.

Spicers. A doctor declaring the sayings of the prophets concerning
the future birth of Christ. Mary, the angel saluting her; Mary
saluting Elizabeth.

Pewterers and Founders.-Mary, Joseph wishing to send her away, the angel telling them to go over to Bethlehem.

Tilers.-Mary, Joseph, a nurse, the child born and lying in a manger between an ox and an ass, and an angel speaking to the shepherds, and to the players in the next pageant.

Chandlers.-Shepherds speaking to one another, the star in the East.
an angel announcing to the shepherds their great joy in the child
which has been born.

Goldsmiths, Goldbeaters and Moneyers.-Three kings coming
from the East, Herod questioning them about the child Jesus, and
the son of Herod and two counsellors and a herald. Mary with
the child, and the star above, and three kings offering gifts.
(Formerly) The House of St. Leonard, (now) Masons.-
Mary, with the boy, Joseph, Anna, the nurse, with the young
doves. Simeon receiving the boy into his arms, and the two sons
of Simeon.

Marshalls.-Mary with the boy and Joseph fleeing into Egypt, at the
bidding of the angel.

Girdlers, Nailers, and Sawyers.-Herod ordering the male

children to be slain, four soldiers with lances, two counsellors of the
king, and four women weeping for the death of their sons.
Spurriers and Lorimers.-Doctors, the boy Jesus sitting in the
temple in the midst of them, asking them questions and replying
to them, four Jews, Mary and Joseph seeking him, and finding
him in the temple.

Barbers.-Jesus, John the Baptist baptizing him, and two angels
attending.

Vinters.-Jesus, Mary, bridegroom with the bride, ruler of the feast

with his slaves, with six vessels of water in which the water is
turned into wine.

Smiths.-Jesus on a pinnacle of the temple, and the devil tempting
him with stones, and two angels attending, etc.

Curriers.-Peter, James, and John; Jesus ascending into a mountain and transfiguring himself before them. Moses and Elias appearing, and the voice of one speaking in a cloud.

Ironmongers.—Jesus, and Simon the leper asking Jesus to eat with

him; two disciples, Mary Magdalene bathing Jesus feet with her tears and drying them with her hair.

Plumbers and Patternmakers.-Jesus, two apostles, the woman taken in adultery, four Jews accusing her.

Pouchmakers, Bottlers, and Capmakers.-Lazarus in the sepulchre, Mary Magdalene and Martha, and two Jews wondering. Spinners and Vestmakers.-Jesus on an ass with its colt, twelve apostles following Jesus, six rich and six poor, eight boys with branches of palm, singing Blessed, etc., and Zaccheus climbing into a sycamore tree.

Cutlers, Bladesmiths, Sheathers, Scalers, Bucklermakers, and Horners.-Pilate, Caiaphas, two soldiers, three Jews, Judas. selling Jesus.

Bakers. The passover lamb, the Supper of the Lord, twelve apostles, Jesus girded with a towel, washing their feet, institution of the sacrament of the body of Christ in the new law, communion of the apostles. Cordwainers.-Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, fourteen armed soldiers, Malchus, Peter, James, John, Jesus, and Judas kissing and betraying him.

Bowyers and Fletchers.-Jesus, Annas, Caiaphas, and four Jews beating and scourging Jesus. Peter, the woman accusing Peter, and Malchus.

Tapestrymakers and Couchers.-Jesus, Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, two counsellors and four Jews accusing Jesus.

Littesters.-Herod, two counsellors, four soldiers, Jesus, and three Jews. Cooks and Watercarriers.-Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, two Jews, and Judas bringing back to them the thirty pieces of silver. Tilemakers, Millers, Furriers, Hayresters, Bowlers.-Jesus, Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, six soldiers holding spears with banners, and four others leading Jesus away from Herod, asking to have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified, and likewise binding and scourging him, and placing the crown of thorns upon his head; three soldiers casting lots for the clothing of Jesus.

Shearmen.-Jesus, stained with blood, bearing the cross to Calvary.

Simon of Cyrene, the Jews compelling him to carry the cross;

[graphic]

Mary the mother of Jesus; John the apostle then announcing the condemnation and passage of her son to Calvary. Veronica wiping the blood and sweat from the face of Jesus with a veil on which is imprinted the face of Jesus, and other women mourning for Jesus. Pinmakers, Latenmakers, and Painters.-The cross, Jesus stretched upon it on the ground; four Jews scourging Him and binding Him with ropes, and afterwards lifting the cross, and the body of Jesus nailed to the cross on Mount Calvary.

Butchers and Poultry Dealers.-The cross, two thieves crucified,
Jesus hanging on the cross between them, Mary the mother of Jesus,
John, Mary, James, and Salome. A soldier with a lance, a servant
with a sponge, Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, the centurion, Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus, placing Him in the sepulchre.

Saddlers, Glaziers and Joiners.-Jesus conquering hell; twelve
spirits, six good, and six evil.

Carpenters.-Jesus rising from the sepulchre, four armed soldiers, and the three Marys mourning. Pilate, Caiaphas, and Annas. A young man seated at the sepulchre clothed in white, speaking to the women. Winedrawers.-Jesus, Mary Magdalene with aromatic spices. Brokers and Woolpackers.-Jesus, Luke, and Cleophas in the guise of travelers.

Scriveners, Illuminators, Pardoners and Dubbers.-Jesus,

Peter, John, James, Philip, and the other apostles with parts of a
baked fish, and a honey-comb; and Thomas the apostle touching
the wounds of Jesus.
Tailors.-Mary, John the evangelist, the eleven apostles, two angels,

Jesus ascending before them, and four angels carrying a cloud.
Potters.-Mary, two angels, eleven apostles, and the Holy Spirit
descending upon them, and four Jews wondering.

Drapers.-Jesus, Mary, Gabriel with two angels, two virgins and

three Jews of Mary's acquaintance, eight apostles, and two devils. Linen-weavers.-Four apostles carrying the bier of Mary, and Fergus hanging above the bier, with two other Jews and an angel, Woolen-weavers.-Mary ascending with a throng of angels, eight apostles, and the apostle Thomas preaching in the desert. Innkeepers.-Mary, Jesus crowning her, with a throng of angels singing. Mercers.-Jesus, Mary, the twelve apostles, four angels with trumpets, and four with a crown, a lance, and two whips, four good spirits, vil spirits, and six devils.

V. SOCIAL OR NON-INDUSTRIAL GILDS

From very early times organizations existed in the nature of semi-religious clubs or benefit societies, the membership being voluntary and quite unconnected with trade or manufacturing interests or responsibilities. The characteristic tendency of the Middle Ages to organization found much of its satisfaction in these small social or religious gilds, which existed not only in the larger towns but even in villages. They were moreover among the most permanent of medieval institutions. We have records of their existence alongside of the "frith-gilds" of AngloSaxon times; a great proportion of the five hundred or more gilds which sent in reports of their ordinances in 13891 were of this class, and many were found among the "corporations, gilds, fïaternities, companies and fellowships' dissolved in 1547.

RULES OF A GILD AT EXETER, BEFORE THE XI. CENTURY. Anglo-Saxon; Thorpe, Diplomatarium Anglicum, 613, and English; Kemble, Saxons in England, i. 512, 513.

This assembly was collected in Exeter, for the love of God and for our soul's need, both in regard to our life here, and to the after days which we desire for ourselves by God's doom.

Now we have agreed that our meeting shall be thrice in the twelve months; once at St. Michael's Mass, secondly at St. Mary's Mass, after mid-winter, and thirdly at Allhallow's Mass after Easter; and let each gild-brother have two sesters of malt, and each young man one sester, and a sceat of honey; and let the mass-priest at each of our meetings. sing two masses, one for our living friends, the other for the dead; and let each brother of common condition sing two psalters of psalms, one for the living and one for the dead; and at the death of a brother, each man six masses; or six psalters of psalms; and at a death each man five pence; and at a house-burning each man one penny. And if any one neglect the day, for the first time three masses, for the second five, and at the third time let him have no favor, unless his neglect arose from sickness or his lord's need. And if any one neglect his subscription at the proper day, let him pay double. And if any one of this brotherhood misgreet another, let him make boot with thirty pence. Now we pray for the love of God that every man hold this meeting rightly, as we rightly have agreed upon it. God help us thereunto.

1 Many of these are printed, and others epitomized in Toulmin Smith's "English Gilds," published by the Early English Text Society in 1870.

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