Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/299

Rh cribed to St. Barnard, by others to a Pope Clement, printed at London in folio 1520, and at Caen in 4to, of the same date.

What makes this poem particularly interesting is, that Wadington has not scrupulously adhered to his original; and that under those divisions wherein he treats of morals, he has introduced very curious matter relating to the manners and customs of the English, of his own times. But leaving these observations, however valuable, to the publication of historians, I shall extract only the opinions of this author, as far as they relate to the poetry of his day.

In the first place, he treats of the general taste of the English for romances of knight errantry, for fabulous tales, and songs; and he blames them only, because they employed themselves in the reading of these works on the sabbath. Another kind of poesy, called Rotewange, was much in request among them, and we believe that it consisted of pieces which they sang, and at the same time accompanied themselves on the hurdy-gurdy. But those theatrical pieces called" "Miracles" were their delight beyond all others; they were of the nature of tragedy, which represented the martyrdom of some saint of the primitive church.

Geoffrey, Abbot of St. Albans, had introduced into England the taste for these theatrical pieces, as early as the beginning of the twelfth century. By Fitz Stephens' account, it continued in force to the end of that century, and the city of London was the place, before all others, famous for this kind of representation. But the evidence of Wadington proves that the interval, till his day, had greatly increased this taste among the English. From what he specifies on the subject of these entertainments, it seems that they were sometimes brought forward in the public places, but most commonly