Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 13, 1902.djvu/314

 CORRESPONDENCE.

The Mumming-Play and other Vestiges of Folk-Drama in THE British Isles.

The Council of the Folk-Lore Society have decided that it is desirable to bring together the scattered material bearing on this subject without further delay, and I have undertaken to edit the collection, which will form one of the issues of the Society. Members who have collected notes and versions are invited to send them either to the Secretary or to me direct, and they may rest assured that their contributions will receive careful attention, and in every case will be suitably acknowledged in the work which is now in active preparation.

Contributors will oblige by taking note of the great importance of locality, action, and dress in these traditions. Of mere ver- sions of the words of the mumming-play we already possess a considerable number ; but no version which includes a note of the place where collected, or anything descriptive of the action of the piece, or of the dress of the players, will be either super- fluous or valueless. Another point of great importance is the date of collection. The earlier the date the greater the value of the record. If careful inquiry be made by the collector, it may be found that there exists an old MS., or possibly a printed copy, from which the current version has been adapted. Transcripts of both should be obtained, but the old copy is the most important ; and a consultation with the most ancient inhabitants of the place may result in valuable descriptive notes.

Lastly, pictorial illustration. Local magazines may contain illustrations, and these will mostly refer to bygone observances of our old dramatic customs, and will be very useful. But for current purposes the camera is a valuable ally. Let the time