Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/40

 28 PROBLEMS OF THE ENGLISH planetary system wandered or revolved a variety of errant dramatic comets which were never per- manently captured by the central attraction of the Corpus Christi festival. All this adaptation and revision naturally in- volved a great deal of rewriting and copying. Perhaps we ought not to complain that we have less information concerning authors and scribes than we could desire : the wonder is that the records have yielded as much as they have. Hilarius, who wrote in French and Latin in the twelfth century, may have been an Englishman. The earliest name connected with English miracle plays is that of Ranulf Higden, author of the ' Polychronicon,' who is credited with having written the Chester plays in 1328. One Thomas Bynham was paid for writing the ' banns ' at Beverley in 1423. At Coventry there were new plays in 1520, and the Weavers paid five shillings 'for makyng of the play boke'in 1535, the year in which the extant text of their pageant was 'newly translate' by Robert Crow. The Shear- men and Tailors' play was also ' newly correct ' by him a few days later. At Bungay, Stephen Prewett, a priest of Norwich, was paid for copying the play in 1526, and in 1558 William Ellis received four pence for the interlude and game book, and two shillings for writing out the parts. An extant Massacre and Purification play of 1512 purports to be written or copied by one John Parfre. A late 'Conversion of St. Paul' bears the name of Miles Blomefield, and the initials M. B. occur elsewhere. He has, however, been identified with