ders was the ale-wife, who gave short
measure. In a _miserere_ in Ludlow church, there is set forth a demon
carrying an ale-wife, with her false measure and gay head-dress, to the
mouth, while two other demons play on the bagpipes, and read from a
scroll the catalogue of her sins.

The fourth pageant, "Abel and Cain," was furnished by the Sheremen, &c.
Disputes between Cain and his man were comic scenes introduced into it,
and formed its chief attraction.

The fifth, "Noyse Ship," was brought forth by the Bakers. A fragment of
a Newcastle play of the same name affords a specimen of its probable
character. The _dramatis persona_ are Noah, his wife, and Diabolus; and
a considerable portion of the play consists of disputes between Noah and
his wife, about entering the ark, as:--

NOAH.

Good wife, doe now, as I thee bidd.

NOAH'S WIFE.

Not I, ere I see more need,
Though thou stande all day and stare.

NOAH.

. . . that women ben crabbed be,
And not are meek, I dare well say.
That is well seen by me to-day,
In witness of yet, eiehone.
Good wife, let be all this beare,
That thou mak'st in this place here,
For all they wene thou art master,
And soe thou art by St. John.

Further rebellion on the part of the spouse compels Noah to carry out the
threat,

Bot as I have blys,
I shall chastyse this.

To which she replies:--

"Yet may ye mys
Nicholle Nedy."

He stops beating her, for the reason,

"That my bak is nere in two."

To which she adds:--

"And I am bet so blo--"

The sixth pageant was Abraham and Isaac. Of the details of this, and the
seventh and eighth, no records have been found.

The ninth--the birth of Christ, with shepherds, and the three kings of
Colen,--was a very common subject. The scenes were, usually:--1st, Mary,
Joseph, the child, an ox and an ass, and angels speaking to
shepherds.--2nd, The shepherds speaking by turns, the star, an angel
giving joy to the shepherds.--3rd, The three kings coming from the East,
Herod asking about the child, with the son of Herod, two counsellors, and
a messenger.--4th, Mary, with the child and star above, and the kings
offering gifts.

In the Townley and Coventry Mysteries, the play commences with a ranting
speech of King Herod, one of those which gave rise to Shake