A MYSTERY PLAY
A MYSTERY PLAY
IN HONOUR OF THE
NATIVITY OF OUR LORD
BY
ROBERT HUGH BENSON
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
1908
All rights reserved
FILIABVS · AMICIS
CONVENTVS · S · MARIAE · CANTABRIGIENSIS · ALVMNIS
QVARVM
ARDOR · PIETAS · REVERENTIA
INGENERAVIT · FOVIT · ILLVMINAVIT
LIBELLVM
VOTA · IMPLORANS
D · D
SCRIPTOR · INDIGNVS
PREFACE
THE following play was produced atCambridge in December 1907 and January 1908. It was acted six timesaltogether, to full houses, upon a temporary stage in the schoolroomof St. Mary’s Convent, by the girls of the school, whose ages ran fromsix to eighteen. The scenery, the properties, and the costumes wereconstructed—with the exception of two simple Eastern dresses and afew weapons—out of materials lent to the convent or possessed by it.The cost, therefore, was extremely small; the trouble only was great,and this lay almost entirely in the learning of the parts and the rehearsals.
It is alleged sometimes, as one reason for fearing such performances,that the spirit of the age is very different from that in which thismethod of bringing the Christian mysteries before the eye was almostuniversally practised. This fear, of course, was not absent from theminds of those responsible for this production, but it proved wholly[Pg x]illusory. The audience, consisting of Catholics and non-Catholics drawnfrom all classes, was begged, by a sentence on the printed programme,to refrain from all applause and conversation, and loyally responded tothe request. There was practically a dead silence from the first notesof the first carol to the departure of the audience at the end.
It has been thought worth while, therefore, in this age of Pageants,to print and publish the text of a play which has for its object thefurthering of devotion to the Nativity of our Blessed Lord, and whichhas been put to the test of actu