The Bishop ordered his carriage to stop, whilst Joe (close to his ear) whispered, "My Lord, here are a couple of poor waverers who have such terrible _scruples of conscience_, that I fear they'll hang themselves."--"Very well," said the Bishop. So calling to the bailiffs, he said, "You two men, come to me to-morrow, and I'll satisfy you." The bailiffs bowed, and went their way; Joe (tickled in the midriff, and hugging himself with his device) went his way too. In the morning the bailiffs repaired to the Bishop's house. "Well, my good men," said his reverence, "what are your scruples of conscience?"--"Scruples!" replied the bailiffs, "we have no scruples, We are bailiffs, my Lord, who yesterday arrested _your cousin Joe Haynes_ for twenty pounds. Your Lordship promised to _satisfy_ us to-day, and we hope you will be as good as your word." The Bishop, to prevent any further scandal to his name, immediately paid the debt and charges.
The following theatrical adventure occurred during his pilgrimage to the well-known shrine,
"Which at Loretto dwelt in wax, stone, wood.
And in a fair white wig look'd wondrous fine."
It was St. John's day, and the people of the parish had built a stage in the body of the church, for the representation of a tragedy called the _Decollation of the Baptist._ * Joe had the good luck to enter just as the actors were leaving off their "damnable faces," and going to begin.
* The Chester Mysteries, written by Randle or Ralph Hig-den, a Benedictine of St. Werburg's Abbey in that city, were first performed during the mayoralty of John Arneway, who filled that office from 1268 to 1276, at the cost and charges of the different trading companies therein. They were acted in English ("made into partes and pagiantes") instead of in Latin, and played on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Whitsun week. The companies began at the abbey gates, and when the first pageant was concluded, the moveable stage ("a high scaffolde with two rowmes; a higher and a lower, upon four wheeles") was wheeled to the High Cross before the Mayor, and then onward to every street, so that each street had its pageant. "The Harrowing of Hell" is one of the most ancient Miracle Plays in our language. It is as old as the reign of Edward the Third, if not older. The Prologue and Epilogue were delivered in his own person by the actor who had the part of the Saviour. In 1378, the Scholars of St. Paul's presented a petition to Richard the Second, praying him to prohibit some "inexpert people" from representing the History of the Old Testament, to the serious prejudice of their clergy, who had been at great expense in order to represent it at Christmas. On the 18th July, 1390, the Parish Clerks of London played Religious Interludes at the Skinners' Well, in Clerkenwell, which lasted three days. In 1409, they performed The Creation of the World, which continued eight days. On one side of the lowest platform of these primitive stages was a dark pitchy cavern, whence issued fire and flames, and the howlings of souls tormented by demons. The latter occasionally showed their grinning faces through the mouth of the cavern, to the terrible delight of the spectators! The Passion of Our Saviour was the first dramatic spectacle acted in Sweden, in the reign of King John the Second. The actor's name was Lengis who was to pierce the side of the person on the cross. Heated by the enthusiasm of the scene, he plunged his lance into that person's body, and killed him. The King, shocked at the brutality of Lengis, slew him with his scimetar; when the audience, enraged at the death of their favourite actor, wound up this true tragedy by cutting off his Majesty's head!
