Note 537 — Chapter XXIV · PLAYERS OF INTERLUDES

Plays were sometimes read, even in the fifteenth century. The prologue of The Burial and Resurrection has ‘Rede this treyte,’ although it was also converted into ‘a play to be playede’; and the epilogue of the Digby St. Mary Magdalen has ‘I desyer the redars to be my frynd.’ Thomas Wylley in 1537 describes some of his plays to Cromwell as ‘never to be seen, but of your Lordshyp’s eye.’ Prynne, 834, asserts that ‘Bernardinus Ochin his Tragedy of Freewil, Plessie Morney his Tragedie of Jeptha his daughter, Edward the 6 his Comedie de meretrice Babilonica, Iohn Bale his Comedies de Christo et de Lazaro, Skelton’s Comedies, de Virtute, de Magnificentia, et de bono Ordine, Nicholaus Grimoaldus, de Archiprophetae Tragedia ... were penned only to be read, not acted’; but this is incorrect as regards Bale and Skelton and probably as regards others. The earliest printed plays are perhaps Mundus et Infans (1522) and Hickscorner (n.d.) both by Wynkyn de Worde (1501-35), Everyman (n.d.) by Richard Pynson (1509-27). If a Nigramansir, by Skelton, was really, as Warton asserts, printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1504, it might take precedence.