The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 7 · Scene 3 · Floating text 36 – Floating text 37
vBochellus Decreta Eccles. Gall. l. 4 Tit. 7. c. 43, 44, 46. p. 586.Ces…ent diebus festis, judicia, causarum cognitiones, venditiones, mercatus, commessationes, ebrietates, ludi, et nundinae. Contra facientes, citentur coram nobis aut Officiali nostro &c. In festo Sancti Nicholai, Catherinae, innocentium, aut alio quovis die prae…extu recreationis, ne Scholastici, Clerici, Sacerdotesve stultum aliquid aut ridiculum faciant in Ecclesia, aut ab alijs fieri permittant. Denique ab Ecclesia ejiciantur vestes fatuorum personas scenicas agentium.
xBochellus Decreta Eccles. Gal. l. 6. Tit. 10. cap. 6, 7. p. 975.Quia solent in plerisque locis nostrae Diaecesis deferri baculi ipsarum confratriarum, praecedentibus mimis et lusoribus cum tympanis, quod maximè dedecet honorem Dei et Sanctorum: non enim debent ante eorum imagines baculis confratriarum infixas praecedere instrumenta illa musica ad choream et tripudia potius quàm ad devotionem audientes excitantia. Idcirco prohibemus districtè, ne posthac tales baculi deferantur publicè per vicos histrionico ritu, et modulatione musica choreis accommodata &c.
Quoniam in confratrijs primum recte constitutis, et postea in det…rius prolapsis, multa conspiciuntur committi, ab honestate et Christianae mentis religione penitus aliena; ut illis congruum adhibeamus remedium, imprimis ordinamus; Ne in ipsarum confrat…iarum congregationibus fiant dissoluta convivia, compotationes ad ebrietatem inducentes, choreae, tripudia, et caetera id genus, ad Bacchanalia magis quàm ad Christianam religionem spectantia. Quod nota.
yBochellus Decret. Eccles. Gall. l. 6. Tit. 19. c. 3, 4, 20, 21.Interdicimus, ne Clerici publice aut in privato exercea…t ludos turpes aut ludibriosos unde scandalū oriri, et ministeriū ecclesiasticum vituperari possit, pro loco et tempore, cau…a et personis quibus, propter quam, et cum quibus hujusmodi ludos exerceri contingeret. A ludo autem alearum, taxillorum, et similium quae in sorte pendent sic abstineant, ut neque etiam alijs ludentibus fautores aut testes sint, intersint.
Districtè prohibemus, ne sacerdotes choreis publicis, tr…pudiationibus, saltationibu…ve sese commisceant; ne turpes, amatorias… aut lascivas decantent cantilenas, aut cantantibus faveant aut intersint. z1 Cor. 15.33.Corrumpunt siquidem bonos mores colloquia prava. Denique non sint vagi oculis, non dicaces, non joculatores, non histriones; ea enim omnia indecora, ijs praecipuè quibus animarum cura cō missa est.
Sacerdotes qui in diebus primarum Missarum novorum Presbyterorum, post festivas epulas et grandia convivia commessationes que *Such was the prophanes and irregularity of the Roman Clergie.exeunt in publicum ad exhibendas populo et plebeculae comaedias, maximè crassas et impudicas, et choreas in plateis, committunt sine dubio in legem Ecclesiae et Apostolorum dogma. Quare qui tales fuerunt, si perseveraverint, sciant se condignam punitionem et correctionem non evasuros. Item prohibemus sacerdotibus ne in festo Sancti Nicholai, Innocentium, aut alio quovis die stultum aliquod aut ridiculum in Ecclesijs aut alio quocunque loco publico faciant fierive permittant, larvati aut quocun que tempore, aut quovis in loco incedant.
On holy dayes let matters of judicature, hearing of causes, sales, merchandice, lux… ry, drunkennesse, Playes, and faires cease. Those who doe contrarie, let them be cited before us or our officiall &c. In the feast of St Nicholas, Katherine, Innocents, or any other day, let not Schollers, Clergy me…, or Priests, under pretence of recreation, act any foolish or ridiculous thing in the Church, or permit others to doe it. Finally let the clothes of those who act the scenicall persons of Innocents or fooles, be cast out of the Church.
Because the staves of the fraternities themselves are wont to be carried about in most places of our Diocesse with Stage-players, Fidlers and tymbrels going before them, which doth most of all unbeseeme the honour of God and the Saints: for those musicall instruments stirring up the auditors rather to Carantoes and dancing than to devotion, ought not to precede their images fastned in the staves of the fraternities. Therefore wee strictly prohibit, that after this such staves be not carried about publikely through villages after an histri…nical manner, or with musicall melody fitted to dances &c.
Because in fraternities rightly ordained at the first, and afterwards declining unto worse, many things are seene to be committed altogether different from honesty, and the religion of a Christian minde: that we may apply a fitting remedy to them, wee first of all ordaine; That in the assemblies of the fraternities themselves, no dissolute feasts be made, no compo…ations (or Healthes) conducing to drunkennes, no dances, galliards… and other things of this nature, belonging rather to the feasts of Bacch…s, than to Christian religion.
We prohibit, that Clergie men use no dishonest nor ludicro…s Playes either in publike or private whence scandall may arise, and the ecclesiasticall ministery be disgraced, according to the place and time, the occasion and persons, in which, for which, and with which such Playes shall happen to be used. Let them so abstaine from the play of dice, of tables, and the like which depend on chance, that they bee not so much as present among the… that play, either as countenancers, or witnesses.
Wee strictly forbid, that Ministers intermixe not themselves in publike morrices, dances or carantoes: that they sing no ribaldry, amorous or lascivious songs, nor yet fauour, or keepe company with those that sing them: For evill communications corrupt good manners. Finally, let them not be roving with their eyes, no talkers, no jesters, no stage-players, for all these things are unseemely especially to those to whom the cure of soules is committed.
Priests who in the dayes of the first Masses of new Presbyters, after merry banquets and great feasts and entertainments goe forth in publike to exhibit most grosse and unchast Comaedies and dances in the streetes to the common people, offend without doubt against the law of the Church, and the Apostolicall decree. Wherefore those who have beene such, if they shall p…rsevere, let them know, that they shall not escape condigne punishment and correction. Also we inhibit Ministers, that they neither act nor suffer to be acted any foolish or ridiculous thing, either on the feasts of St. Nicholas, Innocents, or on any other day, neither in Churches, nor in any other publike place: and that they disguise not themselves at any time in any publike or private place.
The 37. is, Concilium Sen…nense, Anno 1528. where Inter Decreta morum, we have these two Canons.
aSurius Concil. Tom. 4. p. 740, 742, 743. Crab. Tom. 3. p. 757, 760. Binius Tom. …. p. 681, 683.Canon: 16. Cum autē deceat domum Dei sanctitudo &c. Prohibemus idcirco, ne histriones aut mimi intrent Ecclesiam, ad pulsandum tympana, cythara, aut alio quovis instrumento musicali: ne que in Ecclesia aut juxta Ecclesiam suis pul…ent instrumentis: prohibemus insuper, ne fiat deinceps festū fatuorum aut innocentiū, neque erigatur decanatus patellae.
Canon: 25. Clerici neque in publico ludant pylâ, aut alijs ludis, maximè cum laicis. A ludo al…arum aliis que qui à sorte pendent abstineant, neque ludentium fautores, spectatores aut testes existant. Non se admisceant choreis publicis, tripudiationibus aut saltationibus: non turpes amatorias aut lascivas deprom…nt cantilenas, seu cantantibus faveant aut adsint. Nec in scenam velut histriones prodeant, non comaedias vernaculas agant, non spectaculum corporis sui faciant in publico privatove loco. Quae omnia, cùm omnibus sacerdotibus sunt indecora, et ordini clericali multum detrahentia, tùm illis praecipuè quibus animarum cura est commissa.
Can: 16. And since holinesse becommeth the house of God: therefore we prohibit, that no stage-players or tumblers shall enter into the Church to strike up any tabret, harpe or other musicall instrument; neither shall they play upon their instruments in or neare the Church: moreover wee prohibit that the fea…t of fools or Innocents be not from henceforth observed, neither may the deanery of the platter be erected.
Can. 25. Clergy men may not play publikely at ball or other playes, especially with lay men: they shall abstaine from dice-play, and all other games that depend on chance; neither may they bee cherishers, witnesses or spectators of such as play: They shall not intermixe themselves in publike morrices, galliards and dances: they shall not sing any filthy amorous or lascivious songs, nor yet favour or b… prese…t with those that sing them. They may not *Therefore they may not act academicall Enterludes in Colledges.come forth upon th… stage as Actors, nor act Comaedies in their mother tongue: they shall make no spectacle of their body in any publike or private place. All which, as they are unseemely to all Ministers, and much derogatory from the clericall order, so especially to those to whom the cure of soules is committed.
The 38. is, Concilium Coloniense, Anno 1536. where we have these canonicall Injunctions following.