Figure 5 (pl. 45), from a contemporary cut, shows the appearance of the stage in 1630. The scenery is rather advanced, and on the whole much like that in the modern theatre. From this we may conclude that the theatre of Shakespeare was not so primitive as it is usually thought to have been. The excellence of the mechanical appliances half a cen tury later (as we have seen in the case of the pyrotechnic displays) makes it probable that they had passed beyond the rudimentary state at the date of which we speak. It will be seen from our cut that the drama already reflected that taste for allegory which was for so long a disease of German literature, but which we must admit was an important factor in the devel opment of the German character. The clouds were peopled with mytho logical deities and Christian angels, who were supposed to assist or to thwart the two suitors of the heroine on the stage. In the beginning these supernatural accessories were merely painted, but afterward auto matic figures were used.
In the foreground are seen at the same time the necessary counterpoises to the more serious aesthetic abstractions, the representatives of humor, Clown and Pantaloon, whose antics and extempore jokes had no connec tion with the play itself, but were intended to relieve its sombreness and to amuse the populace. However, the astronomical figures on their cos tumes seem to show that in this case they had some connection with the pieces. It belongs to the history of literature to unfold the growth of the German drama from clownish antics and stilted allegories to gallant pastoral plays, and from "blood-and-thunder" tragedies to imitations of the French classic drama, and thence to majestic operas and spectacular dramas, until finally its productions won a high place in the domain of poetry; but its growth was rooted in the culture of the nation and at the same time produced important reflex effects.
Rural Entertahments.—An example of the festivities of the lower classes, especially those of the rural population, is represented on Plate 46 (fig. 1), from a wood-cut by Hans Sebald Beham. This class of the community, notwithstanding its unhappy condition, celebrated many joy ous festivities. The figure on our Plate illustrates the consecration of a village church. Besides the various domestic events, which were cele brated according to the financial condition of the individual, the special event of the village was the festival of its patron saint. This occasion gave opportunity, in addition to its proper ritual, for all kinds of secular amusements. As is evident from the picture, marriage ceremonies were at times coupled with the other services. In accordance with prevailing
custom, the ceremony was performed publicly outside the church in the presence of the guests and a small company of musicians.
The booths show that a fair was associated with the festival. Drink ing and gaining were the chief amusements, and were often carried to excess. Other sports are depicted: a horse-race, a race by girls for prizes, wrestling by boys, and bowling by the elders. The sport became very violent, and often resulted in an actual fight—a source of considerable danger, for in those days every one wore weapons. The peasant dance in the right foreground exhibits the same movements, only more awk ward, to which we have referred in the court balls. In the right centre is seen a peculiar game which consisted of couples hopping backward and forward on a number of logs without touching the ground. Rural festivities, as seems evident from the illustrations, always took place in the open air, for the village houses were too small to accommodate many guests, and tavern life, in its later sense, was not known outside the cities.
Amusemenis.—The festivities and amusements in the cities were exceedingly various, on account of the different classes of citizens. Those of the wealthy and aristocratic imitated, and sometimes surpassed, the amusements of country nobles and princes, while, on the other hand, the sports of the lower classes resembled those of the peasants. The young patricians held friendly jousts on the market-places, and the populace parodied them by using wooden horses drawn by ropes. Marriages and torchlight dances were celebrated in the city halls. Ball-alleys had been built at an earlier date, as well as special buildings for boxing and fen cing. These buildings were used for various kinds of exhibitions, as of acrobats, equestrians, actors, menageries, etc. Such amusements had already been converted into professions since the end of the sixteenth century. Baths were the representatives of the modern coffee-houses.
Concerts were given by the Meistersingers, and in winter long proces sions of fantastically decorated sleighs with merry bells enlivened the streets. Shooting-societies were organized as early as the fifteenth cen tury, and prize contests often took place under the direction of the magis trates between the societies of neighboring towns. In consideration of the importance of dexterity in the use of arms for the defence of the cities, official exercises therein, not confined to small-arms, were established.