MIRACLE PLAY (OF., Fr. miracle, from Let. mirocalum, miracle, from mirari, to wonder, from mints, wonderful; connected with (:k. act meitlan, Skt. smi, to smile). Strictly, the second stage in the development of the modern drama under religious auspices, though it is sometimes confounded with the first, fur which. and for a general aceount of this development, see 31v5mitv. The distinetion between the two, where it is made, is based on the fact that whereas the mysteries proper took their subjects from the Scripture narrative, centring about the life of Christ, the miracle plays were taken rather from the lives of the saints. The signifi cant features of this eliange were that by getting away front the sacred text of the Scriptures greater latitude was gained, and a greater range of characters; a nearer approach to a repre sentation of contemporary life was thus also permitted, and a freer introdnetion of the comedy element than reverence would allow in the earlier form. :?latthew Paris mentions a miracle play,
Ludas de Sancta Ka fbayina, that was performed at Dnnstable about 1 1 10. under the direction of a certain afterwards Ahbot of Saint. Albans. Again, William Fitz-Stephen, in his Life of Thumas Brrket (about 1 IS2.), writes approvingly of London plays on the miracles and sufferings of martyrs and confessors, tither mira el e based on the lives of Saint Fabian, Saint Seba-tian, Saint Itotolph, Saint Ceorge, and Saint Crispin, were performed in the four teenth, fifteenth. and sixteenth centuries. Very few texts of English miracle plays have been preserved; but front numerous Continental speci mens, it may lie inferred that they were in aim and structure similar to the mysteries. For bibliography, see MYSTERY.