Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/386

372 PROBLEMS OF THE ENGLISH contained the incident of Mary Magdalen washing the feet of Christ, an incident which, unlike the Last Supper, really did take place at the house of Symon. The catchword was yet again altered. 1 The other most conspicuous dislocation is the insertion of the Assumption play. We have already seen that this is written in a different hand from the rest of the manuscript. It is also written upon an independent quire of quite different paper, which is inserted in the middle of what is now the last quire of the codex. Previous to the insertion, c Doomsday ' followed quite regularly upon c Pente- cost.' The present arrangement, however, dates from the original make-up of the manuscript, for the 'Assumption* takes its place in the consecutive numbering indicated by the original scribe by means of large red numerals placed in the margins. Before passing on I should like to conclude what there is to be said about the ' Assumption.' It is an independent insertion written in a different hand. I may so far anticipate as to say that there is no mention of it in the Prologue. All this suggests that it may have had an origin different from that of the other plays. After a careful study I have not been able to detect any difference 1 The insertions occur at p. 263 of Halliwell's edition, imme- diately after the stage dire&ion (which is deleted in the manuscript). This direction was originally immediately followed by the speech of Judas, ' Now cowntyrfeted,' on p. 267. The earlier insertion includes from the speech of Jesus, ' Myn herte is ryght sory, J on p. 265 to the end of the stage direction on p. 267. This duplicates the passage on pp. 274-5. The subsequent insertion includes from the speech of Mary on p. 263 to the end of the stage direction on p. 265.