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190 LITURGICAL DRAMA
PEREGRINUS PLAYS
The Peregrinus dramas previously referred to seem to have been in
existence by the twelfth century as separate compositions. The sur
viving examples, little more than half a dozen but all complete with
musical settings, show some variety of construction; but neither in
dramatic achievement nor in vogue can they compare with the longer
examples of the Visitatio SepulchrL They deal in the main with the
journey to Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 13-32). A few versions include the
appearance of Christ to the eleven at Jerusalem (Luke xxiv. 33-39) and
his encounter with Thomas (John xx. 24-29). It will be remembered
that the original dialogue of the Visitatio Sepulchri had to be invented,
together with many further details of speech and incident. In the case
of Peregrinus a great deal of the dialogue and narrative were ready
and waiting in the Vulgate texts. Moreover, many of the sentences
were already employed in the Easter services as antiphons. The result
of this is a certain formality of construction. In spite of this general
conclusion, we find occasional versifications of the Gospel accounts
and some free composition in the musical settings. Most of the ver
sions seem to have been performed on Easter Monday evening, during
the elaborate three-fold Vespers which were sung on that day in
medieval times and included much processional movement.
The simplest of them is found in a fourteenth-century breviary
from Saintes. 1 As its single scene contains dialogue found in all the
other versions, it may well be given in some detail. At the opening
the two disciples are represented as saying: 'Tertia dies est quo haec
facta sunt* (today is the third day since these things were done),
adapted from Luke xxiv. 21. Dominus then appears, asking them what
they are discussing so sorrowfully (v. 17). Not recognizing him,
Cleopas inquires : 'Art thou only a stranger (peregrinus) in Jerusalem,
and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these
days?' (v. 18). The question and reply of verse 19 follow directly,
succeeded by Jesus's reproach: *O fools, and slow of heart to believe'
(v. 25). In the Vulgate text there is now the narrative which reads in
*
translation : And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went :
and he made as though he would have gone further. But they con
strained him* (w. 28, 29). The rubrics make it plain that this is acted
in dumb-show, but at this point we have also the chorus singing a
liturgical setting of these words. All the music so far, with the excep
tion of the 'Tertia dies' setting, is liturgical, every sentence being an
official antiphon. The opening dialogue is here given: 2
1
Paris, Bibl. Nat. lat 16309, fo. 604-5.
3 Cf. PaUographie musicale, n. i, p. 233.