plays by writers on the history of the stage. We have a proof that the Latin religious plays, and the festivities in which they were employed, had become greatly developed in the twelfth century, in the notice taken of them in the ecclesiastical councils of that period, for they were disapproved by the stricter church disciplinarians. So early as the papacy of Gregory VIII., the pope urged the clergy to "extirpate" from their churches theatrical plays, and other festive practices which were not quite in harmony with the sacred character of these buildings.[84] Such performances are forbidden by a council held at Treves in 1227.[85] We learn from the annals of the abbey of Corbei, published by Leibnitz, that the younger monks at Heresburg performed on one occasion a "sacred comedy" (_sacram comœdiam_) of the selling into captivity and the exaltation of Joseph, which was disapproved by the other heads of the order.[86] Such performances are included in a proclamation of the bishop of Worms, in 1316, against the various abuses which had crept into the festivities observed in his diocese at Easter and St. John's tide.[87] Similar prohibitions of the acting of such plays in churches are met with at subsequent periods. [84] "Interdum ludi fiunt in ecclesiis theatrales," &c.--_Decret Gregorii_, lib. iii. tit. i. [85] "Item non permittant sacerdotes ludos theatrales fieri in ecclesia et alios ludos inhonestos." [86] "Juniores fratres in Heresburg sacram habuere comœdiam de Josepho vendito et exalto, quod vero reliqui ordinis nostri prælati male interpretati sunt."--_Leibn., Script. Brunsv._ tom. ii. p. 311. [87] The acts of this synod of Worms are printed in Harzheim, tom. iv. p. 258.