The Towneley Miracles, so called because the manuscript belonged in recent times to the library of Towneley Hall in Lancashire, are edited by England and Pollard, E.E.T.S., 1897. The cycle is a composite one—for instance it includes a later form of the York play _Harrowing of Hell_ (No. XVI, above)—but it is distinguished by a group of plays and interpolated scenes which seem to have been specially composed for representation at Wakefield. Formally this group is marked by the use of a peculiar nine-lined stanza, riming a a a a b c c c b, with central rimes in the first four lines. The rough vigour of the comic scenes is still more distinctive, and there can be little doubt that all are the work of one man. The specimen of his style most often reprinted is _The Second Shepherd's Play_, which has an original and purely secular comic plot. The _Play of Noah_ is more typical of the English Miracle in its later development. This subject was always popular with early playwrights, for the Ark made a spectacle, and the traditional quarrels of Noah and his wife gave scope for contests in fisticuffs and rough raillery—the stuff of primitive comedy. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. NOE DEUS VXOR NOE PRIMUS FILIUS SECUNDUS FILIUS TERCIUS FILIUS PRIMA MULIER SECUNDA MULIER TERCIA MULIER 1. _Noe._ Myghtfull God veray, Maker of all that is, Thre persons withoutten nay, oone God in endles blis, Thou maide both nyght and day, beest, fowle, and fysh, All creatures that lif may wroght Thou at Thi wish, As Thou wel myght; 5 The son, the moyne, verament, Thou maide, the firmament, The sternes also full feruent To shyne Thou maide ful bright. 2. Angels Thou maide ful euen, all orders that is, 10 To haue the blis in heuen; this did Thou, more and les, Full mervelus to neuen; yit was ther vnkyndnes More bi foldis seuen then I can well expres; For whi? Of all angels in brightnes 15 God gaf Lucifer most lightnes, Yit prowdly he flyt his des, And set hym euen Hym by. 3. He thoght hymself as worthi as Hym that hym made, In brightnes, in bewty, therfor He hym degrade, 20 Put hym in a low degré soyn after, in a brade, Hym and all his menye, wher he may be vnglad For euer. Shall thay neuer wyn away Hence vnto Domysday, 25 Bot burne in bayle for ay; Shall thay neuer dysseuer.