12

The Dance of Death.

but more decorous, nature should be substituted, which,whilst it afforded recreation and amusement, might, at thesame time, convey with it a moral and religious sensation.It is, therefore, extremely probable, that, in furtherance ofthis intention, the clergy contrived and introduced theDance or Pageant of Death, or, as it was sometimes called,the Dance of Macaber, for reasons that will hereafterappear. Mr. Warton states, " that in many churches ofFrance there was an ancient show, or mimickry, in whichall ranks of life were personated by the ecclesiastics, whodanced together, and disappeared one after another." 30Again, speaking of Lydgate's poem on this subject, hesays, " These verses, founded on a sort of spiritual masque-rade anciently celebrated in churches, &c." 31 M. Barante,in his History of the Dukes of Burgundy, adverting to theentertainments that took place at Paris when Philip le Bonvisited that city in 1424, observes, " that these were notsolely made for the nobility, the common people beinglikewise amused from the month of August to the followingseason of Lent with the Dance of Death in the church-yard of the Innocents, the English being particularlygratified with this exhibition, which included all ranksand conditions of men, Death being, morally, the principalcharacter." 32 Another French historian, M. de VilleneuveBargemont, informs us that the Duke of Bedford celebratedhis victory at Verneuil by a festival in the centre of theFrench capital. The rest of what this writer has recordedon the subject before us will be best given in his own words :" Nous voulons parler de cette fameuse procession qu'on vitde'filer dans les rues de Paris, sous le nom de danse Macabreeou infernale, epouvantable divertissement, auquel presidoitun squelette ceint du diademe royal, tenant un sceptre dansses mains decharnees et assis sur un trone resplendissantd'or et de pierreries. Ce spectacle repoussant, melangeodieux de deuil et de joie, inconnu jusqu'alors, et qui nes'est jamais renouvele, n'eut guere pour temoins que dessoldats etrangers, ou quelques malheureux echappes a tousies fleaux reunis, et qui avoient vu descendre tous leurs

80 Hist. Engl. Poetry, vol. ii. p. 43, edit 8vo. and Carpentier, Suppllid Ducang. v. Machabseorum chorea. 31 Id. ii. 364.

32 Hist, des Dues de Bourgogne, torn. v. p. 1821.

parens, tous leiloit alors de lealso treated thelike manner tothe reader is cingenious reseJconceives thatsense of an oldVII. which he c1424 fut faitecens, et fut coau karesme supreschant aux 1faut qui estoit r!vers les charnidanse MacabrJat the Innocerfinished at thesented by livinldimensions ofand that a singlwith every indhave added, thiat variance witlby M. Bargemofeel inclined uDance of Dealbetween 1424 aBut althoughstrated that thislat the above pit was not so reother spot. Acof Besancon,delivery madeEvangelist of fjpersons who p

33 Hist, de Renel

34 Dulaure, Hist]

35 Recherches<X xxxiv. et seq.