Pastimes to delight the minde, the Cornish men haue Guary miracles,
and three mens songs: and for exercise of the body, Hunting, Hawking,
Shooting, Wrastling, [72] Hurling, and such other games.
The Guary miracle, in English, a miracle-play, is a kinde of
Enterlude, compiled in Cornish out of some scripture history,
with that grossenes, which accompanied the Romanes vetus Comedia.
For representing it, they raise an earthen Amphitheatre, in some open
field, hauing the Diameter of his enclosed playne some 40. or 50.
foot. The Country people flock from all sides, many miles off,
to hear and see it: for they haue therein, deuils and deuices,
to delight as well the eye as the eare: the players conne not their
parts without booke, but are prompted by one called the Ordinary,
who followeth at their back with the booke in his hand, and telleth
them softly what they must pronounce aloud. Which maner once gaue
occasion to a pleasant conceyted gentleman, of practising a mery
pranke: for he vndertaking (perhaps of set purpose) an Actors roome,
was accordingly lessoned (before-hand) by the Ordinary, that he must
say after him.
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