A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 02

This volume brings together a handful of early English stage pieces that were once printed in the mid‑1500s and have survived in only a few copies. Carefully revised and enlarged by a nineteenth‑century scholar, the collection includes helpful notes that explain archaic language, religious references, and performance customs of the period. Listeners will hear everything from brisk farces to moral interludes, each offering a glimpse of the theatrical world before the Restoration.

Among the works, the “Interlude of Youth” stands out as a lively moral drama where the allegorical figures Charity and Youth spar in witty, sometimes confrontational verse. The opening scene sets up a debate about pride, generosity, and the fleeting nature of vigor, inviting the audience to consider the balance between exuberance and responsibility. Its brisk dialogue and vivid characterizations make it an engaging listening experience for anyone curious about the moral imagination of Renaissance England.