The French poem chosen as the basis of the N orthern Passion was well suited to purposes of entertainment and instruction the narrative was brief and not overloaded with homiletical passages, and the legendary matter copious enough to relieve the soberness of. The Biblical narrative, though not so grotesque as to shock by its extravagance. Nevertheless, the French poem was not thought by the English author to be beyond improvement he rearranged the narrative, omitted some extra-biblical incidents, and added several new traditions which had sprung into popularity during the hundred years since the composition of the French poem. It is not easy to discover the principle which governed the translator in making these changes. Obviously he was not actuated by a desire to conform to the canonical Scriptures, for though some legendary details are omitted, others are introduced; and while parts of the narrative are rearranged in accordance with the customary order of events, others are rewritten in a form which is even further from the Gospels than is the French poem. One fact, however, is clear, namely, that the author treated his material more and more freely as he advanced in his work the opening portion of the N orthem Passion may fairly be called a translation of the French Passion the second half is an adaptation. Yet throughout the author preserved in his rendering the popular characteristics of the original poem, so that the highly coloured narrative, for the most part unadorned by homily, enforces its lesson by example rather than by precept.

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