Gratiosus Matris pulchrae dilectionis lusus
- First performance: 17th May 1729, Prague - Nové Město, middle grammar class
- Author: Josephus Sexstetter, SJ (1705–1767)
Protagonists of the play A Lovely Joke by the Mother of Beautiful Loving do not pay for their faith with their lives, yet they are willing to undergo torture or even death for Christ. That is why this piece belongs among martyr drama. Its author chose one of the most popular themes of Jesuit dramas. Preserved manuscripts from the Czech Lands include three complete texts of plays and one synopsis pertaining to this theme. The main protagonists are three young Christian brothers who are taken captive during a crusade. An Egyptian calif tries to force them to reject Christ and after several vain attempts he entrusts this task to his daughter Ismeria. Yet thanks to a miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary, Ismeria becomes a Christian and flees together with the brothers. More info in Czech
Text
[Josephus Sexstetter]: Gratiosus Matris pulchrae dilectionis lusus, olim Ismeriam,
Aegypti regis filiam, Christo lucratus, hodie ludo dramatico exhibitus ab Illustrissima, Perillustri, Praenobili, Nobili, ac Ingenua mediae classis grammatices juventute
academici gymnasii Societatis Jesu Pragae ad Sanctum Ignatium 1729, mense Majo, die 17.
National Archives, fond Stará manipulace, sign. J 20/17/18. box 998, f. 372r–384r.
Synopsis
[Josephus Sexstetter]: Gratiosus Matris pulchrae dilectionis lusus, olim Ismeriam,
Aegypti Regis filiam, Christo lucratus, hodie ludo dramatico exhibitus ab Illustrissima,
Perillustri, Praenobili, Nobili, ac Ingenua mediae classis grammatices juventute
academici gymnasii Societatis Jesu Pragae ad Sanctum Ignatium 1729, mense Majo, die 17.
Národní archiv ČR, fond Stará manipulace, sing. J 20/17/18. kart. 998, f. 373r–v.
Magdaléna Jacková: Nejmírnější Pallas. Hry určené gramatikálním třídám jezuitských gymnázií. Praha: Academia, 2016. (= Theatrum Neolatinum. Latinské divadlo v českých zemích, 2.), p. 186–275.
Bibliography
Magdaléna Jacková: Tři jezuitské hry o třech křesťanských bratrech a jedné turecké princezně. Divadelní revue 27, 2016, č. 2, p. 133-149.
Magdaléna Jacková: Jesuit school plays from provincia bohemia SJ written for grammar classes. In A. Steiner-Weber– F. Römer (eds.): Acta conventus Neo-latini Vindobonensis, Leiden, Brill 2018, p. 369–378. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004361553_029
