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I never noticed this particular intercession in the York play. It is 
very interesting indeed. Usually, there are some anti-Jewish miracles 
connected with the Assumption (such as this: a Jew tries to overthrow 
her coffin, his hand is stuck to it; one of the apostles has to heal 
him), or with the feast of the Assumption (see the relevant miracles 
in the *Legenda Aurea*: it includes the one retold in Chaucer's 
*Prioress's Tale*). For an instance in Drama, cf. the Middle Dutch 
*De Zevenste Blijschap van Onzer Vrouwen* (The 7th Joy of the BVM).

There are two miracles of intercession that come to my mind and
which touch on your question: In one of them, Mary intercedes for a 
Jewish woman in childbirth (Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum 
Historiale, 8.99). The other one is an unpublished miracle 
of St Matthew, contained in a Trier ms.: Matthew intercedes for a Jew 
suffering from a severe fever. The author of the miracle collection 
tells us that the Jew was willing to convert but that he wasn't sure 
whether he had actually done so. What is interesting is that St 
Matthew is being described as feeling a 'natural pity for his 
(former) people'.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes,

Christoph Cluse
FB III Geschichte
Universitaet
54286 Trier
Germany


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