Luigi Riccoboni's 1741 essay 'An Historical and Critical Account of the Theatres in Europe' paraphrases an anecdote from 'a Book called The * Antiquities of London' (attributed to Stow). According to Riccoboni's source, in 1378 the 'Clergy and Scholars of St. Paul's school' petitioned the king to prohibit a troupe of 'unexpert People from presenting the History of the Old Testament, to the great Prejudice of the said Clergy, who had been at great Charge and Expence, in order to represent it publickly at Christmas.' Riccoboni uses the anecdote to fix the beginnings of the biblical drama in London. He considers that the scholars of St Paul's may already have been seasoned players, as the phrase 'unexpert People' suggests.