PREFACE
Being convinc'd that nothing has gone farther in Debauching the Age than the Stage Poets, and Play-House, I thought I could not employ my time better than in writing against them. These Men sure, take Vertue and Regularity, for great Enemies, why else is their Disaffection so very Remarkable? It must be said, They have made their Attack with great Courage, and gain'd no inconsiderable Advantage. But it seems Lewdness without Atheism, is but half their Business. Conscience might possibly recover, and Revenge be thought on; and therefore like Foot-Pads, they must not only Rob, but Murther. To do them right their Measures are Politickly taken: To make sure work on't, there's nothing like Destroying of Principles; Practise must follow of Course. For to have no good Principles, is to have no Reason to be Good. Now 'tis not to be expected that people should check their Appetites, and balk their Satisfactions, they don't know why. If Virtue has no Prospect, 'tis not worth the owning. Who would be troubled with Conscience if 'tis only a Bugbear, and has nothing in't but Vision, and the Spleen?
My Collection from the English Stage, is much short of what They are able to furnish. An Inventory of their Ware-House would have been a large Work: But being afraid of over charging the Reader, I thought a Pattern might do.
In Translating the Fathers, I have endeavour'd to keep close to their Meaning: However, in some few places, I have taken the Liberty of throwing in a Word or two; To clear the Sense, to preserve the Spirit of the Original, and keep the English upon its Legs.
There's one thing more to acquaint the Reader with; 'Tis that I have Ventured to change the Terms of Mistress and Lover, for others somewhat more Plain, but much more Proper. I don't look upon This as any failure in Civility. As Good and Evil are different in Themselves, so they ought to be differently Mark'd. To confound them in Speech, is the way to confound them in Practise. Ill Qualities ought to have ill Names, to prevent their being Catching. Indeed Things are in a great measure Govern'd by Words: To Guild over a foul Character, serves only to perplex the Idea, to encourage the Bad, and mislead the Unwary. To treat Honour, and Infamy alike, is an injury to Virtue, and a sort of Levelling in Morality. I confess, I have no Ceremony for Debauchery. For to Compliment Vice, is but one Remove from worshipping the Devil.
March 5th. 16978.
THE
CONTENTS.
CHAP. I. The Introduction. Page 1 The Immodesty of the Stage. p. 3 The Ill Consequences of this Liberty. p. 5 Immodesty a Breach of good Behaviour. p. 6 The Stage faulty in this respect to a very Scandalous degree. p. 8 Modesty the Character of Women. p. 9 The Natural Serviceableness of this Quality. p. 11 Immodesty much more insufferable, under the Christian, than under the Heathen Religion. p. 14 The Roman, and Greek Theatres more inoffensive than the English. p. 15 This proved from Plautus. Ibid. From Terence. p. 20 From Seneca's Tragedies. p. 25 The Comparison carried on to the Theatre at Athens. Ibid. A short Character of Æschylus. p. 26 The Cleaness of his Expression. p. 27 The Genius and Conduct of Sophocles. p. 28The Sobriety of his Plays.
p. 29The Authorities of Ben. Johnson.
Beaumont & Fletcher.
And Corneille.
against the present Stage. p. 51
p. 52
p. 53
CHAP. II. The Prophaneness of the Stage. This Charge prov'd upon them, I. By their Cursing and Swearing. p. 57 The English Stage formerly less hardy in this respect. Ibid. The provokingness of this Sin. p. 58 This Offence punishable by Law, and how far. p. 59 Swearing in the Play House an Un-Gentlemanly, as well as an Un-Christian practise. A Second Branch of the Profaness of the Stage, consisting in their Abuse of Religion, and the Holy Scriptures. p. 60 Instances of this Liberty in the Mock Astrologer. Ib. In the Orphan. p. 62
In the Old Batchelour, and Double Dealer.
p. 63, 64 In Don Sebastian. p. 65 Breif Remarks upon a Passage or two in the Dedications of Aurenge Zebe, and the Translation of Juvenal. p. 66, 69 Farther Instances of Profaneness in Love Triumphant. p. 72 In Love for Love. p. 74 In the provok'd Wife. p. 77 And in the Relapse. p. 78 The Horrid Impiety of this Liberty. p. 80 The Stage guilty of down right Blasphemy. This Charge made good from several of the Plays above mention'd. p. 82 The Comparative Regularity of the Heathen Stage, exemplyfied in Terence, and Plautus. p. 86 And in the Greek Tragedians. p.And Unpresidented.
Unreasonable. p. 112
p. 127 The Misbehaviour of the Stage upon this account. p. 138
CHAP. IV.
Immorality encouraged by the Stage. p. 140 The Stage Poets make Libertines their Top-Characters, and give them Success in their Debauchery. p. 142 A Character of their fine Gentleman. p. 143 Their fine Ladies Accomplish'd much after the same manner. p. 146 The Young People of Figure in Plautus and Terence, have a greater regard to Morality. Ibid. The Defence in the Preface to the Mock-Astrologer, not sufficient. p. 148 The Christian Religion makes a great difference in the Case. p. 149 Horace of a Contrary Opinion to the Mock-Astrologer. p. 150 The Mock-Astrologer's Instances from Ben Johnson Unserviceable. p. 151 The Authority of Shakespear against the Mock-Astrologer. p. 154 His Maxim founded on the difference between Tragedy, and Comedy, a Mistake. p. 155 Delight not the Chief-End of Comedy. p. 157 This Assertion prov'd against the Mock-Astrologer from the Testimonies of Rapin. Ibid. And Ben Johnson. p. 158 Aristotle, and Quintilian, cited to the same purpose p. 159, 161To make Delight the main Business in Comedy, dangerous, and unreasonable.
p. 162 The improper Conduct of the Stage with respect to Poetry, and Ceremony. p. 165 Extravagant Rants. p. 167 Gingles in the Spanish Fryar, King Arthur, and Love Triumphant. p. 169 Women roughly treated by the Stage. p. 171His want of Modesty, and Regard to the Audience.
p. 202 All Imitations of Nature not proper for the Stage. p. 204 The Poets Talent in Raillery, and Dedication. p. 205 SECT. III. Remarks on the Relapse. p. 209 A Misnommer in the Title of the Play. p. 210 The Moral Vitious. p. 211 The Plot ill Contriv'd. p. 212 The Manners or Characters out of Order. p. 218 The three Dramatick Unities broken. p. 228 CHAP. VI. The Opinion of the Heathen Philosophers, Orators, and Historians, concerning the Stage. p. 233 The Stage censured by the State. This proved from the Constitutions of Athens, Sparta, and Rome. p. 240 Farther Instances of this publick Discountentance in the Theodosian Code. p. 241 In our own Statute Book. p. 242 And in the late Order of the French King. p. 243 An Order of the Bishop of Arras against Plays. p. 245The Stage Condemn'd by the Primitive Church.
p. 250 The Councils of Illiberis, Arles, &c. cited. Ibid. The Testimony's of the Fathers against the Stage, particularly, of TheophilusERRATA.
Page 31 Margin for Κῶρον, r. Μῶρον. p. 37. l. 1. for by his, r. his. l. 2. for other, r. his other. l. 25. for præstr, r. præter. p. 39. l. 18. for Poets, Knaves, r. Poets Knaves. p. 44. l. 14. for Concianotores, r. Concionatores. p. 45. l. 25. for Debaush, r. Debauchee. p. 46. l. 9. for Enterprizes, r. Enterprize. p. 47. l. 9. for ridicules, r. ridiculous. p. 52. l. 1. for justifying, r. and justifie. p. 60. l. 2. for tempestiuous, r. tempestuous. l. 31. for pray, r. should pray. p. 80. for executed, r. exerted. p. 108. l. 4. for Antarkick. r. Antartick. p. 117. l. 12. for Angitia, r. Angitiæ. p. 121. l. 24. for Auger, r. Augur. p. 135. margin, for Heglins Cogmog, r. Heylins Cosmog. p. 154. l. 22. dele up. p. 163. l. 28. for then, r. therefore. p. 183. l. 6. for to, r. too. p. 186. l. 6. dele And. p. 191. l. 18. for Circumstance, r. Circumstances. p. 222. l. 9. for Cup, r. a Cup. p. 237. l. 2. for apon't, r. upon't. 245. l. 25. for Le, r. Les. p. 257. l. 28. for Correspondence r. this Correspondence. p. 272. l. 9. for himself. r. themselves.
The Litteral mistakes the Reader is Desired to Correct.
Essays upon several Moral Subjects in two parts the Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged by Jeremy Collier, M.A.
Human Prudence, or the Art by which a man may raise himself and his
An Answer to all the Excuses and Pretences that men usually make for their not coming to the Holy Communion, by a Divine of the Church of England: Fitted for the meanest Capacity, and proper to be given away by such Persons as are Charitably Inclin'd. Price 3 pence.
THE INTRODUCTION.
The business of Plays is to recomend Virtue, and discountenance Vice; To shew the Uncertainty of Humane Greatness, the suddain Turns of Fate, and the Unhappy Conclusions of Violence and Injustice: 'Tis to expose the Singularities of Pride and Fancy, to make Folly and Falsehood contemptible, and to bring every Thing that is Ill Under Infamy, and Neglect. This Design has been oddly pursued by the English Stage. Our Poets write with a different View, and are gone into an other Interest. 'Tis true, were their Intentions fair, they might be Serviceable to this Purpose. They have in a great measure the Springs of Thought and Inclination in their Power. Show, Musick, Action, and Rhetorick, are moving Entertainments; and rightly employ'd would be very significant. But Force and Motion are Things indifferent, and the Use lies chiefly in the Application. These Advantages are now, in the Enemies Hand, and under a very dangerous Management. Like Cannon seized they are pointed the wrong way, and by the Strength of the Defence the Mischief is made the greater. That this Complaint is not unreasonable I shall endeavour to prove by shewing the Misbehaviour of the Stage with respect to Morality, and Religion. Their Liberties, in the Following Particulars are intolerable. viz. Their Smuttiness of Expression; Their Swearing, Profainness, and Lewd Application of Scripture; Their Abuse of the Clergy; Their making their Top Characters Libertines, and giving them Success in their Debauchery. This Charge, with some other Irregularities, I shall make good against the Stage, and shew both the Novelty and Scandal of the Practise. And first, I shall begin with the Rankness, and Indecency of their Language.
CHAP. I.
The Immodesty of the Stage.
In treating this Head, I hope the Reader does not expect that I should set down Chapter and Page, and give him the Citations at Length. To do this would be a very unacceptable and Foreign Employment. Indeed the Passages, many of them, are in no Condition to be handled: He that is desirous to see these Flowers let him do it in their own Soil: 'Tis my business rather to kill the Root than Transplant it. But that the Poets may not complain of Injustice; I shall point to the Infection at a Distance, and refer in General to Play and Person.
Now among the Curiosities of this kind we may reckon Mrs. Pinchwife, Horner, and Lady Fidget in the Country Wife; Widdow Blackacre and Olivia in the Plain Dealer. These, tho' not all the exceptionable Characters, are the most remarkable. I'm sorry the Author should stoop his Wit thus Low, and use his Understanding so unkindly. Some People appear Coarse, and Slovenly out of Poverty: They can't well go to the Charge of Sense. They are Offensive like Beggars for want of Necessaries. But this is none of the Plain Dealer's case; He can afford his Muse a better Dress when he pleases. But then the Rule is, where the Motive is the less, the Fault is the greater. To proceed. Jacinta, Elvira, Dalinda, and Lady Plyant, in the Mock Astrologer, Spanish Friar, Love Triumphant and Double Dealer, forget themselves extreamly: And almost all the Characters in the Old Batchelour, are foul and nauseous. Love for Love, and the Relapse, strike sometimes upon this Sand, and so likewise does Don Sebastian.
I don't pretend to have read the Stage Through, neither am I Particular to my Utmost. Here is quoting enough unless 'twere better: Besides, I may have occasion to mention somewhat of this kind afterwards. But from what has been hinted already, the Reader may be over furnish'd. Here is a large Collection of Debauchery; such Pieces are rarely to be met with: 'Tis Sometimes painted at Length too, and appears in great Variety of Progress and Practise. It wears almost all sorts of Dresses to engage the Fancy, and fasten upon the Memory, and keep up the Charm from Languishing. Sometimes you have it in Image and Description; sometimes by way of Allusion; sometimes in Disguise; and sometimes without it. And what can be the Meaning of such a Representation, unless it be to Tincture the Audience, to extinguish Shame, and make Lewdness a Diversion? This is the natural Consequence, and therefore one would think 'twas the Intention too. Such Licentious Discourse tends to no point but to stain the Imagination, to awaken Folly, and to weaken the Defences of Virtue: It was upon the account of these Disorders that Plato banish'd Poets his Common Wealth: And one of the Fathers calls Poetry, Vinum Dæmonum an intoxicating Draught, made up by the Devils Dispensatory.
I grant the Abuse of a Thing is no Argument against the use of it. However Young people particularly, should not entertain themselves with a Lewd Picture; especially when 'tis drawn by a Masterly Hand. For such a Liberty may probably raise those Passions which can neither be discharged without Trouble, nor satisfyed without a Crime: 'Tis not safe for a Man to trust his Virtue too far, for fear it should give him the slip! But the danger of such an Entertainment is but part of the Objection: 'Tis all Scandal and meanness into the bargain: it does in effect degrade Human Nature, sinks Reason into Appetite, and breaks down the Distinctions between Man and Beast. Goats and Monkeys if they could speak, would express their Brutality in such Language as This.
To argue the Matter more at large.
Smuttiness is a Fault in Behaviour as well as in Religion. 'Tis a very Coarse Diversion, the Entertainment of those who are generally least both in Sense, and Station. The looser part of the Mob, have no true relish of Decency and Honour, and want Education, and Thought, to furnish out a gentile Conversation. Barrenness of Fancy makes them often take up with those Scandalous Liberties. A Vitious Imagination may blot a great deal of Paper at this rate with ease enough: And 'tis possible Convenience may sometimes invite to the Expedient. The Modern Poets seem to use Smut as the Old Ones did Machines, to relieve a fainting Invention. When Pegasus is jaded, and would stand still, he is apt like other Tits to run into every Puddle.