like For if one Man go to a Play and another in the mean time be luxurious arrogant and proud in which of these Two shall the Devil be said to be in his Pomps Certainly not in him that is at a Play for he may be there and the rather perhaps for being there have Thoughts and Meditations full of Humility whilest in tâ—â— other wheresoever he be found we aâ—â—sure there cannot be found an humbâ—â— or a sober Thought and where Humiliâ—â— and Sobriety are wanting there is tâ—â— Devil properly in his Pomps and Iolliâ—â— This Argument indeed is used by Teâ—â—tullian and some of the Fathers whâ—â— speaking of the Plays of the Heathen 〈◊〉 them the Pomps of the Devil by reasoâ— of their Idolatries and Superstitionâ— which justly get the name of Pomâ—â— of the Devil from all other Vices as bâ— which the Devil is most of all magnified and exalted And it seems this Maâ— coming to spy it in their Books takes thâ— Argument as he finds it and withouâ— ever examining the Matter claps it 〈◊〉 here as fitly as the Painter in the Poet who put a Horse's Neek to a Man Head Humano capiti cervicem Pictor equinam For what is this to our Plays Not unlike what Cicero spake of Piso who ouâ— of opinion of his Ancestour's Virtues was by the People of Rome made Edile â—â—so was made Edile not this Piso â—uid enim simile habet praeter Nomen For â—hat likeness but in the Name So â—e may say though in a contrary â—ay Plays are the Pomps of the Devil â—ot our Plays Quid â—nim simile habent â—â—aeter Nomen And one would think â—ertullian had taught him plainly eâ—ough that the Pomps of the Devil are â—herefore onely affirmed of Plays beâ—ause of their Idolatries where he saith Si igitur ex Idololatria universam Spectaâ—ulorum paraturam constare constiterit indâ—bitatè praejudicatum erit etiam ad Speâ—tacula pertinere Renuntiationis nostrae testimenium in Lavacro quae Diabolo Pompae Angelis ejus sunt mancipata scilicet per Idololatriam â—i quid autâ—m ex his non ad Idolum pertinuerit id neque ad Idololatriam neque ad nostram Ejerationem pertinebit Thus in English If therefore it shall be made manifest that all the Materials and Furniture of Plays be meerly Idolatrous it will be an undoubted Prejudice that the renouncing we make in Baptism belongs and reacheth unto Plays which are dedicated to the Devil his Pompâ— and Angels by reâ—son of their Idolatries but if there be any thing in a Play thaâ— belongs not to an Idol neither shall 〈◊〉 belong to Idolatry nor yet reach to thâ— Renouncing we make in Baptism Whaâ— could have been spoken more plainlyâ— to have made him understand if hiâ— Zeal had not blinded his Vnderstanding or to have made him go right if he had not been wilfully bent to go astray If he would now at last but take this Distinction along with him in surveying his Book once again and apply it where there is occasion it might do him no small ease in disburthening the Body of his Book of many peccant and gross Humours which make it swell into this huge Bulk It seems he can do no good against Plays with his Arguments from the Devil and therefore now he means to give the Devil over and it is Time for we may marvel what pleasure he could take to keep him company so long Yet he cannot leave the Devil so quite but he must have a Trick from him still â—nd be tearing mens cloaths from off â—ir Backs as the Devil did Luke viii â—7 For his dislike of Plays now though â—ith interposition of some extravagant â—onceits which he calls Reasons and will â—â—tter take their places afterward is because of their Cloaths Fol. 179. He thinks it not lawfull for Men to wear Womens cloaths or for Women to wear Mens and bâ—cause this is often done in Plays and Masques he utterly condemns them Yet this is well there is some moderation in this for this Reason puts not Plays to death but onely confines them For notwithstanding this Reason they may be lawfull enough amongst the Indians who go naked and not to go so far they may be lawfull enough too amongst the Irish where one kinde of Garment serves Men and Women But though we can be content to cross the Water to the Bank's Side yet we should be loth to cross the Irish-Seas to see a Play and can we not see one here because of their Cloaths Indeed he cites a Text of Scripture for 〈◊〉 Deut. xxii 5. The Woman shall not weâ—â— that which pertaineth to the Man neitheâ— shall a Man put on Womens rayment â— pregnant place indeed but where finde he this Precept even in the same place where he findes also that we must noâ— wear cloaths of Linsey-Woolsey and seeâ—ing we lawfully now wear Cloaths of Lâ—â—â—sâ—y-Woolsey why may it not be as lawfuâ—â— for Men to put on Womens Garmentsâ— But if he will have this Precept to stanâ— in force though it be no part of thâ— Moral Law yet because it may have 〈◊〉 Moral construction how will he then deâ—â—fend his own eating of Black-Puddinâ— against the Precept for Bloodâ— For this Precept against eating of blooâ— hath a stronger Tie then that for wearinâ— of Garments For that as given onelâ— by Moses may with just probability bâ— thought to end with Moses but this against eating of blood is continued afteâ— Moses Time by the Apostles themselvesâ— And why then should it trouble Mr. Prin's conscience to see a Boy wear Womens Garments against the Precept of Moses â—hen it troubles not his conscience to â—â—t Black-puddings against the Precept 〈◊〉 the Apostles But howsoever it â—â—ouble his conscience it need not trouâ—â—e any bodies else seeing his Reasonâ—â—oves â—â—oves it no more unlawfull to see a Play â—â—en to eat a Pudding and so upon the â—atter is not worth a Pudding But if 〈◊〉 be so great a sin for Men to put on Woâ—ens Garments what is it for Men to put â—n Womens Conditions which is perhaps â—â—deed the very Moral of this Precept as Clemens Alexandrinus and St. Cyril of old and of late amongst others Macchabaeus Alpinas a VVriter whom Melancthon exceedingly commends exâ—ound it And if it be so then is this Man the true breaker of the Precept and â—ot Players at least if we may call it Womens conditions to do nothing else but scould and rail for what is all his Book but a bundle of scoulding Invectives and railing instead of reasoning But to give a full Answer to this Argument do but hear what eminent Divines conceive of this Precept And thâ—â— I may not do as this man useth to do 〈◊〉 shew a Bee bring in the whole Swarmâ— will name you one of many yet 〈◊〉 unum è multis Martin Luther whoâ—â— words upon this place are these 〈◊〉 non prohibetur quin ad vitandum periâ—â—â— lum aut ludendum joco vel
for if it have not we may justly except against them and bar their voices from our Scrutiny Some therefore of his Trumpets and those of the best and ancientest are such as sound onely at Pagan Plays whereas our Plays are no more like â—hem then Helene the Mother of Conâ—â—antine was like Helene the Wife of â—enelaus and are as different from â—hem as we our selves are differing from â—agans and of this both Tertullian and â—t Cyprian the two most earnest of all â—he Fathers against Plays may be witâ—esses and indeed witnesses instar omniâ—m and whereupon do they ground â—heir condemnation of Plays Do they not both onely upon Idolatry Hear Tertullian first If there be no Idol in the Play that Idolatrie be not committed in it â—hen I charge it not with any renouncing which we have made in Baptism Next â—ear St. Cyprian Quod spectaculum sine Idoâ—o Quis ludus sine sacrificio If thereâ—ore this man can finde in our Plays eiâ—her Idols or Sacrifice he may justly require our voices in crying down of Plays but if they be as clean from â—eprosies as Naaman was from his having washed in Iordan then hath this man need to be down on his knees and to ask these Fathers and us forgiveness them for miss-reporting and miss-enforcing them us for miss-enforming and miss-perswading su Because Miriâ—â— was excluded from the Camp when shâ— was leprous shall we therefore not admit her into the Camp when she iâ— cleansed Indeed when this man before brought poor and simple reasonâ— to prove his Cause we could not much blame him for you can have no more of a man then his Talent but now that he wrests Scriptures traduceth Councils falsifieth Fathers miss-interprets all this most needs have some thing voluntary in it and hath therefore no Mean in the evil because a meaning to be evil The onely excuse is to say that he seems onely sâ—pere ex Indice to have all his learning from the Tables of Books for they be these indeed that make so many Mountebanks of Scholars as swarm in the world For when a Theme is propounded they run presenty to the Tables and pick Authours pockets of what serves their turns but never once offer to look the Authours in the faceâ— and so not knowing the Antecedents and Suâ—seqâ—â—â—ts they neither understand what they read nor this man what he writes And that you may know him to be such an one you shall find it by this one cast of his Scholar-ship Fol. 546. where he saith That Cyprian was seconded by Tertullian in his Opinion against Plays as though Tertullian had lived after Cyprian for that a man who goes before and begins an Opinion may be seconded by him that follows there is reason but to say that a man which follows and continues an Opinion is seconded by him that went before and began it was never heard of till he hath brought it into Being And may we not here say that this one Answer alone is it self a full discharge to his whole Book without any more ado seeing all the Arguments he brings in his Book either drawn from Reason or from Authorities either of Councels or Fathers or other Writers they are true enough against the Plays of the Heathen but as Plays are now in use amongst Christians not a true word in any of them and therefore where he hath entituled his Book A Tragedie of Actours he should if he had done right have entituled it A Comedie of Errours It is true indeed Tertullian condemneth Plays by places of Scripture not onely against Idolatry and Superstition but against Sensuality also and Concupiscence but doth he not by the same places condemn also second Marriages when either a man marrieth a second wife or a woman a second husband yet he is condemned for applying the places against these and why not then as well for applying them against Plays for who doubts but there is more Concupiscence and Sensuality in marrying a second wife or husband then in seeing a Play There is yet another Sense in which these holy Fathers do sometimes speak of Plays though neither Idolatrous nor Superstitious as things unworthy of a Christian man but is it not in the sense that Christ spake of the providence for earthly things of caring for food and â—â—yment after all which saith he the â—â—ntilâ—s sâ—ek And doth not Saint Paul 〈◊〉 the same sense though in another â—egree viâ—ifie also the best works that â—e can do even the good works â—f the Law accounting them to be â—o better then very Dung then which â—e could not have used a more conâ—emptible and disgracefull Term. But who knows not that these things are â—poken by way of comparison If thereâ—ore that which is comparatively spoken â— man shall take as spoken positively shall â—e not shew himself a superlative false Expositour For setting aside Idolatry and open Obscenity which our Plays deâ—est as much as this man neither Terâ—ullian nor any of the Fathers did ever any otherwise condemn Plays but as they condemned all artificial delights of the world aspiring onely to that perfection of which St. Iohn speaks Love not the world neither the things of the world â—f any man love the world the love of God is not in him I speak this the rather for prâ—vention lest the man vouchsafing perhaps to read this Discourse shoulâ— think he had found here a just ground for a Reply and vex us again with transscribing of Authours and heaping up Mountains of Authorities like Pelion upon Ossa to this purpose which now he may hereby know will serve him to no purpose for we seek to justifie Plays as fit recreations for an honest Natural or Moral man but no ways to be matched with the high mysterious Contemplations of a Christian in Divinity And I doubt not but all the Sentences of the Fathers spoken against Plays in this kinde will take this for an Answer and this may be sufficient to shew that these mens sounding is insufficient nihil ad Rhombum Others there are of whom we may be bold to say seeing the Proverb saith it that The greatest Clerks are not always the wisest men Bring them to a Matter that is not meerly Logical and you shall finde them oftentimes to be meerly Irrational Plays therefore being Practical and their chief use consisting in Action these mens soundings will prove no other then as the barking of Dogs at Moâ—nshine in the Water Others there are that sound out of zeal but their zeal being without knowledge though we may commend their zeal yet we cannot commend their ignorance and we may truly apply another Proverb to these that With too much haste they outrun the Constable for though they had the Alarm in their ears yet they have lost it by the way and have so fast fixed their eyes upon the abuse of Plays that they never cast a look upon the right use but are like one Gobryas whom Plutarch speaks of
Theatrum Redivivum OR THE THEATRE Vindicated BY Sir RICHARD BAKER IN ANSWER to Mr. PRYN'S HISTRIO-MASTIX Wherein his groundless Assertions against Stage-Plays are discovered his miss-taken Allegations of the Fathers manifested as also what he calls his Reasons to be nothing but his Passions Comici finis est humanos mores nôsse atque describere Hierom. ad Furiam LONDON Printed by T. R. for Francis Eglesfield at the Marigold in St. Paul's Churchyard 166â— To the READER Courteous Reader AT length thou art presented with a small Piece which for many years hath been buâ—ied with its Renowned Authour It appeared not till now knowing very well that this late World hath been fitter for Bedlam then for sober and Rational Discourses The Authour wants not evidence for what he speaks though speak what he would if he named a Stage Play he was sure to meet with a Momus in every corner but some things have the ill luck to be condemned before they are heard Well Reader seeing we are by the providence of Heaven so happy as to be allowed the use of our own Eyes and Reason again Be as thou oughtest to be a Reader before a Judge For to condemn the innocent is equally to be condemned with acquitting the guilty The noble Authour of this Book seems fairly to design nothing more then Truth and especially in clearing the Sense of those two great Luminaries of the Church Saint Cyprian and Tertullian his Master in his Book De Spectaculis wherein his principal drift onely is to cry out against and severâ—â—y to condemn the mixtures of Idolatry with their publick Shews some intentions there were of annexing the Treaties of Tertullian and Saint Cyprian both to this Discourse that every man might see what the Authour of this Book saw in them But for some reasons that labour is respited It is very well known what Satyrical Invâ—ctives are thundred out against the â—heatre but their just Reasons are not yet produced it may be they are reserved for the second Volume of Hiâ—trio Mastix Indâ—ed some may be sâ—en against the abuses of it from which to reason against the thing it self would ingender a consequence of such large extent that we must eat our words or be weary of our â—ives For if we sit down by such a Conclusion that things are unlawfull in their use because unlawfully abused we must neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor wear Cloaths becauâ—â— in all these and many more the badâ—ness of mankinde is such that it prompt them to unexcusable exorbitancies anâ— debaâ—cheries Good men have foundâ—ed much of their Rhetorick and thâ—â—â— loudest Declamations against Stageâ— Plays upon what others had formerlâ— said against them rather out of a sequaâ—tious credulity corresponding with whaâ— others have Magisterially determinedâ— then a due attendency either to the Prâ—nâ—ciples of Reasonâ— or Scripâ—uâ—â— Authority which ought to cast tâ—â— scales and put greater obligements upon the Consciences of reasonable Crâ—atures then the Conjâ—ctures oâ— Opinions of the gravest Mortals But â— must not forget my self and enter upâ—on Apologies for this learned Auâ—â—hours undertaking who hath soberâ—y and judiciously acquitted himsâ—lf I â—ave taken upon me onely to speak the â—rologue and to tell you upon what â—cene he lays his Discourse he needs â—o Epilogue to plead excuse for the â—cting of his Part And I make â—o doubt Reader if thou wilt but vouchsafe him a patient perusal but he shall aâ—so have thy Plaudite THE THEATRE VINDICATED OR AN ANSWER To Mr. PRINS HISTRIO-MASTIX WHo hath not heard of Sr. Francis Walsingham an Eminent Councellour in Queen ELIZABETH'S Time famous for his Wisdom in matters of State and more for his Piety in advancing the Gospel yet this was the Man that procured the Queen to entertain Players for her Servants and tâ— give them Wages as in a just Vocatiâ—on And would he ever have donâ— this being so religious a Man if he haâ— thought Plays to be prophane being sâ— great a States-man if inconvenient to thâ— State And now me thinks I havâ— said enough in defence of Plays But because not onely the Wisest Meâ— are sometimes mistaken and the Truth may be found amongst the meanest Saepe etiam est Olitor valde opportuna loquutus It will be fit to lay aside all consideration of the Persons that speak and onely to take into consideration and weigh the Reasons that are delivered It is true Mr. Prin is Plaintiff and it is a great advantage that an Accuser hath over a Defender not onely in that he speaks first which gets a possession as it were of the hearer's Hearts but because he hath commonly the pretense of some notorious Crime for his Foundation upon which every man naturally is apt to cast a Stone where the Defender must himself alone not onely pull down the Building and rase the Foundation but vindicate also both the Natural and the acquired Inclination and prejudice of the Hearers And especially the Accuser hath this advantage when he meets with a Common Place of some Vice to run upon for then he goes away amain with it and bears down all before him with O Tempora O Mores But most especially if the pretended Vice may seem to trench upon Religion for then the Defender is scarce heard speak for the multitude of voices that are crying out even in Heathenish Devotions Great is Diana of the Ephesians that whatsoever can be alledged in defence out of Reason is presently beaten back without reason But leaving these disadvantages to take their fortunes and having a clear conscience that I no way encroach upon the Bounds of true Religion I am the bolder to enter the Lists yet not so mâ—ch taking upon me to be a Champion of the Cause as onely undertaking to be a Wrestler with the Writer And this I willingly profess that I wrestle not with him as he is in his own Person for I know him not and he may be better then he seems to me but I wrestle with him onely as he appears in his Book which cannot be fuller of words and emptier of reason then it is And I think it fit to tell how far his Book hath wroughâ— upon me that where before the reading it I took Plays onely de bene esse as being in use after the reading it I found Plays Bene esse and fit to be in use For his Arguments being taken all up upon trust and not so much as weighed when he took them now that he comes to put them off again are found not onely not to be weight but not to be Silver and so where he intended by his Book to bring into detestation the seeing of Plays he hath rather brought into estimation the acting of them For when a man takes upon him to prove a Matter and then eitheâ— cannot or doth not prove it sufficiently it leaves not onely a vehement suspicion but a strong conceit in the Hearers minds that his Cause is not good And as the onely
never so sovereign How many Questions of Aristotle's Problemes how many Chapters in Books of Physick may be found more guilty of such Obscenity then any Plays And if such passages in the Books be still suffered and not toâ— out why may not the like passages bâ— suffered in Plays and yet be born ouâ— For as there is good use of such Treatâ—â—ses in the Schole of Nature so there 〈◊〉 good use of such speeches in the Scholâ— of Manners and as in those it is thâ— Reader 's fault and not the Writer's 〈◊〉 in these it is the Spectatour's fault anâ— not the Player's if any evil or corruptâ—â—on be contracted by them And he that should forbear to go see a Play beâ—cause perchance he might hear somâ— scurrilous speeches may he not perhapâ— tarry away and hear worse at homeâ— For indeed this whole world is aâ— a common Stage where men anâ— beasts do play their parts and where men many times play the parts of beasts And I would know of this man whaâ— day he ever lived that he did not both hear and see as great Enormities really committed upon this great Stage as are heard or seen but feignedly represented on these lesser Stages And 〈◊〉 there not as great danger in seeing â—â—ces really acted as in seeing them onely â—â—ignedly represented in seeing them done 〈◊〉 â—arnest as in seeing them but done in â—â—â—â—st When vices are really acted they 〈◊〉 and as Copiâ—s and Examples which men â—â—e apt to follow but when they are onâ—â— feigned on a Stage they stand as Rocks â—ewed onely to be shunned When sins â—re actually committed they are as Pitchâ—hich â—hich toucheth us and must needs deâ—le us but when they are onely repreâ—ented they are but as Pitch seen in a â—lass which cannot defile us because â—ot touch us Where vices are really â—cted there men may be said to stand in â—he way of Sinners but where they are onely feignedly shewed there men may be rather said to sit and hear their Arraignment and Condemnation But Fol. 48. and 948. he would make us believe That all the attractive power in Plays to draw Beholders is meerly from scurrility as if it were no Play at least no pleasing Plaâ— without it Wherein besides his prejudice he may be made to confess his ignorance for lâ—â— him try it when he will and com himâ—self upon the Stage with all the scurriliâ—â— of the Wife of Bath with all the ribaldâ—â— of Poggius or Boccace yet I dare affirmâ— he shall never give that contentment tâ— Beholders as honest Tarlton did thougâ— he said never a word And what scurrility was ever heard to come from the mouths of the best Actours of our Timeâ— Allen and Bourbidge yet what Plays were ever so pleasing as where their Parts had the greatest part For it is not the scurrility and ribaldry that gives the contentmunt as he foolishly imagines and falsly suggests but it is the Ingeniousness of the Speech when it is fitted to the Person and the Gracefulness of the Action when it is fitted to the Speech and therefore a â—lay read hath not half the pleasure of a Play Acted for though it have the pleasure of ingenious Speeches yet it wants the pleasure of actionâ— and we may well acknowledgâ— that Gracefulness of action is the greatest pleasure of a Play sâ—eing it â—s the greatest pleasure of the Art of pleasure Rhetorick in which we may â—e bold to say there never had been so good Oratours if there had not first been Players seeing the best Oratours that ever were account it no shame to have learned the gracefulness of their Action even from Players Demosthenes from Satyrus and Cicero from Roscius Let him therefore keep his scurrility to himself and send his Proselytes to sit with his Hostess at Oxford whose Apophthegm was No mirth without Bawdrie as for us we are contented to see Plays in their best Garments and not in their foul cloaths in their graces and not in their faults But who are they in Plays that use such scurrilous and obscene speeches Hath not a Poet said well Tristia maestum Vultum verba decent IratuÌ„ plena minarum Ludentem lasciva feverum seria dictu Indeed if they were put into the mouths of Princes or Persons of gravity there were just cause of dislikeâ— but to be put into the mouths of scurrilous and base persons What hurt caâ— they do None to the Actours foâ— the decorum takes away their fault and makes that faultless which is decenâ— and less to the Spectatours for how can 〈◊〉 infect them to imitate the scurrility wheâ—â— they see it comely for none but scurrilous persons It rather teacheth theâ— to avoid and loath such speeches seeing they cannot but loath to be such persons For doth this man think thaâ— goers to Plays are such simple Ideotsâ— that when they see a beastly or prophane part acted before them they take it to be done for imitation Theâ— were the Lacedaemonians very fools who to make their children abhor Drunkenness would make their Slaves drunk of purpose and act the vice before them that seeing in others a deformity so hatefull they might learn in themselves to hate the deformity Sic teneros animos aliena opprobria saepe Absterrent vitiis The man had an Itch to be writing a Book and because he had not matter to make it good he was desirous at least to make it great he would have a great Club â—hough never so hollow Greatness he knew makes a shew and shews carry all in the Eye of the world Substance is but seldom understood and therefore not often much stood upon And it may be some pleasure to observe with what winds he blows up the bladder of his Book and what pretty tricks he useth to furnish his Table of Vain-glory with variety of Dishes He hath one trick which he useth in his Text and seems to have learned it from Egge-Saturday in Oxford to make diversity of meats with diversity of dressing As for example Take the word Effeminate this one word shall furnish him with four or five severall Dishes of Arguments against Plays as first Fol. 546. Plays effeminate mens minds and bodies therefore Plays are unlawfull This is one of his Dishes Fol. 167. The very action of plays is effeminate therefore plays are unlawfull This you must take for another Dishâ— Fol. 220. Plays are ever attended with effeminate and amorous Dancing therefore Plays are unlawfull This is another and I should cloy your stomacks too much if I should serve in all his Dishes of this kinde He hath another Trick which he useth in his citing of Authours and seems to have learned it from â—â—atho in Terrence where he counselleth Vbi nominabit Phaedriam tu continuo Pamphilam for where his Argument calls for Ludos in Theatro he thereupon brings in Ludos in circo Lâ—dos in foro Ludos in septis where the matter requires Testimonies against Tragedies and Comedies he presently brings
In spongiam incubuit they are shrunk in the wetting And he makes me think of a Mad man of Athens who in all other points a sensible man onely in this one point distracted that standing by the Sea-side what Ships soever he saw pass by he presently thought them to be his own and would exceedingly rejoyce as if they were his Ships newly come home with rich prizes so this man in other matters for any thing I know well enough in his wits seems yet to have one corner of his Brains possessed with this madness that standing in his Library amongst his Books what good Authours soever he sees there he presently thinks them to be of his Opinion against Plays when Good manâ— there is no more to â—e found of his Opinion in any of their â—ooks then was found of this mad Atheâ—ian's goods in any of the Ships It were â—edious to examine them all if I shew â—ou his faults in some you may believe â—e in the rest but what need I require â—ou to believe me when you may turn â—o the places and take him tripping â—our selves For in the places he cites â—ither ye shall finde nothing at all of that â—e speâ—ks or nothing at all to the purpose he speaks of Try him in Seneca because he is likeliest to be next at hand He cites his one hundred and twenty second and one hundred and twenty third Epistles but in these two long Epistles there is not a word to be found concerning Plays He cites his seventh Epistle and there indeed he speaks of Spectacula but what not Plays but Earnest of which he saith Manè Leonibus Vrsis homines meridie spectatoribus suis objiciuntur He cites his Proeme to his Controversies there he hath a Line or two of the Effeminateness of young men in his Time but concerning Plays Nè verbum quidem He cites his twelfth Chapter De brevitate Vitae a place raâ—ther against himself for Seneca having there spoken of the Luxury of his Timâ— concludeth thuâ— I nunc Mimes multâ— mentiri ad exprobrandam luxuriam putâ— plura mehercule praetereunt quà m fingunt He cites the one and thirtieth and two and thirtieth Chapters of the seventh Book of his Natural Questions wherein is not a word that makes against Plays onely he complains that Plays were then in more request then the study of Philosophy He cites the twelfth thirteenth and fourteenth Chapters De vita beata but in all them of Plays Altum silentium And is not this man now the very mad man of Athens I might say here Et crimine ab uno disce omnes But try another take Macrobius He cites his first and seventh Chapters of his Saturnalia but in the first not a word of Plays in the other he shews how wonderfully Augustus Caesar graced certain Players of his Time Laberius and Publius Pylades and Hylas as if he should Quote us a place on purpose to give himself the â—ie He cites Valerius Maximus who tells â—ndeed of Sempronius Sophus that he put â—way his Wife for going to Plays withâ—ut his privitie but this was not for â—oing to Plays but for going without â—is privitie and is thus far rather for the â—eputation of Plays that it was not unâ—ommendable for women to go to Plays so they went with their husbands or in other good company with their â—rivitie And is not this man still the mad man of Athens He cites the two and twentieth Epistle of the fourth Book of Plinie but there a Judgment only â—s passed against an Agon Gymnicus an Exercise of naked Wrestlers and what is this to Plays He cites Socrates and thinks he hath wisdome on his side because he was judged the wisest man by the Delphian Oracle but was Socrates a fit man to condemn Plays for Obscenity who as Salvianus relates would have no Man to have any Wife of his own but all Women to be in common and what were this but to betray the City whilst he defends the Suburbs For where this Opinion is held lawfullâ— what obscenity can be held unlawfullâ— He must therefore either renounce Salvianus his Testimony and so he shall lose the blessing of one of his Fathers or else renounce Socrates his Iudgment and so he shall lose the Ring-leader of one of his Squadrons He cites Plato but he is taken from him by one that will hold him in spight of his great words the thriceâ— Worthy Sidney who proves plainly that Plato banish'd not Players out of his Common-wealth for any of the reasons by this man alledged but because the Poetâ— of his Time filled the world with a wrong Opinion of the Gods and he would not have the Youth depraved with such Opinions whereof now without further Law Christianity hath taken away all the hurtfull belief And so he can have no help from any of these but he must be the mad man of Athens still And as for Cicero and the learned Emperour Marcus Aurelius you shall heaâ— them presently speak so much to hiâ— face that if none else would prove him to be the mad man of Athens yet they themselves will be the men shall do it But these are but single and private men Fol. 713. He can shew whole Cities and Nations that banished Players And did they not Physicians also and Philosophers and Mathematicians Yet in many Cities they were kindly entertained they were Civitate donati enfranchised and made Free Citizens and some of them grew to that wealth that is incredible as it is recorded of one Aesop an Actour of Tragedies that he left his Son so rich that he fed upon Pearl and was served at his Table in Silver Dishes But mark how this man can play the ambidexter At first it was a good Argument against Plays because they were the Customs and delights of Heathen People now it must serve for an Argument against them because they were rejected and banished by Heathen People that we need not wonder how his Book comes to be so vast and voluminous seeing with the same breath he can boâ—h kindle and blow out the fire the same thing both affimed and denied he can equally make to serve his turn And where he tells us of great Princes and mighty Emperours both Heathen and Christian that are on his side what should we speak of any Heathen Emperours after him who had none before him the great Augustus as worthy to shut up the leaves of this contentious Discourse as he was to shut up the doors of the Temple of Peace And him we have already shewed by places of the man 's own directing to be directly against him but to leave no place of doubt how firmly Augustus is on our side hear what Suetonius Tranquillus saith of him Spectaculorum assiduitâ—te varietate magnificentiâ omnes antecessit In the daily frequenting and in the variety and magnificence of setting forth Plays he exceeded all men Indeed the man Fol. 459. labours much
to get Augustus from us and we cannot blame him yet in this we blame him that he seeks to get him from us by a trick he would make us believe that Augustus â—id not favour Plays or Players because â—e punished two excellent Players Hylas â—nd Pilades the one with Whipping the â—ther with Banishment As though any man thought Augustus so far to favour Plays as to grant Players an Immunity of committing faults without controllment For he punished them not meerâ—y for Playing but for playing the Knaves and for their Misdemeanours And now that I may Coronidem imponere conclude all with one that wore a Christian Crown and wore it so worthily that he was called Pater Patriae did not Lewis the Twelfth King of France command Plays to be used and to be used after the old maner with liberty to tax mens Vices and not to spare even scoffing at himself if he deserved it And how can we forget a Queen of our own of late famous Memory whose Virtues we shall remember longer then our own Names who would never have given allowance to Plays all the time of her Reign and been her self oftentimes a Spectatrix of themâ— if she had either been informed by her Confessours or had conceived in her own excellent Judgment that they could be any either Scandal to Religion or Disparagement to Modestie And it may be a President of no small moment for the countenancing of Plays that a great Prelate of our time Eminent as well for his Piety as his Learning yet seldome passed a Christmass that he had not Plays Acted at his house before him But what cares this man for either Princes or Prelates for what Fol. 734. saith he Too many great ones he knows not out of what respects have vouchsafed to honour Plays or rather dishonour themselves with their presence and Fol. 735. were degenerating Princes this is that he stands Fol. 719. upon and will maintain that not one either Heathen or Christian writer of any Note can be alledged in defence of Plays A bold challenge but if there be no fallacie in his Writers of Note a challenge that is presently like to fall to the groundâ— For what thinks he of Marcus Tullius Cicero was not he a Writer of Note Who though he have not written a Book on purpose yet hath inserted in his Books many notable Sentences in behalf of Plays which if we should collect would make a just Volum But what need we when he hath one sentence that seems as a Verdict on their side where he saith Comoedia est Imitatio vitae Speculum consuâ—tudinis Imago Veritatis a short but a full Description of the Nature of Plays a Comedy is the resemblance of Life the mirrour of Custome the image of Truth in which not a word that speaks not if not in their Praise at least in their Commendation And not to stand piling up of Authours what thinks he of one that may be Instar multorum the Emperour and Philosopher Marcus Aurelius Was not he a Writer of Note Who in his excellent Book of Morality for which we are beholding to our engraffed Country-man a learned Issue of a most Learned Parent hath so briefly and yet so fully expressed the profit of Plays that you must not think it tedious if I set down his own words Tragedies saith he were at first brought in and Instituted to put men in minde of worldly Chances and Casualties that these things in the ordinary course of Nature did so happen that men that were much pleased and delighted by such accidents upon this Stage would not by the same things in a greater Stage be grieved and afflicted After the Tragedie the Comoedia Vetus or antient Comedie was brought in which had the liberty to inveigh against Personal Vices being therefore through this their Freedom and liberty of speech of very good use and effect to restrain men from pride and arrogancie After these what were either the Media or Nova Comaedia admitted for but meerly or for the most part for the delight and pleasure of curious and excellent Imitation Thus writes Marcus Aurelius and what could he have spoken in so few words to a greater praise of Plays And this he writes in his Book I may say of Mortified Moralitie that one may be sure he speaks as he thinks and cannot be suspected to flatter Sensuality And what will the man say now to Heathen Writers What but that which we may say for him that sure their Books had no Tables and so he could not come to see what they said of Plays Or perhaps for all his saying he cares not much whether Heathen Writers be of his side or no but for Christian Writers he is sure enough of them to make his challenge good But is not this Impudence past all patience when Fol. 763. he hath named himself two Writers of Note Molanus and Lindanus the one a Professourâ— the other a reverend Bishop who have both of them written in â—ustification of Plays But you must allow him to except these he meant so when he made his challenge Well be it so what thinks he then of the Glory of our Nation the Incomparable Sir Philip Sidney Was not he a Christian and a Writer of Note Who in his general Defence of Poetry hath inserted also a particular defence of Plays and you may well hear his words without altering because they are not capaable of bettering Comedie saith he is an Imitation of the common Errours of our life which the Comedian representeth in the most ridiculous and scornfull sort that may be so as it is impossible that any Beholder can be content to be such an one Now as in Geometrie the Oblique must be known as well as the Right and in Arithmetick the Odd as well as the Even so in the Actions of our Life who seeth not the filthyness of Evil wanteth a great foil to perceive the beauty of Virtue This doth the Comedie handle so in our private and domestical matters that with hearing it we get as it were an Experience what is to be looked for of a niggardly Demea of a crafty Davus of a flattering Gnatho of a Vain-glorious Thraso and not onely to know what effects are to be expected but to know who be such by the signifying badg given them by the Comedian And little reason hath any man to say that men learn the Evil by seeing it so set out since as I said before there is no man living but by the force truth hath in Nature no sooner seeth these men play their parts but he wisheth them in Pistrinum Although perchance the sack of his own faults lie so behinde his back that he seeth not himself to dance the same measure whereto nothing â—an more open his Eies then to see his own Actions contemptibly set forth So that the right use of Comedie will I think by no body be blamed and much less of the high and excellent