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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03185	An apology for actors Containing three briefe treatises. 1 Their antiquity. 2 Their ancient dignity. 3 The true vse of their quality. Written by Thomas Heywood.	Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641.	1612 (1612)	STC 13309; ESTC S106113	35,274	66

contriues To get thy widdowed souldiers Sabine wyues In those dayes from the marble house did wau● No saile no silken flagge or ensigne braue Then was the Tragicke stage not painted red Or any mixed staines on pillers spred Then did the Sceane want art th'vnready stage Was made of grasse and earth in that rude age About the which were thicke-leau'd branches placed Nor did the Audients hold themselues disgraced Of turfe and heathy sods to make their seates Fr●m'd in degrees of earth and mossy peates Thus plac'd in order euery Roman pry'd Into her face that sate next by his side And closing with her seuerally gan moue The innocent Sab●ne women to their loue And whil'st the piper Thuscus rudely plaid And by thrice stamping with his foote had made A signe vnto the rest there was a shout Whose shrill report pierst all the aire about N●w at a signe of rape giuen from the King Round through the hou●e the lusty Romans fling Leauing no corner of the same vnsought Till euery one a frighted virgin caught Looke as the trembling Doue the Eagle flyes Or a yong Lambe when he the Woolfe espyes Soran the poore girles filling th' aire with skreekes Emptying of all the colour their pale cheekes One feare possest them all but not one looke This teares her haire she hath her wits forsooke Some sadly sit some on their mothers call Som● cha●e some flye some stay but frighted all Th●● were the ra●●sh'd Sabi●es blushing led Be●omming shame vnto each Romans bed If any striu'd against it streight her man Would ●ak● her on 〈◊〉 knee whom feare made w●n And ●ay Why weep'st thou sweet what ailes my deere D●y vp these drops these clowds of sorrow cleere I l'e be to thee if thou thy griefe wilt smother Such as thy father was vnto thy mother Full well could Romulus his Souldiers please To giue them such faire mistresses as these If such rich wages thou wilt giue to me Great Romulus thy souldier I will ●e Romulus hauing erected the walles of Rome and leading vnder him a warlike Nation being in continuall warre with the Sabines after the choyce selecting of a place fit 〈◊〉 so famous a Citty and not knowing how to people the same his traine wholly consisting of Souldiers who without the company of women they not hauing any in their Army could not multiply but so were likely that their immortall fames should dye issulesse with their mortall bodies Thus therefore Romulus deuised After a parle and attonement made with the neighbour Nations hee built a Theater plaine according to the time yet large fit for the entertainement of so great an Assembly and these were they whose famous issue peopled the Cittie of Rome which in after ages grew to such height that not Troy founded by Dardanus Carthage layed by Dido Tyru● built by Agenor Memphis made by Ogdous Thebes seated by Cadmus nor Babylon reared by Semiramis were any way equall to this situation grounded by Romulus to which all the discouered kingdomes of the earth after became tributaries And in the noone-tide of their glory and height of all their honor they edified Theaters and Amphi-theaters for in their flourishing Common-weale their publike Comedians and Tragedians most florished insomuch that the Tragicke and Comicke Poets were all generally admired of the people and particularly euery man of his priuate Mec●nas In the reigne of Augustus Christ was borne and as well in his dayes as before his birth these solemnities were held in the greatest estimation In Iulius Caesars time predecessor to August●● the fam●us hony-tong'd Orator Cicero florished who amongst many other his eloquent Oratio●s writ certaine yet extant for the Com●dian Ros●ius pro Roscio Comaedo of whom we shall speake more large hereafter These continued in their honour till the reigne of Tiberius Caesar and vnder Tiberius Christ was crucified To this end do I vse this assertion because in the full and perfect time our Sauiour soiurned on the earth euen in those happy and peacefull dayes the spacious Theaters were in the greatest opinion amongst the Romans yet neither Christ himselfe nor any of his san●●ified Apostles in any of their Sermons Acts or Documents so much as named them or vpon any abusiue occasion touched them Therefore hence me thinkes a very probable and important argument may be grounded that since they in their diuine wisdomes knew all the sinnes abounding in the world before that time taxt and reproued all the abuses reigning in that time and foresaw all the actions and inconueniences to the Church preiudiciall in the time to come Since they I say in all their holy doctrines bookes and principles of Diuinity were content to passe them ouer as things tollerated and indifferent why should any nice and ouer-scrupulous heads since they cannot ground their curiousnesse either vpon the old or new Testament take vpon them to correct controule and carpe at that against which they cannot finde any text in the sacred Scriptures In the time of Nero Caesar the Apostle Paul was persecuted and suffered Nero was then Emperour Paul writ his Epistle to the Romans and at the same time did the Theaters most florish amongst the Romans yet where can we quote any place in his Epistles which forbids the Church of God then resident in Rome to absent themselues from any such assemblies To speake my opinion with all indifferency God hath not enioyned vs to weare all our apparrell solely to defend the cold Some garments we weare for warmth others for ornament So did the children of Israel hang eare-rings in their eares not was it by the law forbidden them That purity is not look't for at our hands being mortall and humane that is required of the Angels being celestiall and diuine God made vs of earth men knowes our natures dispositions and imperfections and therefore hath limited vs a time to reioyce as hee hath enioyned vs a time to mourne for our transgressiōs And I hold them more scrupulous than well aduised that goe about to take from vs the vse of all moderate recreations Why hath God ordained for man va●●●tie of meates dainties and delicates if not to taste thereon why doth the world yeeld choyce of honest pastimes if not decently to vse them Was not the Hare made to be hunted the Stagge to be chaced and so of all other beasts of game in their seuerall kindes since God hath prouided vs of these pastimes why may wee not vse them to his glory Now if you aske me why were not the Theaters as gorgeously built in all other Cities of Italy as Rome And why are not Play-houses maintained as well in other Cities of England as London my answere is It is not meet euery meane Esquire should carry the part belonging to one of the Nobility or for a Noble-man to vsurpe the estate of a Prince Rome was a Metropolis a place whither all the nations knowne vnder the Sunne resorted so is London and being to receiue

venerandos Graios Hic L●tiosque patres exosus ad vnum est Et Canones damnans fit Apocryphus Vritur intùs Laudibus ACTORIS multùm mordetur Ab illo Laude suâ Fraudatur enim Quis nescit Iniquum'st Praeter se Scripto laudetur Hypocrita quisquam Fallor an h●ec solis ●on solùm grata Theatris Anonymus Siue Pessimus omnium Po●ta To them that are opposite to this worke CEase your detracting tongues contest no more Leaue off for shame to wound the Actors fame Seeke rather their wrong'd credit to restore Your enuy and detractions quite disclaime You that haue term'd their sports lasciuious vile Wishing good Princes would them all exile See here this question to the full disputed Heywood hath you and all your proofes confuted Wouldst see an Emperour and his Counsell graue A noble Souldier acted to the life A Romane Tyrant how he doth behaue Himselfe at home abroad in peace in strife Wouldst see what 's loue what 's hate what 's foule ex-cesse Or wouldst a Traytor in his kind expresse Our Stagerites can by the Poets pen Appeare to you to bee the selfe same men What though a sort for spight or want of wit Hate what the best allow the most forbeare What exercise can you desire more fit Then stately stratagemes to see and heare What profit many may attaine by playes To the most critticke eye this booke displaies Braue men braue acts being brauely acted too Makes as men see things done desire to do And did it nothing but in pleasing sort Keepe gallants from mispending of their time It might suffice yet here is nobler sport Acts well contriu'd good Prose and stately rime To call to Church Campanus bels did make Playes dice and drinke inuite men to forsake Their vse being good then vse the Actors well Since ours all other Nations farre excell AR HOPTON To his beloued friend Maister THOMAS HEYVVOD Sume superbiam quaesitam meritis I Cannot though you write in your owne cause Say you deale partially but must confesse What most men wil you merit due applause So worthily your worke becomes the Presse And well our Actors may approue your paines For you giue them authority to play Euen whilst the hottest plague of enuy raignes Nor for this warrant shall they dearly pay What a full state of Poets haue you cited To iudge your cause and to our equall veiw Faire Monumentall Theaters recited Whose ruines had bene ruin'd but for you Such men who can in tune both raile and sing Shall veiwing this either confesse 't is good Or let their ignorance condemne the Spring Because 't is merry and renewes our bloud Be therefore your owne iudgement your defence Which shall approue you better then my praise Whilst I in right of sacred Innocence Durst ore each guilded Tombe this knowne truth raise Who dead would not be acted by their will It seemes such men haue acted their liues ill By your friend IOHN WEBSTER To my louing Friend and Fellow THOMAS HEYVVOOD THou that do'st raile at me for seeing a play How wouldst thou haue me spend my idle houres Wouldst haue me in a Tauerne drinke all day Melt in the Sunnes heate or walke out in showers Gape at the Lottery from morne till euen To heare whose mottoes blankes haue and who prises To hazzard all at dice chance six or seuen To card or bowle My humour this dispises But thou wilt answer None of these I need Yet my tir'd spirits must haue recreation What shall I doe that may retirement breed Or how refresh my selfe and in what fashion To drabbe to game to drinke all these I hate Many enormous things depend on these My faculties truely to recreate With modest mirth and my selfe best to please Giue me a play that no distaste can breed Proue thou a Spider and from flowers sucke gall I l'e like a Bee take hony from a weed For I was neuer Puritannicall I loue no publicke soothers priuate scorners That raile 'gainst letchery yet loue a harlot When I drinke 't is in sight and not in corners I am no open Saint and secret varlet Still when I come to playes I loue to sit That all may see me in a publike place Euen in the stages front and not to git Into a nooke and hood-winke there my face This is the d●fference such would haue men deeme Them what they are not I am what I seeme Rich. Perkins To my good friend and fellow THOMAS HEYVVOOD LEt others taske things honest and to please Some that pretend more strictnesse then the rest Exclaime on playes know I am none of these That in-ly loue what out-ly I detest Of all the modest pastimes I can finde To content me of playes I make best vse As most agreeing with a generous minde There see I vertues crowne and sinnes abuse Two houres well spent and all their pastimes done What 's good I follow and what 's bad I shun Christopher Beeston To my good friend and fellow THOMAS HEYVVOOD HAue I not knowne a man that to be hyr'd Would not for any treasure see a play Reele from a Tauerne Shall this be admir'd When as another but the tother day That held to weare a surplesse most vnmeet Yet after stood at Pauls-crosse in a sheet Robert Pallant To my approued good friend M. THOMAS HEYVVOOD OF thee and thy Apology for playes I will not much speake in contempt or praise Yet in these following lines I l'e shew my minde Of Playes and such as haue 'gainst Playes repin'd A Play 's a briefe Epitome of time Where man my see his vertue or his crime Layd open either to their vices shame Or to their vertues memorable fame A Play 's a true transparant Christall mirror To shew good minds their mirth the bad their terror Where stabbing drabbing dicing drinking swearing Are all proclaim'd vnto the sight and hearing In vgly shapes of Heauen-abhorrid sinne Where men may see the mire they wallow in And well I know it makes the Diuell rage To see his seruants flouted on a stage A Whore a Thiefe a Pander or a Bawd A Broker or a slaue that liues by fraud An Vsurer whose soule is in his chest Vntill in hell it comes to restlesse rest A Fly-blowne gull that faine would be a Gallant A Raggamuffin that hath spent his Tallant A selfe-wise foole that sees his wits out-stript Or any vice that feeles it selfe but nipt Either in Tragedy or Comedy In Morall Pastorall or History But straight the poyson of their enuious tongues Breakes out in vollyes of Calumnious wronges And then a Tinker or a Dray-man sweares I would the house were fir'd about their eares Thus when a play nips Sathan by the nose Streight all his vassails are the Actors foes But feare not man let enuy swell and burst Proceed and bid the Diuell do his worst For Playes are good or bad as they are vs'd And best inuentions often are abus'd Yours euer IOHN TAYLOR The Author to