whiche was necessarie thus were they inioyned to abstain froÌ„ al maner of things that might be spared Which in déede is a harder yoake then the worde of God doth lay vpon vs For after this rate we should haue no more then one câ—ate to our backes nor the vse of many creatures which God hath ordeined for the seruice of man Many thinges there are that the handes of God hath bestowed vpon vs not onely for necessitie but for delight as apparell meates flowers metalles and such like Apparell as well for comelines as to keepe off the iniury of the ayre Meats aswell for delight as for nutriment otherwise had the prophet neuer reckoned it vp amonge the benefits of Godâ— that hee giueth vs wine to make our heartes glad and oyle to make vs a chearefull countenance The singuler beautie and sweetenes of flowers the varietie of colours wherein one thing excelles another had beene bestowed in vayne if the Maiesty of God had not as well regarded our delight as relieued our neede This I take to bee the foundation wherupon the Authour of the Play of Playes buildeth his strongest reason which is this because wee haue eares to heare eyes to sée and so fooâ—th Comedies presenting delight to both are not so rashly to bee condemned To whome I answere that the creatures of God may be vsed both foâ— necessity and for delight so farre foorth as they are referred to that ende for which they were made God hath bestowed apparell foodeâ— flowers Treasure as golde siluer pearle bewetifull and rich stones as Diamoundes Saphiâ—es Rubies Carbuncles Turkies Chrysolittes beesides them Yuorie â—ett and marbleâ— of these blessings some are both necessary and delightsome some are only delightsome nothing necessary but to what end That we might vse theÌ„ well by these traÌ„sitorie benefits be led as it were by t e hand to a coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of thosâ— benefits that are layde vp for vs in the life to come We are placed as Pilgrimes in y e flesh by which as by a â—â—â—ney we must come to our own home therefor passing by the earth and by the flesh it is our dueâ—y as trauelers to be carefull to vse the earth and the fleshâ— and the blessings of both so â—that they may further not hinder the course wâ— take in hande Whereupon Paule exhorteth vs to vse this worldâ— as thoughâ— weâ— vsed it not by which counsell of his all affections all thoughtes all delights that may clappe any leade to our heeles or drawe vs aside when wee shoulde runne forwardes still vntill wee bee crowned are cutte away Now are we thankefull to God how lift we vp our mindes to meditate on the life to come howe vse we these blessings as helpes in the way we haue to trace wheÌ„ they are riottously wasted vpon Comedies which drawe vs all backe to a sinfull delight howe vse wee the worlde as though wee vsed it not when our studies are so fixed vpon the worlde how mightely Playes pull vs backe from our trauell hath beene already declared by many strong reasons drawen from the foure causes of the same therfore to holde them tollerable because they delight is a reason altogether rude and mishapen hauing neither head to bring it in nor â—ooteâ— to beaâ—â— it vp But as many which showâ—iâ—g vp lustely in their youth bewâ—aâ—e the greeneneâ—â—e of their yeeres by the rawenesse of their manners and of the wiser sorte are counted for boyes though they looke like meÌ„ so I trust y â— all that haue iudgemeÌ„t will measure y e reasons of liâ—e delight rather by the substance that is within then by the outward shew howsoeuer they meuÌ„t or brag it out Enter euery one into your selues and whensoeuer you heare that playe againe or any man els in priuate conference commend Playes consider not so much what is spoken to colour them as what may bee spoken to confounde them It is shame to frequent playes impudency to defende them it is dangerous to fall in the enemies hande present death to be prysoners to the Diuell it is sinne in the Gentiles to set out Playes in Christians it is a presumptuous sinne because we see better wayes and take the worse we knowe their corruption and allowe them All this hath beene sufficiently proued by anciente writers and dayly reuealed by learned Preachers yet will not my countrymeÌ„ leaue their Playes because Playes are the nourishers of delight wherein I perceiue they are like to the snake cut of their head they whiske with the tayle The 5 Action I Thinke you maruâ—ile why so many famous men in both vniuersities haue made open outcries of the inconueniences bredde by playes none of theÌ„ by printing haue taken the paines to write any full discouery against theÌ„ I especially which neither in age wisedme nor authority may be compared to them with lesse learning and more presumption hauâ— taken the charge vpon my selfe They hold this opinioÌ„ y t playes are not to be suffred in a Christian commonweale but they do not throughly prosecute the same because that finding the eares of their hearers stopte with the deafe adâ—er they beginne to shake the dust froÌ„ their shooes against them and followe the couÌ„sell of God him selfe which biddeth them throwe no pearles to swine The thing they condeme because it is euill they beginne to bee mute because men are obstinate in opinions What then am I the boldest in all th coÌ„pany no. Am I more zealous theÌ„ y t rest God forbid I should rob any of those titles of vertue y t they possesse or challeÌ„ge y t to my selfe which is due to them What is the reason theÌ„ y t I dare set in my foote before the rest Because that if any of theÌ„ shoulde write againste playes that occupy your pulpits with learned sermons whose knowledge authoryty heerein is great If I say they shoulde speake but one worde against y e sléepines of Magistrats which in this case is necessary to bee touchte they shall séeme streight to swerue from the texte to speake without booke and to vtter a great deale more then needs But I though my speach bee somewhat more free then theirs shal be excused for wante of iudgementâ— Sith I am rawe or for childish aspiring sith I am yonge Beside this hauing once already writteÌ„ against playes which no maÌ„ that euer wrote plaies did but one whâ— hath chaÌ„ged his coppy and turneâ— himself lâ—ke y e dog to his vomite to playâ— againe And being falsly accused my â—elfâ— to do y e like it is needfull for me to write againe These things w t indiffereÌ„cy coÌ„sideres will persuade the reasonable y â— I haue takeÌ„ this enterprise vpoÌ„ me not only withouâ— any malepart oueâ—hardines but of necessity because my experience hath taught as much as any and made me able to say little lesse theÌ„ any Therfore as I haue already discouered y â— corruptioÌ„ of playes by y â— corruptioÌ„ of tâ—eir
by the smallest and weakest proppes that it â—atcheth findeth a way to reare it selfe The eloquence that is in you as I confesse it to be great so were it not greatly to be doubted if it were but indifferent in my selfe Nowe sith my Rhetorike is litle my Eloquence nothing compared to you whose continuali exercise is ioyned to coâ—tinuall studye though the trueth be as sure on my side as the succession of night is to the day yet I holde my selfe vanquisht before you sâ—rike One beeing asked of Archidamus the king of Sparta whether he or Pericles were the better wrasâ—ler aâ—swered that he coulde not â—ell for when I throw him quoth he he denies he was downe and persuadeth the beholders to beleeue him Such is the excellencie of your witte if it be bent to contende with me for Playes that howâ—oener I trip you or fetche you ouer you are aâ—le to say that I come not neere you and make the Reader auoueh it againsâ—e the open testimony of his eyes I woulde Readers considered y â— when they come to â—he view of any newe booke they are bidde by their frend as ghestes to a banquet at a banket if any dish bee before you which your stomacke aâ—hors It is a poinâ—e of good manners somewhat orderly to remoue it In bokes if any thing bee offred that you cannot rellish curtesy wils you with a thankefull kinde of modestiâ— to refuse it Our fathers forefathers in older time were wont to place Mercurie in their Temples amonge the Graces whose meaninge was that as Mercurie was counted the God of vtterance and the three Graces the Ladies of Curtesy so placinge the shrines of them together might teach vs to know that speeâ—â— is desirous of frendlye eares and writers haue great need of Gentle Readers When Gentlemen reade with a minde to barke their throtes are so narrow that nothing wil downe whatsoeuer we speake is too rounde or too flatte too blunte or too sharpe too square or too crooked one waye or other it standes a wry The fayrest citie in the worlde may bee ouerthrowen with lesse charge lesse labor lesse time than it can bee builte a bracke is sooner spiede than drawne together bookes many times are speedily reprehended but amended by leisure at the Calendes of the Greekes It is the propertie of some kinde of Dogges to teare the skinne of the beast with woÌ„derfull stomacke when it is deade and within the doores which abroad they neuer durst open at when it liued and diuers iollie sifâ—ers in these dayes can tosse and turne and within their owne walles make dishecloutes of writers whose sight would be too hot for their presence if thâ—y mighte ioyne Seeinge many bookes printed few liked I coniecture with my selfe that the reason is that some ar curious some froward some idle Wâ— know that counsell is as necessarie to our eares as light to our eies the one is a lanterne to the bodie the other a bright shining lampe vnto the soule Receauing instruction if your tooth bee too white you may chaunce to sterue if your nose be so fine that nothing will please you but that whiche is sweete you may well be coÌ„pared to those nice kind of Dames which in platting of Garlands forget their thrifte or to him whiche thinkes it impossible to quenche his thirst if his drinks be not serude in a cup of golde if you be contentious and ouerthwart willinger to cauil than to learne contented to reade but not to regard to be taught but not reformed you are like vnto him that forsakes the Phisitian when he is cutte and neuer permits him to finish the cure if you be so slow of your selues that because writers many times doe not set downe euery thing that may be spokeÌ„ but onely pointe with their fingers to the place where you may bee satisfied if you seeke it you wil not trauell and study to fish it out you are not much vnlike to naked birdes in the nest that euer lie yauning at the bill of y e dam search for no more then is put in their mouths You know it is a notable point of folly for a man to toaste himself by his neighbours fire and neuer bestirre him to keepe any warmthe in his owne chimnie as great a madnes is it in manye Readers when they are taught not seeke to mainetaine it of their owne whiche is to contente themselues with the glorious blase of an other maÌ„s knowledge whereby they outwardly get some colour in their cheekes but within they are duskie darke and obscure Many thinges might bee spoken against Playes for the vaine ostentation of a flourishinge wit brauelie for satisfieng theÌ„ that are vnsatiable largelie for instructing of them that are vnlearned plainly which I haue omitted For to treade alofâ— among you as a tragicall Poet in my busâ—ins were as fondlie done as to throw water in the sea where it can not be seene to dilate this discourse for the vnsatiable were as much as to close vp the mouth of Curtius gulfe that will neuer be stopt but with my life to lay open euery thing to y e ignorant were without iudgment to charge them beyonde theire strength which are to be fed like childreÌ„ with a litle and ofte What effect my labour wil take amoÌ„g you I am not sure yet hope the best at all aduentures I haue committed it to the Presse Seiramnes the Persian seeing many men wonder that he spake wâ—sely but nothing that euer he spake was regarded tolde them that wordes were â—uer in his owne power but successâ— was neuer within his reaâ—he You may see if you please that the counsel I bring is good and sounde but if you despise it when it is read I wil comfort my selfe as Seiramnes did I haue my bokes in my study at commandement you are out of my walke your owne men I was very willing to write at this time because I was enformed by sâ—â—e of you which â—eard it with your ears that â—iâ—â—e my publishing the Schole of Abuse two Playes of my making were brought â—o the Stage the one was a cast of Italian deuises called The Comedie of Captaine Mario the other a Moral Praise at parting These they very impudeÌ„tly affirme to be written by me since I had set out my inâ—ecâ—iue against them I can not denie they were both mine but they were both peÌ„ned two yeeres at the least before I forsoke them as by their owne friends I am able to proue but they haue got suche a custome of counterfaiting vpon the Stage that it is growen to an habite will not be lefte God knoweth before whom to you all I doe protest as I shal answer to him at the last day when al hidden secrets shal be discouered since the first printing of my Inuectiue to this day I neuer made Playe for them nor any other Therefore if euer they â—e so shameles and graâ—â—les â—o beâ—ye me again I beseech God as he
blood Though some of his acquaintaunce haue vaunted to cut and â—ewe meeâ— I knowe not howe yet hauing greater regarde to the soules of many then to the threatninges of fewe to the honour of God then to the pride of euer bragging and bâ—sie Players by Gods assistancâ— I will proue vnto you that stage Plaies are not to be â—ufâ—red in a christian coÌ„mon weale Which I trust I shal be able sufficieÌ„tly to 〈◊〉 if I giue you a tast 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 oâ— Plaies and of the 〈◊〉 â—f the caâ—â—es which I fiâ—de by â—eading of the effectes which I knowe by my owne experience I hope that no ChristiaÌ„ wil be so shamelesse to say that the doctrine inuentioÌ„ of the Deuill is to bee suffered in that commoÌ„ weale where the glad tidings of grace is truelie preached For to mainetaine the doctrine and inuention of the Deuil is a kind of Apostasie falling from the Lorde For God hath made vs to his owne likenesse which likenesse consisteth not in lineaments and proportion of the body but in holinesse and singlenesse of life Therefore receiuing the doctrine and inuentions of the Deuill betweeâ—e whome and God there can bee no truce no league no manner of agréemente becausâ— the one is holy the other impuâ—e the one good the other euill the one light the other darkenes we forsake our God forsakinge of him wee loose his image and likenesse loosinge his image wee are not hys children and consequently haue no part nor felowship with Christ in the world to come That Stage Playes are the doctrine and inuention of the Deuill may bee gathered by Tertullian who noteth verie well that the Deuill foreséenge the ruine of his kingdome both inuented these shewes and inspired men with deuises to set them out the better thereby to enlarge his dominion and pull vs from â—od And Thomas Lodge in that patchte pamphlet of his wherein he taketh vpon him the defence of playes little perceiuinge how lustely y e chippes flye in his face whilst he heweth out timber to make the frame confesseth openly that playes were consecrated by the heathens to y e honour of their gods which in deede is true yet serueth it better to ouerthrow them them establish them for whatsoeuer was consecrated to the honour of the Heathen Gods was consecrated to idolatrie Stage Playes by his owne confession were consecrated to the honour of Heathen Gods therefore consecrated to idolatrie Being consecrated to idolatrie they are not of God if they proceede not from God they are the doctrine and inuentions of the deuill This will be counted news learninge amonge a greate number of my gay countymen which beare a sharper smacke of Italian deuises in their heades then of English religion in their heartes Neuerthelesse the godly perceiue how lamentable damnable a case we stand in lamentable because we are so asotted with these delightes so blinded with the loue and drunken with the swéetnes of these vanities that greedely we flocke together and with our braine-sicke assemblies not vnlyke to the Troyanes hale in the horse whose mischiefe hath beene discouered by the Prophets of the Lorde and whose bowels haue beene manye times gaged with the sword of his trueth damnable because we professe Christ and set vp the doctrine of the deuill wee holde with the hare and run with the hound heaping vp iudgement vpon our soules by this hipocrisie Certayne it is that this life of ours is a continuall warrefare a pitchte fielde wherein as the lickerous tounge of our mother Eue hath iustly prouoked the Lorde to set the deuill and vs at deadly feude so is it our part to bethinke vs of him that neuer leaues nibling at our heele Hee is called the Serpent the enuious maÌ„ the Prince of this world the common enemie of Christé and of man kinde Being a Serpent hee is subtile being enuious he repineth at our estateâ— being a Prince hee is mightie being an enemy hee is malicious malice breedeth continuall discorde continuall discorde a perpetuall studye and desire to hurt which the Apostle vnderstaÌ„ding giueth vs a watche wooâ—de to walke warely For hauing an enemy so crafty concâ—ited so well appoynted so enuious so malitious so willinge to misâ—hâ—â—â—e vs no doubte but he hath sett vp many trappes shott many nettes bayted many hookes to take vs to tangle vs to thrattle vs. Which is enough to make vs suspecte euerie pleasure that hee profereth When Pyrrhus sawe that the Romaynes coulde not be ouer throwne by force of armes he buried the bodies of them that were slayne he dealte very honorablie with hys prisoners returninge them home without ransome and sent his Ambassadours to entreate of peace wherby he made accounte to winne that with vndermininge which open assalt could neuer get The Deuill whose treachery passeth the shiftes of Pyrrhus feeling such a terrible push giuen to his breast by the chaunge of religion and 〈◊〉 the happy entrauÌ„ce of her Maiestie to the crowne hath played 〈◊〉 beguilie euer since Hee deales verye fauourably with vs now hee entertayneth his captiues with all manner of curtesie hee craueth no raunsome for our release his Ambassadours haue bene a great while amonge vs. First hee sente ouer many wanton Italian bookes which being traÌ„slated into english haue poysoned the olde maners of our Country with foreine delights they haue so hardned the readers harâ—s y e seuerâ—r writers are trode vnder foote none are so pleasunte or plausible as they that sound some kinde of libertie in our eares This contempt of good bookes hath breede a desire of fancies toyes For if it be as Ambrose sayth that the decrease of vanitie is the increase of vertue I may reason of the contrary that the increase of vanity is the decrease of vertue Therefore the Deuill not contented with the number he hath corrupted with reading Italian baâ—dery because all caÌ„not reade preseÌ„teth vs Comedies cut by the same paterne which drag such a monstrous taile after theÌ„ as is able to swéep whole Cities into his lap They which haue any experience in martial discipline know y t the easiest way to conquere is either to bribe y e Captaine to betrayâ— his Prince or to allure y e Souldiers to reuolte forsake their Captaine Our enemie whose experience is great by continuall practise had from the beginning tried his cunning vpon Christe but tooke the foyle yet leauing nothing vnsifted that may serue his purpose and séeing that neither riches nor preferment of this world could moue our Captaine to fall forward and worship him because we are commanded to followe our Captaine foote by foote which is Ircksome to performe hee settes Comedies abroach and erâ—cteth Theaters to make vs fall backwarde flie the fielde Happy saith the Prophet is he That walketh not in the Counsell of the vngodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sits in the chaire of pestilence The counsell of the vngodly is the cunning
honour them By this meanes the Deuill driuing them from the worship of the true God as ships from the harbour where they shoulde ryde helde them in greater perill of death then if they had worshipped no God at all Sithince it is manifest by all Antiquities if we search them that plaies are the Sacrifices of the Deuill taught by him selfe to pull vs from the seruice of our God as ofte as euer wée set them vp in our Christian Cities the Diuell triumpheth and reioyceth therein as in thinges sacrificed by Christians vnto him Because that as in the Church singing and praysing the Lorde together as hee him selfe hath instrcted vs in his worde is a signe by whiche the true God is assured that we sacrifice our hearts vnto him with the Calues of our lippes So the Diuell perceiuing vs to aduaunce the offringes or sacrifices of the Gentiles after the same manner of houses of apparell of Stages of Plaies that he instructed the Gentiles by his Oracles hath greate cause to bee merrie and to holde him selfe honoured thereby Is it â—o and shall wee say wee doe it not with the minde to commit Idolatrie Truely this aunsweare is like to a drawght of colde water in burning Feuers whereby the bodie is quieted for a time but the sickenes can neuer be remoued The noble Scipio Nasica perceiuing that the Citie cannot longe endure whose walles stande and manners fall when hee sawe the whole Senate bent to builde vpp Theaters aud sett out Playes with earnest persuasion drewe them from it And Valerius Maximus flatlie affirmeth tâ—at they were not brought in to Rome Sine pacis rubore without à steine of disgrace to the time of Peace They grewe in time so infamous among y e Romanes theÌ„ selues that if any continued in that arte they were depriued of the dignitie of other Citizens and remoued by the Censors from their Tribe Wherefore I beséech God so to touch the heartes of our Magistrates with a perfite hatred of sinne and feare of Iudgement so to stirre vpp some noble Scipio in the Courte that these dauÌ„sing Chaplines of Bacchus and all such as set vp these wicked artes may be driuen out of Englande may bee shutt from the companie of the Godly as open professors of Idolatrie separated from vs by Sea and Lande If there be a zeale in authoritie to banish them a diligence in Preachâ—rs to pursue themâ— a generall consent in vs to loath them I dare boldely auouch from my owne experience that monstrous sinnes with very light trauell imminent daÌ„ger with very small troble olde fesâ—red corruptions in very shorte time wil be displaced the Churches in London more frequented more furnishte more â—illed the diuine seruice of God more regarded more reuerenced more kept and the vtter suppressing of a fewe bréed a swéete reformation in many thousandes The 2 Action IF the daye wherein wee bee deliuered from the iawes of death ought to bée as ioyfull to vs as the houer of birth because the ioy of saâ—etie atchiued is sure the condition of byrth vncertaine and because wee are borne without pleasure saued with gladnes Both I shal think my study very well employed and my louing cuntrimen of Englande shall haue cause to reioyce if it please God by my trauell against Plaies to make me a stay to the ryot of their expences a discloser of the corruptioÌ„ in their families and a watchman againste the hazard of their soules All which as I iudge to proceed of Stage Plays so must I confute the opinion of them that holde the contrary Yonge Master Lodge thinking to iett vpon startoppes and steale an yâ—che of his hight by the bare name of Cicero allegeth froÌ„ hiâ— â— t a Play is the School-mistresse of life the lookinge glasâ—e of manners and the image of trueth But finding him selfe too wéeke in the knées to stand it out neither alleadging the place where Tullie saith it nor bringing any reason of his owne to proue it hee flittes from this to the Etymologie of Plaiâ—s froÌ„ thence to the muâ—niors and so gallops his wisedome out of breath It séemeth that Master Lodge sâ—w this in Tulile with other fâ—lkâ—s eyes and not his owne For to my remembrance I neuer read it in him neither doe I thinke that Master Lodge can shewe it me For in his Tusculans second third and â—ourth booke he misliketh playes in his bookes of the common weale he is sharpe set against them In his Epistles writing to Marius who was absent from the playes that were set out at Pompeys charges he telleth him that if any paine of bodie or decaye of health withhelde him hee attributeth it rather to forâ—une then to his wisdome but if he contemned those bables that other men wonder at and being not â—indered with sicknes refused to see them of his own accord he reiâ—yceth greatly in his frieÌ„des behalfe first that he felt no greese of bodie next that â—he was perfectly whole in minde because he foresâ—owed to come to those spectacles which other meÌ„ delight in without cause I would it pleased master Lodge to remember that in cases of conscience no mans aucthoritie may stand for reason it is therefore our duetie to weighe before we speake whether the testimonies of other men will abide the hammeringe when they come to be wrought by the worde of God otherwise to take what soeuer they say for Oracles and muster them together in proofe of that which neither reason nor conscience doth allow is as fonde and impertinent an enterprise as to open our locke with the hatchet and cleaue our wood with the key But because master Lodge will needes father these wordes vpon Tullie that neuer spake them I will first sette downe the matter and the persons of both kindes of playes then rippe vp euery part of this definition that you may see how this gentleman like the Foxe at the banquet of the Storke lickes the outside of the glasse with an emptie stomacke when his heade will not suffer him to enter in The argumeÌ„t of Tragedies is wrath crueltie incest iniurie murther eyther violent by sworde or voluntary by poyson The persons Gods Goddesses furies fiendes Kinges Quenes and mightie men The ground worke of Commedies is loue cosenedge flatterie bawderie slye conneighance of whordome The persoÌ„s cookes queanes knaues baudes parasites courtezannes lecherouse olde men amorous yong men Therefore Plautus in his prologue before the comedie of the captiues desiring to curry fauoure with his auditours exhorteth them earnestly to marke that playe because it shall cast no such stenche of impuritie into theire noses as others doe There is in it saith he neither forsworne baude nor harlot nor bragging souldier Why could he not giue this commendation to all the rest because it was the practise of the deuill to weaue in a threed of his own spinning Why is this rather purged of filthines then the rest because it is the iuglinge of the deuill to turne
addle egges when conception is weake and without life If any bée so captious as for the exercise of his witte to holde me Playe and prepare him selfe to encounter me in any one of mine actions or in all I must callenge the lawes of the tennis coâ—rt at his handes that is to take whatsoeuer I sâ—nd him right and returne it to faire aboue the line Whatsoeuer he be that looketh narrowly into our Stage Playes or considereth how and which ways they are represented shall finde more filthines in them theÌ„ Players dreame off The Law of God very straightly forbids men to put on womeÌ„s garments garments are set downe for signes distinctiue betwene sâ—xe â—exe to take vnto vs those garments that are manifest signes of another â—â—xe is to falsifie forge and adulterate contrarie to the expresse rule of the wordâ— of God Which forbiddeth it by threatning a curse vnto the same All that do so are abhomination vâ—the Lord which way I bâ—sâ—ch you shall they bée excused that put on not the apparrell onely but the gate the gestures the voyce the passions of a woman All which like the wreathinges and windinge of a snake are flexible to catch before they speed and binde vppe cordes when they haue possession Some there are that thinke this commaundement of God to be restrayned to them that goe abroade in womens attyre and vse it for iugglinge to shaddowe adulterie These interpreters like vnto narrowe mouthed vessels will receyue nothing without losse except it bee slenderly powred in aâ—cordinge to the straightnes of theire owne makinge These men must vnderstande that that can beare noe excuse which God condemneth such is the integritie vniformitie and simplicitie of trueth y t it is euer like it selfe it neuer carrieth two faces in one hoode that thinge is no where nor aâ— any time lawfull by the word of God which is not euer and euery where lawfull Though the heathen Philosophers which knew not the trueth because they were ignorant in God the fountaine of trueth accorâ—ing to theire owne faÌ„cies held one thing to be sometime good sometimes â—â—â—il yet will not God be mocked w t Philosophers dreames Whatsoeuer he simply pronounceth euill can neuer be conditionally good and lawfull I trust they will not haue God which is y e Author of all wisdome al learning all artes to be ruder in setting downe to his people the precepts of life then Philosophers are to giue to their scholers y e precepts of arte They study in teaching of theire auditours to write generally and vniuersally and shall God in his tables be tyed to specifications particularities and exceptions no no the same God that saith thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife saith thou shalt in no place at no time couet her he y â— forbibiddeth thée to steale coÌ„mandeth that thou neuer steale and he that chargeth thée not to put on womens garments chargeth thée in no place and neuer to put theÌ„ on Neuertheles we will wade somewhat further in this point and sée whether by y e Philosophers them selues it may be suffred I trust they wil graunt me that euery lye is sinne for the deuill is the father of all lyes as oft as euer he lyeth he speaketh of his owne Aristotle in the thickest fogge of his ignorance concerning God pronounceth a lye to bee naught of it selfe and to be fled Let vs therefore consider what a lye is a lye is Actus cadens super indebitam materiam an acte executed where it ought not This acte is discerned by outward signes euery man must show him selfe outwardly to be such as in deed he is Outward signes consist eyther in words or gestures to declare our selues by wordes or by gestures to be otherwise then we are is an act executed where it should not therefore a lye The profe is euident the consequeÌ„t is necessarie that in Stage Playes for a boy to put one the attyre the gesture the passions of a woman â—or a meane person to take vpon him the title of a Prince with counterfeit porte and traine is by outwarde signes to shewe them selues otherwise then they are and so with in the compasse of a lye which by Aristotles iudgement is naught of it selfe and to be fledde Some other there are that take greater occasion of stumbling at Gregory Naziancen Bucchanan such like than euer those famous men did offer It cannot bée denied that Gregory Naziancen one of the fathers of the Church wrote a Playe of Christe Bucchanan wrote an other of Iohn Baptist to what ende To be Plaid vpon Stages neither Players nor their friendes are able to proue it How theÌ„ As the beginning of poetrie in the bookes of Moses Dauid was to sett downe good matter in nuÌ„bers that the sweetenesse of the one might cause the other to continue and to bee the déeper imprinted in the mindes of men So Naziancen and Bucchanan perceiuing the corruption of the Gentiles to avoyde that which is euill and yet keepe that which is good according to the true vse of Poetrie penned these bookes in numbers with interloquutions dialoguewise as Plato and Tullie did their Philosophy to be reade not be played For Naziancen detesting the corruption of the Corpus Christi Playes that were set out by the Papisâ—es and inueighing against theÌ„ thought it better to write the passion of Christ in nuÌ„bers him sâ—lfe that all such as delight in numerositie of speach might reade it not beholde it vpon the Stage where some base fellowe that â—laide Christe should bring the person of Christ into contempt So Bucchananus wrote his playe of Iohn Baptist for the kinge of Scots to reade that beholding therein the practise of Parasits in Herods court The Tyranny of Herod powred out vpon the messenger of the Lord the punishment that followed He might learne to gouerne his owne house and beware what entreaâ—â—e he giues to the Prophettes of God If it shoulde bee Plaied one must learne to trippe it like â— Lady in tâ—e finest fashion another â—â—st haue time to whet his minde vnto tyranny that he may giue lâ—â—e to the picture hee presentâ—th whereby they lâ—aâ—â—â— to counterfeit and so to sinne Therefore whatsoeuer such playes as conteine good matter are 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉 may be 〈◊〉 profite but cannot be playd witâ—out iâ— maâ—ifest breaâ—h of Gods coÌ„maundement Let the Author of the playe of playes pastimes take heede how he reasoÌ„ y e actioÌ„ pronuÌ„tiation agility of body are y e good gifts of God Ergo plaies coÌ„sisting of these cannot be euill The argument is faulty and followes not for so might the Adulterer defend himselfe the pricke of desire is naturally giuen vnto man by God all sortes of apparell are his blessings Ergo to couet another maÌ„s wife to put on the apparell of a womaÌ„ cannot be euill Notwithstanding the one hath so little substance to vtter it selfe the other so fewe