Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	life_n	see_v	3,300	5	3.3210	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53315	Reflections on the stage, and Mr. Collyer's Defence of the short view in four dialogues.	Oldmixon, Mr. (John), 1673-1742.	1699 (1699)	Wing O262; ESTC R17325	77,751	210

Reformation in the Stage must the Play-wrights be suffer'd to go on with their abuse of Magistracy Morals and Religion and tho Mr Collier may have err'd in several things is he not in the right in the main Beau. I can't tell that and am loath to give my opinion of reforming the Drama till I am sure the world will be satify'd with that Whatever errors our Comick Writers have been guilty of their Enemies have not yet hit on 'em at least on any of the most material 'T is not in their power to ruin 'em but by noise and force and those who love their pleasure as well as I are in the wrong to give their Enemies any advantages over 'em or put weapons in their hands to hurt them If the Stage ought to be corrected the men of sense can only put us in a way and they will not set about it while there are such powerful Parties declaring for no Plays at all Bev. I am not one of 'em and should be glad to see some method propos'd to keep up both Houses without endangering the virtue of their Audiences and I love their Entertainments too well to be willing to part with 'em if they can be maintain'd without offence to Manners or Conscience Beau. Which certainly they may none ever doubted the contrary that was able to judge in this Affair and those who attack this sort of Poetry will afterwards find exceptions against the Muses in general Musick will next offend 'em and every one that has not a good ear or a tolerable judgment in the art will cry out against the danger of Fiddles and Hautboys Bev. That will be severe indeed Beau. I think the other is much more so Musick affords all its admirers a wonderful delight when they are truly touch'd with it yet this delight goes no farther than an amusement for the present Whereas at a Dramatical Representation the passions are wrought up so forcibly and the Images appear so lively that the Impressions stick on the Audience and may be advantageous to them in their Conduct in the world 'T is strange the Sages are so angry with the Theatre are not there an hundred other Diversions more prejudicial to a mans health and fortune No body attempts to shut up our Tavern doors and yet without all manner of dispute they give occasion to much more Extravagance Immorality and Debauchery than the Play-houses are charg'd with The Stage aims at bringing men to their sense the Taverns assist them to lose the little Reason they have and yet they are so necessary in Commerce and Society that 't would be monstrous to talk of prohibiting Wine because some Scowrers have been hang'd for their drunken frolicks Besides a Bottle is a leveller a Blockhead can drink as much as a man of Wit and in most of those conversations if there is any more respect paid to one than another he that carries off most Claret is the greatest man The Wife and Great are sometimes refresh'd and can debauch in the Taverns without scandal but at the Theatre they would be soon discover'd and when they are there they are not treated so tenderly as to engage their good word Gaming which has ruin'd a thousand Families of the best Extraction made great numbers of Gentlemen Beggars and tempted so many of the fair to very odd excesses to support themselves under their ill fortune is a Vice which every one rails at but no body attempts to get rid on 't Sav. The Gamesters are an easie complaisant sort of people they reflect on the understandings of no man and let others Intellects alone as long as their own are spar'd But your Wits are a malicious Generation they won't forgive a man his foppery nor let a Fool impose himself any where for a Wit They attack the Coxcombs where-ever they meet them and fall foul on the Capacities of some who are thought extraordinary men in the Companies they frequent The Fools and Knaves Fops and Hypocrites are by much the majority no wonder then if men of sense and honour find a multitude to oppose them Bev. But they are the honest men and men of Conscience who set themselves against the Play-house who are of the opinion that Plays are the great instruments of Debauching youth Mr Collier has awaken'd their zeal and the dispute is now whether they have reason Beau. I don't think that an honest and a sensible man can imagin so ridiculous a thing as that the Theatres are the Nurseries of Immorality any more than other Houses set apart for pleasure All our pleasures have been of late corrupted even those that were design'd to cure us of our Vices and Follies This proceeds from the licentiousness of the Age and whence that proceeded any who are acquainted with the Liberty of the Restoration can inform you Bev. Well since you own all our pleasures are corrupted you allow the Theatre to be guilty with the rest why then should it not be put down You will not pretend to have it kept up because there are other places of Recreation as dangerous nor plead the looseness of our other diversions to vindicate this Beau. No Sir but I must observe thence that 't is very odd for men to fall on a pleasure which may be made useful and at the same time let others remain unattackt which can never be render'd any thing more than agreeable to put a profitable and pleasant thing quite down because that done some mischief argues want of thought in those who pretend to 't As if there was no way of preventing the ill consequence of the Stage but by forbiding all Theatrical representations Sav. I don't question but the very wise and very zealous people who declare against the Drama have those sentiments and believe the only way to reform 'em is to silence the Poets Beau. They may believe what they will zeal more than once has carry'd those very wise people to judge of things above their reach I have known a bigotted Cavalier ridicul'd by a Father of the Church for his forwardness to correct the Age by ways that would destroy it If mens Reason and Religion don't go together I shall not value what they pretend to in either Sav. 'T is pleasant to hear some grave Sparks rail at the Stage and condemn all that speak for 't when if you ask them seriously they shall own they never read the arguments on either side nor saw a Play in their lives Bev. Granting the men who oppose the Theatre are as great Blockheads as their Adversaries would make 'em Fools have sometimes been in the right and 't is no matter if their fear of Satyr or their Charity to the Age is the cause of their aversion provided their pretences are well grounded Beau. This Gentleman sticks very close to us he 'll not have the argument thrown off he brings us to our Text when we have a mind to ramble 'T is not that we cannot defend