CHAP. II.

Aut famam sequere, aut convenientia finge Scriptor.De. Art. Poet.

Let us remember that Operations always resemble the Nature from whence they flow. Great Persons should therefore have a correspondent Behaviour assign'd them. To makeBeingsmuch Superior to the Biggest of Mankind, talk below the Least, is absurd andridiculous. ThisAristophanesseems sensible of in his defence ofÆschylus. HereEuripidesobjects toÆschylus,Ranæ p. 242.[89]that he was too rumbling, noisy, and bombastick, over affecting that whichHoracecalls

Ampulla, & sesquipedalia Verba.

To thisÆschylusAnswers, that the Thoughts, and Designs ofHeroesmust be deliver'd in Expressions proportioned to their Greatness. It being likely that the Demi-Gods spoke up to their Dignity and Stature: And as they were distinguish'd by the richness of their Habit, so they had a more Magnificent Language than other Mortals. To thisEuripidesreplys nothing; from whence you may conclude thePoetthought the Apology not unreasonable. In shortAristophaneshad Sense but he does not always use it. He is not equal, and uniforme. Sometimes you have him flat and foolish a good while together. And where he has Spirit, 'tis oftentimes lavished away to little purpose.Ranæ A. 1. Sc. 1. Concionat.[90]His Buffoonery is commonly too strong for his Judgment. This makes him let fly his jests without regard to Person or occasion: And thus by Springing theGametoo soon, the Diversion is lost. I could make several other Material Objections against the Conduct of hisPlays; But this being not necessary I shall observe in the

3d.Place. That notwithstanding the scandalous Liberty for whichAristophanesis so remarkable; yet in his Lucid Intervalls, when Sence and Sobriety return upon him, he pronounces against his own Practise. In the contest betweenÆschylusandEuripides,Bacchusis made the Umpire of the Controversie.Æschylusbegins with a Question,Ranæ p. 238.[91]and asksEuripideswhat 'tis which makes aPoetadmired? He answers. 'Tis for the address of his Conduct, and the handsome Turns of Morality in his Poems. 'Tis because his performance has a tendency to form the Audience to Virtue, and Improvement,Æschylusdemands of himfarther; But suppose you debauched the Age, and made an Honest and a brave People Lewd, and good for nothing, what do you deserve then? HereBacchusinterposes, and crys out, what does he deserve? A Halter! pray don't ask so plain a question. And afterwards we are told, thatPoetsare valuable only for describing Things useful, in Life and Religion, for polishing Inventions, and setting off great Examples with Lustre, and Advantage.p. 240.[92]In the progress of the Dispute,ÆschylustaxesEuripideswith being too uncautious in his Representations; And tells him that Poets ought to conceal that which is vicious in Story; And entertain with nothing but Virtue, and Sobriety: He goes on reprimandingEuripidesfor his Dramatick incests, Strumpets, and Amours: And as for himself, to his best remembrance, He never brought any Love-Intrigues upon the Stage.p. 242. 244.[93]

This is very significant expostulation: and contains very good Rules for the Trial of theMuses: But if the EnglishStage, should be obliged to this Test;Aristophanesmust set fire to it, and that with much more reason than toSocrateshisSchool. Now thatÆschylusspokeAristophanes's Sense is pretty plain: For first; As to the Business of Love,Aristophanesalways declines it; He never patches up aPlaywithCourtship, andWhining, tho' he wrote nothing butComedy. In the next place theChoruswhich is usually thePoetsInterpreter, speaks honourably ofÆschyluseven to a Preference;255. 267.[94]And at last JudgeBacchusgives Sentence for him.

Thus we seeAristophanesConfutes his own Lewdness, and comes in Evidence against himself. This with the other two Exceptions I have made good against him, are sufficient to take off the Force of thePrecedent, and make him an insignificant Authority.

To what I have observ'd from theStageof the Antients, I could add the Authorities ofAristotle, andQuintilian, both extraordinary Persons, but I shall reserve their Testimony till Afterwards.

To come Home, and near our own Times: The English Theatre from QueenElizabethto KingCharlesII. will afford us something not inconsiderable to our purpose.

As forShakespear, he is too guilty to make an Evidence: But I think he gains not much by his Misbehaviour; He has commonlyPlautus's Fate, where there is most Smut, there is least Sense.

Ben. Johnsonis much more reserv'd in hisPlays, and declares plainlyfor Modesty in hisDiscoveries, some of his Words are these.

A just Writer whom he calls aTrue Artificer, will avoidObsceneandEffeminate Phrase. Where Manners and Fashions are Corrupted, Language is so too.Discov. p. 700.[95]The excess of Feasts and Apparel, are the Notes of A Sick State, and the Wantonness of Language of a sick Mind.p. 701.[96]A little after he returns to the Argument, and applies his Reasoning more particularly to the Stage.Poetry, (says he)and Picture, both behold Pleasure, and profit, as their common Object, but should abstain from all base Pleasures, least they should wholly Err from their End; And while they seek to better Men's Minds, Destroy their Manners, Insolent and obscene Speeches, and Jests upon the best Men, are most likely to excite Laughter. But this is truly leaping from the Stage to the Tumbrill again, reducing all Wit to the Original Dung-Cart.p. 706. 717.[97]More might be cited to this purpose, but that may serve for an other Occasion: In the mean time I shall go on toBeaumontandFletcher.

Fletchers Faithfull Shepheardessis remarkably Moral, and a sort of Exhortation to Chastity. ThisPlaymet with ill Judges, 'twas Hiss'd before halfActed, and seems to have suffer'd on the account of its Innocence.Beauments, &c.Works.Ibid.[98]Soon afterBen. JohnsonandBeaumontappearand justifiethe Author in a Copy of Verses. And asBeaumontcommends Modesty inFletcher, so he is commended himself by Mr.Earlfor the same Quality.[99]

Such Passions, Such Expressions meet my Eye,Such Wit untainted with Obscenity.

Such Passions, Such Expressions meet my Eye,

Such Wit untainted with Obscenity.

And as I rememberJasper Mainhas some stroaks to the same purpose.Ibid.[100]Fletcheris still more full for the Cause. Indeed nothing can be more express. He delivers himself by way ofPrologue; where thePoetspeaks in his own Person. ThePrologueto theWoman-Hater, very frankly lets the Audience know what they are to expect.If there be any amongst you, (says he) that come to hear Lascivious Scenes, let them depart; For I do pronounce this, to the utter discomfort of all two-penny Gallery Men, you shall no Bawdry in it.We find in those days Smut was the expectation of a Coarse Palate, and relish'd by none but two-penny Customers. In theKnightof theBurning Pestle, part of thePrologueruns thus.They were banish'd the Theatre atAthens,and fromRomehiss'd, that brought Parasites on the Stage with Apish Actions, or Fools with uncivil Habits, or Courtezans with immodest words. AfterwardsPrologue, who represents a Person, gives us more to the same purpose.

——Fly far from hence.All private taxes, immodest phrases,Whatever way but look like Vitious.For wicked mirth, never true Pleasure brings;For honest Minds, are pleas'd with honest things.

——Fly far from hence.

All private taxes, immodest phrases,

Whatever way but look like Vitious.

For wicked mirth, never true Pleasure brings;

For honest Minds, are pleas'd with honest things.

I have quoted nothing but Comedy in this Author. TheCoronationis another. And theProloguetells you there is

No Undermirth such as does lard the Scene,For Coarse Delight, the Language here is clean.And confident our Poet bad me say,He'll bate you but the Folly of a Play.For which altho' dull Souls his Pen despise;Who think it yet too early to be wise.The Nobles yet will thank his Muse, at leastExcuse him, cause his Thought aim'd at the Best.

No Undermirth such as does lard the Scene,

For Coarse Delight, the Language here is clean.

And confident our Poet bad me say,

He'll bate you but the Folly of a Play.

For which altho' dull Souls his Pen despise;

Who think it yet too early to be wise.

The Nobles yet will thank his Muse, at least

Excuse him, cause his Thought aim'd at the Best.

Thus thesePoetsare in their Judgments clearly ours. 'Tis true their Hand was not always steady. But thus much may be aver'd, thatFletcher'slaterPlaysare the most inoffensive. This is either a sign of thePoetsReformation; or that the exceptionable Passages belonged toBeaumont, who dyed first.

To these Authorities of our own Nation, I shall add a considerable Testimony out of Mr.Corneille. This Author wassensible that tho' the Expression of hisTheodorewas altogether unsmutty,Theodore. Ed. Roven. Ep. Ded.[101]'Yet the bare Idea of Prostitution uneffected, shock'd the Audience, and made the Play miscarry. ThePoetprotests he took great care to alter the natural Complexion of the Image, and to convey it decently to the Fancy; and delivered only some part of the History as inoffensively as possible. And after all his Screening and Conduct, the Modesty of the Audience would not endure that little, the Subject forced him upon. He is positive 'the Comedies St.Augustinedeclaim'd against, were not such as theFrench. For theirs are not spectacles of Turpitude, as that Father justly calls those of his Time. TheFrenchgenerally speaking, containing nothing but examples of Innocence, Piety and Virtue.'

In this Citation we have the Opinion of thePoet, the Practise of theFrenchTheatre, and the Sense of thatNation, and all very full to our purpose.

To conclude thisChapter. By what has been offer'd, it appears that thePresent English Stageis superlatively Scandalous. It exceeds the Liberties of all Times and Countries: It has not so much as the poor plea of aPrecedent, to which most other ill Things may claim a pretence. 'Tis mostly meer Discovery and Invention: A newWorld of Vice found out, and planted with all the Industry imaginable.Aristophaneshimself, how bad soever in other respects, does not amplyfie, and flourish, and run through all the Topicks of Lewdness like these Men. TheMiscellany Poemsare likewise horribly Licentious. They are sometimes Collections from Antiquity, and often, the worst parts of the worstPoets. And to mend the Matter, the ChristianTranslation, is more nauseous than thePaganOriginal. Such stuff I believe was never seen, and suffer'd before. In a word, If Poverty and Diseases, the Dishonour of Families, and the Debauching of Kingdoms, are such valuable Advantages, then I confess these Books deserve encouragement. But if the Case is otherwise, I humbly conceive the Proceeding should be so too.

An other Instance of the Disorders of theStageis theirProfaness: This Charge may come under these two particulars.

1st. Their Cursing and Swearing.2dly. Their Abuse of Religion and Holy Scripture.

1st. Their Cursing and Swearing.

2dly. Their Abuse of Religion and Holy Scripture.

1st Their Cursing and Swearing.

What is more frequent then their wishes of Hell, and Confusion, Devils, and Diseases, all the Plagues of this World, and the next, to each other? And as for Swearing; 'tis used by all Persons, and upon all Occasions: By Heroes, and Paltroons; by Gentlemen, and Clowns: Love, and Quarrels, Success, and Disappointment, Temper, and Passion, must be varnish'd, and set off withOaths. At some times, and with somePoetsSwearing is no ordinary Releif. It stands up in the room of Sense, gives Spirit to a flat Expression, and makes a Period Musical and Round. In short, 'tis almost all theRhetorick, and Reason some People are Masters of: The manner of performance is different. Some times they mince the matter; change the Letter, and keep the Sense,Gad for God.[102]as if they had a mind to steal a Swearing, and break the Commandement without Sin. At another time the Oaths are clipt, but not so much within the Ring, but that theImage and Superscriptionare visible. These expedients, I conceive are more for variety, then Conscience: For when the fit comes on them, they make no difficulty of Swearing at Length. Instances of all these kinds may be met with in theOld Batchelour,Double Dealer, andLove for Love. And to mention no more,Don Quixot, theProvok'd Wife, and theRelapse, are particularly rampant and scandalous. TheEnglish Stageexceed their predecessors in this, as well as other Branches of immorality.Shakespearis comparatively sober,Ben Jonsonis still more regular; And as forBeaumentandFletcher, In theirPlaysthey are commonly Profligate Persons that Swear, and even those are reprov'd for't. Besides, the Oaths are not so full of Hell and Defiance, as in the Moderns.

So much for matter of Fact: And as for point of Law, I hope there needs notmany words to prove Swearing a Sin: For what is more provoking than contempt, and what Sin more contemptuous than common Swearing? what can be more Insolent and Irreligious, than to bring in God to attest our Trifles, to give Security for our Follies, and to make part of our Diversion? To Play with Majesty and Omnipotence in this manner, is to render it cheap and despicable. How can such Customes as these consist with the belief of Providence or Revelation? ThePoetsare of all People most to blame. They want even the Plea ofBulliesandSharpers. There's no Rencounters, no starts of Passion, no suddain Accidents to discompose them. They swear in Solitude and cool Blood, under Thought and Deliberation, for Business, and for Exercise: This is a terrible Circumstance; It makes allMalice Prepence, and enflames the Guilt, and the Reckoning.

And if Religion signifies nothing, (as I am afraid it does with some People) there is Law, as well as Gospel againstSwearing.3d Jac. 1 cap. 21.is expresly against thePlayhouse. It runs thus.

For the preventing and avoiding of the great abuse of the holy Name of God, in Stage Plays, Enterludes &c. Be it enacted by our Sovereign Lord &c. That if at any time, or times,after the End of this present Session of Parliament; any Person or Persons do, or shall in any Stage Play, Enterlude, Show, &c. Jeastingly or Profanly, speak or use the Holy Name of God, or of ChristJesus,or of the Holy Ghost, or of the Trinity, which are not to be spoken, but with Fear and Reverence; shall forfeit for every such offence, by him or them committed, ten pounds: The one Moity thereof to the King's Majesty, his Heirs; and Successors, the other Moity thereof to him, or them, that will sue for the same in any Court of Record at Westminster, wherein no essoin, protection, or wager of Law shall be allow'd.

By thisActnot only direct Swearing, but all vain Invocation of the Name of God is forbidden. ThisStatutewell executed would mend thePoets, or sweep theBox: And theStagemust either reform, or not thrive upon Profaness.

3dlySwearing in thePlayhouseis an ungentlemanly, as well as an unchristian Practice. TheLadiesmake a considerable part of theAudience. Now Swearing before Women is reckon'd a Breach of good Behaviour, and therefore a civil Atheist will forbear it. The custom seems to go upon this Presumption; that the Impressions of Religion are strongest in Women, and more generally spread. And that it must be very disagreeable to them, to hear the Majesty of God treated withso little respect. Besides: Oaths are a boistrous andtempestuoussort of Conversation; Generally the effects of Passion, and spoken with Noise, and Heat. Swearing looks like the beginning of a Quarrel, to which Women have an aversion: As being neither armed by Nature, nor disciplin'd by Custome for such rough Disputes. A Woman will start at a Soldiers Oath, almost as much as at the Report of his Pistol: And therefore a well Bred Man will no more Swear, than Fight in the Company of Ladies.

ASecondBranch of the Profaness of theStageis their Abuse of Religion, andHoly Scripture. And here sometimes they don't stop short of Blasphemy. To cite all that might be Collected of this kind would be tedious. I shall give theReaderenough to justifie the Charge, and I hope to abhor the Practice.

To begin with theMock-Astrologer. In the FirstActtheSceneis aChappel; And that the Use of such Consecrated places may be the better understood, the time is taken up in Courtship, Raillery, and ridiculing Devotion.Jacintatakes her turn among the rest. She InterruptsTheodosia, and cries out:why Sister, Sister——will you pray? what injury have I ever done you that youshould prayin my Company?

WildbloodSwears byMahomet, rallies smuttily upon the other World, and gives the preference to the Turkish Paradisep. 31.[103]! This Gentleman to incourageJacintato a Complyance in Debauchery, tells herHeaven is all Eyes and no Tongue.p. 37.[104]That is, it sees Wickedness but conceals it. He Courts much at the same rate a little before.When a Man comes to a great Lady, he is fain to approach her with Fear, and Reverence, methinks there's something of Godliness in't.p. 24.[105]Here you have the Scripture burlesqu'd, and the Pulpit Admonition apply'd to Whoring.Hebr. 12.34. 36.[106]AfterwardsJacintaout of her great Breeding and Christianity, swears byAlla, andMahomet, and makes a Jest upon Hell.[107]Wildbloodtells his Man thatsuch undesigning Rogues as he, make a Drudge of poor Providence. AndMaskallto show his proficiency under his Masters, replies toBellamy, who would have had him told a Lie.55.[108]Sir upon the Faith of a Sinner you have had my last Lie already. I have not one more to do me Credit, as I hope to be saved Sir.

In the close of thePlay, They make sport with Apparitions and Fiends. One of the Devils sneezes, upon this they give him the Blessing of the Occasion, and concludehe has got cold by being too long out of the Fire.59.[109]

TheOrphanlays the Scene in Christendom, and takes the same care of Religion.CastalioComplements his Mistress to Adoration.

No Tongue my Pleasure and my Pain can tell:'Tis Heaven to have thee, and without thee Hell.Orph. p. 20.[110]

No Tongue my Pleasure and my Pain can tell:

'Tis Heaven to have thee, and without thee Hell.Orph. p. 20.[110]

Polydorwhen upon the attempt to debauchMonimia, puts up this ejaculation.

Blessed Heaven assist me but in this dear Hour:p. 31.[111]

Thus theStageworships the true God in Blasphemy, as theLindiansdidHerculesby Cursing and throwing stones.Lactan.[112]ThisPolydorhas another Flight of Profaness, but that has got a certainProtection, and therefore must not be disturb'd.

In theOld Batchelour,Vain-loveasksBelmour,could you be content to go to Heaven?

Bell. Hum, not immediatly in my Conscence, not heartily.p. 19.[113]——This is playing I take it with Edge-Tools. To go to Heaven in jeast, is the way to go to Hell in earnest. In the FourthAct, Lewdness is represented with that Gaity, as if the Crime was purely imaginary, and lay only in ignorance and preciseness.Have you throughly consider'd (says Fondlewife) how detestable, how Heinous, and how crying a Sinthe Sin of Adultery is? have you weighed I say? For it is a very weighty Sin: and, altho' it may lie——yet thy Husband must also bear his part; For thy iniquity will fall on his Head.p. 28.[114]I suppose this fit of Buffoonry and profaness, was to settle the Conscience of young Beginners, and to make the Terrors of Religion insignificant.BellmourdesiresLætitia to give him leave to swear by her Eyes and her Lips: He kisses the Strumpet, and tells her,Eternity was in that Moment.p. 31.38.p. 39.p. 39.[115]Lætitiais horibly profane in her Apology to her Husband; but having theStage-Protectionof Smut for her Guard, we must let her alone.[116]Fondlewifestalks under the same shelter, and abuses a plain Text of Scripture to an impudent Meaning.[117]A little before,Lætitiawhen her Intrigue withBellmourwas almost discover'd, supports her self with this Consideration.All my comfort lies in his impudence, and Heaven be prais'd, he has a Considerable Portion.[118]This is thePlay-houseGrace, and thus Lewdness is made a part of Devotion! Ther's another Instance still behind: 'Tis that ofSharpertoVain-Love, and lies thus.

I have been a kind of God Father to you, yonder: I have promis'd and vow'd something in your Name, which I think you are bound to Perform.Id. 49.[119]For Christians to droll upontheir Baptism is somewhat extraordinary; But since theBiblecan't escape, 'tis the less wonder to make bold with theCatechisme.

In theDouble Dealer, LadyPlyantcries outJesuand talks Smut in the same Sentence.Double Dealer. 34.[120]Sr.Paul Plyantwhom the Poet dub'd a Fool when he made him a Knight, talks very Piously!Blessed be Providence, a Poor unworthy Sinner, I am mightily beholden to Providence36.55.[121]: And the same word is thrice repeated upon an odd occasion.[122]The meaning must be thatProvidenceis a ridiculous supposition, and that none but Blockheads pretend to Religion. But the Poet can discover himself farther if need be. LadyFrothis pleas'd to callJehua Hackney Coachman.p. 40.[123]Upon this,Briskreplies,If Jehu was a Hackney Coachman, I am answer'd——you may put that into the Marginal Notes tho', to prevent Criticisms——only mark it with a small Asterisme and say——Jehu was formerly a Hackney Coachman.This for a heavy Piece of Profaness, is no doubt thought a lucky one, because it burlesques the Text, and the Comment, all under one. I could go on with theDouble Dealerbut he'll come in my way afterwards, and so I shall part with him at present. Let us now take a veiw ofDon Sebastian. And heretheReadercan't be long unfurnish'd.Doraxshall speak first.

Shall I trust HeavenWith my revenge? then where's my satisfaction?No, it must be my own, I scorn a Proxy.Sebast. p. 9.[124]

Shall I trust Heaven

With my revenge? then where's my satisfaction?

No, it must be my own, I scorn a Proxy.Sebast. p. 9.[124]

ButDoraxwas a Renegado, what then? He had renounc'd Christianity, but not Providence. Besides; such hideous Sentences ought not to be put in the Mouth of the Devil. For that which is not fit to be heard, is not fit to be spoken. But to some people an Atheistical Rant is as good as a Flourish of Trumpets. To proceed.Antoniotho' a profess'd Christian, mends the matter very little. He is looking on a Lot which he had drawn for his Life: This proving unlucky, after the preamble of a Curse or two, he calls it,

As black as Hell, an other lucky saying!I think the Devils in me:——good again,I cannot speak one syllable but tendsTo Death or to Damnation.Id. p. 10.[125]

As black as Hell, an other lucky saying!

I think the Devils in me:——good again,

I cannot speak one syllable but tends

To Death or to Damnation.Id. p. 10.[125]

Thus the Poet prepares his Bullies for the other World! Hell and Damnation are strange entertaining words upon theStage! Were it otherwise, the Sense in theseLines, would be almost as bad as the Conscience. ThePoemwarms and rises in the working: And the next Flight is extreamly remarkable:

Not the last sounding could surprize me more,That summons drowsy Mortals to their doom,When call'd in hast they fumble for their Limbs:p. 47.[126]

Not the last sounding could surprize me more,

That summons drowsy Mortals to their doom,

When call'd in hast they fumble for their Limbs:p. 47.[126]

Very Solemnly and Religiously express'd!LucianandCelsuscould not have ridiculed the Resurrection better! Certainly the Poet never expects to be there. Such a light Turn would have agreed much better to a Man who was in the Dark, and was feeling for his Stockings. But let those who talk ofFumblingfor their Limbs, take care they don't find them too fast. In the FourthActMustaphadates hisExaltation to Tumult,from the second Night of the MonthAbib.Id. p. 83.Exod. 12, 13.[127]Thus you have the Holy Text abused by CaptainTom; And the Bible torn by the Rabble! The Design of this Liberty I can't understand, unless it be to makeMustaphaas considerable asMoses; and the prevalence of a Tumult, as much a Miracle as the Deliverance out ofÆgypt. We have heard this Author hitherto in hisCharacters, let us hear him now in his own Person. In hisDedication of Aurenge Zebehe is so hardy asto affirm thathe who is too lightly reconciled after high Provocation, may Recommend himself to the World for a Christian, but I should hardly trust him for a Friend. And why is a Christian not fit to make a Friend of? Are the Principles of Christianity defective, and the Laws of it Ill contriv'd? Are the Interests and Capacities of Mankind overlook'd? Did our Great Master bind us to Disadvantage, and make our Duty our Misfortune? And did he grudge us all the Pleasures and Securities of Friendship? Are not all these horrid Suppositions? Are they not a flat Contradiction to theBible, and a Satyr on the Attributes of the Deity? Our Saviour tells us we mustforgive until Seventy times Seven; That is, we must never be tired out of Clemency and Good Nature. He has taught us to pray for the Forgiveness of our own Sins, only upon the Condition of forgiving others. Here is no exception upon the Repetition of the Fault, or the Quality of the Provocation. Mr.Drydento do him right, do's not dispute the Precept. He confesses this is the way to be a Christian: But for all that heshould hardly trust him for a Friend. And why so? Because the Italian Proverb says,He that forgives the second time is a Fool.Ibid.[128]This Lewd Proverb comes in for Authority,and is a piece of very pertinent Blasphemy! Thus in some PeoplesLogickone proof from Atheism, is worth Ten from theNew Testament. But here thePoetargues no better than he Believes. For most certainly, a Christian of all others is best qualified for Friendship. For He that loves his Neighbour as himself, and carries Benevolence and Good Nature beyond the Heights of Philosophy: He that is not govern'd by Vanity, or Design; He that prefers his Conscience to his Life, and has Courage to Maintain his Reason; He that is thus qualified must be a good Friend; And he that falls short, is no good Christian. And since thePoetis pleas'd to find fault with Christianity, let us examine his own Scheme.Our Minds (says he) are perpetually wrought on by the Temperament of our Bodies, which makes me suspect they are nearer Allyed than either our Philosophers, or School Divines will allow them to be.Ibid.[129]The meaning is, he suspects our Souls are nothing but Organiz'd Matter. Or in plain English, ourSoulsare nothing but our Bodies. And then when the Body dies you may guess what becomes of them! Thus the Authorities of Religion are weaken'd, and the prospect of the other World almost shut up. And is this a likely Supposition for Sincerity and good Nature? Do's Honouruse to rise upon the Ruines of Conscience? And are People the best Friends where they have the least Reason to be so? But not only the Inclinations to Friendship must Languish upon this Scheme, but the very Powers of it are as it were destroy'd. By this Systeme no Man can say his Soul is his own. He can't be assured the same Colours of Reason and Desire will last. Any little Accident fromwithoutmay metamorphose his Fancy, and push him upon a new set of Thoughts.MatterandMotionare the most Humorsom Capricious Things in Nature; and withall, the most Arbitrary and uncontroll'd. And can Constancy proceed from Chance, Choice from Fate, and Virtue from Necessity? In short a Man at this rate must be a Friend or an Enemy in spite of his Teeth, and just as long as theAtomsplease and no longer. Every Change inFigureandImpulse, must alter the Idea, and wear off the former Impression. So that by these Principles, Friendship will depend on theSeasons, and we must look in theWeather Glassfor our Inclinations. But this 'tis to Refine upon Revelation, and grow wiser than Wisdom! The same Author in his Dedication ofJuvenalandPersius, has these words:My Lord, I am come to the last Petition ofAbraham;Ded. p. 51.[130]If there be ten Righteous Lines in this vast Preface, spare it for their sake; and also spare the next City because it is but a little one. Here the Poet stands forAbraham; and the Patron for God Almighty: And where lies the Wit of all this? In the Decency of the Comparison? I doubt not. And for thenext Cityhe would have spared, he is out in the Allusion. 'Tis noZoar, but much ratherSodomandGomorrah, Let them take care the Fire and Brimstone does not follow: And that those who are so bold withAbraham's Petition, are not forced to that ofDives. To beg Protection for a Lewd Book inScripture Phrase, is very extraordinary! 'Tis in effect to Prostitute the Holy Rhetorick, and send theBibleto theBrothell! I can hardly imagin why these Tombs of Antiquity were raked in, and disturb'd? Unless it were to conjure up a departed Vice, and revive the Pagan Impurities: Unless it were to raise the Stench of the Vault, and Poyson the Living with the Dead. IndeedJuvenalhas a very untoward way with him in some of his Satyrs. His Pen has such a Libertine stroak that 'tis a Question whether the Practise, or the Reproof, the Age, or the Author, were the more Licentious. He teaches those Vices he wouldcorrect, and writes more like a Pimp, than aPoet. And truly I think there is but little of Lewdness lost in theTranslation. The Sixth and EleventhSatyrsare Particularly remarkable. Such nauseous stuff is almost enough to debauch theAlphabet, and make the Language scandalous. One would almost be sorry for the privilege ofSpeech, and the Invention ofLetters, to see them thus wretchedly abused. And since the Business must be undertaken, why was not the Thought Blanched, the Expression made remote, and the ill Features cast into shadows? I'm mistaken if we have not Lewdness enough of our own Growth, without Importing from our Neighbours. No. This can't be. An Author must have Right done him, and be shown in his own shape, and Complexion. Yes by all means! Vice must be disrobed, and People poyson'd, and all for the sake of Justice! To do Right to such an Author is to burn him. I hope Modesty is much better than Resemblance. The Imitation of an ill Thing is the worse for being exact: And sometimes to report a Fault is to repeat it.

To return to hisPlays. InLove Triumphant,GarciamakesVeramondthis Compliment:

May Heaven and your brave Son, and above all,Your own prevailing Genius guard your Age.Love Triumph. p. 3.[131]

May Heaven and your brave Son, and above all,

Your own prevailing Genius guard your Age.Love Triumph. p. 3.[131]

What is meant by his Genius, in this place, is not easy to Discover, only that 'tis something which is a better Guard than Heaven. But 'tis no Matter for the Sense, as long as the Profaness is clear. In thisAct, ColonelSancholetsCarlosknow the old Jew is dead, which he calls good news.

Carl.What Jew?

Sanch.Why the rich Jew my Father. He is gone to the Bosom, ofAbrahamhis Father, and I his Christian Son am left sole Heir.Id. p. 11.[132]A very mannerly Story! But why does the Poet acquaint us withSanchosReligion? The case is pretty plain: 'tis to give a lustre to his Profaness, and make him burlesque St.Lukewith the better Grace.Alphonsocomplains toVictoriathatNature doats with Age.Id. p. 11.[133]His reason is, because Brother and Sister can't Marry as they did at first: 'Tis very well! We know whatNaturemeans in the Language of Christianity, and especially under the Notion of a Law-giver.Alphonsogoes on, and compares the Possession of Incestuous Love to Heaven. Yes, 'tisEternity in Little.p. 34.[134]

It seems Lovers must be distracted or there's no diversion. A Flight of Madness like a FaulconsLessening, makes them the more gaz'd at! I am now coming to some of the Poets Divinity. And hereVengeance is said to be so sweet a Morsel,

That Heaven reserves it for its proper Tast.58.[135]

This belike is the meaning of those Texts,that God is good and Gracious, and slow to anger, and does not willingly afflict the Children of Men! From expounding the Bible he goes to theCommon Prayer. And asCarlosinterprets theOfficeofMatrimony,For Better, for Worse, isfor Virgin for Whore;p. 62.[136]And that the Reference might not be mistaken, the Poet is careful to put the Words inItalick, and great Letters. And by the way, He falls under thePenaltyof the Statute for Depraving theCommon Prayer.1st. Eliz. cap. 2.[137]

Sanchoupon reading a Letter which he did not like, criesDamn it, it must be all Orthodox.p. 63.[138]DamnandOrthodoxclapt together, make a lively Rant, because it looks like Cursing theCreeds. The most extraordinary passage is behind;Sanchowas unhappily Married:Carlos tells him, For your Comfort, Marriage they say is Holy. Sanchoreplies:Ay, and so is Martyrdom as they say, but both of them are good for just nothing, but to make an end of a Mans Life.p. 72.[139]I shall make no Reflections upon This: There needs no Reading upon a Monster: 'Tis shown enough by its own Deformity.Love for Lovehas a Strain like this, and therefore I shall put them together:Scandalsolicits Mrs.Foresight; She threatens to tell her Husband. He replys,He will die a Martyr rather then disclaim his Passion.Love for Love. p. 42.[140]Here we have Adultery dignified with the stile of Martyrdom: As if 'twas as Honourable to perish in Defence of Whoring, as to dye for the Faith of Christianity. But theseMartyrswill be a great while in burning, And therefore let no body strive to grace the Adventure, or encrease the Number. And now I am in thisPlaythe Reader shall have more.Jeremywho was bred at the University, calls the Natural Inclinations to Eating and Drinking,Whoreson Appetites. This is strange Language! TheManicheanswho made Creation the work of the Devil, could scarcely have been thus Coarse.26.[141]But thePoetwasJeremy'sTutor, and so that Mystery is at an end. Sr.Samsoncarries on the Expostulation, rails at the Structure of Human Bodies, and says,p. 27.[142]Nature has been Provident only to Bears, and Spiders; This is the Authors Paraphrase on the 139Psalm; And thus he gives God thanks for the Advantageof his Being! ThePlayadvances from one wickedness to another, from theWorksof God, to the Abuse of his Word. Foresightconfesses 'tis Natural for Men to mistake.p. 47.[143]Scandalreplies, You say true, Man will err, meer Man will err——but you are something more——There have been wise Men; but they were such as you——Men who consulted the Stars, and, were observers of Omens——Solomonwas wise but how?——by his judgment in Astrology.'Tis very well!SolomonandForesighthad their Understandings qualified alike. And pray what wasForesight? Why anIlliterate Fellow.A pretender to Dreams, Astrology, Palmistry&c. This is thePoetsaccount ofSolomon'sSupernatural Knowledge!Vid. Person. Dram.[144]Thus the wisest Prince is dwindled into a Gypsie! And the Glorious Miracle resolved into Dotage, and Figure-flinging!Scandalcontinues his Banter, and says, thewise Men of the East owed their Instruction to a Star; which is rightly observ'd byGregorythe Great in favour of Astrology. This was the Star which shone at our Saviour's Birth. Now who could imagine by the Levity of the occasion, that the Author thought it any better than anIgnis Fatuus, orSydrophel'sKite inHudibras? Sr.Sampsonand the fineAngelica, after some lewd raillery continue the Allegory, anddrive it up into Profaness. For this reason the Citation must be imperfect.

Sr.Samps. Sampson's a very good Name for——yourSampsonswere strong Dogs from the Beginning.p. 80.[145]

Angel.Have a care——If you remember the strongestSampsonof your Name, pull'd an old House over his Head at last. Here you have the Sacred History burlesqu'd, andSampsononce more brought into the House ofDagon, to make sport for thePhilistines! To draw towards an end of thisPlay. Tattlewould have carried offValentine's Mistress. This later, expresses his Resentment in a most Divine manner! TattleI thank you, you would have interposed between me and Heaven, but Providence has laid Purgatory in your way.p. 91.[146]Thus Heaven is debas'd into an Amour, and Providence brought in to direct the Paultry concerns of theStage! Angelicaconcludes much in the same strain:Men are generally Hypocrites And Infidels, they pretend to Worship, but have neither Zeal, nor Faith; How few likeValentinewould persevere unto Martyrdom? &c.p. 92.[147]Here you have the Language of theScriptures, and the most solemn Instances of Religion, prostituted to Courtship and Romance! Here you have a Mistress made God Almighty, Ador'd with Zeal and Faith,and Worship'd up to Martyrdom! This if 'twere only for the Modesty, is strange stuff for a Lady to say of her self. And had it not been for the profane Allusion, would have been cold enough in all Conscience.

TheProvok'd Wifefurnishes the Audience with a Drunken Atheistical Catch: 'Tis true this Song is afterwards said to beFull of Sin and Impudence.Prov. Wife p. 38.[148]But why then was it made? This Confession is a miserableSalvo; And the Antidote is much weaker than the Poyson: 'Tis just as if a Man should set a House in a Flame, and think to make amends by cryingFirein the Streets. In the lastAct Rasormakes his Discovery of the Plot againstBelindainScripturephrase. I'le give it theReaderin the Authors Dialogue.

Belind.I must know who put you upon all this Mischief.Id. p. 77.[149]

Rasor.Sathan And his Equipage. Woman tempted me, Lust weaken'd,——And so the Devil overcame me: As fellAdamso fell I.

Belind.Then pray Mr.Adamwill you make us acquainted with yourEve?

RasorunmasksMadamoselleand says,This is the Woman that tempted me: But this is the Serpent(meaning LadyFanciful)that tempted the Woman; And if my Prayers might be heard, her punishment for so doing should be like the Serpents of old, &c.ThisRasorin what we hear of him before, is all Roguery, and Debauch: But now he enters inSackcloth; and talks likeTribulationin theAlchemist. His Character is chang'd to make him the more profane; And his Habit, as well as Discourse, is a Jest upon Religion. I am forced to omit one Line of his Confession. The Design of it is to make theBibledeliver an obscene Thought: And because the Text would not bend into a Lewd Application; He alters the words for his purpose, but passes it for Scripture still. This sort of Entertainment is frequent in theRelapse. LordFoplingtonlaughs at the publick Solemnities of Religion, as if 'twas a ridiculous piece of Ignorance, to pretend to the Worship of a God. He discourses withBerinthiaandAmandain this mannerRelapse. p. 32, 33.[150]:Why Faith Madam,——Sunday is a vile Day, I must confess. A man must have very little to do at Church that can give an account of the Sermon.And a little after:is to mind what one should not do. Lorytells youngFashion, I have been in a lamentable Fright ever since that Conscience had the Impudence to intrude into your Company.His Master makes him this Comfortable Answer.Be at peace, it will come no more:——I have kick'd it down stairs.A little before he breaks out into this Rapture. Now Conscience I defie thee!p. 44, 45.Vid. Infra.[151]By the way we may observe, that this youngFashionis thePoetsFavorite.[152]BerinthiaandWorthy, twoCharactersof Figure, determine the point thus in defence of Pimping.

Berinth.Well, I would be glad to have no Bodies Sins to answer for but my own. But where there is a necessity——p. 51.[153]

Worth.Right as you say, where there is a Necessity; A Christian is bound to help his Neighbour.

Nurse, after a great deal of Profane Stuff concludes her expostulation in these words:But his Worship(YoungFashion)over-flows with his Mercy and his Bounty; He is not only pleas'd to forgive us our Sins——but which is more than all, has prevail'd with me to become the Wife of thy Bosom:p. 96, 97.[154]This is very heavy, and ill dress'd. And an Atheist must be sharp set to relish it. The VertuousAmanda, makes no scruple to charge the Bible with untruths.

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