A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage / Together with the Sense of Antiquity on this Argument

Jeremy Collier

The Immodesty of the Stage.

The Profaness of the Stage.

The Clergy abused by the Stage.

The Stage-Poets make their Principal Persons Vitious, and reward them at the End of the Play.

Remarks upon Amphytrion, King Arthur, Don Quixote, and the Relapse. SECTION I.

The Opinion of Paganism, of the Church, and State, concerning the Stage.

The errata have been applied. They appear in the text like this, and the explanation will appear when the mouse pointer is moved over the marked passage. Otherwise no attempt has been made to distinguish likely typographical errors from the natural variability of 17th century orthography.

A few short phrases proved illegible on the scan: these are marked [......].

Transcriber's note:

The errata have been applied without further annotation. Otherwise no attempt has been made to distinguish likely typographical errors from the natural variability of 17th century orthography.

The marginal notes have been changed to footnotes, marked thus ^[123].

A few short phrases proved illegible on the scan: these are marked [......].

A SHORT

VIEW

OF THE

Immorality, and Profaneness

OF THE

English Stage,

TOGETHER

With the Sence of Antiquity
upon this Argument,

By JEREMY COLLIER, M.A.

London, Printed for S. Keble at the Turk's-Head
in Fleetstreet, R. Sare at Gray's-Inn-Gate,
and H. Hindmarsh against the Exchange in
Cornhil. 1698.

THE

PREFACE

Being convinc'd that nothing has gone farther in Debauching the Age than the Stage Poets, and Play-House, I thought I could not employ my time better than in writing against them. These Men sure, take Vertue and Regularity, for great Enemies, why else is their Disaffection so very Remarkable? It must be said, They have made their Attack with great Courage, and gain'd no inconsiderable Advantage. But it seems Lewdness without Atheism, is but half their Business. Conscience might possibly recover, and Revenge be thought on; and therefore like Foot-Pads, they must not only Rob, but Murther. To do them right their Measures are Politickly taken: To make sure work on't, there's nothing like Destroying of Principles; Practise must follow of Course. For to have no good Principles, is to have no Reason to be Good. Now 'tis not to be expected that people should check their Appetites, and balk their Satisfactions, they don't know why. If Virtue has no Prospect, 'tis not worth the owning. Who would be troubled with Conscience if 'tis only a Bugbear, and has nothing in't but Vision, and the Spleen?

My Collection from the English Stage, is much short of what They are able to furnish. An Inventory of their Ware-House would have been a large Work: But being afraid of over charging the Reader, I thought a Pattern might do.

In Translating the Fathers, I have endeavour'd to keep close to their Meaning: However, in some few places, I have taken the Liberty of throwing in a Word or two; To clear the Sense, to preserve the Spirit of the Original, and keep the English upon its Legs.

There's one thing more to acquaint the Reader with; 'Tis that I have Ventured to change the Terms of Mistress and Lover, for others somewhat more Plain, but much more Proper. I don't look upon This as any failure in Civility. As Good and Evil are different in Themselves, so they ought to be differently Mark'd. To confound them in Speech, is the way to confound them in Practise. Ill Qualities ought to have ill Names, to prevent their being Catching. Indeed Things are in a great measure Govern'd by Words: To Guild over a foul Character, serves only to perplex the Idea, to encourage the Bad, and mislead the Unwary. To treat Honour, and Infamy alike, is an injury to Virtue, and a sort of Levelling in Morality. I confess, I have no Ceremony for Debauchery. For to Compliment Vice, is but one Remove from worshipping the Devil.

March 5th. 16978.

THE

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

The Introduction.

Page 1

The Immodesty of the Stage.

p. 3

The Ill Consequences of this Liberty.

p. 5

Immodesty a Breach of good Behaviour.

p. 6

The Stage faulty in this respect to a very Scandalous degree.

p. 8

Modesty the Character of Women.

p. 9

The Natural Serviceableness of this Quality.

p. 11

Immodesty much more insufferable, under the Christian, than under the Heathen Religion.

p. 14

The Roman, and Greek Theatres more inoffensive than the English.

p. 15

This proved from Plautus.

Ibid.

From Terence.

p. 20

From Seneca's Tragedies.

p. 25

The Comparison carried on to the Theatre at Athens.

Ibid.

A short Character of Æschylus.

p. 26

The Cleaness of his Expression.

p. 27

The Genius and Conduct of Sophocles.

p. 28

The Sobriety of his Plays.

p. 29

Euripides's Character distinguished from the two former.

p. 30

The Reserv'dness of his Stile.

p. 31

All Humours not fit for Representation.

p. 35

A Censure of Aristophanes.

p. 36

Aristophanes his Testimony against himself.

p. 48

The Authorities of

brace

Ben. Johnson.
Beaumont & Fletcher.
And Corneille.
against the present Stage.

p. 51
p. 52
p. 53

CHAP. II.

The Prophaneness of the Stage.

This Charge prov'd upon them,

I. By their Cursing and Swearing.

p. 57

The English Stage formerly less hardy in this respect.

Ibid.

The provokingness of this Sin.

p. 58

This Offence punishable by Law, and how far.

p. 59

Swearing in the Play House an Un-Gentlemanly, as well as an Un-Christian practise.

A Second Branch of the Profaness of the Stage, consisting in their Abuse of Religion, and the Holy Scriptures.

p. 60

Instances of this Liberty in the Mock Astrologer.

Ib.

In the Orphan.

p. 62

In the Old Batchelour, and Double Dealer.

p. 63, 64

In Don Sebastian.

p. 65

Breif Remarks upon a Passage or two in the Dedications of Aurenge Zebe, and the Translation of Juvenal.

p. 66, 69

Farther Instances of Profaneness in Love Triumphant.

p. 72

In Love for Love.

p. 74

In the provok'd Wife.

p. 77

And in the Relapse.

p. 78

The Horrid Impiety of this Liberty.

p. 80

The Stage guilty of down right Blasphemy.

This Charge made good from several of the Plays above mention'd.

p. 82

The Comparative Regularity of the Heathen Stage, exemplyfied in Terence, and Plautus.

p. 86

And in the Greek Tragedians.

p. 87

Seneca more exceptionable than the Greeks, but not so faulty as the Modern Stage.

p. 94

This outraging of Religion Intolerable.

p. 95

CHAP. III.

The Clergy abused by the Stage.

p. 98

This Usage both
And

brace

Unpresidented.
Unreasonable.

p. 112
p. 127

The Misbehaviour of the Stage upon this account.

p. 138

CHAP. IV.

Immorality encouraged by the Stage.

p. 140

The Stage Poets make Libertines their Top-Characters, and give them Success in their Debauchery.

p. 142

A Character of their fine Gentleman.

p. 143

Their fine Ladies Accomplish'd much after the same manner.

p. 146

The Young People of Figure in Plautus and Terence, have a greater regard to Morality.

Ibid.

The Defence in the Preface to the Mock-Astrologer, not sufficient.

p. 148

The Christian Religion makes a great difference in the Case.

p. 149

Horace of a Contrary Opinion to the Mock-Astrologer.

p. 150

The Mock-Astrologer's Instances from Ben Johnson Unserviceable.

p. 151

The Authority of Shakespear against the Mock-Astrologer.

p. 154

His Maxim founded on the difference between Tragedy, and Comedy, a Mistake.

p. 155

Delight not the Chief-End of Comedy.

p. 157

This Assertion prov'd against the Mock-Astrologer from the Testimonies of Rapin.

Ibid.

And Ben Johnson.

p. 158

Aristotle, and Quintilian, cited to the same purpose

p. 159, 161

To make Delight the main Business in Comedy, dangerous, and unreasonable.

p. 162

The improper Conduct of the Stage with respect to Poetry, and Ceremony.

p. 165

Extravagant Rants.

p. 167

Gingles in the Spanish Fryar, King Arthur, and Love Triumphant.

p. 169

Women roughly treated by the Stage.

p. 171

Their coarse Usage of the Nobility.

p. 173

These Freedoms peculiar to the English Stage.

p. 175

CHAP. V.

SECT. I.

Remarks upon Amphytrion.

p. 177

The Machines prophane, smutty, and out of the Character.

p. 178

The singularity of the Poet in this point.

p. 180

Blasphemy in Absalom and Achitophel.

p. 184

A Poem upon the Fall of the Angels, call'd a Fairy way of Writing.

p. 189

The Punishment of the Damned ridiculed.

p. 192

SECT. II.

Remarks on the Comical History of Don Quixot.

p. 196

The Poets horrible Prophaneness.

p. 197

His want of Modesty, and Regard to the Audience.

p. 202

All Imitations of Nature not proper for the Stage.

p. 204

The Poets Talent in Raillery, and Dedication.

p. 205

SECT. III.

Remarks on the Relapse.

p. 209

A Misnommer in the Title of the Play.

p. 210

The Moral Vitious.

p. 211

The Plot ill Contriv'd.

p. 212

The Manners or Characters out of Order.

p. 218

The three Dramatick Unities broken.

p. 228

CHAP. VI.

The Opinion of the Heathen Philosophers, Orators, and Historians, concerning the Stage.

p. 233

The Stage censured by the State. This proved from the Constitutions of Athens, Sparta, and Rome.

p. 240

Farther Instances of this publick Discountentance in the Theodosian Code.

p. 241

In our own Statute Book.

p. 242

And in the late Order of the French King.

p. 243

An Order of the Bishop of Arras against Plays.

p. 245

The Stage Condemn'd by the Primitive Church.

p. 250

The Councils of Illiberis, Arles, &c. cited.

Ibid.

The Testimony's of the Fathers against the Stage, particularly, of Theophilus Antiochenus.

p. 252

Of Tertullian.

p. 253

Of Clemens Alexandrinus.

p. 260

Of Minutius Foelix.

p. 261

Of St. Cyprian.

Ibid.

Lactantius.

p. 265

St. Chrisostom.

p. 267

St. Hierom.

p. 272

And St. Augustine cited to the same purpose.

p. 273

The Censure of the Fathers, and Councils &c. applicable to the English Stage.

p. 276

The Conclusion.

p. 280

ERRATA.

Page 31 Margin for Κῶρον, r. Μῶρον. p. 37. l. 1. for by his, r. his. l. 2. for other, r. his other. l. 25. for prÆstr, r. prÆter. p. 39. l. 18. for Poets, Knaves, r. Poets Knaves. p. 44. l. 14. for Concianotores, r. Concionatores. p. 45. l. 25. for Debaush, r. Debauchee. p. 46. l. 9. for Enterprizes, r. Enterprize. p. 47. l. 9. for ridicules, r. ridiculous. p. 52. l. 1. for justifying, r. and justifie. p. 60. l. 2. for tempestiuous, r. tempestuous. l. 31. for pray, r. should pray. p. 80. for executed, r. exerted. p. 108. l. 4. for Antarkick. r. Antartick. p. 117. l. 12. for Angitia, r. AngitiÆ. p. 121. l. 24. for Auger, r. Augur. p. 135. margin, for Heglins Cogmog, r. Heylins Cosmog. p. 154. l. 22. dele up. p. 163. l. 28. for then, r. therefore. p. 183. l. 6. for to, r. too. p. 186. l. 6. dele And. p. 191. l. 18. for Circumstance, r. Circumstances. p. 222. l. 9. for Cup, r. a Cup. p. 237. l. 2. for apon't, r. upon't. 245. l. 25. for Le, r. Les. p. 257. l. 28. for Correspondence r. this Correspondence. p. 272. l. 9. for himself. r. themselves.

The Litteral mistakes the Reader is Desired to Correct.

Essays upon several Moral Subjects in two parts the Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged by Jeremy Collier, M.A.

Human Prudence, or the Art by which a man may raise himself and his Fortune to Grandure, the Seventh Edition.

An Answer to all the Excuses and Pretences that men usually make for their not coming to the Holy Communion, by a Divine of the Church of England: Fitted for the meanest Capacity, and proper to be given away by such Persons as are Charitably Inclin'd. Price 3 pence.

THE INTRODUCTION.

The business of Plays is to recomend Virtue, and discountenance Vice; To shew the Uncertainty of Humane Greatness, the suddain Turns of Fate, and the Unhappy Conclusions of Violence and Injustice: 'Tis to expose the Singularities of Pride and Fancy, to make Folly and Falsehood contemptible, and to bring every Thing that is Ill Under Infamy, and Neglect. This Design has been oddly pursued by the English Stage. Our Poets write with a different View, and are gone into an other Interest. 'Tis true, were their Intentions fair, they might be Serviceable to this Purpose. They have in a great measure the Springs of Thought and Inclination in their Power. Show, Musick, Action, and Rhetorick, are moving Entertainments; and rightly employ'd would be very significant. But Force and Motion are Things indifferent, and the Use lies chiefly in the Application. These Advantages are now, in the Enemies Hand, and under a very dangerous Management. Like Cannon seized they are pointed the wrong way, and by the Strength of the Defence the Mischief is made the greater. That this Complaint is not unreasonable I shall endeavour to prove by shewing the Misbehaviour of the Stage with respect to Morality, and Religion. Their Liberties, in the Following Particulars are intolerable. viz. Their Smuttiness of Expression; Their Swearing, Profainness, and Lewd Application of Scripture; Their Abuse of the Clergy; Their making their Top Characters Libertines, and giving them Success in their Debauchery. This Charge, with some other Irregularities, I shall make good against the Stage, and shew both the Novelty and Scandal of the Practise. And first, I shall begin with the Rankness, and Indecency of their Language.

CHAP. I.

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