A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage. Jeremy Collier
had been better contriv'd. Since he was resolv'd to drown the Lady like a Kitten, he should have set her a swimming a little sooner. To keep her alive only to sully her Reputation, and discover the Rankness of her Breath, was very Cruel. But it may be said the Freedoms of Distraction go for nothing, a Feavour has no Faults, and a Man non Compos, may kill without Murther. It may be so: But then such People ought to be kept in dark Rooms and without Company. To shew them, or let them loose, is somewhat unreasonable. But after all, the Modern Stage seems to depend upon this Expedient. Women are sometimes represented Silly, and sometimes Mad, to enlarge their Liberty, and screen their Impudence from Censure: This Politick Contrivance we have in Marcella,Don Quixot. Relapse. Love for Love.[4] Hoyden,[5] and Miss Prue.[6] However it amounts to this Confession; that Women when they have their Understandings about them ought to converse otherwise. In fine; Modesty is the distinguishing Vertue of that Sex, and serves both for Ornament and Defence: Modesty was design'd by Providence as a Guard to Virtue; And that it might be always at Hand, 'tis wrought into the Mechanism of the Body. 'Tis likewise proportioned to the occasions of Life, and strongest in Youth when Passion is so too. 'Tis a Quality as true to Innocence, as the Sences are to Health; whatever is ungrateful to the first, is prejudicial to the latter. The Enemy no sooner approaches, but the Blood rises in Opposition, and looks Defyance to an Indecency. It supplys the room of Reasoning, and Collection: Intuitive Knowledge can scarcely make a quicker Impression; And what then can be a surer Guide to the Unexperienced? It teaches by suddain Instinct and Aversion; This is both a ready and a powerful Method of instruction. The Tumult of the Blood and Spirits, and the Uneasiness of the Sensation, are of singular Use. They serve to awaken Reason, and prevent surprize. Thus the Distinctions of Good and Evil are refresh'd, and the Temptation kept at proper Distance.
2ly. They Represent their single Ladys, and Persons of Condition, under these Disorders of Liberty, This makes the Irregularity still more Monstrous and a greater Contradiction to Nature, and Probability: But rather than not be Vitious, they will venture to spoil a Character. This mismanagement we have partly seen already. Jacinta,Mock Astrologer. Old Batchelour.[7] and Belinda[8] are farther proof. And the Double Dealer is particularly remarkable. There are but Four Ladys in this Play, and Three of the biggest of them are Whores. A Great Compliment to Quality to tell them there is not above a quarter of them Honest! This was not the Roman Breeding, Terence and Plautus his Strumpets were Little people; but of this more hereafter.
3dly. They have oftentimes not so much as the poor refuge of a Double Meaning to fly to. So that you are under a necessity either of taking Ribaldry or Nonsence. And when the Sentence has two Handles, the worst is generally turn'd to the Audience. The Matter is so Contrived that the Smut and Scum of the Thought rises uppermost; And like a Picture drawn to Sight, looks always upon the Company.
4ly. And which is still more extraordinary: the Prologues, and Epilogues are sometimes Scandalous to the last degree.Mock Astrologer. Country Wife. Cleomenes. Old Batchelour.[9] I shall discover them for once, and let them stand like Rocks in the Margin. Now here properly speaking the Actors quit the Stage, and remove from Fiction, into Life. Here they converse with the Boxes, and Pit, and address directly to the Audience. These Preliminarie and concluding Parts, are design'd to justify the Conduct of the Play, and bespeak the Favour of the Company. Upon such Occasions one would imagine if ever, the Ladys should be used with Respect, and the Measures of Decency observ'd, But here we have Lewdness without Shame or Example: Here the Poet exceeds himself. Here are such Strains as would turn the Stomach, of an ordinary Debauchee, and be almost nauseous in the Stews. And to make it the more agreeable, Women are Commonly pick'd out for this Service. Thus the Poet Courts the good opinion of the Audience. This is the Desert he regales the Ladys with at the Close of the Entertainment: It seems He thinks They have admirable Palats! Nothing can be a greater Breach of Manners then such Liberties as these. If a Man would study to outrage Quality and Vertue, he could not do it more Effectually. But
5thly. Smut is still more insufferable with respect to Religion. The Heathen Religion was in a great Measure a Mystery of Iniquity. Lewdness was Consecrated in the Temples, as well as practised in the Stews. Their Deitys were great Examples of Vice, and worship'd with their own Inclination. 'Tis no wonder therefore their Poetry should be tinctured with their Belief, and that the Stage should borrow some of the Liberties of their Theology. This made Mercurys Procuring, and Jupiters Adultery the more passable in AmphitrionPlaut. Cistellar. Terent. Eunuch.[10]: Upon this Score Gymnasium[11] is less Monstrous in Praying the Gods to send her store of Gallants. And thus Chæræa[12] defends his Adventure by the Precedent of Jupiter and Danæ. But the Christian Religion is quite of an other Complexion. Both its Precepts, and Authorities, are the highest discouragement to Licentiousness. It forbids the remotest Tendencies to Evil, Banishes the Follies of Conversation, and Obliges up to Sobriety of Thought. That which might pass for Raillery, and Entertainment in Heathenism, is detestable in Christianity. The Restraint of the Precept, and the Quality of the Deity, and the Expectations of Futurity quite alter the Case.
But notwithstanding the Latitudes of Paganism, the Roman and Greek Theatres were much more inoffensive than ours. To begin with Plautus. This Comedian, tho' the most exceptionable, is modest upon the Comparison. For
1st. He rarely gives any of the above mention'd Liberties to Women; And when there are any Instances of the contrary, 'tis only in prostituted and Vulgar People; And even these, don't come up to the Grossness of the Modern Stage.
For the Purpose. CleæretaAsinar. Cistellar. Bacchid. Casin. Mercat. Act. 3. Persa. Trucul.[13] the Procuris borders a little upon Rudeness: Lena[14] and Bacchis[15] the Strumpet are Airy and somewhat over-merry, but not A l'Anglois obscene. Chalinus[16] in Womans Cloaths is the most remarkable. Pasicompa Charinus his Wench talks too freely to Lysimachus;[17] And so does Sophroclidisca Slave to Lemnoselene.[18] And lastly: Phronesiam a Woman of the Town uses a double entendre to Stratophanes.[19] These are the most censurable Passages, and I think all of them with relation to Women; which considering how the World goes is very moderate. Several of our Single Plays shall far out-do all This put together. And yet Plautus has upon the matter left us 20 entire Comedies. So that in short, these Roman Lasses are meer Vestal Virgins, comparatively speaking.
2ly. The Men who talk intemperately are generally Slaves; I believe DordalusPersa. Trinum.[20] the Pandar, and Lusiteles[21] will be found the only exception: And this latter young Gentleman; drops but one over airy expression: And for this Freedom, the Poet seems to make him give Satisfaction in the rest of his Character. He disputes very handsomly by himself against irregular Love; The Discourse between him and Philto is instructive and well managed.Act. 2. 1. Act. 2. 2.[22] And afterwards he gives Lesbonicus a great deal of sober advice,[23] and declaims heartily against Luxury and Lewdness! Now by confining his Rudeness to little People, the Fault is much extenuated. For First, the representation is more Naturally this way; And which is still better, 'tis not so likely to pass into Imitation: Slaves and Clowns are not big enough to spread Infection; and set up an ill Fashion. 'Tis possible the Poet might contrive these Pesants Offensive to discountenance the Practise. Thus the Heilots in Sparta were made drunk to keep Intemperance out of Credit. I don't mention this as if I approv'd the Expedient, but only to show it a circumstance of Mitigation and Excuse.
Farther, These Slaves and Pandars, Seldom run over, and play their Gambols before Women. There are but Four Instances of this Kind as I remember, Olympio,Casin. Mil. Glor. Pers. Trucul.[24] Palæstrio,[25] Dordalus,[26] and Stratilax[27] are the Persons. And the Women they discourse with, are two of them Slaves, and the third a Wench. But with our Dramatists, the case is otherwise. With us Smuttiness