A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage. Jeremy Collier
are laid for the undermining of Virtue, and with what Triumph is the Victory proclaim'd? The Finess of the Plot, and the Life of the Entertainment often lies in these Contrivances. But the Romans had a different sence of these Matters, and saw thro' the consequences of them. The Government was awake upon the Theatre, and would not suffer the Abuses of Honour, and Family, to pass into Diversion. And before we part with these Comedians we may take notice that there are no Smutty Songs in their Plays; in which the English are extreamly Scandalous.Love for Love. Love Triump. &c.[42] Now to work up their Lewdness with Verse, and Musick, doubles the Force of the Mischief. It makes it more portable and at Hand, and drives it Stronger upon Fancy and Practice.
To dispatch the Latins all together. Seneca is clean throughout the Piece, and stands generally off from the point of Love. He has no Courting unless in his Hercules Furens;p. 14. Ed. Scriv.[43] And here the Tyrant Lycus addresses Megara very briefly, and in Modest and remote Language. In his Thebais, Oedipus's Incest is reported at large, but without any choaking Description. 'Tis granted Phædra speaks her Passion plainly out, and owns the strength of the Impression, and is far less prudent than in Euripides.Hippol.[44] But tho' her Thoughts appear too freely, her Language is under Discipline.
Let us now Travel from Italy into Greece, and take a view of the Theatre at Athens. In this City the Stage had both its beginning and highest Improvement. Æschylus was the first who appear'd with any Reputation. His Genius seems noble, and his Mind generous, willing to transfuse it self into the Audience, and inspire them with a Spirit of Bravery. To this purpose his Stile is Pompous, Martial, and Enterprizing. There is Drum and Trumpet in his Verse. 'Tis apt to excite an Heroick Ardour, to awaken, warm, and push forward to Action. But his Mettal is not always under Management. His Inclination for the Sublime; carrys him too far: He is sometimes Embarrass'd with Epithites. His Metaphors are too stiff, and far fetch'd; and he rises rather in Sound, than in Sence. However generally speaking, his Materials are both shining and solid, and his Thoughts lofty, and uncommon. This Tragedian had always a nice regard to Good Manners. He knew corrupting the People was the greatest disservice to the Commonwealth; And that Publick Ruine was the effect of general Debauchery. For this reason he declines the Business of Amours, and declares expresly against it.Aristoph. Ran.[45] Now here we can't expect any length of Testimony. His aversion to the subject makes him touch very sparingly upon it. But in this case there is no need of much citation. His very Omissions are Arguments, and his Evidence is the stronger for being short. That little I meet with shall be produced.
1st. Orestes was obliged by the Oracle to revenge his Fathers Death in the Murther of his Mother.Χοηφορ. 253, Ed. Steph. Orest. 48. Ed. Cantab. Ευμεν. 305.[46] When he was going to kill her, he Mentions her Cruelty, but waves her Adultery. Euripides approv'd this Reservedness and makes his Electra practise it upon the same occasion.[47] Æschylus in his next Play complements his Country with a great deal of Address in the Persons of the Eumenides.[48] They are very Gentile and Poetical in their Civilities: Among other things They wish the Virgins may all Marry and make the Country Populous: Here the Poet do's but just glance upon the Subject of Love; and yet he governs the Expression with such care, that the wishes contain a Hint to Sobriety, and carry a Face of Virtue along with them.
The Double Dealer runs Riot upon such an Occasion as this; and gives Lord Touchwood a mixture of Smut and Pedantry to conclude with,p. 79.[49] and yet this Lord was one of his best Characters: But Poets are now grown Absolute within themselves, and may put Sence and Quality upon what Drudgeries they please. To return. Danaus cautions his Daughters very handsomly in point of Behaviour. They were in a strange Country, and had Poverty and Dependance to struggle with: These were circumstances of Danger, and might make him the more pressing. He leaves therefore a solemn Charge with them for their Security, bids them never to subsist upon Infamy, but to prefer their Virtue to their Life.
Μόνον φύλαξαι τάς δ' ἐπιστολὰς πατρὸςἹκέτ. 340.[50]
Τὸ σωφρονεῖν τιμῶσα του βίου πλέον.
Our Poets I suppose would call this Preaching, and think it a dull Business. However I can't forbear saying an honest Heathen is none of the worst Men: A very indifferent Religion well Believed, will go a great way.
To proceed. Sophocles appear'd next upon the Stage, and was in earnest an Extraordinary Person. His Conduct is more Artificial, and his Stile more just, than that of Æschylus. His Characters are well drawn, and Uniform with themselves: His Incidents, are often surprising, and his Plots unprecipitated. There is nothing but what is Great, and Solemn Throughout. The Reasoning is well Coloured. The Figures are sometimes Bold, but not Extravagant. There are no Flights of Bombast, no Towring above Nature and Possibility: In short, Nothing like Don Sebastians Reigning in his Atomes.Don Sebast. p. 12.[51]
This Tragedian like Æschylus does not often concern himself with Amours, and when he does, nothing can be more temperate, and decent. For example where the Incest of Oedipus is described,Oedip. Tyran. Ed Steph. Antig. 242. 244.[52] the Offensiveness of the Idea is screen'd off and broken by Metaphorical and distant Expressions. In another Play[53] Creon resolves to put Antigone to Death for presuming to bury Polynices. This Lady and Hæmon Creons Son were very far engaged; Hæmon endeavours to disswade his Father from Antigones Execution: He tells him the burying her Brother tho' against his Order, was a popular Action. And that the People would resent her being punish'd: But never so much as mentions his own Concern unless in one Line; which was so obscure that Creon misunderstood him. Antigone amongst her other Misfortunes laments her dying Young and Single, but says not one word about Hæmon. The Poet takes care not to bring these two Lovers upon the Stage together, for fear they might prove unmanagable? Had They been with us, they had met with kinder treatment. They might have had Interviews and Time and Freedom enough. Enough to mud their Fancy, to tarnish their Quality, and make their Passion Scandalous. In the Relation of Hæmons Death, his Love is related too, and that with all the Life and Pathos imaginable. But the Description is within the Terms of Honour: The tendernesses are Solemn, as well as Soft: They move to Ibid. 264.[54]Pity and Concern, and go no farther. In his Trachiniæ the Chorus owns the Force of Love next to irresistable; gently hints the Intrigues of the Gods, and then passes on to a handsome Trach. 348.[55]Image of the Combat between Achelous and Hercules. We see how lightly the Poet touches upon an amorous Theme: He glides along like a Swallow upon the Water, and skims the Surface, without dipping a Feather.
Sophocles will afford us no more, let us therefore take a view of Euripides. 'Tis the Method of this Author to decline the Singularities of the Stage, and to appear with an Air of Conversation. He delivers great Thoughts in Common Language, and is dress'd more like a Gentleman than a Player. His Distinction lies in the perspicuity of his Stile; In Maxim, and Moral Reflection; In his peculiar Happiness for touching the Passions, especially that of Pity; And lastly, in exhausting the Cause, and arguing pro and Con, upon the streach of Reason. So much by way of Character. And as for the Matter before us He is entirely Ours. We have had an Instance or two already in Electra and Phædra: To go on to the rest. In his Hippolitus He calls Whoring, stupidness and playing the Fool. And to be Chast and regular, is with him, as well as with Æschylus, Σωφρονεῖν. As much as to say 'tis the Consequence of Sence, and right Thinking. Phædra when her Thoughts were embarrass'd with Hippolitus, endeavours to disentangle her self by Argument.Μωρία τὸ Μῶρον Ed. Cant. 241. 250. 252.[56] She declaims with a great deal of Satyr against intemperate Women; she concluded rather to die then dishonour her Husband and Stain her Family. The Blemishes of Parents, as she goes on, often stuck upon their Children, and made them appear with Disadvantage. Upon this, the Chorus is transported with the Virtue of