A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage. Jeremy Collier
Earl for the same Quality.[99]
Such Passions, Such Expressions meet my Eye,
Such Wit untainted with Obscenity.
And as I remember Jasper Main has some stroaks to the same purpose.Ibid.[100] Fletcher is still more full for the Cause. Indeed nothing can be more express. He delivers himself by way of Prologue; where the Poet speaks in his own Person. The Prologue to the Woman-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 the Knight of the Burning Pestle, part of the Prologue runs thus. They were banish'd the Theatre at Athens, and from Rome hiss'd, that brought Parasites on the Stage with Apish Actions, or Fools with uncivil Habits, or Courtezans with immodest words. Afterwards Prologue, 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.
I have quoted nothing but Comedy in this Author. The Coronation is another. And the Prologue tells 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 least
Excuse him, cause his Thought aim'd at the Best.
Thus these Poets are in their Judgments clearly ours. 'Tis true their Hand was not always steady. But thus much may be aver'd, that Fletcher's later Plays are the most inoffensive. This is either a sign of the Poets Reformation; or that the exceptionable Passages belonged to Beaumont, who dyed first.
To these Authorities of our own Nation, I shall add a considerable Testimony out of Mr. Corneille. This Author was sensible that tho' the Expression of his Theodore was altogether unsmutty,Theodore. Ed. Roven. Ep. Ded.[101] 'Yet the bare Idea of Prostitution uneffected, shock'd the Audience, and made the Play miscarry. The Poet protests 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. Augustine declaim'd against, were not such as the French. For theirs are not spectacles of Turpitude, as that Father justly calls those of his Time. The French generally speaking, containing nothing but examples of Innocence, Piety and Virtue.'
In this Citation we have the Opinion of the Poet, the Practise of the French Theatre, and the Sense of that Nation, and all very full to our purpose.
To conclude this Chapter. By what has been offer'd, it appears that the Present English Stage is superlatively Scandalous. It exceeds the Liberties of all Times and Countries: It has not so much as the poor plea of a Precedent, to which most other ill Things may claim a pretence. 'Tis mostly meer Discovery and Invention: A new World of Vice found out, and planted with all the Industry imaginable. Aristophanes himself, how bad soever in other respects, does not amplyfie, and flourish, and run through all the Topicks of Lewdness like these Men. The Miscellany Poems are likewise horribly Licentious. They are sometimes Collections from Antiquity, and often, the worst parts of the worst Poets. And to mend the Matter, the Christian Translation, is more nauseous than the Pagan Original. 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.
CHAP. II.
The Profaness of the Stage.
An other Instance of the Disorders of the Stage is their Profaness: 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.
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 with Oaths. At some times, and with some Poets Swearing 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 the Rhetorick, 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 the Image and Superscription are 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 the Old Batchelour, Double Dealer, and Love for Love. And to mention no more, Don Quixot, the Provok'd Wife, and the Relapse, are particularly rampant and scandalous. The English Stage exceed their predecessors in this, as well as other Branches of immorality. Shakespear is comparatively sober, Ben Jonson is still more regular; And as for Beaument and Fletcher, In their Plays they 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 not many 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? The Poets are of all People most to blame. They want even the Plea of Bullies and Sharpers. 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 all Malice 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 against Swearing. 3d Jac. 1 cap. 21. is expresly against the Playhouse. 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.