DEFENCE Short View _ OF THE Profanenefs and Immorality OFTHE Englifh S TA GE, re. Being a REPLY To Mr. Congreve’s Amendments, oe. "And to the Vindication ofthe Author of the Relapfe.' By feremy Collier, M. A. Fortem animum preftant rebus quas turpiter audents . Juven. Sat. 6¢ “LONDON: Printed for S. Keble at the Turks-Head im Fleet-\. freer, and R. Seve at Grays-Lnn-gate., 1705.ren te wong, br tinted C, divave. 4. in oF i eit bef re) {‘Toth READER. Ince the publifbing mylateV iow ,&c.] have S been plentifully raild ow in Print : This - gives me fome reafon to fufpect the Anfwe- rers and the Caufe are aot altogether unlike. - Had there been nothing but plain Argument to encounter, I think Tmight have ventur'd ay Book with them : But being charg’d with mifcitations and unfair Dealing, "twas re- quifite to fay fomething : For Honefty ts aten- der point, and ought not to be neglected. Mr, Congreve and the Author of the Re- laple, being the moft eazer Complainants, and Principals zz the Difpute, I have made it my chotce tojatisie them. As for the Volun- teers, they will find themfelves affetted with the Fortune of their Friends , and befides, T may probably have an Opportunity of {peaking farther with them hereafter. ; * Notwithftanding the fingular Management of the Poets and Play-Houfe, I have fad the fatisfaction to perceive, the Intereft of Vir- tue is not altogether Sunk, bat that Confci- ence and Modefly have ftill fome Footing a- mong 5. This Confideration makes me hope & little farther Difcovery of the Stage may not be unacceptable, The Reader then may pleafe to take notice, that the Plot and no Plot fearsrears at length, and is feandalonfly Smutty and Profane. The Fool in Fafhion for the fir ff four Ads is liable to the fame Imputation: ‘Something in Swearing abated, Cafar Bor- gia, ard Loveina Nunnery : ave xo better Complexion'd than the former. And laftly, Limberham, and the Soldier’s Fortune, are meer prodigies of Lewdne/s and Irreligion. If this general Accu[stion appears too hard, I 4m ready tomake it good: ’Twere eafy to proceed tomany other Plays, but poffibly this Pisce may not be fo proper to entarge upon the Subject. Some cf the Stage-Advocates pretend my Remarks on their Poetry are foreign to the Bufinefs. On the Contrary, I conceive it very defenfible to difarm an Adverfary, if it may be, and difable him from doing Mifchief. To expofe that which would expofe Religi- on, is awarrantable wty of Reprizals. Thofe who paint for Debauchery, fhould have the Fucus pull off and the Coarfiefs underneath difeower'd. The Poets are the Uggreffors, ler then: lay doxn their Arms firft. We bave fof ed under Silence agreat while, If we ave tn any fault, *t1s becaufe me began with them no fconer.(1) ANSWER Mr. CONGREVE’ Amendments, &c. R. Congreve being a Perfon of M no great Ceremony, | fhan’t falute him with any Introdu- ion; but tall coche Bufinefs without more Ado. This Gentleman pre- tends to turn fome of myLixpreffions up- on me. If thefe Palfiges, lays he, producea by Mr. Colter ave obfcewe and.orofane, ‘way Amends ‘are they raked in aud ditturb’d, unlefs it * ‘be to conjure up Vice, and revive Lapu- + *rities, oe. T can’t think Mr. Congreve fo injudicious as to believe this Citation a jotto his purpofe. But | plainly per- ceive he Preiumes all along upon the weaknefs, or partiality of his eader ; Which by the way, is uv grear Coupli- B ment(2) ment. However, to fay fomething di- rectly. Had thefe obnoxious Paffages lain hid in a learaed Language, and been lock’d up in Latin, like favenat, I would no more have let them loofe in a Tranfla- tion, than unchain’d the Tyger at Bartholo- mer Fsir: But fince the Mitchief works in Exglifh, tis time to think of an Exglifh Remedy. Befides, as to the Smut, I have endeavour’d not to difoblige the Puper with any of it. But to fhew the Accufa- tion jult, I made a gencral Reference to Pla, and Character : And fometimes up- ona fpecial Occafion ; have mark’d the Page. Indeed to have tranferib’d it at length, would not only have been an im- proper, but a tedious Employment. I was fenfible the Poets would try to make their Advantage, of this Neceflary Referv’dnefs, that they would deny the Faét, becaufe the Proof was not particu- lar, and. fpoken out. But fince the Rea- der is directed to the Evidence, he may difappoint them in this Evafion, if he pleates. The profane Part, tho’ Bolder, and more Black, will bear the Light bet- ter, and therefore when ’twas clear of Obfcenity, Ihave fet it tothe Bar, Up- pon the whole; I was willing to Guard the Virtue, and awaken the Caution of the Reader: And by the fafelt Methods II could think of, to give check to the Complicated Infection. He affirms I call the Stage-Poets, Buf- foons and Staves; for this he Quotes 81, 63, and 175 Pages of the Vier, &c. Let us examine his Proof: The place in the 63 Page is a Cenfure of a Profane and Smutty Paffage in the Old Batchelour : In which I have faid that Fondlewife’s making Sport with Adultery, in the manner de- fcribed, was a fit of Buffoonry and Pro- fanenefs. Now to fay this of a Charadfer in the Play, is I fuppofe pretty Different from calling che Poet Butfoon, In the 81 Page, after [had produc’d a large Roll of Blafphemy,and Seriptwre-Abufe againtt the Stage ; I choughe f had Reafon to be fomewhat concern’d ; to fee the Chriftian Religion thus horribly outraged, wade the Diverfion of the Tows, and the Scorn of Bgffoons: Pm miftaken if clus Occafion would not juitity a little Severity of Lan- guage; And tll Mr. Cozgreve can dif- prove the-Charge, he had much better Repent, thanComplain : However there’s no neceffity he fhould take that Word to himfelf, unlefs he chinks he deferves it: For it may be applied to the dors, or fome few Libertines in the Aadience, and then his Objection is fpoil'd., His Ba 3d. In- Amends je Gu(4) 34. Inftance ftands in Page 175th. of the View, &c. Here upon their unprefi- dented Familiarity with the Lords ; I de- fired to know whether our Stage had « particular Privilege? Was their Charter enlarg’d ; and were they on the fame Foor of Freedom: with the Slaves in the Saturna- liz? Here Mr. Conareve is pofitive I call the Poets Slaves: ’Tis well when his Hand was in; he did not charge me with calling them Saturnalia : But which way doTcallthem S/aves ? Why becaufe I faid, they were very Free. Js Liber- ty then always faften’d toa Chain; and Familiarity a proof of Servitude? The Refemblance in theQueftion refpects Be- haviour morethan Condition,and implies nothing farther than general Inequality. Now I hope ’tis no affront to the Stage, to fuppofe them inferior to the Hoefe of Lords. His remaining Inftance frem my Preface, is much like this ; and requires no farther Anfwer, Thus Mr.Coxgreve may perecive I have called him no Aawes hitherto; But now he may be affured I fhould have diftin- guifh’d his Charaéter a little, and paid him fome proper Acknowledgments, but that [have no Inclination for his way of Difputing: Railing is a mean, and un- chriitian Talent, and oftentimes a fign of . aa defperate Caufe, and-a defperate Con- fcience. As to the bad Imputations thefe Seage- Advocates would throw'upon me, lam not in the leaft difturb’d at Them. Ithank God, they are not only without Truth, but without Colour. Could They have made the Slander paflable, we fhould have heard farther from them. This ‘is an admirable way of anfwering Books! All that I thall fay to’t is, chat F pity the Men and defpife the Malice. ‘To: pro- ceed. Mr. Congreve is now making Oar- works to fortify the Garifon. He lays down four Rules asthe Teft of Criticrfm and Comedy. Thefe He calls Poftulata,as it) they were Principles of Science and car-p. a ried the Evidence of an Axiom. And af- ter he has fpent fome Pages in fetting down thefe Demonftrative Things, he frankly tells us, they fem at firft Sight to comprehend a Latitude. Do they fo? Then Ibid. they are not felf evident; They are un- qualified for the Poft he bas put them in ; and prove nothing bur Sophiftry, and Le- gerdemain. Well ! What tho’ thefe Rules are falfe in themfelves, Mr. Congreve pro- mifes to make them true before he has done with them. For they -fhall be fo Ibid. limited and refrain’d, and ufed with fuch Difcretion; that the Reader fhall be per- B 3 fectly(6 ) fectly indemnifyed. However, I can’t help fufpe@ing thefe fair Words: For if He intends to deal clearly, why does he make the Touchftone Faulty, and the Standard uncertain? For thefe Reafons, 1 muft examine for my felf,; And fince he owns his Propofitions not evidently true, Vilery if Ican’r prove the greateft part of them evidently falle. To begin with him. His Latitude of Comedy upon sriffotle’s Definition ; as he Explains it, won’t pafs without Limita- tion. For rf. His Conftruction of Mizans gzuarzi- far 1S very queitionable. Thefe Words may as properly be tranflated the Com. mon, as the werft Sort of People. And thus Hefichies interprets 225x@ by ivaaae. 2l;, Cov:edy is cutinguifh’d from Trage~ dy by the Quality of the Perfons, as well as by other Circumftances. Arijlotle in- forms us that thea ppearance, Characters, or Perions are greater in Tragedy, than in Comeds. Tad cyinm pila oh tvynperees And io this Sente Pettus interprets the Words pacises 4 yleres, affirming they ough: co relate to Quality, as well as Afanuiers. Now as the Bufincfs of Tracedy’s to reprefent Princes and Perfons of Quality ; fo by the Laws of Diihnftion, Comedy ought(7) ought to be confin’d to the ordinary Rank of Mankind. And that Ariffosle Scale. ought to be thusinterpreted appears from Lab, tee the Form of New Comedy, fet up in the® Time of this Philofopher, And tho’ we have none of thefe Coredies extant, ’tis agreed by the Criticks that they did not meddle with Government and Great Peo- ple; ‘the Old Comedy being put down up- on this Score. And tho’ Menander and the reft of chat Set are loft, we may guefs at their Condu& from the Plays of Plan- tasand Terence, inall which there is not fo much as one Perfon of Quality repre- fented: Excepting Plautas’s Amphitryon, which he calls a Tragecomedy, Farther, Mr. Congreve’s Reafon why Ariftotle fhould be interpreted by Max- ners, and not Quality is inconclufive. His remark on xf amy ayxiay will ferve as well the other way. Lets try ita little: Arifforle fhall fay then that Comedy is an imitation of the ordinary, and middle fort of People, but not x2 mimy xexev in eve- ry branch and aggravation of Vice, foras Amend. Mr. Congreve obferves, there are Crimes too ™ “ daring and too horrid for Comedy. Now 1 defive to know, if this Senfe is not clear and unembarafs’d, if it does not diftin- puith Comedy from Tragedy, and bring down the Definition to matter of Fay B4 But(8) | ” But granting Mr. Congreve his Defini- tion ; all Blemifhes and Inftances of Scan- dal are not fit to make fport with. Co- vetoufneis, and Profufion; Cowardize, Splecn, and S:ngularity, well managed, might poffibly do, But fome Vices Mr. Congreve conteiles are tco daring for Come- dj. Yesand tor Trageaj too. And among thefe P'l] venture to fay Protanenefs is one, This Liberty even 4% unmention’d before. Heartwell {peaking of Marriage, cries out, O curfed State! How wide we err When apprebenfive of the Load of Life ——We hope to find That help whichNatare meant tn Womankind It feems then Nature was as much mifta- ken in the Provifion, as Men are in the Experiment. Yes, for as the Poet goes on: Aad Adam fure woud with more eafe-abide Yy.y, 48, TheBone when broken,than when made aBride. This is an admirable Comment on the Old( 46 ) Old and New Teftament, and the Office of Matrimony in the Common Prayer, The Thought looks likean Improvement ofa Line in dbfilom and dchitophel : where the fubje@ of the Poem is dated from the time of Polygany, . E’re oue to one was curfedly Confined. Ab). & Achir. oy uur. Bl The Provok’d Wife has a Sentence not much fhort of this. "27 Sure (fays Sir John» Brute) If Woman had been ready created, the Devil inflead of being kick’d down into Hell, had been Mar- ried. . Weare now with the Double Dealer , “whereas I remark’d, Lady Péyant cries out Fez, and calks Smut inthe fame Sex- tence. Here again he pleads Guilty : He had condenin'a st long fince, and refolved Amere. to firike tr out 1m the next Imprdfion. Well! ri2 Repentanceisa very commendable thing, and I heartily wifh Mr. Congreve may go Through with it. But Pm afraid this good Refolution of his went off ina little time: My Reafonis, becaufe the Double Dealer was publifh’d in 1694. and ftands ftill in theFirft Edstion , But the OldBarch- elour has been reprinted long fince, the Sixth Impreffion of this Play bearing gate 1097-(47 ) 1697. And yet herein this laft Edition we have the exclamation Je/a,ufed in a jefting way, by the fulfome Belinda, If Mr,Old Bat Congreve wasdifpleas’d with the Profane-* 4** nefs in his Double Dealer, why did he not expunge it in his Old Batchelour? He can’t deny but that Opportunity prefented fair a great while together. But here inftead of asking Pardon of God and the World, and fhewing himfelfcoucern’d for fo {can- dalous an Expreffion, He tells you a plea- fant Story (as he fancies) of a Letter of Advice from an Old Geatlewoman, and a Widow, who as {be faid, was very well to pafs. 1 fuppofe fhe fubfcrib’d her felf Old Gen- tlewoman,as Widows generally do, other- wife, as far as appears, lic had been ara lofs for her Age. But to return, Either this Story is pretended or real. If’tisa feigned cafe, “tis nothing to his point. If *tis matter of Fadt, it makes againit him. For then he makes a Jeft of his own Re- formation, Drolls upou good Conafel, and returns the Gentlewoman an Affront in Publick, for her Charitable Admonitious in Private. As for the Siu, he tells me, ifthere is any Jay een take tf jer wi yatns. Amend, Very generouily argucd ! Since he ts ckus p- 43. Noble, Pll omit che Scruuny, andonly refer to the Page. bone And:( 48 ) And here the Reader may pleafetotake notice, that the Word Jide is thrice made bold with, in defpight of Religion and the Statute 3 Jac. ¥. cap. 21. D.Deer. Sir Pant Plyant among the seft of his 3?" Follies, is mighty fond of the word Pro- vidence and repeats it on feveral occafions. From hence I drew this natural, or rather neceflary Inference ; that the meaning was to fhew, that Senfe and Religion agreed ill together, and that none but Fools were fit to talk pioufly. Mr. Coz- greve inftead of defending himfelf, endea- voursto make me fpeakNonfenfe,but that hes allin his own mifquotation; as [have fhewn already. He pretends there’s no profaneAllufion in his little Drollery about Jehu’s being a Hackie; Coschean, and feems confident no other Texr can be burlefq’d excepting Lid, Froti’s Pes. He fays Lady Froth calls the Coschinan our Jehu, and why might he nor have tiat as well as any Jewt{b orChri- fisn Nae? TMi tell him tor once. "Twas never the Cuftom of Jews or Chriftians to take any Scripture Names from excep- tionable Perfons. Neither Fercbozm nor Febu, nor many others, were Religious enough for this purpofe. No Man { be- lieve ever heard of more than two'febu’s, akinesg ON® in the Aags, and the other in the E59« 2. Datble( 49 ) Double Dealer. ‘Vhat Prince in the Kings is [aid to drive his Chariot furioufly From hence the Cotchman’s Charatter was E- quipp’d. Both the Name and the Office, havea plain Reference to the Holy Text. Farther, Lady Ivoth docs not call her Coachman by any Name in her Poem ; by confequence the Alterilm for diredii-. on, can never tead us tothe meaning of her Verles. For if Seba is unmention’d inthe Poetick Text, how can the Lady be explained by his itanding in the Mar- gin ? In {hort, the worthy Myitery can’t beclear'd up wichout Recourle to the Scriptures; And therefore wichout doubt « weare much obliged co the Poet for chis neceflity. “Thus ’tis plain’ the B:ble is made bel.t with, and the cura of his ex- pre(fion tees to reach the Cusmeatarars too. However, if is meaning is over. (trad in this lacer particular, i will do him very litcle Sei vice ; and Task his ex- cufé. Lam forry to [pend fo many words about fuch Suafas this ts; bur Mir. Coa areww mult have Jultice doae lim, Sit Pai! Pésen, will utord us fomeching worfe than the former; “Lhas We.e! of the’ Poet’s making, tells bs Lady het Paffion coming pore jane by j il This f had reatou ro charge upon vin Congreve as a very peulane bapretion t L in(50), _Inanfwer to this, He firft rails a Sen- tence or two in hislittle way, and then - very Magilterially tells us, The the Word Infptration, when it has Divine prefixr'd to it, bears @ particular and known fignificati- ons but otherwile to infpive is no more than to Breath into; aud a Trumpet, &c. may be faid without Profanene{s to deliver a Mu- fieal Sound by the helo of Infpiration. By his favour, all People that talk Enedih know, that Infpiration, when it itands without Epithets and Addition,is always taken in a Religious fignification. In- fpiration, and to be Infpired, havea fo- lemn and auguit meaning in Chriftianity.. Thefe Words imply Divine Impulfe, and fupernatural Affiftance, and are oppos’d to fuggeftion of Fancy,- and humane Reafoning, to tpeak by Infpiration is to fpeak by the Ho’; Gho/t, as every Body can tell him: To be faved and Salvation, fignified at firft no more than Safety, and Eicape : But if a Man fhould fay, A he hop’d to be fav’a,and explain himéelfthat he intended no more, than that he hoped to get Cover before a Shower reach’d him; would he not be look’d upon as impertinently profane? If he call’d a lucky Leap of a Ditch Sa/vation, and pretended tojuftific himfelf,that the word ‘originally imports no more thanCommon De-(51 ) Deliverance, what Place would lie be thought fit for? Thus when Words ate made Inclofure, when they are reftrain’d by Common Ufage, and tyed up to 4 particular Senfe: In this Cafe, to run up to Etymology, and Conftrue them by Diétionary and Prepofition, is wretchedly Ridiculous and Pedantick. Horace can De Art. ~- tell him, that Cuftom over-rules Syllables, Poe and gives Law to Language. Quem penes Arbitrinm eft, c jus @ norma ‘loquendt, : Mr.Congreve perceiving himfelf prefs’d retires with all Speed to his Fourtli Pro- pofition. But that I have difabled already. Ifhe ts poifon’d with his Profanenefs, and finds himfelf Sick, he muit take what follows ; for his Antidote is gone, To return to Sir Parl, I find Paffion ays lic) coming upor nana me -by Tafpiration, and I cannot fubimit. as” ~ formerly. You fee what an admirable reafon he urges in Defence of his Folly, from the extraordinary Circumstances of it! No Prophet could have juftified his Refent- ments from a higher pretence. Ea TheP. er. Leute D ( 52 The fine Lady Cyathia out_of her pi- ous Education acquaints us, That theush Marriage makes Man and Vite one Flefb, » if leaves them fell two Fools. But the little word Stiivis left out in the Quotation , which like the Fly on the Coach-H’ "heel, raifes a mighty Duft. I grant have by Chance omitted the word Stitt ; and if he had done fo too, the Senfe had been erfetly the fame, only beceer expreffed. For Srl! is plainly ufelefs, and compre- hended in che Verb Leaves For if Mar- ricce leaves ?vm tivo Fools, they arc Fools after Marriage, and then they are Fools Sell, Think; "Nothing can be clearer than, this. But befic des, Cyathia her felt won’ allow of Mr. Cozgreve’s excufe. For after fhe has delivered that remark- able Sentence of lest ing ’en: to Foo!., &e. Ablirent anfwers, Ths scaly when tw: Fecls meet, which is exa€tly Mr. Cougrecs in his dnsenduisnts, Tl his “Cynthis denies to be her meaning. Cyzth Nay (ays fhe) Ihave kiowa nro Vrs meet, and by the oppofition of ther Wits reaaur themfelves asresicilous as Feols, And therefore after fhe has given Matrimony an odd Name, “fhe advités him to Court no farther, to are av Srakes and give over it tine, So th at befides Burlefquing the Bible, the Satyr is ported aganit Marriage. And the Folly(52) Folly is made to lye in the State, as well as in the Perfons. Upon the whole, we fee the Double Dealer, and the Amendments catagree ; and this two Blemithes, as well as two Beauties- are fometimes un- like to cach other, Mr. Cofereve fays, Ben, Johnfan is much bolder in the firft Scene of his Bartholamew Fair. Suppofe all that. Is it an excufe to follow an ill Example, and continue an Atheiftical practice ? 1 thought Mr. Congreve in bis penetration might have feen through this Queftion. Ben, Johufon (as he goes om) makes Lit- tlewit fay, Man aad Wife make one Fool, J Ament, have fatd nothing comparable to that. No- bar thing comparable! Truly in the ufual fenfe of that Phrafe, Mr. Congreve, ’tis poffible, has faid nothing comparable to Ben. Fobnfon, nor it may be never will - But in his new Propriecy he has faid fome- thing more than comparable, that is a great deal wore. For though Léselewit’s Allulion is profane, the words of the Bi- ble ave fpared. He doesnot Droll direétly - upon Gewefis, or St. Afatthew ; Upon God the Son, or God the Holy Ghott: Where- as Mr. Congreve ,has done that which amounts to both. And fince he endea- vours to excufe himfelf upon the Autho- rity of Bew. fobufox, 1 fhall juft mention what thoughts this Poet had of his pro- E 3 * fane ‘( 54 ) fane Liberties, at a time when we have reafon to believe him moft in earneft, Now Mr. Hood reports from the Tefti- mony of a great Prelate then prefent. ate © That when Bea, Johnfon wasin his laft Vol. 3.“ Sicknefs, he was often heard to repent pst “of his profaning the Scriptures in his “ Plays, and that with Horrour. Now as ‘ar as I can perceive, the Smat and Profanznefs of Mr. Congreve’s Four Plays out-fwell the Bulk of Bez. Fohafon’s Fohto. I heartily with this Relation may be ferviceable to Mr. Congreve, and that as his Faults are greater, his Repen- tance may come fooncr. Sandro, Quen fecutus és peccantent, fequere pani- fehiciis The Dosble Dealer isnow done with, and Mr. Cowzreve concludes his Vindica- tionin his utual Strain or Triumph and Aifurance. Love for Leve comes at lait upon the Board. In this Pisy I blamed him for making a Jlirsjr of a Whoremafter : Upon this he flies immediately tor Suc- cour to Sespala, and the Greek Graminar. He very learnedly tells us, that Martyr isa Greek word, aud fioattes tn plain En- alijiy no more than 2 Witne/s. Right! thefe iwo Wordsare the fame; and when a * . Caufe(55 ) Caufe comes on in Weffminfter-Hall, the Martyrsarecall'd immediately! But Martyr is but bare }’étwe/s in the Greek. Not al- ways: Chriftian Writers often ufe it in a fenfe appropriated. And were it other- wife, there’s no arguing from one Lan- guage to another., Tyraat was once an Honourable Name in Greek, but: al- ways a Reproach in Eng/ifb, But to di- late upon thefe Cavils, is throwing away time. If the Reader defires more, he may pleafe to look back on my Anfwer to his ObjeCtion about In/piration. ‘This Poee% way of underftanding Ex- glifb- puts me in mind of a late Misfor- tune which happened toa Country Apo- thecary. The Dr. had prefcrib’d a Lad Phyfick to be taken in fomething Liquid, which the Bill according toCuftom calPd a Vehicle. The Apothecary being at a Stand about the Word, applies, as Mr. Cougreve might have done, to Littleton’s Dictionary, And there he finds Vebicn- lum fignified feveral confiderable Things. He makes up the Bal, and away he goes to the Lady, where upon the Queftion, how the Phyfick was to be taken? He anfwers very innocently ; Madam, fays he, you may iake it in aCart, or a Wag- goa, but not to give your Ladyfhip too much trouble, I think a Wheelbarrow may E 4 * do;( 56 ) do; for the word /.4écle in the Bill, will carry thar fente. In fhore, Vhis Direct. . on was comply’d with, and the Footazai drove the! heelsarrov about theChamber, To rea to Mr. Congreve. I had faid that this Liberrine Application of his, was dignitying Adultery »with che Stile of! / Martyrdom ; As if (favs Mr. Congreve ) fh... any word could alain ife ice, And pray why not? Does not che Varnifh hide the Coarienes underneath, and the Pill go | down the better tor the Guilding ? Whe- | ther he knows itor noz,there’sa great deal ot Cha mm and Impofture in /Poras sand an ill practice is eften comply’d with upon the Strength of a Fafhionable Name. pets He asks, who tol2 ime “feremy Fetch war bred at the Univ refit; ? Why ‘feremy fays ‘fohimtelfpretty plainly sand Tartle faysto, and J fuppofe Mr.Coxes eve faysas muchas that comes co in his Reflection immedi “rately following. Bur ch.s nozable quetti- ~ Son was put ro introduce another Bufinehs of greater Coniequence. For upon tls occafion, Out OF Ws excellence Of good Man- nis, he is pe sated to obferve, ‘Vhat / lig wlpetted t of aa Univer- WICH th) wioie chan bg jeremy tis “Tkae wot Printed M. A. on the the Pia, Tale Pace, Here the root Man has fhewn his W il, and his Weaknefs fufficiently! Tm(57) Tin almoft forry *tis fo low with him. When a Poct is fo extreamly well inclin’d to be witty, ’tis pity he has no more in his power. Mr. Congreve goes on Man- fully in his Defence and fays, For the word Se" Whorefon, I had it from Shakefpear and Jobnfon. Not unlikely. People are apr to learn whac they fhould not. Mr. Con- greve’s Memory, or his Invention, is very confiderable this way. Indeed one would almolt think by his Writings, that he had digefted ill Language into a common Place. Buc ic was not only M’horefoa, but Jeremy's faying he was born with Whorefox. clppetees, which I complain’d of; and which I take to be Blafpheming the Creation. He pretends I have wrong’d him flrangely ina Rant of Sir Saipfon’s : And would make the Reader believe I charge him litterally withParaphrafing the 13 92h Amem- Pfalm. Pm forry I am fore’d to explain" iny felfin fo clear a Cafe, We may oblerve then, that the Pfal- mift in Contemplation of the aftonifhing Beauty and Serviceablenefs of Humane - Bodies, breaks out ina Rapture of Gra- titude, ] mill give Thanks uato thee, for 1 tlet39e nos + Ze am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvel- lous are thy works, and that my Sout knows right well, Let us now hear Sir Sampjon. , ThisC58 ) This Gentleman after having railed a Le Cure over Feremy’s Body, for being born with neceffities too big for his Condition; hecrys, thefe Things ave unaccountable, and woresfon. thle ;why was not I a Bear ? --~ ” Nae * ture has heen provident only to Bears and Spiders: Thus we fee what a Harmony of Thought there is between David and our Author. The one Adores while the other Reproaches. The one Admires, the otherBurletques the wonders of Pro- vidence. And this was all the Paraphra- fing t meant, as any one might eafily I- magine. The Dialogue of Scsed.il and Forefiht Pas fies nexcin our wer, I fhall once more Tranfcribe it from Lew efor Love. Fore, Alas Mr. Scavdal, Humanum eft errare. Scand, you fay true, Man will evr, meer Man will ra but yor. are fomething more There have beer wife Mex it, but they were ach as you--~ Mei ® ho corfultcd the Stars, aad were obfervers of Oni: as,--- Solomon was wife, bat how? By “his Judement in Afirotegy, -—— So fas ‘Pineda in his Third Book and eighth Chap. But (lays s Mr. Congreve) the Quotation of the Authority is omitted by Mr. Collier, césher Secauj> he would re- refent ff 4s 92; oa Objere-ation to ridicule the Wifdem of Solomon ar elfe becaufe he was(59) was indeed Ienorant that tt belonged to any Amend. body elfe. ‘Tothis I anfwer, Py ga 1. That Mr, Congreve ycilds Solomon's Wifdom ridiculed by this Obfervation, therefore by his own confeffion,iftis none of his Authors, he muit Anfwer for’t him- felf. Now Pizeda gives usa quite differ- ent account of the Caufe of Solomon's Wifdom, and -which is perfectly inconfi- ftent with Mr. Congreve’s Banter. “ Pineda “affirms thatSo/emon’s W ifdom was given 1.x ings; “ him by God in a fupernatural Dream, 5, 12 “ mentioned in Scripture, And that after “the Dream, he found an unufual Light Pin, Lib. “in his Underftanding; his Ideas were Bee “ brightn’d, and the extent of his Know- 147. “ledge ftrangely enlarged. "J's true, Pe- Fe Mo- “ neda belerved that Solomon underftood F3,5.c, & Afronomy in PerfeCtion, and that he had 15. “skill in Proguofticks which he calls d-'“ “ flronomta judictaria, He continues, that he could in a great meafure reach theln- “ clinations andReafonings of Men, where they did not depend purely upon choice, “and the turn of the M7, But then he does not fay that Solomon's Skill in Prog- « ofticks was that which made him wife. “No: This Talent was only a Branch, “but not the Caufe ofhis Wifdom. For “as Pineda {peaks elfewhere, Solano had Lib. 3.C. “a Univerfal Knowledge of Nature, but! , “then( €0 ) “then this Excellency was no refult of “ Natural parts, or Humane Anduttry ; «-Pwas an immediate Bounty from Hea- “ven; And both the Thing, and the Con- vey ance, were extraordinary. Mr. Conoreve asrees with Pineda at feaft in a jelting way, Solomon was wife, but hom ? B his fudan2 cat tH aptrolozy. That is, his diftinguifhing Attainments were gained this way. ’F here was nothing in the Cate, bur that he had looked into a Srarfomewhat farther than ocher People: He Learned his Wifdom it feems {rom the Calde.ss, or Aeayytetzs, or from fome fuch Book as Lades Alinanack. This is Scandal’s Solution of the Myttery ; and che beft thac Ican make on it. For ’tis one thing to fy thara Manis wife by dffro- lizy, “and ahother that Aftrolozy or Afiro- zon.) was only a part of his Wildom. The one implies the Caufe, and the other but a Branch of the Etec. [he one exclude the Miracle, and the other affirms ic Upon the whole matter, Mr. Congreve, and Pis-di, are not to be reconciled, fo that by his own conteffion he has ridiculed the Wiféuiu ef Salomon, and falfified his Author i into the Bargain, 2fy, Suppoting Pmeda had been fairly reported by Mr. Congreve, the Poet had beea muchi to blame ; ; For then the Cafe had(61) had ftood thus ; Pizeda as Mr. Congreve obferves had ridiculed Solomon, and him- felfhad done no lef, by Citing hin w.th out Cenfure, and upon a Drolling Occafi- on. For this Reafon I waved the conful- ting of Pixeda,as well knowing that fhould the Teftimony have been right, the Play was certainly in the wrong. Befides, ’tis fomewhat to be fufpected Mr. Congreve never faw Pineds , My reafon is, becaufe he falls twice into the fame Miltake, he Quotes the Exghteenth Chapter for the , Fight, and to make it appear Ke more re grofs, ’tis done in words of Length, and amend, not in Figures. [hope for the future Mr. P52 Congreve won't bring in Sofoion to divert the P/ay-Hoafe, nox compare him with Fools and Fortunetellers. Seandal’s telling Lorefxht he was more than meer Alan, and tecure from Miltake upon that Score, is hhcwile a profane ex: preffion. To affirm this of any Perfon, sas muchas co tay, he is either our Sawi- our, or a Propuet, or under tome Miracu- fous Influence. Scanaal goes on with Forefeht, “and “fays the Wile Men of che aitow d “their Inflruion to a Star, whch sctor Le “rightly obferved by Grecury tie Greac t+ 44s “in favour of affrolaz;. Me. Con-( 62 ) Mr. Cougreve vindicates this paflage by faying, ‘that Scandal Banters For efit, but sot the Audsence, Not Banter the Au- dience! He Affronts the Audience I’m fare, if they have aay Chriitianicy in them, by drolling upona Miracle, at our Saviours Birth : ” He banters St. Matthew too, Who has recorded the Miracle, and Grigery the great, who difcourfes upon it. Mr. Coxgreve is pleafed ro fay that I an: very ang, y thst t SirSamplon has not another Nani, becaufe Saipfor ts a Name in the Ols Tefbanse at. This is falfe in every fy- lable, as the Reader may fee by confult- vor OZ Mm ¥ Book. But this I fay, that Mr. Congreve has burlefqu’d the Hittory of 5 7, and wrefted the Scripture into Smut. There are two other profane Paffages afar’ by me in the fame Page Thele eaves as it were to fit for chemfely es, and! as notes Vet, made them worfe by de- tending them: “Excepting that hecomes up with his o! d Cavil about the Word dfare try which I have anfwer'd already. The next plece Mr. Cozgreve leads us tois Bealu:: And here he giv es us three Reafons for Valentine's pri ctended Mad- nefs. The two later are fomewhat ex- traordinary. He makes him Miad it fecms for Ce:( 63 for « variation of the Charaéter. A Shrewd Amend, Contrivance, to put a Man out of his* 5% Wits for the fake of Variety? For with- out doubt, Raving and incoherence are wonderfully taking. I fuppofe Mr. Con- Amend. greve made Bellwour talkNonfenfe for this” *" wife Reafon. For ’tis x dull thing for a Man to be always tycd up to beSenfe,and confined to his Underiianding. His third Amend. Reafon for taking away Reafon, is becaufe"* 1 Madnefs gives aliberiy to Satyr, and autho- rifes 4 Bluntnels, &c. which would othermife ‘have been a Breach of Manners tithe Cha- racer. That is, it gives Maleatine a Com- miffion to talk Smut, and abufe his Fa- ther, But Mr. Coxgreve needed not to fove for have given him(elf this trouble about I’a- 7-3" lentine : Bor Malema when he was in his63. Wits, and under the Charafter ofa fine Gentleman, had Breeding enough to BS Love for Smutty and Undutiful. Mr. Coagreve Lip.7.23, Would perfwade the Reader that ¥ inter- 83. pret lim with too much Rigour, for ma- ~""~ king Valentine in tus Lunacy tay, Tan Trath, &c. Iftlus Point needs any farther Difputing, we may take notice that our Blelfed Saviour meauions the Word Trath Joh. 46. in a folemu and peculuay manner. He ‘7: “ii fometimes applics it to himfelt, fome- 37.45." pp ? 17.18, times co the iiuty Ghoit, and tumetunes 1 18, to the Revelaviow of the Gofpel. In ihort, 3* tis( 64 ) tis as it were appropriated to the greateft Perfons, and Things, mark?d as the Pre- rogative of God; and ufed in a Senie of Emphafis and DiftinGion. Let us com- pare St. Fohx, and Mr. Coxgreve a little, and then we may eafily judge, where the Fant lies. St. Thowss anfwers our Bleffed Savi- our, Lerd we know wow not whether thou gr- Tete of, and how can we know the way? Fefis fath wate hire, Lan the Way avd the T7 ath, ‘ard the ee Sir Sampfox is at a lols, Swears,*and cries out, T knw not which’ mar i629, Valentin ¢ enquires, Who's that, $ ‘out Gr his way ? 1am Trath, ait san fet hin Fight. Our Saviour aifures his Difciples, That izad them the Cosforrer. And etbe Spirit of Truth 1s come, he at tito 0 all Trust, and be weil 7 ‘0 thie, a i aud CAw ch dam Truth, ¢ ‘orle t fhe Lee And is not this horrible Scuff? What i ah more tarolerable Boldneds, than rpihe Regal Stile, to profti- : , the Language of Teaven, and ap- rto Drolie: y and Diltra ction | ? Mr.(65) Mr.Congreve isadvanced to my 34Chap< ter,concerning theA bufe of theClergy. As for theDiffenting Miniffers,he faysl charge Amend him with nothing more than Setter’s, pro-*" ?" curing their Habit for Bellwour, Under fa- vour, thisis a great Miltake. The Pimp reads a Le€ture of Abufe upon the Habit,y,.., ee. expofes Spintext from Head toPootymakes y, 102. him bothaKnave and aLibertine, and his Old Bat. Wife a Whore into the Bargain. The? ** 7 View, &c. has remark’, that Barnaby calls yi. 62, another of that Character Mr. Prig. He does p. 102 fo. And Foxdleife veprefents him lewd in a luicious Defeription. Mr. Congreve ve~ Amends plies, what if bis Name were Mr. Ptig, or 58 what if it were vo. ? Now ’tis poflible he'll not like it,if I don’t confider thefe weighty Queftions. t fay then, If his Namewas fo, he has misbehav’d himfelr by putting him in his Péay. If twere not fo, he has ufed theDifenting Miniltersill, by reprefenting, one of theirOrder ina contemptuousMan- net. For as he himfelf confefles,aMr.Prige «mend, aad a Mr. Smirk, ave Names implying Chara p, 768 ites worthy of Averfion and Contempt. Now fora Man not to underftand his own ill Language, and contradi@ himfelf ina . few Pages, is, in his own decent exprefli- on furioufly fiaplee Amends Mr. Congreve pretends that a Reflection p, 58. ona Lord’s Chaplain is no RefleCticn on a5ee0-Bas F Parfor 9”ie ( 66 } Parfon of the Church of England. That's fomewhat flrange. The Roman Catholick Lords have no Chaplains ; The Law does not allow it. And asfor the Diffenters, there are very few Lords of their Perfwa- fion, I defire therefore to know upon what Party the Abufe muft flick? Inearneft, Pm almoft tired with anfwering thefe things, To ftrike the Air, does bur make a Man’s Arm ake. There is a pretty long inftance produ. ced from the Do#ble Dealer, to fhew the Misbehaviour of the Stage towards the Clergy ; thefe Pailages he leaves to take their Fortune; for they have nothing in them it feems, which weeds a Defence. This isa difcreet way ofanfwering ;and [ think, if he had made more ufe out, it might have doncas well. To fhew the Unreafonablenefs of the Stage in repretenting the Clergy under CharaGters of Diadvantage and Con- tempt, leadeavoured to vindicate the Re- putation of that (der trom three Topicks. yf. From their Relacion to the Deity. ofy. From themporrance of theirOffice, 34). Becaufe they had general Cuftom, and Prefcription tor cheir Privilege. Under che firft Head, [had faid that the Credit of theService always réfes in Proportion . to the Quality and Greatnels of the Majfer. This( 67 ) 7 This Pofition, he fays,is fophifticad ; and yet he is fo civil asto grant it in‘the next line Amend, but one. However he makes a Stand at ™°* the Inference, and afferts, That Though theypia. sredit of the Service rifes in proportion to thé Quality of the Mafter, yet the Credit of the Servant, does not rifein proportion tothe Cre- dit of the Service. Not rife in proportion to theCredit of theService; that’s ftrange! I choughr Officeand Authority had beena jut ground for Regard ; and thatHonour- able Charges had made Honourable Men. And if fo, 1 fuppofe the Etteem of thePer- fon muft improve with the Credit of the Employment. I would gladly know in what Circumftance the Dignity ofanAm- baffadour confifts ? does it not lye in his Commiffion and Credentials, in the Ad- vantage andSignificancy of hisCharacter ? What makes fuch a Perfon treated with greater Regard, than a Faéfor, or private Agent; Is it not the Honour of the Repre- fentation, and the weight of the Bufinefs ? Now he that executes for another, or re- prefents him by way ofAuthority is with- out dotibt in his Service: From whence follows, That ifthe Credit ofthe Servant riles by theQualicy of theBufine(s,and Au- thority,it muft by confequence rifc in pro- portion to the Credit of the Service; for thefe are only different words to fignity the Fa fame( 6S ) fame thing: Mr. Cougreve’s faying, That Amend. az all Servant both diferedits his Serviceaind is difcreaite by it 51s partly foreign, and partly falfe. To fay he is diferedited byi it, is untrue. For ’tis the Misbehaviour, ‘no: the Office,which gives the Difcredit. And then to fay thatan iff Servant diferedits bis Service,is nothing to hi is point. For the pur- pote. Suppofe the Minifters of Stateor Fa- file, in any Gov ernment, fhould fail in theirConduct: Are they prefently to be infulted by the Common People, expofed in the Badges of their Cc haraGeer, and made the Diverfionoithe Town? What ifaMan isan ill Servant, his Commiffion ought to be his proreétion fr om private Indignities. As for his Mifmanaging,he muft account tohis Mafter ; Equals ¢ or Inferiors, have _ nothing todoto 0 panith. Mr Coagreveadds, * th 1at ifs Servant is pen ifbid a by the Lam, the monn of the Sevicce is nat y that means sed. AS much Law ashe pleates ; let ftice have its Courie, and Pm conten- . But what’s this co the Stage? Have ya Patentof Jurisdictionov er the Cler- gv are ethey authorifed to pronounce up- on their Faules, and their Punifhment / To give them little behavi iout, and con- tempiuous Ufage ; To make them Fools, and then treat them as fitch. mR Sh But( 69 ) But now tis Mr. Coagreve’s turn toask Queftions : He would know ofme, Whe- Amend. ther a Man after he has received Holy Orders, Py 63. is becorme incapable of either playing theK pave or the Fool ? Why truly,confidering he has the fame Humane Nature with.a Poet, I can’t think him utterly incapable of either. And now I may have anfwer’d his quefti- on as civilly as he asked it. But if a Clerey-snan plays the Fool, he is equally with a Lay-Fool, the fubject of Laugh- ter and Contenipt. Notin the fame way nei- ther. Circumitancesalter any Cafe, Diffe- rent Things require differentConfiderati- ons. There are Laws, Difcipline, and Or- dinaries, totakecare of greater Mifcarria- gesin the Church. And as tor leffer Mif- fortunes, they should rather be lamented, than expos’d, PheClergy are a fort of Spi- ritualParents.S:.P.2ud’s reafoning fuppoles it: And the ChurchCatechifm gives them an inference of Privilege from the Fifth Commandment. ‘I’o banter a Relation of this kind, has neither Decency, norReligioa int. And we know Hew got no Bleffing by his Difcovery. To ftigmatize a folemn Character, to phy the Buffoonina Gown and Caffock, and fhew the Church fora Moajter,is, one would think,an odd diver- fionin Chriftendom: The Heathens treat- ed the Primitive Chriftians much at this FB 3 rate: Ibid.(70 ) rate: they wraptThem inBear-Skins, and then fet the Dogs on them. But Mr.Congreve urges, That by impro- erBehasciour the Maun becomes alienated from I. she Prieft, and fo the Folly is expos'd, not the Funétion, For example if the Man be knock’d on the Head, the Prieft is nota jor the worle for’t. This is much like the old Diftinétion of Politic, and Perfonal Ca- pacity, epplied to another Cafe, ‘To give this Gentleman an Anfwer, more at large, he may pleafe to take notice : 1. Though theFundtion and thePerfon are feparable in Notion, they are join’din Life and Bufinefs.’ Tis true,the Office and the Perfon are two Things; but yet "tis thePerfonwhich executes the Office: This makesthem fhare a difadvantage inCom- mon;and aCenfure frequently flides from the one to the other. [f you make the Man a Knave, the Prieft_ mutt fuffer un- der the Imputation: Anda Fool in his Perfor, will never be thought difcreet in hisFunction. Upon this account Perfons in Authority whether Spiritual or Civil, ought to be privileg’a from Abufe. To make the Miniftersot Cherch or State, the fubjedt of Laughter aad Contempt, difables ‘their Authority, and renders their Com- “> miffion infignificant. The Heathen Dra- " matifts feem fenfible of this reafoning,and praGtice accordingly. oly. TE(71) aly.1fthePoets defign was no more than to expofe and reprehend Folly and Vice ingenerat, why are not the Failings of theClergy re- prefented inaLay-Appcarance? Whymutt the Satyr be pointed at the Coat, and run out into Reference and Diftinétion? Why muft the Profeffion be dreffed up, and the Folly keep all within the Function? Is not this plainly to confound the Orderand the Mitcarriage, to go offfrom the Maz to the Prief, and render them both ridiculous ? 3/y. Employments are oftentimesa fhel- ter co Perfons ;andCharaétersa Protection from Infult : Publick Reafon will not en- dure Authority to be expos’d, or the Ma- giftrates to be made aAfay-Game. ToTalk in Mr. Convreve’s Language,a Lay- Fool is notalways to be faluted by his Folly. This would be great rudencfs in Converfation ; and the Government might fuffer by it. Condition is a Cover for Failings, And Authority muit not be a Jett. In this cafe a Man fhould be viewed on the fide of Ad- vantage, and treated by his beft Diftin®ti- on, Now if we confider the Author, And the Ends of Church Authoricy, we fhall find it deferves a Guard, no lefs than that of the State. ' TheChurch-Article quoted byMr. Con- greve, does him no Service. [fit has any reference to the matter in hand, it makes F 4 againft -(72) againtt him. “The Article affirms, That Evil Miniflars Act by Chr e 5 Authority and Commiffion ;Thatthe Vord cad Sacraments are (anificsnt and Ef “etusal in their Aitads ; and that the Indifpofition ofthe dent, do’s not weaken the Iaffitation, Now fince e- ena vicious Prieit reprefents ourSaviour, fine ¢ he is God’s Ambafladour, and isa Convevance of the Bleffings of Heaven ; ‘Thefe Credentials, thefe Benefits, one would think might guard him from Con- temptand r make his Charatter inviolable. “Tis irHe, the Aricle fays, They azay be ac- cued, cid bs fas Toned at ailty, by jaf Fude- sient ‘det02" °d. But what of all this Are the Peers their Judges ? And is the Stage _ grown Deifers Comiiazs, or VW “oftasinler- Hill? Well: Bur the Article fappofes a Diftinivion letecen the Man, aad the Pref. Yes: Andi it tuppotes too, "that the Maa _ ought co fare the better for this double Capacity , we Consre: . i citing this Quotation, has mili he Chronology, and comrounded ths Mrtiele and Canons, but this i fhall pats over. Bur Mir.€. walls into a worfe Mi- Sake than the tormer.He makes St. Cypri- ea aiirm that che Validity of the Sacre ments depends on the Probity of the Priett, ap. and that the Arricle was parely eitablifbed jo take of tus dathortty of the Pather. Now( 73 ) | Now to fay this, is to mifreport St. Cy- rian. Tis true,this worthyPrelate believ'd that a Priefts Authority was fufpended by Herefy andSchifie; but that barelmmorali- ty could recal his Commiffion, he does no where fuppofe. TheCafe of the Bafilides & Martialis, if M.Congreve had produc’d it, would not come up to the Point : For this Inftance concerns Sacrificing to Idols ; which is an Aét of Apoftacy : ft implies a renouncing of Chriitianity. From whence it will follow, that thofe who are not fo much as Members of the Church, cannot have the Power of Church-Governours. Mr.Congreve {eoms difpleas’d with that littleJulticel endeavoured to do the Cler- gy ; and calls the ‘eftimonies.of the beft Poets, Orators, Hifforians, &c. Vain Stuffp. 71, I take it days Mr. Congreve) he would give us to wnderftand, that ia all Ages the Fua- étion of a Prieft was held to be a very Honon- rable Funition; Did Mr. Collier ever meet with aayBodyFool enough to engage hit to al- fert that? Many aone, I can affure you, that have been either Fool or Knave e- nough, I can’t tell which. Ifthe Poft is Honourable, the Perfons fhould be confi- der’d accordingly: They fhould not be expofed in a wretched Appearance; And have neither Sence nor Spirit nor fair u- fage allowed them. The Heathen Poets, as Ibid.C 74) SecView,as I prov’d at large, never {erved their @. Ch.3 Deiefts fo. Mr. Congreve urges,that Ajigs have been in sll Ages expofed and punifly'don the Stage, B77 yer never any King complatned of the Theater or tbe Poets. From hence heargues, that if Kings may be expofed on the Stage; Why not Priefts? To thisI anfwer, 17. Mr. Congreve’s Argument fuppofes that Poets have the leave of Prizces for this Freedom. Kings it fcems are willing to be brought, and difciplined on the Stage.Ve- ry well. But does the Hierarchy defire +0 be reprefented ? Does theChurch give the P/ay-AlonfethisPermiffion? By nomeans. She complains of the Practice, and would have it otherwife.Now whatConfequence isthere from Permithon to Remonftrance, and fromFlcafure todvertion? PheChurch does not defire to be fo Publick, Why fhould fhe be haicd in, againft her Incli- nation, and gaz’d on like a MalefaCtor ? 2/7. StagePrinces arc ufed agreeably to theirSration : TheHonour of theirFundti- on fhines out ia their Appearance. Their very Misfortunes are Mayettick, and their Ruin Glorious. They are never reprefent- ed Infignificant, treated with Contempt, and Played the Fool with in Comedy. If they werethus uted, f queftion not bur that the Ports and Players would quickly hear on’t, 3p.(75 3/y. If Princes were ufed as ill as Priefts upon the Stage, they would not fuffer fo much by it. Princes are well guarded a- gainft Dramatick Out-rage. ‘They have Power to punifh and to oblige. The Mag- nificence of their Courts, the Pomp and Parade of theirFigure, brighten theirAu- thority,and prefervea Regard. Thefe Cir- cumitances glitter upon the fenfe, and ftrike an awe upon the Spirits of the Peo- ple. They retrefh theirCharacter,and make them underftood. They prevent the {preading of FiCtion into Life, and keep a Play-Houfe-Abufe from being a€ted in the Streets. In fine ; Wealth and Power, tho’ much fhort of Princes, breaks the force of Infolence, and isa Soveraign Remedy a- gainft Negle€t. But the Clergy have no great fhare of thefe Advantages ; I mean generally {peaking and withUs efpecially, Their Provifion is often flender, their Cen- fures relate to another World, and they have nothing of Luftre to affect the Ima- gination. A Condition thus unfortified, thus unornamented,lies open to ill ufage. The greater part of the Clergy are not fo well provided to difprove an unfair Re- prefentation. They can’t fo eafily confute a Calumny by cheir Equipage, nor make their Fortune put a Lye out of Counte- nance. To be taken notice of, Things mult hine{76 ) fhine as well as be folid ; a Coarfe out-fide keeps the Richnets w ichin irom being re- garded. Spiritual Privilege, and invilible “Advanta ¢ fignific little with Ignorance, or Atheitm. W hena Man can fearce hold his Head above Water, there needs no grear Weight to fink him. Mistorcune in juch an Age as this, is almoik a jelt of it fina liceleButiooning i is futiciea to make Indigence look ridiculous; tor whena ; Man’s Coat is thread-bare, ’tis an eafic matter to pick a hole in’. . His pretence’ of Mater of Fact is “not true. Psinces Aave complain’d of the atre. The great Seégia pull'd it down: A & datoniaasPaitefo, opbas difcourag’d aisjand Tider:as Bauiihed the Stage. To * come nearerHome, Leis th Godly i would lot endure a Play-# wgft, and Queen Ef. =fcth often chek’t this tort of Diverfion, Now thef were mofi of cnemGreat Pri tnd winch is more tothe purpole, moit erthem goad ones rao. Nir. Coer ve feoms now fallen into a fi: of Levelling. Quality and Secular advan- rage, are grown Bells, and Bavdles, In hin Logick, Honour and Eftate, are Inconfi- fienc with Heaeilits ait vtherChrifiiaa Viv- tues, Su6) Teaporal Pride be pretea: AS ARF ECE Pigs. cory ir th thee erfoi suaCharacter of A tru- b; Pisas aud Lycuslary Devine, Had this Gen-77) Gentleman the Direction of Affairs, °tis likely the World would be well mended, the Church Reformed into Apoftolical Poverty, And all thefe Antichriflian Things of Fortune and Convenience, ta- ken from the Exemplary Divines, and gi- ven to the Exemplary Poets, Mr. Congreve comes on again reinforced withMr. Hales,who proves from Scripture that all “claim to fuperiority by Title of “Chriflianity ismoft certainly cut off. With fubmiffon to Mr. Ffales,this is not univer- fally true. For the Church being &Soczety, mutt by confequence have Governours, and thete by the fame Neceffity, mutt in that refpect be furperiour to the Governed. For this reafon, the Apoftle, {peaking to private Chriftians, Enjoyns them in thefe words, Obey then that have the Rule over Heb, 136 Jott, and fudrite your elves ; for they watch 37 for your Souls, &c. This Text we fee plain- ly contains a branch of Duty to Eeclefia/ti- cal Governours. Now thole who have the Rule over others, are certainly fo far their Superiors; And thofe who are to fiebusit themfelves, are bound to acknowledge them as fuch. ‘To go on with Mr. Coa- greve’s Citation, “ Nature and Religion “agree in this, chat neither of them has a “hand in this Heraldry of fecumdun: fub & “ fupra ; all this comes from’ Compotition “and ene Amend, Ps 74sUbi. ( 78 ) “and Agreement of Men among them- “ felves.Here Mr. Hales is miftaken again; For Parents have by Nature a Right of Superiority over their Children. I grant Mr. Hales’s Principle holds true in the Main ; but nothing can be more extrava- gant than Mr. Congreve’s Inference. Does this Gentleman mean that there’s no fuch thing as Superiority amongft Chriftians? Is fubordination deftroyed by Baptifm ? Does Chriftianity confound all Degrecs, and melt down all Diftinétion in the State; This Dottrine is calculated for the Meridian of Afuafter, for the Boars of Ger- ” many, for Fohx of Leyden and Kpipperdol- f1eg : Fack Strav and Wat Tyler, Cade and K;7 would have been wonderfully obliged at fuch 2 Difcovery asthis. But if Civil ' Privilegesareconfiftent withChriftianity, { hope the Clergy may plead their Right in Commen, and take the Advantage of the Coz/titution like other People. Thad faid, The Addition of Clerk is at “leaf? equal tothat of Gentleman were tt other- d > wife, the Profefion would in many cafes be a hind of punifbment. 1 fay fo {till. For ita Gentleman was made lefs, and degraded by going into Orders, would it not bea kind of Punifhment? Can any thing be plainer than this? I can’t imagine how Mr. Congreve could mifinterpret this Pe riod.(7) riod. But fince he has done it,he would do P- 75+ well to call in his exclamation, and won- der at hisown Ignorance or Infincerity. I obferv’d,that Monfiewr Racine,contra- ry to the practice of foreign Countries, re- prefented Pricfts in his Athalia. T obferv’d farther, That this Play wasa very Religious Poem.. And if it were not defign'd for the jew es Theater, I have nothing to object. My mean- ° * ing is, if it were defign’d for the Theater, I thought the Form and Argument too fo- lemn forthe Place. But that it was de- fign’d for theTbeater,is more than I know, afid I rather believe it was not. It being not uncommon in France and clfewhere, to a f{erious and inoffenfive P/ays in Re- ligiows Houfes. Had Mr. Cougreve under- ftood this, or indeed the plain Englifh of the Words, all his Cavilling and awkard felts had been at an end. The Short View, &c. takes notice that Shakefpear, though to blame, was a Gentceler Enemy than the Relapfer ; Why fo ? Becaufe he gives Sir John, Parton of HW’rothar, fome Advan- tage in his Character be reprefents him Lewd,» 32% but not Little. Here Mr. Congreve is ex- treamly diverting, The BUT (fays he) 4 ong ts coming again. I bad a glimpfe of bus jufty. 7s. zow, Belt of all ;’Tis more than he has of himfelf, fometimes, Lewd but not Little, there’s a Paradox for ye! Well, I grant fome* (80) fome People are both. However, there’s room enough between thefe Qualities for a DiftinGtion. For I fuppofe a Man may be Lewd in his Practice, without being Little in his Figureand Behaviour. Does everyLibertine wear a -Livery,or isLewd- nefSa forfeiture of Condition ? In a fenfe cf Philofophy and Religion, there’s no- ching meaner than Vice: But then the Advantage of Appearance is fome Cover for the Deformity, and gives it another Air to Common View. Mr. Cozareve allows, That when Afex either Sucsk, nor do any thing unbecomins Osice iu the World, they ought not to be J othermufe on the Stage, Were the 1en. Priefts then fo abfolutely unex- ceptionable? Were there no Prevaricati- ons amongit them? and did they never Live out of theirCharacter ? Mr.Congrece came think this: And yetas T obferved, ey wercalways well treated by theHea- cts. But befides, what occurs in 7, Thave given him my reafons eliewhere, why the Clergy ought in no Cafe to come upon the Stage. , Mr.Corsreve 1s fo kind as to inform me, that J talk ia the Pedantical Cant of Fable, » Difcower;, of Cuities of Time,&c. scans the Pedantical Cant of Ariftotle and Horzce,o! Boffe and Coraeille of Rapin, and( 81 ) ; and Mt. Dryden; that is of the beftCriticks, both Antient and Modern, upon the Sub- ject. This is fomewhat ftrange! But I per- ceive the Man is wildred in his Spleen: He loft himfelf ina mitt of his own making, And when people can’t fee; they are apt to fall foul upon their Friends. He finds fault with fome more expreffi- p. 84. ons of mine, how reafonably, I fhall con fider by and by. Mr. Congreve having fpent forme Pages in Trifling and Scurrility, advances to my 4th, Chapter. This Chapter charges the Stage with Immorality for rewarding their loofe Characters, and giving their Libertines fuchAdvantage inFigure,Senfe - and Succefs., Mr. Congreve knew the Old Batchelour and Double Dealer concern’d un- der this Head, but takes no notice of its View... Tis true, he makes an attempt to difen-P: 142. gageValeatine in Love for Love. He would ame gladly Blanch this foul Charaéter; But alas, ‘tis to no purpofe to wafh and rub: The Spots are not Dirt, but Complection. He fays Valentine had honefty enough to clofe with a bad Bargain, rather then uot pay bis Debts. Thus Mr. Congreve. But it we'will take Valentine's word fort, we Shall find the matter ovherwife. I'was hisNeceffity, us difrelifh of Confinement, his Paffion G for~ ( §8a for Angelics, which put him upon this Complyance. Let him {peak for himfelt Val. This Condition was once propofed be~ Lior Lifore and I refufed it, but the prefent impati. P.S.1+ “ence of my Creditors for their Money, and my cin impatience of Confinement, and abfeace from Angelica, force me to confent. So much for his Honefty. And that he Vent its falling into the Enemics Hand. “whole Kennel of Beaus after « Womsa, is no Language of mine : Tis a Quotation from the Re sole: As Mi. Conarene might eali- vly have feen. Runziag Rict pon Smut, is , mifuoted. My words are thefe: “The "¢ Double Dester runs Riot upon fuch an . oe “occafion as thus, and gives Lord Toxch- “wood( 91 ) “wood a mixture of Smut, &c. The upper End of the Government, is a defenfible Ex- preffion ; And his Exceptiop to the Litter of Epéthets, &c. L have anfwered already, His Objections at Big-Allyances, is fome- what unfairly tranfcrib’d, andthe Page. mifmark’d. The Paflage is this: febos- View “da was thought an Allyance big enough - ” for the Royal Family. He Cavils at two other little words, which I think may pafs : Bur I fhall fay nothing in their be- half. To defend fuch Trifles, would be al- moft as idle, as to objet againft them. Now though I have’ examined Mr. Congreve’s Writings but loofely upon this Head, yet in return to his Civilities, f fhall prefent the Reader with fome Pro- prieties of His in Phrafeology and Senfe.” ** In his Amendments we have, To Savour of Utterance, &c. And in the Mourning? 7% Bride, we have all the Delicacics of Lan- guageand Rhetorick, and the very Spring it {elf upon Paper, Here’s Refpiriiza Lips, ample Roof, and ample Knowledge, the Noo \tournp. of Night,fear'd, for trighted, the pageantry P.24,64, of Souls, Eyes vain Blood, and what not. Ohg7t4 Togoona little with the Mourning Bride,” with reference to Senfe and Character. King Manuell asks his Daughter ddine- ria, why fhe wears Mourning at his Tri- umph, She tells him,She sours for her de- deueranceToid. (92 ) iveranee from al¥reck. This was a wifeAn- fwer, and a very natural way of expref. fing herGratitude for coming {afc onShore, Gonfiles relates Manuell’s Victorious Entry after his Succefs againft the Moors, The Cavalcade is wonderfully Splendid and Pompuous: But the Story goes of fomewhat unluciily. The farming Populace (pread every Wall, aad cling as if with Claws they aid enforce Their Hold through clifted Stones ftretchins aed faring. Here he Struts to purpofe in Sophocles’s Buskings ! Clg and Clairs are extreamly magnificent in folemn Defcription, and firangely proper for Tragedy and Tri- umph. To give him his due, [think thefe two Lines are the bait Image of a parcel of Cats running up a Wall, that I have met with, That which follows is worth the remembring. , is they were ad of Ejes and every Limb As they were 5 ; Mould feed his Faculty of Adimtration. A Limo of 22 Exe, Vconfefs, isa great Cu- riofity ; And one would think if the Peer had any of thele Limbs in his Head, he might have difcover’d it. We mutt not forget Ofar’s ‘Talent in Arithmetick, who let us underftand that Leavin(93) 7 Heaven can continue to beftow, ps 21, When feanty Numbers {ball be {pent in telling. As Scanty as they are, 1 fancy Telling will be fpent much fooner than Nambers: But . Senfe ina Tragedy is cold and unaftecting. To go on. Agrah makes Ofmeiaa high Com-- pliment upon his Air and Complexion : She tells him when fhe firft faw him, Pale aud expiring, drenched in briay Waves, p23. 24, That he was God-like even then. Death and Palenefs are {trong Refem- blances ofa Deity ! But I perceive, tofome ~ People, a Seraphim, and a drown’d Rat, are juit alike. King Aavzell is giving Sentence upon the Rebels: Let us fee how he fupports his Chara&er : Bear to the Dungeon thofe Rebellious Slaves, P. 4a, The ignoble Curs that Yelp to fill the Cry, And [pend their Mouths in barking Tyranny. And a little after, he calls the Noble 0/- min, that foreign Dog. Here’s Majeftick Paflion, Reyal Vengeance, and magnifi- cent Railing for ye! A Common Hunt could not have done it better ! This, as Amend, Mr. Congreve has it, is Dog-Language with” a Witnels; and never made tor a Mo- narch’s Mouth, Kara( 94 ) | Xara has another Flight very remarka. ble, and with thar I fhall conclude. This Princefs, we muft know, was ftrangely fmitten with O/min, and finding her A- mour crofs'd, was refolv’d, out of ftark Love and Kindnefs, to Poifon him: ’Tis true, fhe intended to be fo juft, as to dif. pote of her felf the fame way. Now com- ing to the Prifon fhe {pies a Body without a Head, and imagining it Ofmin’s, grows diftracted upon’r. And why fo? Was it becaufe fhe was prevented, and had not the facisfaction of difpatching her Spark her felt? Or wasit becaufe fhe had a mind to convince Ofimin of the ftrength of her AffeCtion by murthering him? That’s tomewhat odd. Was it then to fhew how willing fhe was to dye with him? She fays fo, but prefently rejects this reafon as frivolous and unneceffary. For if you'll believe her, Ofmin was capable of know- ing her Paffion, without fo barbarous an Expedient. His Soul till fees, and knows each purpofty dnd fixt event of my perfifting Faith. Well, Let the reafon of her Diforder be what it will, for we can’t agree about it, fhe falls into a moft terrible FitofFuftian, upon the fight of the Body. Ha!95 Hatproftratetbloody!headlefstO,~--frart Eyes ,v- 62 Split heart,burft every Vein at this dire object, At once diffolve and flow, meet Blood with Blood, Dah your excouutring Streams with mutual Violence, Till Surges roll, and foaming Bilows rife, Aad curle their Crimfon Heads to kifs the Clouds ! Onc would think by this Rant, that Zara had Bloud enough in her*Veins co fill che Bay of Bifcay, or the Gulph of Lions. At this ratea Man may let the Thames out of his little Finger ! ‘This is monftrous Im- propriety of ‘Thought ! Never were Things and Words, joyn’d more unlucki- ly. Callyou this Poetry ! The Figures and.Flights of Poetry are Bold; but then the Fancy fhould be Natural, the Figures Juit, and che Effects holds fore proporti- onwith the Caufe. Zara rifes inher Rum- bling, if ’tis poffible, rails bitterly on the King, in Affronomy ; And, as far as I can difcover, fhe goes fomewhat upon the Syftem of Copernicus. Rain, rain, ye Stars {pout from your burning Precipitated Fires, and pour in Sheets, (Orbs, ™ °* The blazing Torrent on the Tyrant’s Head, _ Well. Tho? this Lady has not much Wit ip her Anger, fhe has a great deal of Lear- ning :(96) ning : I muft own, thisis a very Scholar- like piece of Diftraftion. If Mr. Congreve replies, the Occafion was extraodinary ; and that the fight of Ofmin’s Murther muft mightily affect her. Granting all this, the old faying will hold good againft him: Cure leves loquatur, ingentes flupent: Here AlmertesFit of Fainting,and a good Swoon at the endon’t, would have look’d like BufinefS, and been very natural upon the occafion. I could have been fomewhat larger upon the Mourning Bride, but this may fuflice at prefent. Icharged Mr. Coagreve with two very Lewd and: Scandalous Songs; but thefe ___., he paffes over unmention’d. This is fome- View o>, ~ p2:.2,,What unfortunate: One would have LorLo.thought, if he had neither Modefty to Low-Tri- make them, nor Reafon to defend them, "Phe might, at leaft, have had a little Con- {cience to have given them up. A Reply(97) REPLY Short Vindication OF THE Relapfe and the Provok’d-Wife. HIS Author pretends I had Jittlé to charge him with upon the Sub- ject. of Immodefty, that F come to no, particulars, but only mention ALifs Hoyden with others for an Im spraaics node? Charatter, By his Favour, I am pat-p.q. - ticular in the matter objected, and fince he calls for it, 1 fhall dire& the Reader to fome View,tics more Decencies of this Young Lady. To de- P.221- ny Matter of Fad in the beginning of a Vin- Rela pe dication is a little unlucky! 102503 This Gentleman is at ¢ Loft what I mean by 1.) Inmodefty, he knows of wo Smit tall’d by Mifs ™ Hoyden 3 and makes the Fault miuc to under- and him in that fenfe. Here’sa flight of In- BH nocence( 98 ) nocence for ye! One would think hisCapacj- ty was bound up to Virtue in an extraordi- nary manner; And that the bare Notion of Milcould not get into his Head. By the way, Lam forry to find him thus Undiftinguithing. This Ignorance iaa Stage-Poet does not look well. Cnftomary Swearing takes away the fenfe of doing it, and I am afraid it may be ap- plicable to other matters. The Vindicator and hisBrethren have an admirable way of defend- ing themfelves from Indecencies. If you de- tect them, they tell you ‘tis your own Con- ftrudion, and you may tale it for your pases, As ifthe Kaowledge of Good and Bvil, was Criminal ; and to fhow onc Fault,was to make another. It feems then the Deformity of Mat- ters lies in the Organ, not in the Objed, in the Idea not in the Thing. A Man had much better go into a Puddle than difcover it. He that fees an Ulcer, or perceives an offenfive Smell, is extreamly to blame in his Senfes! The Findicaror impofes on the Reader by affir- ming himfelf concern’d only in one Quctation mer in my Chapter of fmm efy. For 1. The generalReference may imply more. And betides, it it did not, Lhave given mort Inftances in Lovelefs and Berinthia, onthe fame Head tho’ not in the fame Chapter. There are likewife more lewd Paffages in his two Play: heighten’d with Irreligion ; but thefe fhall be Pottpoad a little. 1 fhall now examin: his Defence of a quo- tation from the Fravek'd-IVife. The Dialogue lies between Lady Beare and Belinda, Belinds fays, Wiy deat fone Reformer or other beat the Pres for Sryuttiness ? L, Brute.(99 ) L. Brute, Betaufe he is not fo fure of our Private Approbation , as of our Publick Thanks. Well, fure there is not upon Earth, fo impertinent athing as Womens Modefty, Belind: Yes, Adens Fantafque that obliges us to it. If we quit our Modefty, they fay we loofe our Charms. (There’s his Defence.) And yet they know that very Modefty is Afettation, and rail at our Hypocrify. Here’s admirable encouragement for Virtue! The Ladies make a Grieveance of Modefty, And declare it the moft impertinent thing in Nature. Ay, but what do the Men fay? Why they fay ’tisall AffeGation and Hypocrifie. and are not thefe charming Qualities upon the Difcove- ry? A pretence feen through is wonderful- ly engaging ! TheYindicaror confeffes as much. He fays the Men rail at the Women for their Modcfty. I can’t fee, how they fhould do otherwife, ifthey believe it nothiug but Gri- mace. Here’sa handfome Complement upon the Women. They are brought in guilty by both Sexes. They can’t be fincere it feems without appearing Vitious, nor deat clearly without Impudence, nor be Honeft without playing the Whore ! But over and above the Poet?s Courtfhip; thefe are Powerful Mo- tives to Modefty! What Woman would not be in Love with it upon this Defcription ? The Credit of Affectation is ftrangely tranf porting, who would not take pains to be counted a Hypocrite? There’s nothing of Complexion in Modefty: ’Tis only a little Paint laid on with a Trowel. It neither fits eafie, nor looks natural : Tis foolifh to them- Ho2 felves,( 100 ) felves, and formal to other People: And now what Woman would not ftrive hard for fuch an accomplifhment as this? But on the other fide, this is a comfortable Scheme for the Torn Sparks. To fpeak in our Author’s Mi- litary way. What Libertine would not prefs the Siege, and be at the trouble ofa little Storming, when he has Intelligence ofa Par- zy within, when he believes the Bloady-Colours falfe, and that there's Friendfhip in the very Defiance ? Naw had I not upon this Occa- fion fome rerfon to obferve that Modefty was out of Fafhion with our Stage, and the Bank much fank fince the time of Euripides, | fay tince the time of Euripides, For his Ladies verfe with all the ‘Decency and Re- abl. They declare againit ik, and love Virtue both in di as the Appearance. ad the Pro‘exenefs of the Stage un- PEMrINE y a and Holy Scrip. ving, Lobferv'd the Pd Wc, mere particular rile. This, the Mindica with a great deal of . 20 “twas. To report cil Feopie of their Faults, is ve- with both tho? Gulities. He eres O01, ad jets a little Bullys 3 and Feackney- Coach Ben, and by the Gayety of his Huinoar, you would think him extreamly Innocent. Bur after all this uucoacunedaels, it( tor ) if his Crime fhould not be little, I am afraid his Confcience will appear fo. However he complains he is mightily overcharged ; and. that all the flretch of the Prophanenefs lies ix Ld. Foppington’s Gad, and Mifs Hoyden’s Vin.pay, - I-Cod. Now Hoyden’s Expreflion I take to be rank Swearing, neither docs he deny it. And as for Ld. Foppington, he adds By, to Gad; which in his particular way of Pronouncing o, like 4, is broad and downright. This Gen- tleman would excufe himfelf by the Liber- ties of Converfation, and gives feveral Inftan- ces of difguifed Oaths. What means he by infifting fo much upon Precedent ? Does Cu- ftom jnftific a Fault? Is Sin improved into Privilege ? And cana Man Swear by Common- view tgs, Law? Befides all the Inftances mentioned ex- P.g6.An. cepting Par Die, are \efs Criminal than, his ©ovg. vid. own. And were it otherife, no fort of Pro- 3% Pott. fananefs is fit for Reprefentation ; as | have |, proved fafficiently already. This Author com-** 7° plains, my Accufutions against him almost al- mays run in general Terms, &c. Weil. If a Lift of particulars will oblige him, he hall have ic. [did not cake this Method for want of Evidence, I can aflure him. The petty Oaths and Curfes (as | fuppofe the Poets think them) together with the vain Invocation of the Naine of God, I fhall omit; To tranferibe or point to them, would be tedious. But as for thofe of a blacker Completion, tho they muft not be produced, the Reader may fee them if he pleafes: And then he may judge if 1 have done the Vindicator any wrong by pronouncing them Rampant and Scandalous. , H 3 In({ 102 ) Relap.p. In the Relapfe this horrible Rhetorick is 7,9 th) Spoken by Ld. Foppingron Young Fafhion, Seringe, pens, C2pler, and Mfi(s’ Hoyden. To thefe we mutt 55.61.82, add Fustsce Tunbelly, who to make himfelf the 6:,65,74, better Magiftrate, fwears like a Bully with 26073:75 open Mouth. The Provek’d Wife is little bes- 12, 12, te Sir Fob and the Colonel Swear with a 1c3, 13s. great deal of Relifh and Noife; and Conftant Pro.Wifeis not overftanch. Some of thefe Pages have P- 27,27) double Charges, and fo have fome in the Re- 3 37> Jape. Curling and Frends Language, is like- 2 7 wife very frequent in the Provok’d-Wife. Now, tho Oathsare not, Curfes may be Blafpbemy : Fajiows is fo in a horrible manner. This Re!zr= ne Gentleman does not ftick to Curfe the . Anthor of his Being, for making him youn- ger than his Brother. But this is not all the Blafghemy che Relapfer has to account for. And now at the clofe of the Article I muft own my felf furpriz’d at the Courage of the Yia- dicator. That a Man thus ill prepar’d, fhould caft the Caufe upon fo bold an flue, prefs for a fecond Hearing, and call for a Charge in Particulars ! The fecerd Branch of the Stage’s Profane- nefs, isthe Abufe of Religion and Holy Scrip- ture. How does the Vindicator excufe him- felf here ? He fays, Before he fell upon me for an Abufer of Holy Scripture, he fhould firft clear- ly have prowd, That no Story, Pliafe or Ex- preffion srhatleever in the Scripture, fhould be either vezeated, or fo much as alluded to upon rhe Stage. In return to this, I muft fay, I have hinted this pretty ftrongly already, and pro- View,gn Ved it by plain Implication. To argue the Ch. 2 7 "point Fe 13:( 103 ) point more at length, I did not then think ne- ceflary. For what can be more evidently im- pious than to throw the moft Solemn and the moft Trifling things into the fame Compo- fition; to make Religion part of our Sport, and the Bible furnifh out the Stage? I thought no Perfon profeffing Chriftianity, could have wanted Information in this Cafe. But fince I find the Poet’s difpofed to Cavil, Ihave fatisfi'd this Objection more at large inp, my Reply to Mr. Congreve. The Vindicator’s next attempt is very remarkable. The Scripture, fays he, ts made up of Hiftory, Prophecy, and Precept , which are things in their own Dature capable of no other Burlefque than what calls in queftion either their Reality, or their Senfe. To this 1 Anfwer, uf. That the Vindicator is out in his Noti- on of Burlefque. To Burlefque a Book, is to turn it into Ridicule. Now this may be done without queftioning the Hiftory or miftak- ing the Text. To apply the Cafe: To doubt the Meaning of fome part of the Bible may be done without a Fault. I confefs, to que- s Tde ftion any Faéts in Scripture would be to re- ~ nounce Chriftianity. But then to make Di- verfion with them is ftill worfe, and adds Contempt, to Infidelity. Indeed, to take thefe Freedoms with Religion is a fign of a flender Belief. We don’t {ee Comedy Garnifh’d with Parliament-Houfe-Speeches. No. Where peo- ple sre fure to be punifird, they are careful nat to provoke, 2ly. To believe the Scripture God’s Word, and to play wich it, heightens the Prefumpti- H4 on.P. 21, (‘104 ) on. ‘Tis a horrid Reflection on the Divine Wifdom; It fuppofes the concerns of the other World over flourifh’d, that a Pompous out-fide is givea to things Infignificant, and that the weight of the Caufe halds no pro- portion with the Solemnity of the Court. Now thatthis Gentleman hasdeveraltimes brought the Bible to jeft for him, is clear beyond all Contradi¢ion. 3h. The ¥% er 4s caft upon his own ftate of the Cafe. For his Play not only que- fiicnsthe Trath of the Scripesre, but denies it; and sives an Inftance to prove the AL fertior, and to give the more Credit to’t, it comes from the belt Chara@ter in the Poem, °Tis done in a Soliloquy too, where accor- diag toour Avthor, the Pevfor: sho fpeatks i is al- . 3 fupge edad Lirer ins read thoughts to the An- s the Perfon 5 Lets hear her. re Sifen compofed of? , Creation’s falfe, s Reb that they were formed Lo. This Lady it fcems fpoke this for the good Hes 3 Her Bufiaefs, like Morthy’s, the Audience. "Yes, the de- ‘yy 38 to prevert mifconftra- i the Und. ritaading, and fecure f Virtus. “Tis pofltole the c- 2 at have been thoughe truz, and the meaalig of tne Relapfe mifunder- food, if . had not been drawn out fiagle for this Survice. Well. But tce Gentle man wha weir this Steees is gene to Mufcovy. Thope act co teil them the Hifory of the Cie ation . } Sure the Aces-u: ed rms the Womat(lop). . | ation is falfe , well let him go, E think this Town may {pire him. But tho the Afanis gone to Mufeovy, the Play is here, and fois the Au- thor too, who took the pious A4u/e into his Protection and made her free of. his Poem. Suppofe this new Lawreat fhould write a Treafonable Copy of Verfes upon the Czar, and fheer off from AZo/co when he had done. Suppofe a Brother Poet of the Place should borrow them for his proper ufe, and A& and Publifh them for his own. Would it bea fuffici- ent excufe for the Latter to alledge that-they were only borrowed, that his Friend was gone into a remote Country ; but That to his Know- ledge he bad too much Veneration for the Go- vernment to question its Authority, or fiwk its Credit? 1 am afraid fuch a Speech as this, would do but little Service at Avofeo. It may not be amifs for the Vindicator to confi- der the Application, and the next time he has any Exercife made for him, to look a little better into the Contents. We are now drawing towards particulars. The Hiftory of ldam’s Fall is wretchedly P. 77-_. made ufe of in the Provol’d Wife, Hom the ,hS* Scripture is affronted by this, the Vindicator * a0 carr tell, here's aothing that vefletts upon the Troth of the Scory. No. Is the Ridiculous Rufor no difadvantage to the Story ? Does it not fuffer by being mix’d up with Smut and Banter, and applicd to a fcandalous purpofe. Ifthefe Liberties don’t reflec upon the Truth ef the Story, | am fure they reflect upon the Significancy on’t, and by confequence upon the Honour of the Author. But by the /in- , dicator’s Peldy 155Vind. p. 15 Ybid. +? . On - (106 ) dicator’s Favour, I doubt it does reflec upon the Truth of the Story. For whe that look’d on this Account as deliver’d by the Holy Ghoft would treat it thus difrefpectfully ? Who that believed himfelf akin to Adam would ufe his Memory thus Courfely, Ridicule bis Folly up- on the Stage, and makea jeft of his Misfor- tunes? The Vindicator concludes the Page with a Memorable Sentence, and gives us toun- derftand, That he hall always make a very great Diftinttion berween his Refpelts to God and the De- vil. His Refpetts to God, is fomewhat Familiar. But he mendsthe Matter. He makes a very great Diftinétion between his Refpetts to God and the Devil! Then itfeems he has fome Regard for both of them, fome Refpeéts for the Devil. Truly one would almoft think fo, by his way of writiag, and if we may ar- gue from the Interet he promotes, f am afraid the bulk of the DiftinG@tion will lie the wrong way. The Pirdicator takes it illof me for Cen- furiag the Liberties given to Ld. Foppingeon, And kere (he fays) Iam as angry with him for being for Relizion, as before for being againf? it. Not altogether. However here’s a frank Con- feffion, that he was againft Religion before. Now by his managing, one would guefs he had not changed his fide. For whatever his Meaning might be, his Method is fomewhat untoward. For does not Ld. Foppington Droll upon the Prayers, upon Suadays, and Sermons? Does he not do itin Earneft? The Vindica- tor grants all this. Ishe check’t then by the Ladies, or expofed upon the Account? re en(107), flenderly, if at all, Berintkia rather Prompts him, and Amanda only asks him if there was good Preaching at St. James's; And that fhe Relapfe mas the worft Compaay in the World at Church, P.32,33- being apt to mind the Prayers and Sermon. This isa poor Rebuke for fuch Rampant Pro- fanenefS. And as the World gocs, may cafi- ly be interpreted to Singularity, and Female View Superftition. Ay, But Foppington’s manner of ©* 7° fpeaking ; together with the Charatter he repre- fents plainly inflrudts the Audience, that what he fays of bis Church Behaviour is defigned for their 61 Contempt and not for their Imitation, *Tis de- Pt *7* figned for their Divertion, if he pleafes, which Pm miftaken if the Subje@ will allow of. Let Ld. Foppington fpeak. Ld. Fop. Madam, Sunday is avile Day, I muft confefs L intend to mave for leave to bring in a Bill, that the Players may work upon it.-~-A Man muft bavelittle to do therethat can give an accouat of the Sermon----But if {came give ax account ofthe Ladies, I deferve to be excorsmunicated.-- There’s my Lady Tattle, &c. are the prittie Company on the World... -One is frangely apt t Relanle Church to wind what one fhould not do, mcaning ?’ 3?” the Prayers and the Sermon, Now who can mifcarry under fuch Inftru- dion as This? A Man muft be of a very low Form in his Underftanding, not to fee the Drift of the Author. This is Seraphick Satyr, all Light and Heat. Virtue muft needs be re- frefh'd, and Confcience alarm’d ftrongly, by fuch Admonitions ! Jnftead of giving a fright- ful Idea of Profanenefs, the Matter isall turn’d into a Jeft; and the Audience defir’d to laugh at108 ) at thofe Practices, which will Damn them. Thefe are admirable Sentences to rally Reli- gion with, to furnish a young Libertine, and keep Atheifm in Couatenance ! So much for the Afanner of Speakinc. And as for Lord Fop- pingtan's CharaSer, that won't excufe him. As the Poet has managed the bufinefs, this Lord.is not fo contemptible. For fome of _ the beft Raiilery in the Play fa'ls to his fhare, ee as 1 have fhewa already. And were it other- "*"3" wife, no pretence of Character can juftifie finch ., profane Sallies. But thefe Poets, if they caa a get 2 Fool, a Buliy, or a Libertine, to fly out . into Smat, or Irreligion, they are fafe enough. Thas they can Pleafe and Fence, at the fame time; and the Character, as ihey fancy, is a Cover for the Trick. Bue there is much more of Art, than Fair-dealiag, in this Expe- dient. I with they would confider, tis the Poet chat fpeaks in the Perfous of the Staze ; And d that he wi pomukesa Mean Mad, muf an- fwer for his DHt salon for my Ouar- ras beeaule Took an contradias’ nthe next Sentence ; ; and fays, Jac cusd his ysueer Brother, for kichi nz his Confcience down Stairs. Well. That's s fomething ; 5 but not sal the Quarrel. I complained cf kim likewife Pe2tc, fora finifhed Debauchee ; and exhibited a long 7i BH] againft him. This the Vindicator is pleated _ toflide over: And inftead of defending his Per. Libertiae, finds Fault with my calling him his Favourite, And w hy fo? Has he not provided UTE( 109 ) him a Plot,.a Fortune, and a creditable Figure? And are not all thefe figns of good Willand rig. Inclination? Well; but his Wife is likely to . make bis Heart ake. \ndced fo fays the Vindi- cator. But Young Fafhion tells another Story. He is in no Fright about the matter. Upon obferving fome figns of Extravagarice in Hoy- den, he fays to himfelf, (and then you may be fure he delivers his real Thoughts to the Audi- Retapte, dience) °Tis no matter, She brings an Eftate witl p. 6+. afford me a feparate Maintenance. We {ec here’s no danger of Mortification. This Soliloquy is extreamly Moral! It teaches the Art of Marrying the Eftate without the Woman,and makes a Nobts Settlement upon Lewdnefs. The Vindicator complains becaufe J won't p. 18.15, take his word ia the Bufinefs of Pimping, Under favour, he docs me wrong ; I never queftion’d his Experience in thefe matters. Since he puts me upon’t, Tam willing to believe him a good Authority in the Cafe: And that he is well qualified to pronounce upon the Growth and Improvement of this Myftery. What ifthe Profeffion foars fomewhar higher than formerly, I hope "tis not grown creditable? If tis infamous in a Peafant, ’tis morc fo in a Perfon of Figure? Why thea is it not Lafh’d and Stigmatiz’d ? Why han’t we fome of Plautus’s and Terence’s Difcipline wpon’t? Why is the Poet’s Fine Gentleman put upon this Drudgery ? To ufe See Pref. the Profeffion thus gently, and pay it fo fair a Relaple. Refpedt, is the way to make it foar {till higher, and bring it more into Fafhion. But the Vin- dicator’s Civilities to Pimping were not theouly Thing: which | objected : J obferved that Wor- thy( 110 ) thy and Berinthia made itan A& of Chriftiaz View. Charity, and rallied profanely upon the Office. P-79-219- But “tis notthisGentleman’s Method,to {peak Belge Te tothe Difficulty. He tells me ‘tis a dui] Thing, to expect any thing not dull from a Nurfe. And why fo? As flender People are entertaining fometimes. Why mayn't the Woman be a little Witty if fhe was born fo, efpecialiv when fhe is to di- vert the Company? All Nurfes are not Fools, any more than all Poets are Wits. Befides, 1 did not expe any great matters from her in this kind. But though fhe has not Wit, fhe ought to have Humour ? So that when fhe is out ofCharacer in her Profanencfs,and {peaks contrary to Cuftom and Probability, when the Race and Spirit of her Difcourfe, lies only in the Absfe of Two or Three folemn Ex- , preflions of Scrigrure, 1 fay when this happens, *tis pretty plain the Poets Defign, is to treat the Audience at che Expence of Religion. The Vindicatcr fets down fome more of Nurfes fine Speech which Thad omitted. She calls Bu!’ Priclt of Baal, and tells him, her Con- feience flies ix her Face for taking his Advice 5 and that bis Abfclutronis not worth an oldCaffock, Now all chefe fine Sentences are only for Diverfion. Tis nothiag but Cracking aFeft upon a Chaplatn ; And he fhould be ceiy ferry ro feathe Day wher faci Lib 15 ne Allufion to Religion) fasuld be ber ghr within tee Verge of Trofanene!s, And how does he prove a Jeiton a Chaplain fuch a warrantable piece of Raillery ? Has not 2 Chaplain the fanie Commiffion and Bufinels with another Clergyman? And if fo, why fhould +{ 111 ) thould his Treatment be more Coarfe? tf there’s no Diftindtion in the Office, why fhould there be any in the Ufage ? But it may be the Vindicator may think his Authority funk upon the Score of Obligation : And that Earing and Drinking, are better than Prayers and Sacra __ ments. But this Pallage of Nurfes has no Allu. ite fiow to Religion. Thav’s ftrange! Is {porting in Scripture-Phrafe, fo foreign to that Sub- jet ? Has the Drolling on the Priefts Blefling, upon the Power of the Keys, and the Inttituti- on of our Saviour, no Allufiion to Religion ? If this Gentleman had the ftating of Profane- nefs, ’twould fhrink into a narrow Compafs. It would be no eafy matter to talk amifs ; and the Laity would have as little Sin left them, as the Clergy would have fair Quarter. Worthy’s Addrefstothe finc Procuref$ Beri- thia, muft_ now be enquir’d into. Upon her promife of a Lewd Afliftance, his Gratitude is wonderfully raifed, and Devout. Thou Angel Vimp.22 of Light, ler me fall down and adore thee. He pub fays, if I bad quoted her Anfmer, I had givena * better Charatter of him and he thinks, of my p. 23. felf. Truly I would gladly oblige both of us, but I’m afraid *twon’t do this time : However, let’s hear Berinthia’s Anfwer. Ber. Thou Ati- niffer of Darknefs get up agains for I hate to fee theDevil at bis Devotions. This isto makeamends for Vother. I can’t perceive how. One Man in- jures his Neighbour, and another blames him for’t does this cancel the guilt,& make theFat nothing. OneMan {peaksBlafphemy,& another reproves him; does this juftifie the Boldnefs, or make the Words unfpoken? But by this Re Relapfe, De Ole¥in.p23 Pro. Wis P. 3 ¥i igi Wyte P. $3. ( 112). » Anficer the Audience are put in mind, fie ts net fuppofed to deferve that Compliment. 1 can’t fee that neither. Ferinthia’s Anfwer looks rather like a defien of carrying on the Profanencfs, and continuing the Religious Banter. Her Chara&er is loofe throughout the Play, and fhe never fays ought that’s good, unlefs to abufe it. The Poet might eafily fee, that In- ftrudiion in her Mouth was moft likely to be imifunderftcod and mifcarry. There’s no oc- caficn for much quoting, the next Lines will fhew us how fignificant her Advice muft needs be. Weil, (fays Worthy) my incomparable Be- rinthia, bor pet T requite you? Ber. O ne'er trouble your felf about that. Vir- “tne (alia s Pimping) is its own Reward. There's five in doing good, which fufficiently pays s+ wil Here’s a Ledture ‘of Philofophy well ap- plied ! This isan Admirable Lady to cor- rect ill Ssatences, and give | Aim to the Audi- ence! And yet the jeft on’c is, the Man’s not pleafed becaufe I did not commned him for his Care. Truly he muft excufe me, I am not fo full of Paxegyrick as this comes to. ited Dy Brute for faying the Part of a doru- ve HGfe as to Cuckeld her Husband. The ad- on or fering it down as « Precept, is all his own, and fo confequently i is the Foul Play too, as will appear by the Ladies words. Belinda---- I could almsft refolve to play the © domeright Wife, and Cuckeld him. 1s not to “play the 3 nave, and to play the part ofa Knave the fame thing? This, tho it does net imply Duty and Precept, it fuppofes ge- nera!( 113 ) feral PraGtice , Truth in Notion, and proprie- ty of CharaGer: And as a Man cannot be faid to be a Knave, without playing Knavifh Tricks ; fo by the Poers Reafoning, a Woman can’t be faid to play the downright Wife, untefs fhe injures her Husband. This is a great Com- pliment to the Ladies! And whether the Vindicator has Reafon to ask their Pardons for Lyng in jeft or in earneft, the Reader muft e He owns Lady Brute in her next Reply, fays, that which at firft View feems much more lyable to Exception. This Confeftion is more than ordinary ; Let the Lady fpeak. L. Brute, Why, ajter all there’s more to be faid fore (for Adultery) then youd imagine Child. Ikuow according tothe ftritt Stature Law of Re= ligion, I fhould do wrong, but if there were a Court of Chancery in Heaven, I fhould be fure to caft bina. ‘ Belind. Jf there were a Houfé of Lords you might. L. Brute, Jw either J fhould infatibly carry my Canfe. Why be is the fir? Ageveffor. (it had beet worfe if he had been the fecond.) Wor L. Belind. Ay, but you know, we muft retura good for evil. . L. Brate, That may be a miftake inthe Tran- flation. ; Thus the Juftice of God, the Court of Hea- ven, and the Precepts of our Saviour are Ri- diculed ! And what can make fatista@ion for thefe horrible outrages? Not all the Blood ina Man’s Veins. The Mercy that pardons fuch Boldnefs, had need be infinite ! “But the Vine ” a Vin.p.232 Pe 246} P. Wifes de View, See P83. S.Mats 54( 114 ) Vindicator hastakenCare that ber Raillery fhould Tbi2. not te mniftcken for her ferious Opinion, She tells Bellinds, I fhall play the Fool, and jeft on, Pro.Wite til I make you begin to think I am in earnest, P+ Thisis an admirable Defence! The Woman Blafphemes in jeft, and diverts the Company Tn. withthe Béé/e, aad therefore all’s well; and the Peer nui? le commended for bis Caution \ | perceive God and Religion are very Signif- cant Things with fome People ! Reape To difengage Toung Fafhicn from his very P. 13. profane Application of Providence. He fays, : ees every bady keows tee Word Providence ta common “*t Dilcourfe cces for Fortune. A Man that’s fink- ing will catch at a Weed. I am forry I mul fpend my time about Words, efpecially in fo plzin a fignification, Buc fince the . bufinefs mui be undertaken, 1 fhall endea- Ci. De. your at a brief Satisfadion. We may obferve pe * then that 724) in his Philofophical Trad di- “é-2,) ftiacnithes Ireuidence from the Epicurean Sy- 471. ftemof Chance and Fortune. Providence and foie y eiitration, are with him the fame The Emperour Afacexs Antonius Phi- has this Religious Expoftulation. 7 true nro Sroz, 1 sesvaras mg. Tho t World uunkabited by the Gods, ¢? Now fora little Englith Au- r fazer LD Eftrange in his eAlifop’s ts tke Word Frotidence trequently Government of the World by the Dei- je that | remember. And ‘arly in the 1$7, aud 211. Pages, Notica of Fortwze and Providence pposcs the onc to the other. This( 115) This Gentleman. is well known to be a Ma- fter of Stile, and therefore I choofe to inftance’ in him. Mr. Dryden another good Judge ins) go. Language, ufes, Providence in the fame Senfep rn tho” not upon fo geod an Occafion. To Con- Mock.At clude. The Relapfer himfelf fhall come in P. 36. Evidence, and Attack the Vindicator for once. Enter Bull. Relaple Bull, Whar Providence orders, I fubmut to. P+ 97+ Nurfe, Avd fo do J, with all Humility. : Coupler, Why thar now was fpoke like good, People. : Thus we fee. from Bul’s Religious Chara- der, from Nurfe’s folemn Acquiefcence, and from Coupler,s Reflection, the Relapfer takes Providence for Divine Appointment, and the Pleafure of the firft Being. Berinthia comes again; aud here the Relap- fer has fhewn us what fpeed we may expec? from him when he Strikes out. This Lady was Worthy’s Procurefs. To facceed in her Bufi- nefS fhe tells Aracinda, He (Mr. Worthy) ied you like a Text, he took you 2llto Pieces, but fpoke fo Learnedly--- One might fee the Spirit of the Church mas it him. Now why does the Vindicator deny his own Words, and affirm the Woman is nor liken’d to @ Text in genératty;, 28. wr any other way? He had mach betier drop the Canfe, than plead it thus antowardly. To return to the Relapfe. Bevrmtina goes on in Pulpit-Phrafe, and ‘purfues her Employment very intelligibly. At laft fhe nientions Ue and Application, and brings them up to the Relaple point of Debauchery. By her talking you” ; would think there was litcle Diiference be- 12 tween( 116 ) tween Lewdnefs and Religion. And that Whoring and Preaching, a Church and a Baw- dy-Houfe might be treated alike. This fine Diftourfe the Vindiczter, out of his great Mo- Vine «,dekty, calls a inoffenfice Simile, and feys it abu. - fes no body. Berinthia concludes in Blafphemy, and joins the Atheift and the Procurel’ together. Now confider (Lays fhe) mhar hats been fard, and Hea. ven cive you Grace to put ir in Pratife, that is Reape to rake Bericthia's lewd Counfel, to proftitute ¢.. her Virtue, and turn Whore. Thele Words would be always Profanc upon the Srage, bat the Application of them here, is flamingly Blafphemous. The Vixdicarer’s Defence is re- po. tmarkable. He grauts thefe words ave often v- fed atthe Clofe of a Sermon, and therefore perbars might as well have been fer alone. Tt feems the Cafe is fomewhat doubtful, he is not fare but that a Man may as well Blafpheme as let it a- e. ya2, lone! One had need of Paticnce to read this. “Bur St. Afichzel did not rail upon the Devil, and therefore | fhall pafs it ovcr. His lame excute from the Chcracer, and Afsumer, [have difproved already. 7 3 Bersithis has a very Scandalous Soliloquy ; She thanks Heaven tor her Impudence, and is navfeoully Bold, and Profane: Which, befides the Irreligion, isan odd way of treating ker Sex, and Figure. We are now come to the Abufe or the Cler- gy. And here the (Ged:eursr’s method of purg- ing himfeliis extraordinary. He runs a great length o sunon the Rights and Privileges of the Clerzy. 1 perceive the little Juftice | endeavoured to do that Orazr, won't dowa yilty(117) with him. By his Reafoning one would think the World ftrangely Prieft Ridden, and all Ages, Countrys, and Religions, extreamly to blame! If you’l take his Word for’t, Riches, Plenty and Power, are very improper things p, 3-. fora Church-Man. And yet this Gentleman owns the Inffitution of the Clergy to be the moft Ibid Effettual means of promotiag our Happinefs inthis World, and tke other. Say you fo ? Then fare they ought to havea fhare in the Common Advantages. Acknowledgment fhould always bear fome Proportion to Obligation. Where's the Gratitude, or cven the Juftice of ading otherwife ? If Riches and Power are things de~ firdble, why fhould not the Clergy come in with the reit, Ifthey are not, why are they grudged them? To put the Priefthood under a Difadvantage in the State, only for having God's Commiftion, is an odd tvay of shewing our Religion. ’Tis fomewhat hard a Man fhould be barr’d the Conveniences of this Life, for helping his Neighbours to a better. To proceed. Arc not the Clergy of the fame Humane Nature with other People? Have they not the fame Neccffities for this World, and the fame Confcience and Difcretion to ufe ic? Generally {peaking, Poverty does as ill with a Priest, as with a Poer. "Tis apt to Sink the Spirits, to make the Mind grow Anxious, and Feeble in the difcharge of Fundton. If Riches are fo invincibly dangerous, why don’t the Chriftian Laity part with them, and like Crates, throw their Gold into the Sea? But does not this Plea for the Churches Temporale reflect on the Author of Chriftianity ; or as 13 the( 118 ) the Vindicator too lightly expreffes it, does p.it not fappofe that Chriff and his Apostles, rook the thing by the wrong handle? By no means. The Cafe is not the fame. The Apoftles hada Power of working Miracles, to hold up their “ Character, and make way for their Dodtrine. They could cure Difeafes, and infli@ them; -S-Kiil and make Alive, Punifh and oblige in the higheft maaner. They had Natureat their beck, and Omnipotence about them. Such Creden- tials needed no other Recommendation. Such Tiluftrious Pezssty out-fhines Imperial Gran- deur, and makes a Cottage look nobler than a Court. But this Glorious Affiftance was lent but for a few Ages. Whea Chriftianity was once Eftablifh’d, and Princes converted tc the Faith, theEnd of Miracles went offjand the Power wasrecail’d. From this time theCharch vas left in fome meafure to humane Prudence, and Civil Policy. When the Heavens were thas fut ia, and the other World withdrew, there was more occafion of recourfe to This. Now, Temporal Advantage, aad Secular Sup- port, grew much more feafonable, and the Cherch was obligd to preferve her Autho- <=, rity by fome of the Methods of Civil Gover- ana nef Tedicaror Lays, Religion ts net hear, and teeretore Las na necd of ‘Trappinas. idee is no Cheat neither. “Tis weil known Allthis Expeace in Solemnity and Retinuc? Cant the old Gentleman come like an U- ian Sazheceanta, with a wifp of Grafs up- a Pole. Away, crys the Mindicaror, with all Pre ulore( 119 ) all this unneceffary State. Why muf the Charge be given in Furs and Scarlet, when the Law will operate every jot as wellin Lea- ther ? However, this Gentleman-will have it that an Ambaffidor who comes with advantageous phia, Propofals, ftands in no need of Equipage to procure ‘ hint Refpeét. This Project would fave a great deal of Money? But there are few Prin- ces of his Mind. What does the Vindicator mean by allthis good Husbandry ? Would he have an Ambaffador travel like a Carrier with a Port-Afantua behind him?-Such Equipage would reprefent ftrongly, and give a noble idea of his Bufinefs. In fhort, as things ftand, Goverament of all kinds, requires fomewhat of Figure. Appearance gocs a great way in the Expediting of Affairs. Naked Reafon won't always do. The generality mult have their Senfes ftrack, and their Ima- gination affected. Thus Authority is beft re- frefh’d, and the Ends of the Inftitution fecur- ed. For this purpofe Miracles were wrought 5 and when they ceafe, "tis proper to apply to the ufual Expcdients. And now I fhall venture to confront the Vin.pgt. firft Article of his Here/y, as he calis it, with this Truth, viz. That the Shepherd who bas leaft Meat, at home ix his Houfe, bas moft Bu- fnefs; For Indigence has a very working . Head and a Manis always moft full of Care, when he docs not know how to live: And for the fame Reafonr, he that has the belt Fortune, may be moit at leifure, becaufe he has others to manage his Affairs. 14 Thew wb oO ( 120 ) The Vindicator in his 24. Article difcourfes of Sauce and Sops, Kc. But he has cook’d theAl- legory fo oddly, that I know not well what to make on’t. If he reafons from the Kitching up- on thefe fubjects, he muft talk by himfelf- His 3d. Article] have fpoken to already, and am now to confider it farther. For The Vindicator pretends, That Piety, Learn- ing, Charity an Hunitlity, mould fecure the Cler- fet much better than Power, and Reverse, Upon a View of the whole, one and other will be found to do very well together. For 1. If Piety and Power are not to be re- concil’d, anda Man muft either throw up his Fortune or his Creed, the Laity will be ob- lig’d to the fame Refignation. The Inclofures of Property and Privilege muft be broken dowa, and all things laid in Common. But if’tis poffible for a “Man to be pious witha Penny in his Poket, the Clergy I fuppofe may be fo, with as little difficulty as their Neigh- bours. Then as for Learming, Poverty, and this Advantage, are inconfiftent. As the World goes, there’s little Knowledge to be had with- out Money. A Man may get Honefty for no- thing ; bat if he'll have any Senfe to’t more than ordinary, he muft pay for’t. There are fome few Exceptions to this Rule, but gene- rally fpeaking, it holds true. To go on. Cha rity is mach better exercifed with Revenue,than without it. ’Tis true, a Beggar may have as large a Soul asa Prince. But will Without Power, is neither fo clear nor fo ferviceable. He that can gono farther than a good wih, is oftentimes oaly cind in his Conftience, and a( 141 ) a Benefactor to himfclf. For where the Heart _is invifible, the Obligation muft be fo too. But Power brings fecret Goodnefs into Light, and makes it appear unqueitionable. And to come clofer to the fubjc&, I believe if the Preacher could Dine all the Poor of the Parifh every Sunday, his Sermon would be more fig- nificant. His Table would affift his Pulpit, and “his Charity reinforce his Reafoning. They'd firf come to him for the Loaves, and then for the Doéfrine. And laftly, as for Hu- mility, Lagree with the Vindicator 5 {think it moft neceflary ; and that no Man can be a . Chriftian without it. But whether I have the ‘ fame Notion of this Virtue with our Author or not, I can’r tell. To be humble, a Man is bound not to be full of himfelf, or grow tiff upon any Advantage, but give all the Glory toGod. He mutt be fair in Converfation,not defpife the leaft Mortal, but rather ftoop to oblige thofe upon lower Ground. Thus far without doubt all Clergy Men, and all Chriftians are concern’d to be Humble. But to bz fervile and fheepifh to Humour Pride, and blow up Conceit, this is quite another thing, There’s neither Humility, Difcretion, nor fo muchas Honefty, in fuch . Management. "Tis little Knavery, and parae fitical Meanefs, and Church Men, of all People, fhould ftand clear of fo uncreditable an Imputation. Now tis this fort of Humility the Stage would put upon them. The Vindi-Congrev. cator and Mr. Congreve, are wonderfully for an Am¢nd. humble Clergy: +And fo are ‘fome of the : proudeft Men I ever met with. If tis faid the Clergy(122 ) Clergy are bounc to be exemplary, I willingly grant ic. But Example fuppofes other Perfons concern’d befides thofe who fet it. If the ~ - Clergy are to be Examples,’tis becaufe the La- ity are bound to follow them : And in Humili- ty too, as well as in other Dutics. For if the Teachers are bouad to be Humble, the Hearers without queftion are under the fame Obliga- tion. The Argument Might be prefled far- ther, But Irather chufe to leave it with the Reader. And fince we are onthe Subje@ of Humility, the Vindicator and Mr. Congreve would do well to think on’t. Ifas this Gen- tleman obferves, He who reaches Piety and Mo- rality to the World, is a grect Benefatkor to Aan kind: Then by the Rule of Contraries, he who teaches Immorality muft be as great a Nu- fance. He who makes it his Bufinefs to exter- minate Vertue, aud Confcience, and Debauch both Practice and Principle, muft needs bea Misfortune to the Age. Unlefs they can clear themfelves of this Imputation, they ought to be wonderfully modeft and unpretending. To be the Author of irreparable Mifchief; to deftroy the Innocence of Life, the Securities ofGovernment, and the Expectations of the World to come, are Powerful Reafons for Humility . Thofe who in any Meafure lye un- der this Charge, cai hardly bend too low, or think themfelves leiler than really they are. The indicator would make us believe, that pro. Wife Sir Fol Brute’s debauching ina Gowx, was no P4590, Abufe of the Clergy. That’s ftrange! 1 SHudeg,, take it the Company were merry with the p18. Difguife. “Twas the Habicand Function which made( 123 ) made the Scene diverting. The Oaths and LewdnefS would not have made half the Mu- fick in a Lay-Character: And the Conftable’s efts would have been but heavy upon ano- ther occafion. Befides Sir John is made to abufe his pretended Brethren, and the Juftice fallsin general upon the Order. And is it nop, wir. Diflervice to be thus executed in Effigie, and 4.5). made a Mad-man by Reprefentation ? Ifa Lewd Perfon could fteal his Neighbour’s Shape, and then play all his Pranks in’t, I fuppofe he would have no Thanks for his Pains. When the Badge of a Man’s Office which fhould give him Credit, is fhewn ridiculous, 1 fancy, he has Reafon to complain. If the Vindicator is of another Mind, let him pratife the fame Liberty upon a Fudee, or a Lord Mayor, and fee how the Jelt will take. _ { obferv’d upon the Relapfe, that Bull the View.s. Chaplain, wifh’d the Married Couple foy, in Ron. 14: Language horribly Smatty and Profane. I con- fefs, 1 could not go on with it. And what fays the Vindicator to this? Why he plucks up? 35° - his Spirits, and lays it all upon the Board ; no body could have tranfcrib’d a foul Paflage more honeftly. And now who would fafped the Man to be otherwife than Innoccat ? Thus fome People when they are going to put a Trick upon you, ftrip their Arm bare, and pretend ftrongly to fair Dealing. But here the matter was too grofs for a cleanly Con- veyance. To argue this Point any farther, would be an ill Complement to the Reader, . and therefore I fhall pafS it over. | charg’d View, the Relapfe, Preface and Play, witha great deal 9 110, more 73%P. 35. aa ost P. 45. Vin. p.3. ( 124 ) more fcandalous Abufe of the Clergy 5 but this the Vindicator is pleafed to overlook. And as to the irreligious part, he omly fays , ris juft as profane asthe vet; which though it may not come uptothe Merits of fome Palfages, is Character bad enough in all Confcience. We are now advanced to a new Chapter. And here the Vindicator would fain know which way I make it appear, Thar Conftant is bis Model for afine Gentleman , and that he is brought upon the Stage for Imitation. This de- mand is eafily fatisfyed. That he ftands for a fine Gentleman, is evident trom his Senfe, his Breeding, and his Figure? Now thefe Circum- ftances, with the fair Treatment he meets with, make hima AGaz! for Imitation. This Confe- quence follows naturally from the Advantage of his Character. For moft young People of any preteaces, love to be counted fine Gentle- men. And when Vice has Credit, as well as Pleafire annext, the Temptation is dange- roufly fortified. The Fi-dicaror telis the Reader, That this Loneft Dr. dees not sender fad the Nature of Co- medy, tho tz made it his Study fo long, For the bu- frels of Comedy isto fhew Peaple wht they fhould 9, by reprefenting then: doing what they fhould not do. Nor ec there aay Necejiity to explain the Aforal to the Audiszce, For all this livelinefS Pm afraid this honeft Poet, neither underftands Comedy,nor himtelt,and that’s fomewhat worfe. Not himfelf, becaufe he contradi@s what he wrote before. For in the beginning of his /”i- dicarion he acquaints us how careful he was to explain the Ader, for fear of mifconftracion. Yes;( 125 ) Yes; for fear the Boxes and Pit thould mifin- : terpret him. But now theTale is quite turn’d, P+ 45 and there’s no necd ofa Philofopher to unrid- dle the Myftery. 2ly. He miftakes the Nature of Comedy. “i his we may learn from Ber. Fohnfon, who acquaints poy Ep. . the Univerfity, thet he has imitated the Condutt ped, of the Antients : In whofe Comedies the Bauds,&c. yea and oft-times the Masters too, ave multed,and that fitly, it being the Office of a Comick Poet to imitate Justice, and ingtruit to Life. Is it the Of- fice of a Comick Poct to imitate Justice, &c. thea certainlyRewards andPunifhments ought to be rightly apply’d : Then a Libertine ought to have fome Mark of disfavour fet upon him, and be brought under Difciplincand Difgrace. View, To fay the Bufiie/s of Comedy is to fhew People P- re ‘bat they fhould do, by reprefenting them doing 53?*°4 that they fhould not, is a pleafant way of argu- ing: What is the Stage to be read Backwards, and conftrued by Contradiction ? When they talk Smut muft weunderftand thein in a Sence of Modefty ; and take all their Profancnefs for Pious Expreflion? Then by the fame Rule, when they fay any thing that’s good, we mult conclude they have a Lewd Meaning. This is an admirable Compafs to fail by; {uch Pilot- ing -muft necds difcover all the Rocks and Quick-fands in tre Voyage! This undiftin- guifhing Method at the beft, would be like pulling up the Buoys, quitting the Helm, and leaving thePaflencers to Stcer at their Difere- tion. But as the Poets manage the matter, ’tis ftill more daagcrous. For to shew.acReligious Perfor ridiculous ; to give Figureand Succefs : to.( 126 ) to an illCharader, and makeLewdnefs Modifh and Entertaining, is the way to mifmark the Nature of Good and Evil, and con- found the Underftanding of the Audience. Vinoas, Tis the way to hide the Flexs in Behaviour, to oo'WVarnifh the Deformity, and make the Blemifhes look fhining. The Vindicator infifts, That Conftant fays nothing to juftifie the Life he leads, except, &c. What needs he? He is fufficiently jaltified in his Character and Ufage, and in not B47 being punifhd. Let’s have the reft. He does not jaftifie the Life heleads, except where he’s plead~ ing with Lady Brute, to debauch her, and fure no bedy will fuppole kim thereto be fpeaking much of tis Mind, Why not ? Does a Man who argues againft Confcience, and talks like an Atheift, never {peak his Mind? Ifa Libertine pleads in his own Defence, why muft he not be fup-" pofed to be in earneft? Belides, how could Con- act exped to carry the Caufe, unlefs the Co- lours look’d fair, and the Reafoning probable ? To give this Spark his due, he makes the moft of his Matters. He endeavours to inform the Pr. Wife Lady, That Virtue confists'in Goodnefs and Pity,. Pete oe tit narling straitlaced Chaftity. That Honour isa phantome, and that the Importance of it lies in the Cuftom of tre Country, aot inthe Nature of the Thing and pretends precedents for a contrary Prattice. In fhort, Hobs, and Snwefa could fearcely have faid more for him. This is ad- Teid- mirable inftraSion! And Lady Brute for all the threwdaefs of her Anfers, confefles her felf pazzi'd, and fuffers the Intrigue to go on. Pro.Wife [2 a word, if the Young Ladies (the Vindicator 35 takes fuch Care of) have nothing but this Dia- logue( 127 ) logue for their Security, I fhould think them in a dangerous Condition. And here I can’t but take Notice, how the Vindicator contra- dicts himfelf again. He makes the Lady turn Vin.p.qs. Philofopher, and gives an Interpreter to the Pop- 47° er- Show. View.£ ‘ I tax’d his Bellinda for confefling her Inclina- ;46°°° tion to a Gallant. For this he calls me az wi- fair Adverfary, as if 1 had mifreported him, P. 47 adding withall, that Belinda only ays, Jf her Vin-p-48. Pride fhould make ber Marry a Man he hated, her Virtue mould be in danger from the Man {he lov'd. His Play will foon decide this Controverfy, and fhew on which fide the Unfairnefs lies, Bellinda’s words are thefe: Bellind. to Lady Brute. O” my Confeience were Pro.Wife it not for your Affair in the Ballance, I fhould go®> 6+ near to pick up fome odious Adan of Quality yet, - and only take poor Heartfree for a Gallant. This very Bellinda,a little before advifes Lady Brute pro.Wife to furrender her Virtue to Conftazt. The Lady p- 45+ requites her in a fuitable Encouragement. Ibid Lady Br. Ifyou did commit Fornication Child, *rwowd be but agood friendly part, if twere only to keep me in Countenance whiljt I commit-=- So it feems, fhe muft tarnWhore out of goodBreed- ing. Thefe two Ladies ina private Dialogue, where we muft fuppofe their Hearts are open, are extreamly inftructive and civil to their Sex ? Lady Brute informs her Neece, that the Men are moft of them Atheifts, and believe theWomen to be no better; that by a Woman of Reputation, is meant no more than a Woman of Diferetion. To this Accufation the Lady pleads guilty, and confefles, That want of Incl- nation Vin.p.q7.( 128 ) clination feldons proteéts any of her Sea. And as for Fear,’tis too weaka Reftraintto hold them Jong. And were it not for their Cowardice, they would likewife venture upon all the Maf- Pr.Wite, Culine Vices of Fighting, Swearing, Blafpheming, Pp. 65. &c. Here you have the Secrets of the Cabinet, and Truth and Ceremony in abundance. This Author in his indication Courts the Sex in his Vinpgsown Perfon. With all due Refpects (fays he) “50 tothe Ladies, a Bifhoprick may prove as weighty a Reward, as a Wrie, or a Meftrefs either. It feems then inthe Scalecof this CivilGradation, a M:fire/s, that is a Strumpet, is a weighticr Reward thana Wite. Truly [think the 77: dicater pays his Refpeés to the Ladies in this place, almoft as untowardly as he did to the Devil before. ‘To conclude with the Provok’d Wife. The Men of Figure in this Pizy (excepting the duftice who makes but a fhort Enter) are profeffed Libertines, and pafs off withoutCen- Brewer. fare or Difappointment. I grant Sir Foln’s ‘Ws’ Charader has fome Strokes of Difcourage- ment, but he’s made pretty eafy at laft, and brought tono Pennance. The Women have fome of the fame Jnclinations; and the fame good Luck with them. “Tis true Lady Funci~ full mifcatries in her Defign; has her Difguife puil’d off, and fails under fome Confufion. But thea ve are to take netice, that this Lady was the mot Modeft of the Company. What ere her Thoughts were,fhe has the Diferetion to keep them in Referve. This Squeamifhnels, "tis poflible, drew dawn the Severity of the Peez. Had fhe been as bad as the reft, fhe might( 129 ) might have'fared better. Bur it feems, a pre- tence toVirtuc is an unfafferableBoldnefs; and fhe muft be punifh’d, in Terrovem to her Sex. This fort of Management puts me in mind of Mr. Deanis’s Ingenuity. He frankly confefles Lewdnefs promoted by the Stage. This is clear dealing: And 1 fappofe the main Reafon of his faying that the Play-Houfe Contributes fo much to the Happincfs of the Nation. We are now come forward to the Remarks upon the Relapfe. And here the Vindicator does as good as confefs he has made many foolifh Mi- Vin.p.s6. frakes in bis Play. And by a peculiar happi-57" nefs in- his Underftanding, feems both fenfible, and fatished with it. TheYiadicator pretends much toMorals and Inftru@ion about Lovelefsand_Amanda;but can’t forbear running upon the old Haunt. For after having made himfelf merry with a VevifonPafly and a Tankard of Ale; he falls a quoting the Lords- Prayer about hisPlay,and in differentCha- racters, to make us fenfible of his Devotion. He goes on intheRelation of hisFuble,quotes Lead us not intoTemptation,once again; and fays Lovelefs had uo farther occafton for that Petition. 1 with the Poet is not of Lovele/s’s Opinion. His P- 65- making boldwith fo folemn a Sentence upon fo light a Subject, is fomewhat to be fufpected. He informs us that Lovelefs and Amanda’s Fivtue was built upon a Rock, and raifed upon the utmost flrength of Foundation, and had Religion, P.6s. 69. &c. to defend it.And yet this pious Couple are for Afabomet’s Paradife, and with for Immor- Relaple tal Senfualities. Pia, 3 P. 61 K He( 130 ) He would make Lovelefs and Amanda the Pot chief Crarafters by teImportance of the Defien.The Importance of lis Play is Diverfion; And to gain this he has broke through theRules of theDra- BEC ma. But let his Private Defign be what it will, I ftill fay, Youre Fafhion, Lord Foppington, and their Party, make the principle Figure in the Plzy: The Plot, the Fortune,aad the Conclu- fion, the grcateft part of the Play, and of the Perfons too ison their fide. As for poorLove- éefs, he finks in the middle of the Fuxrth Ad,and you may go look him. Here the Vindicater could not find in hisHeart to quote fair ; how- ever, he makes a fhift to fay, thar ifthe Play had funk in the Fourth Aut too, it had been ber- rer thus tis by jut rwenty per Cent. Ef he does not mean Pounds, I agree with him, fo far as to own thatifit had funk in the Third AG it had beea more Valuable. For fome Entertain- meats like Dirty way, are always the better for being fhort. However does not thisConfef- fion prove the Truth of myRemarks, and that Lovelefs was a CharaSer of inferiour Confi deration : Does the main Concera ufe to die fo long before the Epilogue, and the cheif Per- fon go off when about a Third of the Play is remaining ? The Piadicator gives a Home Throftat Parting, but his Weapon like Scaramouchy’s is P.73, 74. made ofa Rufh. He complains mightily of w- fair Dealing, and pretends I have ridicul’d the Morality ot the Scexe between Worthy and .A- manda. Thas he endeavours to caf a Adit be- fore the Reader,bat a Man muft have badEyes not to fee through it: For in this Reflection upor(131 ) upon Worthy, Iwas not examining the Afral, bat the Dramarick Virtues of his Play. T his was fo plain that twas impoflible for the /in- View,&c, dicator to overlook it. 1 fay my Remarks in Ps 28, this Place were only upon the Manners ina Po 26 227" eickSenfe.My Bufinefs here wasto fhew the In- confiftency off Vorrhy’sCharatter,andtheunlike- lyhood of hisReformation,indeed what can be more improbable than fo fuddain a Change in behaviour? This Spark immediately before Relapfe, his Ledture of Philofophy has told Amanda +> 10 that. Sin xo more was a Tash tao bard for Mortals.) EET. This by the way is a bold Contradiction of our Saviour, “tis impious in the Affertion, and Lewd in the Application, fo few words can hardly be charged with more Profanenefs. Here the Relapler calls the Senfe of the Serip- ture in queltion, charges the Text with Un-' trath, and docs that which by his own Con- feffion amounts to Burlefane. To return to Worthy, what can be more im- probable than that fo Profane and finifhed a Debauchee, fo weak in Principle, and fo violent in Paffion, fhould run from one extream to snother ¢ Should break through Cuftom, and metamorphofe Defire at fo hhorta W: arning ? To Solicit to Rudenefs, and talk Sentences and Morality, to be Pious and Profane in the fame Breath muft be very extraordinary. To be all Pleafure and Mortification fo juft toge- ther, a Mad-man once Minute, anda Hermit the next, is one would think fomewhat fore’d and unnatural: It Jooks at beft but like the Grimace ofa Difappointment, the Fox’s Virtue when the Grapes were above hisReach. K2 To Vin.perg.( 132) To make a Libertine talk like Plato, or Socra- res, is Philofophy mifplaced, "tis good advice, bat out of Character ; The Soil and the Plant, the Man and the Morals won’t agree. Thus it appears the Blot he makes fo much B73) 74a noife with, lies in his own Tables; whether I have hitit, or not, the Reader muft judge. P. 78 Lam glad to hear him talk of his Grave : "Twas a feafonable Thought, and I heartily wih its due improvement , Such a Confequence wou'd he of great fervice, both to himfelf and the Publick. For then, I am weil aflured he would neither write Plays, nor defend them, at the rate he has done. 1 have nothing farther with the Vindreator , but before I Conclude,I fhall {peak t to one Ob- jection nropofed by the Defender of Dramatick Peery, and Mr. Dennis, Thefe Authors endea- vour to juftiae the Theatre from the filence of the Scriptures.“ The Word of God (fay they) bas no where condemned Plays, the “poll ‘who were particular in other Cafes, have waive a the Staze no Reprimand, nor Chri- any war! alag agaiatt i its And. which is vneades a Comics Peet, vshich he would ‘ast have done unlefs he had approved both “che Author aed his Bufinefs too. This is the . fam of what they offer. Now the Plea of St. PasPs citiag Avezaider, is extreamly flender. Y foreign Seatence in Scritture is not com- doby bare mention. The Devil's far Shin,&c, is fet down, but not jor( 133 for our Imitation. I grant this Verfe of Afenan- der is Moral, and Sententious; and without doubt St.Pau cited it to put the Chriftians up- on their Guard, and that they might be afha- nd to fall fhort of the Inftructions of the Hea- thens. But to infer that St. Paul approved all that Adenander had written, and that the .4- pofle recommended Plays; to the Corinthians : Toconclude all this from one fingle Line of Quotation, is prodigious Confequence. This Latitude, would juftifie the Stage to purpofe, and make the Lewdeft Authors pafs Multer. There being few Books fo entirely vitious as not to afford an inoffenfive and fignificant Peri- od. 1 don’t {peak this with Application to Menander, for as Plutarch obferves, he was with refpect to Arzstophanes, a very Modelt Poee. Belides this very quotation that Evil Communi- cation currupts good Manners, differves the pur- pofe ’twas brought for. "Tis a fharp Rebuke of the LicentioufnefS of our Stage, and a plain Difcountenaace of fo fcandalous a Diverfion. To proceed with the ObjeGion. I affirm that Plays are plainly condemned in Scriprure upon two accounts. I fay they are clearly con- demned tho’ not by exprefs Prohibition ; yet by Principle and Confequence, which is the fame thing. 1. They are condemned upoa the feore of Idolatry, They were parts of Pagaiz Worhip, and under that Notion unlawful to Chriftians. But this Reafon expiring in a g-cat Meafure with the Aeatken Religion, I shail infift on ic no farther. However it proves thas much, that the unlawfulaefs of every Libercy is not par~ R3 ticularly: C34) 0 P 149, icolarly Mark’d in Scripture. For in the “Apo- 4 filéstime, Mr. Dennis allowsPlays wereldolatrous and unlawful; and yet we fee the HolyText, does not declare againft the Theatre byName. «2, The Stage, (particularly the Englifh one) is condemaed in Scriprure upon the {Core of 5. Mats. Smut and Profznenefs; upon the Account of J2m25 5+ the Danger and Indecency of fach Liberties. We Coiek 3_are ftrictly commanded in Scripture not to Swear Hebd, 12,40 al, to put amay all Blafphemy and filthy Com- iPet.1. munication out of our Mouth, To ferve God with tPet.s. Reverence, ro be Sober and Vigilant. To pafs the Baek 5 time of our fojourning here in fear, and abftain Eph, ery jrom alt appearance of Evil. And in a Word, To bave ro pleafure i Scandalous Practices, zo fellomfbip mith the unfruitful works of Darknefi, but rather reprove them. Here’sEvidence enou igh in all reafon, thefe Admonitions are fall a- com Balnit’ our Stage. Not one Play in forty can 3 ™ ftand the Tef of fo much as one fingle Text. os Bring the Theatre but to the Bible, and the Idol is prefently diftover'd, and falls likeDagon be- fore the ark. © This Argument from the filence of our Sa- viour and his dpofties is anfered at large by the Bifhop of Afzux in his late Book againft the Stage. Which being fo much to the pur- pofe, | fhall tranflate it for the Reader. s_ “ Thofe (fays he) who would draw any Ad- mn vantage from this Silence may by the fame “yay” Reafoa defend the Barbarities of the Gladi- “ “ators, aad other abominable SpefFacles, which “are ai wamentioned in Scriprure, no lef “ thaa Plas. The Holy Fathers who have S dealt with this ObjeGion, will’ furnifh us’ , with _@7 (135 ) “ with Matter for a Reply, we fay then, That ° “all engaging Reprefentations which excite, “and fortify unlawful Defires, are condemm’d “in Scripture, together with the Vices they * rend to, For the Purpofe, Lewd Pidures are “cenfured by all thofe Paflages which declare “in general againft Immodefty ,and the fame “may be faid of Dramatick Reprefentations. | “St. Fobx has comprehended the whole of this “ Subje& in the following Injun@ion. Love not the World, neither the things thatzhre in theWorld ; 1302.15. If any Man lowe the World, the love -of the Fa- ther es not in him. For all that is in the World, is the Luft of the Flefh, and the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, which Luft or Concupif- cence, 7 not of the. Father, but of the World. “ Now if thefe Things, and Inclinations, #re “ not of God, the moving Reprefentations, and “ Charming Images of them, are not of Him “neither, but of theWorld, and byConfequence “ Chriftians have nothing to do with them. “ St. Paul likewife has famm’d up the Ar- “pument in thefe words. Finally my Brethren, whatfoever things are true, whatfoever things are honeft, whatfoever. things are juft, whatfoever Phild4.8, things are pure, (or according to the Greek’ _ Whatfoever things are chaft) whatfoever rhings are lovely, whatfoever things are of good Report 5 if there be any Virtue, or if there be any praife, thiuk on thefe thiags: “ As if he “had faid, whatever hinders you from think- “ing on thefe things, and poffeffes you with “contrary Amufements, ought not to been- - “tertain’d as a ‘Pleafure,’ -but -fafpected as dangerous: In this beautiful Collection of - , K4 . ThoughtsNamb. XXiL23- (136 ) “Thoughts which St. Pax recommends toa “ Chriftian, there’s no finding a Place for the “Modern Theatre, how much foever it may “ bein the Favour of fome Secular People. “ Barther, The Silence of our Saviour upon “the Argument of Plays, puts me in Mind “ that he had no occafion to mention them to “ the Houfe of Jfrzel, to which he was fent, “thefe Diverfions being never admitted in “chat Nation. The Jers had no Shews to en- “certain them but their Feafts, their Sacri- “fices, and their Holy Ceremeaies. They “were formed by theirConftitution to a plain “and natural way of Living; They knew no- “thing of thefe Fancies and Inventions of “ Greece : So that to the praifes which Balaam “ sives them, that there 110 Enchantmeut ia © Faceb, nov Divination in [rael, We may tike- “wife add, there was no Theatre among “them; nothing of thefe daagerous Amufe- © ments to be met with. This Innocent undc- “bauch'd People, took their Recreations at © Home, and made their Children their Di- “verjion. Thus after their Labours in the “Fields, and the Fatigues of their Dome- fick Affairs 5 they relieved their Spirits, as “heir Patriarchs had done before them. In- “deed if we confider the matter rightly, “thers no aced of making a Bufiaels of Plea- “fare: Natare is catily retrefh’d without this * Expence and Curiohry. “ The Apoitle’s faying nothing exprefly on “this Sudjet may poflibly be refolved into “the reafon abovemeation’d. Thefe Holy “fea beiag bred to the plaia Gult of their “ Fore-( 137 ) “Forefathers, might not think themfelves “concerned to write diretly againft thofe pradtices with which their Nation was un- “ acquainted : Twas fufficient for them to lay “down Principles by which fuch Liberties “ were difcountenanced ; The Chriftians were “ well fatisficd their Religion was founded on “the Jewith, and that the Church never al- “lowed of thofe Diverfions which were ba- “ nif’'d the Syragogue. But let the matter be “how it will, this Precedent of the Jews reach- “eshome tothe Profeflors of Chriftianity, It “being a Shame that the Spivitnal Ifrael fhould “indulge their Senfcs in thofe Pleafures, “which the Carel People knew nothing of. Before I difinifs the Reader, Pie jult give him a tafte of Mr. Dennis's Skill and Modefty in anfwering a Tcftimony. L cited Plutarch to thew the Opinion of the Athenians concerning Plays: This People (fays Plut. de “ he) thought Comedy fo unreputable a perfor- Gio. A ‘mance, that they made a Law, that no View, “Judge of the Areopagus fhould make one p. 240, HereMr.Dennts replies very roundly, ThisCita- . tion ts ab folutely falfe Right! Tis falfe in theLa~ Dennis, tin, but’ Tis true in theGreek, atv wy’ nouodembay P 9S Sirus aruvos iytvlo x popnndy doe roaS ty puderd moray zouwddes dgvorayity, DeGlor. Athen. p. 348. Befides the Lats makes more againft him. For by that the Law fays, that no Man whatfo- ever flould write any Comedys , which is a high- Dennis, er Cenfure than the other. I hope for the fu- iG. ture Mr. Dennis won't confide fo much in a Tranflation;, efpecially when it fits harder - than the Orginal, . His( 138 ) His Remark from dristorle’s Treatife of Po- etryis another Miftake; and I think not at all to his Advantage : But to fet him in his way, this Philofopher does not fay that Comedy was very much difcourag'd at firft, nor very little Arif, is. Beither. This point was not argued: He only dePoet. affirms, That it was a great mbile before rhe Cho- cap. §- Tus coas furnill? ‘d out by the Government. T fhould now go on with Mr. Dennis, and fhew his Attempt on my other Authorities as unfuccefsful as this upon Plutarch , but having fome Bufinefs at prefent, I fhall wave it tilla farther Opportunity. One Word with the Mrdicator of the Stage, and I have done. This Gentleman appeared early in the Caufe, and has given me very little trouble, and therefore ’twould hardly be Civil, not to p. ifpatch him at the Srf Hearing. . He pretends | miftake ia Tranflating " Secularia Srectacul, Staze Plays. To this] Aafiver, Firkt, That f only afirm- z:.ed the Staze was manifeftly comprehended under Secuarie Sreacula. And that itis fo, wiil follow from kis own Affertioa. For if the Lud: Szculares, and Sseulavia Spechacula were the fame, ‘tis well known tha t Stace Plays were part f the Li 35 al the TEecters being ‘ hofe publick Solemnities. re third Council of Carthaze by pofibly mean the Secular ‘Plays wat For this Council was tourfcore Years and better af- 2 0F Crsfiaiine. Now theft. Ludi( 139 ) Ludi Saculares were Wdolatrous, both in the Pradtice and Intticution, and never celebrated Euleb. in after the Empire became Chriftian: The laft Chron. time we hear of them was in the Reign of the Emperor Philip, anno 248. which was 149 years before the convening of this Council. Thirdly, Seculum and Secularis, in the Lan- puageoftheFathers,relates to the unconverted World, in contradiftin@ion to the Church. Thus Typhuss Sccularis in the Life of Arnobius, figni- fies Heathen Pride. And thus the Council in- terprets it {elf by calling thefe Secularia Spetta- view cula, Pagan Entertainments. 1 almoft wonder P, 250, the Stage Vindicator could cite the words and miftake the Senfe. What this’ Author may have farther, re- quiring Confideration, he may find in my Re- ply to Mr. Congreve, and the Relapfer, and thither [refer him. FINIS.——_ Books prtated , for Richard Sare, at Grays-Inn-Gate i Holborn. ‘ Short View of the Profanenefs and Immorality of the Englifh Stage, a fecond Detence of the fhort View, cx. Being a Reply to a Book, Enti- tuled, The Ancient aid Modern Stages furveyed, Ke. " Efays upon feveral Moral Subjeéts, The Emperour Marcxs Antonias his Converfation with himielf. Together with the Preliminary Difcourfe of the Learned Gataker. As alfo, the Emperor’s Life, written by Monfieur D’acéer, and fupported the Authorities Collected by Dr. Stanhope. To which is added the Mythological Picture of Cebes the The- tan, Tranflated into Englifh from the refpective Originals, All four by Mr. Collier.