No Undermirth such as does lard the Scene,
For Coarse Delight, the Language here is clean.
And confident our Poet bad me say,
He'll bate you but the Folly of a Play.
For which altho' dull Souls his Pen despise;
Who think it yet too early to be wise.
The Nobles yet will thank his Muse, at least
Excuse him, cause his Thought aim'd at the Best.
Thus these Poets are in their Judgments clearly ours. 'Tis true their Hand was not always steady. But thus much may be aver'd, that Fletcher's later Plays are the most inoffensive. This is either a sign of the Poets Reformation; or that the exceptionable Passages belonged to Beaumont, who dyed first.
To these Authorities of our own Nation, I shall add a considerable Testimony out of Mr. Corneille. This Author was sensible that tho' the Expression of his Theodore was altogether unsmutty,Theodore. Ed. Roven. Ep. Ded.[101] 'Yet the bare Idea of Prostitution uneffected, shock'd the Audience, and made the Play miscarry. The Poet protests he took great care to alter the natural Complexion of the Image, and to convey it decently to the Fancy; and delivered only some part of the History as inoffensively as possible. And after all his Screening and Conduct, the Modesty of the Audience would not endure that little, the Subject forced him upon. He is positive 'the Comedies St. Augustine declaim'd against, were not such as the French. For theirs are not spectacles of Turpitude, as that Father justly calls those of his Time. The French generally speaking, containing nothing but examples of Innocence, Piety and Virtue.'