And because Laughing and Pleasure has such an unlimited Prerogative upon the Stage, I shall add a Citation or two from Aristotle concerning this Matter. Now this great Man 'calls those Buffoons, and Impertinents, who rally without any regard to Persons or Things, to Decency, or good Manners. That there is a great difference between Ribaldry, and handsom Rallying. He that would perform exactly, must keep within the Character of Virtue, and Breeding. He goes on, and tells us that the old Comedians entertain'd the Audience with Smut, but the Modern ones avoided that Liberty, and grew more reserv'd. This latter way he says was much more proper and Gentile then the other. That in his Opinion Rallying, no less than Railing, ought to be under the Discipline of Law; That he who is ridden by his Jests, and minds nothing but the business of Laughing, is himself Ridiculous. And that a Man of Education and Sense, is so far from going these Lengths that he wont so much as endure the hearing some sort of Buffoonry.'Libr. 4. de Morib. cap. 14.[325]
And as to the point of Delight in general, the same Author affirms, 'that scandalous Satisfactions are not properly Pleasures. 'Tis only Distemper, and false Appetite which makes them palatable. And a Man that is sick, seldom has his Tast true. Besides, supposing we throw Capacity out of the Question, and make Experiment and Sensation the Judge; Granting this, we ought not to chop at every Bait, nor Fly out at every Thing that strikes the Fancy. The meer Agreableness must not overbear us, without distinguishing upon the Quality, and the Means. Pleasure how charming soever, must not be fetched out of Vice. An Estate is a pretty thing, but if we purchase by Falshood, and Knavery, we pay too much for't. Some Pleasures, are Childish and others abominable; And upon the whole, Pleasure, absolutely speaking, is no good Thing.'De Mor. Lib. 10, cap. 2.[326] And so much for the Philosopher. And because Ribaldry is used for Sport, a passage or two from Quintilian, may not be unseasonable. This Orator does not only Condemn the grosser Instances, but cuts off all the Double-Entendre's at a Blow. He comes up to the Regularity of Thought, and tells us 'that the Meaning, as well as the Words of Discourse must be unsullied.'Institut. Lib. 6; c. 3.[327] And in the same Chapter he adds that 'A Man of Probity has always a Reserve in his Freedoms, and Converses within the Rules of Modesty, and Character. And that Mirth at the expence of Virtue, is an Over-purchase,' Nimium enim risus pretium est si probitatis impendio constat.
Thus we see how these great Masters qualify Diversion, and tie it up to Provisoes, and Conditions. Indeed to make Delight the main business of Comedy is an unreasonable and dangerous Principle. It opens the way to all Licentiousness, and Confounds the distinction between Mirth, and Madness. For if Diversion is the Chief End, it must be had at any Price, No serviceable Expedient must be refused, tho' never so scandalous. And thus the worst Things are said, and best abus'd; Religion is insulted, and the most serious Matters turn'd into Ridicule! As if the Blindside of an Audience ought to be caress'd, and their Folly and Atheism entertain'd in the first Place. Yes, if the Palate is pleas'd, no matter tho' the Body is Poyson'd! For can one die of an easier Disease than Diversion? But Raillery apart, certainly Mirth and Laughing, without respect to the Cause, are not such supreme Satisfactions! A man has sometimes Pleasure in losing his Wits. Frensy, and Possession, will shake the Lungs, and brighten the Face; and yet I suppose they are not much to be coveted. However, now we know the Reason of the Profaness, and Obscenity of the Stage, of their Hellish Cursing, and Swearing, and in short of their great Industry to make God, and Goodness Contemptible: 'Tis all to Satisfie the Company, and make People Laugh! A most admirable justification! What can be more engaging to an Audience, then to see a Poet thus Atheistically brave? To see him charge up to the Canons Mouth, and defy the Vengeance of Heaven to serve them? Besides, there may be somewhat of Convenience in the Case. To fetch Diversion out of Innocence is no such easy matter. There's no succeeding it may be in this method, without Sweat, and Drudging. Clean Wit, inoffensive Humour, and handsom Contrivance, require Time, and Thought. And who would be at this Expence, when the Purchase is so cheap another way? 'Tis possible a Poet may not alwaies have Sense enough by him for such an Occasion. And since we are upon supposals, it may be the Audience is not to be gain'd without straining a Point, and giving a Loose to Conscience: And when People are sick, are they not to be Humour'd? In sine, We must make them Laugh, right or wrong, for Delight is the Cheif End of Comedy. Delight! He should have said Debauchery: That's the English of the Word, and the Consequence of the Practise. But the Original Design of Comedy was otherwise: And granting 'twas not so, what then? If the Ends of Thing are naught, they must be mended. Mischief is the Chief end of Malice, would it be then a Blemish in Ill Nature to change Temper, and relent into Goodness? The Chief End of a Madman it may be is to Fire a House, must we not therefore bind him in his Bed? To conclude. If Delight without Restraint, or Distinction without Conscience or Shame, is the Supream Law of Comedy, 'twere well if we had less on't. Arbitrary Pleasure, is more dangerous than Arbitrary Power. Nothing is more Brutal than to be abandon'd to Appetite; And nothing more wretched than to serve in such a Design. The Mock-Astrologer to clear himself of this Imputation, is glad to give up his Principle at Last. Least any Man should think (says He) that I write this to make Libertinism amiable, or that I cared not to debase the end, and Institution of Comedy. (It seems then Delight is not the Chief end.) I must farther declare that we make not Vitious Persons Happy, but only as Heaven makes Sinners so. &c. If this will hold, all's well. But Heaven does not forgive without Repentance. Let us see then what Satisfaction he requires from his Wild-Blood, and what Discipline he puts him under. Why, He helps him to his Mistress, he Marries him to a Lady of Birth and Fortune. And now do you think He has not made him an Example, and punish'd him to some Purpose! These are frightful Severities! Who would be vitious when such Terrors hang over his Head? And does Heaven make Sinners happy upon these Conditions? Sure some People have a good Opinion of Vice, or a very ill one of Marriage, otherwise they would have Charged the Penance a little more. But I have nothing farther with the Mock-Astrologer.
And now for the Conclusion of a Chapter, I shall give some Instances of the Manners of the Stage, and that with respect to Poetry, and Ceremony. Manners in the Language of Poetry, is a Propriety of Actions, and Persons. To succeed in this business, there must always be a regard had to Age, Sex, and Condition: And nothing put into the Mouths of Persons which disagrees with any of these Circumstances. 'Tis not enough to say a witty Thing, unless it be spoken by a likely Person, and upon a Proper occasion. But my Design will lead me to this Subject afterwards, and therefore I shall say no more of it at present, but proceed to apply the Remark.
One Instance of Impropriety in Manners both Poetical and Moral, is their making Women, and Women of Quality talk Smuttily. This I have proved upon them already, and could cite many more places to the same Purpose were it necessary.
But I shall go on, and give the Reader some other examples of Decency, Judgment, and Probability. Don Sebastian will help us in some measure. Here the Mufti makes a foolish Speech to the Rabble, and jests upon his own Religion. He tells them, tho' your Tyrant is a Lawful Emperour, yet your Lawful Emperour is but a Tyrant,——That your Emperour is a Tyrant is most Manifest, for you were born to be Turks, but he has play'd the Turk with you. And now is not this Man fit to Manage the Alcoran, and to be set up for on Oracle of State? Captain Tom should have had this Speech by right: But the Poet had a farther Design, and any thing is good enough for a Mufti.
Sebastian after all the violence of his Repentance, his grasping at self Murther, and Resolutions for the Cell, is strangely pleased with the Remembrance of his Incest, and wishes the Repetition of it: And Almeida out of her Princely Modesty, and singular Compunction, is of the same mind. This is somewhat surprising! Oedipus and Jocasta in Sophocles don't Repent at this rate. No: The horror of the first Discovery continues upon their Spirits: They never relapse into any fits of Intemperance, nor entertain themselves with a lewd Memory. This sort of Behaviour is not only more Instructive but more Natural too. It being very unlikely one should wish the Repeating a Crime, when He was almost Distracted at the thoughts on't, At the thoughts on't, tho' 'twas comitted under all the Circumstances of excuse. Now when Ignorance and meer Mistake are so very disquieting, 'tis very strange if a Man should plague his Mind with the Aggravations of Knowledge; To carry Aversion, and Desire, in their full strength upon the same Object; To fly and pursue with so much eagerness, is somewhat Unusual.p. 32.[328]
If we step to the Spanish Fryar He will afford us a Flight worth the observing. 'Tis part of the Addresses of Torrismond to Leonora.
You are so Beautiful
So wondrous Fair, you justifie Rebellion;