And in another place, He informs us that 'the German Women were Guarded against danger, and kept their Honour out of Harms way, by having no Play-Houses amongst them.'De Mor. German. cap. 19[448]
Plays, in the Opinion of the Judicious Plutark are dangerous to corrupt Young People; And therefore Stage Poetry when it grows too hardy, and Licentious, ought to be checkt.Symposiac. Lib. 7.
De Audiend. Poet. p. 15. Ed. Par.[449] This was the Opinion of these Celebrated Authors with respect to Theatres: They Charge them with the Corruption of Principles, and Manners, and lay in all imaginable Caution against them. And yet these Men had seldom any thing but this World in their Scheme; and form'd their Judgments only upon Natural Light, and Common Experience. We see then to what sort of Conduct we are oblig'd. The case is plain; Unless we are little enough to renounce our Reason, and fall short of Philosophy, and live under the Pitch of Heathenism.
To these Testimonies I shall add a Couple of Poets, who both seem good Judges of the Affair in Hand.
The first is Ovid, who in his Book De Arte Amandi, gives his Reader to understand that the Play-House was the most likely Place for him to Forage in. Here would be choice of all sorts: Nothing being more common than to see Beauty surpriz'd, Women debauch'd, and Wenches Pick'd up at these Diversions.
Sed tu præcique curvis venare Theatris,
Hæc loca sunt voto fertiliora tuo.
—— ruit ad celebres cultissima Fæmina Ludos;
Copia judicium sæpe morata meum est.
Spectatum veniunt, veniunt Spectentur ut ipsæ;
Ille locus casti damna pudoris habet.Lib. 1.[450]