Representation of the Impiety and Immorality of the English Stage (1704); Some Thoughts Concerning the Stage in a Letter to a Lady (1704)

by Unknown

London, Printed Anno Dom. 1704

Madam,

It is with no little Pleasure I behold you treading in the Paths of Virtue, and practising the Duties of a Holy and Religious life. This, as it has deservedly gain'd you the Love and Admiration of all that know you: so, I doubt not, but you will always find it a Fund of solid Peace and Satisfaction to your own Mind. I heartily wish there were many more such bright Examples in the World, that the Ladies might be at last convinc'd, That there is something worthy their Imitation beyond the Modes of Dress and Equipage; something which will render them much more agreeable to the best and wisest of their Admirers, and, in time, no less pleasing to themselves. I make no doubt but the Age (as corrupt as it is) can furnish us with many Instances of those of your Sex, who think the Beauty of the Mind does far surpass the gay Appearances of the most splendid Outside: But yet, it must be confessed, that there are others, (and those not a few) whose Lives are almost one continued Circle of Vanity and Folly. Such as divide the best and most precious part of their Time between their Toilet, the Exchange, and the Play-House. This, I believe, upon Enquiry, will appear to be no unjust Censure; tho' at the same time, Madam, I must freely own to you, that I think it a most amazing thing, that the Ladies (at least those who make any Pretensions to Virtue and Goodness) should ever be seen at the last of these Places; where they find themselves so scandalously treated. I am apt to think, that very few of 'em have read Mr. Collier's View of the Stage; if they had, they would there see the Corruptions of the Plays set in so clear a Light, that one would believe, they should never after be Tempted to appear in a Place where Lewdness and Obscenity (not to mention other Immoralities) are so great a part of the Entertainment; a Place that is now become the Common Rendezvouz of the most Lewd and Dissolute Persons; the Exchange, (if I may so call it) where they meet to carry on the vilest and worst of Practices. 'Tis the Nursery of all manner of Wickedness, where the Seeds of Atheism and Irreligion are sown, which Weak and Tender Minds too readily cultivate, and from thence are easily led into a Contempt of all that's Serious. It is impossible to say, how many, and how great the Mischiefs are that spring from thence; which if a Man should take a View of, it would perhaps, be one of the most Melancholy Prospects that ever he beheld. To look into our Modern Plays, and there to see the Differences of Good and Evil confounded, Prophaneness, Irreligion, and Unlawful Love, made the masterly Stroaks of the fine Gentleman; Swearing, Cursing, and Blaspheming, the Graces of his Conversation; and Unchristian Revenge, to consummate the Character of the Hero; Sharpness and Poignancy of Wit exerted with the greatest Vigor against the Holy Order; in short, Religion and all that is Sacred, Burlesqu'd and Ridicul'd; To see this, I say, and withall, to reflect upon the fatal Effects which these things have already had, and how much worse are likely to follow, if not timely prevented, cannot but fill the Minds of all good Men with very dismal Apprehensions.

And are these then the Entertainments for a Christian to be pleas'd with; for one whose Salvation is to be wrought out with Fear and Trembling? Will the Strictnesses of Virtue and Religion be ever relished by a Mind tinctur'd with such Licentious Representations? Must not such Diversions (to say no worse of 'em) insensibly steal upon the Affections, especially of the Younger sort; give their Minds quite a wrong Biass, and disarm them of that Severity which is their greatest Guard, and which, when once lost, leaves 'em an easie Prey to every Temptation? Will not those Lewd Scenes of Love, wherewith almost every Play is fraught, inflame the Fancy, heighten the Imagination, and render a Person thus prepar'd, a fit Subject for ill designing People to work on? But suppose it were possible to be so armed as to be Proof against all these Dangers; yet let any that have the least Regard to what is Serious, tell me how they can answer it to God, or their own Consciences, to be any ways Instrumental towards the Support of so much Wickedness? Do they think it a Sin to give the least Encouragement to Vice, and at the same time believe themselves Innocent, when by their Persons, and their Purses, they contribute to the cherishing the very Seed-Plot of Irreligion? 'Tis to no purpose for such to say, That they are cautious what Plays they see, and always go to the best and that the Play-Houses would thrive whether they frequented them or no. This may he true, but what then, Will this excuse them? Suppose a powerful Rebellion is begun in a Nation, and carried on successfully, for some time; and a Man should not only appear sometimes among the Rebels, but should, now and then, send them a Supply (tho' never so little) of Money and Arms: Could such a one pretend that he was no ways Instrumental in this Rebellion, nor Accessary to the Mischiefs that attended it, and that because it was not only begun, but would have prosper'd too, without him; and altho' he did sometimes appear among the Authors of it, yet it was with the Party which did the least Mischief? Do you think, Madam, this a just way of Reasoning? I dare say you do not. Is not this then the very Case I am speaking of? Is the Stage, as 'tis now manag'd, any thing else but a downright Rebellion against God and his Holy Religion? Are not the Plays, (if not by Design) yet by a natural and necessary Consequence, an undermining of his Laws, and an Attempt upon his Government? And must it not then follow, that every one that frequents them, is a Party in the Cause, and encourages the Undertaking? And tho' he should be so Happy as never to smile at a Prophane Jest, nor join in Applauding a Vitious Play; yet, will that exempt him from a Share of that Guilt which his Presence and Purse has help'd to support? No, Madam, 'tis Numbers strengthen the Enemy, and give fresh Courage to his Attempts! A Full House is the very Life of the Stage, and keeps it in Countenance, whereas thin Audiences would, in time, make it dwindle to nothing.

I know, Madam, this is strange Doctrine to some People. If a Man talks to them of leaving the Plays, they wonder what he means, and are ready to take him for a Madman. They have so long habituated themselves to the Play-Houses, that they begin to think a Place there, to be part of their Birth-Right: But I desire such would be perswaded to hear what the late A. B. Tillotson thought of these matters, (and I hope some Deference is due to his Judgment). If they look into the 11th Volume of his Sermons, they will find that in his Discourse against the Evil of Corrupt Communication, he tells them, That Plays, as the Stage now is, are intolerable, and not fit to be permitted in a Civiliz'd, much less in a Christian Nation, They do most notoriously minister, says he, both to Infidelity and Vice. By the Prophaneness of them they are apt to instil bad Principles into the Minds of Men, and to lessen that Awe, and Reverence which all Men ought to have for God and Religion: and by their Lewdness they teach Vice, and art apt to infect the Minds of Men, and dispose them to Lewd and Dissolute Practices. And therefore, says he, I do not see how any Person pretending to Sobriety and Virtue, and especially to the pure and holy Religion of our Blessed Saviour; can, without great Guilt and open Contradiction to his Holy Profession, be present at such Lewd and Immodest Plays, much less frequent them, as too many do, who would yet take it very ill to be shut out of the Communion of Christians, as they would most certainly have been in the first and purest Ages of Christianity.

This is the Opinion, Madam, of that Excellent Man: and, one would think, it should put those Persons who are the Encouragers of Plays, and the Frequenters of them, when they read it, upon an Enquiry, What it is they are doing? Whether they are not carrying on the Designs of the great Enemy of Mankind? But if that will not prevail upon them, let 'em reflect upon the late Instance of God's severe Displeasure against us, and tell me then, whether they think it consistent with that Humiliation and Repentance which this great Judgment ought to awaken in us, and which Her Majesty, by Her late Gracious Proclamation, calls upon us to Exercise, to be ever again present at a Place, where they must often hear the Name of God Prophaned, and every thing that is Serious made a Jest of? A Place which they cannot but know, and must own, (if put to the Question) has contributed so much to the Corrupting the present Age; and which, 'tis to be fear'd, is one of those accursed things, that has provok'd the Almighty to be so angry with us.

These are things, Madam, of no trifling Importance; they are such as deserve the serious Reflections of all good Christians, whatever the Pretenders to Gaiety may think. And though some may, perhaps, misconstrue and ridicule such Considerations by the Names of Preciseness and Fanaticism; yet, 'tis to be hop'd, that all who have any regard for the Honour of God, the Welfare of their Countrey, and the Interest of our Established Church, will not be laugh'd out of their Duty, but be perswaded, not only to withdraw themselves from a Place of so much Danger, but advise others to do the like; that the Stage may no longer Triumph in the Spoils of Virtue and Religion. 'Tis now the time to begin such an Undertaking: We have a powerful Enemy abroad, and a more formidable one at home; I mean that Looseness and Irreligion which so abounds: and what will it avail us to subdue the one, while we encourage the other? The Hand of God has been lifted up against us, we have seen the Terrors of the Lord, and felt the Arrows of the Almighty; and what can all this mean, but to awaken us to a due Sense of our Danger? And, 'tis to be hop'd, the Nation has already taken the Alarm, and begin to think how to avert God's Displeasure. The Stage is called in Question, and Papers are dispers'd to warn us of its Mischiefs; and it is not improbable that the Licentious and Unbounded Liberty the Players have taken of late years, and particularly in their daring to Act THE TEMPEST within a very few Days after the late dreadful Storm, has rais'd in the Minds of Men such an Abhorrence and Indignation, that we may possibly be so happy as to see the Stage (if not totally suppress'd) yet brought under such a Regulation, both as to the Plays that are Acted, and the Company that Resort to them, that Foreigners may no longer stand amaz'd when brought into our Theatres, nor Good Men tremble at the Continuance of them: but that Virtue may appear there with all its Charms, and Vice be expos'd to the utmost Contempt. In short, that the Stage may become so Chast, that even those Birds of Prey who now hover about the Play-Houses and make the Avenues to 'em so dangerous, may fly away from a Place that will no longer Encourage nor Protect them.

But after all, Madam, Whether this is such a Scheme as can ever be reduc'd in Practice; whether so noble a Structure as I am speaking of, can be erected upon so rotten a Foundation; whether the Wound is not Gangreen'd, and must be cur'd by Excision; I say, whether such a Regulation of the Stage be possible, must be left to those who have Skill and Authority to try the Experiment. In the mean time, it will be every one's Duty to run from a Place of such Infection, least they contribute to the spreading a Disease which may, in time, prove Fatal to the whole Nation. But I forget, Madam, I am intrenching upon your Patience, while I detain you in a place you have so long abandon'd. I am fallen upon a Subject, which 'tis difficult not to say much of: but I shall no longer interrupt your better Thoughts, than while I beg Pardon for this Trouble, who am,

Madam,
Your very Humble Servant.
Jan. 10th.
1704.