Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). The errata have been applied without further annotation. Otherwise no attempt has been made to distinguish likely typographical errors from the natural variability of 17th century orthography. A few short phrases proved illegible on the scan: these are marked <|lacuna|>. The marginal notes have been changed to footnotes, marked thus [123]. * * * * * A SHORT VIEW OF THE _Immorality, and Profaneness_ OF THE English Stage, TOGETHER With the Sence of Antiquity upon this Argument, By _JEREMY COLLIER_, M.A. _London_, Printed for S. Keble at the _Turk's-Head_ in _Fleetstreet_, R. Sare at _Gray's-Inn-Gate_, and H. Hindmarsh against the _Exchange_ in _Cornhil_. 1698. THE PREFACE _Being convinc'd that nothing has gone farther in Debauching the Age than the_ Stage Poets, _and_ Play-House, _I thought I could not employ my time better than in writing against them. These Men sure_, take Vertue and Regularity, _for_ great Enemies, _why else is their_ Disaffection _so very_ Remarkable? _It must be said, They have made their_ Attack _with great_ Courage, _and_ gain'd _no inconsiderable_ Advantage. _But it seems_ Lewdness without Atheism, _is but_ half their Business. Conscience _might possibly recover, and_ Revenge _be thought on; and therefore like_ Foot-Pads, _they must not only_ Rob, _but_ Murther. _To do them right_ their Measures _are_ Politickly taken: _To make sure work on't, there's nothing like_ Destroying of Principles; Practise _must_ follow _of_ Course. _For to have_ no good Principles, _is to have_ no Reason to be Good. _Now 'tis not to be expected that people should_ check _their_ Appetites, _and_ balk _their_ Satisfactions, _they don't know why. If_ Virtue _has no_ Prospect, _'tis not worth the owning. Who would be_ troubled _with_ Conscience _if 'tis only a_ Bugbear, _and has nothing_ in't _but_ Vision, _and the_ Spleen? _My_ Collection _from the_ English Stage, _is much short of what_ They _are able to furnish. An_ Inventory _of their_ Ware-House _would have been a large_ Work: _But being afraid of over charging the_ Reader, _I thought a_ Pattern _might do_. _In_ Translating _the_ Fathers, _I have endeavour'd to keep_ close _to their_ Meaning: _However, in_ some few places, _I have taken the_ Liberty of throwing in a Word or two; _To_ clear _the_ Sense, _to_ preserve _the_ Spirit _of the_ Original, _and keep the_ English _upon its Legs_.