A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage: Together with the Sense of Antiquity on this ArgumentCollier, Jeremy
General
A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage: Together with the Sense of Antiquity on this Argument
Collier, Jeremy
Theater -- England -- Early works to 1800; Theater -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Early works to 1800
it might be always at Hand, 'tis wrought into the Mechanism of the Body.
'Tis likewise proportioned to the occasions of Life, and strongest in Youth
when Passion is so too. 'Tis a Quality as true to Innocence, as the Sences
are to Health; whatever is ungrateful to the first, is prejudicial to the
latter. The Enemy no sooner approaches, but the Blood rises in Opposition,
and looks Defyance to an Indecency. It supplys the room of Reasoning, and
Collection: Intuitive Knowledge can scarcely make a quicker Impression; And
what then can be a surer Guide to the Unexperienced? It teaches by suddain
Instinct and Aversion; This is both a ready and a powerful Method of
instruction. The Tumult of the Blood and Spirits, and the Uneasiness of the
Sensation, are of singular Use. They serve to awaken Reason, and prevent
surprize. Thus the Distinctions of Good and Evil are refresh'd, and the
Temptation kept at proper Distance.
_2ly._ They Represent their single Ladys, and Persons of Condition, under
these Disorders of Liberty, This makes the Irregularity still more
Monstrous and a greater Contradiction to Nature, and Probability: But
rather than not be Vitious, they will venture to spoil a Character. This
mismanagement we have partly seen already. _Jacinta_,[7] and _Belinda_[8]
are farther proof. And the _Double Dealer_ is particularly remarkable.
There are but _Four_ Ladys in this _Play_, and _Three_ of the biggest of
them are Whores. A Great Compliment to Quality to tell them there is not
above a quarter of them Honest! This was not the Roman Breeding, _Terence_
and _Plautus_ his Strumpets were Little people; but of this more hereafter.
_3dly._ They have oftentimes not so much as the poor refuge of a Double
Meaning to fly to. So that you are under a necessity either of taking
Ribaldry or Nonsence. And when the Sentence has two Handles, the worst is
generally turn'd to the Audience. The Matter is so Contrived that the Smut
and Scum of the Thought rises uppermost; And like a Picture drawn to
_Sight_, looks always upon the Company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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