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
To draw towards an End. And here I must observe that these two later
Exceptions are but Petty Mismanagements with respect to the Former. And
when the best are thus bad, what are the worst? What must we say of the
more foul Representations, of all the Impudence in Language and Gesture?
Can this Stuff be the Inclination of _Ladies_? Is a _Reading_ upon Vice so
Entertaining, and do they love to see the _Stews Dissected_ before them?
One would think the Dishonour of their own Sex, the Discovery of so much
Lewdness, and the treating Human Nature so very Coarsly, could have little
Satisfaction in't. Let us set Conscience aside, and throw the other World
out of the Question: These Interests are but the greatest, but not all. The
_Ladies_ have other Motives to confine them. The Restraints of Decency, and
the Considerations of Honour, are sufficient to keep them at Home. But
hoping They will be just to themselves I shall wave this unacceptable
Argument. I shall only add, that a Surprize ought not to be Censured.
Accidents are no Faults. The strictest Virtue may sometimes stumble upon an
_Ill Sight_. But Choise, and Frequency, and ill Ground, conclude strongly
for Inclination. To be assured of the inoffensiveness of the _Play_ is no
more than a Necessary Precaution. Indeed the _Players_ should be generally
discouraged. They have no relish of Modesty, nor any scruples upon the
Quality of the Treat. The grossest _Dish_ when 'twill down is as ready as
the Best. To say Money is their Business and they must _Live_, is the Plea
of _Pick pockets_, and _High way men_. These later may as well pretend
their _Vocation_ for a Lewd practise as the other. But
To give the Charge its due Compass: To comprehend the whole _Audience_, and
take in the Motives of Religon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account