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 may not be amiss to observe that there are no Instances of debauching
Married Women, in _Plautus_, nor _Terence_, no nor yet in _Aristophanes_.
But on our _Stage_ how common is it to make a Lord, a Knight, or an
Alderman a Cuckold? The Schemes of Success are beaten out with great
Variety, and almost drawn up into a Science. How many Snares are laid for
the undermining of Virtue, and with what Triumph is the Victory proclaim'd?
The Finess of the _Plot_, and the Life of the Entertainment often lies in
these Contrivances. But the _Romans_ had a different sence of these
Matters, and saw thro' the consequences of them. The Government was awake
upon the Theatre, and would not suffer the Abuses of Honour, and Family, to
pass into Diversion. And before we part with these _Comedians_ we may take
notice that there are no Smutty Songs in their _Plays_; in which the
_English_ are extreamly Scandalous.[42] Now to work up their Lewdness with
Verse, and Musick, doubles the Force of the Mischief. It makes it more
portable and at Hand, and drives it Stronger upon Fancy and Practice.
To dispatch the _Latins_ all together. _Seneca_ is clean throughout the
Piece, and stands generally off from the point of Love. He has no Courting
unless in his _Hercules Furens_;[43] And here the Tyrant _Lycus_ addresses
_Megara_ very briefly, and in Modest and remote Language. In his _Thebais_,
_Oedipus_'s Incest is reported at large, but without any choaking
Description. 'Tis granted _Phædra_ speaks her Passion plainly out, and owns
the strength of the Impression, and is far less prudent than in
_Euripides_.[44] But tho' her Thoughts appear too freely, her Language is
under Discipline.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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