To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
[ 4] FOurthly, as Stage playes are sinfull, and utterly unlawfull unto Christians in regard of their stile and subiect mat∣ter, so likewise are they in respect both of their Actors and Spectators.
If we seriously survay the lives, the practises, the conditi∣ons of our common Stage-players, we may truely write of
them, asl 1.1 William of Malmesbury doth of Edricke; that they are the very dregs of men; the shame, the blemish of our English Nation; ungracious helluoes; craf••y shifting compa∣nions, who purchase money, not by their generositie, but by their tongues and impudency; they being wise to dissemble, apt to counterfeit, prone to dive into the secrets both of King & State, as faithfull subjects; and more ready to divulge them on the Stage as notorious-Traitors. What m 1.2 Tully records of Cati∣line; that there was never so great a faculty of corrupting youth in any man, as in him; he bearing a most lewd affection to other mens wives himselfe, and serving likewise as a most wicked Pand••r to the unchaste desires of others; promising to some the fruite of their lusts, to others the death of their Parents, not onely by instigating, but likewise by assisting them. Or what a grave historian reports of n 1.3 Vortiger a British King; that he was prone to the enticements of the flesh, and a bond-slave al∣most to every vice, &c. May be truely verefied of most com∣mon Actors; who are usually the very filth and off-scou∣ring, the very lewdest, basest, worst and most perniciou••ly vitious of the sonnes of men; as all times, all Authors have reputed them. The ancient Pagan Romans, (as o 1.4 histories, as p 1.5 Fathers both relate) accounted Stage-players such infamous,
vitious, base, vnworthy persons; as they did by publicke Edicts, not o••ely deprive them of all honour and preferment in the Com∣mon-weale; but likewise disfranchise and remove them from their tribe; as degenerating from that Roman stocke, and noble parentage from which they were descended. The ancient q 1.6 Councels,r 1.7 Fathers and Christians in the Primitive Church, did ipso facto, excommunicate all Stage-players, till they had utterly renounced, relinquished their diabolicall profession: re∣puting them the very pollution•• shame, and blemish of the Church; The very depravers and destroyers of youth; the very instru∣ments of sinne and Satan; yea, such accursed miscreants, as were altogether unworthy, both of the Society of Christians, and of th••se blessed Sacraments, those holy Ordinances of the Lord, which are not to be s 1.8 given to such unholy dogs, nor cast before such filthy swine as they. Plato, Aristotle, the Massillienses, with sundry Christian, yea, Pagan States and Emperours, (as I shall prove t 1.9 hereafter) exiled all professed Stage-players out of their Common-weales, as the Iewes and Primitive Christians excluded them from the Church. Needs therefore must they be extremely vitious, intollerably pernitious (and so by v 1.10 conse∣quence their very S••age-playes to) whom Church and State have thus joyntly vomited out as putred, noysome and infectious members, vnfit to live in either; as x 1.11 Ludovieus Vives well concludes. What Polycarpe, once replyed to Marcion the H••∣retique; y 1.12 I know thee to be the first-borne of Satan; may be fitly appliable to our Common-Actors; the Arch-agents, In••truments, and Apparitors of their origi••all Founder and z 1.13 Father, the Devill; their very profession being nothing else, as a 1.14 Bodine well observes, but an apprentiship of sinne, a way or Trade of wickednesse, which leades downe to hell; and their
lives (a badge of their profession) much like the life of Vor∣••iger, b 1.15 which was tragically vitious in the beginning, miserable in the middest, filthy in the end. What the conditions, lives, and qualities of Stage-players have beene in former Ages, let Cyprian, Nazianzen, Chrysostome, Augustine, Nicholaus Cabasila, Cornelius Tacitus, Marcus Aurelius, with c 1.16 others, testifie. The first of these informes us; d 1.17 That Stageplay∣ers are the Masters, not of teaching, but of destroying youth, in∣sin••ating that wickednesss into others, which themselves have sinfully learned. Whence he writes to Eucratius, to excommu∣nicate a Player who trayned up youthes for the Stage; affirming, that it could neither stand with the Maiestie of God, nor the Discipline of the Go••pel, that the chastity and honour of the Church should be defiled with so filthy, so infamous a contagion. The more than Sodomiticall uncleannesse of Players lives, he farther thus discyphers. e 1.18 O (writes he) that thou couldest in that sublime watch-tower insinuate thine eyes into these Players secrets; or set open the closed dores of their bed-cham∣bers, and bring all their innermost hidden Cels unto the consci∣••nce of thine eyes; Thou shouldest then see that which is even a very sinne to see: thou mightest behold that, which these groa∣ning under the burthen of their vices, deny that they have com∣mitted, and yet hasten to commit: men rush on men with out∣ragious lusts. They doe those things which can neither please those who behold them, nor yet themselves who act them. The same persons are a••cusers in publike, guilty in secret, being both censurers and nocents against themselves: They condemne that abroad, which they practise at home. They commit that wil∣lingly,
which when they have committed, 'they reprehend. I am verily a lyar, if those who are such abuse not others: one fil∣thy person defameth others like himselfe; thinking by this meanes to escape the eensure of those who are privy to his sinne, as if his owne conscience were not sufficient both to accuse him and condemne him. Thus farre Saint Cyprian, f 1.19 Gregory Na∣zianzen records of Stage-players; that they repute nothing filthy or dishonest but modesty; that they are the servants, the furtherers of all lewdnesse; this being their onely Art and profession, exceedingly to magnifie themselves for severall kinds of wantonnesse; they being imitators and actors of ridiculous things, accustomed to blowes and buffets, who have shaven off as with a Razor, all their modestie, before ever they had cut their haire, in the wanton shop of all lewdnesse and impuritie; accounting it a kinde of Art, as well to ••uffer, as to personate, on the stage all horrible beastly wickednesses whatsoever, in the open view of all men. And so he proceedes against them•• Saint Chrysostome, as he writes of Stage-players; g 1.20 that they are infamous persons, &c. well worthy of a thousand deathes, be∣cause they personate those villanies, obscenities, adul••eries, which all lawes command men to avoyd. So he informes vs like∣wise,h 1.21 that the Players and Play-haunters of his time were most notorious adulterers, the authors of many tumults and se∣ditions, filling the peoples eares with idle rumors, and Cities with commotions: that they were ready both to speake, and act all wickednesses whatsoever, it being their whole profession thus to doe; and that they were farre more savage than the most cruell beasts. Saint Augustine, as he at large informes us;
i 1.22 that the ancient Romans accounting the art of Stage-playing and the whole Scene infamous, ordained, that this sort of men should not onely want the honour of other Citizens, but also bee disfranchised and thrust ou•• of their Tribe, by a legall and dis∣gracefull censure, which the Censors were to execute: because they would not suffer their vulgar sort of people, much lesse their Senators to be defamed, disgraced or defiled with Stage-players: which act of theirs, he stiles; An excellent true Roman prudence to be enumerated among the Romans prayfes. So he likewise gives this ignominious epithite unto Players: k 1.23 Scenici ne∣quissi••i, most wicked Stage-players: intimating thereby, that Players commonly exceed all others in all kinds of wicked∣nesse. Nicholaus ••abasila hath published upon record. l 1.24 That nothing can be found more wicked, more detestable then a Stage-player. l 1.25 Cornelius Tacitus relates: That in Tiberius his reigne, the Roman Actors grew so immodest, so exorbitant, that they attēpted many things seditiously in publike, many things dishonestly in private houses: & that they gre•• at last to such an height of wickednesse, as that after many complaints against them by the Pretors, they were by Tiberius and the whole Se∣nate exiled out of Italy. m 1.26 Marcus Aurelius himselfe doth testifie, that the adulteries, rapes, murthers, tumults and other o••t-rages which Stage-players did occasion and commit, were so excessive; and the mindes which they corrupted with their lewdnesse, sonumtrous; that he was enforced to banish them out of Italy into Hellespont, where he commanded Lambert his Deputie, to keepe them close at worke. We n 1.27 reade likewise, that
Nero, Traian, with divers other Roman Emperours, did quite exile all Stage-players out of their Dominions, be∣cause their lives, their practises wire so vitious, so hurtfull and pernitious to the publike good. Such were the lives, the inso∣lencies, the exorbitances of Stage-players in former times. What the lives, the qualities of our owne domestique Actors are, or have beene heretofore; o 1.28 Two severall Acts of Parliament, which adjudge and stile them Rogues; toge∣ther with two penitent reclaimed Play-Poets of our owne, (who were thorowly acquainted with their practises and pe••sons too) will at large declare. The first of these two Play-Poets, who out of conscience renounced his prof••ssi∣on, and then wrote against the abominations of our Stage-playes, writes thus of Stage-players: p 1.29 As I have had a say∣ing to these versifying Play-makers, so likewise must I deale with shamelesse inactors. When I see by them yong boyes, inclining of themselves to wickednesse, trained up in filthy speeches, unna∣turall and unseemely gestures, to be brought up by these School∣masters, in bawdry and in idlenesse, I cannot chuse but with teares and griefe of heart lament. O with what delight can the father behold his sonne bereft of shamefastnesse, and trained up to impudencie? How prone are they of themselves and apt to receive instruction of their lewd teachers, which are the * 1.30 School∣masters of sinne in the Schoole of abuse? what doe they teach them, I pray you, but to foster mischiefe in their youth•• that it may alwayes abide with them, and in their age bring them sooner un∣to hell? * 1.31 And as for these Stagers themselves, are they not commonly such kinde of men in their conversation, as they are in profession? are they not as variable in heart as they are in their parts? are they not as good practisers of ba••dery, as inactors? Live they not in such sort th••mselves, as they give precepts unto others? Doth not their p 1.32 talke on the Stage, r 1.33 declare the nature of their disposition? ••doth not every one take that part which is proper to his kinde? Doth not the s 1.34 Plough-mans tongue walke of his Plough: the Sea-faring ma••s of his Mast, Cable and Saile; the Souldiers of his Ha••nesse, Speare and Shield; and bawdy mates of bawdy matters? Aske them, if in the laying
out of their parts, they choose not those parts which are most agreeable to their inclination, and that they can best discharge? And looke what every of them doth most delight in, that he can best handle to the contentment of others. If it bee a roisting, bawdy, or lascivious part, wherein are unseemely speeches, and that they make choyse of them as best answering, and proper to their manner of play: may we not say, by how much the more he exceds in his gesture, he delights himselfe in his part? and by so mach it is pleasing to his disposition and nature? If (it be his nature) to be a bawdy Player, and he delight in such filthy and cursed actions,* 1.35 shall we not thinke him in his life to be more disordered, and to abhorre virtue? But they perhaps will say; that such abuses as are handled on the Stage, others by their examples are warned to beware of such evils to amendment.* 1.36 In∣deed if their authority were greater then the words of the Scrip∣ture, or their zeale of more force than of the Preacher, I might easily be perswaded to thinke, that men by them might be called to good life. But when I see the Word of truth proceeding from the heart, and uttered by the mouth of the Reverend Teachers, to be received t 1.37 of the most part into the eare, and but of a few rooted in the heart, I cannot by any meanes beleeve, that the words proceeding from a prophane Player, and uttered in scor∣ning sort, enterlaced with filthy, lewde, and ungodly speeches, have greater force to move men unto virtue, than the words of truth uttered by the godly Preacher, whose zeale is such as that of Moses, v 1.38 who was contented to be rased out of the booke of life, and of Paul,x 1.39 who wished to be separated from Christ for the welfare of his brethren. If the good life of a man be ay 1.40 better instruction to repentance than the tongue, or word, why doe not Players, I beseech you, leave examples of goodnesse to their po∣steritie? But which of them is so zealous, or so tendereth his saluation, that he doth am••nd himselfe in those points; which as they say, others should take heed of? Are they not notoriously knowne to be those men in their life abroad, ••s they are on the Stage, Roisters, Brawlers, Ill-dealers, Bosters, Lovers, R••ffi∣ans? So that they are alwayes exercised in playing their parts, and practising wickednesse, making that an Art, to the end they
might the better gesture it in their parts. For who can better play the Ruffian, than a very Ruffian? who better the L••ve••, than they who make it a common exercise? To conclude, the * 1.41 principall end of all their Enterludes, is to feed the world with sights and fond pastimes; z 1.42 to Iuggle in good earnest the money out of other mens purses into their owne hands. What shall I say? They are * 1.43 infamous men, and in * 1.44 Rome were thought worthy to be expelled, allbeit there was libertie enough to take pleasure. In the Primitive Church they were kept out from the communion of Christians, and never remitted till they had per∣formed publike pennance. And thereupon a 1.45 Saint Cyprian in a certaine Epistle counselleth a Bishop, not to receive a Player into the Pension of the Church, by which they were nourished, till there was an expresse act of penance, with protestation to re∣nounce an Art so infamous. Some have obiected;* 1.46 that by these publike-Playes many forbeare to doe evill, for feare to be publikely reprehended; and for that cause they will say it was tollerated in Rome, wherein Emperours were touched, though they were present. But to such it may be answered;* 1.47 that in disguised Players, given over to all sorts of dissolutenesse, is not found so much as to will to doe good, seeing they care for nothing lesse than for virtue. And thus much for these Players. Thus this Play-Poet, and sometimes an Actor too. Master b 1.48 Stephen Gosson, another reclaimed Play-Poet, writes thus of Stage-Players. That they are uncircumcised Philistims, who nourish a canker in their owne soules: ungodly Masters, whose example doth rather poyson then instruct men. Where∣fore (writes he) sithence you see by the example of the Romans, that Playes are Ra••s-bane to government of Common-weales, and that Players by the iudgement of them are infamous per∣sons, unworthy of the credit of honest Citizens, worthy to be re∣moved their Tribe; if not for Religion, yet for shame, that the Gentiles should iudge you at the last day, or that Publicans and Sinnes should presse into the Kingdome of Heaven before you; withdraw your feet from Theaters with noble Marius; set downe some punishment for Players with the Roman Cen∣sors; shew your selves to be Christians, and with wicked Spe∣ctators
be not puld from Discipline to libertie•• from virtue to pleasure, from God to Mammon: so shall you prevent the scourge by repentance, that is comming towards you, and fill up the gulfe, that the Divell by Playes hath digged to swallow you. Thus he. To him I will annex the testimonie of I. G. in his * 1.49 Refutation of the Apologie for Actors. Therefore (writes he) let all Players and founders of Playes, as they ten∣der the salvation of their owne soules, and others, leave off tha•• cursed kinde of life, and betake themselves to such honest exer∣cises and godly mysteries as God hath commanded in his Word to get their living withall. For who will call him a wise man that playes the foole and the vice? Who can call him a good Christian that playeth the part of the Devill, the sworne enemy of Christ? Who can call him a iust man that playeth the dis∣sembling hypocrite? Who can call him a straight dealing man, that playeth a cosoners tricke? and so of all the rest. The wise man is ashamed to play the foole; but Players will seeme to be such in publike view to all the world: A good Christian hateth the Devill, but Players will become artificiall Divils, excel∣lently well. A iust man cannot endure hypocrisie, but all the acts of Players is dissimulation, and the proper name of Player (witnesse the Apologie it selfe) is hypocrite. A true dealing man cannot indure deceit, but Players get their living by craft and cosenage•• For what greater cheating can there be, then for mony, to render that which is not monies worth.* 1.50 Then seeing they are fooles, artificiall Divels, hypocrites and coseners, most evi∣dent it is that their art is not for Christians to exercise, as being diabolicall, and themselves infamous: such indeed as the Lace∣daemonians had, & we also have great reason to extrude out of our Common-wealth: for they are idle, vitious, dishonest, ma∣licious, preiudiciall and unprofitable to the same. They are idle, for they can take no paines, they know not how to worke, nor in any lawfull calling•• to get their living: but to avoide labour and worke, like brave and noble beggers, they stand to take mo∣ney of every ••••e that comes to see them loyter and play. Hence is it that they are vitious, for idlenesse is the mother of vice, and they cannot exercise their offices but in vices, and in treating of and with vitious men. They are dishonest, for they get not to
eate by doing good workes, but by speaking filthie, vile, and dis∣honest words: They are malicious, for they are accustomed, either for their friends or themselves, when they love not a man to speake evill of him; and colourably underhand to mocke and flout at any. They are preiudiciall and ••nprofitable to the Com∣mon-wealth, for they cosen and mocke vs with vaine words, and we pay them good money, &c. From all which ancient and moderne testimonies, I may not unfitly write of Stage-players, as Saint Bernard doth of the ancient Irish in Con••e∣reth in Malachias his time. c 1.51 Nusquam adhuc tales expertus fuerat in quantacunque barbarie. Nusquam repererat si•• propteruos ad mores; sic ferales ad ritus; sic ad fidem impios; ad leges barbaros; ce••vicosos ad disciplinam; spurcos ad vi∣tam, Christiani nomine, re Pagani. And no wonder is it, that Players are so transcendently vitious and unchaste, since they are trained up from the••r cradles, in the very d 1.52 art, the Schoole of Venerie, lewdnesse and prophannesse; which quickly eates out e 1.53 all their honesty, their modestie, their virtues, and fraughts them full with vice. Since then it is abundantly evident by the premises, as also by experience; that common Actors are thus excessively vitious, unchaste, prophane, and * 1.54 dis∣solute in their lives, which drawes them on to a dissolute Reli∣gion; the most of our present English Actors (as I am cre∣dibly informed) being professed Papists, as is the Founder of the late erected new Play-house: the Playes which issue from them must needs resemble these their Actors, g 1.55 the fruit being never better than the tree that beares it; the stream no purer than the Springs that feed it. From whence I deduce this twelfth Syllogisticall Argument against Stage-playes.
That whose ordinary Actors and Composers, are for the most part dissolute, infamous, unchaste, prophane, de∣boyst, and vitious men, must needs be sinfull and un∣lawfull unto Christians, h 1.56 because no good thing can pro∣ceed
from such. Witnesse, Matth. 7.17, 18. Levit. 5.2.3. Iob. 14.4. Eccles. 9.18.
But such are the ordinary Actors and Composers of Stage-playes: witnesse the premises.
Therefore they must needs be sinfull and unlawfull unto Christians: even in this respect.
Edricus, faex hominum; d••∣decus Anglo∣rum, flagitio∣sus helluo, ver∣sutus nebulo, cui non nobi∣litas opes pe∣pererat, s••d ••ingua & au∣dacia compa∣raverat. Hic dissimulare cautus, fugere paratus, con∣silia regis, ut fidelis, venaba∣tur, ut prodi∣tor, dissemi∣nabat. De gesti•• Regum Anglo∣rum. l. 2. c. 10. p. 6••.
Quae quanta in vllo homine iuventuris il∣lecebra fuit, quanta in illo? qui & alias ipse amabat ••urpissimè; aliorum amori flagitiosisme serviebat: alijs fructus libidinum, alijs mortem parentum, non modo impellendo; verum etiam adiuuando pollicibatur. Oratio 2. in Ca∣tilinam.
Vortigernus Rex Brittanniae, nec manu promptus, nec consilio bonus; imò ad illecebrascarnis pronus, omniumque ferè vitiorum mancipium. Quippe quem sub jugaret avaritia, in qiuetaret superbia, in quinaret luxuria, &c. William Malmsbury, De Gestis Regum. Angl. lib 1. cap. 1. pag. 8.
Livie Histor. Romanae l. 7. sect. 3. Vale∣rius Maximus l. 2. c. 4. sect. 4. Cicero. Oratio pro P. Quintio. Gellius. Noct. Attic. l. 14. c. 17. Suetonij Tiberius, sect. 35. Tacitus Annalium l. 14. sect. 2.3. Macrobi••s Satu••nal l. 2. c. 7. AEmilius Probus. Excellentium Imperatorum vitae. Praefatio.
Tertullian de. ••pectac. l. c. 22. Chrysost. Hom. 38. in Mat. Arnobius. Advers, Gentes l. 7. p. 233. August. De Civ. Deil. 2. c. 13.14.27.29. Cassiodorus Variarum. l. 7. c. 10. Gratian Distinctio 33.48.86. & Causa 4. Quaestio 1. Ioannis Saresburiensis•• De Nugis Curialium l. 1. c. 7.8. Ioannis de ••urgo Pupilla O••ulipars 7. c. 5. O. Tostatus in Mat. Tom. 3. in Mat. 6. Quaest. 38. fol 40. E ••Angelus de Clavasio in Summa Angelica: Titulus. Histrio, & In••amia. Anselmus Tom 1. p. 356. C.D. Alvarez Pelagius, De Planctu Ecclesiae l. 1. Art. 49. f. 28. l. 2. Art. 28. H. f. 134. Astexanus De Casibus. l. 4. Tit 7. Art. 4. Agrippa De va∣nitate scientiarū cap 20. Alexander ab Alexandro. Gen. Dirum. l. 3. c. 9. Caelius Rho∣diginus. Antiqu. Lectionum l. 1••. c. 17. Photij Nomocanonis. Ti••ulus 13. c 21.22. & Theodori Balsami. Cōment. Ibid. Lod. Vives. Comment. in Aug. De Ciu. Deil. 2. c. 13•• a. D. Reinolds Overthrow of Stageplayes. p. 60. to. 74. Barnabas Bri••••onius, & Ioannis Mariana De sp••••taculis. l. with sundry others accordingly.
De agitato∣••ibus, siue Theatricis, qui fideles sunt, placuit eo••, quandiu agi∣tant, a com∣munione sepe∣rari. Concil. Arelatense 2. Ca••. 20. Si Augur aut Pantomimi credere volue∣runt, placuit ut prius artibus suis renunci∣••nt, et tunc demū suscipi∣antur, ita vt vlterius non revertantur. Quod si facere contrainter•• dictum tenta∣verint, ••roij∣ciantur ab Ecclesia. Con∣cil. Eliberi∣num. Can. 62. Constan••inopo∣litanum. 6. in Trullo. Can. 51 62.71.
Clemens Romanus Constit Apo∣stol. lib. 8. cap. 28. Cy∣prian Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 10. Fucratio; Tertullian, de pudicitia. cap. 7. Chrysost Hom. 3. De Davide & Saule.
Matth. 7.6.
S••e Act. 6. Sc••ne 5. & Act. 7. Scene. 6.7. accordingly.
Quanta confessio est malae rei, cuius actores cum acceptissimi sint, sine nota non sunt? Tertulli∣an, De spectacu••is cap. 22.
Necesse erat histriones perditissimis fuisse moribus, & de∣ploratae neq••itiae, cùm in ea civitate pro civibus non haberentur, cuius erant tàm multa millia hominum flagitiosorum, & facinerosorum cives. N••tae, in August. De Civi••. De••. lib. 2. c. 13. See Bullingerus de Theatro, l. 1. c. 50. De Scenae & Orchestrae obscenitate. &c. 51. De Infamia Theatri.
Cognosco te primogenitū Satan••. Irenaus. Contr. haere∣ses l. 3. c. 3. p. 254. Eusebius Ecclesia••t. hi••t. l. 4. c. 14.
Ioh. 8.44. Eph. 2.2, 3. See Act. 1. & 2.
De Republica. l. 6. c. 1.
Eius vitae cursus saeuus in principio, miser in me∣dio, turpis in exitu, asseritu•• Will. Malmib. De Gesti•• Re∣gum Anglo∣rum. l. 2. c. 10. p. 62.
Ludovicus Vives, Notae in Augusti∣num De Ci∣vit. Dei. l 2. c. 13. a.
Histrio qui apud vos con∣stitutus in eius∣dem adhuc artis suae de∣decore perse∣verat, & ma∣gister & do∣ctor non eru∣diendorum, s••d perdendo∣rum puerorum id quod malè didicit, caete∣ris quo que in∣sinua••; talis non debet no∣biscum com∣municare. Quod puto ego, nec maie∣stati divinae, nec evangelicae disciplinae cong••uere, ut pudor & honor ecclesiae tàm turpi & infami contagione faedetur, &c. Cyprian. Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 10. Eucratio.
O si possis in illa sublimi specula constitutus ocul••s tuos inserere secretis, recludere cubiculorum obdu∣ctas fores, & ad conscientiam luminum penitralia occulta reserare; aspicias ab impudi∣cis geri, quod nec aspicere possit frons pudica. Videas, quod crimen sit & videre: Vide∣as quod vitiorum furore gementes gessisse se negant, & gerere festinant: libidinibus insanis, in viros v••ri proruunt. Fiunt, quae nec ipsi••, nec illis pos••unt placere, qui faciunt. Mentior nisi ••lios, qui talis est increpat, turpis turpes infamat, & evasisse se conscium credit, quasi conscientia satis non sit. ••idem in publico accusatores, in occulto rei, in se∣met ipsos censores parit••r & nocentes. Damnant fori••, quod intus operantur. Admit••••nt libenter, quod cùm admiserint, criminantur, &c•• Idem Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 2. Do••ato.
Nihil turpe ducunt praeter modestiam. Nam illorum alij quidem turpitudinis administri, artem hanc so∣lam tenent, ut ob varia petu∣lantiae genera magnopore semet efferant, mimi rerum ridicularū ad∣sueti colaphis & pugnis, qui novaculis pu∣dorem omnem ante ipsos cri∣nes resecue∣runt, lasciv•• faeditatis & i••puritatis omnis officina, qui omnium in oculis, tàm perpeti, quàm designare om∣nia, quae cun∣que nefanda sunt, artis loco ducunt, &c. Ad Seleucum de Recta Educatione. page 1062 ••
Histriones-fordidi, infames, &c. propterea mille illi mortibus digni sunt, quoniam quae fugere prorsus cunctae imperant leges, ••a illi non verentur imitari. Hom. 6, in Matth. Tom. 2. Col. 52. C
Vnde cre∣dis nuptiarum insideatores proficissi? Nonne ab hujusmodi scenis? Vnde qui thalomos aliorum effodiunt? nonne ab Orchestrailla? hinc etiam seditiones exci∣tantur, hinc tumultus oriuntur. Qui enim his ••udis aluntur, quique vocem ventris causa vendunt, qui dicere, facere omnia promptissimi sunt atque in ••o suam operam collo∣cant, hi maximè solent populum rumoribus inflammare, & tumultum in civitates immit∣t••re &c. Hom. 38. in Mat. Tom. 2. Col. 299. A.B.
Romani cum artem ludi∣cram scenam∣que totam probro duce∣rent, genus id hominum non modò honoro civium reli∣quorum care∣re, sed etiam tribu moveri notatione cen∣soria volue∣runt. Praeclara sané, & Roma∣nis laudibus, annumeranda prudentia. Ec∣ce enim rectè quisquis civi∣um Romano∣rum esse sceni∣cuseligisset, non solum ei nullus ad ho∣norem daba∣tur locus, ve∣rum etiam Censoris nota tribum tenere propriam mi∣nimè si••eba∣tur. O ani∣mum civitatis laudis avidum, Germaneque Romanum, &c. Romani verò hominibus scenicis nec plebeam tribum, quantò minus se∣natoriam curiam de••onestari sinunt. De Civit. De••. lib. 2. cap. 13. See cap. 14 27. and 29.
Talia in publicum cantitabantur a nequissimis scenicis. De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. cap. 4.
Nihil enim potest mimo inueniri sc••lestius. De vita in Christo lib. 2. Biblioth. Patrum Tom. 14 pag. 112.
Varijs deinde & saepius inritis praetorum que∣stibus, postremo C••esar de immodestia histrionum retulit. Multa abijs in publicum se∣ditiosè, faeda per domos tentari. Oscum quendam ludicrum laevissimae apud vulgum ob∣lectationis, eo flagitiorum ac virium venisse, vt auctoritate Patrum coercendum sit. Pul∣fi tùm Italia histriones. Annali•••• lib. ••. cap. 3. See lib. 1. cap. 14.
Marcus Au∣relius. lib. 1. cap. 14. and lib. 2. Epistle 12. to Lambert.
Marcus Aurelius. lib. 1. cap. 14. Suetonii. Nero sect. 16. Plinie panegyri••. Traiano dictus p. 45. Alex∣ander ab Alexandro Genialium Dierum lib. 6. cap. 9. See Act. 6. Scene. 5. and Act. 7. Scene 7.
14 Eliz cap. 5. and 35. Eliz. cap. 7.
The third Blas•• of Re∣trait from Playes and Theaters. London 1588. p. 110, to. 118.
Players the Schoolema∣sters in the Schoole of Abuse.
The dispo∣sition of ••lay∣ers for the most part.
Talis homi∣ni est oratio, qualis vita. Argumentum est luxuriae publicae orati∣onis lascivia. Non potest a∣lius esse inge∣••io, alius ••ni∣mo color. Illo vitiato, hoc quo que affla∣tur. Seneca Epist. 114.
Naturae se∣quitur s••mina quisque suae.
Navita de ventis, de tau∣ris narrat ara∣t••r, Enumerat miles vuln••ra Pastor ov••s.
Obiect.
Answ.
See Matth•• 13.1. to 20.
Exod. 3••.32.
Rom. 9.3.
Facere, ma∣iorem vim ha∣bet ad do cen∣dum quàm dicere. Chry∣so••t. ho••. 19. ad hebraos. Tom. 4. Col. 1608.
The chiefe end of Playes.
See Mar∣cus Aurelius Epistle 12. to Lambert, accordingly.
Players in∣famous per∣sons.
Players ba∣nished out of Rome, and kept from the Communion in the Primi∣tive Church.
Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 10. Eu∣cratio.
Obiect.
Answ.
In his Playes confuted. Action 1. and 3. and in his Schoole of Abuses.
London 1615. p. 64••65.
Of what sort of men Play∣ers be.
In vita San∣cti Malachiae.
Animus im∣butus malis artibus haud facile libidi∣nibus caret. Salustij. Bel∣lum Cat••lina∣rium p. 32. See Master Gossons Schoole of Abuses, ac∣cordingly.
Animo per libidines cor∣rupto nih••l honesti inest. Taci••us An∣nal. l. 1•••• sect. 9.
His divino iudicio saepius contingit, ut per id quod nequiter vi∣uunt, & illud perdant quod salubriter cre∣dunt. Greg. Magnus. Mo∣ral. l. 25. c. 15.
Matth. 7.17, 18.
An tu quic∣quam in istis esse credis bo∣ni, quorum professores tu••pissimos omnium, ac flagitio sis••i∣mos cernis? Non discere debemus ista, sed dedicisse. Seneca Ep. 88. Malorum magistrorum mala doctrina est; vel potius, malorum semi••um mala seges. Gregor. Nazianzen. Oratio. 38. p. 584.