Histrio-mastix The players scourge, or, actors tragædie, divided into two parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring authorities and resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture ... That popular stage-playes ... are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly spectacles, and most pernicious corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable mischiefes to churches, to republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. And that the profession of play-poets, of stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding academicall enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning dancing, dicing, health-drinking, &c. of which the table will informe you. By William Prynne, an vtter-barrester of Lincolnes Inne.

SCENA PRIMA.

[ 5] FIftly, as Stage-playes are sinfull and so unlawfull un∣to Christians in all the fore-mentioned regards, so likewise are they in respect of severall m 1.1pernicious effects, and dangerous fruits, which usually, if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them; the chiefest of which I shall here enumerate in their order; that so you may more evidently n 1.2 discerne the badnesse of them, by the sundry evils they occasion.

The first of these, is the prodigall mispence of much precious time, which o 1.3 Christians should husband and re∣deeme to better purposes: From whence this 27. Argu∣ment against Stage-playes may be composed.

That which doth alwaies unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much peerelesse time, p 1.4 which should be carefully improved and redeemed, must certainely be sinfull, and so unlawfull unto Chri∣stians.

But this doe * 1.5 Stage-playes; as I shall fully manifest.

Therefore they must certainely be sinfu••l, and so un∣lawfull unto Christians.

The Major all men must subscribe to; because God himselfe commands us, not prodigally to waste, but q 1.6 wisely to redeeme the time, and so much the rather, because the dayes are evill. Our time, r 1.7 it is our richest treasure; it is that peerelesse portion which God himselfe hath put into our

hands; that we might improve it to his glory, to our owne and others good; not sinfully s 1.8 cons••me it upon lascivious childish Enterludes, vanities, or delights of sinne; which bring no∣thing but t 1.9 eternall horror to mens soules at last. For men, for Christians then, to cast this unvaluable Pearle of preci∣ous time u 1.10 to Swine; to x 1.11 disburse this treasure for that which is not bread, this money for that which satisfieth not: to y 1.12 waste this royall patrimony upon voluptuous spectacles, or lewde ridiculous Pastimes: to trifle it quite away upon the very vainest vanities (as alas z 1.13 too many doe, who a 1.14 treasure up nothing but eternall wrath and horror to their soules, against the day of wrath,) how can it but be sinfull? b 1.15 Our dayes, yea every houre and minute of our lives, are Gods, not ours: they are those c 1.16 precious talents which God hath put into our hands to occupy with them till he come: to him d 1.17 must we give up our account for the imployment of them at the last. And can we then take Gods time, Gods treasure (allowed e 1.18 onely to us for his use, his service, which is abundantly sufficient to engrosse even al our dayes,f 1.19) and spend it wholly upon sinne? upon Satan? upon our owne g 1.20 carnall lusts and pleasures? upon lascivious Stage-playes, Games, and Sports? up∣••n Dicing, Carding, Dancing, Drinking, Whoring, h 1.21 Feasting? upon idle Visits, Complements and Discour∣ses? upon Meretricious Paintings, Frizlings, Poul∣drings, Attyrings, and the like, (in which many squon∣der away their very choicest morning houres, more fit for study & devotion then such unchristian practises,) as if we had no God to serve, no callings to follow, no

soules to save, i 1.22 no Hell to feare, no Heaven to seeke, no Iudge to censure us, no day of Iudgement to account in, how we have spent our time? and yet k 1.23 flatter our selves so grosly, as to presume we have done l 1.24 full well, at least-wise not offended, in this profuse mispending of our Masters stocke of time? Alas, how many millions of pounds; how many myriades of Kingdomes, nay of Worlds (were they but Masters of them) would many thousand damned spirits, now in torments, or voluptuous di∣stressed persons now lying on their death-beds, ready to breathe out their soules at every breath into the m 1.25 in∣fernall Tophet, give, for the moitie, the tythe, yea the ve∣ry smallest quantity of that unvaluable n 1.26 time which they have irrecoverably spent on Playes, and such like sinfull Pa∣stimes; that so they might in time bewaile with bri∣nish teares, with dolorous pangs, and deepest sighes, the o 1.27 losse of all those houres which they have prodigally spent in Play-houses, Tavernes, and such life-devouring places, to prevent or else extenuate the intollerable horror of their eternall paines? And shall wee then squander a∣way, we care not how, those pretious houres, which these, which wee our selves perchance hereafter (though now we p 1.28 value them at so low a price, as to play them quite away for nought) would willingly repurchase at the dearest rate, on vaine lascivious Stage-playes, toyes, and childish vanities, as if we were created only

to play and follow sports (which q 1.29 Tully and other Pa∣gans quite deny) and yet thinke to scape unpunished? Those Playes and Pastimes therefore, which miserably waste and eate out all our dayes, which rob us of our pretious time (our chiefe, our r 1.30 onely treasure,) which we should carefully husband to our good: Which sacrilegiously defraud our God, our Country, our Soules, our Callings of sundry vacant houres which should be spent upon them, must needs be evill and unlawfull unto Christi∣ans even in this respect.

For the Minor, * 1.31 that Stage-playes unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much pretious time, &c. it is most apparant, if we will but summe up all those dayes, those houres which are vainely spent in the composing, con∣ning, practising, acting, beholding of every publike, or private Stage-play. How many golden t 1.32 dayes and houres, I might say weekes, nay mon••ths, and I had almost said whole yeeres, doe most Play-poets spend in contriving, pen∣ning, polishing their new-invented Playes, before they ripen them for the Stage? When these their Playes are brought unto maturity, how many houres, evenings, halfe-dayes, dayes, and sometimes weekes, are spent by all the Actors (especially in solemne academicall Enterludes) in coppy∣ing, u 1.33 in conning, in practising their parts, before they are ripe for publike action? When this is finished, how many men are vainely occupied for sundry dayes (yea sometimes x 1.34 yeeres) together, in building Theaters, Stages,

Scenes and Scaffolds; in making theatricall Pageants, Apparitions, Attires, Visars, Garments, with such-like Stage-appurtenances, for the more commodious pom∣pous acting and adorning of these vaine-glorious En∣terludes? When all things requisite for the publike personating of these Playes are thus exactly accommo∣dated, and the day or nigh approcheth when these are to be acted, how many hundreds of * 1.35 all sorts, vainely, if not y 1.36 ridiculously spend whole dayes, whole afternoones and nights oft-times, in z 1.37 attyring themselves in their richest robes; in providing seates to heare, a 1.38 to see, and to be seene of others; or in hearing, in beholding these vain lasci∣vious Stage-playes, (which last some b 1.39 three or foure houres at the least, yea sometimes whole * 1.40 dayes and weekes together, as did some Roman Playes, and yet seeme to short to many, to whom a Lecture, a Sermon, a Prayer, not halfe so long, is over-tedious:) who thinke themselves c 1.41 well im∣ployed all the while they are thus wasting this their pretious time (which they scarce know how to spend) upon these idle Spectacles. d 1.42 Adde we to this, that all our common Actors consume not onely weekes and yeeres, but even e 1.43 their whole lives, in learning, practising, or acting Playes, which besides nights and other seasons, engrosse every afternoone almost thorowout the yeere, to their pecu∣liar service; as wee see by daily experience here in

f 1.44 London; where thousands spend the moitie of the day, the weeke, the yeere in Play-houses, at least-wise far more houres, then they imploy in holy duties, or in their lawfull callings. If we annex to this, the time that divers waste in reading Play-bookes, which some make their chiefest study, preferring them before the Bible, or all pious Bookes, on which they seldome se∣riously cast their eyes; together with the mispent time which the discourses of Playes, either seene or read, oc∣casion: and then summe up all this lost, this mispent time together; we shall soone discerne, we must needs acknowledge,g 1.45 that there are no such Helluoes, such Canker-wormes, such theevish Devourers of mens most sacred (yet h 1.46 undervalued) time, as Stage-playes. Hence Concilium Carthagiense. 4 Can. 88. Concil. Aphrica∣num. Can. 28. Concil. Constantinopolitanum. Can. 66. Cle∣mens Alexandrinus Paedagogi. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian, De Spectac. lib. Arnobius. l. 4. & 7. advers. Gentes. with sundry other Councels, Fathers, Authors i 1.47 hereafter quoted, complaine, that many Lords-dayes, Holy-dayes, and sacred Festivals which ought to have beene spent in holy exer∣cises of Religion, and Gods more speciall service, together with much other precious time which mens particular callings did require, was spent in acting and beholding Stage-playes: Hence Philo Iudaeus, De Agricultura. lib. pag. 271.272. with much griefe laments: k 1.48 That many thousands of people thorowout the world, be sotted with the delight of Stage-playes, did with greedy eyes and eares flocke together to Theaters, to behold the effeminate gestures and motions of Stage-players; neglecting in

the meane time the publike welfare, and their owne private estates, and miserably wasting their lives in these vaine Specta∣cles. Hence Basil, Hexaëmeron. Hom. 4. informes us: l 1.49 That there are certaine Citties, which feed their eyes and eares from morning to night, with many various Spectacles, and with effe∣minate amorcus lascivious Songs and Enterludes, engendring an excesse of lusts within their soules, in hearing of which their eares are never satisfied. And such people as these (writes he) many call exceeding happy, because neglecting and setting aside the care of government, merchandize, their trades, and all other imployments whereby they may get their living; they spend the time of life alotted to them with exceeding idle∣nesse and pleasure. Hence Nazienzen, De Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063.1064. & Chrysostome. Hom. 15.21.23. & 62. Ad Populum Antioch. Hom. 6.7.38. & 69. in Matth. & Hom. 42. in Acta Apostolorum; relate, m 1.50 ••hat in the Play-house there is a losse of time, a superfluous consump∣tion of dayes; n 1.51 where men waste whole dayes in ridiculous and p••rnicious pleasures. And withall o 1.52 they much complaine; that many people leaving the Church did flocke by troopes to Play-houses, bestowing that time upon the Devill, which they should have dedicated unto God; Hence Augustine, p 1.53 De Decem Chordis. lib. c. 3. & De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. c. 4. to 23. Salvian, De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. Cyrillus Alexandrinus in Ioannis Evangelium. li••. 8. c. 5. Leo. 1. Sermo in Octava Pauli & Petri. cap. 1. fol. 165. S. Asterius, Homilia. in Fe∣stum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 4. pag. 705.706. Damascen Parallelorum. lib. 3. cap. 47. Ioannis Saresburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 7.8. with other Fathers, passe sentence against Stage-playes, as chiefe consumers of

* 1.54 much pretious time, which should be expended upon bet∣ter things, as their words hereafter quoted. Scene 3.4.5. & 12. more fully evidence. Hence divers Pagan Authors; as Cicero, ••ro L. Muraena, & pro Sexto Oratio. Epist. lib. 7. ad Marium Epist. 10. & De Legibus l. 1. & 2. Seneca, De Brev. Vitae. cap. 12.13. Epist. 7. & 75. & q 1.55 Naturalium. Quaest. lib. 7. c. 32. Cornelius Tacitus, a 1.56 Annalium. lib. 14. sect. 3. Suetonij Nero. sect. 23. & Caligula. sect. 18. Marcus Au∣relius. Epist. 12. to Lambert. Ammianus Marcellinus. lib. 28. cap. 10. Horace, De Arte Poetica. lib. together with b 1.57 Scipio Nasica, that famous Roman, have much condem∣ned Stage-playes, because they waste many pretious houres which should be improved to more weighty uses.c 1.58 And for this very reason among sundry others, Petrarcha De Re∣medio Vtr. Fortunae. lib. 1. Dialog. 30. Polydor Virgil. De Invent. Rerum. lib. 5. c. 2. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum. cap. 59. M. Gualther. Hom. 11. in Nahum. Carolus Sigonius De Occidentali Imperio. lib. 1. p. 32. Ioannis Langhecrucius, De Vita & Honestate Ecclesiasticorum. l. 2. c. 11.12.21. M. North••rooke, M. Gosson, M. Stubs, D. Reinolds, Mariana & Brissonius, in their Bookes and Treatises against Stage-playes. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters. pag. 66.67. Iohn Field in his Declaration of Gods Iudgement at Pa∣ris Garden. George Whetston, in his Mirror for Magistrates of Citties. pag. 24. Bulengerus, De Circo, &c. pag. 81. to 88. & 167.168. I. G. in his Refutation of the A••ologie for A∣ctors. A short Trea••ise against Stage-playes. Anno•• 1625. M. Bolton in his Discourse of true Happinesse. pag. 74.75. To omit all others which I shall name * 1.59 hereafter, have cen∣sured and rejected Stage-playes, (in the hearing, rea∣ding, and beholding of which, many spend whole dayes, whole weekes, whole yeeres) as the over-prodigall devourers of much peerelesse time, which they most iniuriously steale from God, from men, and from the Common-weale.

Since therefore our lives are d 1.60 exceeding short and momenta∣ry, posting away with winged speed; our time so e 1.61 pretious; the duties of our generall, our particular callings (which may f 1.62 not be omitted for feare the Devill finde us idle, and so tempt us unto sinne) almost infinite, well able to engrosse even all our vacant houres; the mispence, the losse of time so g 1.63 dangerous, so pernicious: the grand account we h 1.64 must shortly render of all the ill-spent minutes of our lives before the Barre of Gods Tribunall, so certaine, so terrible and inevitable, these time-devouring Stage-playes, which i 1.65 incroach so farre, so desperately, so universally upon the lives of many (especially in this our great Metrapolis where they are daily acted and frequented,) must certainely be execra∣ble, sinfull, and pernicious unto Christians, (who should k 1.66 redeeme their fore-past time which teares, which they have spent in lascivious carnall iollity) even in regard of this most vile effect, which issues alwayes from them.

Notes

• m 1.1

  Hae nugae seria ducunt in mala. Horat. De Arte Poet. p. 312.
• n 1.2

  Mat. 7.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. 1 Thes. 5.22.
• o 1.3

  Ephes. 5.16. Tunc verè tempus redimi∣mus quando anteactam vitā quàm lascivi∣endo perdidi∣mus, flendo re∣paramus Ansel∣mus in Ephes. 5. Tom. 2. p. 288.
• p 1.4

  Cum majus periculum sit malè vivendi quàm citò mo∣riendi, stultus est qui non ex∣igui temporis mercede mag∣nae rei aleam redimi••. Seneca. Epist. 49.
• * 1.5

  See Ovid Tri••tū. l. 2. f. 160. Athenaeus Dipnos. l. 12. c. 8.10, 13, 15. Ammianus Marcellinus. l. 28 c. 10. Basilij Hexaëm. Hom. 4. accordingly.
• q 1.6

  Ephes. 5.16. Col 4.5. See Ambr••se, Hierom, Chrysostome, Theodoret, Sedulius, Primasius, Remigius, Beda, Rabanus Maurus, Oecumenius, Anselme, Theophylact, Lyra, Musculus, Calvin, Aretius, Marlorat Ibid. & Master Wheatlies Sermon of Times Redemption, accordingly.
• r 1.7

  Iob 7.1, 2, 3. Psal. 89, 47. Eccles. 3.1. to 18. Luk. 1.75. Acts 13.36. 2 Tim. 4.7, 8.
• s 1.8

  Ezech. 16.49. Iob 21.12, 13. Isay 5, 11, 12. Amos 6.1. to 9 1 Pet. 4.2, 3, 4•• Iam. 4.9, 10. 2 Tim. 3.4. A∣moto quaera∣mus seria ••udo. Horat. Sermo. l. 1. Satyr. 1.
• t 1.9

  Iam. 5.1, 5. Rev. 18.7.
• u 1.10

  Mat. 7.6.
• x 1.11

  Isay 55.2.
• y 1.12

  Luk. 15.13, 14.
• z 1.13

  Magna pars vitae elabitur malè agētibus, maxima nihil agentibus. Quē mihi dabis qui aliquod praetiū tempori ponat? qui diem aesti∣mer? qui intel∣ligat se quoti∣die mori? Ne∣mo se iudicet quicquā debere qui tempus ac∣cepit, cùm inte∣rim hoc unum est, quod ne gratas quidem po••est reddere. Seneca Epist. 1.
• a 1.14

  Rom. 2.5. to 10. Rev. 18.6, 7.
• b 1.15

  Iob. 1.1, 2. Luk. 1.75 Rom. 14.7, 8. 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. Acts 13, ••6. Phil. 1.21 Gal 2.20.
• c 1.16

  Mat. 25.15. to 28. Prov. 17.16.
• d 1.17

  Rom. 14.4, 7, 8, 12, 13. Rev. 2.21, 22.
• e 1.18

  1 Pet 4.2, 3, 4. 1 Tim. 6.11, 12. Quo te caelestis sapientia duceret ires. Hoc opus, hoc studiū purvi properemus & ampli. Si patriae volumus, si nobis vivere cari. Horat. E••ist l. 1. E••ist. 3. ••ag. 243.
• f 1.19

  Luk. 1.75. c. 2 37. 1 Thes. 5.16, 17. Psal. 145.1, 2.
• g 1.20

  Festinat enim decurrere velox Flosculus angustae miserae{que} brevissima vitae Portio, dum bibimus, dum serta, unguenta, puellas Pos••imus, obrepit non intellecta senectus. Iuv. Sat. 9. p. 89.
• h 1.21

  Qui∣bus in solo vivendi causa palato est. Iuv. Satyr. 11. p. 104. Nulli rei nisi vino & libi∣dini vacant. Sen••ca De Brev. Vitae. cap. 6••
• i 1.22

  Heu vivunt homines tan∣quá mors nul∣la sequatur. Et v••lut infernus fabula vana fo∣ret.
• k 1.23

  Gloriari otio iners ambitio est. Senec. Ep. 68.
• l 1.24

  Alea turpis, Turpe & adul∣terium medio∣cribus, haec ta∣men illi Om∣nia cū faciant, Hilares nitidi∣que vocantur. Iuvenal. Satyr. 11. p. 110.
• m 1.25

  Isay 30.33.
• n 1.26

  Praecipitat quis{que} vitā su∣am, & futuri de∣siderio laborat, praesentiū tae∣dio. Seneca De Brev. Vitae. c. 7.
• o 1.27

  Natura hu∣manis ingenijs m••lè consulu∣it, quae plae∣rumque non futura sed transacta perpendimus. Qu. Curtiu••. lib. ••. sect. 2. pag. 341. Deteriori luto pravus quos edidit auctor, Et nihil aetherij sparlit p••r membra vi∣goris. Hi pecudum ritu non impende••tia vitant, Nec res ante vident, accepta clade quaeruntur, Et serò transacta gemunt. Claudian in Eutropium lib 2. pag. 88.
• p 1.28

  Re omnîum praeciosissima luditur. Quia sub oculis non venit, ideo vilissima aestimatur, imò vero nullum praetium ejus est. Annua congiaria homines clarissi∣mi accipiunt, & his aut labor••m, aut operam, aut diligentiam suam locant. Ne∣mo aestimat tempus; utuntur illo laxius quasi gratuitò. At eosdem aegros vide, si mortis periculum admotum est propius, medicorum genua tangentes: si metuunt capitale supplicium, omnia sua, ut vivant paratos impendere. Tanta in illis discordia asfectuum est. Senec••. De Brev. Vitae. cap. 8.
• q 1.29

  Ne{que} enim ita à natura ge¦neratī sumus ut ad ludum & iocum facti esse videamur, sed ad severitatem potius, & ad quaedā studia graviora atque majora. De Offi∣cij•• l. 1. Op. Tom 2. p. 618. See Se∣nica, De Brev. Vi∣tae. & Epist. 1.49.58.
• r 1.30

  Omnia, mi Lucili, aliena sunt; tempus tantum nostrū est: In hujus rei unius fuga∣cis ac lubricae possessionē na∣tura nos misit, ex qua expellit quicun{que} vult. Ita fac, mi Lu∣cili, vindica te tibi, & tempus quod adhuc aut auferebatur aut surripiebatur, aut excidebat, collige & serva. Seneca Epist. 1.
• * 1.31

  See D. Reinolds Overthrow of Stage-playes p. 20, to 24. The 3. Blast of Ret••ait from Playes & Theaters. p. 66.67. & the othe•• Fathers, Councels, & Authors hereafter quoted
• t 1.32

  Nil intentatū nostri liquêre Poetae: Nec minimū mervêre decus, &c. Si nō offenderet unūquem{que} Poetarū limae labor, & mora: Vos ô Pōpilius sanguis, carmen r••praehēdite quod non Multa dies & multa litura coercuit at{que} Perfectū decies nō castigavit ad unguē. Bona pars non un∣gues ponere curat, Non barbā: secreta petit loca; balnea vitat. Nāsciscetur enim prae∣tiū nomē{que} Poetae, Si tribus Anticyris caput insanabile nunquā Tōsori Licino com∣miserit, &c Horat. De Arte Poet p. 306.
• u 1.33

  See Seneca, De Brev. Vitae. c. 12. Non habent isti otiū sed iners negotiū, Nam de illis nemo dubitabit, quin operosè nihil ag••nt, qui literarū inutiliū studijs detinētur. Ibid. c. 13.
• x 1.34

  See Pliny, Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 15. Tertul. De Spectac. c, 9.10, 11. Livy, Hist Rom. l. 48. Tacitus, Annal. l. 14. Alex. ab Alexandro. l. 5. c. 16. D. Hackwels Apologie. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 2.3, 4. accordingly.
• * 1.35

  Nubilis haec Virgo, matro∣na{que}, vir{que} pu∣erque, Spectat, & ex magna parte Senatus adest. Ovid Tri∣stium. l. 2. p. 160.
• y 1.36

  Si foret in terris rideret Democritus. Spectaret popu∣lū Iudis fre∣quentius ipsis; Vt sibi praeben∣tem mimo spe∣ctacula plura. Horat. Epist l. 2. Epist. 1. p. 284.
• z 1.37

  Sic ruit ad ce∣lebres cultissi∣ma faemina lu∣dos: Copia iu∣dicium saepe morata meum est. Spectatum veniunt, veniunt spectentur ut ipsae. Ovid, De Arte Amandi. l. 1. p. 160. See Tertullian, De Spectaculis. & Act 5. Scene 7. before.
• a 1.38

  Nemo in spectaculo ineundo prius cogitat, nisi videre & videri. Tertullian, De Spectaculis cap. 25.
• b 1.39

  Quatuor aut plures aulaea praemuntur in horas, &c. Horat. Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 1. pag. 284.
• * 1.40

  See Livy, Rom. Hist. lib. 42. sect. 20. Ludi per de∣cem dies Iovi optimo. Max. facti. lib. 31. sect. 51. lib. 39. sect. 46. lib. 23. sect. 30. lib. 25. sect. 2. lib. 40. sect. 52. Suetonij Iulius. sect. 29.
• c 1.41

  Horū non ociosa vita dicenda est, sed desidiosa occupatio. Seneca, De Brevitate Vita. cap. 11.
• d 1.42

  Nostra aetas prolapsa ad fabulas & quaevis inania, non modo autes & cor prostituit vanitati sed oculorum & aurium voluptate suam mulcet desidiam, luxuriam accendit con∣quirc••s undi{que} fomenta vitiorum. Ioannes Saresburienses, De Nugis Curialium lib 1. cap. 8.
• e 1.43

  Histriones totam suam vitam ordinant ad ludendum. Aquinas, secunda secundae, Quest. 168. Art. 3.
• f 1.44

  See Stephen Gossons Schoole of Abuses. The 3. Blast of Re∣trait from Playes. I.G. his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors, & Iohn Field, his Declaration of Gods Iudge∣ment at Paris Garden, &c.
• g 1.45

  Nemo inve∣nitur qui pecu∣niam suam di∣videre velit, vi∣tā unusquis{que} quàm multis distribuit. A∣stricti sunt in continendo patrimonio, si∣mul ad tempo∣ris jacturā ven∣tum est, prosu∣sissimi in eo cujus unius ho∣nesta avaritia est. Seneca, De Brevit. Vitae c. 3.
• h 1.46

  Quid necesse habes amittere tempora tanta, perdere tanta lucra? nihil praeciosius tempore, sed heu nihil hodie vilius aestimatur. Transeunt dies salutis & nemo recogitat, nemo sibi non reditura momenta perijsse causatur. Bernardi. Declamationes. Col. 1011. L.M.
• i 1.47

  See Scene 12. & Act 7. Scene 3. where their words are recited.
• k 1.48

  Quid enim aliud credimus quotidi•• per totum orbem, tot millia spectatorum in Theatris contrahere. Homines enim victi spectaculorum & fabularum cupidine infrenes tum oculis, tum auribus consectantur cytharistas cy∣tharaedosque. Praeterea saltatoribus caeterisque mimis inhiant propter gestus mo∣tus{que} effaeminatos: at{que} ita factiones Theatricas instaurant, securi caeterarum rerū privatarum publicarumque, totam vitam in huiusmodi spectaculis conterentes miseri. Ibidem.
• l 1.49

  Sunt Civita∣tes non nullae quae multis va∣rijsque praesti∣giatorum spe∣ct••culis inde à primo diluculo ad ipsum usque caelū advespe∣rascens suos pascunt adspe∣ctus, fr••ctosque quosd••m om∣nino & corrup∣tos cantus n••∣miam in ani∣mis generantes libidinem fre∣quentissimè audientes, non satiantur. At{que} tales populos comp••ures per∣beatos esse di∣cunt, proptereà quod foro, mer∣catura, artibus, caeterisque ne∣gotijs omninò comparandi vi∣ctus causa sub∣eundis negle∣ctis atque post∣habitis, summo cum orio vo∣luptate{que} vitae tempus institutum sibi perducunt, &c. Basil. Hexaëm. Hom. 4. Damascen. Parallel lib. 3. cap. 47.
• m 1.50

  In Theatro omnia contraria: temporis impendiū, superflua dierum consumptio, &c. Chrysost. Hom. 42. in Acta Apost. & Hom. 62. ad Pop. Antioch. Tom. 3. Col. 612. A. & Tom. 5. Col. 347. A.
• n 1.51

  Tot••m prorsus diem in tam ridicula at{que} eti∣am perniciosa voluptate consumitis. &c. Hom. 6 in Matth. Tom. 2. Col. 52. A.
• o 1.52

  Chryso••t. Hom. 3. De Davide & Saule. Hom. 6. in Matth. & Hō. 15. & 23. ad Populū Antioch. See here Scene 4. & 12.
• p 1.53

  Vacare volunt ad ••ugas at{que} luxurias suas. Melius enim saceret Iudaeus in agro suo aliquid utile, quā tota die in Theatro seditiosus existeret. Ibid.
• * 1.54

  Octavius Spe∣ctaculo pluri∣mas horas, ali∣quando totos dies aderat. Suetonij Octavi∣us. s••ct. 45.
• q 1.55

  Quis Philo∣sophiā aut ullū liberale respi∣cit studium, nisi cum ludi inter∣calantur, cum aliquis plu••ius intervenit dies quem perdere licer, &c. Ibid.
• a 1.56

  Populus si consederet the∣atro totos dies ignaviâ conti∣nuaret, &c. Ibid
• b 1.57

  Augustine, De Civit. Dei. l. ••. c. 31.32. Livy, Rom. Hist. lib. 48. Epit Vale∣rius Maximus. l. 2. c. 6. Eutro∣pius. Rerum. Rom. l. 4. p. 43••
• c 1.58

  Histriones vero locustis conser••t pro∣pheta, non mo∣do propter multitudinem, sed potius propter ignavū otium, & quod fruges consu∣mere nati, ni∣hil interea faci••nt quod honestum sit, vel ad publicam utilitatem aliquid confe∣rat, &c. Ibidem.
• * 1.59

  See Scene 12. & Act 7. Scene 4.5, 6.
• d 1.60

  Psal. 39.5, 11. Psal. 102.11. 1 Cor. 7.29. Iam. 4.14. Cir∣cumcisa & bre∣vis hominis vita longissima Pliny, Epist. lib. 3. Epist. 7. Vitae hujus principi∣um mortis ex∣ordium est, nec prius incipit augeri aetas quam minui. Cui si aliquid adijcitur spacij temporalis, non ad hoc ac∣cedit ut mane∣at, sed ad hoc transit ut pere∣at. Prosper. Aquit. De Vocat Gentium. lib. ••. cap. 21
• e 1.61

  Nihil praetiosius tempore. Ber∣nardi. Declamat. Col. 1011. L. M.
• f 1.62

  Facito aliquid operis ut semper te Diabolus inveniat occupatum. Operis labor suscipiatur, non tàm propter victus necessita∣tem, quam propter animae salutem. Hierom. Epist. 4. cap. 5.
• g 1.63

  Non exiguum de∣trimentum est vel horae unius. Et una hora totius vitae portio est. Ambros. Epist. lib. 3. Epist. 25.
• h 1.64

  2 Cor. 5.10, 11. 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9.
• i 1.65

  Inde fit ut rarò qui se vixisse beatum Dicat, & exacto contentus tempore vitae Cedat, uti conviva satur, reperire queamus. Horat. Sermo. lib. 1. Satyr 1.
• k 1.66

  Tempus quippe redimimus quandò ante∣actam vitam quam lasciviendo perdidimus, flendo reparamus. Greg. Mag. Moral. lib. 5. cap. 28.