nostra leges, volente quidem Deo. Ad praesentem locum satis fuerit
tetigisse comoedias Terentianas; modo recte legantur, non modo non ad
subuertendos mores, verum etiam ad corrigendos maximopere valere, certe
ad Latine discendum plane necessarias iudicauerim. An potius istud
ex Catholicon, Huguitione, Ebrardo, Papia caeterisque ineptioribus
sperare iubebunt? Mirum vero si his authoribus quis quid Latine dicat,
cum ipsi nihil non barbare locuti sint. Huiusmodi amplectatur, qui
balbutire volet; qui loqui cupiet, Terentium dicat, quem Cicero, quem
Quintilianus, quem Hieronymus, quem Augustinus, quem Ambrosius et
iuuenes didicere et senes vsi sunt; quem denique nemo, nisi barbarus,
non amauit.
ii. 1523–31. IOHANNES LUDOVICUS VIVES.
(_a_)
[From Commentary on St. Augustine, _De Civitate Dei_ (1522),
viii. 27. The book was placed on the _Index Expurgatorius_,
‘donec corrigatur’, and Rainolds, _Th’ Overthrow of
Stage-Playes_, 161, says that this was one of the offending
passages. Vives, a Spaniard by birth, was lecturer at Louvain
1520–3, mainly in England 1523–8, and at Bruges 1528–31.]
At qui mos nunc est, quo tempore sacrum celebratur Christi morte sua
genus humanum liberantis, ludos nihil prope a scenicis illis veteribus
differentes populo exhibere, etiam si aliud non dixero satis turpe
existimabit quisquis audiet, ludos fieri in re maxime seria. Ibi
ridetur Iudas, quam potest ineptissima iactans, dum Christum prodit:
ibi discipuli fugiunt militibus persequentibus, nec sine cachinnis
et actorum et spectatorum: ibi Petrus auriculam rescindit Malcho,
applaudente pullata turba, ceu ita vindicetur Christi captiuitas.
Et post paulum, qui tam strenue modo dimicarat, rogationibus unius
ancillulae territus abnegat magistrum, ridente multitudine ancillam
interrogantem, et exibilante Petrum negantem. Inter tot ludentes, inter
tot cachinnos et ineptias solus Christus est serius et seuerus. Quumque
affectus conatur moestos elicere, nescio quo pacto non ibi tantum, sed
etiam ad sacra frigefacit, magno scelere atque impietate, non tam eorum
qui vel spectant vel agunt, quam sacerdotum, qui eiusmodi fieri curant.
Sed hisce de rebus loquemur forsan commodiore loco.
(_b_)
[From _De Tradendis Disciplinis_, iii. 6 (1531, _Opera_, vi.
328).]
After comparing the Latinity of Plautus and Terence for school
purposes, he adds:
Ex vtroque cuperem resecta quae pueriles animos iis vitiis possent
polluere ad quae naturae quasi nutu quodam vergimus.
(_c_)
[From _De Causis Corruptarum Artium_, ii. 4 (1531, _Opera_, vi.
99).]
Venit in scenam poesis, populo ad spectandum congregato, et ibi sicut
pictor tabulam proponit multitudini spectandam, ita poeta imaginem
quandam vitae; vt merito Plutarchus de his dixerit, Poema esse
picturam loquentem, et picturam poema tacens, ita magister est populi,
et pictor, et poeta: corrupta est haec ars, quod ab insectatione
flagitiorum et scelerum transiit ad obsequium prauae affectionis,
vt quaecunque odisset poeta, in eum linguae ac stili intemperantia
abuteretur: cui iniuriae atque insolentiae itum est obuiam, primum a
diuitibus potentia sua, et opibus, hinc legibus, quibus cauebatur,
ne quis in alium noxium carmen pangeret: tum inuolucris coepit tegi
fabula; paullatim res tota ad ludicra, et in vulgum plausibilia, est
traducta, ad amores, ad fraudes meretricum, ad periuria lenonis, ad
militis ferociam et glorias; quae quum dicerentur cuneis refertis
puerorum, puellarum, mulierum, turba opificum hominum, et rudium, mirum
quam vitiabantur mores ciuitatis admonitione illa, et quasi incitatione
ad flagitia, praesertim quum comici semper catastrophen laetam
adderent amoribus, et impudicitiae; nam si quando addidissent tristes
exitus, deterruissent ab iis actibus spectatores, quibus euentus
esset paratus acerbissimus. In quo sapientior fuit qui nostra lingua
scripsit Celestinam tragicomoediam; nam progressui amorum, et illis
gaudiis voluptatis, exitum annexuit amarissimum, nempe amatorum, lenae,
lenonum casus et neces violentas: neque vero ignorarunt olim fabularum
scriptores turpia esse quae scriberent, et moribus iuuentutis damnosa
... Recentiores in linguis vernaculis multo, mea quidem sententia,
excellunt veteres in argumento deligendo. Nullae fere exhibentur nunc
publicae fabulae quae non delectationem vtilitate coniungant.
iii. 1531. SIR THOMAS ELYOT.
[From _The Governour_, i. 13 (ed. H. H. S. Croft, i. 123).]
‘They whiche be ignoraunt in poetes wyll perchaunce obiecte, as is
their maner, agayne these verses [Horace, _Epist._ ii. 1. 126–31],
sayeng that in Therence and other that were writers of comedies,
also Ouide, Catullus, Martialis, and all that route of lasciuious
poetes that wrate epistles and ditties of loue, some called in latine
_Elegiæ_ and some _Epigrammata_, is nothyng contayned but
incitation to lechery.
First, comedies, whiche they suppose to be a doctrinall of rybaudrie,
they be undoutedly a picture or as it were a mirrour of man’s life,
wherin iuell is nat taught but discouered; to the intent that men
beholdynge the promptnes of youth unto vice, the snares of harlotts
and baudes laid for yonge myndes, the disceipte of seruantes, the
chaunces of fortune contrary to mennes expectation, they beinge therof
warned may prepare them selfe to resist or preuente occasion. Semblably
remembring the wisedomes, aduertisements, counsailes, dissuasion from
vice, and other profitable sentences, most eloquently and familiarely
shewed in those comedies, undoubtedly there shall be no litle frute
out of them gathered. And if the vices in them expressed shulde be
cause that myndes of the reders shulde be corrupted: than by the
same argumente nat only entreludes in englisshe, but also sermones,
wherin some vice is declared, shulde be to the beholders and herers
like occasion to encreace sinners.’ Quotes Terence, _Eunuchus_,
v. 4. 8–18, on the moral end of comedy and virtuous counsel from
Plautus, _Amphitruo_, ii. 2. 17–21; Ovid, _Remedia Amoris_,
131–6; and Martial, _Epigr._ xii. 34. ‘Wherfore sens good and
wise mater may be picked out of these poetes, it were no reason, for
some lite mater that is in their verses, to abandone therefore al
their warkes, no more than it were to forbeare or prohibite a man to
come into a faire gardein, leste the redolent sauours of swete herbes
and floures shall meue him to wanton courage, or leste in gadringe
good and holsome herbes he may happen to be stunge with a nettile.
No wyse man entreth in to a gardein but he sone espiethe good herbes
from nettiles, and treadeth the nettiles under his feete whiles he
gadreth good herbes. Wherby he taketh no damage, or if he be stungen
he maketh lite of it and shortly forgetteth it. Semblablye if he do
rede wanton mater mixte with wisedome, he putteth the warst under foote
and sorteth out the beste, or, if his courage be stered or prouoked,
he remembreth the litel pleasure and gret detriment that shulde ensue
of it, and withdrawynge his minde to some other studie or exercise
shortly forgetteth it.... So all thoughe I do nat approue the lesson of
wanton poetes to be taughte unto all children, yet thynke I conuenient
and necessary that, when the mynde is become constante and courage is
asswaged, or that children of their naturall disposition be shamfaste
and continent, none auncient poete wolde be excluded from the leesson
of suche one as desireth to come to the perfection of wysedome.’
iv. c. 1538 (?). NICHOLAS UDALL.
[From Prologue to _Roister Doister_ (? 1566–7).]
What Creature is in health, eyther yong or olde,
But som mirth with modestie wil be glad to use
As we in thys Enterlude shall now unfolde,
Wherin all scurilitie we utterly refuse,
Avoiding such mirth wherin is abuse:
Knowing nothing more comendable for a mans recreation
Than Mirth which is used in an honest fashion:
For Myrth prolongeth lyfe, and causeth health.
Mirth recreates our spirites and voydeth pensivenesse,
Mirth increaseth amitie, not hindring our wealth,
Mirth is to be used both of more and lesse,
Being mixed with vertue in decent comlynesse.
As we trust no good nature can gainsay the same:
Which mirth we intende to use, avoidyng all blame.
The wyse Poets long time heretofore,
Under merrie Comedies secretes did declare,
Wherein was contained very vertuous lore,
With mysteries and forewarnings very rare.
Suche to write neither _Plautus_ nor _Terence_ dyd spare,
Whiche among the learned at this day beares the bell:
These with such other therein dyd excell.
v. 1551. MARTIN BUCER.
[From _De honestis ludis_, a section of _De Regno
Christi_, presented to Edward VI by Bucer, who was then
Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, on 1 Jan. 1551,
printed in 1557, and again in _Scripta Anglicana_ (1577),
ii. 54.]
Poterit iuuentus etiam exerceri agendo comoedias et tragoedias:
populisque his honesta, et ad augendam pietatem non inutilis exhiberi
oblectatio: sed piis, et ad regnum Christi doctis atque sapientibus
viris opus fuerit, qui comoedias eas atque tragoedias componant: in
quibus nimirum eiusmodi imitatio repraesentetur, consiliorum, actionum,
atque euentuum humanorum, siue communium et vulgarium, vt fit in
comoediis: sive singularium et qui sint maioris admirationis, quod
proprium est tragoediae, quae ad certam morum correctionem, et piam
conserat vitae institutionem.
Vt si comoedia repraesentetur iurgium pastorum Abrahae et Lot, atque
horum a se inuicem discessio.... In huiusmodi comoedia tractari
possent, et vtili ad piam institutionem oblectatione repraesentari,
hi loci.... Ad eundem modum suppeditet piae comoediae vberem sane et
aedificandae pietati peridoneam materiam, historia quaesitae, obtentae
et adductae Isaaco sponsae Ribkae: ex hac enim historia queat describi
pia parentum cura, quaerendi liberis suis religiosa connubia: fides
bona et officiositas proborum seruorum.... Non dissimile argumentum
desumi queat et ex ea historiae de Iacobo parti qua describitur,
vt metu fratris, relictis parentibus, ad Labam auunculum suum
concesserit....
Tragoediis, Scripturae vbique perquam copiosam offerunt materiam,
historiis prope omnibus S. Patrum, regum, Prophetarum et Apostolorum
inde ab Adam vsque, primo humani generis parente. Omnino enim refertae
sunt hae historiae diuinis et heroicis personis, affectionibus,
moribus, actionibus, euentibus quoque inexpectatis, atque in contrarium
quam expectarentur cadentibus, quae Aristoteles vocat περιπετείας. Quae
omnia cum mirificam vim habeant fidem in Deum confirmandi, et amorem
studiumque Dei accendendi admirationem item pietatis atque iusticiae,
et horrorem impietatis, omnisque peruersitatis ingenerandi atque
augendi: quanto magis deceat Christianos, ut ex his sua poemata sumant,
quibus magna et illustria hominum consilia, conatus, ingenium, affectus
atque casus repraesentent, quam ex impiis ethnicorum vel fabulis vel
historiis! Adhibendae autem sunt in vtroque genere poematum, comico
et tragico, vt cum hominum vitia et peccata describuntur, et actione
quasi oculis conspicienda exhibentur, id fiat ea ratione, vt quamuis
perditorum hominum referantur scelera, tamen terror quidam in his
diuini iudicii, et horror appareat peccati: non exprimantur exultans in
scelere oblectatio, atque confidens audacia. Praestat hinc detrahere
aliquid decoro poetico, quam curae aedificandi pietate spectatores;
quae poscit vt in omni peccati repraesentatione sentiantur,
conscientiae propriae condemnatio, et a iudicio Dei horrenda trepidatio.
At dum piae et probae exhibentur actiones, in his debet exprimi
quam clarissime sensus divinae misericordiae laetus, securaque et
confidens, moderata tamen, et diffidens sibi exultansque in Deo fiducia
promissionum Dei cum sancta et spirituali in recte faciendo voluptate.
Hac enim ratione sanctorum et ingenia, et mores, et affectus, ad
instaurandam in populo omnem pietatem ac virtutem, quam scitissima
imitatione repraesentantur. Eum autem fructum vt Christi populus ex
sanctis comoediis et tragoediis percipiant praeficiendi et huic rei
erunt viri, vt horum poematum singulariter intelligentes, ita etiam
explorati et constantis studii in regnum Christi: ne qua omnino agatur
comoedia, aut tragoedia, quam hi non ante perspectam decreuerint
agendam.
Hi quoque curabunt, ne quid leue aut histrionicum in agendo admittatur:
sed omnia exhibeantur sancta quadam, et graui, iucunda tamen, sanctis
duntaxat, actione: qua repraesententur non tam res ipsae, et actiones
hominum, affectus et perturbationes, quam mores et ingenia: ac ita
repraesententur, vt excitetur in spectatoribus studiosa imitatio: eorum
autem quae secus sunt instituta et facta, confirmetur detestatio, et
excitetur declinatio vigilantior.
His observatis cautionibus, poterit sane multa, nec minus ad virtutem
alendam prouehendamque, vtilis ludendi materia iuuentuti praeberi,
maxime cum studium et cura eiusmodi et comoediarum et tragoediarum
excitata fuerit, cum lingua vernacula, tum etiam lingua Latina et
Graeca. Extant nunc aliquot non poenitendae huius generis comoediae
et tragoediae, in quibus, etiamsi docti mundi huius desiderent in
comoediis illud acumen, eumque leporem, et sermonis venustatem, quem
admirantur in Aristophanis, Terentii, Plautique fabulis: in tragoediis,
grauitatem, versutiam, orationisque elegantiam, Sophoclis, Euripidis,
Senecae: docti tamen ad regnum Dei, et qui viuendi Deo sapientiam
discere student, non desiderant in his nostrorum hominum poematis
doctrinam coelestem, affectus, mores, orationem, casusque dignos filiis
Dei. Optandum tamen, vt quibus Deus plus dedit in his rebus praestare,
vt id mallent ad eius gloriam explicare, quam aliorum pia studia
intempestiuis reprehensionibus suis retardare: atque ducere satius,
comoedias atque tragoedias exhibere, quibus si minus ars poetica,
scientia tamen vitae aeternae praeclare exhibetur, quam quibus vt
ingenii linguaeque cultus aliquid iuuatur, ita animus et mores impia
atque foeda et scurrili mutatione conspurcantur.
vi. 1559. WILLIAM BAVANDE.
[From _A Woork of Ioannes Ferrarius Montanus touchynge the good
orderynge of a Common-weale_, translated from the _De Republica
bene instituenda Paraenesis_, published by Ferrarius, a Marburg
jurist, in 1556.]
[Extracts] f. 81. ‘The laste of all [the seven handicrafts in a
commonweal] is the exercise of stage plaiyng, where the people use to
repaire to beholde plaies, as well priuate as publique, whiche be set
forthe partlie to delight, partlie to move us to embrace ensamples of
vertue and goodnesse, and to eschue vice and filthie liuyng’ ... f.
100^v. ‘_Chapter viii, Concernyng Scaffolds and Pageauntes of divers
games and plaies and how farre thei be to be allowed, and set forthe
in a Citee_.... Plaies, set foorthe either upon stages, or in open
Merket places, or els where, for menne to beholde. Whiche, as thei
doe sometime profite, so likewise thei tourne to great harme, if thei
be not used in such sorte, as is bothe ciuill and semely in a citee,
whiche wee dooe abuse, when anythyng is set foorthe openly, that is
uncleanlie, unchaste, shamefull, cruell, wicked, and not standyng
with honestie.... Soche pastimes therefore muste bee set foorthe in a
commonweale, as doe minister unto us good ensamples, wherin delight and
profite be matched togither.... It is a commendable and lawfull thing
to bee at plaies, but at soche tymes as when we be unoccupied with
grave and seuere affaires, not onely for our pleasure and minde sake,
but that hauyng little to doe, we maie learne that, whiche shall bee
our furtheraunce in vertue.... There shall be no Tragedie, no Comedie,
nor any other kinde of plaie, but it maie encrease the discipline of
good maners, if by the helpe of reason and zeale of honestie, it bee
well emploied. Which then is doen, when, if thou either hearest, or
seest anything committed that is euill, cruell, vilanous, and unseamely
for a good manne, thou learnest thereby to beware and understandest
that it is not onely a shame to committe any soche thinge but also
that it shall be reuenged with euerlasting death. Contrariwise, if
thou doest espie any thing dooen or saied well, manfully, temperatly,
soberly, iustly, godlilye, & vertuously, thou ... maiest labour to
doe that thyself, whiche thou likest in another.... With whiche
discrecion, who so beholdeth Tragedies, Comedies, ... plaies of
histories, holie or prophane, or any pageaunt, on stage or on grounde,
shall not mispende his time. But like as a Bee of diuers floures, that
be of theire owne nature of smalle use, gathereth the swetenes of her
honie: so thence gathereth he that which is commodious for the trade of
his life, ioigneth it with his painfull trauaile, and declareth that
soche histories and exercises bee the eloquence of the bodie.’
vii. 1563–8. ROGER ASCHAM.
[From _The Scholemaster_ (1570), as reprinted in W. A. Wright,
_English Works of Roger Ascham_ (1904), 171. The tract, which
was largely based on the teaching of Ascham’s friend John Sturm,
was begun as a New Year gift for Elizabeth in December 1563, and
left unfinished at the author’s death in 1568. The best modern
edition is by J. E. B. Mayor (1863).]
_The first booke teachyng the brynging vp of youth_.... P. 185. In
the earliest stage of Latin, Ascham ‘would haue the Scholer brought
vp withall, till he had red, & translated ouer y^e first booke of
[Cicero’s] Epistles chosen out by _Sturmius_, with a good peece of a
Comedie of _Terence_ also.... P. 208. There be som seruing men do but
ill seruice to their yong masters. Yea, rede _Terence_ and _Plaut_.
aduisedlie ouer, and ye shall finde in those two wise writers, almost
in euery commedie, no vnthriftie yong man, that is not brought there
vnto, by the sotle inticement of som lewd seruant. And euen now in our
dayes _Getae_ and _Daui_, _Gnatos_ and manie bold bawdie _Phormios_
to, be preasing in, to pratle on euerie stage, to medle in euerie
matter, when honest _Parmenos_ shall not be hard, but beare small swing
with their masters.... _The second booke teachyng the ready way to
the Latin tong_.... P. 238. Read dayly vnto him ... some Comedie of
_Terence_ or _Plautus_: but in _Plautus_, skilfull choice must be vsed
by the master, to traine his Scholler to a iudgement, in cutting out
perfitelie ouer old and vnproper wordes.... On _Imitatio_ ... P. 266.
The whole doctrine of Comedies and Tragedies, is a perfite _imitation_,
or faire liuelie painted picture of the life of euerie degree of
man.... One of the best examples, for right _Imitation_ we lacke, and
that is _Menander_, whom our _Terence_ (as the matter required) in like
argument, in the same Persons, with equall eloquence, foote by foote
did follow. Som peeces remaine, like broken Iewelles, whereby men may
rightlie esteme, and iustlie lament, the losse of the whole.... P.
276. In Tragedies, (the goodliest Argument of all, and for the vse,
either of a learned preacher, or a Ciuill Ientleman, more profitable
than _Homer_, _Pindar_, _Vergill_, and _Horace_: yea comparable
in myne opinion, with the doctrine of _Aristotle_, _Plato_, and
_Xenophon_,) the _Grecians_, _Sophocles_ and _Euripides_ far ouer match
our _Seneca_, in _Latin_, namely in οἱκονομία _et Decoro_, although
_Senecaes_ elocution and verse be verie commendable for his tyme.’
... P. 284. Ascham describes some contemporary Latin tragedies.... P.
286. ‘Of this short tyme of any pureness of the Latin tong, for the
first fortie yeare of it, and all the tyme before, we haue no peece
of learning left, saue _Plautus_ and _Terence_, with a litle rude
vnperfit pamflet of the elder _Cato_. And as for _Plautus_, except the
scholemaster be able to make wise and ware choice, first in proprietie
of wordes, then in framing of phrases and sentences, and chieflie in
choice of honestie of matter, your scholer were better to play, then
learne all that is in him. But surelie, if iudgement for the tong, and
direction for the maners, be wisely ioyned with the diligent reading
of _Plautus_, than trewlie _Plautus_, for that purenesse of the Latin
tong in Rome, whan Rome did most florish in wel doing, and so thereby,
in well speaking also, is soch a plentifull storehouse, for common
eloquence, in meane matters, and all priuate mens affaires, as the
Latin tong, for that respect, hath not the like agayne. Whan I remember
the worthy tyme of Rome, wherein _Plautus_ did liue, I must nedes honor
the talke of that tyme, which we see _Plautus_ doth vse. _Terence_
is also a storehouse of the same tong, for an other tyme, following
soone after, & although he be not so full & plentiful as _Plautus_ is,
for multitude of matters, & diuersitie of wordes, yet his wordes, be
chosen so purelie, placed so orderly, and all his stuffe so neetlie
packed vp, and wittely compassed in euerie place, as, by all wise
mens iudgement, he is counted the cunninger workeman, and to haue his
shop, for the rowme that is in it, more finely appointed, and trimlier
ordered, than _Plautus_ is.... The matter in both, is altogether within
the compasse of the meanest mens maners, and doth not stretch to any
thing of any great weight at all, but standeth chiefly in vtteryng the
thoughtes and conditions of hard fathers, foolish mothers, vnthrifty
yong men, craftie seruantes, sotle bawdes, and wilie harlots, and so,
is moch spent, in finding out fine fetches, and packing vp pelting
matters, soch as in London commonlie cum to the hearing of the Masters
of Bridewell. Here is base stuffe for that scholer, that should becum
hereafter, either a good minister in Religion, or a Ciuill Ientleman
in seruice of his Prince and contrie: except the preacher do know soch
matters to confute them, whan ignorance surelie in all soch thinges
were better for a Ciuill Ientleman, than knowledge. And thus, for
matter, both Plautus and Terence, be like meane painters, that worke by
halfes, and be cunning onelie, in making the worst part of the picture,
as if one were skilfull in painting the bodie of a naked person, from
the nauell downward, but nothing else.’
viii. 1565. WILLIAM ALLEY.
[From _Miscellanea_ of notes to a _Praelectio_ of 1561 in
Πτωχὸμυσεȋον: _The Poore Mans Librarie_ (1565). On Alley, v. ch.
xxiii, s.v.]
Alas, are not almost al places in these daies replenished with iuglers,
scoffers, iesters, plaiers, which may say and do what they lust, be it
neuer so fleshly and filthy? and yet suffred and heard with laughing
and clapping of handes.
ix. 1565–71. RICHARD EDWARDES.
[The Prologue to _Damon and Pithias_. It appears from the
title-page that this had been ‘somewhat altered’ between the
production of the play in 1565 and its publication in 1571; cf.
ch. xxiii.]