P. 99. ‘The first blast in my compt is The Schoole of abuse: a title
not vnfitlie ascribed vnto plaies. For what is there which is not
abused thereby?... that not vnfitlie they are tearmed, as of late The
schoole of abuse, by one; The schoole of Bauderie, by another; The nest
of the Diuel, and sinke of al sinne, by a third’ [_in margin_,
‘M^r Spark in his rehersal sermon at Paules Crosse, 29 of April, Ann.
1579’].... ‘I cal them, A second and third blast ... in respect of
the time present, wherein none, that I knowe, besides these Autors
haue written, though manie, thanked be God, in the principal places of
this land haue, and dailie, yea and openlie do speake against plaies
and Theaters.... Touching the Autor of the latter blast, thou maist
coniecture who he was, but I maie not name him at this time for my
promise sake; yet this do I saie of him, that he hath bine, to vse
his verie wordes, A great affecter of that vaine Art of plaie making,
&c. Yea, which I ad, as excellent an Autor of those vanities, as who
was best.... Praise God, I beseech you, for bringing this Autor, and
Maister Gosson, who made the Schoole of Abuse, out of Babylon.’ _A
second blast of retrait._ This is translated from Salvian, _De
Gubernatione Dei_, lib. vi. _A third blast of retrait._ P. 120.
‘Such doubtles is mine opinion of common plaies, vsual iesting, and
riming extempore that in a Christian-weale they are not sufferable.
My reason is, because they are publike enimies to virtue, & religion:
allurements vnto sinne; corrupters of good manners; the cause of
securitie and carelesnes; meere brothel houses of Bauderie: and bring
both the Gospel into slander; the Sabboth into contempt; mens soules
into danger; and finalie the whole Common-weale into disorder.’
Offers his judgement for what it is worth; describes his experience
of plays and the reasons that led him to turn from them. P. 123. ‘I
confess that ere this I haue bene a great affecter of that vaine art
of Plaie-making, insomuch that I haue thought no time so wel bestowed,
as when my wits were exercised in the inuention of those follies.’ P.
125. ‘What I shal speake of the abuse of plaies by my owne knowledge,
I know maie be affirmed by hundreds, to whom those matters are as wel
knowen as to my selfe. Some citizens wiues, vpon whom the Lord for
ensample to others hath laide his hands, haue euen on their death beds
with teares confessed, that they haue receiued at those spectacles such
filthie infections, as haue turned their minds from chast cogitations,
and made them of honest women light huswiues; by them they haue
dishonored the vessels of holines; and brought their husbandes into
contempt, their children into question, their bodies into sicknes, and
their soules to the state of euerlasting damnation.... When I gaue
my selfe first to note the abuse of common plaies ... the Theater I
found to be an appointed place of Bauderie; mine owne eares haue heard
honest women allured with abhominable speeches. Sometime I haue seen
two knaues at once importunate vpon one light huswife; whereby much
quarel hath growen to the disquieting of manie. There seruants, as it
is manifestlie to be prooued, haue consented to rob their maisters, to
supplie the want of their harlots; there is the practising with married
wiues to traine them from their husbands, and places appointed for
meeting and conference. When I had taken a note of all these abuses,
& sawe that the Theater was become a consultorie house of Satan, I
concluded with my selfe, neuer to imploie my pen to so vile a purpose,
nor to be an instrument of gathering the wicked together.’ Apologizes
for pressing forward in the cause. The abuse of the Sabbath is the
first thing to be put down. P. 128. ‘Let therefore the Magistrate but
repel them from the libertie of plaieng on the Sabboth daie, For that
is the abuse which is generalie found fault withal, & allowed of none
but those who are altogether destitute of the feare of God, and without
conscience. To plaie on the Sabboth is but a priuiledge of sufferance,
and might with ease be repelled, were it throughlie followed. The
warrant which Magistrats have to forbid plaies is great, and passed
vnto them by such a Prince, whose auctoritie is aboue al auctorities
of earthlie gouernors.... Is not the Sabboth of al other daies the
most abused?... Are not our eies (there) carried awaie with the pride
of vanitie? our eares abused with amorous, that is lecherous, filthie
and abhominable speech? Is not our tong, which was giuen vs onelie to
glorifie God withal, is not our tong there imploied to the blaspheming
of Gods holie Name; or the commendation of that is wicked? Are not our
hartes through the pleasure of the flesh; the delight of the eie; and
the fond motions of the mind, withdrawen from the seruice of the Lord,
& meditation of his goodnes? So that albe it is a shame to saie it, yet
doubtles whosoeuer wil mark with what multitudes those idle places are
replenished, & how emptie the Lordes sanctuarie is of his people, may
wel perceaue what deuotion we haue.... Alas, what folie is in you, to
purchase with a penie damnation to your selues?... The Magistrate is
therefore to prouide in time a remedie to redresse the mischiefes that
are like to ensue by this common plague.... The Magistrates hart must
be as the hart of a Lion. He is not to shrinke in the Lordes cause,
or to stand in feare to reforme abuses of the Common-weale, because
of some particular men of auctoritie.... Alas, that priuate affection
should so raigne in the Nobilitie, that to pleasure, as they thinke,
their seruants, and to vphold them in their vanitie, they should
restraine the Magistrates from executing their office! What credite can
returne to the Noble, to countenance his men to exercise that qualitie
which is not sufferable in anie Common-weale? wheras it was an ancient
custome, that no man of Honor should reteine anie man, but such as
was excellent in some one good qualitie or other, whereby if occasion
so serued, he might get his owne liuing? Then was euerie noble mans
house a Common-weale in it selfe: but since the reteining of these
Caterpillers, the credite of noble men hath decaied, they are thought
to be couetous by permitting their seruants, which cannot liue of them
selues, and whome for neerenes they wil not maintaine, to liue at the
deuotion or almes of other men, passing from countrie to countrie,
from one Gentlemans house to another, offering their seruice, which is
a kind of beggerie. Who in deede, to speake more trulie, are become
beggers for their seruants. For commonlie the goodwil men beare to
their lordes, makes them drawe the stringes of their purses to extend
their liberalitie to them; where otherwise they would not.... Such like
men, vnder the title of their maisters or as reteiners, are priuiledged
to roaue abroad, and permitted to publish their mametree in euerie
Temple of God, and that through England, vnto the horrible contempt of
praier. So that now the Sanctuarie is become a plaiers stage, and a
den of theeues and adulterers.... And trust me I am of that opinion,
that the Lord is neuer so il serued as on the holie-daies. For then
hel breakes loase. Then wee permit our youth to haue their swinge;
and when they are out of the sight of their maisters, such gouernment
haue they of themselues, that what by il companie they meete withal, &
il examples they learne at plaies, I feare me, I feare me their harts
are more alienated in two houres from virtue, than againe maie wel be
amended in a whole yeare.’ P. 135. Players break the first commandment
by profanity. P. 137. Appeal against vanities. ‘Those pleasures of the
stage, what are they, but the drifts of Satan?... The foole no sooner
showeth himselfe in his colors to make men merrie, but straight-waie
lightlie there foloweth some vanitie, not onlie superfluous, but
beastlie and wicked. P. 139. Whosoeuer shal visit the chappel of Satan,
I meane the Theater, shal finde there no want of yong ruffins, nor
lacke of harlots, vtterlie past al shame: who presse to the fore-frunt
of the scaffoldes, to the end to showe their impudencie, and to be as
an obiect to al mens eies. Yea, such is their open shameles behauior,
as euerie man maie perceaue by their wanton gestures, wherevnto they
are giuen; yea, they seeme there to be like brothels of the stewes. For
often without respect of the place and company which behold them, they
commit that filthines openlie, which is horrible to be done in secret;
as if whatsoeuer they did, were warranted. For neither reuerence,
iustice, nor anie thing beside can gouerne them.’ The shamelessness
of young men. ‘Seeke to withdrawe these felowes from the Theater vnto
the sermon, they wil saie, By the preacher they maie be edified, but
by the plaier both edified and delighted.’ P. 142. Plays are a snare
to chastity, both through the examples shown on the stage, and the
comments of companions on the scaffolds. ‘The nature of these Comedies
are, for the most part, after one manner of nature, like the tragical
comedie of Calistus; where the bawdresse Scelestina inflamed the
maiden Melibeia with her sorceries.’ P. 144. Examples of the intrigues
‘aptlie taught in the Schoole of abuse.... I am sorie this schoole is
not pluckt downe by the magistrate; and the schoole-maisters banished
this citie.... The reuerend word of God & histories of the Bible, set
forth on the stage by these blasphemous plaiers, are so corrupted with
their gestures of scurrilitie, and so interlaced with vncleane, and
whorish speeches, that it is not possible to drawe anie profite out
of the doctrine of their spiritual moralities.’ P. 145. Attacks the
authors of plays. ‘The notablest lier is become the best Poet.... Our
nature is led awaie with vanitie, which the auctor perceauing frames
himself with nouelties and strange trifles to content the vaine humors
of his rude auditors, faining countries neuer heard of; monsters
and prodigious creatures that are not; as of the Arimaspie, of the
Grips, the Pigmeies, the Cranes, & other such notorious lies. And if
they write of histories that are knowen, as the life of Pompeie; the
martial affaires of Caesar, and other worthies, they giue them a newe
face, and turne them out like counterfeites to showe themselues on
the stage.... What doe they leaue behind them? monumentes of wanton
wicked life, and doting things for men of these latter daies.... But
some perhaps wil saie, The noble man delighteth in such things, whose
humors must be contented, partlie for feare, & partlie for commoditie:
and if they write matters pleasant, they are best preferred in court
among the cunning heads.... Those goodlie persons, if they be voide of
virtue, maie wel be counted like faire clothes ouer a foule wal; big
bladers ful of wind, yet of no waight.’ P. 147. Attacks the actors.
‘When I see by them yong boies, inclining of themselues vnto wickednes,
trained vp in filthie speeches, vnnatural and vnseemlie gestures, to
be brought vp by these Schoole-masters in bawderie, and in idlenes,
I cannot chuse but with teares and griefe of hart lament.... And as
for those stagers themselues, are they not commonlie such kind of
men in their conuersation, as they are in profession? Are they not
as variable in hart, as they are in their partes? Are they not as
good practisers of Bawderie, as inactors? Liue they not in such sort
themselues, as they giue precepts vnto others? doth not their talke
on the stage declare the nature of their disposition?’ Meets divers
objections. P. 148. ‘But they perhaps wil saie, that such abuses as are
handled on the stage, others by their examples, are warned to beware
of such euils, to amendment.... I cannot by anie means beleeue that
the wordes proceeding from a prophane plaier, and vttered in scorning
sort, interlaced with filthie, lewde, & vngodlie speeches, haue greater
force to mooue men vnto virtue, than the wordes of truth vttered
by the godlie Preacher.... If the good life of a man be a better
instruction to repentance than the tong, or words, why do not plaiers,
I beseech you, leaue examples of goodnes to their posteritie?... Are
they not notoriouslie knowen to be those men in their life abroade,
as they are on the stage, roisters, brallers, il-dealers, bosters,
louers, loiterers, ruffins?... To conclude, the principal end of all
their interludes is to feede the world with sights, & fond pastimes;
to iuggle in good earnest the monie out of other mens purses into
their owne handes.’ P. 150. ‘Some haue obiected, that by these
publique places manie forbeare to do euil for feare to be publiquelie
reprehended. And for that cause they wil saie it was tolerated in Rome,
wherein Emperors were touched, though they were present. But to such
it maie be answered, first that in disguised plaiers giuen ouer to al
sortes of dissolutenes, is not found so much as a wil to do good, seing
they care for nothing lesse than for virtue. Secondlie, that is not a
good meanes to correct sinne. For that if it be secret, it ought not
to be reuealed openlie, but by such meanes to be reformed as Christ
himselfe alloweth in his Gospel.’ P. 151. ‘The antiquitie of plaieng
is likewise often vsed for an argument to proue it allowable. But the
custome of euil is not to be maintained, because of antiquitie.’ P.
152. A final appeal. ‘The citie Marsiles ... would receaue into it
no stage-plaiers.... I would to God the Magistrates of our citie of
London would haue the like foresight. The permission of plaies so long
a time hath alreadie corrupted this citie; and brought the name of
the citizens into slander; the examples of Gods iudgement is at this
present an example in this citie.’
xxviii. 1581. ANON.
[Only known to me from the entry in _Catalogue of Chatsworth
Library_, iv. 49.]
A Treatise of Daunses, wherein it is showed, that they are as it were
accessories and dependants (or things annexed) to whoredom: where also
by the way is touched and proved, that Playes are ioyned and knit
together in a ranck or rowe with them.
xxix. 1581. JOHN RAINOLDS.
[From _Praefatio ad Academiam Oxoniensem_, dated ‘Febr. 2.
1580’, to _Sex Theses de Sacra Scriptura et Ecclesia_ (1580),
30. A translation is on p. 678 of _The Summe of the Conference
between John Rainolds and John Hart_ (1584). Rainolds was Fellow
of C.C.C., Oxford, 1566–86, then retired to Queens, became Dean
of Lincoln in 1593 and President of C.C.C. in 1598; for his
share in later stage controversy cf. No. 1.]
Excitate studia, paene dixeram iacentia, sed spero meliora. Extinguite
Sirenes a studiis auocantes, desidiam, dulce malum: delicias, escam
Veneris: conuiuiorum luxum, vanitatem vestium, ludos illiberales,
symposia intempestiua, pestes scenicorum, Theatralia spectacula.
xxx. 1582. STEPHEN GOSSON.
[From _Playes Confuted in fiue Actions, Prouing that they are
not to be suffred in a Christian common weale, by the waye both
the Cauils of Thomas Lodge, and the Play of Playes, written in
their defence, and other obiections of Players frendes, are
truely set downe and directlye aunsweared_ (N.D.; S. R. 6 Apr.
1582), reprinted by Hazlitt, _E. D. S._ 157.]