Essays on the Stage | Page 3

first, lest I should plunge my self out of my depth, or like an
unskilful Swimmer, endanger my self by a too precipitate Rashness, let
me warily consider the Office and Habit of this unchristianlike Critick
before I Attack him: He has, or had the honour to wear the Robe of a
Clergyman of the Church of _England_: A Church, which for its Purity,
Principles, and most Incomparable Doctrines, surpasses without

objection all others in the world, which with a number of its pious,
virtuous and learned Rulers and Ministers, I admire and acknowledge
with all the faculties of my soul, heart and understanding; and on which
I never seriously reflect, but I feel a secret shame for my remissness of
duty, and my neglect, in not living hitherto up to its Admirable
Principles. This reflection would indeed have been enough to awe any
one in my circumstances from proceeding to answer his bold Censures,
had I not Courage to consider that the rest of the worthy Gentlemen of
that Robe are so good, that they will not excuse or defend our aforesaid
Critick's Injustice or Mistakes in some places, tho they are pleas'd with
his Truths in others; or be angry at me for endeavouring to gain their
good opinion, by defending my self from most of his black Aspersions
(how fair soever as yet they seem) and by unfolding him be judg'd by
their impartial reason, start a question, whither he, tho a happy member
of the aforesaid Adorable Church, does not come in for his share of
Immorality, and other frailties; and consequently is not as fit to be
detected, by the Wit of a Satyrical Poet; as the Poet by the positive
Authority of an Angry Malecontent, tho in the garb of an humble
Churchman.
The Vates, or Poets in antient times were held in special veneration,
even their Kings, and other chief Rulers, often submitted to the virtue
of their Inspiration: Amongst which, the never enough admir'd Mr
Cowley, in his noble version of the Davideidos, gives the Royal David
this Title, _Rex olim & Vates duo Maxima munera Coeli_; and
numbers of others might be inserted to prove Poetical Authority, and
the respect it bore in past Ages; which, tho I have not capacity to
parallel, I hope I may be allow'd to imitate on another subject; and in
this have leave to acquit my self of several heinous Accusations, which
this Tyrannical Critick has Impos'd upon me.
I am not at all Ignorant of his eminent parts, Learning, and other
qualifications; nor am I insensible, as well as the rest of his Readers,
that his Book has a very fair and engaging Title-page, and is no less
Illustrated with many weighty and just censures upon the Immorality of
the Stage, and our licentious Writings for many years past; and tho this
has been proved by the late Ingenious Author of the Vindication of the

Stage to be occasion'd by the vices of the Times, and not those of the
Poets; yet thus for we can endure the Scourge, and kiss his Rod with
patience enough: And for my own part, I declare if I had found his
Severity had been moral, and had ended in the good design of cleansing
the Stage from its Impurities, and had been only a kind Instruction to
my Brethren and my self, to reform our Immoral errors, I had, as the
rest of us, with all humility imaginable, thank'd him for his wit and
good reproof; and had been so far from answering in this manner, that I
should have been proud to have my name before his Book, with a Copy
of Verses in applause of his Admirable Design. But when, instead of
this, I find he strikes at the root of our Dramatick Labours, and the
Town's diversion, for some sly and selfish ends; and instead of
reproving us with a Pastorly Mildness, Charity and Good Nature, gives
us the basest language, and with the most scurillous expression,
sometimes raging and even foaming at mouth, taxing the little liberty
has always been us'd, with horrid horrid Blasphemy, Prophaneness, and
Damnable Impiety; when Reason must inform every one we intend
nothing of the matter, besides the poor priviledge _Poetica Licentia_:
and pretending to prove this with false Quotations, unnatural Mistakes,
and Hypocritical Hypotheses, I resolv'd to controvert him, and
endeavour to prove that 'tis meerly his malice that has abus'd me and
the rest, without Reason or Provocation; and that his own Wit and
Morals are not so Infallible, but they lye also open to the censure of any
Poetical Critick, who has Courage and Sense enough to attack 'em.
I once more therefore address my self to the Reverend of the Gown,
from highest to the lowest,