BOURNE. It is, and it shows the tendency of the author's mind, at least, eleven years before he published his "Fig for Momus." ELLIOT. Notwithstanding we have much before us, I should like to hear another stanza or two. BOURNE. As you please: I am not sure whether the following are not the best lines in the whole production. "For as the great commaunder of the tides, "For common state can neuer sway amisse ELLIOT. Those stanzas are not ill worded, and the simile in the first is apt, but the thought is only the old common place of policy, ingenia principum fata temporum. BOURNE. Nor is there any thing throughout this 1 division of the tract very new. When Lodge directed his satire against private vices and absurdities, he was certainly happier. Having gone through this very rare volume, we may now lay it aside, and resume our inquiries regarding the stage. The last pamphlet we looked at yesterday on this subject was Dr. Rainolde's "Overthrow," 1599. MORTON. In "a Treatise on plays," by Sir John Harington, said to be written about 1597, and published in Nuga Antiquæ (I. 190.) is a brief defence of Tragedies and Comedies, and a passing blow given to the "sour censurers" of them. BOURNE. He had previously justified them in his "Apology of Poetry," 1591, but we have less time now than yesterday to go into these incidental notices: I will therefore, without preface, lay before you Thomas Heywood's ingenious and amusing performance, the full title of which is, "An Apology for Actors. Containing three briefe Treatises. 1. Their Antiquity. 2. Their ancient Dignity. 3. The true vse of their quality. Written by Thomas Heywood. Et prodesse solent et delectare." London, 1612, and it is dedicated to the Earl of Worcester: he tells his patron, “I haue striu'd my Lord to make good a subiect which many through ignorance haue sought violently (and beyond merit) to oppugne." ELLIOT. I hope he severely lashes his abusive opponents. The iron flail of Talus would not have been misapplied in belabouring them. BOURNE. On the contrary, he is temperate and argumentative, considering the provocation. MORTON. One can scarcely excuse any degree of tameness: it would better become the meekness of spirit, to which the Puritans were pretenders, than an author and actor, whose works and profession had been so repeatedly and so grossly attacked. ELLIOT. Mandeville, somewhere in his "Fable of the Bees," asserts, and truly, that "of all religious vertues nothing is more scarce or more difficult to acquire than Christian humility," and of this the Puritans had not a particle. BOURNE. Heywood is not always equally forbearing, even in the tract before us, and in his " Troia Britannica," 1609, Canto III. he handles a puritan very roughly: "He can endure no Organs, but is vext To hear the Quiristers shrill Anthems sing; 'Gainst honest pastimes, and with piteous phraze Raile against hunting, hawking, cocks, and playes.” There is more of the same kind, but this is the only part that relates to our subject. ELLIOT. Still I could wish that he had hit harder and cut deeper, venger la raison des attentats des sots. VOL. II. υ BOURNE. The following is the mode in which Heywood opens his argument in favour of theatrical representations, which, though not perhaps coming up to your wishes, is tolerably severe. I think he pursued a more prudent course in not being too violent against so powerful and increasing a body; besides his argument appeared with the better grace, in contrast to the gross epithets employed by Gosson, Stubbes, and others. "Moued by the sundry exclamations of many seditious sectists in this age, who in the fatnesse and ranknesse of a peaceable Common wealth, grow up like unsavoury tuffts of grasse, which, though outwardly greene and fresh to the eye, yet are they both vnpleasant and vnprofitable, being too sower for food, and too rank for fodder these men, like the antient Germans, affecting no fashion but their owne, would draw other nations to be slouens like them selves; and vndertaking to purifie and reforme the sacred bodies of the Church and Common-weale, (in the true vse of both which they are altogether ignorant,) would but, like artlesse phisitians, for experiment sake, rather minister pils to poison the whole body, then cordials to preserue any or the least part. Amongst many other things tolerated in this peaceable and flourishing state, it hath pleased the high and mighty Princes of this Land to limit the vse of certaine publicke Theaters, which since many of these ouercurious heads haue lauishly and violently slandered, I hold it not amisse to lay open some few antiquities to approue the true vse of them." And after an apology on the ground of his own insufficiency, he enters upon his subject. MORTON. Have you omitted nothing before you came to the opening of the tract? You turned over several leaves. BOURNE. Nothing material, I believe; only some commendatory poems by Arthur Hopton, John Webster, John Taylor, and other actors, not of much value. Some lines are added by Heywood, that have been quoted as a plagiarism from Shakespeare's Seven Ages: the topic totus mundus agit histrionem (the motto of the Globe Theatre), is almost the only resemblance. MORTON. Then let us proceed. Does Heywood divide his subject as the title states ? BOURNE. Precisely, treating first of the antiquity of actors, which he does with considerable learning, and he dwells particularly on the influence produced on the mind, by seeing the mighty actions of ancient heroes brought upon the stage. He next replies to various arguments and authorities advanced by his antagonists, asking this question: "And why are not play-houses maintained as well in other cities of England as London? My answer is; it is not meete euery meane Esquire should carry the port belonging to one of the nobility, or for a Noble man to usurpe the estate of a Prince: Rome was a Metropolis, |