CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

The Introduction. Page 1

The Immodesty of the Stage. p. 3

The Ill Consequences of this Liberty. p. 5

Immodesty a Breach of good Behaviour. p. 6

The Stage faulty in this respect to a very Scandalous degree. p. 8

Modesty the Character of Women. p. 9

The Natural Serviceableness of this Quality. p. 11

Immodesty much more insufferable, under the Christian, than under the Heathen Religion. p. 14

The Roman, and Greek Theatres more inoffensive than the English. p. 15

This proved from Plautus. Ibid.

From Terence. p. 20

From Seneca's Tragedies. p. 25

The Comparison carried on to the Theatre at Athens. Ibid.

A short Character of Æschylus. p. 26

The Cleaness of his Expression. p. 27

The Genius and Conduct of Sophocles. p. 28

The Sobriety of his Plays. p. 29

Euripides's Character distinguished from the two former. p. 30

The Reserv'dness of his Stile. p. 31

All Humours not fit for Representation. p. 35

A Censure of Aristophanes. p. 36

Aristophanes his Testimony against himself. p. 48

The Authorities of Ben. Johnson. Beaumont & Fletcher. And Corneille. against the present Stage. p. 51 p. 52 p. 53

CHAP. II.

The Prophaneness of the Stage.

This Charge prov'd upon them,

I. By their Cursing and Swearing. p. 57

The English Stage formerly less hardy in this respect. Ibid.

The provokingness of this Sin. p. 58

This Offence punishable by Law, and how far. p. 59

Swearing in the Play House an Un-Gentlemanly, as well as an Un-Christian practise.

A Second Branch of the Profaness of the Stage, consisting in their Abuse of Religion, and the Holy Scriptures. p. 60

Instances of this Liberty in the Mock Astrologer. Ib.

In the Orphan. p. 62

In the Old Batchelour, and Double Dealer. p. 63, 64

In Don Sebastian. p. 65

Breif Remarks upon a Passage or two in the Dedications of Aurenge Zebe, and the Translation of Juvenal. p. 66, 69

Farther Instances of Profaneness in Love Triumphant. p. 72

In Love for Love. p. 74

In the provok'd Wife. p. 77

And in the Relapse. p. 78

The Horrid Impiety of this Liberty. p. 80

The Stage guilty of down right Blasphemy.

This Charge made good from several of the Plays above mention'd. p. 82

The Comparative Regularity of the Heathen Stage, exemplyfied in Terence, and Plautus. p. 86

And in the Greek Tragedians. p. 87

Seneca more exceptionable than the Greeks, but not so faulty as the Modern Stage. p. 94

This outraging of Religion Intolerable. p. 95

CHAP. III.

The Clergy abused by the Stage. p. 98

This Usage both And Unpresidented. Unreasonable. p. 112 p. 127

The Misbehaviour of the Stage upon this account. p. 138

CHAP. IV.

Immorality encouraged by the Stage. p. 140

The Stage Poets make Libertines their Top-Characters, and give them Success in their Debauchery. p. 142

A Character of their fine Gentleman. p. 143

Their fine Ladies Accomplish'd much after the same manner. p. 146

The Young People of Figure in Plautus and Terence, have a greater regard to Morality. Ibid.

The Defence in the Preface to the Mock-Astrologer, not sufficient. p. 148

The Christian Religion makes a great difference in the Case. p. 149

Horace of a Contrary Opinion to the Mock-Astrologer. p. 150

The Mock-Astrologer's Instances from Ben Johnson Unserviceable. p. 151

The Authority of Shakespear against the Mock-Astrologer. p. 154

His Maxim founded on the difference between Tragedy, and Comedy, a Mistake. p. 155

Delight not the Chief-End of Comedy. p. 157

This Assertion prov'd against the Mock-Astrologer from the Testimonies of Rapin. Ibid.

And Ben Johnson. p. 158

Aristotle, and Quintilian, cited to the same purpose p. 159, 161

To make Delight the main Business in Comedy, dangerous, and unreasonable. p. 162

The improper Conduct of the Stage with respect to Poetry, and Ceremony. p. 165

Extravagant Rants. p. 167

Gingles in the Spanish Fryar, King Arthur, and Love Triumphant. p. 169

Women roughly treated by the Stage. p. 171

Their coarse Usage of the Nobility. p. 173

These Freedoms peculiar to the English Stage. p. 175

CHAP. V.

SECT. I.

Remarks upon Amphytrion. p. 177

The Machines prophane, smutty, and out of the Character. p. 178

The singularity of the Poet in this point. p. 180

Blasphemy in Absalom and Achitophel. p. 184

A Poem upon the Fall of the Angels, call'd a Fairy way of Writing. p. 189

The Punishment of the Damned ridiculed. p. 192

SECT. II.

Remarks on the Comical History of Don Quixot. p. 196

The Poets horrible Prophaneness. p. 197

His want of Modesty, and Regard to the Audience. p. 202

All Imitations of Nature not proper for the Stage. p. 204

The Poets Talent in Raillery, and Dedication. p. 205

SECT. III.

Remarks on the Relapse. p. 209

A Misnommer in the Title of the Play. p. 210

The Moral Vitious. p. 211

The Plot ill Contriv'd. p. 212

The Manners or Characters out of Order. p. 218

The three Dramatick Unities broken. p. 228

CHAP. VI.

The Opinion of the Heathen Philosophers, Orators, and Historians, concerning the Stage. p. 233

The Stage censured by the State. This proved from the Constitutions of Athens, Sparta, and Rome. p. 240

Farther Instances of this publick Discountentance in the Theodosian Code. p. 241

In our own Statute Book. p. 242

And in the late Order of the French King. p. 243

An Order of the Bishop of Arras against Plays. p. 245

The Stage Condemn'd by the Primitive Church. p. 250

The Councils of Illiberis, Arles, &c. cited. Ibid.

The Testimony's of the Fathers against the Stage, particularly, of Theophilus Antiochenus. p. 252

Of Tertullian. p. 253

Of Clemens Alexandrinus. p. 260

Of Minutius Fœlix. p. 261

Of St. Cyprian. Ibid.

Lactantius. p. 265

St. Chrisostom. p. 267

St. Hierom. p. 272

And St. Augustine cited to the same purpose. p. 273

The Censure of the Fathers, and Councils &c. applicable to the English Stage. p. 276

The Conclusion. p. 280

ERRATA.

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