The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 5 · Scene 1
SCENA PRIMA.
FIftly, Stage-playe… must needs bee abominable, unlawfull unto Christians, both in regard of their manner of Action, and of all those severall parts, concomitants and circumstances that attend them. From whence I raise this fifteenth Argument.Argument. 15.
That whose manner of action, parts, concomitants, and severall circumstances are sinfull; must certainly be oQuod enim nec bonum est, nec ben… fieri potest (which is the case of Stage-playes) purum proculdubio ma…um est. Bernard. Epist. 7. Col. 1395. L.abominable and u…lawfull unto Christians, 1 Thess. 5.22.
But such are the manner of action, parts, concomitants, and severall circumstances of Stage-playes.
Therefore they are certainly abominable and unlaw…ull unto Christians.
The Major needs no confirmation; because such as the forme, the parts and circumstances are, such questionlesse is the whole. The Minor I shall evidence by a particular discussion.
First, of the very manner of acting Stage-playes: wherein I shall examine: First, the hypocrisie; Secondly, the obscenitie and lasciviousnesse; Thirdly, the grosse effeminacy; Fourthly, the extreame vanitie and follie, which necessarily attends the acting of Playes.
Secondly, of the severall parts that are usually acted in Stage-playes; which are as sinfull as various.
Thirdly, of the ordinary apparell wherein Playes are acted: which is, First of all, womanish, belonging …o the female Sex: Secondly, costly, fantasticall, strange, lascivious, whorish, provoking unto lewdnesse.
Fourthly, of the severall concomitants or circumstances of Stage-playes: which I shall reduce to these foure Heads. Lascivious da…cing. Amorous obscene songs: Effeminate lu…t-exciting Musicke. Pro…ufe, inordinate lascivious laughter, and vaine theatricall applauses: omitting all other adjuncts, shewes, and circumstances of Playes, which pIndocti, stolidique & depugnare parati Si discorde…, equos m… dia inter carmina poscunt, A…t vrsum, aut pugiles: his nam plebecula gaudet. Verum equitis quo que iam ingravit ab aure voluptas omnis ad in cer tos oculos, & gaudia yana. Quatuor aut plures a…laea praemuntur in horas, Dum fugiunt equitū turmae, p…ditumque catervae. Mox trahitur manibus regum for…una retortis. Esseda festinant, pilenta, petordita, naves: Captivum portatur ebur, captiva corinthus, &c. Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 1. pag. 283, 284. See Godwins Roman Antiquities, lib 2. Sect. 3. cap. 2. to 14.Horace, and some others mention, as not so pertinent to our present purpose.
To begin, with the first branch of the first particular, to wit, the hypocrisie, faining, or dissimulation that is exercised in acting Stage-playes. If we seriously consider the very forme of acting Playes, we must needes acknowledge it to be nought else but grosse hypocrisie. qTacianus Contr. Graecos Oratio. Cyprian. Epist. lib 2. Epist. 2. Clemens Alexand. Oratio Adhort. ad Gentes. fol. 8, 9. Arnobius. lib. 7. advers. Gentes pag. 230. to 242. Lactantius De vero cultu. cap. 20. Tertullian. De Spectac… lib. Augustin. De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. cap. 3. to 16. De Sermone Domini in Monte. lib. 2. cap. 3. Chrysost. Hom. 38. in Matth. Salvian. De Gubern. Dei lib. 6. Gellius Noctium Atticarum. lib. 7. cap. 5. Gosson Playes confuted Action 2. Master Dil…o of the Deceitfulnesse of the Heart. cap. 2. p. 21. I. G. in his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors, and sundry others accordingly.All things are counterfeited, feined, dissembled; nothing really or sincerely acted. Players are alwayes counterf…iting, representing the persons, habits, offices, callings parts, conditions, speeches, actions, lives…; the passions, the affections, the anger, hatred, cruelty, love, revenge, dissentions; yea, the very rSee Act. 3. Scene 1, 2, 3, 4.vices, sinnes, and lusts; the adulteries, incests, rapes, murthers, tyrannies, thefis, and such like crimes of other men, of other sexes, of other creature…; yea, oft-times of the rSee Act. 3. Scene 1, 2, 3, 4.Divell himselfe, and Pagan Divellgods. They are alwayes *Grex agit in Scena mimum, pater illevocatur, …ilius hic, nomen divitis ille tenet. Mox vbi rid…ndas inclusit pagina partes. Vera r…dit facies, dissimulata perit. Pe…roni Satyricon. p. 41. See Bulengerus De Theatro. lib. 1. cap. 49. De Mimis. Vidistisaepe in S…aen…a tragicos istos …ctores… qui vt res postulat ia… Orontes sunt, Pri…mi, aut Agamemnones… idem paulo post Ce…ropem aut E…ect eum agens, i…ssu Poetae mendicus procedit. Fabula autem finita, exuta v…st… auro intex…a, & persona deposita & cothurnis, pauper ac humilis errat, &c. Lucianu in Necromant.acting others, not themselves… they vent notorious lying fables, as undoubted truthes: they put false glosses upon Histories, persons, virtues, vices, all things that they act, representing them in feined colours: the whole action of Playes is nought else but feining, but counterfeiting, but palpable hypocrisie and dissimulation which God, which men abhorr…: there…ore it must needs be sinfull.
If any here obiect:Object. That the acting of Playes is no hypocrysie, no dissimulation, it being onelyonly done in sport, in imitation, with no sinister intent at all, to hurt, to cheate, or circumvent men.
I answer;Answ. First, that admit it be but a meere …mitation of other mens persons, parts and vices, yet it must needs bee sinfull: because the very imitation of wicked men, of Pagans, of Idols, of Idolaters, especially in their lewdest wickednesses (the most vsuall subject of our Enterludes) is without all question evill, sExod. 23.2. Psal. 1.1. Pro. 1.15, 16… c. 5.8, 9. Rom. 1.32. 1 Thess. 5.22. Ier. 10.2, 3. 2 Pet. 2.2.15.18. 1 Pet. 4.1, 2, 3, 4. See Here. p. 18. to 28.as the Scriptures plainly teach us. Secondly, I answer, that by the …eining used in our Stage-playes, many of our Spectators are deceived, all cheated. Deceived, with forged fabulous histories instead of truthes; with false represen…ations of true stories: tNeque enim est apud eos virtutes coler… sed vitia colerare, quodam quasi virtutum minio. Bernard super Cantica Sermo 66. fol. 161. E.with palliated vices in lei… of virtues: with virtues vizarded under the names of vice; with bad Playes oft-times which all dislike, instead of good, as some in some respects account them. Cheated, with shadowes instead of substance: with sinfull, heathenish, unchristian spectacles, in place of honest recreations. These Stage-hypocrisies, which at the very best, are pure vanity, and so not valuable; doe cheate many of their hon…sty, their civility, their chastity, their estates, their reputation, their virtues, their salvation… vSee Marcus Aurelius Epistle 12. to Lambert. The third Blast of Retrait from Playes p. 115.116. and Act. 6. Scene 1.2. accordingly.most, of their money… all, of their time: too deare a price for so fruitlesse, so wretchlesse a purchase. Besides, xSee Act. 6. Scene 17.they involve men in the guilt of sundry sinnes, which they little feared or suspected, to the eternall hazzard o… their soules, which is a great deceit. Yea, the very end why Players act their Enterludes, is yThe third Blast of Retrait Playes and Theaters. p. 116. & Act 6. Scene 2.onelyonly to cheate mens money out of their purses by dishonest meanes, not giving quid pro quo: The very ground-worke therefore of this objection, is but forged. Thirdly, admit that no man were cheated, or prejudiced by that counterfeiting, which accompanies the acting of all Stage-playes; yet the meere acting of the persons, parts, gestures, offices, actions, passions; especially of the Sexes, Vices, Anger, Furie, Love, Revenge and Villanies of other men, be it in sport, in representation onelyonly, is hypocri…i…. For what else is hypocrisie in the proper signification of the word, zHypocritae nomen translatū est a specie e…rū qu Spectaculis tecta facie inc…dunt, &c utpopulū dum in …dis agerent, fall… rent, modo in specie viri, modo in fo…mafaeminae et reliquis prestigi…. Vnde et Mimus hypocrita dictus, quia imitator est & fimilator. Calepine, Suida…, Cooper, Thomasius, Elio…, R…der, Mi…shaw, and Holioke: in their Dictionaries in the words. Hypocrita & Hypocrisis. Calius Rh…dig. Antiqu. Lect. l. 8. c. 8. p. 356. In Ecclesia. vel in omni vita humana, quisquis vult. videri qu…d non est, hypocrita est. Hypocritae sunt, qui …egunt sub persona quod sunt, …t ostentant in persona quod non sunt. Hypocritarum ergo nomine simulat…res acceperis August. De Serm. Dom. in Monte cap. 3. and 30. Tom. 4. pars 2. p. 637, 669. Hypocrita autem is est, qui aliam pro alia figuram induit: veluti si pauper quispiam principis sibi personam asciscat, tandiu clarus apparens. quandiu theatrum a…sidi…. Chrysost. in Matth. 6. Tom. 2. Col. 1185. A. The…phyla…. E…ar. in Matth. 6. Ambrose De Elia & …ejunio. c. 10. Tom. 1. p. 254. H. Bernard. Super. Cantica. Serm. 33. Zacharias Chrysopolitanus. In Vnum ex quat…or. l. 1. …. 34. Bibl. Patr. Tom. 12. pars 1. p. 45. E. Chrysologus. Sermo 172. accordingly.but the acting of anothers part or person on the Stage: or what else is an hypoc…ite, in his tru… etimologie, but a Stage-player, or one who acts anothers part: as sundry Authors and Gramarians teach us. Hence that common epithite in our Latine Authors: aCalvin. Iustit. l. 4. c. 19. sect. 18. Se… Coopers Dictionarie.Histrionica hypocrisis: And hence is it, that not onelyonly divers moderne bMaster Dike of the Decei…fulnesse of mans Heart. The Rich Cabinet, London 1616. page 116, 117.English and Latine Writers, but likewise cHaec vbique in theatris ab hypocritis splendissi…is vocibus comaedisantur. Irenaus. Co…. Hareses lib. 2. cap. 19. Ne obscur…s faciem tuam quemadmodum hypocritae faciun…. Hypocrita, hoc est histrio, vocatur is, qui in Theatro alienam personam sumit. Vt …erv…s existens saepenumero domini, & privatus regis. Sic in ha… vita ad suos …ores orchestras atque theatrum exe…cent ij, qui alia corde gerentes, alia extrinsecus hominibus prae se f…runt. Basil. De Iejuni… …erm. 2. Tom. 1. p. 322. Ideo dixit hypocritas, …o quod simulationealienam personam induant, sicut in scena qui tragaedias agunt, pro corum dictis quorum personas gerunt motus suos exercitant vt aut irascantur, aut maereant, v…l exultent. Amb. De El…a & Ieiun. c. 10. Tō. 1. p. 254. H. Chrys. Hom. 31. in Mat. …ō. 2. Col. 170. D…et E…r in Mat. …. Col. 1185. A. Sunt enim hypocritae simulatores, tanquam pronunciatores personarum alienarū sicut in theatri…is fabulis. Non enim qui agit partes Agamemnonis in tragaedia, verbi gratia, five alicuius alterius, ad historiam vel …abulam quae agitur pertinentis, verè ipse est, sed simulat eum, & hypocrita dicitur. Aug. …e Serm. Dom. in Monte l. 2. c. 3. Tom. 4. pars 2. p. 637. Ergo hypocritarum nomen ex antiquis theatralibus assu…ptum est disciplinis, quia erant …im…latores (simulator quippe Graece hypocrita sonare probatur) qui tanquam oratores in concione fabulose agebant partes personarum in theatris; & omnia …orum negotia tragica vel comica, ac si essent ipsi quorum personas gerebant, monstrabantur. Narrabant enim non suas sed corum historias & continentiam, motus quoque & voces eorum, & vultus, videntibus ob favor…m vulgi vicissim repraesentabant. Ita sane & illi qui bona opera ficto laudis officio, non ad Dei, sed ad suam gloriam ostentan…. Agunt enim partes justorum & personarum eorum, cum sint simulatores, ob favorem hominum assumant: non quod habeant ju…titiae opera, sed quia simulant se habere. Alias autem si justa essent non ad se, imo ad Deum, cun…ta quae faciunt boni referrent Nunc autem quia vt minum secundum tragicam pi…atem in the…ricis, &c. Pas…atiu… R…tbertus in Mat. Evang. l. 4. Bibl. Pa…rum T…m. 9. par… 2. pag. 986. A.B.sundry Fathers here quoted in the Margent, s…ile Stage-players hypocrites; Hypocrites, Stage-players, as being …ne and the same in substance: there being nothing more familiar with them, then to describe an hypocrite by a Stage-player; and a Stage-player by an hypocrite. If therefore we give any credit to the Fathers, or Authors here alleadged; we must needs acknowledge, the very acting of Stage-playes to be hypocrisie; and dHistrio enim aliter in animo sent…, foris autem quod non est mentitur, Tacian… Oratio contr. Grace….Players themselves to be meere hypocrites, (their very profession being nothing else, but an artificiall hypocrisie,) and so an abominable, and unchristian exercise. For God, eIohn 3.33. c. 7.28. Rom. 3.4.who is truth it selfe, fMal. 3.6. Iam. 1.17.in whom there is no variablenesse, no shadow of change gNumb. 23.19. Rom. 3.4. Titus 1.2.no feining, no hypocrisie; as he hath given a vniforme distinct and proper being to every creature, hIob 14.5. c. 26.10. Psal. 104.5. to 25.the bounds of which may not be exceeded: so he requires that the actions of every creature should be iRom. 13.13. Phil. 1.8. c. 4.8. 1 Pet. 2.2…. 1 Cor. 5.8.honest and sincere, kIam. 3.17. Luke 12.1.devoyde of all hypocrisie, as all his actions, and their na…ures are. Hence he enioyes all men at all times, lMat. 23.27.28. 2 Cor. 5.12. Rev. 3.15, 16, 17, 18.to be such in shew, as they are in truth: to seeme that o…twardly which they are inwardly; to act themselves, not others: to mEphes. 6.6. Phil. 4.8, 9. 2 Thess. 3.4. Hebr. 10.30. Iam. 1.22, 25. 1 Pet. 3.11. c. 4.19. 1 Ioh. 3.22.imitate those men, those graces which his word prescribes them; not those accurs…d villanies, which wicked men (who are now in hell) hauehave left behinde them. nPsal. 51.6.God requires truth in the inward parts; in the soule, the affections; yea, in the habit, speeches, gestures, in the whole inti…e man. Now this counterfeiting of persons, affections, manners, vices, sexes, and the like, which is inseparably incident to the acting of Playes; as it transformes the Actors into what they are not; so it in…useth falshood into ev…ry part of soule and body, as oOmnis hypocrisis mendacio plena est, & aliud quidem est, & aliud …ingit. Christus autem cum sit veritas mendacio adversatur. Qui igitur Christum discunt, hypocrisin …ugiunt. Theophylact. Enar. in Luc. 12. p. 158. C.all hypocrisie doth; in causing them to seeme that in outward …ppearance which they a…e not in truth: therefore it must needs be… odious to the God of truth; as well as the common accursed hellish art of face-painting, which t…e pClemens Alexandrinus. Paedagogi. l. 2. 10. Tertullian. De Cultu Faeminarum. c. 3. to 9. & de Velandis virginibus. Tract. Ambrose Hexaemeron lib. 6. c. 8. De Virginitate lib. 1. Hieron. Epist. 7. c. 2.3. Epist. 8. c. 5. Epist 10. c. 2, 3. August. d… Doctrina Christian… l. 4. c. 21. See my Vnlovelinesse of Love-lockes. pag. 2.Fathers, with others much condemne, even from this very ground; because it sophisticates and perver…s the workes of God, in putping a false glosse upon his creatures. And this the personating of Stage-playes alwayes doth, as much, nay more then it. Neither will this qualifie the matter, that this Stage-hypocrisie is onelyonly in merriment. For q1 Sam. 21.13, 14, 15. See D. Wille…, Calvin, and others, Ibidem.if Davids counterfeiting of himselfe to be mad before Achish King of Gath, for the safe-gard of his life; or rGen. cap. 42 & 43. See the Commentators those chapters.Iosephes iesting dissimulation with his brethren, were sinfull, as good Divines repute it; sOmnis simulatio & omnis duplicitas mendacium est. Ergo non solum in falsis verbis, sed etiam in simulatis operibus mendacium comprobatur. Ambrose Sermo 44. T…m. 5. p. 31.because there was a li… involved in it. Much more must this wanton acting hypocrisie be abominably sinfull, because it is meerely voluntary, there being no impulsive cause to move men to it. If tRom. 3.8.the damnation of those who doe evill, that good may come of it, be iust: much more must their condemnation be righteous, their sinne exceeding great, who commit hypocrisie (a great, a vDupliciter autem damnatur hypocritae, pro occult… iniquitate, pro aperta simulatione. Bernard De Ordine vi…a. Col. 1226. A Se… August. de Conflictu vitiorum & virtum. & Isiodor hisp… l. Sentent. lib. 3. c. 24. p. 465. accordingly.double iniquity) on the open Theater, to no other end, but to make others sinfull sport to passe away their precious time. Since then it is evident by the premises, that the very acting of Stage-playes is hypocrisie, as xDe Spectac. lib. c. 23.Tertullian and yDe Spectaculis lib.Cyprian, together with Irenaeus, Basil, Ambrose, Augustine, Chrysostome, Tatianus, Pascatius Ratbertus, and the other zSee 2. a, b, c. and d, before.fore-quoted Author largely teach us: we may hence conclude them to bee odious unto God. Wherefore I shall here close up this Scene, with this sixteenth Play-condemning Argument.
That, whose very action is but meere hypocrisie… but grosse dissimulation, must questionlesse bee execrable and unlawfull unto Christians; Witnesse, Matth. 23.13, 14, 15.23, 27, 28, 29. c. 24.51. Luke 12.1. Gal. 2.13. 1 Tim. 4.2. Iam. 3.17… and that excellent passage of of aIam vero ipsum opus personarum qu…ro an Deo placeat, qui omnem similitudinem vetat fieri, quanto magis imaginis suae? Non amat falsum auctor veritatis; adultorium est apud cum omne quod fingitur Proinde vocem, sexus, aetates mentientem; amores, iras, gemitus, lachrymas adseverantem, non probabit qui omnem hypocri…in damnat. De Sp…ctaculis c. 23.Tertullian to our purpose, recited in the Margent.
But such and no other is the very action of Stage-playes: as the precedent Authors: together with the third blast of Retrait of from Stage-playes and Theaters, p. 110. to 117. expre…ly testifie.
Therefore they must questionlesse be execrable and unlawfull unto Christians, even in this respect.