The Players Scourge, Title page – Dedication 1
HISTRIO-MASTIX. THE PLAYERS SCOVRGE, OR, ACTORS TRAGAEDIE, Divided into Two Parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers Arguments, by the concurring Authorities and Resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture; of the whole Primitive Church, both under the Law and Gospell; of 55 Synodes and Councels; of 71 Fathers and Christian Writers, before the yeare of our Lord 1200; of above 150 foraigne and domestique Protestant and Popish Authors, since; of 40 Heathen Philosophers, Historians, Poets; of many Heathen, many Christian Nations, Republiques, Emperors, Princes, Magistrates; of sundry Apostolicall, Canonicall, Imperiall Constitutions; and of our owne English Statutes, Magistrates, Vniversities, Writers, Preachers.
That popular Stage-playes (the very Pompes of the Divell which we renounce in Baptisme, if we beleeve the Fathers) are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly Spectacles, and most pernicious Corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable Mischiefes to Churches, to Republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. And that the Profession of Play-poets, of Stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of Stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding Academicall Enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning Dancing, Dicing, Health-drinking, &c. of which the Table will informe you.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE, an Vtter-Barrester of Lincolnes Inne.
Cyprian. De Spectaculis lib p 244.
Fugienda sunt ista Christianis fidelibus, ut tàm frequenter diximus, tàm vana, tàm perniciosa, tàm sacrilega Spectacula …quae, essi non haberent crimen, habent in se et maximam et parum congruentē fidelibus vanitatē.
Lactantius de Verò Cultu cap. 20.
Vit…da ergo Spectaculo …xia, … ne quid vitiorum pectoribus i…side et, &c. sed ne cuius nos voluptatis consuetudo delineat, atque à Deo et à b…ri… operibus …ve…tat.
Chrysost. Hom. 38. in Matth. Tom. 2. Col. 299. B & Hom. 8 De Poenitentia, Tom. 5. Col 750.
…mmo vero, …is Theatralibus ludis eversis, non leges, sed iniquitatem evertetis, ac emnem civitatis pestem extinguetis. …Etenim Theatrum, communis luxuriae officina, publicum incontinentiae gymnasium; cathedra pestilentia; pess…us locus; plurimer…mone mo…herum plena Babylonica fornax, &c.
Augustinus De Civit. Dei, l. 4 c. 1.
Si tontummodo boni et honesti homines in civitate essent, nec in rebus humanis Ludi scenici esse debuissent.
LONDON, Printed by E.A. and W.I. for Michael Sparke, and are to be sold at the Blue Bible, in Greene Arbour, in little Old Bayly. 1633.
TO HIS MVCH HONOVRED FRIENDS, THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL MASTERS OF THE BENCH of the Honourable flourishing LAVV-SOCIETY of LINCOLNES-INNE.
RIGHT WORFVLL, The due respect I owe unto your famous Nurserie both of Law and Piety, as my last Nursing Mother, and to your Worships in particular, as my especiall good Friends; hath at this time imboldened me to commend this HISTRIO-MASTIX to your worthy Patronage; which being wholly compiled within your Walls, implores no other Sanctuary but your benigne Protection; of which your former Play-oppugning Actions promise it good assurance. For whereas other Innes of Court (I know not by what (a)Malus usus abolendus. Li…s telton sect. …12.evill custome, and (b)Plus exemplo quam peccato nocent; quod non solum vitia concipiunt ipsi, s…d ea infunduut in civitatem; neque solum obsunt, quod illi ipsi corrumpuntur, sed etiam quod corrumpunt. Cicero De Legibus lib. 3.worse example) admit of common Actors and Enterludes upon their *Viz. All-Saints, & Candlemasse day.two grand Festivals, to recreate themselves withall, notwithstanding the Statutes of our Kingdome (of which Lawyers of all others should be most observant) (c)22 H 8. c. 12 14 Eliz. c. 5. 39 Eliz. cap. 4. 1 Iac. c. 7. See here p. 492, to 497.have branded all professed Stage-players for infamous Rogues, and Stage-playes for unlawfull pastimes, (d)See 1 Car. c. 1. 5 & 6 E. 6 c. 3. & here p. 241, 242, 243, 492, to 497.especially on Lords-dayes and other solemne Holy-dayes, on which these Grand-dayes ever fall: yet such hath beene your pious tender care, not only of this Societies honour, but also of the young Students good, (for the advancing of whose piety and studies, you have of late erected a magnificent Chappell, and since that a Library;) that as you have prohibited by late publike Orders, all disorderly Bacchanalian Grand-Christmasses, (e)See here p. 743, to 783.(more fit for Pagans thā Christians; for the deboisest Roarers, than grave civill Students, who should be patternes of sobriety unto others;) together with all publike Dice-play in the Hall; (a most pern…cious, infamous game; condemned in all ages, all places, not onelyonly by (f)See here Act. 7. Scene 3. especially pag. 618, 626, 627, 655.Councels, (g)Cyprian. De Ludo Aleae lib. Tertullian d… Pallio c. 8. p. 233. Ambr. de Tobia, lib. c. 11. Tom. 2 p. 280, 281. Chrysost. Hom. 15. ad… Pop. Antioch. here p. 4…3. Bernard. ad Mili…es Tempii Sermo, c. 4 here p. 560. Isiodo… Hisp. Originum …. 19. c. 60, to 66. Ioannis Saresberiensis de Nugis Curialium l. 1. c. 5. Petrus Blesensis Epist. 74.Fathers, (h)Bp. Hoopers 3. Sermon upon Ionah, Bp. Latimer his 4. Sermon on the Lords Prayer, fol. 2…. his 6. Sermon be…ore King Edward, …ol. 70. his Sermon at Stamford, …ol. 1…6. Thomas Beacon his Catechisme, f. …61, 369, 400. Rober us de Sorbona, De Conscientia lib. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 13. p. 382. with others here quoted, p. 626. in the margent.Divines, (i)See here p. 626. in the margent.Civilians, (k)Vid. ibidem.Canonists, (l)Andreas Fricius de Repub. Emendanda, l. 1 c. 17. p. 62, 63. See here p 626Politicians, and (m)Petrarcha de Re…edio utrius que Fortunae, l. 1. Dialog 26, 27. Erasmus Moriae Encomium p. 68, 69. Osorius de Regum Instit. l. 7. …ol. 233. See p. 626.other Christian Writers; by (n)Ovid. De Remedio Amorisl 1. p. 215, 216. Virgil. Epigram… de Ludo p. 432 Horat. Carm. l. 3. Ode 24 p. 98. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 18. p. 269. Iuvenal Satyr. 8, 1…, 14. p. 75, 110, 125. Suetonii Octavius sect. 71. Claudius s. 5, 33, 39. Nero s. 36. Domitianus s. 2. Athenaeus Dipnosoph. l. 10, c. 15, p. 703, 704. Platonis Lysis p 401. Zenopho… hist. Graecae, l. … 593. Cic… Philip. 1. … tus de Mo … Germ. c. 8. … tarchi A…thegm. Ale…der p. 409. …mianus Ma…linus Hist. l. … c. 9, 10. See …annis Sari…riensis De …gis Curiali… l. 1, c. 5. Pet… Blesensis Epi… 74. Danaeus … Ludo Aleae. …lexander ab …lexandro l. 3. … 21. Purchas… Pilgr. l. 5, c. 15. & l. 3, c. 4. Herodoti Clio sect. 18. accordingly.divers Pagan Authors of all sorts, and by (o)See here p. 655.Mahomet himselfe; but likewise by (p)See here p. 657, to 661. Iustinian Codicis l. 3, Tit. 43, Lex. …5. George Whetston his Enemy of Vnthriftinesse, p. 15, 16. Centuriae Magd. 13. Col. 7…9, l. 42. The generall History of France, p. 114, 123, 138 Paulus Geschinius Constitutiones Carolinae, Rubr. 30, 31. p. 14, 15.sundry Heathen, yea Christian Magistrates Edicts, and by the (q)12 R. 2, c. 6. 17 …. 4, c. 3. with sundry others here quoted, p. 494, 495.Statutes of our Kingdome; as the occasions of much idlenesse, prodigality, cursing, swearing, forswearing, lying, cheating, mispence of money and time, theft, rapine, usurie, malice, envie, fretting, d…scontents, quarrels, duels, murthers… covetousnes, acquaintance with ill company, povertie, ruine of many young G…ntlemens, yea & Tradesmens fortunes and estates; with a world of such like mischiefes: which as they proclaime all publike Dice-play unsufferable in a Republike; so much more in an innes of Court: which cannot more dishonour it selfe, than in turning a professed Christmas Dice-house, or publike receptacle of all sorts of Dicers, of purpose to enrich the Butlers, or to defray their Christmas expences; as if Innes of Court Gentlemen were so beggerly, that they could neither maintaine their Officers, nor Christmas Commons, without the infamous Almes, or turpe lucrum of their Dice-boxes; which empty many a young Students, trades-mans, apprentices, unfortunate gamesters purse, and (r)See 17 E. 4, c. 3. Petrus Blesensis Epist. 74. Cyprian. De Ludo Aleae, with others accordingly.bring divers unhappy Dicers yearely to the Goale, if not the Gallowes, whiles they seeke to repaire their losses by robbery, cheating, and unlawfull meanes; leaving the guilt of all their sinnes, with many a bitter execration upon those Societies where they have lost their money: (All which your Worships have piously prevented to your deserved honour, by suppressing Dice-play:) So likewise in imitation of the (s)See Act. 6, Scene 5, p. 455, to 465.ancient Lacedemonians and Massilienses, or rather of the (t)See here p. 465, to 473. & Act. 7, Scen. 2, 3 7.primitive zealous Christians, you have alwayes from my first admission into your Society, and long before, excluded all Common Players with their lewd ungodly Enterludes, from all your solemne Festivals; not suffering them so much as once to enter within your gates, for feare they should (u)See Act. 6, Scene 3, 4, 5, &c.corrupt the mindes, the manners, the vertuous education of those young hopefull vertuous Gentlemen committed to your care, by drawing them on to idlenesse, luxurie, incontinencie, prophanesse, and those other dangerous vices which Playes and Play-houses oft occasion: they being no other, as the Fathers phrase them, but (x)See here Act. 6, Scene 5, p. 474, to 477. Tempore illorum Consulum gravissima pestilentia universam Romā per biennium afflixit, pro qua depellenda Pontifices ludos scenicos instituerunt: et sic pro depellenda peste corporum, accessit morbus animarum. Hermannus Schedel. Chron. Chronicorum, AEtas 3, f. 83. a.the very plagues and poysons of mens mindes and soules. Which praise-worthy imitable act of yours, assures me of your kinde entertainment of this my last-borne Issue: which though (by reason of some intervenient subjects diverting my studies into another channell) it be ultimus in executione, yet it was primus in intentione, of all my printed Treatises, as some scattered passages against Stage-playes in my (y)See my Perpetuity, Edit. 2, p. 586, 587. Healthes Sicknesse, Edit. 2, p. 74, 75. The Survey & Censure of Mr. Cozens his cozening Devotions, p. 90. Lame Giles his Haultings, p. 1. & the Appendix to it, p. 14.former Impressions, evidence. For having upon my first arrivall here in London, heard and seene in foure severall Playes (to which the pressing importunity of some ill acquaintance drew me whiles I was yet a novice) such wickednes, such lewdnes as then made my penitent heart to loath, my conscience to (z)Ille poenitentiam digne agit, qui sic praeterita mala deplorat, ut futura iterum non committat Isi…dor. Hisp. de Summo bono, l. 2, c. 13.abhorre all Stage-playes ever since: and having likewise then observed some wofull experiments of the lewd mischievous fruits of Playes, of Play-houses in some young Gentlemen of my acquaintance, who though civill and chast at first, became so vitious, prodigall, incontinent, deboist, (yea so farre past hopes of all amendment) in halfe a yeares space or lesse, by their resort to Playes, where whores and lewd companions had inveagled them, that after many vaine assaies of their much desired reformation, two of them were cast off, and utterly disinherited by their loving Parents, whom I heard oft complaining even with teares; That Playes and Play-houses had undone their children, to their no small vexation: (A good caveat for all young Students to (a)Faelix quicunque dolore Alterius disces posse carere tuo. Tibullus Elegiarum l. 3. Eleg. 7.keepe themselves from Play-houses by these two Youngsters harmes:) hereupon I resolved (out of a desire of the publike good) to oppugne these common vice-fomenting evills: For which purpose about some 7 yeares since, recollecting those Play-condemning passages which I had met with in the Fathers and other Authors, I digested them into one entire written Discourse; which having since that time enlarged beyond its intended Bulk, because I saw the number of Players, Play-books, Play-haunters, and Play-houses still increasing, there being above forty thousand Play-books printed within these two yeares, (as Stationers informe mee,) they being now more vendible than the choycest Sermons; *The Fortune and Red-bull.two olde Play-houses being also lately reedified, enlarged, and one *White F…iers Playhouse.new Theatre erected, the multitude of our London Play-haunters being so augmented now, that all the ancient Divels Chappels (for so the Fathers stile all Play-houses) being five in number, are not sufficient to containe their troopes, whence wee see a sixth now added to them; whereas even in vitious Nero his raigne there were but (b)Whence Seneca (writing of the vastnesse & populosity of Rome) thus complaines: Quod tribus eodem tempore Theatr…s viae postulantur. De Clementia l. 1, c. 6. And if three Play houses were too much in heathen Rome, shall sixe be suffered in Christian London? God forbid.three standing Theaters in Pagan Rome, (though farre more spacious than our Christian London) and those three too many: Hereupon I first commended it being thus augmented to the Licencer, and from him unto the Presse, where it hath lingred longer than I did expect. Which being now at last brought forth into the world in such a Play-adoring age, that is like to bid defiance to it, I here bequeath it to your pious Patronage, to whom it was at first devoted, not caring how it fares abroad, so it may doe good and please at home. Thus wishing all grace, all happines and prosperity to your Worships, and to the whole Society of Lincolnes Inne, together with all prosperous successe to these my unworthy labours, I commend both you and them to Gods owne blessing. Ever resting
Your Worships, in all devoted Service and respect, WILLIAM PRYNNE.