The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 6 · Scene 1

The Players Scourge · Part 1 · Act 6 · Scene 1

p. 302SCENA PRIMA.

5FIftly, as Stage-playes are sinfull and so unlawfull unto Christians in all the fore-mentioned regards, so likewise are they in respect of severall mmHae nugae seria ducunt in mala. Horat. De Arte Poet. p. 312.pernicious effects, and dangerous fruits, which usually, if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them; the chiefest of which I shall here enumerate in their order; that so you may more evidently nnMat. 7.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. 1 Thes. 5.22.Matt 7:16Matt 7:17Matt 7:18Matt 7:19Matt 7:201 Thess 5:22discerne the badnesse of them, by the sundry evils they occasion.

The first of these, is the prodigall mispence of much precious time, which ooEphes. 5.16. Tunc verè tempus redimimus quando anteactam vitā quàm lasciviendo perdidimus, flendo reparamus Anselmus in Ephes. 5. Tom. 2. p. 288.Eph 5:16Eph 5Christians should husband and redeeme to better purposes: From whence this 27. Argument against Stage-playes may be composed.

That which doth alwaies unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much peerelesse time, ppCum majus periculum sit malè vivendi quàm citò moriendi, stultus est qui non exigui temporis mercede magnae rei aleam redimi…. Seneca. Epist. 49.which should be carefully improved and redeemed, must certainely be sinfull, and so unlawfull unto Christians.

But this doe **See Ovid Tri…tū. l. 2. f. 160. Athenaeus Dipnos. l. 12. c. 8.10, 13, 15. Ammianus Marcellinus. l. 28 c. 10. Basilij Hexaëm. Hom. 4. accordingly.Stage-playes; as I shall fully manifest.

Therefore they must certainely be sinfu…l, and so unlawfull unto Christians.

The Major all men must subscribe to; because God himselfe commands us, not prodigally to waste, but qqEphes. 5.16. Col 4.5. See Ambr…se, Hierom, Chrysostome, Theodoret, Sedulius, Primasius, Remigius, Beda, Rabanus Maurus, Oecumenius, Anselme, Theophylact, Lyra, Musculus, Calvin, Aretius, Marlorat Ibid. & Master Wheatlies Sermon of Times Redemption, accordingly.Eph 5:16Col 4:5wisely to redeeme the time, and so much the rather, because the dayes are evill. Our time, rrIob 7.1, 2, 3. Psal. 89, 47. Eccles. 3.1. to 18. Luk. 1.75. Acts 13.36. 2 Tim. 4.7, 8.Job 7:1Job 7:2Job 7:3Ps 89:47Eccl 3:1–18Luke 1:75Acts 13:362 Tim 4:72 Tim 4:8it is our richest treasure; it is that peerelesse portion which God himselfe hath put into our p. 303hands; that we might improve it to his glory, to our owne and others good; not sinfully ssEzech. 16.49. Iob 21.12, 13. Isay 5, 11, 12. Amos 6.1. to 9 1 Pet. 4.2, 3, 4… Iam. 4.9, 10. 2 Tim. 3.4. Amoto quaeramus seria …udo. Horat. Sermo. l. 1. Satyr. 1.Ezek 16:49Job 21:12Job 21:13Isa 5:11Isa 5:12Amos 6:1–91 Pet 4:21 Pet 4:31 Pet 4:4Jas 4:9Jas 4:102 Tim 3:4cons…me it upon lascivious childish Enterludes, vanities, or delights of sinne; which bring nothing but ttIam. 5.1, 5. Rev. 18.7.Jas 5:1Jas 5:5Rev 18:7eternall horror to mens soules at last. For men, for Christians then, to cast this unvaluable Pearle of precious time uuMat. 7.6.Matt 7:6to Swine; to xxIsay 55.2.Isa 55:2disburse this treasure for that which is not bread, this money for that which satisfieth not: to yyLuk. 15.13, 14.Luke 15:13Luke 15:14waste this royall patrimony upon voluptuous spectacles, or lewde ridiculous Pastimes: to trifle it quite away upon the very vainest vanities (as alas zzMagna pars vitae elabitur malè agētibus, maxima nihil agentibus. Quē mihi dabis qui aliquod praetiū tempori ponat? qui diem aestimer? qui intelligat se quotidie mori? Nemo se iudicet quicquā debere qui tempus accepit, cùm interim hoc unum est, quod ne gratas quidem po…est reddere. Seneca Epist. 1.too many doe, who aaRom. 2.5. to 10. Rev. 18.6, 7.Rom 2:5–10Rev 18:6Rev 18:7treasure up nothing but eternall wrath and horror to their soules, against the day of wrath,) how can it but be sinfull? bbIob. 1.1, 2. Luk. 1.75 Rom. 14.7, 8. 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. Acts 13, …6. Phil. 1.21 Gal 2.20.Job 1:1Job 1:2Luke 1:75Rom 14:7Rom 14:81 Cor 6:191 Cor 6:20Acts 13:6Phil 1:21Gal 2:20Our dayes, yea every houre and minute of our lives, are Gods, not ours: they are those ccMat. 25.15. to 28. Prov. 17.16.Matt 25:15–28Prov 17:16precious talents which God hath put into our hands to occupy with them till he come: to him ddRom. 14.4, 7, 8, 12, 13. Rev. 2.21, 22.Rom 14:4Rom 14:7Rom 14:8Rom 14:12Rom 14:13Rev 2:21Rev 2:22must we give up our account for the imployment of them at the last. And can we then take Gods time, Gods treasure (allowed ee1 Pet 4.2, 3, 4. 1 Tim. 6.11, 12. Quo te caelestis sapientia duceret ires. Hoc opus, hoc studiū purvi properemus & ampli. Si patriae volumus, si nobis vivere cari. Horat. E…ist l. 1. E…ist. 3. …ag. 243.1 Pet 4:21 Pet 4:31 Pet 4:41 Tim 6:111 Tim 6:12onelyonly to us for his use, his service, which is abundantly sufficient to engrosse even al our dayes, ffLuk. 1.75. c. 2 37. 1 Thes. 5.16, 17. Psal. 145.1, 2.Luke 1:751 Thess 5:161 Thess 5:17Ps 145:1Ps 145:2) and spend it wholly upon sinne? upon Satan? upon our owne ggFestinat enim decurrere velox Flosculus angustae miserae que brevissima vitae Portio, dum bibimus, dum serta, unguenta, puellas Pos…imus, obrepit non intellecta senectus. Iuv. Sat. 9. p. 89.carnall lusts and pleasures? upon lascivious Stage-playes, Games, and Sports? up…n Dicing, Carding, Dancing, Drinking, Whoring, hhQuibus in solo vivendi causa palato est. Iuv. Satyr. 11. p. 104. Nulli rei nisi vino & libidini vacant. Sen…ca De Brev. Vitae. cap. 6…Feasting? upon idle Visits, Complements and Discourses? upon Meretricious Paintings, Frizlings, Pouldrings, Attyrings, and the like, (in which many squonder away their very choicest morning houres, more fit for study & devotion then such unchristian practises,) as if we had no God to serve, no callings to follow, no p. 304soules to save, iiHeu vivunt homines tanquá mors nulla sequatur. Et v…lut infernus fabula vana foret.no Hell to feare, no Heaven to seeke, no Iudge to censure us, no day of Iudgement to account in, how we have spent our time? and yet kkGloriari otio iners ambitio est. Senec. Ep. 68.flatter our selves so grosly, as to presume we have done llAlea turpis, Turpe & adulterium mediocribus, haec tamen illi Omnia cū faciant, Hilares nitidique vocantur. Iuvenal. Satyr. 11. p. 110.full well, at least-wise not offended, in this profuse mispending of our Masters stocke of time? Alas, how many millions of pounds; how many myriades of Kingdomes, nay of Worlds (were they but Masters of them) would many thousand damned spirits, now in torments, or voluptuous distressed persons now lying on their death-beds, ready to breathe out their soules at every breath into the mmIsay 30.33.Isa 30:33infernall Tophet, give, for the moitie, the tythe, yea the very smallest quantity of that unvaluable nnPraecipitat quis que vitā suam, & futuri desiderio laborat, praesentiū taedio. Seneca De Brev. Vitae. c. 7.time which they have irrecoverably spent on Playes, and such like sinfull Pastimes; that so they might in time bewaile with brinish teares, with dolorous pangs, and deepest sighes, the ooNatura humanis ingenijs m…lè consuluit, quae plaerumque non futura sed transacta perpendimus. Qu. Curtiu…. lib. …. sect. 2. pag. 341. Deteriori luto pravus quos edidit auctor, Et nihil aetherij sparlit p…r membra vigoris. Hi pecudum ritu non impende…tia vitant, Nec res ante vident, accepta clade quaeruntur, Et serò transacta gemunt. Claudian in Eutropium lib 2. pag. 88.losse of all those houres which they have prodigally spent in Play-houses, Tavernes, and such life-devouring places, to prevent or else extenuate the intollerable horror of their eternall paines? And shall wee then squander away, we care not how, those pretious houres, which these, which wee our selves perchance hereafter (though now we ppRe omnîum praeciosissima luditur. Quia sub oculis non venit, ideo vilissima aestimatur, imò vero nullum praetium ejus est. Annua congiaria homines clarissimi accipiunt, & his aut labor…m, aut operam, aut diligentiam suam locant. Nemo aestimat tempus; utuntur illo laxius quasi gratuitò. At eosdem aegros vide, si mortis periculum admotum est propius, medicorum genua tangentes: si metuunt capitale supplicium, omnia sua, ut vivant paratos impendere. Tanta in illis discordia asfectuum est. Senec…. De Brev. Vitae. cap. 8.value them at so low a price, as to play them quite away for nought) would willingly repurchase at the dearest rate, on vaine lascivious Stage-playes, toyes, and childish vanities, as if we were created only p. 305to play and follow sports (which qqNe que enim ita à natura generatī sumus ut ad ludum & iocum facti esse videamur, sed ad severitatem potius, & ad quaedā studia graviora atque majora. De Officij… l. 1. Op. Tom 2. p. 618. See Senica, De Brev. Vitae. & Epist. 1.49.58.Tully and other Pagans quite deny) and yet thinke to scape unpunished? Those Playes and Pastimes therefore, which miserably waste and eate out all our dayes, which rob us of our pretious time (our chiefe, our rrOmnia, mi Lucili, aliena sunt; tempus tantum nostrū est: In hujus rei unius fugacis ac lubricae possessionē natura nos misit, ex qua expellit quicun que vult. Ita fac, mi Lucili, vindica te tibi, & tempus quod adhuc aut auferebatur aut surripiebatur, aut excidebat, collige & serva. Seneca Epist. 1.onelyonly treasure,) which we should carefully husband to our good: Which sacrilegiously defraud our God, our Country, our Soules, our Callings of sundry vacant houres which should be spent upon them, must needs be evill and unlawfull unto Christians even in this respect.

For the Minor, **See D. Reinolds Overthrow of Stage-playes p. 20, to 24. The 3. Blast of Ret…ait from Playes & Theaters. p. 66.67. & the othe… Fathers, Councels, & Authors hereafter quotedthat Stage-playes unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much pretious time, &c. it is most apparant, if we will but summe up all those dayes, those houres which are vainely spent in the composing, conning, practising, acting, beholding of every publike, or private Stage-play. How many golden ttNil intentatū nostri liquêre Poetae: Nec minimū mervêre decus, &c. Si nō offenderet unūquem que Poetarū limae labor, & mora: Vos ô Pōpilius sanguis, carmen r…praehēdite quod non Multa dies & multa litura coercuit at que Perfectū decies nō castigavit ad unguē. Bona pars non ungues ponere curat, Non barbā: secreta petit loca; balnea vitat. Nāsciscetur enim praetiū nomē que Poetae, Si tribus Anticyris caput insanabile nunquā Tōsori Licino commiserit, &c Horat. De Arte Poet p. 306.dayes and houres, I might say weekes, nay mon…ths, and I had almost said whole yeeres, doe most Play-poets spend in contriving, penning, polishing their new-invented Playes, before they ripen them for the Stage? When these their Playes are brought unto maturity, how many houres, evenings, halfe-dayes, dayes, and sometimes weekes, are spent by all the Actors (especially in solemne academicall Enterludes) in coppying, uuSee Seneca, De Brev. Vitae. c. 12. Non habent isti otiū sed iners negotiū, Nam de illis nemo dubitabit, quin operosè nihil ag…nt, qui literarū inutiliū studijs detinētur. Ibid. c. 13.in conning, in practising their parts, before they are ripe for publike action? When this is finished, how many men are vainely occupied for sundry dayes (yea sometimes xxSee Pliny, Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 15. Tertul. De Spectac. c, 9.10, 11. Livy, Hist Rom. l. 48. Tacitus, Annal. l. 14. Alex. ab Alexandro. l. 5. c. 16. D. Hackwels Apologie. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 2.3, 4. accordingly.yeeres) together, in building Theaters, Stages, p. 306Scenes and Scaffolds; in making theatricall Pageants, Apparitions, Attires, Visars, Garments, with such-like Stage-appurtenances, for the more commodious pompous acting and adorning of these vaine-glorious Enterludes? When all things requisite for the publike personating of these Playes are thus exactly accommodated, and the day or nigh approcheth when these are to be acted, how many hundreds of **Nubilis haec Virgo, matrona que , vir que puerque, Spectat, & ex magna parte Senatus adest. Ovid Tristium. l. 2. p. 160.all sorts, vainely, if not yySi foret in terris rideret Democritus. Spectaret populū Iudis frequentius ipsis; Vt sibi praebentem mimo spectacula plura. Horat. Epist l. 2. Epist. 1. p. 284.ridiculously spend whole dayes, whole afternoones and nights oft-times, in zzSic ruit ad celebres cultissima faemina ludos: Copia iudicium saepe morata meum est. Spectatum veniunt, veniunt spectentur ut ipsae. Ovid, De Arte Amandi. l. 1. p. 160. See Tertullian, De Spectaculis. & Act 5. Scene 7. before.Acts 5attyring themselves in their richest robes; in providing seates to heare, aaNemo in spectaculo ineundo prius cogitat, nisi videre & videri. Tertullian, De Spectaculis cap. 25.to see, and to be seene of others; or in hearing, in beholding these vain lascivious Stage-playes, (which last some bbQuatuor aut plures aulaea praemuntur in horas, &c. Horat. Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 1. pag. 284.three or foure houres at the least, yea sometimes whole **See Livy, Rom. Hist. lib. 42. sect. 20. Ludi per decem dies Iovi optimo. Max. facti. lib. 31. sect. 51. lib. 39. sect. 46. lib. 23. sect. 30. lib. 25. sect. 2. lib. 40. sect. 52. Suetonij Iulius. sect. 29.dayes and weekes together, as did some Roman Playes, and yet seeme to short to many, to whom a Lecture, a Sermon, a Prayer, not halfe so long, is over-tedious:) who thinke themselves ccHorū non ociosa vita dicenda est, sed desidiosa occupatio. Seneca, De Brevitate Vita. cap. 11.well imployed all the while they are thus wasting this their pretious time (which they scarce know how to spend) upon these idle Spectacles. ddNostra aetas prolapsa ad fabulas & quaevis inania, non modo autes & cor prostituit vanitati sed oculorum & aurium voluptate suam mulcet desidiam, luxuriam accendit conquirc…s undi que fomenta vitiorum. Ioannes Saresburienses, De Nugis Curialium lib 1. cap. 8.Adde we to this, that all our common Actors consume not onelyonly weekes and yeeres, but even eeHistriones totam suam vitam ordinant ad ludendum. Aquinas, secunda secundae, Quest. 168. Art. 3.their whole lives, in learning, practising, or acting Playes, which besides nights and other seasons, engrosse every afternoone almost thorowout the yeere, to their peculiar service; as wee see by daily experience here in p. 307ffSee Stephen Gossons Schoole of Abuses. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes. I.G. his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors, & Iohn Field, his Declaration of Gods Iudgement at Paris Garden, &c.London; where thousands spend the moitie of the day, the weeke, the yeere in Play-houses, at least-wise far more houres, then they imploy in holy duties, or in their lawfull callings. If we annex to this, the time that divers waste in reading Play-bookes, which some make their chiefest study, preferring them before the Bible, or all pious Bookes, on which they seldome seriously cast their eyes; together with the mispent time which the discourses of Playes, either seene or read, occasion: and then summe up all this lost, this mispent time together; we shall soone discerne, we must needs acknowledge,ggNemo invenitur qui pecuniam suam dividere velit, vitā unusquis que quàm multis distribuit. Astricti sunt in continendo patrimonio, simul ad temporis jacturā ventum est, prosusissimi in eo cujus unius honesta avaritia est. Seneca, De Brevit. Vitae c. 3. that there are no such Helluoes, such Canker-wormes, such theevish Devourers of mens most sacred (yet hhQuid necesse habes amittere tempora tanta, perdere tanta lucra? nihil praeciosius tempore, sed heu nihil hodie vilius aestimatur. Transeunt dies salutis & nemo recogitat, nemo sibi non reditura momenta perijsse causatur. Bernardi. Declamationes. Col. 1011. L.M.undervalued) time, as Stage-playes. Hence Concilium Carthagiense. 4 Can. 88. Concil. Aphricanum. Can. 28. Concil. Constantinopolitanum. Can. 66. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedagogi. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian, De Spectac. lib. Arnobius. l. 4. & 7. advers. Gentes. with sundry other Councels, Fathers, Authors iiSee Scene 12. & Act 7. Scene 3. where their words are recited.Acts 7hereafter quoted, complaine, that many Lords-dayes, Holy-dayes, and sacred Festivals which ought to have beene spent in holy exercises of Religion, and Gods more speciall service, together with much other precious time which mens particular callings did require, was spent in acting and beholding Stage-playes: Hence Philo Iudaeus, De Agricultura. lib. pag. 271.272. with much griefe laments: kkQuid enim aliud credimus quotidi… per totum orbem, tot millia spectatorum in Theatris contrahere. Homines enim victi spectaculorum & fabularum cupidine infrenes tum oculis, tum auribus consectantur cytharistas cytharaedosque. Praeterea saltatoribus caeterisque mimis inhiant propter gestus motus que effaeminatos: at que ita factiones Theatricas instaurant, securi caeterarum rerū privatarum publicarumque, totam vitam in huiusmodi spectaculis conterentes miseri. Ibidem.That many thousands of people thorowout the world, be sotted with the delight of Stage-playes, did with greedy eyes and eares flocke together to Theaters, to behold the effeminate gestures and motions of Stage-players; neglecting in p. 308the meane time the publike welfare, and their owne private estates, and miserably wasting their lives in these vaine Spectacles. Hence Basil, Hexaëmeron. Hom. 4. informes us: llSunt Civitates non nullae quae multis varijsque praestigiatorum spect…culis inde à primo diluculo ad ipsum usque caelū advesperascens suos pascunt adspectus, fr…ctosque quosd…m omnino & corruptos cantus n… miam in animis generantes libidinem frequentissimè audientes, non satiantur. At que tales populos comp…ures perbeatos esse dicunt, proptereà quod foro, mercatura, artibus, caeterisque negotijs omninò comparandi victus causa subeundis neglectis atque posthabitis, summo cum orio voluptate que vitae tempus institutum sibi perducunt, &c. Basil. Hexaëm. Hom. 4. Damascen. Parallel lib. 3. cap. 47.That there are certaine Citties, which feed their eyes and eares from morning to night, with many various Spectacles, and with effeminate amorcus lascivious Songs and Enterludes, engendring an excesse of lusts within their soules, in hearing of which their eares are never satisfied. And such people as these (writes he) many call exceeding happy, because neglecting and setting aside the care of government, merchandize, their trades, and all other imployments whereby they may get their living; they spend the time of life alotted to them with exceeding idlenesse and pleasure. Hence Nazienzen, De Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063.1064. & Chrysostome. Hom. 15.21.23. & 62. Ad Populum Antioch. Hom. 6.7.38. & 69. in Matth. & Hom. 42. in Acta Apostolorum; relate, mmIn Theatro omnia contraria: temporis impendiū, superflua dierum consumptio, &c. Chrysost. Hom. 42. in Acta Apost. & Hom. 62. ad Pop. Antioch. Tom. 3. Col. 612. A. & Tom. 5. Col. 347. A.…hat in the Play-house there is a losse of time, a superfluous consumption of dayes; nnTot…m prorsus diem in tam ridicula at que etiam perniciosa voluptate consumitis. &c. Hom. 6 in Matth. Tom. 2. Col. 52. A.where men waste whole dayes in ridiculous and p…rnicious pleasures. And withall ooChryso…t. Hom. 3. De Davide & Saule. Hom. 6. in Matth. & Hō. 15. & 23. ad Populū Antioch. See here Scene 4. & 12.they much complaine; that many people leaving the Church did flocke by troopes to Play-houses, bestowing that time upon the Devill, which they should have dedicated unto God; Hence Augustine, ppVacare volunt ad …ugas at que luxurias suas. Melius enim saceret Iudaeus in agro suo aliquid utile, quā tota die in Theatro seditiosus existeret. Ibid.De Decem Chordis. lib. c. 3. & De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. c. 4. to 23. Salvian, De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. Cyrillus Alexandrinus in Ioannis Evangelium. li…. 8. c. 5. Leo. 1. Sermo in Octava Pauli & Petri. cap. 1. fol. 165. S. Asterius, Homilia. in Festum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 4. pag. 705.706. Damascen Parallelorum. lib. 3. cap. 47. Ioannis Saresburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 7.8. with other Fathers, passe sentence against Stage-playes, as chiefe consumers of p. 309**Octavius Spectaculo plurimas horas, aliquando totos dies aderat. Suetonij Octavius. s…ct. 45.much pretious time, which should be expended upon better things, as their words hereafter quoted. Scene 3.4.5. & 12. more fully evidence. Hence divers Pagan Authors; as Cicero, …ro L. Muraena, & pro Sexto Oratio. Epist. lib. 7. ad Marium Epist. 10. & De Legibus l. 1. & 2. Seneca, De Brev. Vitae. cap. 12.13. Epist. 7. & 75. & qqQuis Philosophiā aut ullū liberale respicit studium, nisi cum ludi intercalantur, cum aliquis plu…ius intervenit dies quem perdere licer, &c. Ibid.Naturalium. Quaest. lib. 7. c. 32. Cornelius Tacitus, aaPopulus si consederet theatro totos dies ignaviâ continuaret, &c. IbidAnnalium. lib. 14. sect. 3. Suetonij Nero. sect. 23. & Caligula. sect. 18. Marcus Aurelius. Epist. 12. to Lambert. Ammianus Marcellinus. lib. 28. cap. 10. Horace, De Arte Poetica. lib. together with bbAugustine, De Civit. Dei. l. …. c. 31.32. Livy, Rom. Hist. lib. 48. Epit Valerius Maximus. l. 2. c. 6. Eutropius. Rerum. Rom. l. 4. p. 43…Scipio Nasica, that famous Roman, have much condemned Stage-playes, because they waste many pretious houres which should be improved to more weighty uses. ccHistriones vero locustis conser…t propheta, non modo propter multitudinem, sed potius propter ignavū otium, & quod fruges consumere nati, nihil interea faci…nt quod honestum sit, vel ad publicam utilitatem aliquid conferat, &c. Ibidem.And for this very reason among sundry others, Petrarcha De Remedio Vtr. Fortunae. lib. 1. Dialog. 30. Polydor Virgil. De Invent. Rerum. lib. 5. c. 2. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum. cap. 59. M. Gualther. Hom. 11. in Nahum. Carolus Sigonius De Occidentali Imperio. lib. 1. p. 32. Ioannis Langhecrucius, De Vita & Honestate Ecclesiasticorum. l. 2. c. 11.12.21. M. North…rooke, M. Gosson, M. Stubs, D. Reinolds, Mariana & Brissonius, in their Bookes and Treatises against Stage-playes. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters. pag. 66.67. Iohn Field in his Declaration of Gods Iudgement at Paris Garden. George Whetston, in his Mirror for Magistrates of Citties. pag. 24. Bulengerus, De Circo, &c. pag. 81. to 88. & 167.168. I. G. in his Refutation of the A…ologie for Actors. A short Trea…ise against Stage-playes. Anno… 1625. M. Bolton in his Discourse of true Happinesse. pag. 74.75. To omit all others which I shall name **See Scene 12. & Act 7. Scene 4.5, 6.Acts 7hereafter, have censured and rejected Stage-playes, (in the hearing, reading, and beholding of which, many spend whole dayes, whole weekes, whole yeeres) as the over-prodigall devourers of much peerelesse time, which they most iniuriously steale from God, from men, and from the Common-weale. p. 310Since therefore our lives are ddPsal. 39.5, 11. Psal. 102.11. 1 Cor. 7.29. Iam. 4.14. Circumcisa & brevis hominis vita longissima Pliny, Epist. lib. 3. Epist. 7. Vitae hujus principium mortis exordium est, nec prius incipit augeri aetas quam minui. Cui si aliquid adijcitur spacij temporalis, non ad hoc accedit ut maneat, sed ad hoc transit ut pereat. Prosper. Aquit. De Vocat Gentium. lib. …. cap. 21Ps 39:5Ps 39:11Ps 102:111 Cor 7:29Jas 4:14exceeding short and momentary, posting away with winged speed; our time so eeNihil praetiosius tempore. Bernardi. Declamat. Col. 1011. L. M.pretious; the duties of our generall, our particular callings (which may ffFacito aliquid operis ut semper te Diabolus inveniat occupatum. Operis labor suscipiatur, non tàm propter victus necessitatem, quam propter animae salutem. Hierom. Epist. 4. cap. 5.not be omitted for feare the Devill finde us idle, and so tempt us unto sinne) almost infinite, well able to engrosse even all our vacant houres; the mispence, the losse of time so ggNon exiguum detrimentum est vel horae unius. Et una hora totius vitae portio est. Ambros. Epist. lib. 3. Epist. 25.dangerous, so pernicious: the grand account we hh2 Cor. 5.10, 11. 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9.2 Cor 5:102 Cor 5:112 Thess 1:72 Thess 1:82 Thess 1:9must shortly render of all the ill-spent minutes of our lives before the Barre of Gods Tribunall, so certaine, so terrible and inevitable, these time-devouring Stage-playes, which iiInde fit ut rarò qui se vixisse beatum Dicat, & exacto contentus tempore vitae Cedat, uti conviva satur, reperire queamus. Horat. Sermo. lib. 1. Satyr 1.incroach so farre, so desperately, so universally upon the lives of many (especially in this our great Metrapolis where they are daily acted and frequented,) must certainely be execrable, sinfull, and pernicious unto Christians, (who should kkTempus quippe redimimus quandò anteactam vitam quam lasciviendo perdidimus, flendo reparamus. Greg. Mag. Moral. lib. 5. cap. 28.redeeme their fore-past time which teares, which they have spent in lascivious carnall iollity) even in regard of this most vile effect, which issues alwayes from them.