The Theater Vindicated, Title page – To the reader
Theatrum Redivivum, OR THE THEATRE Vindicated BY Sir RICHARD BAKER IN ANSWER to Mr. PRYN'S HISTRIO-MASTIX: Wherein his groundless Assertions against Stage-Plays are discovered, his miss-taken Allegations of the Fathers manifested, as also what he calls his Reasons, to be nothing but his Passions.
Comici finis est humanos mores nôsse, atque describere, Hierom. ad Furiam.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. for Francis Eglesfield at the Marigold in St. Paul's Churchyard. 166….
To the READER.
Courteous Reader,
AT length thou art presented with a small Piece, which for many years hath been bu…ied with its Renowned Authour. It appeared not till now, knowing very well, that this late World hath been fitter for Bedlam, then for sober, and Rational Discourses. The Authour wants not evidence for what he speaks, (though speak what he would; if he named a Stage Play, he was sure to meet with a Momus in every corner) but some things have the ill luck to be condemned, before they are heard. Well (Reader) seeing we are (by the providence of Heaven) so happy, as to be allowed the use of our own Eyes, and Reason again; Be as thou oughtest to be, a Reader, before a Judge. For to condemn the innocent, is equally to be condemned, with acquitting the guilty. The noble Authour of this Book seems fairly to design nothing more, then Truth, and especially in clearing the Sense of those two great Luminaries of the Church, Saint Cyprian, and Tertullian, his Master, in his Book De Spectaculis, wherein his principal drift onelyonly is, to cry out against, and sever…y to condemn the mixtures of Idolatry with their publick Shews: some intentions there were of annexing the Treaties of Tertullian, and Saint Cyprian, both to this Discourse; that every man might see, what the Authour of this Book saw in them: But, for some reasons, that labour is respited. It is very well known what Satyrical Inv…ctives are thundred out against the …heatre, but their just Reasons are not yet produced; it may be, they are reserved for the second Volume of Hi…trio Mastix: Ind…ed some may be s…en against the abuses of it, from which to reason against the thing it self would ingender a consequence of such large extent, that we must eat our words, or be weary of our …ives. For if we sit down by such a Conclusion, that things are unlawfull in their use, because unlawfully abused, we must neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor wear Cloaths, becau… in all these, and many more, the bad…ness of mankinde is such, that it prompt them to unexcusable exorbitancies, an… deba…cheries. Good men have found…ed much of their Rhetorick, and th… loudest Declamations against Stage… Plays, upon what others had formerl… said against them, rather out of a sequa…tious credulity corresponding with wha… others have Magisterially determined… then a due attendency either to the Pr…n…ciples of right Reason … or Scrip…u… Authority, which ought to cast t… scales, and put greater obligements upon the Consciences of reasonable Cr…atures, then the Conj…ctures o… Opinions of the gravest Mortals. But … must not forget my self, and enter up…on Apologies for this learned Au…hours undertaking (who hath sober…y, and judiciously acquitted hims…lf) I …ave taken upon me, onelyonly to speak the …rologue, and to tell you upon what …cene he lays his Discourse: he needs …o Epilogue to plead excuse for the …cting of his Part: And I make …o doubt, Reader, if thou wilt but vouchsafe him a patient perusal, but he shall a…so have thy
Plaudite.