To Mr. MOTTEUX,

AUTHOR OF THE TRAGEDY CALLED

"BEAUTY IN DISTRESS,"

Concerning the Lawfulness and Unlawfulness of Plays.

SIR,

Since you have been pleased to desire my opinion about the lawfulness or unlawfulness of writing plays for the stage, I shall give it you with all the freedom and impartiality which becomes one of my function, Upon reflecting on the present management of our theatres, on the actions, humours, and characters, which are daily represented there, which are for the most part so lewd and immodest, as to tend very much to the debauching the youth and gentry of our English nation; I might very well dissuade you from giving any countenance to such unmanly practices, by offering any of your works to the service of the stage,

But though theatrical representations are become an offence and scandal to most, yet I am not of their

mind, who think plays are absolutely unlawful, and the best way to REFORM is wholly to suppress them; for certainly THEY MIGHT BE OF VERY GREAT USE not ONLY FOR THE DIVERSION AND PLEASURE, BUT ALSO FOR THE CORRECTION AND INFORMATION OF MANKIND.

It is no crime to eat or drink, but the sin lies in the excessive and immoderate use, or rather abuse of those things, which we either cat or drink; the case is much the same with plays. In their own nature they are innocent and harmless diversions; but then indeed they become sinful and unlawful, to be made, acted, or seen, when they transgress the bounds of virtue and religion; shock our nature; put our modesty to the blush; imprint nauseous and unbecoming images on our minds; and, in a word, when they are such as are a scandal to he author, and an offence to the audience.

I am not willing to believe so hardly of the age (though it is bad enough of all conscience) but that most of the persons who frequent the theatres would be as well pleased to see a play of decorum and modesty acted, as they would be to see a lewd and atheistical comedy. It is upon this consideration that I am willing to encourage you in your design of writing plays for the stage; for you have too much prudence, honour and conscience, to subject the SACRED NINE to base and servile ends. It is to be hoped, that such as you may be a means of

reforming the abuses of the stage, and of shewing the world that a poet may be a man of sense and parts, without renouncing his virtue.

I shall not trouble you at present with any farther thoughts of my own, but will give you the sentiments of a very judicious divine upon this subject.

It seems he was consulted by a gentleman, whether plays were lawful or not, and whether he might in conscience exercise his parts that way. y? to this the divine replies, shewing how far plays are lawful and necessary, and when they become unlawful and sinful : the resolutions of these will, I trust, come up to your purpose. By this judicious dissertation, you will find. your whole desire satisfied.-You will perceive he has brought the schoolmen to speak in favour of the DRAMA, and has explained the invectives of the fathers against it, so as to make them on its side. He has answered the most material objections which can be brought against the stage, and given very necessary precautions to such as go to the play-houses. You will perceive he is a French divine, (Father Caffaro, brother to the Dukeof- ) one of the Romish religion, who has given us his thoughts in the form of a letter; and it is in behalf of the plays acted in FRANCE that he argues. But were he to see our English stage, he would never

say such fine things of it; unless he saw it stocked only with plays and entertainments innocently diverting and strictly moral, as those which you have hitherto so successfully published, are generally allowed to be.

With a compliment to Mr. Motteux upon his "BEAUTY IN DISTRESS," which it would be superfluous transcribing, his reverence subscribes himself,

1697-8.

SIB,

Your real friend to serve you.

This tragedy is likewise honoured by some of Mr. Dryden's lines to the author being affixed to the piece. Their application comes so immediately home to the views of the present opposers of dramatic amusement, that I cannot resist my wish to give them a place, previous to entering upon the learned Father's discourse.

TO MY FRIEND THE AUTHOR.

'Tis hard, my friend, to write in such an age,
As damns not only poets, but the stage.
That sacred art, by Heav'n itself infus'd,
Which MOSES, DAVID, SOLOMON have us'd,
Is now to be no more: The muses foes
Would sink their Maker's praises into prose.

Were they content to prune the lavish vine
Of straggling branches, and improve the wine,
Who but a madman would his faults defend?
All would submit, for all but fools would mend.
But, when to common sense, they give the lie,
And turn distorted words to blasphemy,
They give the scandal; and the wise discern,
Their glosses teach an age too apt to learn.
What I have loosely or profanely writ,

Let them to fires (their due desert) commit.
Nor when accus'd by me, let them complain :
Their faults, and not their functions, I arraign.
Rebellion, worse than witchcraft, they pursu’d;
The pulpit preach'd the crime: the people ru'd.
The stage was silenc'd: FOR THE SAINTS WOULD SEE
IN FIELDS PERFORM'D THEIR PLOTTED TRAGEDY,
But let us first reform: and then so live,
That we may teach our teachers to forgive,
Our desk be plac'd below their lofty chairs,
Our's be the practice, as the precept theirs.
The moral part at least we may divide,
Humility reward, and punish pride:
Ambition, int'rest, avarice accuse :

These form the province of the tragic muse.

There are upwards of twenty lines following these, (highly flattering to the poetical character of Mr. Motteux; but as he has not had the good fortune to survive the sweeping influence of two centuries) it would only be trespassing on the reader's time and indulgence by making the addition.