give such copious hints to flourish and expatiate on as the true Miracles of Christ, or of his Prophets and Apostles? What do I instance in these few particulars? All the Books of the Bible are either already most admirable and exalted pieces of Poesie, or are the best Materials in the 5 world for it. Yet, though they be in themselves so proper to be made use of for this purpose, None but a good Artist will know how to do it; neither must we think to cut and polish Diamonds with so little pains and skill as we do Marble. For if any man design to compose a Sacred Poem 10 by onely turning a story of the Scripture, like Mr. Quarles's, or some other godly matter, like Mr. Heywood of Angels, into Rhyme, He is so far from elevating of Poesie that he onely abases Divinity. In brief, he who can write a prophane Poem well may write a Divine one better; but he who can 15 do that but ill will do this much worse. The same fertility of Invention, the same wisdom of Disposition, the same Judgement in observance of Decencies, the same lustre and vigor of Elocution, the same modesty and majestie of Number, briefly, the same kinde of Habit, is required to 20 both; only this latter allows better stuff, and therefore would look more deformedly, if ill drest in it. I am farre from assuming to my self to have fulfilled the duty of this weighty undertaking: But sure I am that there is nothing yet in our Language (nor perhaps in any) that is in any 25 degree answerable to the Idea that I conceive of it. And I shall be ambitious of no other fruit from this weak and imperfect attempt of mine but the opening of a way to the courage and industry of some other persons, who may be better able to perform it throughly and succesfully.

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RICHARD FLECKNOE

A SHORT DISCOURSE OF THE ENGLISH STAGE

I

1664

To his Excellency, the Lord Marquess of

My Noble Lord,

SEND

NEWCASTLE.

your Excellency here a short Discourse of the English Stage, which if you pleas'd you could far better treat of then my self; but before I begin it, I will speak a word or two of those of other Countreys.

About the midst of the last Century, Playes, after a long discontinuance and civil death in a manner, began to be reviv'd again, first in Italy by Guarino, Tasso, de Porta, and others, and afterwards in Spain by Lopes de Vega; the French beginning later by reason of their Civil Wars, JO Cardinal Richlieu being the first that brought them into Vouge and Esteem as now they are, well knowing how much the Acting noble and heroick Playes conferr❜d to the instilling a noble and heroick Spirit into the Nation. For us, we began before them, and if since they seem to have 15 out-stript us, 'tis because our Stage ha's stood at a stand this many years; nor may we doubt, but now we shall soon out-strip them again, if we hold on but as we begin. Of the Dutch I speak nothing, because they are but slow, and follow other Nations onely afar off. But to return 20 unto our present subject.

Playes (which so flourisht amongst the Greeks, and afterwards amongst the Romans) were almost wholly abolished when their Empire was first converted to

Christianity, and their Theaters, together with their Temples, for the most part demolished as Reliques of Paganisme, some few onely reserved and dedicate to the service of the True God, as they had been to their false gods before; from which time to the last Age, they Acted 5 nothing here but Playes of the holy Scripture or Saints Lives, and that without any certain Theaters or set Companies, till about the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign they began here to assemble into Companies, and set up Theaters, first in the City (as in the Inn-yards of 10 the Cross-Keyes and Bull in Grace and Bishops-Gate Street at this day is to be seen), till that Fanatick Spirit which then began with the Stage, and after ended with the Throne, banisht them thence into the Suburbs, as after they did the Kingdom, in the beginning of our Civil Wars. 15 In which time Playes were so little incompatible with Religion, and the Theatre with the Church, as on Weekdayes after Vespers both the Children of the Chappel and St. Pauls Acted Playes, the one in White-Friers, the other behinde the Convocation-house in Pauls,till people growing 20 more precise, and Playes more licentious, the Theatre of Pauls was quite supprest, and that of the Children of the Chappel converted to the use of the Children of the Revels.

In this time were Poets and Actors in their greatest flourish, Johnson, Shakespear, with Beaumont and Fletcher 25 their Poets, and Field and Burbidge their Actors.

For Playes, Shakespear was one of the first who inverted the Dramatick Stile from dull History to quick Comedy, upon whom Johnson refin'd; as Beaumont and Fletcher first writ in the Heroick way, upon whom Suckling and 30 others endeavoured to refine agen; one saying wittily of his Aglaura that 'twas full of fine flowers, but they seem'd rather stuck then growing there; as another, of Shakespear's writings, that 'twas a fine Garden, but it wanted weeding.

There are few of our English Playes (excepting onely 35

some few of Johnsons) without some faults or other; and if the French have fewer then our English, 'tis because they confine themselves to narrower limits, and conse quently have less liberty to erre.

5 The chief faults of ours are our huddling too much matter together, and making them too long and intricate; we imagining we never have intrigue enough till we lose our selves and Auditors, who shu'd be led in a Maze, but not a Mist; and through turning and winding wayes, but Io so still as they may finde their way at last.

A good Play shu'd be like a good stuff, closely and evenly wrought, without any breakes, thrums, or loose ends in 'um, or like a good Picture well painted and designed; the Plot or Contrivement, the Design, the 15 Writing, the Coloris, and Counterplot, the Shaddowings, with other Embellishments: or finally, it shu'd be like a well contriv'd Garden, cast into its Walks and Counterwalks, betwixt an Alley and a Wilderness, neither too plain nor too confus'd. Of all Arts, that of the Dramatick 20 Poet is the most difficult and most subject to censure; for in all others, they write onely of some particular subject, as the Mathematician of Mathematicks, or Philosopher of Philosophy; but in that, the Poet must write of every thing, and every one undertakes to judge of it.

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A Dramatick Poet is to the Stage as a Pilot to the Ship, and to the Actors as an Architect to the Builders, or Master to his Schollars: he is to be a good moral Philosopher, but yet more learned in Men then Books. He is to be a wise as well as a witty Man, and a good man as 30 well as a good Poet; and I'de allow him to be so far a good fellow too, to take a chearful cup to whet his wits, so he take not so much to dull 'um, and whet 'um quite away.

To compare our English Dramatick Poets together, 35 without taxing them, Shakespear excelled in a natural

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Vein, Fletcher in Wit, and Johnson in Gravity and ponderousness of Style, whose onely fault was he was too elaborate, and had he mixt less erudition with his Playes, they had been more pleasant and delightful then they are. Comparing him with Shakespear, you shall see the difference betwixt Nature and Art; and with Fletcher, the difference betwixt Wit and Judgement: Wit being an exuberant thing, like Nilus, never more commendable then when it overflowes; but Judgement, a stayed and reposed thing, alwayes containing it self within its bounds and to limits.

Beaumont and Fletcher were excellent in their kinde, but they often err'd against Decorum, seldom representing a valiant man without somewhat of the Braggadoccio, nor an honourable woman without somewhat of Dol Common 15 in her; to say nothing of their irreverent representing Kings persons on the Stage, who shu'd never be represented but with Reverence. Besides, Fletcher was the first who introduc't that witty obscenity in his Playes, which like poison infused in pleasant liquor is alwayes the 20 more dangerous the more delightful. And here to speak a word or two of Wit, it is the spirit and quintessence of speech, extracted out of the substance of the thing we speak of, having nothing of the superfice, or dross of words, as clenches, quibbles, gingles, and such like trifles 25 have it is that, in pleasant and facetious discourse, as Eloquence is in grave and serious, not learnt by Art and Precept, but Nature and Company. 'Tis in vain to say any more of it; for if I could tell you what it were, it would not be what it is; being somewhat above expression, 30 and such a volatil thing, as 'tis altogether as volatil to describe.

It was the happiness of the Actors of those Times to have such Poets as these to instruct them and write for them; and no less of those Poets, to have such docile and 35