Emmett Langdon Avery

“ It is impossible to say, how many, and how great the Mischiefs are that spring from thence; which if a Man should take a View of, it would perhaps, be one of the most Melancholy Prospects that ever he beheld. To look into our Modern Plays, and there to see the Differences of Good and Evil confounded, Prophaneness, Irreligion, and Unlawful Love, made the masterly Stroaks of the fine Gentleman ”

“ We have a powerful Enemy abroad, and a more formidable one at home; I mean that Looseness and Irreligion which so abounds: and what will it avail us to subdue the one, while we encourage the other? The Hand of God has been lifted up against us, we have seen the Terrors of the Lord, and felt the Arrows of the Almighty; and what can all this mean, but to awaken us to a due Sense of our Danger? And, 'tis to be hop'd, the Nation has already taken the Alarm, and begin to think how to avert God's Displeasure. The Stage is called in Question, and Papers are dispers'd to warn us of its Mischiefs ”

“ Do they in any wise herein adorn their Profession, resemble the Christians who lived in the first Ages of Christianity; or those who in any Age since have been celebrated for their Virtue?
IX. Can Persons in good earnest pray, as they are directed in the Lord's-Prayer, Not to be led into Temptation, and yet frequent the Play-House, where they are assaulted with more and greater Temptations than incounter them perhaps in any other Place? ”

“ VII. Can Persons who have good Dispositions to Religion, who go but once or twice in a Year to the Play-House, say, upon their Experience, that they think the seeing of Plays is proper to encrease the Love of God in Men, to fit them for holy Exercises, and to promote their spiritual Welfare? or rather, Must they not own, that by the seeing of Plays they are more indisposed for Religious Performances ”

“ It is thought proper, under our present Calamity, and before the approaching FAST, to collect some of the Prophane and Immoral Expressions out of several late PLAYS, and to put them together in a little Compass, that the Nation may thereby be more convinced of the Impiety of the Stage, the Guilt of such as frequent it, and the Necessity of putting a Stop thereto, either by a total Suppression of the Play-Houses, as was done in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, or by a Suspension for some considerable time, after the Example of other Nations ”

“ I heartily wish there were many more such bright Examples in the World, that the Ladies might be at last convinc'd, That there is something worthy their Imitation beyond the Modes of Dress and Equipage; something which will render them much more agreeable to the best and wisest of their Admirers, and, in time, no less pleasing to themselves. ”

“ Can such, tho' they could think themselves wholly secure from taking Infection in going to the Play-House, encourage others, even weak and feeble Christians, by their Example, to run to the same dangerous Place likewise? Can this be thought an Expression of their Charity to their Neighbour, or to be acceptable to Almighty God? or rather, Should not Compassion to the Souls of their Neighbours keep such as have a due Concern for them from going to such Places? ”

“ Must not such Diversions (to say no worse of 'em) insensibly steal upon the Affections, especially of the Younger sort; give their Minds quite a wrong Biass, and disarm them of that Severity which is their greatest Guard, and which, when once lost, leaves 'em an easie Prey to every Temptation? Will not those Lewd Scenes of Love, wherewith almost every Play is fraught, inflame the Fancy, heighten the Imagination, and render a Person thus prepar'd, a fit Subject for ill designing People to work on? ”

“ Do they think it a Sin to give the least Encouragement to Vice, and at the same time believe themselves Innocent, when by their Persons, and their Purses, they contribute to the cherishing the very Seed-Plot of Irreligion? 'Tis to no purpose for such to say, That they are cautious what Plays they see, and always go to the best and that the Play-Houses would thrive whether they frequented them or no. This may he true, but what then, Will this excuse them? Suppose a powerful Rebellion is begun in a Nation, and carried on successfully, for some time ”

“ I make no doubt but the Age (as corrupt as it is) can furnish us with many Instances of those of your Sex, who think the Beauty of the Mind does far surpass the gay Appearances of the most splendid Outside: But yet, it must be confessed, that there are others, (and those not a few) whose Lives are almost one continued Circle of Vanity and Folly. ”

“ I say, whether such a Regulation of the Stage be possible, must be left to those who have Skill and Authority to try the Experiment. In the mean time, it will be every one's Duty to run from a Place of such Infection, least they contribute to the spreading a Disease which may, in time, prove Fatal to the whole Nation. ”

“ Evil treated as Good, and Good as Evil, and all this highly aggravated by being done in cool Blood, upon Choice and Deliberation? Can those, I say, that frequent the Play-Houses, and are not displeased with any of these things, be thought to have any due Sense of Religion? ”

“ The author reveals within his tract some of the reasons for its appearance at that time. He remarks upon the obvious failure of the opponents of the theater to end "the outragious and insufferable Disorders of the STAGE." He stresses the brazenness of the players in presenting, soon after the devastating storm of the night of November 26-27, 1703, two plays, Macbeth and The Tempest, "as if they design'd to Mock the Almighty Power of God, who alone commands the Winds and the Seas." ”

“ By the Prophaneness of them they are apt to instil bad Principles into the Minds of Men, and to lessen that Awe, and Reverence which all Men ought to have for God and Religion: and by their Lewdness they teach Vice, and art apt to infect the Minds of Men, and dispose them to Lewd and Dissolute Practices. ”

“ If they look into the 11th Volume of his Sermons, they will find that in his Discourse against the Evil of Corrupt Communication, he tells them, That Plays, as the Stage now is, are intolerable, and not fit to be permitted in a Civiliz'd, much less in a Christian Nation, They do most notoriously minister, says he, both to Infidelity and Vice. ”

“ The abominable obscene Expressions which so frequently occur in our Plays, as if the principal Design of them was to gratifie the lewd and vicious part of the Audience, and to corrupt the virtuously dispos'd, are in this black Collection wholly omitted ”

“ In short, that the Stage may become so Chast, that even those Birds of Prey who now hover about the Play-Houses and make the Avenues to 'em so dangerous, may fly away from a Place that will no longer Encourage nor Protect them. ”

“ You are urged to write the editors, who are anxious to know, not only what you would like to see reprinted, but also what items already printed you have found most useful, and what sort of information you think is most profitable to include in the Introductions. At present we offer a minimum of six issues annually. As soon as the Society's membership increases sufficiently to warrant it, we shall bring out additional publications at no extra charge. ”

“ VI. Can it be denied, but that the going of a few sober Persons, tho' but once a Year, to see a Play, that they think less offensive and dangerous, does encourage many others to go frequently to Plays, and to those that are more abominably loose and prophane ”

“ V. Can Persons who know 'tis generally allowed, that the Infidelity and Looseness of the Age is very much owing to the Play-Houses; who have observed, that the Zeal of particular Persons have decreased, and their Strictness of Life abated, by their going to Plays ”

“ No surely, it cannot but be hoped, that a Suspension at least of the Players acting for some considerable time will follow, when the Prophaneness and Immorality of the Stage comes to Her Majesty's Knowledge, who, 'tis to be remembred, has never once given any Countenance to the Play-House by Her Royal Presence, since Her happy Accession to the Throne. ”

“ Collier's Letter, refers to a quotation from Tillotson which appears on pages 8-9 of Some Thoughts and begins his reference to the pamphlet by designating it as a "Letter written by you [Collier] , tho' without Name." In any event, both A Representation and Some Thoughts stem from the renewed opposition to the stage which arose in the winter of 1703-1704 and were activated in part by the belief that the great storm of 1703 was a judgment brought on England by, among other faults, the licentiousness of the stage. ”