Jeremy Collier

“ And if as Monsieur Rapin observes, Poetry requires a mixture of Truth and Fable; Mr. Dryden may make his advantage, for his Play is much better founded on Reality than He was aware of.
It may not be improper to consider in a word or two, what a frightfull Idea the Holy Scriptures give us of Hell. 'Tis describ'd by all the Circumstances of Terror, by every Thing dreadful to Sense, and amazing to Thought. The Place, the Company, the Duration, are all Considerations of Astonishment. And why has God given us this solemn warning? Is it not to awaken our Fears, and guard our Happiness ”

“ The more Natural, the worse; for the Disgust always rises with the Life of the Description. Offensive Language like offensive Smells, does but make a Man's Senses a burthen, and affords him nothing but Loathing and Aversion. Beastliness in Behaviour, gives a disparaging Idea of Humane Nature, and almost makes us sorry we are of the same Kind. For these reasons 'tis a Maxime in Good Breeding never to shock the Senses, or Imagination. This Rule holds strongest before Women, and especially when they come to be entertain'd. The Diversion ought to be suited to the Audience ”

“ Lovelace sinks in the middle of the Fourth Act, and we hear no more of him till towards the End of the Fifth, where he enters once more, but then 'tis as Cato did the Senate house, only to go out again. And as for Amanda she has nothing to do but to stand a shock of Courtship, and carry off her Virtue. This I confess is a great task in the Play-house, but no main matter in the Play.
The Intrigue, and the Discovery, the great Revolution and success, turns upon Young Fashion. He without Competition, is the Principal Person in the Comedy. ”

“ To see the Immortals play such Gambols, and the biggest Beings do the least Actions, is strangely unnatural. An Emperour in the Grimaces of an Ape, or the Diversions of a Kitten, would not be half so ridiculous. Now as Monsieur Rapin observes, without Decorum there can be no probability, nor without Probability any true Beauty. Nature must be minded, otherwise Things will look forced, tawdry, and chimerical. Mr. Dryden discourses very handsomly on this occasion in his Preface to Albion and Albanius.p. ”

“ Why the main of it was only because Lord Foplington refused to supply his Luxury, and make good his Extravagance. This Young Fashion after all, is the Poets Man of Merit. He provides, a Plot and a Fortune, on purpose for him. To speak freely, A Lewd Character seldom wants good Luck in Comedy. So that when ever you see a thorough Libertine, you may almost swear he is in a rising way, and that the Poet intends to make him a great Man. In short; This Play perverts the End of Comedy: Which as Monsieur Rapin observes ought to regard Reformation, and publick Improvement. ”

“ To what end can such Horrible stuff as this serve, unless to expose the Notion, and extinguish the Belief of a Deity? The Perfections of God, are Himself. To ridicule his Attributes and his Being, are but two words for the same Thing. These Attributes are bestow'd on Jupiter with great Prodigality, and afterwards execrably outrag'd. The Case being thus, the Cover of an Idol, is too thin a pretence to Screen the Blasphemy. Nothing but Mr. Dryden's Absolom and Achitophel can out-do This. ”

“ Look you Tam, your poverty makes your Life so burdensome to you, you would provoke me to a Quarrel, in hopes either to slip through my Lungs into my Estate, or else to get your self run through the Guts, to put an end to your Pain. ”

“ Aristotle and Rapin call them the Causes and Principles of Action. They are formed upon the Diversities of Age, and Sex, of Fortune, Capacity, and Education. The propriety of Manners consists in a Conformity of Practise, and Principle; of Nature, and Behaviour. For the purpose. An old Man must not appear with the Profuseness and Levity of Youth; A Gentleman must not talk like a Clown, nor a Country Girl like a Town Jilt. And when the Characters are feign'd 'tis Horace's Rule to keep them Uniform, and consistent, and agreeable to their first setting out. ”

“ In this Play Mr. Dryden represents Jupiter with the Attributes of the supream Being: He furnishes him with Omnipotence, makes him the Creator of Nature, and the Arbiter of Fate, puts all the Functions of Providence in his Hand, and describes him with the Majesty of the true God.Amphit. p. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9. And when he has put Him in this glorious Equipage, he brings him out for Diversion. He makes him express himself in the most intemperate Raptures:p. 8. 17. He is willing to Renounce his Heaven for his Brutality, and employ a whole Eternity in Lewdness. ”

“ When Sir Tun-belly ask'd him, pray where are your Coaches and Servants my Lord? He makes a trifling excuse. Sir, that I might give you and your Fair Daughter a proof how impatient I am to be nearer akin to you, I left my Equipage to follow me, and came away Post, with only one Servant.p. 59. To be in such a Hurry of Inclination for a Person he never saw, is somewhat strange! Besides, 'tis very unlikely Lord Foplington should hazard his Complexion on Horseback, out ride his Figure, and appear a Bridegroom in Deshabille. ”

“ And as this is the Character of Lord Foplington, so 'tis reasonable to suppose Sir Tunbelly acquainted with it. An enquiry into the Humour and management of a Son in Law, is very natural and Customary. So that we can't without Violence to Sense, suppose Sir Tunbelly a Stranger to Lord Foplington's Singularities. These Reasons were enough in all Conscience to make Sir Tunbelly suspect a Juggle, and that Fashion was no better then a Counterfeit. Why then was the Credential swallow'd without chewing, why was not Hoyden lock'd up, and a pause made for farther Enquiry? ”

“ After this horrible abuse of the Works, and Attributes of God, he goes on to make sport with his Vengeance. He makes the Torments of Hell a very Comical Entertainment: As if they were only Flames in Painting, and Terrors in Romance. The Stygian Frogs in Aristophanes are not represented with more Levity, and Drolling. That the Reader may see I do him no wrong, I shall quote the places which is the main Reason why I have transcrib'd the rest of his Profaness. ”

“ It heartens the Young Libertine, and confirms the well-wishers to Atheism, and makes Vice bold, and enterprising. Such Diversions serve to dispel the Gloom, and guild the Horrors of the Shades below, and are a sort of Ensurance against Damnation. ”

“ If their business is playing the Fool, keep them strictly to their Duty, and never indulge them in fine Sentences. To manage otherwise, is to desert Nature, and makes the Play appear monstrous, and Chimerical. So that instead of an Image of Life, 'tis rather an Image of Impossibility. To apply some of these remarks to the Relapser. ”

“ Fashion a Lewd, Prodigal, younger Brother; is reduced to extremity: Upon his arrival from his Travels, he meets with Coupler, an old sharping Match-maker; This Man puts him upon a project of cheating his Elder Brother Lord Foplington, of a rich Fortune. Young Fashion being refused a Summ of Money by his Brother, goes into Couplers Plot, bubbles Sir Tunbelly of his Daughter, and makes himself Master of a fair Estate. ”

“ Those that bring Devils upon the Stage, can hardly believe them any where else. Besides, the Effects of such an Entertainment must needs be admirable! To see Hell thus play'd with is a mighty Refreshment to a lewd Conscience, and a byass'd Understanding. ”

“ He would have her resign her Vertue out of Civility, and abuse her Husband on Principles of good Nature. Worthy pursues his point, and Rises in his Address. He falls into a Fit of Dissection, and hopes to gain his Mistress by Cutting his Throat. He is for Ripping up his Faithful Breast, to prove the Reality of his Passion. Now when a Man Courts with his Heart in his Hand, it must be great Cruelty to refuse him! No Butcher could have Thought of a more moving Expedient! However, Amanda continues obstinate, and is not in the usual Humour of the Stage. ”

“ The very Oppositions must be useful, and appear only to be Conquer'd, and Countermin'd. To represent Two considerable Actions independent of each other, Destroys the beauty of Subordination, weakens the Contrivance, and dilutes the pleasure. ”

“ Lovelace, Amanda, and Berinthia, have no share in the main Business. These Second rate Characters are a detatched Body: Their Interest is perfectly Foreign, and they are neither Friends, nor Enemies to the Plot. Young Fashion does not so much as see them till the Close of the Fifth Act, and then they meet only to fill the Stage: And yet these Persons are in the Poets account very considerable; Insomuch that he has misnamed his Play from the Figure of two of them. ”

“ This Lord in Discourse with Fashion forgets his Name, flies out into Sense, and smooth expression, out talks his Brother, and abating the starch'd Similitude of a Watch, discovers nothing of Affectation, for almost a Page together.p. ”

“ Thus far I have examin'd the Dramatick Merits of the Play. And upon enquiry, it appears a Heap of Irregularities. There is neither Propriety in the Name, nor Contrivance in the Plot, nor Decorum in the Characters. 'Tis a thorough Contradition to Nature, and impossible in Time, and Place. Its Shining Graces as the Author calls them,Pref. are Blasphemy and Baudy, together with a mixture of Oaths, and Cursing. Upon the whole; The Relapser's Judgment, and his Morals, are pretty well adjusted. The Poet, is not much better than the Man. As for the Profane part, 'tis hideous and superlative.see Chap. ”

“ Phœbus and Mercury have Manners assign'd very disagreeable to their Condition. The later abating Propriety of Language, talks more like a Water-man than a Deity. They rail against the Gods, and call Mars and Vulcan the two Fools of Heaven. Mercury is pert upon his Father Jupiter, makes jests upon his Pleasures, and his Greatness, and is horribly smutty and profane.p. ”

“ Tun-belly falls into the same Misfortune of a Wit, and rallies above the force of his Capacity.p. 85. But the place having a mixture of Profaness, I shall forbear to cite it. Now to what purpose should a Fools Coat be embroider'd? Finery in the wrong place is but expensive Ridiculousness. Besides, I don't perceive the Relapser was in any Condition to be thus liberal. And when a Poet is not overstock'd, to squander away his Wit among his Block-heads, is meer Distraction. His men of Sense will smart for this prodigality. Lovelace in his discourse of Friendship, shall be the first Instance. ”

“ To put this out of doubt, Lord, Foplington is particularly careful to tell Coupler, how concern'd he was not to overdrive for fear of disordering his Coach-Horses. The Laws of Place, are no better observ'd than those of Time. In the Third Act the Play is in Town, in the Fourth Act 'tis stroll'd Fifty Miles off, and in the Fifth Act in London again. Here Pegasus stretches it to purpose! ”

“ By his favour, all Imitations tho' never so well Counterfeited are not proper for the Stage. To present Nature under every Appearance would be an odd undertaking. A Midnight Cart, or a Dunghil would be no Ornamental Scene. Nastyness, and dirty Conversation are of the same kind. For Words are a Picture to the Ear, as Colours and Surface are to the Eye. ”

“ But Deputy Lieutenants Children don't use to appear with the Behaviour of Beggars. To breed all People alike, and make no distinction between a Seat, and a Cottage, is not over artful, nor very ceremonious to the Country Gentlemen. The Relapser gives Miss a pretty Soliloquy, I'll transcribe it for the Reader.
She swears by her Maker, 'tis well I have a Husband a coming, or I'de Marry the Baker I would so. ”

“ Dryden represents these unhappy Spirits, and their Place of Abode. Why very entertainingly! Those that have a true Tast for Atheism were never better regaled. One would think by this Play the Devils were meer Mormo's and Bugbears, fit only to fright Children and Fools. They rally upon Hell and Damnation, with a great deal of Air and Pleasantry ”

“ The divulging it tends only to debauch Mankind, and shake the Securities of Civil Life. However, if they have been in the other World and find it empty, and uninhabited, and are acquainted with all the Powers, and Places, in Being; If they can show the Impostures of Religion, and the Contradictions of Common Belief, they have something to say for themselves. ”