Ita populus, ftudio ftupidus in funambulo,
Annimum occupar at

Here might be a juft Fable, true CharaEters, good Sence, and neat Expreffion. Here might be Nature and Morality in a de licate turn of Words: But where is the Show? where is the Action, that are the Fac totum to the Spectators?

Upon the whole; This dramatick Poetry was like a forreign Plant amongst them, the Climate not very kindly, and cultivated but indifferently; fo might put forth Leaves and Bloffoms, without yielding any Fruit of much importance.

Athens was the genuine Soyl for it, there it took, there it flourished, and ran up to overtop every thing fecular and facred: There had this Poetry the Honour, the Pomps, and the Dignity; their Regalia, and their Pontificalia.

But the Romans, moltly look'd no deeper than the Show. They took up with the outfide and Portico; their Genius dwelt in their eye; there they fed it, there indulg'd and pamper'd it immoderately: So that their Theatres and their Amphitheatres will always be remembred,tho their Tragedy and Comedy. be only fhadow; or Magni Nominis umbra.

They reckon❜d these matters of wit and fpeculation, not fo confiftent with the

feverity of an active warlike people: fomething of their old Saturn lay heavy in their heads to the very last.

Hodieque manent veftigia ruris,

fays Horace.

And he gives the Reason;

Serus enim Græcis admovit acumina Chartis :

Et poft Punica bella quietus quærere capit, Quid Sophocles, quid Thefpis,& Aeschylus utile ferrent.

CHA P. III.

The CONTENT S. The firft Chriftians cry against Idols, Stage-Plays, Pagan Worship. Apoftolical Conftitutions. Greek and Latin Fathers. Tertullian's Conceipt. Councils against Heathen Learning. Greek-Wisdom. St. Hierom, St. Austin, their Sin of Heathen Books. A Canon that no Bishop read an Heathen Book. Fulians Project. The Chriftians countermine. A Chriftian Homer, Pindar, and Euripides. Stage-Plays particularly levell'd at. The fame heat at this day in the Spanish Jefits. Pedro de Guzman against Stage-Plays, and Bull-feafts. The Name of Poet a Bugbear at the Reformation. The Herefie charged on Sing-Songs, and Stage-Plays. Marot's Pfalms. How in vogne at the French Court. Reasons against Stage-Plays. Lactantius. The fame 2000 years ago by Plato. Tragedy, Homer, Aeschylus. Objections by Ariftophanes.

WHEN

THEN our firit Chriftians had fcuffled out their way from amongst the Jews, and turn'd their back on Palestine,

they

they were put to a new fort of Game with the Gentiles.

The Law and the Old-Teftament Prophets flood 'em no longer in ftead; they must now conjure up the Sibyls, and call the Philofophers to their affistance. And as Idolatry had been the most roaring fin amongst the Ifralites; their main Cry ftill is against Idols; and nothing stood fo full in their face as did the Theatres; where Tragedies and Commedies on the Good Times and Festivals were prefented as the greatest and most folemn part of the Pagan Worstip: For thefe had their Altars, and the particular Gods to which they were confecrated. (a) Idolatria ab initio dicata, habent prophanationis fua maculam.

No wonder then if the Theatre, with all its Ministers and dependants, had a very ill name in the firft Ages of Chriftianity. Hence it was, that if any body had to do with the (b) Theatre, the Apoftolical Conftitutions would not allow him Baptifm. Saint Cyril afterwards declarcs, that when In our Baptifm we fay, Irenounce thee, Satan, and all thy works and Pomps: Thofe Pomps of the Devil are Stage-Plays, and the like vanities. To the fame Tune Tertullian, (c) That in our Baptifm renouncing the Devil and his Pomps, we cannot go to a Stage-Play without turning Apoftates.

(a) Tertull. de Idol. (b) c. 3. 48. (c) L. de Spec.

Hence

Hence indeed the Greek and Latin Fathers had an ample Field for their Eloquence and Declamation, before the Arrians, the Gnofticks, and other inteftine Herefies sprang up to divert them. So we find St. Cyprian,St.Bafil, Clement of Alexandria, very warm upon this occafion: And in many a good Homily St. Chryfoftom puts it home to 'em, and cries fhame, that people fhould liften to a Comedian with the fame ears that they hear an Evangelical Preacher,

St. Austin (d) will have thofe that go to Plays,as bad as any that write, or act them; Nullo modo potuiffeScriptiones & actiones recipi Comediarum, nifi mores recipientium Confonarent. But Tertullian runs it off beyond all of 'em,, with a notable Conceipt against the Tragedians: (e) The Devil, fays he, fets them upon their high Pantofles to give Chrift the lie, who faid, no body can add one Cubit to his Stature. Tragados Cothurnis extulit Diabolus, quia nemo poteft adjicere Cubitum unum ad Staturam fuam, & fic Mendacem facere vult Chriftum.

These Flashes from fingle Authors, and drops of heat, had no fuch wonderful effect, but that the I ragedian ftill walk'd on in his high fhooes; yet might they well expect a more terrible storm from the Reverend Fathers, when met in a body together, in (d) Epift. 202. Nectar. (e) 1, de Sport. Coun

Council Oecumenical. Then indeed began the Ecclefiaftical Thunder to fly about, and prefently the Theatres, Tragedy, Comedy, Bear-baiting, Gladiators,and Hereticks, are given all to the Devil, without diftinction.

Nor was it fufficient for the zeal of those times to put down Plays. All Heathen Learning fell under the like cenfure and condemnation. One might as well have told them of the Antipodes, as perfwaded the reading of Tully's Offices: They were 4fraid of the Greek Philofophy, like Children of Bug-bear, leaft it fetch 'em away. (f)

What a plunge was (g)St. Hierom put to, by Rufinus,laying to his charge the reading of Heathen Authors? How St. Auftin heartily begs God (g) pardon, for having read Virgil with delight in his greener years? (h) It was not only against the Figmenta poetarum, that their Canons levell'd: A Council of Carthage would not allow that a Bishop fhould read any Heathen Book. (h)

This blind Zeal gave a pleasant prospect to the Apoftate Julian: And he might well foresee what this new Religion was like to come to, without a new set of Miracles to fupport it. He therefore was, in this, for complying with them, and feconded their Designs; making a Law, that no Chriftion fhould be taught (f) Clem, Strom. (g) In Ruf. (h) Conc. 4. Can. 16.