ཝཱཧི hese neurrigible plava vere formed entirely consistnterrning ing of sich personifications. These cholas skinn af huse plons were cailed moralities. The mira1 * varian that they had cle-plays, or mysteries, were totally not only a fewching the destitute of invention and plan: Truths & Scriptada to men they tamely represented stories, acfoot odd mot évad the Bible, but cording to the letter of the Scripkto the disking. Be, barbarma attach- ture, or the respective legend. But b Huldary games, and the the moralities indicate dawnings of Idock, sutinting of the tourna. the dramatic art; they contain some tunk, which had so long prevailed rudiments of a plot, and even ata de apoidea of popular amuse- tempt to delineate characters, and tule and even ridiculous to paint manners. From hence the were, they softened the gradual transition to real historical pok chhe people, by diverting personages was natural and obvious. polda attention to spectacles in Mysteries were probably seldom A de und was concerned, and represented after the Stat. 34 & 35, 4 regard for other arts Hen. VIII., c. 1.; which was made, bodily strength and as the preamble informs us, with a view that the kingdom should be a hot Nook on Mys- purged and cleansed of all religious Une adcoding Serip- plays, interludes, rhymes, ballads, 718446 esavals and songs, which are equally pestiV di Cardeilsa-erous and noisome to the common As it is uncertain at what Mac Cat Cact period of time the ancient Vidine Hysteries ceased to be represented Cruinary spectacie for the musement of the people, and movere substituted in their tis equally difficult to as A A Precise ime when the Like Vay to a more legitimate Clivion. In 1570 the een Elizabeth;, this Ima devan to lose muen mana tevalilly vull vas superseded Zau more he Muller and tragedy. Vere exibited Luricai dramas, Rusu curumcies, - events e in walich 25343 DOUE ne years been the boast and admira- We have just adverted to the tion of his countrymen. Shaks- Historical dramas which were popupeare's genius was a combination of lar when the brilliant career of that of Eschylus and Aristophanes Shakspeare commenced. He judi-the tragic and comic-Hamlet ciously adopted the kind of writing and Falstaff-the sublime and the which they presented as the vehicle ridiculous. Whilst we feel, and for displaying his surpassing genius; are ever ready to acknowledge, the and certainly if our youth could witobligations which, as a nation, we ness, apart from the polluting vices are under to this great poet, for which are the indisputable, and it exemplifying the vast capabilities of would seem inseparable concomiour language, and for bequeathing tants of our theatres, the graphic delito his countrymen and their latest neation of historic character which posterity the immense mass of the immortal bard has traced in his household words and sentiments, Plays of King John, Richard II., and rules of practical prudence, as Henry IV., V., VI., Richard III., well as the elevating and ennobling and Henry VIII., they would proba thoughts which abound in his writ- bly be not only better acquainted with ings, we cannot withhold transcrib- what is ever considered desirable ing the condemnatory criticism and praiseworthy-the knowledge of which one of his most ardent and the history of one's country; but able panegyrists, Dr. Johnson,* felt also with the moral lessons which no himself impelled to record. He writer could convey with equal force says, "Shakspeare's first defect is and beauty, appropriately deduced that to which may be imputed most as they were from the events which of the evils in books or in men. he undertook to dramatize. He sacrifices virtue to convenience, I know not that I was ever more and is so much more careful to wholly absorbed or mentally gratified, please than to instruct that he seems than in witnessing, some years ago, to write without any moral purpose. one of our greatest tragedians perFrom his writings indeed a system sonate the character of Henry ÏV.; of social duty may be selected, for especially in the scene where royalty he that thinks reasonably must shews itself to be one of the nonthink morally; but his precepts and essentials of the man; where, notaxioms drop casually from him; he withstanding the magnificence of makes no distribution of good or the princely apartment, the softness evil, nor is always careful to shew of the downy couch, and all the inin the virtuous a disapprobation of signia of earthly grandeur-the the wicked; he carries his persons in- lengthened years and accumulated differently through right and wrong, infirmities of the monarch, and the and at the close dismisses them civil distractions of his kingdom, without further care, and leaves their combine to give an exquisite pathos examples to operate by chance. to the midnight soliloquy in which This fault the barbarity of his age he thus apostrophises sleep. cannot extenuate; for it is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue dependent on time or place." * Preface to Shakspeare. "How many thousand of my poorest subjects in-Are at this hour asleep!--Sleep, gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down, And steep my senses in forgetfulness? trada ai te temple plans were fired entirely consistadsen who presumed to interrupt me of such persofrations. These the the chéren of the plots were cauri mrin. The miravoru. It a certain that they had tle-plays, OF MTRCEDES, were totally their we, wa guy i vaching the destine of vention and plan: great truths of Scpture to men they tamely represented stories, acwho could not read the Bible, but erring to the letter of the Scripin dividing the barbarous attach ture, or the respective legend. But ment to military games, and the the moralines indicate dawnings of broody contentions of the touma. the dramatic art; they contain some ment; which had so long prevalled rudiments of a plot, and even atas the sole species of popular amuse- tempt to delineate characters, and ment. Rode and even ridiculous to paint manners. From hence the as they were, they softened the gradual transition to real historical manners of the people, by diverting personages was natural and obvious. the public attention to spectacles in Mysteries were probably seldom which the mind was concerned, and represented after the Stat. 34 & 35, by creating a regard for other arts Hen. VIII., c. 1.; which was made, than those of bodily strength and as the preamble informs us, with a Savage valour. view that the kingdom should be Mr. Hone in his Book on Mys- purged and cleansed of all religious teries, says "The exhibiting Scrip- plays, interludes, rhymes, ballads, ture dramas on the great festivals and songs, which are equally pestientered into the regular establish- ferous and noisome to the common ment, and formed part of the do- weal. As it is uncertain at what mestic regulations of our ancient exact period of time the ancient nobility; and what is more remark- mysteries ceased to be represented able, it was as much the business of as an ordinary spectacle for the the chaplain, in those days, to com- amusement of the people, and mopose plays for the family, as it is ralities were substituted in their now for him to make sermons." room; it is equally difficult to as In the year 1378, the scholars, certain the precise time when the or choristers, of St. Paul's cathedral, latter gave way to a more legitimate presented a petition to King Richard theatrical exhibition. In 1570 (the the second, praying his majesty to 13th year of Queen Elizabeth), this prohibit some ignorant and unex-species of drama began to lose much perienced persons from acting "The of its attraction, and was superseded History of the Old Testament," to by something that had more the the great prejudice of the clergy of appearance of comedy and tragedy. the Church, who had expended About this period were exhibited considerable sums for a public pre- many histories, or historical dramas, sentation of that play at the ensuing formed on our English chronicles, Christmas. and representing a series of events As the mysteries, or miracle- simply in the order of time in which plays, freqently required the in- they happened. At length (about troduction of allegorical characters, the year 1591) Shakspeare, the such as Charity, Sin, Death, Hope, great luminary of the dramatic Faith, or the like, and as the com- world, blazed out, and our poet mon poetry of the times began to produced those plays which have deal much in allegory, at length now for upwards of two hundred and praiseworthy-the knowledge of the history of one's country; but also with the moral lessons which no writer could convey with equal force and beauty, appropriately deduced as they were from the events which he undertook to dramatize. years been the boast and admira- We have just adverted to the tion of his countrymen. Shaks- Historical dramas which were popupeare's genius was a combination of lar when the brilliant career of that of Eschylus and Aristophanes Shakspeare commenced. He judi-the tragic and comic-Hamlet ciously adopted the kind of writing and Falstaff-the sublime and the which they presented as the vehicle ridiculous. Whilst we feel, and for displaying his surpassing genius; are ever ready to acknowledge, the and certainly if our youth could witobligations which, as a nation, we ness, apart from the polluting vices are under to this great poet, for which are the indisputable, and it exemplifying the vast capabilities of would seem inseparable concomiour language, and for bequeathing tants of our theatres, the graphic delito his countrymen and their latest neation of historic character which posterity the immense mass of the immortal bard has traced in his household words and sentiments, Plays of King John, Richard II., and rules of practical prudence, as Henry IV., V., VI., Richard III., well as the elevating and ennobling and Henry VIII., they would proba thoughts which abound in his writ- bly be not only better acquainted with ings, we cannot withhold transcrib- what is ever considered desirable ing the condemnatory criticism which one of his most ardent and able panegyrists, Dr. Johnson,* felt himself impelled to record. He says, "Shakspeare's first defect is that to which may be imputed most of the evils in books or in men. He sacrifices virtue to convenience, I know not that I was ever more and is so much more careful to wholly absorbed or mentally gratified, please than to instruct that he seems than in witnessing, some years ago, to write without any moral purpose. one of our greatest tragedians perFrom his writings indeed a system sonate the character of Henry IV.; of social duty may be selected, for especially in the scene where royalty he that thinks reasonably must shews itself to be one of the nonthink morally; but his precepts and essentials of the man; where, notaxioms drop casually from him; he withstanding the magnificence of makes no distribution of good or the princely apartment, the softness evil, nor is always careful to shew of the downy couch, and all the inin the virtuous a disapprobation of signia of earthly grandeur-the the wicked; he carries his persons in- lengthened years and accumulated differently through right and wrong, infirmities of the monarch, and the and at the close dismisses them civil distractions of his kingdom, without further care, and leaves their combine to give an exquisite pathos examples to operate by chance. to the midnight soliloquy in which This fault the barbarity of his age he thus apostrophises sleep. cannot extenuate; for it is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue independent on time or place." * Preface to Shakspeare. "How many thousand of my poorest subjects Are at this hour asleep!-Sleep, gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down, And steep my senses in forgetfulness? Why rather sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, slumber; Than in the perfum'd chambers of the great, couch, A watch-case, or a common 'larum bell? brains In cradle of the rude imperious surge; Who take the ruffian billows by the top, them clouds, With deaf'ning clamours in the slippery pose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude; Henry IV., 2d Part., Act III., Sce. 1. 66 of the afternoon, as the period of amusement. In one of the chapters in Jeremy Collier's work, published in 1698, treating of the "profaneness of the stage," he says, As to cursing and swearing, the English Stage exceeds its predecessors, in this as well as other branches of immorality. Shakspeare is comparatively sober, Ben Johnson is still more regular, and as for Beaumont and Fletcher, in their plays they are commonly profligate persons that swear, and even those are reproved for it; besides the oaths are not so full of hell and defiance, as in the moderns." Religion, as the associate of puritanism and the stern reprover of the unbounded licentiousness in language and behaviour which the and contemned. The line of detheatre then exhibited, was derided markation between the patrons of piety and of the drama became much more strongly and decidedly drawn. That the stage in the time of Shak- The solemn reproofs of the one were speare was much less injurious to met by the scoffing ridicule of the morals, notwithstanding the gross- other, until it assumed the character ness of the language in which he of an indisputable moral axiom in frequently indulged, which, by the the mind of the religious party of way, was rather the language of his that day, that the theatre was none times, than it became after the resto- other than the place where Satan's ration, when Charles II. imported, seat is,' and that those who resorted with his exiled companions, the vices thither might doubtless expect to of the French court, and which gave be taken captive' by him, at his the tone to the theatrical represen-will;-as one of the ancient fathers tations of that and the subsequent makes the evil spirit thus to justify period, will not be disputed. It is his possession of the mind of an errworthy of regard that in Shakspeare's time the performances were by day, from about one to three o'clock. The increased profligacy which characterized the theatre nearly a century afterwards, and has since been perpetuated, may in some measure be accounted for, by the evening and night season being substituted for the ancient use of the early part *Noise. 6 ing Christian sister who was present at one of these entertainments—“ I seized her upon my own ground!" That the puritans did not rest their arguments against the stage, mainly upon their own peculiar views of religious truth which, however sincerely entertained, their opponents might contend were erroneous, is evident from the work of William Prynne, a satirical and pungent writer, who suffered many |