And then as for the General Strains of Courtship, there can be nothing more Profane and extravagant. The Hero's Mistress is no less than his Deity. She disposes of his Reason, prescribes his Motions, and Commands his Interest. What Soveraign Respect, what Religious Address, what Idolizing Raptures are we pester'd with? _Shrines_ and _Offerings_ and Adorations, are nothing upon such solemn Occasions. Thus Love and Devotion, Ceremony and Worship are Confounded; And God, and his Creatures treated both alike! These Shreds of Distraction are often brought from the _Play-House_ into Conversation: And thus the _Sparks_ are taught to Court their Mistresses, in the same Language they say their _Prayers_.
A Second Thing which I have to object against the _Stage_ is their encouraging Revenge. What is more Common than Duels and Quarrelling in their _Characters_ of Figure? Those Practises which are infamous in Reason, _Capital_ in _Law_, and Damnable in Religion, are the Credit of the _Stage_. Thus Rage and Resentment, Blood and Barbarity, are almost Deified: Pride goes for Greatness, and _Fiends_ and _Hero's_ are made of the same Mettal. To give Instances were needless, nothing is more frequent. And in this respect the _French Dramatists_ have been to blame no less than the _English_.[503] And thus the Notion of Honour is mistated, the Maxims of Christianity despised, and the Peace of the World disturb'd. I grant this desperate Custom is no _Original_ of the _Stage_. But then why was not the Growth of it check'd? I thought the _Poets_ business had not been to back false Reasoning and ill Practise; and to fix us in Frensy and Mistake! Yes. They have done their endeavour to cherish the Malignity, and keep the Disorder in Countenance. They have made it both the Mark, and the Merit of a Man of Honour; and set it off with _Quality_, and Commendation. But I have discours'd on this Subject elswhere,[504] and therefore shall pursue it no farther.
To draw towards an End. And here I must observe that these two later Exceptions are but Petty Mismanagements with respect to the Former. And when the best are thus bad, what are the worst? What must we say of the more foul Representations, of all the Impudence in Language and Gesture? Can this Stuff be the Inclination of _Ladies_? Is a _Reading_ upon Vice so Entertaining, and do they love to see the _Stews Dissected_ before them? One would think the Dishonour of their own Sex, the Discovery of so much Lewdness, and the treating Human Nature so very Coarsly, could have little Satisfaction in't. Let us set Conscience aside, and throw the other World out of the Question: These Interests are but the greatest, but not all. The _Ladies_ have other Motives to confine them. The Restraints of Decency, and the Considerations of Honour, are sufficient to keep them at Home. But hoping They will be just to themselves I shall wave this unacceptable Argument. I shall only add, that a Surprize ought not to be Censured. Accidents are no Faults. The strictest Virtue may sometimes stumble upon an _Ill Sight_. But Choise, and Frequency, and ill Ground, conclude strongly for Inclination. To be assured of the inoffensiveness of the _Play_ is no more than a Necessary Precaution. Indeed the _Players_ should be generally discouraged. They have no relish of Modesty, nor any scruples upon the Quality of the Treat. The grossest _Dish_ when 'twill down is as ready as the Best. To say Money is their Business and they must _Live_, is the Plea of _Pick pockets_, and _High way men_. These later may as well pretend their _Vocation_ for a Lewd practise as the other. But