This Endeavour to fupprefs the Comedians acting in the Hay-market, proving ineffectual, and no hopes of a Re-union then appearing, the Remains of the Players left in Drury-lane, were. reduced to a very low condition: At this time a third purchafer, Mr. Fleetwood, ftept in, and ftruck up a Bargain at once, for five parts in fix of the patent, and at the fame time gave the revolted Players their own Terms to return, and come under his Government in Drury-lane, where they ftill continue to act. But the late affair of the profecuted Comedian, going fo very ftrengly in his Favour, and the Houfe in: Goodman's Fields ftill continuing to act, gave, Encouragement to a certain Perfon to collect a fourth Company, who acted plays in the Hay-market, which Houfe the united Drury-lane Comedians had lately quitted. This person foon found it neceffary to give the Publick fome pieces of an extraordinary Kind; of which it may be enough. to fay in general Terms, they were fo openly flgrant, that the Wisdom of the Legiflature, thought it was high Time to take a proper No tice of them.

I come now to fpeak of that Law which has reduced the number of Play-houfes, and prevents the Repetition of fuch Abufes, in thofe that re-. main open.

While this Law was in debate, a lively Spirit and uncommon Eloquence was employed against it: It was faid, That to bring the Theatre under the Restraint of a Licenfer, was leading the way to an attack upon the Liberty of the Prefs.. This amounts but to a Jealousy at beft, which I hope and believe all honeft Englishmen have as, much reafon to think a groundlefs, as to fear, it

is

is a just Jealoufy: For the Stage and the Prefs, I fhall endeavour to fhew are very different WeaFons to wound with. If a great Man could be no more injured by being perfonally ridiculed, or made contemptible in a Play, than by the fame Matter only printed and read against him in a Pamphlet, or the ftrongest Verfe; then indeed the Stage and the Prefs might pretend to be upon an equal Footing: But when the wide Difference between these two Liberties come to be explain'd and confider'd, I dare lay we fhall find the Injuries from one capable of being ten times more fevere and formidable than from the other. Read what Mr. Collier, in his Defence of the Short View of the Stage fays to this point.

7

The Satyr of a Comedian, and that of a Poet, have a different Effect upon Reputation; A Character of Difadvantage upon the Stage, makes aftronger Impreffion than elsewhere: Reading is but Hearing at fecond hand; now Hearing, at best, is a more languid Conveyance than fight for the Eye is much more affecting, and ftrikes deeper into the Memory than the Ear; befides, upon the Stage, both the fenfes are in Conjunction. The Life of the Actor fortifies the Object, and awakens the Mind to take hold of it. Thus a dramatick Abufe is rivetted in the Audience; a Jeft is improved into Argument, and Rallying grows up into Reafon. Thus a Character of Scandal becomes almoft indelible; a Man goes for a Blockhead upon Con stent, and he that is made a Fool in a play, is often made one for his Life. 'Tis true, he paffes for fuch only among the prejudiced and unthinking; but these are no inconfiderable Division of Mankind. For thefe Reafons, I humbly conseive the Stage ftands in need of a great deal of X Dif

Discipline and Reftraint. To give them an unlimited Rage, is in effect to make them Mafters of all moral Distinctions, and to lay Honour and Religion at their Mercy. To fhew Greatness ridiculous, is the way to lofe the Ufe, and abate the Value of the Quality. Things made little in jeft, will foon be fo in earneft; for Laughing and Efteem are feldom beftowed on the fame Object.'

If this was Truth and Reafon forty Years ago, will it not carry the fame Conviction with it to thefe days, when there came to be a much Itronger Call for a Reformation of the Stage, than when this Author wrote against it, or perhaps than was ever known, fince the English Stage had a Being?

To conclude, let us confider this Law in a quite different Light; let us leave the political part of it quite out of the Queftion; what advantage could either the Spectators of Plays, or the Mafters of Play-houfes have gain'd, by its never having been made? How conld the fame flock of plays fupply four Theatres, which, without fuch additional Entertainments, as a Nation of common Senfe ought to be afhamed of, could not well fupply two Satiety must have been the natural Confequence of the fame Plays being twice as often repeated as now they need be; and Satiety puts an End to all Taftes that the mind of Man can delight in. Had therefore this Law been made nine Years ago, I fhould not have parted with my fhare in the patent under a thoufand pounds more than I received for it. So that as far as I am able to judge, both the Publick as Spectators, and the Patentees as Undertakers, are

or

or might be in a better way of being entertained, and more confiderable Gainers by it.

I now return to the state of the Stage, where I left it, about the Year 1697, from whence this purfuit of its Immoralities has led me farther than I first defigned to have followed it,

PART

The different state of the two Companies. Wilks. and Eftcourt invited over from Dublin. The great Theatre in the Hay market built for Betterton's Company. It anfwers not their Expectation, and fome Obfervations upon it. A Theatrical State fecret.

T

HE fecond Union of our Comedians, was

in that very memorable Year when the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland were made one. And I remember a particular that confirms me I am right in my Chronology; for the play of Hamlet being acted foon after, Eftcourt, who then took upon him to fay any thing, added a fourth Line to Shakespeare's prologue to the Play, which originally confifted but of three; but Eftcourt made it run thus:

For Us and for our Tragedy,
Thus ftooping to your Clemency,
(This being a Year of Unity,)
We beg your Hearing patiently.

This new Chronological Lime coming unexpectedly upon the Audience, was received with Applaufe, tho' feveral grave Faces look'd a little ferious upon it. However, by this Fact it is plain our Theatrical Union happened in 1707.

But