Affairs, a sufficient Reason for this, tho'
the Play-Houses were less mischievous to the Nation than they are?

Are we not also loudly called upon to lay aside this prophane Diversion,
by the late dreadful Storm, terrible beyond that which we are told was
felt in the Year 1636? which, as a Right Reverend Prelate has observ'd,
some good Men then thought presag'd further Calamity to this Nation, and
was accordingly followed by the Commotions in _Scotland_ the very next
Year, and not long after by the Civil War in _England_.

And if we go on to countenance such open and flagrant Defiances of
Almighty God, have we not great Reason to fear his heavy Judgments will
consume us?

But further, Her Majesty having now, upon Occasion of the late great
Calamity, appointed a Day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation throughout
the Kingdom, for the deprecating of God's Wrath, surely the Players have
little Reason to expect that they shall still go on in their abominable
Outrages; who, 'tis to be observed with Indignation, did, as we are
assured, within a few Days after we felt the late dreadful Storm,
entertain their Audience with the ridiculous Representation of what had
fill'd us with so great Horror in their Plays call'd 'Mackbeth' and the
'Tempest' as if they design'd to Mock the Almighty Power of God, _who
alone commands the Winds and the Seas, and they obey him_. No surely, it
cannot but be hoped, that a Suspension at least of the Players acting
for some considerable time will follow, when the _Prophaneness and
Immorality of the Stage_ comes to Her Majesty's Knowledge, who, 'tis to
be remembred, has never once given any Countenance to the Play-House by
Her Royal Presence, since Her happy Accession to the Throne.

The abominable obscene Expressions which so frequently occur in our
Plays, as if the principal Design of them was to gratifie the lewd and
vicious part of the Audience, and to corrupt the virtuously dispos'd,
are in this black Collection wholly omitted; lest thereby fresh Poison
should be administred instead of an Antidote.

_After the Endeavours used by Sir Richard Blackmore, Mr. Collier, and
others, to Correct and Reform the _Scandalous Disorders and Abuses of
the Stage_ were found too unsuccessful; in the Year _1699_, several of
the _Players_ were prosecuted in the Court of _Common-Pleas_, upon the
Statute of _3 Jac. 1._ for prophanely using the Name of GOD upon the
_Stage_, and Verdicts were obtained against them._