ar hirelings, that
by tampering the theatres, and by poisoning the people, made a
play-house more seditious than a conventicle; so that the loyal party
crave only the same freedom of defending the government, which the
other took beforehand of exposing and defaming it. There was no
complaint of any disorders of the stage, in the bustle that was made
(even to the forming of a party) to uphold a farce of theirs.[5] Upon
the first day, the whole faction (in a manner) appeared; but after one
sight of it, they sent their proxies of serving-men and porters, to
clap in the right of their patrons; and it was impossible ever to have
gotten off the nonsense of three hours for half-a-crown, but for the
providence of so congruous an audience. Thus far, I presume, the
reckoning is even, for bad plays on both sides, and for plays written
for a party. I shall say nothing of their poets' affection to the
government; unless upon an absolute and an odious necessity. But to
return to the pretended Parallel.

I have said enough already to convince any man of common sense, that
there neither was, nor could be, any Parallel intended; and it will
farther appear, from the nature of the subject; there being no
relation betwixt Henry the Third and the Duke of Guise, except that of
the king's marrying into the family of Lorraine. If a comparison had
been designed, how easy had it been either to have found a story, or
to have invented one, where the ties of nature had been nearer? If we
consider their actions, or their persons, a much less proportion will
be yet found betwixt them; and if we bate the popularity, perhaps none
at all. If we consider them in reference to their parties, the one was
manifestly the leader; the other, at the worst, is but misled. The
designs of the one tended openly to usurpation; those of the other may
yet be interpreted more fairly; and I hope, from the natural candour
and probity of his temper, that it will come to a perfect submission
and reconcilement at last. But that which perfectly destroys this
pretended Parallel is, that our picture of the Duke of Guise is
exactly according to the original in the history; his actions, his
manners, nay, sometimes his very words, are so justly copied, that
whoever has read him in Davila, sees him the same here. There is no
going out of the way, no dash of a pen to make any by-feature resemble
him to any other man; and indeed, excepting his ambition, there was
not in France, or p