Church of _England_, that is, good friends, if he be so, for some
Judicious Heads are not resolv'd in that Affirmative--but let that be
_discuss'd_ in another place, I'm sure, if he is, _Obedience to
Government, in the first place, should be his principal Tenet_; and
whether that is a part of the _Absolver_'s Character, I think has
sufficiently appear'd. But let him be what he will, I shall now take the
pleasure to inform those People, that but few years since, we had a Man
of Wit and Learning, that wore the Gown, and as true a Son of the Church
as she could possibly breed; that was intirely devoted a Champion in our
Cause, and Asserted the Rights of the Stage with Success and Applause;
and whoever will but look back a little, and incline his Eyes towards
the delectable River _Cam_, may Encounter the fam'd Wit of that
University, the Ingenious Mr. _Thomas Randolph_, who in one of his great
many admirable Pieces, call'd the _Muses Looking-glass_, makes his whole
Moral to be the Vindication of the Stage, and its usefulness, and by
shewing the passions in their Kinds, contrives to confute some canting
prejudic'd Zealots, whose ignorance and frenzy had conspir'd before to
run it down; I will treat the Reader here with some of it.

A Country Lass, for such she was, tho here
In th' City may be Sluts as well as there;
Kept her hands clean, for those being always seen,
Had told her else how sluttish she had been;
Yet was her Face, as dirty as the Stall
Of a Fish-monger, or a Usurer's Hall
Begrim'd with filth, that you might boldly say,
She was a true piece of _Prometheus_'s Clay.
At last, within a Pail, for Country Lasses
Have oft you know, no other Looking-glasses,
She view'd her dirty Face, and doubtless would
Have blush'd, if through so much dirt she could.
At last, within that Water, that I say,
That shew'd the Dirt, she wash'd the Dirt away.
_So, Comedies, as Poets still intend 'em,_
_Serve first to shew your faults, and then to mend 'em._

[Footnote: _Muses Looking-Glass._]

Here was a pretty Compliment to our Art now, a good Moral with good
Manners into the bargain; and yet 'tis certain the times then were as
Licentious as now, and the Poets took as little care of their Writings;
but Mr _Randolph_ always made his good Nature agree with his Wit, and
put as favourable construction upon Scenes of Diversion, as reason would
allow, tho he perhaps had as much occasion for 50 _l._ as