Stage says, quoting Divine _Herbert_:
A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies,
And turn delight into a Sacrifice.
Besides I do assure you, spite of your Ghostly Authority, and
Uncharitable Position, that we are not fit, we will come in, and not
only imbibe the Mystery of _Divinity_ from the Pulpit, but unriddle
the Mystery of _Iniquity_, if we can find any there. _Ben Johnson_
found out _Ananias_ and _Rabby Buisy_; _Fletcher_, _Hypocritical
Roger_; _Shakespear_, _Sir John_ of _Wrotham_; _Congreve_, _Say-grace_;
_Vanbrook_, _Bull_; _Shadwell_, _Smirk;_ and if _Durfey_ can find out
a proud, stubborn, immoral _Bernard_, [Footnote: The Chaplains Name
in _Don Quixot_.] one, that when he was a Country Curate, _would not
let the Children be brought to Church to be Christned for some odd
Jesuitical Reasons_ best known to himself, he shall presume to draw his
Picture, tho the _Absolver_ drop another Chapter of Abuse upon him for
so doing.
We find, for many Ages past, Poets have enjoy'd this Priviledge; our
Prince of Poets, _Chaucer,_ had so much to do in this kind, that we find
him weary himself, and loth to weary others with.
Of Freers I have told before,
In a making of a Crede,
And yet I cold tell worse, or more,
But Men would werien it to read.
[Footnote: Chaucer]
This I think is pithy, but here again I think his Counsel to them is
much better.
Fly fro the Prease and dwell with soothfastness,
Suffice unto thy good, tho it be small,
For horde hath, and climbing tickleness,
Prease hath Envy, and wele is blent ore all;
Savour no more then thee behove shall,
Rede wele thy self that other folk canst rede,
And trouth thee shall deliver it is no drede.
Now if he be Moral enough to take old _Chaucer_'s Advice I shall be
glad; and so much for that subject. There is nothing now remains, before
I come to vindicate _Don Quixot_, but a large Remark of his, upon the
little or no swearing in Plays, which commonly is only a kind of an
Interjection, as gad, I cod, oonz, _&c._ which I don't defend neither,
and if any others have carelesly past the Press I'm sorry for't, for I
hate them as much as he, yet because the Doctor has quoted the Statute
Law against it and Players, to slander on one side, tho to reform on
t'other, I will in return quote another piece of Law relating to Oaths,
extreamly for his advantage, for there is only this quibbling difference
between us, 'Tis a fault in us
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