wisely, perhaps, Motteux had printed before his comedy "Beauty in
Distress" a discourse "Of the Lawfulness and Unlawfulness of Plays"
(1698), written by the Italian monk Father Caffaro, who was professor of
divinity at the Sorbonne. Unfortunately Caffaro had, some years before
this English translation appeared, already retracted his mild opinion
that stage plays were not, _per se_, unlawful, and it was possible not
only to cite his retraction but also to offer the opinions of the Bishop
of Meux, who was better known to English readers than Father Caffaro.
The anonymous author of the preface to "Maxims and Reflections"
grants that dramatic poetry might, under certain circumstances, be
theoretically permissible, but rather more frankly than Collier he makes
it clear that his real intention is to urge the outlawing of the theater
itself, since all efforts to reform it are foredoomed to failure. "But
if", he writes, "the Reformation of the Stage be no longer practicable,
reason good that the incurable Evil should be cut off". That lets the
cat out of the bag.

Both pieces reprinted here are from copies owned by the University of
Michigan.

Joseph Wood Krutch
Columbia University

* * * * *

The Campaigners:
or, the
_Pleasant Adventures at_ Brussels.

A
COMEDY

As it is Acted at the _Theatre-Royal_.

with a
Familiar Preface
upon
_A Late Reformer of the STAGE._

Ending with a Satyrical Fable
of
the DOG and the OTTOR.

Written by Mr. _D'urfey_.

LONDON,

Printed for _A. Baldwin_, near the _Oxford Arms_ Inn
in _Warwick lane_. MDCXCVIII.

PREFACE.

I Must necessarily inform the Partial, as well as Impartial Reader,
that I had once design'd another kind of Preface to my Comedy than what
will appear in the following sheets; but having in the interim been
entertain'd with a Book lately Printed, full of Abuses on all our
Antient as well as Modern Poets, call'd _A view of the Immorality and
Prophaness of the English Stage_; and finding the Author, who, no doubt,
extreamly values himself upon his Talent of _Stage-reforming_, not
only (to use his own Ironical words) _particular in his Genius and
Civilities_, but indecently,