he
tyranny of a solemn legislative assembly. Hypocrisy had some share in
the proceeding, very likely; but in the main the Puritanism of the
time was sincere even to its frenzies of intolerance. Good men and
true held that they were doing only what was sound, and wise, and
right, when they made ruthless war upon poetry, and painting, and all
the refinements and graces of life, denouncing them as scandals and
sins, ungodly devices, pernicious wiles of the author of all evil;
when they peremptorily closed the doors of the theatres, and dismissed
actors, authors, managers, and all concerned, to absolute starvation.

In the England of that time, no doubt, Puritanism obtained supporters
out of respect for superior power; just as in France, at a later date,
Republicanism gained converts by means of terror. The prudent, when
conflict and tumult are at hand, will usually side with the stronger
combatant. Thus it was with little resistance that there passed
through both Houses of Parliament, in 1647, the ordinance by virtue of
which the theatres were to be dismantled and suppressed; all actors of
plays to be publicly whipped; and all spectators and playgoers, for
every offence, condemned to forfeit five shillings. This was the
_coup de grace;_ for the stage had already undergone many and severe
assaults. The player's tenure of his art had become more and more
precarious, until acting seemed to be as a service of danger. The
ordinance of 1647 closed the theatres for nearly fourteen years; but
for some sixteen years before the stage had been in a more or less
depressed condition. Scarcely any new dramatists of distinction had
appeared after 1630. The theatres were considerably reduced in number
by the time 1636 was arrived at. Then came the arbitrary closing of
the playhouses--professedly but for a season. Thus in 1636 they were
closed for ten months; in 1642 for eighteen months. In truth
Puritanism carried on its victorious campaign against the drama for
something like thirty years; while even at an earlier date there had
been certain skirmishing attacks upon the stage. With the first
Puritan began the quarrel with the players. As Isaac Disraeli has
observed, "we must go back to the reign of Elizabeth to comprehend an
event which occurred in that of Charles I." A sanctimonious sect urged
extravagant reforms--at first, perhaps, in all simplicity--founding
their opinions upon cramped and literal interpretations of divine
precepts,