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Article HISTORICAL DEDUCTION OF THE BRITISH DRAMA. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Deduction Of The British Drama.
was smothered entirely by Art , and Genius was taught his stated paces , and limited in his course . If this mischief had only stiffened a Court , it would have been of ittle moment ; but it infected the people;—their common entertainments were interlarded with latinity—and all the mob processions tricked out with odds and ends , stalked like Romans under arches decorated with
Latin sentences . —The Dialogue of the Drama was thus studded . i Bi n' "' ° ral ! 7 sti 11 w ° i"se , what was deformed by bad taste , was s . ioitiy to be defiled b y indecency , and the restoration of the Theatre exhibited such purience both of plot and dialogue , as was alone sufficient to rum the manners of the People—Such , indeed , was the result from Revolution
necessary which converted puritanic preciseness into profane licentiousness—the Stage , utterly abandoned , ianipooned Decency , and insulted Religion and Morals , i 7 TV , S" » lf of depravity the Drama was slowly redeemed ; rjut slie had suffered too much to retain any vestige of her ori < rinand a set of features were carefully modelled from a French ° Cast alter the Antique , but which they had invested with the garment of intrigue , and whose lineaments all announced the refinenient of " gallantry and love .
J . bus have we displayed the spirit of the Stage from the period or it s perfection until it became polluted by an affectation of classical literature . —But a time was hastening when the pursuits of manly genius , or of conceited learning , were to yield before the rage of Puritanism in Religion and Republicanism in the State . " In the Cival War died the Drama , that had sprung up perfect , and existed onlsixty in the
y years country . However , an a ; ra was speedily to arrive when the KING and his servants Were to have their own again , and the People receive their former amusement;—then , from the corners in which they had pined away m penury , the aged survivors of the Stage emerged to notice ; their art had not suffered by disuse ; what they themselves knew communicated
was soon to others , and the works of the Favourite of Nature were , though sparingly , brought before the Public . -Luit a revolution so sudden in the State was preparing the depravation of MANNERS , and the Stage is but the mirrour ofthe Time from men who were zealous Reli gionists so horrible a regicide had proceeded as b association of ideas to throw
, y an erroneous the very decencies of conduct into disrepute and suspicion . From the continent CHARLES had brought a set of profligate practices , and ins Court soon laughed at the decorum of language and oflife- Impiety and indecency were wit ; and conjugal infidelity was treated with thelevity of approbation . Such was the spirit of the Court , and the Stage displayed it ' s reflection with the usual
fidelity . I hen what a succession of horrible dramas did they exhibit 'L very character had the fashionable taint . " Harpies and Hydras , all the monstrous forms " ' 1 wixt ARABY and lso . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Deduction Of The British Drama.
was smothered entirely by Art , and Genius was taught his stated paces , and limited in his course . If this mischief had only stiffened a Court , it would have been of ittle moment ; but it infected the people;—their common entertainments were interlarded with latinity—and all the mob processions tricked out with odds and ends , stalked like Romans under arches decorated with
Latin sentences . —The Dialogue of the Drama was thus studded . i Bi n' "' ° ral ! 7 sti 11 w ° i"se , what was deformed by bad taste , was s . ioitiy to be defiled b y indecency , and the restoration of the Theatre exhibited such purience both of plot and dialogue , as was alone sufficient to rum the manners of the People—Such , indeed , was the result from Revolution
necessary which converted puritanic preciseness into profane licentiousness—the Stage , utterly abandoned , ianipooned Decency , and insulted Religion and Morals , i 7 TV , S" » lf of depravity the Drama was slowly redeemed ; rjut slie had suffered too much to retain any vestige of her ori < rinand a set of features were carefully modelled from a French ° Cast alter the Antique , but which they had invested with the garment of intrigue , and whose lineaments all announced the refinenient of " gallantry and love .
J . bus have we displayed the spirit of the Stage from the period or it s perfection until it became polluted by an affectation of classical literature . —But a time was hastening when the pursuits of manly genius , or of conceited learning , were to yield before the rage of Puritanism in Religion and Republicanism in the State . " In the Cival War died the Drama , that had sprung up perfect , and existed onlsixty in the
y years country . However , an a ; ra was speedily to arrive when the KING and his servants Were to have their own again , and the People receive their former amusement;—then , from the corners in which they had pined away m penury , the aged survivors of the Stage emerged to notice ; their art had not suffered by disuse ; what they themselves knew communicated
was soon to others , and the works of the Favourite of Nature were , though sparingly , brought before the Public . -Luit a revolution so sudden in the State was preparing the depravation of MANNERS , and the Stage is but the mirrour ofthe Time from men who were zealous Reli gionists so horrible a regicide had proceeded as b association of ideas to throw
, y an erroneous the very decencies of conduct into disrepute and suspicion . From the continent CHARLES had brought a set of profligate practices , and ins Court soon laughed at the decorum of language and oflife- Impiety and indecency were wit ; and conjugal infidelity was treated with thelevity of approbation . Such was the spirit of the Court , and the Stage displayed it ' s reflection with the usual
fidelity . I hen what a succession of horrible dramas did they exhibit 'L very character had the fashionable taint . " Harpies and Hydras , all the monstrous forms " ' 1 wixt ARABY and lso . "