made Blackfriers an Academy, where the three howers spectacle while_
Beaumont _and_ Fletcher _were presented, were usually of more advantage
to the hopefull young Heire, then a costly, dangerous, forraigne Travell,
with the assistance of a governing Mounsieur, or Signior to boot; And it
cannot be denied but that the young spirits of the Time, whose Birth &
Quality made them impatient of the sowrer wayes of education, have from
the attentive hearing these pieces, got ground in point of wit and
carriage of the most severely employed Students, while these Recreations
were digested into Rules, and the very Pleasure did edifie. How many
passable discoursing dining witts stand yet in good credit upon the bare
stock of two or three of these single Scenes.

And now Reader in this_ Tragicall Age _where the_ Theater _hath been so
much out-ailed, congratulate thy owne happinesse, that in this silence of
the Stage, thou hast a liberty to reade these inimitable Playes, to dwell
and converse in these immortall Groves, which were only shewd our Fathers
in a conjuring glasse, as suddenly removed as represented, the Landscrap
is now brought home by this optick, and the Presse thought too pregnant
before, shall be now look'd upon as greatest Benefactor to Englishmen,
that must acknowledge all the felicity of_ witt _and_ words _to this
Derivation.


You may here find passions raised to that excellent pitch and by such
insinuating degrees that you shall not chuse but consent, and & go along
with them, finding your self at last grown insensibly the very same
person you read, and then stand admiring the subtile Trackes of your
engagement. Fall on a Scene of love and you will never believe the
writers could have the least roome left in their soules for another
passion, peruse a Scene of manly Rage, and you would sweare they cannot