cou'd refuse resisting of Authority, when instead of _Damnation_, it
was _coming forth to the Help of the Lord against the Mighty_? But
this is but one Mischief of the Pulpit; this is only putting a Kingdom
in Civil Broils, intestine Wars, and unnatural Murthers. But when Men
of debauch'd Principles shall become the Teachers of the Nation, what
may we not expect from their Industry and Sedition.

After all, my Lord _Foppington_ was never design'd to teach People to
speak or act like him; nor was it intended that the Ladies shou'd be
byass'd by the Example of _Berinthia_ to turn Coquetts. These and the
like Characters in other Plays, are not propos'd as a Direction for
the _Gallant Man_, or the _Vertuous Lady_; but that seeing how such
Persons behave themselves on the Stage, that they may not make the
like Figure in the World; but if any body shou'd rather be in love
than terrified by these Examples, 'tis their Fault, and not the Poets,
since the best things are liable to Corruptions. But it may be
objected, That our Poets don't make Persons speak like themselves.
That indeed is a Fault, and I can't say any thing to excuse it but
this; That they who, have the Judgment to know when a Poet speaks
improperly, ought to have so much Judgment, as not to be byassed by
his Irregularities: The People who don't understand it, generally
suppose, that what is Vertuous is to be imitated, and what is Vicious
is to be avoided. That this is the general Observation of those who
frequent Plays, may justly be inferr'd from the Practice of the Town:
For I challenge any Man to prove, That any one Vice, now in being,
took its Rise from the Stage. The Stage takes Examples from the Town.
The Scene must be really acted in the World before it comes to be
expos'd: So that whatever appears Vicious or Ridiculous, is owing to
the Wickedness of the Times, and not to the Theatre. It may be
objected, That what is generally acted on the Stage, if it was done