Essays on the Stage - Preface to the Campaigners (1689) and Preface to the Translation of Bossuet's Maxims and Reflections on Plays (1699) by Thomas D'Urfey
page 29 of 76 (38%)
page 29 of 76 (38%)
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Obstinacy and Stubborn Will in t'other, a humour resolv'd to defend and
carry on a hot Argument, tho it has been never so plain and reasonably confuted: the Positions and Answers on this subject I shall not insert here, but leave the Reader, whose curiosity obliges him, to the Papers themselves, only I wish the _Absolver_ had made _Newgate_ the last Scene of that part of his _Immorality_, and by an humble acknowledgment to his Patron that redeemed him, (I hope the word will bear in this place) have spar'd his Office of _Absolution_ in another Scene, and consequently given no occasion to believe that his disobedient humour, and turbulent nature, still proceeds daily, to cultivate his Party with the same Principles as far as he can. Another spice of _Immorality_ I believe I can make appear by his Pride, and tho' in other places it is to be found, yet is most fairly instanc'd in his _Book of Essays_, where, tho' we find one Chapter wholly upon that Vice, which, to shew his Justice, begins with a Compliment upon the same _Juvenal_, now he has use for him whom he call'd Pimp before, yet it has not bulk enough to Skreen from us his haughtiness in another, which he calls the _Office of a Chaplain_, for there you shall find he has collected the Spirit of them all, and blended them into one Character; I mean the ill Spirits of the ill _Chaplains_, _those that are good I honour_. Here you may find his Likeness in _Don Quixot_, _Roger_ in the _Scornful Lady_, _Bull_ in the _Relapse_, _Say-grace_, _Cuff-cushion_, and others, all learning their Lessons of their stubborn Superior our Reformer, and all tending to governing, brow-beating, snubbing, commanding Families, and the like, but not one word of _humility_ tack'd to't, for fear of spoiling the Character; there you may find 24 pages, one after another, all written to prove most gloriously, that 'tis impossible for a _Chaplain_ to be a Servant; that tho' you find a poor fellow in a tatter'd Excommunicated Gown with one |
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