Profaneness, which insinuates the Hymns dictated by the Holy Spirit, of
God, to be so nearly related to the Modern Compositions for the Stage,
that both must of necessity stand and fall together.

If Poetry have of late sunk in its credit, that misfortune is owing to
the degenerate and Mercenary Pens, of some who have set up for the great
Masters of it. No man I presume, is for exterminating that noble Art,
no not even in the _Dramatick_ part; provided it can be effectually
reformed. But if the Reformation of the Stage be no longer practicable,
reason good that the incurable Evil should be cut off: If it be
practicable, let the Persons concerned give Evidence of it to the World,
by tempering their Wit so, as to render it Serviceable to Virtuous
purposes, without giving just offence to wise, and Good men. For it is
not the Pretence of a good Design which can free the Undertakers from
Blame, unless the Goodness of the end and Intention be Seconded with a
Prudent Management of the Means. And if Matters once should come to that
Extremity, better and much more becoming of the Two, no doubt it were,
that our _Maker's Praises should be sunk into Prose_ (as this Ingenious
Person phrases it) than that in the midst of a Christan City, that
_Maker_ should be six days in seven publickly insulted and blasphemed
in poetry.

* * * * *

THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY

Announces Its

_Publications for the Third Year (1948-1949)_