and exposes religion; but you have done much worse--you have ridiculed
the first minister of religion." This, although not directly advanced
for the purpose, really indicated the head and front of Fielding's
offending in _Pasquin_ and the _Historical Register_, and although in
Lord Chesterfield's speech the former is ironically condemned, it may
well be that Fielding, whose _Don Quixote_ had been dedicated to his
Lordship, was the wire-puller in this case, and supplied this very
illustration. At all events it is entirely in the spirit of Firebrand's
words in _Pasquin_:--

"Speak boldly; by the Powers I serve, I swear
You speak in Safety, even tho' you speak
Against the Gods, provided that you speak
Not against Priests."

But the feeling of Parliament in favour of drastic legislation was even
stronger than the persuasive periods of Chesterfield, and on the 21st of
June 1737 the bill received the royal assent.

With its passing Fielding's career as a dramatic author practically
closed. In his dedication of the _Historical Register_ to "the Publick,"
he had spoken of his desire to beautify and enlarge his little theatre,
and to procure a better company of actors; and he had added--"If Nature
hath given me any Talents at ridiculing Vice and Imposture, I shall not
be indolent, nor afraid of exerting them, while the Liberty of the Press
and Stage subsists, that is to say, while we have any Liberty left among
us." To all these projects the "Licensing Act" effectively put an end;
and the only other plays from his pen which were produced subsequently
to this date were the "Wedding Day," 1743, and the posthumous _Good-
Natured Man_, 1779, both of which, as is plain from the Preface to the