CHAPTER LI.

ANTI-PRYNNE..

all the masques mentioned in the records of the Inns of Court, the most magnificent and costly was the famous Anti-Prynne demonstration, by which the lawyers endeavoured to show their contemptuous disapproval of a work that inveighed against the licentiousness of the stage, and preferred a charge of wanton levity against those who encouraged theatrical performances.

Whilst the "Histriomastix" rendered the author ridiculous to mere men of pleasure, it roused fierce animosities by the truth and fearless completeness of its assertions. Living in a time when men were wont to call a spade a spade in spoken controversy, Prynne astounded his readers by a frankness which was less universal with authors whom a rash sentence or a vigorous word might subject to prosecution in the Star-Chamber. For the most part his views were not original. In raising his voice against the vices of actors and the evil influence of unchaste dramas, he was but following in the steps of Stephen Gosson, and proclaiming opinions to which Anglican divines of the highest reputation had given utterance, to the cordial delight of London congregations. His doctrine was merely a repetition of sentiments which, in the previous century, had induced the English Parliament to legislate for players and vagabonds, as characters equally despicable and dangerous. The offence for which he lost his ears, underwent social degradation, and paid a fine of 50007., was the same good work for which Jeremy Collier was applauded by religious men in a subsequent generation, and is still estimated as one of the most useful writers of his time. Nominally punished for writing a book that was supposed to

contain libellous allusions to the queen, he was in fact punished for telling his generation certain wholesome but unpleasant truths.

To no order of society was the famous attack on the stage more offensive than to the lawyers; and of lawyers the members of Lincoln's Inn were the most vehement in their displeasure. The actors writhed under the attack; the lawyers were literally furious with rage-for whilst rating them soundly for their love of theatrical amusements, Prynne almost contrived to make it seem that his views were acceptable to the wisest and most reverend members of the legal profession. Himself a barrister of Lincoln's Inn, he with equal craft and audacity complimented the benchers of that society on the firmness with which they had forbidden professional actors to take part in the periodic revels of the inn, and on their inclination to govern the society in accordance with Puritanical principles. Addressing his "Much Honoured Friends, the Right Worshipfull Masters of the Bench of the Honourable Flourishing Law Society of Lincoln's Inne," the utter-barrister said, "For whereas other Innes of Court (I know not by what evil custom, and worse example) admit of common actors and enterludes upon their two grand festivalls, to recreate themselves withall, notwithstanding the statutes of our Kingdome (of which lawyers, of all others, should be most observant) have branded all professed stage-players for infamous rogues, and stage-playes for unlawful pastimes, especially on Lord's-dayes and other solemn holidayes, on which these grand dayes ever fall; yet such hath been your pious tender care, not only of this societie's honour, but also of the young student's good (for the advancing of whose piety and studies, you have of late erected a magnificent chappel, and since that a library) that as you have prohibited by late publicke orders, all disorderly Bacchanalian GrandChristmasses (more fit for Pagans than Christians; for the deboisest roarers* than grave civill students, who should be

* That Prynne's description of the noise, riot, and profligacy of the revels was no imaginary picture, there is abundant evidence. Recalling the excesses of the Christmas Revel in the Middle Temple, 1620-1, Sir Simonds D'Ewes observes in his autobiography-" At the said Temple was a Lieutenant chosen; and much gaming and other excesses increased, during these festival dayes, by his residing and

patternes of sobriety unto others) together with all publicke dice-play in the Hall (a most pernicious, infamous game; condemned in all ages, all places, not onely by councels, fathers, divines, civilians, canonists, politicians, and other Christian writers; by divers Pagan authors of all sorts, and by Mahomet himselfe ; but likewise by sundry Heathen, yea, Christian Magistrates' edicts)."

Having thus patted the benchers on their backs, Prynne noticed with regret the rapid growth of dramatic literature, and the increase in the number of London theatres. He asserts, on the authority of stationers, that the two years

keeping a standing table there. When sometimes I turned in thither to behold their sports, and saw the many oaths, execrations, and quarrels that accompanied their dicing, I began seriously to loathe it, though at the time I conceived the sport of itself to be lawful." Not content with the excitement of gambling, drunkenness, immoral songs, and violent disputes, the revellers were wont to find diversion in ridiculing the usages of the Church, and turning to mockery the most solemn demonstrations of human affection. "The Middle Temple House," wrote Garrard to Thomas Earl of Strafford, Jan. 8, 1635, "have set up a prince who carries himself in great state, one Mr. Vivian, a Cornish gentleman, whose father, Sir Francis Vivian, was fined in the Star-Chamber about a castle he held in Cornwall about three years since. He hath all his great officers attending him-lord keeper, lord treasurer, eight white staves at the least, captain of his pensioners, captain of his guard, two chaplains, who on Sunday last preached before him, and in the pulpit made three low legs to his excellency before they began, which is much laughed at. My Lord Chamberlain lent him two fair cloths of state, one hung up in the hall, under which he dines, the other in his privy chamber; he is served on the knee, and all that come to see him kiss his hand on their knee. My lord of Salisbury hath sent him poleaxes for his pensioners. He sent to my lord of Holland, his justice in eyre, for venison, which he willingly sends to him; to the lord mayor and sheriffs of London for wine; all obey. Twelfth Day was a great day; going to the chapel, many petitions were delivered to him, which he gave to his masters of the requests. He hath a favourite, whom, with some others of great quality, he knighted on his return from church, and dined in great state. At the going out of the chambers into the garden, when he drank the king's health, the glass being at his mouth, he let it fall, which much defaced his purple satin suit, for so he was clothed that day, having a cloke of the same down to his foot, for he mourns for his father who lately died. It costs this prince 2000l. out of his own purse; I hear of no other design, but all this is done to make him fit to give the prince elector a royal entertainment, with masks, dancings, and some other exercises of wit in orations or arraignments that day that they invite him." The mirth of this fine English gentleman of the olden time, who could make merry about his father's death, and the fervour of the Puritan writer who inveighed against such Bacchanalian Grand Christmasses, may help to illustrate the great struggles of the period. As to the Revels, there is no room to question that their downright blackguardism rendered them intolerable to decency and good taste long before they were altogether put an end to.

preceding the completion of his book had seen the publication of forty thousand play-books, such works "being now more vendible than the choycest sermons."

Concerning the London theatres he observes that the "two old play-houses" (i.e., the Fortune and the Red Bull), the "new theatre" (i.e., Whitefriars play-house), and two other established theatres, being found inadequate to the wants of the play-going public, a sixth theatre had recently been opened. "The multitude of our London play-haunters being so augmented now, that all the ancient Divvel's Chappels (for so the fathers style all play-houses) being five in number, are not sufficient to containe their troops, whence we see a sixth now added to them, whereas even in vitious Nero his raigne there were but three standing theaters in Pagan Rome (though far more splendid than Christian London), and those three too many." Having thus enumerated some of the saddest features of his age, the author of the "Player's Scourge" again commends the piety and decorum of the Lincoln's Inn Benchers, saying, "So likewise in imitation of the ancient Lacedæmonians and Massilienses, or rather of the primitive zealous Christians, you have always from my first admission into your society, and long before, excluded all common players with their ungodly interludes, from all your solemn festivals."

If the benchers of one inn winced under Prynne's "expressions of approval," the students of all the Inns of Court were even more displeased with the author who, in a dedicatory letter "to the right Christian, Generous Young GentlemenStudents of the four Innes of Court, and especially those of Lincolne's Inne," urged them to "at last falsifie that ignominious censure which some English writers in their printed works have passed upon Innes of Court Students, of whom they record:-That Innes of Court men were undone but for players, that they are their chiefest guests and imployment, and the sole business that makes them afternoon's men; that is one of the first things they learne as soon as they are admitted, to see stage-playes, and take smoke at a play-house, which they commonly make their studie; where they quickly learne to follow all fashions, to drinke all healths, to wear favours and good cloathes, to consort with ruffianly companions, to

swear the biggest oaths, to quarrel easily, fight desperately, quarrel inordinately, to spend their patrimony ere it fall, to use gracefully some gestures of apish compliment, to talk irreligiously, to dally with a mistresse, and hunt after harlots, to prove altogether lawless in steed of lawyers, and to forget that little learning, grace, and vertue which they had before; so much that they grow at last past hopes of ever doing good, either to the church, their country, their owne or others' souls."

The storm of indignation which followed the appearance of the "Histriomastix" was directed by the members of the Four Inns, who felt themselves bound by honour no less than by interest to disavow all connexion with, or leaning towards, the unpopular author. Until they had publicly and emphatically denounced his book as foolish, calumnious, and abominable, the gentlemen of the Honourable Societies deemed themselves to have lost caste in the world of fashion, and to have gained disfavour in the opinion of princes. They could not enter a theatre without exposing themselves to the taunts of players who attributed the act of an individual to the profession of which he was a member. At Whitehall it was whispered that disloyalty must be rife in the inns, when a lawyer dared to stigmatize as infamous the amusements in which the queen and the ladies of her court delighted. Of course Lincoln's Inn, even more than the other houses, was anxious to free herself from a suspicion of complicity with the writer who, besides being one of her members, had dared to insinuate that she cherished a faint sympathy for his views. Promptly she took measures to clear her honour, and to humiliate the offender.

On the suggestion of Lincoln's Inn, the four societies combined their forces, and at a cost of more than twenty thousand pounds, in addition to sums spent by individuals, entertained the Court with that splendid masque which Whitelock has described in his "Memoirs" with elaborate prolixity. The piece entitled " The Triumph of Peace," was written by Shirley, and it was produced with a pomp and lavish expenditure that were without precedent. The organization and guidance of the undertaking were entrusted to a committee of eight barristers,