THe Stage, or Theater, is but the World in little, as the World is but a great The­ater, where men enter, act their parts, and have their exits, &c. Tis an Academy of choicest language, a Map of the best manners and behaviour; and finally a Mirrour repre­senting the Actions of men (and there­fore by a better title than that of Plays, called Actions by some, and Operaes, or works, by others) proposing the good for our example and imitation, and the bad to deter us from it, and for the avoi­ding it.

[Page] I deny not but aspersions (these latter [...]mes) have been cast upon it by the ink [...] some who have written obscen [...]ly & [...]currilously, &c. but instead of wiping [...]em off, to break the Glass, was too ri­ [...]id and severe. For my part I have en­ [...]eavoured here the clearing of it, and re­ [...]oring it to its former splendor, and first [...]stitution (of teaching Virtue, reproving [...]ice, and amendment of Manners,) so as [...] the rest but imitate my example, those who shall be Enemies of it hereafter, must declare themselves Enemies of Vir­ [...]ue, as formerly they did of Vice: Whence we may justly hope to see it restored a­gain, with the qualification of an hum­ble coadjutor of the Pulpit, to teach Mora­ [...]ity, in order to the others Divinity, and th' [...]oulding and tempering mens minds for the better receiving the impressions of Godliness. Devotion, (like gilding to matter) cleaving not, nor sticking to [Page] rough and unpolish'd minds, unlesse they be first prepared with politeness of man­ners, and the tincture of good education, for the receiving it; which is best taught on the Theater, by how much those pre­cepts move the mind more forcibly and efficaciously, which besides the allow­ance of the Ear, have a powerfull recom­mendation of the Eye; And sure that An­tient meant somewhat like the Stage, when he said, That could Virtue be seen but by mortal Eyes, it would ravish all with its love and admi [...]ation, &c.

Especially we may hope it now, when we are rid of our sullen Masters, of so Cy­nick a devotion, as they would enforce men to serve God spight of Humanity, and shake us into Religion with fear and trembling, not remembring that we are oftner invited to it (in the Holy Scrip­ture) with rejoycing and jubilation, chearfulness having been always accoun­ted [Page] the exterior mark of true piety and de­votion. And it is that for my part I la­bour to introduce, as a thing no doubt more acceptable to Almighty God, Hi­larem enim Datorem diligit Deus, than to see us go about his service with a sad coun­tenance, and sullen chear. Mean time, let who's list take the black melancholy spirit, give me the light chearful one, which has hitherto been accounted the better one I am sure, and wil be still, unlesse we all turn Ethiopians▪

And now having reformed the Stage, we may justly expect they should reform the Pulpit too, who preach so much a­gainst it, whereof late there has been ut­tered more scandalous and libellous stuff, than ever yet was uttered on the Stage, (especially against those in Authority, I know not from what spirit, but I am sure not from the Spirit of God, who com­mands us to obey our Superiours, with­out [Page] exceptions) a spirit so much the more dangerous, by how much it pretends more Scripture and Religion, than the Stage, for what it does; and you know, Corruptio optimi pessima, that the corruption of the best things is the worst. Neither are we to believe these people the sooner, for their saying that this Spirit is Here or There, Truth and Falshood ever entring by the same ports into the Mind; and tis so ordinary now for every one (though contradictory amongst themselves) to affirm they have it, as, if this Trade last, we shall shortly amongst the Cryes of London, have every Girl and Fellow cry­ing it in the Streets. Mean time, God send us the Spirit of Humility, such as St. Paul had, when he doubted whether he had it or no; a Spirit I shall believe a hundred times sooner, than theirs who so confi­dently and peremptorily affirm they have it. To conclude with them, if I may not [Page] believe a Iuglars which I see, they shall excuse me if I will not believe theirs, which I see not, of which there is so little probability, as the Beadle who should whip it out of them might as well pre­tend unto it, as they themselves.

And so much for this turbulent and se­ditious Spirit, whom only we intend by what we have writ. And now from this necessary digression to return to our matter; For the Design or choice of the subject, I thought it necessary there first to apply the Remedy, where the harm was most universal, Love being the generall passion of every breast, and there to begin the Reformation of the Stage, where its abuse was most frequent, and most noto­rorious, its greatest disreglement having been in point of Love, and therefore 'twas f [...]rst to be rectified, and first to be reduced to its right Chanel, where its overflow and debordment was the most dange­rous.

[Page] For the Plot, I have taken a middle way betwixt the French and English, the one making it too plain, and the other too confused and intrigued. I imagining one of these pieces not like a simple Alley, where one walks alwayes in the same track; nor as a Wilderness, where one is lost through so many diversions: but as a pleasant Garden composed of divers walks, with variety and uniformity so mixt, as one part handsomly introduces you into another, & every one has correspondence amongst themselves, and to the whole.

For the manner of handling it, I have so mixt your profit with your pleasure, as (observe it) and you shall find a Thrid running throughout the whole Piece, e­qnally interwoven, of Passion for your Tender Soul, Mirth for your Lighter, and Musick and Document for your more grave and serious; as finding by experience, That the main reason why Virtue is no [Page] better followed, is, because tis no more delightfully perswaded, which also may be the reason, why more sleep at Sermons than at these Representations.

For the rest, I have observed all the Rules of Art in handling it, the Scene at Ama­thonte in C [...]pres, never going out of view, nor out of the Precincts of Love's Temple; Continued to the End of the Act, to make an intire piece of every Act, and some di­stinction (by cleering of the Stage) be­twixt the end of an Act, and the ending of a Scene; The Time only from Mor­ning till Night, to which not to add, nor diminish any thing thereof, I will de­tain thee no longer Reader with this Pre­face, but remit thee to the perusal of the Piece it self.