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the sharpest censures even of those that are the greatest opposites to the quality. Many amongst us I know to be of substance, of government, of sober lives, and temperate carriages, house-keepers, and contributory to all duties enjoyned them, equally with them that are rank't with the most bountifull; and if amongst so many of sort, there be any few degenerate from the rest in that good demeanor which is both requisite and expected at their hands, let me entreat you not to censure hardly of all for the misdeeds of some.' On royal actors, quoting (p. 45) 'M. Kid, in his Spanish Tragedy'. Book iii. The quality not to be condemned because of its abuses. P. 52. 'Playing is an ornament to the citty.' It refines the language, instructs the ignorant, and teaches moral lessons. P. 54. 'Briefly, there is neither tragedy, history, comedy, morall, or pastorall, from which an infinite use cannot be gathered. I speake not in the defence of any lascivious shewes, scurrelous jests, or scandalous invectives. If there be any such I banish them quite from my patronage.' Plays have discovered murders. P. 57. 'We will prove it by a domestike and home-borne truth, which within these few years happened. At Lin, in Norfolke, the then Earl of Sussex players acting the old History of Feyer Francis' drove a townswoman to confess the murder of her husband in circumstances parallel to those of the play. P. 58. Relates rout of Spanish raiders 'at a place called Perin in Cornwall', though their alarm at the drum and trumpets of 'a company of the same quality some 12 yeares ago, or not so much . . . playing late in the night'. Another story of a woman who had driven a nail into her husband's brain, urged to remorse by a similar incident in 'the last part of the Four Sons of Aymon' played by 'a company of our English comedians (well knowne)' at Amsterdam. Summarizes the favour of many sovereigns to players. P. 60. 'The cardinal at Bruxels hath at this time in pay a company of our English comedians. . . . But in no country they are of that eminence that our's are: so our most royall and ever renouned soveraigne hath licenced us in London: so did his predecessor, the thrice vertuous virgin, Queen Elizabeth; and before her, her sister, Queene Mary, Edward the sixth, and their father, Henry the eighth.' P. 61. 'Moreover, to this day in divers places of England there be townes that held the priviledge of their faires, and other charters by yearely stage-playes, as at Manningtree in Suffolke, Kendall in the north, and others. . . . Now, to speake of some abuse lately crept into the quality, as an inveighing against the state, the court, the law, the citty, and their governements, with the particularizing of private men's humors (yet alive) noble-men, and others: I know it distastes many; neither do I any way approve it, nor dare I by any meanes excuse it. The liberty which some arrogate to themselves, committing their bitternesse, and liberall invectives against all estates, to the mouthes of children, supposing their juniority to be a priviledge for any rayling, be it never so violent, I could advise all such to curbe and limit this presumed liberty within the bands of discretion and government. But wise and juditiall censurers, before whom such complaints shall at