The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-03-21 00:00:00

AMUSEMENTS: THEIR USE AND ABUSE.

The Rev. S. Doddrell, on Wednesday evening last,
pve a popular lecture on the above subject, at Maiden-
street Wesleyan Sunday School, whore Mr. J. A.
Bherren presided. A hymn waa snug commencing—
" Hark I fen Thousand Harps and Voices." The
attendsace was not very large. Alter prayer, the
Chairman Introduced Mr. Doddrell as one they all
I know and loved.

The Lama ,a said It was not safe to predict'
, but
Mr. Gordon said his wife was goes to Italy, sad them-
fore he mediated it would be mild, and We lecturer
predicted be should have no competition here to-night.
The greatest hansom is that of the house, which has
the Impost encton after We, sod everything we do as
a habit in early life brings large help and amistsoce
and benefit, or laidnewee injury. Whether the sod
iufluenose mental development or not, certain it is that
amuseamate do influence it, sand therefore the 'ablest
ought to be carefully ooesidered, not @halved m too
Whin it is. It is not • wicked thing to laugh; a grand
old spirit load timers said--" Thou has filled my mouth
with laughter," and he would rather hoar people
laugh in chime', than see them nod and bear them
snore. Of the ancient amommenes we hare but scanty
Information tyranny and despotism ground down the
people, though the nobles and soldiers amused tbmn•
selves in war, and sum of them in the duce ; but the
people went on th-rir round of work till death Mopped
' theta But the Gteske very largely jaractieed ammo-
/mots, that was part of their religion, and they
had horse, foot, and chariot rams, their Isthmian
and Olympian games, the prises being only
crowns ot to the modem
times, wiles pedestrian. and others expects, be re.
warded by • large lump of current coin. In Enelsed,
where people always believe in freedom, and are not
at home (any more than the Irish) with Coercion
Acte,—there were always amusement'. Iu the times
of the Plantagenet., when people were not at wat,
they practised helium, hawking, and other amuse.
acute; fairs were established at that time, and most
men occupied their dam and even night. at them.
The bands played chess, and cracked the board on the
head of the winner, sod out of doors they went,
hawking, and so did the ladies. Another amusement
was tournament., where hummer) rushed at each
other with the object of unhorsing their opponents,
and the purest and fairest of the la lied rewarded the
vicb re. The Londoner,' ate always fond of amuse-
ment., and the schoolroom would be turned into a
cockpit, and on toe river would be boatejonata ; but
the days' am usemente generally ended in • night's
vieit to the tavern.. Then there were miracle play',
for instance, that ttf the flight into Egypt, and Joseph
would often play the fo A, sod when crossing a stream
wtold drop Mary in the middle, and may "That's the
way to get rid of your wife," yet that was a sacred
play performed in church, the jester wa. kept by his
master, and sometimes his jests were very sharp;
teen Elisabeth and her ladies et joyed the delight. of
the bearomrden, 1.-Jainism in the on.laughts of the
dots, and the tortures of the bear. In the 16th
century the people went to church in the morning,
and where they liked in the afternoon; " the
merry monarch" must be ammed, a lady or a
lap-dog wou'd amuse him, and "like monarch like
people," the people went in for amusement tremend-
ously, and the young ',dies are said to have looked
out in the streets any men they liked, and when
they landed theca, deal wed they'a have them, and
marry them they did. (Laughter.) Later in the time
of George IV., the Prince of Wales went in for
amusement, and other people too, and the theatre wee
the fashionable place. Coming to the present day,
" hunting" was first dealt with, the lecturer pronounc-
ing strongly *stalest it on the grounds of danger, waste
ttf money, and cruelty. Is it not cruel to torture hares
and foxes hour after hour? Sometimes the minials
which are so tormente I die from the torment. There
is not only unexhau-ted improvement to be dealt with,
but unexhanated destruction, and much 0: that is done
by hunting. Then racing was also condemned, although
popular, and favoured by princes, and • large number
of our people take no interest in it Look at the
betting ; be could tell of a tradeentau who went in to
win a large amount by the Wmorio° Oup, but same
out a loser, and had to all his creditors together, and
offer them is. 61. in the C. Football and cricket were
also condemned as movements, having ceased to be
worth much new as re,reation. Books are a source
of amusement, and it is better to love reading for that
than not read at all. But read not that whtch lowers
the idea of true manhood, which lowers purity; don't
read the tales of the Divorce Court, or some horrible
story of murder. The drama was next condemned, as
inculcating low ideas ; it knot uncommon( or the actor to
swear, or for the dress t be indecent. Avoid tit.
theatre, mid the lecturer, who went on to deal with
dancing, penny reading., entertainments, sand religious
comicalitlee even an "amusing prayer meeting" being
on the list. The conclusion treated on what amuse-
ment is, and asked if it Is good, necessary, and always
expedient, illustrating the two conditions, "All work
and no play,' and "All play and no work."—The pro.
coeds were given to the Sunday school funds.