Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-28

IN conformity with my promise, u
now trouble you with the opinions OF Sc
veral men eminently qualified to appre
ciate the nature and inf1ence OF .theatri-I
cal representations. Plato tells us, tina
:. plays raise the passions, and peryertI
the use of them; and of consequence are
dangerous to morality" For this reasonI
he banished them from his commonwealth,
Aristotle lays it down as rule, that
the seeing of comedies Ought to be forbid
den to young people such induIgencles
not being sale, until age and disciplined
have confirmed them in sobriety, fortified
their virtue, and made them proof against
debauchery." Tacitus informs us, that
2 The German women were guarded a
Igainst danger, and preserved their purity,
jby having no play houses among them
And even Ovid, in his most !icentious
poems, speaks of the theatre as favorable
to disturbances of principle and manners :;
and afterwards, in a .raver WORK; ad-
dressed to Augustus, advises the sup
preston OF thls amusement, as 4 grand
source OF corruption.
| Lord kalmes, y he was sufficiently libe-
raj, speaking OF Engiis, comedy, says
"a Ii is there an established rule to deck
out the chef characters 18th every vice
in fashion however gross But as such
charaeter>, viewed in true light, would
be disgusttul, care is taken to disguise
the deformity under the embellishments
of wit, ,pi&hthness aud good humor,
which, in mixed company make capital
figure. 1t requires not much time or
thought to discover the poisonous inhu-
ence Of ,uch plays. A young man Of f.
CURE, emancipated az last from The seve-
rity and restraint of a college education,
repairs TO the capital, disposed to every
sort OF excess. The play hOOse becomes
his iavorite amusement: and he is en-
chanted with the gaiety and splendor of
the chief personages. The disgt.t which
vice gives him at first, soon wears of, to
make way for new notions, more libe al
in his opinions by which a sovereign
contempt of religion, anil declared war
upon the purity o? the female sex, are
converted from being Infamous vices, to
be fashionable virtues. The infection
spreads gradually through all ranks, and
becomes universal How Glad v would |
/ listen to any one who would undertake
to prove that what have becu describing
is chime-ical But the disturbances Of
our young people Of birth will not suffer
ne to doubt of its reality"
The infidel philosopher Rosspau, in
opposing the establishment OF a theatre
in Geneva, speaks of it in the follow
ing u!anner--" It is impossible that
an establishment SO contrary TO our an
Gent manners can be generally APP
plauded. How many generous citizens.
will see with Indignation, this monument
Of iuyu'y and effeninacy raise itself up.
ON the ruins OF our ancient simplicity !.
Do YOU think they will authorize this in
noyation by their presence after having
loudly disapproved of it ? Be assured
that many go without scrupIe to the thea
ire al Paris, wis will never enter hat of
Geneva, because the good Of their com
t,yis dearer to them tban their amuse-.
mem. Where would he the imDruGeHti
mother who wouid dare to carry her
daughter to this dangerous school and
how many respectable women would
think themselves disbonoreA in going
there If some persons at Paris abstain
from the theatre, it is simply on princi-
pie of relision and surely this piinciplei
will not be less powerful amongst us,who !
shall have the additional motives of mo-
rails, Of rirtue. and Of patriotism no.
tiyes which will restrain those whom re-
iIig;on would not restrain"
1t is practicable to bring the testimony
of player against bimseif aud his pro
fession. A celebrated comic pcr!ormer
on the English stage, who died few
years ago, meeting with a clergyman
vhom lie had once intimately known. and
who had some time been engaged in
preaching in London, but had been oblig
cd to leave it for his health, SAID, " And
] have been acting sir John Falstatf so
often. that ] thought | should have died
and the physician advised NE to come in
TO the country fw thc benefit of the air.
Had goa die>:, it would have been in serv-
ing tie best Of masters; kut had |. u
would have been in the service OF the De-
vii. As soon as leave you, l shall be
king Richard. This is what they call
good play. I acknowledge there are
some striking and moral things in it but
after if, shall come in again with myt
farce of ga dish off,: sorts" and knock
ali that on The head. Fine reformers wei"
Sir John Hawkins, who never was es