Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-27
For the .aIerandria Gazette.
NO. He.

NO. III.
Tallit enim vitium specie virtutis Ell
umbra.
Juv. SAr. IA Il i09.
Vice oft is hid in virtues fair disguise,
And in her borrowed form escapes IN
curing eyes.
If the observations which have been al
ready made, are entitled to any weight,
III will not be necessary to add much by
way of shelving that theatrical exhibitions
are directly hostile to the spirit and pre-
|cepts of the. gospel. Let any one who has
been in the habit of attending on them,
Eimpartially say, whether they have not a
tendency to dissipate the mind, and to
lessen if not destroy, all taste for serious
land spiritual employments9 Are they
mot most unfavorabe to the spirit pray
fer and to life of communion with God :
lis there not Something speak now OF
;he most decent plays-is there not some
thing in the sentiment uttered in the the
|atre; in the scenery displayed in the
flress. attitudes, and department of the
erformers; and in the iicentious appear
lance, and lbertine conduct of many Of
he audience, which 10 calculated, to say
tthe least, to expel seriousuess from the
aind to drive away all thoughts of God,
IF eternity, and of a judgment TO come /;
| and to extinguish all taste for spiritual
Eservices Did ever air attendant on the
theatre feel cordial relish for the de-
Evotions of the closet, or of the family, i'm
after his return from the thea
Ire There is no one who ever behed
The assemblaee Of dazzling vanities there
displayed, who is not perfectly ready to
pronounce that few things have more
direct tendency to give the mind vain
land frivolous cast; to impair taste for
devotion and to lessen, if not entirely
Danish, that spirituality which is at once
THE duty, the glory and the happiness OF
(the Christian.
Here the whole weight of tie argument
might rest; for that which has tenden-
Fey to make the nind vain and frivolous
must be criminal. That which has q ten
Fdency to draw off the heart from the So
sber, the solid, the useful and the pious !;
and to inspire it with ruling passion for
1.-THE gay, the airy, the romantic, and the
|extravagant, cannot fail Of being deeply
Ipernicious. 8: The theatre does not instruct
Ia man to act, to enjoy, and to suffer, as a
being that may to-merrsw have finally "a
sndoned this orb. Every thing is done
70 beslile the feeling of his being stran-
ger on the earth" The great end of all
Its art is, " to raise the groves ofan earth
~ paradise, to shade from sight that Wis
"a which opens into eternity
Can disciple of Jesus Christ, who
processes to have the humble, self deny
ing mind which was in him, and to I'M
tate the example and to obey the precept
Of his Dfvine Master; who is commanded
ito llUe soberty, righteousyy and cody in
thaS present lcortd !; who is warned not to
be canformed to the acorlI. and to haze
no fellowship 10th the utruitfa! a0orEs Of
al]sness but to reprore them can he,
Who is commanded to shun the company
IJ the protane- TO avsid the Gerry appear
'ance Of eUit, and to pray lead me not into
temptatlon-Cap be be found in such a
place without IN ? Is the theatre an a
|muSement which will be remembered with
|oompIacency by any man when he comes
10 de /! Or is it place from which any
rejecting man would be willing TO be
called to the bar of God These are
questions which some of your readers
wlil receive with smile; but which all
who name the name of Christ should pom
der IN their hearts.
| know that, to this view Of the sub
beet many objections are made. 1t is
confidently asked g Are there not some
correct and moral plays, lrom which no
Eble sentiments may be learned Why
then condemn theatrical entertainment in
the gross ?" To this it may be replied,
thar, in the actual exhibition of many
lplays, the language Of which, as publish.
led from the press, Is tolerably pure, the
performers, especially the more popular
Iof them, are in the habit of adding on
their own responsibility, expressions and
alterations of the most exceptonabe
kind. This is continually done, and sell
dom fails to receive testimonieS'of appro-
|pation from the audience! so that no one
can be sure shat even decent play will
|he exhibited as the author LETT it. But al
lowing for moment, that there are some
excellent plays allowing that one in
Twenty Gan allowance mach beyond the
|truth) are OF this character is it wise, is
. A.