The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-17
LYNcnBuRG, SEPTEMBER II, Ia
ra u. r.IiInr. u b, Ilr.,laIan.

GrsrLFurS-As the following extract VIII
admit OF moro general application 'ban tue
author hal Immediately inview, ask tor Il
an insertion IN your paper
awe would ask the patrons of Vntue and
genius. whether these Theatrical cxhbllions
TEND 10 polish the understanding, and assist
the cause of morality aud religion. Tue
ends OF education are these, and go modes
whichever. which are not auxiliary 10 these,
should be patronzed. Theaificalrcpresen-
tatons arr injurious 10 the cause OF bottl,
for as We are naturally bent on what IS evil,
aud as vice Is pourtrayed with s,ich iniatn-
aiing charms in almost all Dramas, The
Young mr., unabe TO resist its influence, aud
consequently fall An easy sacrifice. In most
PLAYS, intrigue is the basis, and the villain
who walks through the path OF licentious
and unmanly pleasures with the greatest
ease, in the end, meets with rs much APP
plause as he who walled according 10 the
laws Of Gods
"Like the cpicurcan philosophy, adorn-
ed by the petlic elegance of Lncrctius and
Virgil, sanctioned by the sceptical Cicero,
aud embraced by Cesar, and Aliicus, they
have undermined The morals Of the young,
destroyed the vital principles Of religioa,t
and proved the bane Of the nation. This
was the case in ancient days, after the man
ly exercises Of the degenerate Romans
were oyerNh elmrd and forgotten, and the
Hippodrama, Theatrical annistmenls, and
gladiatofial show. had usurped their place,
the Roman youth became 50 dcbaucbed
and efemnate that they seemed 10 have
lost all that FIRE l. spirit, which characterl
zed their immortal ancestors. The MODES Of
education being altered, the spirit ol the
people was lest the change was fatal, the
descendants of the warlike liomulus and
his successors who had expelled loose and
unrestrained enemies from their homes, who
bad fought for the temples oi their Gods,
and the sepulccres OF their fathers, nov sunk
upon the bed ofuxury, and heard the trnn-
PIT of battle with dismay. The h5tre of
fnrmersietori,s was dafkcne,i by the inabi-
lily of sery.le talents Rome sunk from her
elevated grandeur INTO insignihcance, and
.sle stands to this day monument In ma
tons, thai when rigorous modes education,
are relaxed, the prime supports of nation,
religion and virtue, feel their want, and that
the'ilfated country soon degeneratcs into
pagan barblrity, ignorance and supersti.
ton.
",ro show the more dangerous effects that
Dramas have upon juvenile minds, and e
Ven on persons who are old enough to
be capable Of distinguishing between the
lo,eliness ofgirtuc, and the delornity of
VICE, We frequently soc, that Theatrical per-
totiaauoes seize upon their minds, and from
seeing vice so beautifully arraycd las we
have already obsersed) they naturally NJ il
were fall in love with it, and thcnceforwar,l
pursue ways equally detrimental To morals
and the understanding Since mature age is
so easily lead astray, how much more La
BILE must children be 10 be imposed upon
by thcir Probabilities They inname their
minds, and like the upas tree, diiluse their
The immortal and divine Watts, speaking
of play houses, proceeds thus " II is granted
that u dramatic representation of the alnirs
vi human lite is by no means sinful in itself |
ain inclined to think that vaiHable compost.
tons might he made OF his Kind, such As might
entertun yirluons audcnee with innocent
delight, AMI ever VITA some rcai profit such
have been Wgiucn IN French, and have in
times past been acted with applause But IL
i. TOO well known that the comedies which
appear on DBr stage, and mos of the TRACE
Attsf w" iRA' wv AiNitl w 7it iilibiun bl VT
tue in as best light, nor 10 render vice odious
, TO the spectators. In many OF them, piety
makes a ridiculoas figure, ondyifluo is dressed
In the habit OF folly tle sacred name of cod
Is frequently taken in vain Il not blaspht med
and the man OF fragrant vice is the fine gentle
man and the poets tavorite, VINO must be re.
warded at che cnd of the play
+" Besides, there is nothing will pass on our
Theatres, hat has not the mixture of somo
amorOus Intrigue. Iewdness itself rcigns and
riots in some OF their scenes. Sobrety Is pat
onl OF cOuntennncs, aud modesty is in certain
danger there. The youth Of serious gion,
that ventures sometimes into this infected air,
hnds his aniliote tOo wrak To resist the conta-
Rion. The pleasures oi the closet, and deVout
retirement are suspended at first and then ut
tariy vaaquished by the overrowering iaau-
snce o. tire last coiaady. Che fancy is all -
yer dehled, the raia limoges rise uppefinost in
the soul, ana pouie the feeble attempts of
devotion, til, by deaecs, secret religion is
lost aud forgotten, and, in n littc tilne, the
play house has got SO much the mastery of
conscience, that the young Christian goes 10
bed after the evening drnina with as much sa-
tisiaclion and ease Us he used to DO after eve
ning prayer.
/" II thefe has been found two or three plevs
which have been toerable free from lewd and
profane mixtures, there are some scores or
hundreds that have many hateful Passages,
Tor Wilhelm excuse can be made. And when
all The charming powers of poesy and music
are joined with the gsyest scsncs ana enter.
tainntcB,s 20 assault the senses and the soul
al once, and 10 drive out virtue from the pos
session OF Tie heart, it is to be feared that il
will not long keep lis place and power there.
What prophet Of their own says of the court,
may, with mach more truth aud justice, be
said OF the Theatre
alt ita guidea. Out fa,al circle,
Upon wfo,c Iaaese skirts th ,nsAnd devils,
<.In chrysiai forIns, 81 tempting innocence,
Z. And beeAcn early virtue fioIn,s centre"
Again;
tit would be endless to trace nil eVlce
T" That from he pla gsnnu axe, immediate riss,
81 II Is ibe uneNt ausied magazine,