alleged profaneness and immorality with specific references to the texts of scripture which condemn each one.  But Bedford had not been the first to treat the issue as one to be decoded by theologians rather than playwrights or critics.  Somewhat unwisely, perhaps, Motteux had printed before his comedy “Beauty in Distress” a discourse “Of the Lawfulness and Unlawfulness of Plays” (1698), written by the Italian monk Father Caffaro, who was professor of divinity at the Sorbonne.  Unfortunately Caffaro had, some years before this English translation appeared, already retracted his mild opinion that stage plays were not, per se, unlawful, and it was possible not only to cite his retraction but also to offer the opinions of the Bishop of Meux, who was better known to English readers than Father Caffaro.  The anonymous author of the preface to “Maxims and Reflections” grants that dramatic poetry might, under certain circumstances, be theoretically permissible, but rather more frankly than Collier he makes it clear that his real intention is to urge the outlawing of the theater itself, since all efforts to reform it are foredoomed to failure.  “But if”, he writes, “the Reformation of the Stage be no longer practicable, reason good that the incurable Evil should be cut off”.  That lets the cat out of the bag.

Both pieces reprinted here are from copies owned by the University of Michigan.

Joseph Wood Krutch
Columbia University

* * * * *

The Campaigners: 
or, the
Pleasant Adventures at Brussels.

A
comedy

As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal.

with a
Familiar Preface
upon
A Late Reformer of the STAGE.

Ending with a Satyrical Fable
of
the dog and the OTTOR.

Written by Mr. D’urfey.

London,

Printed for A.  Baldwin, near the Oxford Arms Inn
          in Warwick lane.  MDCXCVIII.

PREFACE.

I Must necessarily inform the Partial, as well as Impartial Reader, that I had once design’d another kind of Preface to my Comedy than what will appear in the following sheets; but having in the interim been entertain’d with a Book lately Printed, full of Abuses on all our Antient as well as Modern Poets, call’d A view of the Immorality and Prophaness of the English Stage; and finding the Author, who, no doubt, extreamly values himself upon his Talent of Stage-reforming, not only (to use his own Ironical words) particular in his Genius and Civilities, but indecently, unmanner’d, and scurrilous in his unjust Remarks on me, and two of my Plays, viz. the first and second parts of the Comical History of Don Quixote. [Footnote:  Collier, p. 196.] I thought I cou’d not do better, first as a Diversion to the Town, and next to do a little Iustice to my self, than (instead of the other) to print a short Answer to this very Severe and Critical Gentleman; and at the same time give him occasion to descant upon the following Comick Papers, and my self the opportunity of vindicating the other; with some familiar Returns (en Raillere) upon his own Extraordinary Integrity, and Justness of the Censure.