The Pleasure-Loving Modern Woman
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Pleasure-Loving Modern Woman (1633) is a text by William Prynne.
Excerpt via Invective and Abuse.
William Prynne’ s “Histrio-Mastix” , an attack on the stage , was published in 1652, a little more than seventy years after Calvin and de Bcya were trying to erase from Elizabeth’s mind the prejudice against Puritanism which Knox had so unhappily stimulated by his “Blast” . In the interval Puritanism had enorm- ously strengthened its hold on the nation , but even so Prynne was a little premature. Within a month or two of the appearance of “Histrio-Mastix” , the queen and her ladies took part in a theatri- cal performance. His pamphlet was held to reflect on the queen , and there were other references which seemed applicable to the king. So Prynne was imprisoned in the Tower, by order of the Star- Chamber, fined £5,000, and deprived of both his ears in the pillory.
This experience in no way quenched his productivity. In the course of a long life he wrote over two hundred books and pamphlets, the objects of his invective ranging from Archbishop Laud to the regicides. He is the typical Puritan controversialist, full of energy, and courage, but with no depth or subtlety of under- standing.
THE TITLE-PAGE OF HISTRIO-MASTTX THE PLAYER’S SCOURGE OR
ACTORS TRAGAEDIE
divided into Two Parts
wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring Authorities and Resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture; of the whole Primitive Church, both under the Law andCospell; of 5 5 Synodes and Councels; of 71 Fathers and Christian Writers, before the yeare of our Lord 1200; of above 150 foraigne and domestique Protestants and Popish Authors, since; of 40 Heathen Philosophers, Histor- ians, Poets; of many Heathen, many Christian Nations, Republiques, Emperors, Princes, Magistrates; of sundry Apostolicall, Canonicall, Imperial Constitutions; and of our own English Statutes, Magistrates, Universities, Writers, Preachers.
That popular Stage-playes (the very Pompes of the Divell which we renounce in Baptisme, if we believe the Fathers) are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly Spectacles, and most pernicious Corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intoler- able Mischiefes to Churches, to Republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. And that the Profession of Play- poets, of Stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of Stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of act- ing of beholding Academicall Interludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning Dancing, Dicing, Health-drinking, etc.: of which the Table will inform you.
(By William Prynne, an Utter-Barrester of
Lincolnes Inne.)
WILLIAM PRYNNE
42
THE PLEASURE-LOVING MODERN WOMAN
pott it is to see how many ingenious Youthes and Girles; how many young (that I say not old) Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of birth and quality (as if they were borne for no other purpose but to consume their youth, their lives in lascivious dalliances, Playes and pastimes, or in pampering, in adorning those idolized living carcases of theirs, which will turne to earth, to dung, to rottennesse and wormes-meat ere be long, and to condemne theire poore neglected soules) casting by all honest studies, r ailin gs, imployments, all care of Heaven, of salvation, of their own immortall soules, of that God who made them, that Saviour who redeemed them, that Spirit who should sanctifie them, and that Common-weale that fosters them; doe in this idle age of ours, like those Epicures of old most prodigally, most sinfully riot away the very creame and flower of their yeares and theire dayes in Playhouses, in Dancing-Schooles, Tavemes, Ale-houses, Dice-houses, Tobacco-shops, Bowling-allies, and such infamous places, upon those life-devouring, time-exhausting Playes and pastimes (that I say not sinnes beside), as is a shame for Pagans, much more for Christians to approve. ... You there- fore deare Christian Brethren, who are, who have beene peccant in this kinde, for Gods sake, for Christs sake, for the holy Ghosts sake, for Religions sake (which now extremely suffers by this your folly), for the Church and Common- weales sake, for your own soules sake, which you so much neglect, repent of what is past recalling, and for the future time resolve through Gods assistance, never to cast away your time, your money, your estates, your good names, your lives, your salvation, upon these unprofitable spectacles of vanity, lewdnesse, lasciviousnesse, . or these delights of sinne, of which you must necessarily repent and be ashamed, or else be condemned for them at the last. . . And because we have now many wanton females of all sorts re- sorting daily by troopes unto our Playes, our Play-houses, to see and to be seene, as they did in Ovids age; I shall only desire them (if not their Parents and Husbands) to consider,
WILLIAM PRYNNE
43
that it hath evermore been the notorious badge of pros- tituted strumpets and the lewdest Harlots, to ramble abroad to Playes, to Play-houses; whither no honest chast or sober Girles or Women, but only branded Whores and infamous Adulteresses did usually resort in ancient times: the Theater being then made a common Brothell: and that all ages, all places have constantly suspected the chastity, yea branded the honesty of those females who have been so immodest as to resort to Theaters, to Stage-playes, which .either finde or make them Harlots; inhibiting all married wives and virgins to resort to playes and Theaters, as I have here amply proved. . . . Whereas the dissolutenesse of our lascivious, impudent, rattle-pated gadding females now is such as if they had purposely studied to appropriate to themselves King Solomons memorable character of an “whorish woman, with an impudent face, a subtile heart and the attire of an Harlot; they are lowde and stubborne; their feet abide not in their houses; now they are without, now in the streets, and lie in wait at every corner”; being never well pleased nor contented, but when they are wander- ing abroad to Playes, to Play-houses, Dancing-matches, Masques, and publike Shewes; from which nature it selfe (if we believe S. Chrysostome) hath sequestered all women.
Let me now beseech all female Play-haunters, as they regard this Apostolicall precept, which enjoynes them, to be sober, chast, keepers at home, adorning themselves in modest apparell, with shamefastnesse and sobriety (which now are out of fashion), not with broidered cut or borrowed plaited haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly array (the onely fashions of our age) but (which becommeth women pro- fessing godlinesse) with good workes: As they tender their owne honesty, fame or reputadon both with God and men; the honour of their s,ex; the prayse of that Christian Religion, which they professe, the glory of their God, their Saviour, and their soules salvation, to abandon Playes and Play- houses, as most pernicious Pestes; where all females wrecke their credits; most, their chastity; some, their fortunes; not a few, their soules: and to say unto them as the Philosopher did unto his wealth which he cast into the Sea, “Abite in
OLIVER CROMWELL
44
profundum make cupiditates, ego vos mergam nc ipse mergar a vobis.”
A FILTHY SPECTACLE
and as the verdict of human nature condemns men de- generating into women; so from the very self-same grounds,' it deeply censures the aspiring of women above the limits of their female sex, and their metamorphosis into the shapes of men, either in haire, or apparreil. . . . Even nature herselfe abhors to see a woman shorne or polled; a woman with cut • hair is a filthy spectacle, and much like a monster, and all repute it a very great absurdity for a woman to waljce abrode with shorne haire; for this is all one as if she should take upon her the forme or person of a man, to whom short cut haire is proper, it being naturall and comly to women to nourish their haire, which even God and nature have given them for a covering, a token of subjection, and a naturall badge to distinguish them from men. Yet not with- standing our English gentlewomen (as if they all intended to turn men outright and weare the Breeches, or to become Popish Nonnes) are now growne so farre past shame, past modesty, grace and nature, as to clip their haire like men with lockes and foretops, and to make this whorish cut the very guise and fashion of the times, to the eternall infamy of their sex, their Nation, and the great scandall of religion.
