| Citation |
NYJ-N.768.038
18 Feb 1768:11 (1311)
A funeral elogium on the death of Dramaticus, who departed
this life in January 1768, aetatis suae--22. . . [50 lines,
a continuation of the series warning against the dangers of
pleasure and plays; then] He was taught dancing and music
when very young; the one he said gave him a certain debonair
and gracefulness of action, and contributed much in forming
his character as a polite gentleman; --the other softened
his nature, gave him a delicate sensibility, and made him
susceptible of tender impressions. . . [7 more lines]
another early part of his education was acquired from the
theatre, which he told me he was extremely fond of from his
childhood.--From the time he was ten years old, till he went
to college, there was a play-house in the city where he
lived, which was open every season. He very frequently went
to it, till he got a pretty taste for theatrical
entertinments, but while this was improving, he said he had
little taste for his grammar--many times he was obliged to
submit to the discipline of the rod, for preferring a play-
book to his task; . . . [2 lines]
The young gentleman's father finding his son's passion for
pleasure rather too strong, thought it best to send him to
some college in the country, that he might be more out of
the way of temptation, and especially of the play-house; . .
. [19 more lines a college, and after college] He return'd
to the city, where the scenes of his early pleasures opent
ot his eye, and among the rest, the great Diana of his
infant soul, the theatre. . . [4 lines]
The play-house is opened, and tho' the actors were but a
very indifferent set, and some of them could scarcely read
with propriety, yet he got a notion into his head, that all
his former attainments were nothing, unless he could polish
them with the manners, the action, and address of the stage.
. . [2 lines] and therefore determined to go to the play at
least twice a week. I had it from his own mouth that in the
course of three years, what with gallanting the ladies to
the plays, and the growth of his own extravagant fondness
for them, he spent near two hundred pounds extraordinary, .
. .[5 lines] and when he saw a comedy present, in which
innocence was made the sport of abnadoned villany, . . . [4
more lines] His reading was principally confined to plays. .
. [1 line] This led him to inquire into the antiquity of the
stage . . . [5 lines] the polite arts depended almost wholly
upon the theatre; and at last he really was convinced that
Athens, Rome, and Great-Britain, would all have continued in
barbarism and ignorance, had it not been for the stage. . .
[1 line] the polite arts were more improved after than
before the introduction of the theatre among them, and
therefore such improvements can be ascribed to nothing but
the theatre. When our new play-house was lately opened in
this city, Dramaticus, to use a law-phrase, was in full
life; and as he had been long ruminating upon the subject of
the theatre. . . [26 lines]
A few hours before his death I had a serious conversation
with him, (for people will be serious upon a death-bed) when
he lamented the early prostitution of his time at the
theatre, and assigned it as the only cause of his death; [1
line] "if there had not been a theatre where I lived, my
young and tender mind had never been ensnared by it; if I
had never been ensnared by it, I never should have gone to
it; if I never had gone to it I never should have seen a
play acted; if I never had seen a play acted, I never should
have searched into the antiquities of the stage; . . . [5
lines] therefore I do charge my death to the play-house." .
. . [3 lines] In the first place I call upon you, ye tribe
of actors to shut up your play-house, at least for seven
days, that you may mourn decently for the death of your
great patron; . . . [1 line] When the play-house is opened
again, let it be hung in black, and let an occasional
prologue be prepared as an introduction to the next play,
which should conclude with a solemn dirge, suited to this
melancholy event. . . [17 lines.] New-York, 12th February,
1768.
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