South London . fell intothe hands of the Puritans. For instance, one John Field, thefather of one of the most famous players, Nathan Field,wrote to the Earl of Leicester as early as 1585 reviling himfor having interfered on the behalf of evil men as of late youdid for players, to the great griefe of all the godly, andadjuring him not to encourage their wickedness, and theabuses that are wont to be nourished by those impure inter-ludes and plays. And the same divine, two years later,wrote an attack upon the theatre in consequence of the acci-dent at Paris Gardens which has been already mentione
South London . fell intothe hands of the Puritans. For instance, one John Field, thefather of one of the most famous players, Nathan Field,wrote to the Earl of Leicester as early as 1585 reviling himfor having interfered on the behalf of evil men as of late youdid for players, to the great griefe of all the godly, andadjuring him not to encourage their wickedness, and theabuses that are wont to be nourished by those impure inter-ludes and plays. And the same divine, two years later,wrote an attack upon the theatre in consequence of the acci-dent at Paris Gardens which has been already theatre was forcibly suppressed in the Civil War, but itwas never forgotten, and the moment that the Restorationallowed it was opened again. But to our day the old Puri- THE SHOW FOLK 22. tanism continues, in a now feeble and impotent way, toconsider the Theatre as the chosen home of the Devil. Nathan Field, though the son of such a father, was readyto meet all comers in defence of the stage. In 1616 one. a^jt villi INliiKlOK 01 IHE OLU bWAN IHEAIRE Sutton, Preacher at St. Mary Overies, denounced the Theatreand all connected with it. Field answered him manfully,telling him plainly that he, the preacher, is disloyal, in prcach-nvr from his pulpit against people who arc licensed and 224 SOUTH LONDON patronised by the King. The players were at all times equalto the task of covering the preacher with derision; butderision seldom convinces or converts. The general opinion of players remains that they have atall times been a penniless tribe, eating the corn in the green ;borrowing ; spending their money in riotous living. Thisopinion is not by any means always true. The musician, themummer, the dancer, and the tumbler were all regarded muchin the same light; they were despised ; they did not fight likethe soldier ; they did not produce like the craftsman ; they didnot, like the priest, say mass and forgive sins; they did notheal the sick ; they knew no law ; their only function
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbesantwa, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
