408 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888. 



phemy through the vividness of dramatic portrayal is incalcuahle ; 

 that it familiarizes the auditors with wrong thinking, speaking and 

 doing, and thus lowers the moral tone of the community,' on the 

 other hand, a good play, by parity of reasoning, should have an 

 equally incalculable good influence, and we believe that it has. The 

 vast majority of men [who] are not attracted towards the church, 

 find themselves unable to comprehend its methods, endure its limita- 

 tions, or perhaps appreciate its motives — and for these, else left 

 without moral instruction, the play yields along with its human 

 interests and entertainment, its realistic teaching by example as 

 well as precept. 



" Nay more, the clergyman who objects to the representation of 

 the prayer scene in ' Hamlet,' does not hesitate to read the passage, 

 or to hear it read, perhaps by the very actor who is accustomed to 

 play the part, and who will throw into it all the emotion and all 

 the action that the lecture platform permits him. He will even 

 listen to this recital in the opera house probably, and without 

 alarming his conscience ' because it is not a dramatic performance, 

 but only a recital.' 



" Thus, to be consistent, it seems that we must at least tolerate 

 upon the stage, that which we approve in the library or lecture 

 room. But this point is not yet exhausted : there are various con- 

 ceptions of morality perhaps, and that of the churchman is not 

 necessarily the highest. No one will deny that among theatre-goers 

 are to be found persons who are as cultivated in religion, morals 

 and manners, as tender of conscience, as responsive to the call of 

 duty as any of the abstainers. Is it not rather illiberal then to 

 assume that these persons only visit the theatre because they, in this 

 particular, disregard the voice of conscience? Again, the lower 

 classes of mankind, who frequent the sensational second-class play, 

 who read the equally sensational second-class ' weekly ; ' are they to 

 be frowned down on account of the vulgarity of their amusements? 

 The uncultured cannot become educated christian people at a bound : 

 generations of refining influences are required to effect the transfor- 

 mation. For these men and women in process of enlightenment, 

 with yet unformed, or badly formed tastes, the theatre is a civilizing 

 agent of far greater power than it is for their betters. 



" It may be taken for granted that actors as well as audiences are 

 susceptible to the moral or immoral lessons of the drama, and if. 



