Young—William Gager's Defence of Academic Stage. 605 
greater shewe of truthe, then thay cowlde wellanswere at the first 
sight, for till I vnderstoode it by you, and by a Preacher of late, 1 
I did never thinke that eyther you, or any other in the Vniversitye 
had abetted Momus his obiections, or that owre Playes, had byn so 
muche disliked, if I had knowne it, I coulde easely have spared so 
thankeles a labor, to saye no more, but I hope it seemethe not so 
to evrye bodye, that also are not evrye bodye. 
But whatsoever other men had cause to thinke, you had no 
fust occasion to suspecte your selfe touched therin by me; no not 
for thos twoe inducements which you cheefely alleage to prove 
your coniecture. for wheras you write, 2 that you did reprove 
Theater-sightes and Stage-plages , as hurtfull and pernicious many 
geeres agoe , and this geere , before the Plages , had wrgtten to a good 
frende of owres , thos reasons which I make Momus use agagnst 
them , and therfor you had cause to thinke, you weare charged f 
noted , and stagned under the name of Momus; to the first I answere; 
first I never red that which you wrote longe agoe in your Preface 
to your Theses , agaynst Playes. I may be ashamed perhapps so 
to excuse my selfe; but yet the acknowledgment of this blame, 
dothe p. 42> make my testimonye in this case of more validitye. 
if I coulde otherwise have defended myn innocencye heerin, I 
woulde have avoyded this confession, but a truthe must be sayde, 
and the rather when it is to prove a truthe of greater moment. 
Then, if I had red it, when I was a very yunge man, and so careles 
of suche thinges, I might have forgotten it ere this, beinge wrytten 
so many yeers sence. Lastly I should have taken it as spoken 
agaynst Histriones , and not agaynst Schollares. and in deed for 
that I ever have hearde (as I confesse I have hearde) of your 
mynd that way, I ever vnderstoode it, in that meaninge. As for 
your late letter to owre good frende, he never shewde it me, or 
towlde me the contents therof to this daye, I never hearde of it, 
till longe after, nay talkinge with hym of you, touchinge suche 
thmges, he towlde me, that he had invyted you to the Playes, 
but you most gently answered, that you never vsed to cumm to 
1 At least I could haue wished your censure had bene milder, if not in regard 
of a younger Preacher, who did so expound that text [Deut. XXII. 5] in a 
godly Sermon before your booke was printed: yet in consideration of that 
ancient Father, with many other worthy men, whose learned writinges doe 
glosse it in the same sort. [ Overthrow , p. 16.] 
2 And what so euer others had cause to thinke of them selues, yet I must 
needes thinke my self touched therein: although I should yeeld unto your 
request (which I most gladlie doe) in that you pray me, not to mistake your 
meaning; protesting your intent is not to note any man , but onely Momus. 
For I did reprove [Side-note: Praefat. Thesium ad Acad. Oxon.] our Theater- 
sights & Stage-playes, as hurtfull and pernicious, [Side-note: Pestes scenicorum 
theatralia spectacula] many yeares agoe: and this yeare, ere your Momus, or 
any of your Enterludes came vppon the stage, I had (in letters written to our 
good friend Maister D. Thornton ) alleaged those reasons, which you make 
Momus vse, against them. [Overthrow, p. 1.] 
