Page:Celebrated Trials - Volume 1.djvu/471

altars, images, hair of men and women, bishops and bonfires; cards and tables do offend him, and perukes do fall within the compass of his theme. St. George never offended him; but all this is to the end to bring a belief among the people, that we are returning back again to paganism. His end is therefore to persuade men to go and serve God in another country, as many are gone already, and set up new laws and fancies among themselves. Consider what may come of it.

"It may be fit enough, and lawful, to write against plays, by men that have a mission; and they must do their errand in mannerly terms, and in the same terms as other men expect to bear with them. Mr. Prynn had no mission to meddle with these things, to see whether men should not return to gentilism; the terms which he useth are such as he finds among the oyster-women at Billingsgate, or at the common conduit. He hath raked up all the vile terms that could be found.

"Now to prove that this is Mr. Prynn's book, read Mr. Prynn's examination, Inter. 5th. (which, being read, was to this effect,) that Mr. Prynn, without the help of any other, did write, pen, and compile the whole book, called Histrio-mastix, and the epistle before the book, and the index and table following,

"Now, for the publishing of this book, it doth appear, by the deposition of Dr. Goade, that about eight years since, Mr, Prynn did bring a book to him in writing, of about a quire of paper, concerning stage-plays, to have the same licensed, but he held it unfit to be allowed; and doth well remember, that as to his argument of the unlawfulness for a man to put on woman's apparel, he put Mr. Prynn this question; suppose, Mr. Prynn, yourself, as a christian, were persecuted by pagans, think you not, if you did disguise yourself in your maid's apparel, you did well? who answered, that he thought himself rather bound to yield to death than to do so.

"Dr. Harris also deposed, that about seven years ago, Mr. Prynn came to him to license a treatise concerning stage-plays, but he would not allow of the same. So this man did deliver this book when it was young and tender, and would have had it then printed; but it is since grown seven times bigger, and seven times worse."

Noy.—"We shall now prove when it went to the prese. Read Austin the stationer to interrogatory the 28th, which being read, was to this effect; that the said book called Histrio-mastix was given to this deponent in or about the last parliament, at which time seven sheets thereof were printed at this deponent's house; which this deponent so printed. at the request of Mr. Prynn and Mr. Sparkes, upon Mr. Prynn's information that it was licensed, and that he would bring the hand of the licenser unto it. But this deponent did refuse to print any more of the same.

"Read Joseph H. to prove, that Sparkes would set upon it unlicensed in parliament-time, to inter. 26, who saith, that the defendant Sparkes did, in the time of the last parliament, print, or cause to be printed, divers books without licence; whereof