2. There is no reason plays should be in verse, either in blank or rhyme, only the poet has to say for himself, that he makes something like that, which somebody made before him. The old poets had no other reason but this, their verse was sung to music; otherwise it had been a senseless thing to have fettered themselves.

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3. I never converted but two; the one was Mr. Crashaw from writing against plays, by telling him a way how to understand that place, of putting on women's apparel, which has nothing to do in the business; as neither bas it, that the fathers speak against plays in their time, with reason enough; for they had real idolatries mixed with their plays, having three altars perpetually upon the stage. The other was a doctor of divinity, from preaching against painting, which simply in itself is no more hurtful than putting on my clothes, or doing any thing to make myself like other folks, that I may not be odious nor offensive to the company. Indeed if I do it with an ill intention, it alters the case; so, if I put on my gloves with an intention to do a mischief, I am a villain.

4. It is a fine thing for children to learn to make verse, but when they come to be men

they must speak like other men, or else they will be laughed at. It is ridiculous to speak, or write, or preach in verse. As it is good to learn to dance: a man may learn his leg, learn to go handsomely; but it is ridiculous for him to dance, when he should go.

5. It is ridiculous for a lord to print verses; it is well enough to make them to please himself, but to make them public, is foolish. If a man in a private chamber twirls his bandstrings, or plays with a rush to please himself, it is well enough; but if he should go into Fleet-street, and sit upon a stall, and twirl a bandstring, or play with a rush, then all the boys in the street would laugh at him.

6. Verse proves nothing but the quantity of syllables, they are not meant for logic.

POPE.

1. A POPE'S bull and a pope's brief differ very much, as with us, the great seal and the privy seal. The bull being the highest authority the king* can give, the brief is of less. The bull has a leaden seal upon silk, hanging upon the instrument. The brief has sub annulo piscatoris upon the side.

2. He was a wise pope, that when one that * Sic but qu. Pope?

used to be merry with him, before he was advanced to the popedom, refrained afterwards to come at him, presuming he was busy in governing the Christian world. The pope sends for him, bids him come again; And, says he, we will be merry as we were before, for thou little thinkest what a little foolery governs the whole world.

3. The pope in sending relics to princes, does as wenches do by their wassails at Newyear's-tide; they present you with a cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them monies, ten times more than it is worth.

4. The pope is infallible, where he hath power to command, that is, where he must be obeyed; so is every supreme power and prince. They that stretch his infallibility further, do they know not what.

5. When a Protestant and a Papist dispute, they talk like two madmen, because they do not agree upon their principles; the one way is, to destroy the pope's power; for if he hath power to command me, it is not my alleging reasons to the contrary can keep me from obeying. For example, if a constable command me to wear a green suit to-morrow, and

has power to make me, it is not my alleging a hundred reasons of the folly of it can excuse me from doing it.

6. There was a time when the pope had power here in England, and there was excellent use made of it; for it was only to serve turns, as might be manifested out of the records of the kingdom, which divines know little of. If the king did not like what the pope would have, he would forbid the pope's legate to land upon his ground. So that the power was truly then in the king, though suffered in the pope. But now the temporal and the spiritual power, (spiritual so called, because ordained to a spiritual end) spring both from one fountain, they are like to twist that.

7. The Protestants in France bear office in the state, because, though their religion be different, yet they acknowledge no other king but the king of France. The Papists in England they must have a king of their own, a pope, that must do something in our kingdom; therefore there is no reason they should enjoy the same privileges.

8. Amsterdam admits of all religions but Papists, and it is upon the same account.

The Papists, wherever they live, have another king at Rome; all other religions are subject to the present state, and have no prince else-` where.

9. The Papists call our religion a parliamentary religion; but there was once, I am sure, a parliamentary pope. Pope Urban was made pope in England by act of parliament, against pope Clement; the act is not in the book of statutes, either because he that compiled the book, would not have the name of the pope there, or else he would not let it appear that they meddled with any such thing; but it is upon the rolls.

10. When our clergy preach against the pope, and the church of Rome, they preach against themselves; and crying down their pride, their power, and their riches, have made themselves poor and contemptible enough. They dedicate first to please their prince, not considering what would follow. Just as if a man were to go a journey, and seeing at his first setting out the way clean and fair, ventures forth in his slippers, not considering the dirt and the sloughs are a little further off, or how suddenly the weather may change.

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