Th'overthrow of stage-plays, by the way of controversy betwixt D. Gager and D. Rainoldes…Th'overthrow of stage-playes, by the way of controversie betwixt D. Gager and D. Rainoldes…

Lesser is the wrong, yet a wrong also, that of your actors likewise you say, they are condemned by me to hateful infamy, a thing to all honest minds more intolerable then death it self: and farther, that your house, your self, and many honest towardly young men, your friends, whom for good causes you heartily love, are charged with open infamy. It may be, the circumstance noted herewithall, in that you add it grieveth you and them not a little, that they should in private, but much more in public, be charged with such infamy: hath reference to the Sermon rather ⟨p. 41⟩which was preached in the public audience of the university, then to letters written in private unto you. Howbeit, whithersoever of us it toucheth more, your complaint is somewhat partial to your self: who take in evil part, that we by word or writing should teach or maintain ought whereof there may grow infamy by consequent to you; yet would have us take it well and patiently, that you have set forth and published that in print, whereof there may grow infamy by consequent to us. But the wrong I meant you do me in those clauses of your accusation, concerneth both the matter of crime, and the persons: the matter, for aggravating the quality of the note of infamy, which they are charged with, by terming it hateful, open, more intolerable to all honest minds then death it self: the persons, for extending it from a few members to the whole body, from the players to your house. Concerning the later (to begin with it) beside that you say that in answering my writing you defend your house, not only the particular players, from infamy: you add that they are charged therewith to the general reproach of your house, if so hard a censure should be by men of note enforced and persuaded. And why should you more interpret our action to the general reproach of your house, because we reproved that by word or writing which some of Christchurch had practised: then we interpret yours to the general reproach of our house, because you defended that by printed treatise, which some of Queens college had reproved? If the reason be, for that we are men of note who work the discrediting of you: they are men of note too, whose verses you having prefixed before your book, do countenance your disgrace of us.

Lesser is the wrong, yet a wrong also, that of your actors likewise you say, they are condemned by me to hatefull infamie, a thing to all honest mindes more intollerable then death it selfe: and farther, that your house, your selfe, and many honest towardly young men, your frendes, whom for good causes you hartely loue, are charged with open infamie. It may be, the circumstance noted herewithall, in that you adde it greeveth you and them not a litle, that they should in private, but much more in publike, bee charged with such infamie: hath reference to the Sermon rather