Onecanneverlookwithoutaffectiononthemagnificentmanhoodofthatrichfreeforehead，eventhoughonemaysighoverthepetulanceandpridewhichbrooduponthelipandeyebrow，’Doweredwiththehateofhate，thescornofscorn，Theloveoflove。’
AMichaelAngelowhocouldlaugh，whichthatItalianone，onefancies，nevercould。Oneoughttohave，too，asortofdelicacyaboutsayingmuchagainsthim；forheisdead，andcanmake，forthetimebeingatleast，norejoinder。Therearedeadmenwhomoneisnotmuchashamedto’upset’aftertheirdeath，becauseonewouldnothavebeenmuchafraidofdoingsowhentheywerealive。But’RareBen’hadterribleteeth，andusedthemtoo。Amanwouldhavethoughttwiceerehesnaptathimliving，andthereforeitseemssomewhatacowardlytricktobarksecurelyathisghost。Neverthelessitisnounfairquestiontoask——DonothisownwordsjustifythePuritancomplaints？Butifso，whydoesherailatthePuritansformakingtheircomplaints？Hisanswerwouldhavebeenthattheyrailedinignorance，notmerelyatlowart，aswecallitnow，butathighartandallart。Beitso。Herewastheirfault，iffaultitwasinthosedays。Fortodiscriminatebetweenhighartandlowarttheymusthaveseenboth。AndforJonson’swrathtobefairandjusthemusthaveshownthemboth。Letusseewhatthepuredramaislikewhichhewishestosubstituteforthefouldramaofhiscontemporaries；and，tobringthematternearerhome，letustakeoneoftheplaysinwhichhehitsdeliberatelyatthePuritans，namelythe’Alchemist，’saidtohavebeenfirstactedin1610’bytheking’smajesty’sservants。’Look，then，atthiswell-knownplay，andtakeJonsonathisword。AllowthatAnaniasandTribulationWholesomeare，astheyveryprobablyare，fairportraitsofaclassamongthesectariesoftheday：butbearinmind，too，thatifthisbeallowed，theothercharactersshallbeheldasfairportraitsalso。
Otherwise，allmustheheldtobecaricature；andthentheonslaughtonthePuritansvanishesintonothing，orworse。Nowineithercase，AnaniasandTribulationarethebestmenintheplay。Theypalterwiththeirconsciences，nodoubt：buttheyhaveconsciences，whichnooneelseintheplayhas，exceptpoorSurly；andhe，beitremembered，comestoshame，ismadealaughing-stock，and’cheatshimself，’ashecomplainsatlast，’bythatsamefoolishviceofhonesty’：whileinalltherestwhathavewebuteveryformofhumanbaseness？Lovell，themaster，ifheistobeconsideredanegativecharacterasdoingnowrong，has，atallevents，nomorerecordedofhimthanthenobleactofmarryingbydeceitayoungwidowforthesakeofhermoney，thephilosopher’sstone，bythebye，andhighestobjectofmostoftheseventeenthcenturydramatists。Ifmostoftherascalsmeetwithduedisgrace，noneofthemispunished；andthegreatestrascalofall，who，whenescapeisimpossible，turnstraitor，andafterdeservingthecartandpilloryadozentimesforhislastandmostutterbaseness，isrewardedbyfullpardon，andthehonourofaddressingtheaudienceattheplay’sendinthemostsmugandself-satisfiedtone，andof’puttinghimselfonyouthataremycountry，’notdoubting，itseems，thattherewereamongthemafairmajoritywhowouldthinkhimaverysmartfellow，worthyofallimitation。
Nowisthisplayamoraloranimmoralone？Ofitscoarsenesswesaynothing。Weshouldnotendureit，ofcourse，nowadays；andonthatpointsomethingmustbesaidhereafter：butifweweretoendureplainspeakingastheonlymethodofproperlyexposingvice，shouldweendurethemoralwhich，insteadofpunishingvice，rewardsit？
And，meanwhile，whatsortofageneralstateofsocietyamongtheAnti-Puritanpartydoestheplaysketch？Whatbutabackgroundofprofligacyandfrivolity？