Letter V.
To an Unknown Person, Entreating Him to Deal Gently with His Brother.
my lord and brother has
already begged of your nobleness that you would see that Tutus should be
most safe, yet it
has been allowed to me to commend the same person in a letter, in order
that, by the petition being doubled, he may be held all the safer. For
let it be granted that a youthful fault and error of a yet unsettled age
has injured him, so as to inflict a stain on his early years; still one, who did not yet know what was due to right conduct,
has gone wrong almost without contracting blame. For when he
came to a right state of mind and to reflection, he understood on better
thoughts that a theatrical life was to be condemned. However, he could not
be completely cleared of his fault, unless he should wash its guilt away
by the aid of Deity, since, by the remedy obtained through the Catholic religion, changing his views, he has denied himself the enjoyment of a less honorable place, and has withdrawn himself from the eyes of the people.
Since, therefore, both divine and state laws do
not permit a faithful body and sanctified minds to exhibit disgraceful
though pleasing spectacles, and to set forth vulgar means of enjoyment, especially since an injury seems in some degree to accrue to the chaste dedication of one’s self, in case any one who has been renewed by holy baptism should fall back upon his old licentiousness, it behooves your Excellency to show favor to good intentions, so that he who, by the goodness of God, has entered on a pious duty, should not be forced to sink into the pitfall of the theatre. He does not, however, refuse compliance with the judgment of you all, if you enjoin other fitting actions on his part in behalf of the requirements of our common country.