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and Grotafque 
0f C aricature 
been the caufe of fome fcandal, and there were, even among play-goers, 
fome who took offence at fuch outrages on the ordinary feelings of 
modefty. The excefs of the evil had begun to produce a rea6ti0n. 
Ravenfcroft, the author of that comedy, produced on the Rage, in 1684, 
a comedy, entitled "Dame Doblon, or the Cunning Woman," which 
was intended to be a modelt play, but it was unceremonioufly " damned" 
by the audience. The prologue to this new comedy intimates that the 
" London Cuckolds " had pleated the town and diverted the court, but 
that forne " fqueamifh females " had taken offence at it, and that he had 
now written a " dull, civill " play to make amends. They are addreffed, 
therefore, in fuch terms as thefe  
In you, rhafle ladies, then we hope to-day, 
This is the poet": remntation play. 
Came often to "t, that he at length may fee 
'Ti: more than a pretended madefiy. 
Stiek by him now,jZ1r  he find: you falter, 
He quickly -will his way ofwriting alter ; 
And every pla_yjballjend_yau blujbing home, 
Far, though you rail, yet then we're fure you'll come. 
And it is further intimated,- 
A naugbgz play was ne-uer counted dull- 
Nor  tamed] fer flzafedjou much. 
"I remember," fays Colley Cibber in his "Apology," looking back to thefe 
times, "I remember the ladies were then obferved to be decently afraid 
of venturing bare-faced to a new comedy, till they had been alfured they 
might do it without the rilk of an infult to their modeity; or if their 
curiofity were too Itrong for their patience, they took care at lealt to fave 
appearances, and rarely came upon the lirit days of afting but in maiks 
(then daily worn, and admitted in the pit, the tide boxes, and gallery), 
which cuftom, however, had fo many ill confequences attending it, that it 
has been aboliihed thefe many years." According to the Spefiator, ladies 
began now to defert the theatre when comedies were brought out, except 
thofe who " never mifs the firft day of a new play, left it ihould prove too 
lufcious to admit of their going with any countenance to the fecond." 
In