Betterton's Reason
Historical Account★★★★Ministerial. Mr. Betterton, the actor, being one day at dinner at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s, the latter expressed his astonishment that the representation of fables in their pieces should make more impression upon the mind than that of truth in the sermons of the clergy: upon which Mr. Betterton, explaining the reason of it, said, “May it please your Grace, it is because the clergy, in reading their sermons, pronounce them as if they were reading fables; but we, in acting our parts, and using them in a proper gesture, represent them as matters of fact.”
The point
Actor Thomas Betterton explains to the Archbishop of Canterbury why theatrical performances impress more than sermons: clergy read as if telling fables, while actors present their parts as matters of fact.