He drew Sir Samuel Tuke's attention to an admired Spanish comedy, advising its adaptation to the English stage: the result was "The Adventures of Five Hours," a work very highly esteemed by Mr.Pepys.The introduction of scenery was due in a great measure to French example, although "paintings in perspective" had already been seen in an English theatre.

But now scenery was imperatively necessary to a dramatic performance, and a sort of passion arose for mechanical devices and decorative appliances of a novel kind.

Dryden was no reformer--in truth, to suit his own purposes, he pandered laboriously to the follies and caprices of his patrons; nevertheless, he was fully sensible of the errors of the time, and often chronicles these in his prologues and epilogues.

He writes: True wit has run its best days long ago, It ne'er looked up since we were lost in show, When sense in doggrel rhymes and clouds was lost, And dulness nourished at the actor's cost.
Nor stopped it here; when tragedy was done, Satire and humour the same fate have run, And comedy is sunk to trick and pun.
* * * * * Let them who the rebellion first began To wit, restore the monarch if they can; Our author dares not be the first bold man.
And upon another occasion: But when all failed to strike the stage quite dumb, Those wicked engines, called machines, are come.
Thunder and lightning now for wit are played, And shortly scenes in Lapland will be laid.
* * * * * Fletcher's despised, your Jonson out of fashion.
And wit the only drug in all the nation.
Actresses, too, were introduced upon the stage in pursuance of continental example.

But for these there was really great necessity.
The boys who, prior to the Civil War, had personated the heroines of the drama, were now too mature, both in years and aspect, for such an occupation.
Doubting we should never play agen, We have played all our women into men! says the prologue, introducing the first actress.