Who among the following had observed in the pamphlet titled 'Plays Confuted in Five Actions' (1582), "I may boldly say it, because I have seen it, that... bawdy comedies in Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish, have been thoroughly ransacked to furnish the playhouses in London."

Correct option is C

Stephen Gosson was a Puritan playwright and theologian who wrote the pamphlet Plays Confuted in Five Actions in 1582. In the pamphlet, Gosson argues that plays are immoral and should be banned. He also accuses playwrights of plagiarizing their work from foreign languages.
Here is the quote from Gosson's pamphlet:
I may boldly say it, because I have seen it, that the playhouses in London have been thoroughly ransacked to furnish the theatre with bawdy comedies in Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Gosson's pamphlet was part of a larger Puritan movement against the theater in the late 16th century. The Puritans believed that plays were sinful and that they corrupted the audience. They also believed that plays were a waste of time and money. Gosson's pamphlet was influential, but it was not successful in banning plays. The theatre continued to thrive in Elizabethan England, and it produced some of the greatest plays in the English language. However, Gosson's pamphlet is still important today because it provides us with a valuable glimpse into the Puritan perspective on the theater. It also reminds us of the power of literature to influence society.

Information Booster:
Stephen Gosson is known for his anti-theatrical polemics, particularly in works like The Schoole of Abuse (1579) and Plays Confuted in Five Actions.
He believed that theatre encouraged immorality, idleness, and moral decay among audiences and actors.
His criticism contributed to the ongoing debate in Elizabethan England about the value and ethics of theatrical performances.
Despite his criticism, Gosson’s works inadvertently preserved information about the nature of Renaissance drama and its influences.

Additional Knowledge:
1) Ben Jonson: A celebrated Elizabethan and Jacobean playwright, Jonson is known for his satirical comedies like Volpone and The Alchemist. He was an advocate of the theatre, not its critic.
2) George Gascoigne: A poet and dramatist of the early Elizabethan era, Gascoigne contributed to the development of English drama with works like Supposes, a comedy translated from the Italian.
4) George Farquhar: An Irish dramatist of the Restoration era, Farquhar is known for comedies like The Beaux' Stratagem and The Recruiting Officer. His career came long after Gosson’s time.