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[Illustration]




                                PLAYS,


                              WRITTEN BY

                         Sir =John Vanbrugh=.

                            IN TWO VOLUMES.

                         =Volume= the =First=.

                              CONTAINING,

  The =Relapse=; Or, =Virtue= in =Danger=.

  The =Provok'd Wife=, with a new Scene.

  =Æsop=, in two =Parts=.

  The =False Friend=.

       *       *       *       *       *

                                LONDON:

               Printed for =J. Rivington=, =T. Longman=,
               =T. Lowndes=, =S. Caslon=, =C. Corbett=,
                 =S. Bladon=, =W. Nicoll=, =T. Evans=,
                           and =M. Waller=.

                              MDCCLXXVI.




AN

ACCOUNT

OF THE

LIFE and WRITINGS

OF THE

AUTHOR.


Sir _John Vanbrugh_, an eminent dramatic Writer, Son of Mr. _Giles
Vanbrugh_, of _London_, Merchant, was born in the Parish of _St.
Stephen_'s, _Wallbrook_, in 1666. The Family of _Vanbrugh_ were for
many Years Merchants of great Credit and Reputation, at _Antwerp_, and
came into _England_ in the reign of Queen _Elizabeth_, on account of
the Persecution for Religion.

Sir _John_ received a very liberal Education, and at the Age of
nineteen, was sent by his Father to _France_, where he continued some
Years: He became very eminent for his Poetry, to which he discovered an
early propension. And, pity it is, that this agreeable Writer had not
discovered his Wit, without any Mixture of that Licentiousness, which,
tho' it pleased, tended to corrupt the Audience.

_The Relapse_ was the first Play our Author produced, but not the first
he had written; for he had at that Time by him, all the Scenes of _The
Provok'd Wife_; but being then doubtful whether he should ever trust it
to the Stage, he flung it by, and thought no more of it: Why the last
written Play was first acted, and for what Reason they were given to
different Stages, what follows will explain.

Upon our Author's first Step into public Life, when he was but an
Ensign in the Army, and