The Works of Aphra Behn Volume Iv Part 36

THE AMOROUS PRINCE.

[Transcriber's Note:

Entrances and bracketed stage directions were printed in _italics_, with proper names in roman type. The overall _italic_ markup has been omitted for readability.]

ARGUMENT.

Frederick, 'the Amorous Prince,' a mercurial young gallant, son to the Duke of Florence, under a solemn promise of marriage debauches Cloris, sister to his friend and confidant, Curtius. The girl has always led a secluded country life, and this relationship is unknown to the Prince, who upon hearing the praises of Laura, beloved by Curtius, straightway resolves to win this lady also. Laura's brother Lorenzo, a wanton madcap favourite of Frederick's, gladly effects the required introduction, and when Curtius interrupts and forbids, Salvator, father to Laura and Lorenzo, promptly turns the quondam lover out of the house. Lorenzo himself is idly pursuing Clarina, wife to a certain Antonio, an abortive intrigue carried on to his own impoverishment, but the enrichment of Isabella, Clarina's woman, a wench who fleeces him unmercifully. Antonio being of a quaint and jealous humour would have his friend Alberto make fervent love to Clarina, in order that by her refusals and chill denials her spotless conjugal fidelity may be proved. However, Ismena, Clarina's sister, appears in a change of clothes as the wife, and manifold complications ensue, but eventually all is cleared and Ismena accepts Alberto, whom she has long loved; not before Isabella, having by a trick compelled Lorenzo to declare himself her husband, enforces the bargain.

Cloris, meanwhile, disguised as a boy under the name of Philibert, attaches herself to Frederick, first succouring him when he is wounded in a duel by Curtius. Curtius to avenge his wrongs disguises himself, and as a pandar entices Frederick into a snare by promises of supplying the amorous Prince with lovely cyprians. Bravos, however, are in waiting, but these prove to be in the service of Antonio, who appears with Alberto and their friends, completely frustrating the plot, whilst Clarina, Ismena, and other ladies have acted the courtezans to deceive Curtius, and at the same time read the Prince a salutary lesson. He profits so much by this experience that he takes Cloris, whose s.e.x is discovered, to be his bride, whilst Laura bestows her hand on the repentant and forgiven Curtius.

SOURCE.

Mrs. Behn has taken her episode of Antonio's persuading Alberto to woo Clarina from Robert Davenport's fine play, _The City Night-Cap_ (4to 1661, but licensed 24 October, 1624) where Lorenzo induces Philippo to test Abstemia in the same way. Astrea, however, has considerably altered the conduct of the intrigue. Bullen (_The Works of Robert Davenport_, 1890) conclusively and exhaustively demonstrates that Davenport made use of Greene's popular _Philomela; the Lady Fitzwater's Nightingale_ (1592, 1615, and 1631), wherein Count Philippo employs Giovanni Lutesio to 'make experience of his wife's [Philomela's] honesty', rather than was under any obligation to Cervantes' _Curioso Impertinente, Don Quixote_, Book IV, ch. vi-viii. Read, Dunlop, and Hazlitt all had express'd the same opinion. The Spanish tale turns upon the fact of Anselmo, the Curious Impertinent, enforcing his friend Lothario to tempt his wife Camilla. Such a theme, however, is common, and with variations is to be found in Italian novelle. Recent authorities are inclined to suggest that the plot of Beaumont and Fletcher's _The c.o.xcomb_ (1610), much of which runs on similar lines, is not founded on Cervantes. Southerne, in his comedy, _The Disappointment; or, The Mother in Fashion_ (1684) and 'starch Johnny Crowne' in _The Married Beau_ (1694), both comedies of no little wit and merit, are patently indebted to _The Curious Impertinent_. Cervantes had also been used three quarters of a century before by Nat Field in his _Amends for Ladies_ (4to, 1618), where Sir John Loveall tries his wife in an exactly similar manner to Lorenzo, Count Philippo and Anselmo.

The amours of the Florentine court are Mrs. Behn's own invention; but the device by which Curtius ensnares Frederick is not unlike Vendice and Hippolito's trapping of the lecherous old Duke in _The Revenger's Tragedy_ (4to, 1607), albeit the saturnine Tourneur gives the whole scene a far more terrible and tragic catastrophe.

In January, 1537, Lorenzino de Medici having enticed Duke Alessandro of Florence to his house under pretext of an a.s.signation with a certain Caterina Ginori, after a terrible struggle a.s.sa.s.sinated him with the aid of a notorious bravo. Several plays have been founded upon this history.

Notable amongst them are Shirley's admirable tragedy, _The Traitor_ (licensed May, 1631, 4to 1635) and in later days de Musset's _Lorenzaccio_ (1834).

The Mask in Act V of _The Amorous Prince_ is in its purport most palpably akin to the Elizabethans.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.

_The Amorous Prince_ was produced by the Duke's Company in the spring of 1671 at their Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre, whence they migrated in November of the same year to the magnificent new house in Dorset Garden.

No performers' names are given to the comedy, which met with a very good reception. It seems to have kept the boards awhile, but there is no record of any particular revival.

THE AMOROUS PRINCE.

PROLOGUE.

Well! you expect a _Prologue_ to the Play, And you expect it too Pet.i.tion-way; With _Chapeau bas_ beseeching you t' excuse A d.a.m.n'd Intrigue of an unpractis'd Muse; Tell you it's Fortune waits upon your Smiles, And when you frown, Lord, how you kill the whiles!

Or else to rally up the Sins of th' Age, And bring each Fop in Town upon the Stage; And in one Prologue run more Vices o'er, Than either Court or City knew before: Ah! that's a Wonder which will please you too, But my Commission's not to please you now.

First then for you grave _Dons_, who love no Play But what is regular, Great _Johnson's_ way; Who hate the _Monsieur_ with the Farce and Droll, But are for things well said with Spirit and Soul; 'Tis you I mean, whose Judgments will admit No Interludes of fooling with your Wit; You're here defeated, and anon will cry, 'Sdeath! wou'd 'twere Treason to write Comedy.

So! there's a Party lost; now for the rest, Who swear they'd rather hear a s.m.u.tty Jest Spoken by _Nokes_ or _Angel_, than a Scene Of the admir'd and well penn'd _Cataline_; Who love the comick Hat, the Jig and Dance, Things that are fitted to their Ignorance: You too are quite undone, for here's no Farce d.a.m.n me! you'll cry, this Play will be mine A---- Not serious, nor yet comick, what is't then?

Th' imperfect issue of a lukewarm Brain: 'Twas born before its time, and such a Whelp; As all the after-lickings could not help.

Bait it then as ye please, we'll not defend it, But he that dis-approves it, let him mend it._

DRAMATIS PERSONae

MEN.

_Frederick_, Son to the Duke.

_Curtius_, his Friend.

_Lorenzo_, a rich extravagant Lord, a kind of Favourite to _Frederick_.

_Salvator_, Father to _Lorenzo_ and _Laura_.

_Antonio_, a n.o.bleman of _Florence_.

_Alberto_, his dear Friend, a n.o.bleman also.

_Pietro_, Man to _Curtius_.

_Galliard_, Servant to the Prince.

_Guilliam_, Man to _Cloris_, a Country-fellow.

Valet to _Antonio_.

WOMEN.

_Clarina_, Wife to _Antonio_.

_Ismena_, Sister to _Antonio_, in love with _Alberto_.

_Laura_, Sister to _Lorenzo_, in love with _Curtius_.

_Cloris_, Sister to _Curtius_, disguis'd like a Country Maid, in love with _Frederick_.

_Isabella_, Woman to _Clarina_.

_Lucia_, Maid to _Cloris_.

Pages and Musick.

SCENE, The Court of _Florence_.

ACT I.

SCENE I. The Chamber of _Cloris_.