The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/Captain Vanbrug
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Captain Van Brug.
Tho’ this Gentleman’s Modesty has hitherto hindred him from setting his Name to any of the Plays that he has Writ, yet they are so Universally known to be his, and own’d by him to the Stage by all other ways, that it cannot reasonably be taken amiss by him, to find his Name here, since it is not in the Power of Envy to mention it, without the highest Value and Esteem. This Gentleman, as I am informed, was born in Cheshire, and by more than a Common Education, and Converse with the best Company qualified for these Performances, which have got him the Preference to all our Modern Writers of Comedy, since Mr. Wycherly, and Sir George Etheridge have left the Stage; and with all the due Respect that I owe those two great Men, I must place Mr. Van Brug in their Form, for the sprightliness of his Wit, the easiness, and at same time, force of the Conversation of his Plays are such, that none else can stand in Competition with him. Methinks in the Comparison of his Plays, with most of our other Drammatic Pieces, there is the same difference, which there is betwixt the Draughts of Van Dike, Titian, and other great Masters of former Days, and some of our best Painters now; these are indeed good Representations, but his are the things they Represent; (if you’ll pardon that seeming Contradiction of the Expression) many of our Writers have given us good Images of the Fools of our Age, but they are still but Images; but when you read or see Mr. Van Brug’s, you see the very Originals, all is so free, so easie, and so bold, as perswade them to be no Copies, you evidently see the Lineaments of Nature, without they stifness of Art, which would but debase his Work. Others of our Comic Writers, who have succeeded most in that way, pick out Characters that are indeed diverting enough on the Stage, but which scarce one sensible Man in a Thousand can read in his Chamber, so much is left to the Action: But Mr. Van Brug’s Characters are Compo’d of that part of Nature, which is not so Monstrous to shock the Reader, or Nauseate his Palate, but which yield a pleasing Entertainment; he puts Folly into such a Light, that it is as diverting to the Reader as Spectator; and his Fools are so pleasing, that you are not weary of their Company before they leave you.
Another Quality distinct from many of our Received Poets, is, That his Men of Wit are really so, and not like Mr. Shadwell’s, the dullest in the Play: I have ventured to say all this, without either the Prospect of Encolpius in Petronius Arbiter, Ut foris Cenaris Poetam Laudasti, or the fear of that Wity Censure of The Plain Dealer, for choosing to flatter the Poets of the Age, rather than not flatter at all. Because one that is unknown, can have but little expectations of the former, or justly deserve the latter, when he speaks but what is justly his due; unless the Praise of Wit be as unallowable as superfluous. He has Honoured his Country with three Plays that he owns: Of these in their Order.
Æsop, a Comedy 4 to. Acted at the Theatre Royal, 1697. In the Preface we learn both the Fate of the Play, and that the Author owes his Foundation to the French; for it was writ Originally in French by Mr. Boursaut, and had almost the same Fate there as here, as to its Success; the first day it was not lik’d, the next it scarce gain’d Ground, the third it held up its Head, and the fourth Triumphed, and was in Paris Acted for near a Month together. It is so far from wanting any Beauties of the French, that it e’ry where excels it; and that extreamly diverting Scene of Sir Polydorus Hogstye, may be said to be entirely his own, as are all the three Scenes that were since added of the Players, the Senator, and the Beau, and which were receiv’d with Universal Applause, as indeed they justly merited. It will perhaps be wondered that it should Act so very often in Paris, and not hold out a Fortnight nor ten days here; for which there may be two Reasons Assigned: First, in Paris there is not that foolish and extravagant Prejudice against the Stage, as is entertain’d in a numerous Party of this City, who rail against that and Common Prayer with an equal Zeal: So that in Paris almost e’ry one goes to the Theatre, here not the tenth part, for Hypocrisie and Business here, divide the greater part to their several and different Offices: Another Reason is, That the Governours of the House were unwilling to wear it out, and so balk’d the Run of it.
I am not ignorant of the several Objections made against this Play by the Criticks, viz. that the Scenes are loose, and not at all akin to the Plot, and may be cut out and alter’d in perpetuum, without the least Injury or Advantage to the thin and frail Design of the Play; that in Lydia, before the time of Alexander the Great, they talk of Justices of the Peace, Fox Hunting, Flanders Horses, and other things which are entirely Modern; but at the same time that these Accusations must be confess’d not to be ill grounded; it must be own’d, that without these Faults we must have lost Beauties of greater Consequence. This I’m sure, there has never been on the Stage, a Play of more general Satyr since the Plain Dealer; and there are such Publick and useful Morals recommended to the Audience, that will be as beneficial to the Common-weal, as diverting to the immediate Spectators.
The Provok’d Wife, a Comedy, 4 to. Acted at the Theatre in Little Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty’s Servants, 1697. To speak of this Play as I ought, I shou’d have the Pen of the Author who Writ it, and the recommending the Reader to a Perusal of it, is the greatest Praise I can give it. But I cannot omit the Objections I have heard made to it, by some of our Criticks, viz. That it is a loose Play, without Design, or if there be a Design, ’tis such a one as the just Rules of Comedy exclude, since it teaches the Wives how they ought to return the Brutality of their Husbands. I cannot by any means allow this Objection; for the Design seems to me as just as the Reflections and Wit of it are poinant, the Conversation lively and genteel; for it rather teaches Husbands how they ought to expect their Wives shou’d make them a Return, if they use them as Sir John Brute did his; such Husbands may learn, that slighted and abused Virtue and Beauty, may be provoked to hearken to the prevailing Motives of Revenge. I can never think any reasonable Man shou’d suppose a Woman entirely divested of a sense of Humanity, or insensible either of the Power of an agreeable Temptation, or of the Pleasure it yields: and as most of our Vices are the surest Guard, if not source of our Virtues, I’m confident, when the Husbands ill Usage of his wife deprives himself of her Love, he dismisses the surest Guard of their common Honour; and the other, that is her Pride and Care of her Reputation will not be of force enough against Revenge; and the strong sollicitations of an agreeable Person, that demonstrates a value for what the Possessor slights: So that it cannot be deny’d, that this Moral is of admirable Use; and offers a Truth to our consideration, which wou’d often prevent the Ruin of Families, which generally begins with the Husbands Faults. I know of no Thefts in this Play, or indeed any of this Gentlemans, but what he has own’d in his Preface.
The Relapse, or Virtue in Danger, being the sequel to Loves last Shift or The Fool in Fashion, 4 to. Acted at the Theatre Royal, 1697. This Play was received with mighty applause, and spight of the broken Scenes, which must be allowed an irregularity that might have been avoided, has its just and uncommon Merits; and I think the Character of my Lord Foppington, if it at all fall short of that Masterpiece of Sir Fopling Flutter, at least challenges the next place, in preference to all of that kind, for the Stage has been almost as Fruitful in Beaux, as the Boxes.
The time when these three Plays were written is uncertain; but all appeared in a little time of one another, and this which comes last in the Alphabet, was the first in the Representation; and as he informs us in the Prologue, was Wrote in six Weeks, a sign of a double Blessing, of bringing forth without Pain, and even Children Perfect and Beautiful, without the usual nine Months Travel.