Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/111

Rh wanting. But my modeſty will ſure attone for every thing, when the world ſhall know it is ſo great, I am even to this day inſenſible of thoſe two ſhining graces, in the play (which ſome part of the town is pleaſed to compliment me with) blaſphemy and bawdy. For my part I cannot find them out; if there were any obſcene expreſſions upon the ſtage, here they are in print; for I have dealt fairly, I have not ſunk a ſyllable, that could be ranged under that head, and yet I believe with a ſteady faith, there is not one woman of real reputation in town, but when ſhe has read it impartially over in her cloſet, will find it ſo innocent, ſhe’ll think it no affront to her prayer book, to lay it upon the ſame ſhelf.’

Being encouraged by the ſucceſs of the Relapſe, he yielded to the ſollicitation of lord Hallifax, who had read ſome of the looſe ſheets of his Provok’d Wife, to finiſh that piece; and after throwing them into a proper form, gave the play to the Theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields. Though Sir John had a greater inclination to ſerve the other company, yet the requeſt of lord Hallifax, ſo eminent a patron of the poets, could not be reſiſted. Sir Thomas Skipwith was not offended at ſo reaſonable a compliance, and the Provok’d Wife was acted 1698, with ſucceſs. Some critics likewiſe objected againſt this, as a looſe performance; and that it taught the married women how to revenge themſelves on their huſbands, who ſhould offend them.

The play has indeed this moral, that ſuch huſbands as reſemble Sir John Brute, may expect that neglected beauty, and abuſed virtue, may be provoked to yield to the motives of revenge, and