The relapse; or, Virtue in danger

by John Vanbrugh

This is a modern-spelling, fully-annotated edition of this important English play. It includes a critical introduction, biography of Vanbrugh, and discusses the dates and sources, textual details, a bibliography and information about the staging of the play.

Genres: Plays, Drama, 17th Century, History, College, Theatre

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1696

About the author

Sir John Vanbrugh was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse (1696) and The Provoked Wife (1697), which have become enduring stage favourites but originally occasioned much controversy.

Vanbrugh was in many senses a radical throughout his life. As a young man and a committed Whig, he was part of the scheme to overthrow James II, put William III on the throne and protect English parliamentary democracy, dangerous undertakings which landed him in the dreaded Bastille of Paris as a political prisoner. In his career as a playwright, he offended many sections of Restoration and 18th-century society, not only by the sexual explicitness of his plays, but also by their messages in defence of women's rights in marriage. He was attacked on both counts, and was one of the prime targets of Jeremy Collier's Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage. In his architectural career, he created what came to be known as English Baroque. His architectural work was as bold and daring as his early political activism and marriage-themed plays, and jarred conservative opinions on the subject.

Reviews

[Esdaile]

My edition of John Vanbrugh's The Relapse is in the New Mermaids series published Ernest Benn Limited and is edited by Bernard Harris. Harris provides a brief but insightful introduction which includes such fun facts as that John Vanbrugh was “the ninth child and first surviving son of the nineteen (!!) children of Giles and Elizabeth Vanbrugh”. Vanbrugh's grandfather was Flemish, a Protestant refugee. John Vanbrugh was not only a playwright but an architect, displaying an uncommon combination of talents. He was also a soldier.

The Relapse is a typical Restoration play, that is to say vivacious, absurd, hilarious, light-hearted, even when violence ensues. It is perhaps insufficiently recognised that much of Restoration drama is written in reaction to and repudiation of Jacobean and Elizabethan drama. We have moved from the Age of Spain, a fact which the Spanish critic Salvador de Madariaga famously stressed as being crucial in properly understanding Shakespeare's Hamlet, to the age of France, from repression, puritanism and revenge tragedy to display, concealment, immoralism and farce. Sexuality is more important than love (in Shakespeare for example the reverse is true) and revenge and resentment are regarded as characteristic of low minds. Gentlemen and ladies move on. The Restoration memory, in stark contrast to the Jacobean memory, is a short one.

The principle plot of The Relapse concerns the efforts by two brothers, Loveless and Sir Foppington (the contrast between two brothers a persiflage of Shakespeare's King Lear perhaps) for fortune and standing and that of course includes marrying the woman most advantageous in that respect. Vanburgh's views on love and marriage and the relationship between the sexes is very cynical. Love and duty are merely instruments or charades.
Both in their time and subsequently, Restoration dramatists have been accused of offending morality and in his introduction Bernard Harris gives an account of the dispute and rivalry between John Vanbrugh and one Colley Cibber concerning the morality of drama. Harris writes
“Collier was what Laurence Whistler (Sir John Vanbrugh, Architect and Dramatist-1938) has called an example of that curious and undesirable type, the high-church Puritan”. It seems that Cibber was keen to take drama in the direction of the sentimental and didactic. Restoration comedy was primarily concerned with providing entertainment free of moral conundra. The Relapse, a typical Restoration drama, is brutally realistic about the driving force are sexual appetite, pecuniary interest and social standing. The play, it seems to me, is closer to the spirit of the 1970's than to that of the 2020's and I suspect that revived Restoration drama would probably come under pressure to censor characters such as Lord Foppington and Loveless more severely than the author probably intended. It is worth noting that Lord Foppington, the elder brother who suffers unjust indignities, not comparable to be sure to those suffered by Edgar in King Lear; nevertheless his is ambushed, bound and thrown into a cellar when he appears as a suitor and is mistaken for a “stroller” suffers this injustice without great resentment.
In our day and age, where everyone expects to be treated with scrupulous respect, his treatment would have been followed by a flurry of charges and indemnity claims made by his lawyers on his behalf.

Don't take anything too seriously is the underlying message of the play but it is of course true that the play will have no truck with any serious matter, poverty, famine, exploitation, slavery, fiscal corruption and other scourges of the time.
“The greatness of your necessities..is the worst argument in the world for your being personally heard” as Sir Foppington himself puts it when his brother applies to him for financial assistance. As for the notion clearly conveyed in this play, that women enjoy slap and tickle even when they protest for the sake of appearances that they do not, as for example when Loveless seduces the willing/unwilling Berinthia, this would not be tolerated for a moment in real life by the amazons of the contemporary metoo generation.

Dramatically, the play works extremely well, moving forward at an exciting pace, each act with many short scenes, outrage, anger and intrigue reduced from their perilous dimension in Jacobean and Elizabethan drama to the occasion for hilarity, farce and a vivacious and rapid dialogue.

Here is an extract from the hilarious scene ( Act IV Scene VI) when Lord Foppington visits Sir Tunbelly to marry the good man's daughter and is mistaken only to be mistakern for a "stroller"

Sir Tunbelly Come, bring him along, bring him along !
Lord Foppingtom What the pax do you mean, gentlemen ! Is it fair-time, that you are all drunk before dinner ?
Sir Tunbelly Drunk, sirrah ! Here's an impudent rogue for you ! Drunk or sober, bully, I'm a justice of the peace, and know how to deal with strollers.
Lord Foppington Strollers !

John Vanbrugh's The Relapse is an exubert entertainment and distraction from the sombre mood of these early 2020's, a paly in which "infection" means not some bitrre apocalyptic made in China virus, but the sudden twinge of the libido.

Berenthia (Breaking from him)
Oh Lard, let me go! 'Tis the palgue and we shall all be infected.
Loveless (Catching her in his arms, and kissing her)
Then we'll die together, my charming angel!
Berenthia
Oh God-the devil's in you! Lord, let me go, here's somebody coming.

For those born before 1960, this play written and first performed centuries ago, might evoke nostalgic memories of the amoral, superfiical, lively and adventurous time of younger days, when missionary earnestness and a constant fear of dying were considered weaknesses, not virtues.
 

[Noelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

no me enteré de mucho, la verdad

[Sal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've certainly missed the wittiness of English comedies. Vanbrugh is as talented a playwright as he is an architect. Very much enjoyed Fashion's storyline - arguably more charming than Loveless and Amanda's. Perhaps because the latter was mainly a subversion of Cibber's plot in Love's Last Shift that it felt less interesting at times. Still, a lovely introduction to Vanbrugh's theatrical works; can't wait to read the rest.

[Julian Munds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is at a core it's core a play about vanity. Each character is self obsessed. Sex is an act of sustenance or conquest of desires. Love is a fleeting emotion that arises and collapses in sin. A neat play to consider with a gem of supporting character in Foppington - but I have trouble seeing a modern production that does not become an excercise in scholastics. If this play were to produced in an interesting way, I'd think it would have to be rewritten and updated.

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the pinnacle of its genre- the best of all restoration plays. Sheridan is the only writer who can equal it. Vanbrugh was an interesting man, rakish and proper, a playwright and an architect. He seemed to live a fun life. The play he is best known for carries his wicked humour. Foppington is a wonderful character and the comedy rings true today. Excellent.

[Mole Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

WORTHY (kneeling): Thou Angel of Light, let me fall down and adore thee!
BERINTHIA: Thou Minister of Darkness, get up again, for I hate to see the Devil at his devotions.
Somewhat amusing, though some of the situations which are meant to be amusing might not be nearly as amusing to modern readers. Haven't read Cibber's Love's Last Shift so I'm probably missing some context.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Cordellya Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little hard to read because of the characters in the text. I basically had to translate it as I went. It also focused a bit more than I expected on sex, lies, and intrigues.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vanbrugh's out here making me feel sorry for Lord Foppington.. crazy world

[christine. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. This was my least favorite play that I've read all year for my Restoration Drama class. The play doesn't seem complete: the Amanda/Loveless plotline never gets resolved, I could care less about Young Fashion and Lory, and it all amounted to nothing. Blech.

[Doug DePalma · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few Restoration comedies I found palatable at all. Lord Foppington is simply legendary, and the play offers genuinely funny moments for modern readers. If you're looking to sample Restoration Comedy, go here and save yourself the torment of similar plays.