Chapter I: Front Matter

MARRIED LIFE;

A COMEDY, IN THREE ACTS.

BY JOHN BALDWIN BUCKSTONE.

PERFORMED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.

LONDON: WILLIAM STRANGE, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1834.

G. COWIE, PRINTER 13, NEWCASTLE STREET, STRAND.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Comedy of "MARRIED LIFE" is _entirely_ original--if the being unassisted by either anecdote, tale, ballad, biography, or any other resource constitutes _entire originality_.--Yet, as some of the couples, especially MR. and MRS. CODDLE, and MR. and MRS. DOVE, have been "_sketched from the life_," the important question of originality is still open to much disquisition.

TO WILLIAM FARREN, ESQ.

MY DEAR SIR,

Allow me to dedicate this Comedy to you, as some little token of my very great admiration of your talents. It is a very common cant to allow of no existing excellence, and refer only to the past for instances of genius! In Dramatic matters, this cant has been particularly cherished; but, with reference to yourself, it may be presumed that were a playgoer of Cibber's time now in existence, he would be puzzled, with all his fond recollections, to name few, if any, by-gone _artistes_ who could have borne away one feather from your well-filled cap of fame. And truly the actor of the UNCLES FOOZLE and JOHN--of the Lawyers GROTIUS and FLAM--of the wily STEWARD--of the cold and crafty Diplomatist, COUNT BERTRAND--of the physically cold SAMUEL CODDLE--the excellent and kind-hearted MICHEL PERRIN--of the warlike CHARLES THE TWELFTH--of SIR PETER and OGLEBY--and fifty other triumphant assumptions, must possess a feathered coronet of no ordinary dimensions. With a hundred thanks for your great attention to every humble effort of mine, in which you have been concerned, and for the anxiety that you have always shewn for my success, permit me to wish you many years of health and strength, that the stage may long be enabled to name you with pride and pleasure as one of its greatest ornaments.

Yours very truly,

JOHN BALDWIN BUCKSTONE.

_August_ 25, 1834.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

Mr. _Samuel Coddle_ Mr. W. FARREN. Mrs. _Samuel Coddle_ Mrs. GLOVER. Mr. _Lionel Lynx_ Mr. VINING. Mrs. _Lionel Lynx_ Mrs. FAUCIT. Mr. _Henry Dove_ Mr. BUCKSTONE. Mrs. _Henry Dove_ Mrs. W. CLIFFORD. Mr. _Frederick Younghusband_ Mr. BRINDAL. Mrs. _Frederick Younghusband_ Mrs. HUMBY. Mr. _George Dismal_ Mr. STRICKLAND. Mrs. _George Dismal_ Mrs. TAYLEURE.

This comedy was first produced on the 20th of August, 1834.

MARRIED LIFE.