The Confederacy: 'Thinking is to me the greatest fatigue in the world'

By John Vanbrugh

Sir John Vanbrugh was born in London and baptised on 24th January 1664, the 4th of 19 children.

Vanbrugh was very political and soon came afoul of its machinations. He spent some time working undercover to help depose James II and bring about the Glorious Revolution of 1689 and the assumption of the throne by William of Orange It was on his return from bringing William messages at The Hague, that he was arrested at Calais on a charge of espionage in September 1688. Vanbrugh remained in prison in France for four and a half years.

After his release his career was to move in an entirely unexpected direction, and it would not be the last time.

London’s theatre at this time was riven by a split among its only legitimate company: the United Company. Colley Cibber, who remained with the management, had written and performed in January 1696 ‘Love’s Last Shift’. To Vanburgh’s mind it demanded a sequel and who better to come up with that then himself.

His play, ‘The Relapse, Or, Virtue in Danger’, was offered to the United Company six weeks later. The play was a tremendous success that saved the company. Vanbrugh's second comedy, ‘The Provok’d Wife’, soon followed, this time performed by the rebel actors' company.

However, in the following few years he was to reinvent himself as an architect. Despite no formal training his inexperience was balanced by his unerring eye for perspective and detail and his close working relationship with Nicholas Hawksmoor, a former clerk of Sir Christopher Wren.

He is perhaps best known for his majestic masterpieces: Castle Howard (commissioned in 1699) and Blenheim Palace (commissioned in 1704).

Sir John Vanbrugh died suddenly from what was stated as ‘an asthma’ on 26th March 1726. He was buried in the church of St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stage Door
• Release date: Feb 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781839673009

Book preview

The Confederacy by John Vanbrugh

Sir John Vanbrugh was born in London and baptised on 24th January 1664, the 4th of 19 children.

Vanbrugh was very political and soon came afoul of its machinations.  He spent some time working undercover to help depose James II and bring about the Glorious Revolution of 1689 and the assumption of the throne by William of Orange  It was on his return from bringing William messages at The Hague, that he was arrested at Calais on a charge of espionage in September 1688. Vanbrugh remained in prison in France for four and a half years.

After his release his career was to move in an entirely unexpected direction, and it would not be the last time.

London’s theatre at this time was riven by a split among its only legitimate company: the United Company.  Colley Cibber, who remained with the management, had written and performed in January 1696 ‘Love’s Last Shift’. To Vanburgh’s mind it demanded a sequel and who better to come up with that then himself.

His play, ‘The Relapse, Or, Virtue in Danger’, was offered to the United Company six weeks later.  The play was a tremendous success that saved the company. Vanbrugh's second comedy, ‘The Provok’d Wife’, soon followed, this time performed by the rebel actors' company.

However, in the following few years he was to reinvent himself as an architect. Despite no formal training his inexperience was balanced by his unerring eye for perspective and detail and his close working relationship with Nicholas Hawksmoor, a former clerk of Sir Christopher Wren.

He is perhaps best known for his majestic masterpieces: Castle Howard (commissioned in 1699) and Blenheim Palace (commissioned in 1704).

Sir John Vanbrugh died suddenly from what was stated as ‘an asthma’ on 26th March 1726. He was buried in the church of St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London.

Index of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

THE CONFEDERACY

PROLOGUE

ACT I

SCENE - Covent Garden

SCENE - A Parlour

ACT II

SCENE - Mr Gripe's House

ACT III

SCENE - Mrs. Amlet's House

SCENE, Gripe's House

ACT IV

SCENE - Gripe's House

ACT V

SCENE - Gripe's House

SCENE - Opens

EPILOGUE

JOHN VANBRUGH – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

JOHN VANBRUGH – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

MEN

Gripe,  } Two rich money-scriveners     Mr Leigh

Money-trap, }        Mr Dogget

Dick, a gamester, son to Mrs Amlet      Mr Booth

Brass, his companion, passes for his Valet de Chambre    Mr Pack

Clip, a Goldsmith        Mr Mimes

Jessamin, foot boy to Clarissa

WOMEN

Clarissa, wife to Gripe, expensive luxurious woman, a great admirer of quality Mrs Barry

Araminta, wife to Money-trap, very intimate with Clarissa, of the same humour Mrs Porter

Corinna, daughter to Gripe by a former wife, a good fortune, young,

and kept very close by her father      Mrs Bradshaw

Flippanta, Clarissa's maid       Mrs Bracegirdle

Mrs. Amlet, a seller of all sorts of private affairs to the ladies   Mrs Willis

Mrs. Cloggit her neighbour       Mrs. Baker

THE CONFEDERACY

PROLOGUE

Spoken by a Shabby Poet

Ye Gods! what crime had my poor father done,

That you should make a poet of his son?

Or is't for some great services of his,

Y'are pleas'd to compliment his boy—with this?

[Shewing his crown of laurel.

The honour, I must needs confess is great,

If, with his crown, you'd tell him where to eat:

Tis well—But I have more complaints—look here!

[Shewing his ragged coat.

Hark ye; d'ye think this suit good winter wear?

In a cold morning; whu—at a Lord's gate,

How you have let the porter let me wait!

You'll say, perhaps, you knew I'd get no harm,

You'd given me fire enough to keep me warm.

Ah—

A world of blessings to that fire we owe;

Without it I'd ne'er made this princely show.

I have a brother too, now in my sight,

[Looking behind the scenes.

A busy man amongst us here to-night:

Your fire has made him play a thousand pranks,

For which, no doubt you've had his daily thanks:

He's thank'd you, fi fi, for all his decent plays,

Where he so nick'd it, when he writ for praise.

Next for his meddling with some folks in black,

And bringing—Souse—a priest upon his back;

For building houses here t'oblige the peers,

And fetching all their house about his ears;

For a new play, he'as now thought fit to write,

To sooth the town—which they—will damn to-night.

These benefits are such, no man can doubt

But he'll go on, and set your fancy out,

Till for reward of all his noble deeds,

At last, like other sprightly folks, he speeds:

Has this great recompence fix'd on his brow

As fam'd Parnassus; has your leave to bow

And walk about the streets—equip'd—as I am now.

ACT I

SCENE I

SCENE: Covent Garden

Enter MRS AMLET and MRS CLOGGIT, meeting.

MRS AMLET

Good-morrow, neighbour; good-morrow, neighbour Cloggit! How does all at your house this morning?

MRS CLOGGIT

Think you kindly, Mrs. Amlet, thank you kindly; how do you do, I pray?

MRS AMLET

At the old rate, neighbour, poor and honest; these are hard times, good lack.

MRS CLOGGIT

If they are hard with you, what are they with us? You have a good trade going, all the great folks in town help off with your merchandize.

MRS AMLET

Yes, they do help us off with 'em indeed; they buy all.

MRS CLOGGIT

And pay—

MRS AMLET

For some.

MRS CLOGGIT

Well, 'tis a thousand pities, Mrs. Amlet, they are not as ready at one, as they are at t'other: For, not to wrong 'em, they give very good rates.

MRS AMLET

O for that, let us do them justice, neighbour; they never make two words upon the price, all they haggle about is the day of payment.

MRS CLOGGIT

There's all the dispute, as you say.

MRS AMLET

But that's a wicked one: For my part, neighbour, I'm just tir'd off my legs with trotting after 'em; beside, it eats out all our profit. Would you believe it, Mrs. Cloggit, I have worn out four pair of pattens, with following my old Lady Youthful, for one set of false teeth, and but three pots of paint.

MRS CLOGGIT

Look you there now.

MRS AMLET

If they would but once let me get enough by 'em, to keep a coach to carry me a dunning after 'em, there would be some conscience in it.

MRS CLOGGIT

Ay, that were something. But now you talk of conscience, Mrs. Amlet, how do you speed among your city customers?

MRS AMLET

My city customers! Now by my truth, neighbour, between the city and the court (with reverence be it spoken) there's not a — to choose. My ladies in the city in times past, were as full of gold as they were of religion, and as punctual in their payments as they were of their prayers; but since they have set their minds upon quality, adieu one, adieu t'other, their money and their conscience are gone, heaven knows where. There is not a goldsmith's wife to be found in town, but's as hard-hearted as an ancient judge, and as poor as a towering dutchess.

MRS CLOGGIT

But what the murrain have they to do with quality, why don't their husbands make e'm mind their shops?

MRS AMLET

Their husbands! their husbands, say'st thou, woman? alack, alack, they mind their husbands, neighbour, no more than they do a sermon.

MRS CLOGGIT

Good lack-a-day, that women born of sober parents, should be prone to follow ill examples! But now we talk of quality, when did you hear of your son Richard, Mrs. Amlet? My daughter FLIPPANTA

says she met him t'other day in a lac'd coat, with three fine ladies, his footman at his heels, and as