Restoration: George Etherege

"Sir George Etherege (1635? - 1692) was an English dramatist. He wrote the plays The Comical Revenge or, Love in a Tub in 1664, She Would if She Could in 1668, and The Man of Mode or, Sir Fopling Flutter in 1676" (wikipedia). You should be familiar with The Man of Mode. You should know the hallmarks of Restoration Comedy and how this work fits within them.

• Biography
• Etherege and His Place in Restoration Drama
• Works
  • The Man of Mode
    • Characters
    • etext

• Like dancers on the ropes poor poets fare,
  Most perish young, the rest in danger are;
  This, one would think, should make our authors wary,
  But, gamester like, the giddy fools miscarry.
  A lucky hand or two so tempts ’em on,
  They cannot leave off play till they’re undone.
  With modest fears a muse does first begin,
  Like a young wench newly enticed to sin;
  But tickled once with praise, by her good will,
  The wanton fool would never more lie still.
  ’Tis an old mistress you’ll meet here to-night,
  Whose charms you once have look’d on with delight;
  But now of late such dirty drabs have known ye,
  A muse o’th’ better sort’s ashamed to own ye.
  Nature well drawn, and wit, must now give place
  To gaudy nonsense and to dull grimace:
  Nor is it strange that you should like so much
  That kind of wit, for most of yours is such. (Prologue The Man of Mode)