| Description |
Southerne, Thomas (1660-1746) London: J. Tonson, etc., 1721 The first edition of Irish poet Thomas Southerne's collected works was printed in 1713. Southerne based his first play, The Persian Prince, on a contemporary novel. The play was a thinly disguised political allegory, which included a very flattering portrait of James II in the form of one character. First produced in 1682 with the help of John Dryden, who wrote the prologue and epilogue, the play was, nonetheless, not particularly successful. After the Glorious Revolution (1688/9), during which Southerne held the rank of captain in Princess Anne's regiment, he devoted himself to dramatic writing. His 1694 The Fatal Marriage, based on Aphra Behn's novel, and to which he added a comic element, was a great success. Another success came from another novel by Behn, Oroonoko. The 1688 novel's main character was Imoinda, an African slave and one of the few representations of black women in early modern literature. However, Southerne changed Imoinda's skin color from black to white.v.1. The loyal brother: or, The Persian prince. The disappointment: or, The mother in fashion. Sir Anthony Love: or, The rambling lady. The wives excuse: or, Cuckolds make themselves.--v.2. The maid's last prayer: or, Any, rather than fail. The fatal marriage: or, The innocent adultery. Oroonoko. The fate of Capua. The Spartan dame. |
