SirJohn Vanbrugh, an eminent dramatic Writer, Son of Mr.Giles Vanbrugh, ofLondon, Merchant, was born in the Parish ofSt. Stephen's,Wallbrook, in 1666. The Family ofVanbrughwere for many Years Merchants of great Credit and Reputation, atAntwerp, and came intoEnglandin the reign of QueenElizabeth, on account of the Persecution for Religion.
SirJohnreceived a very liberal Education, and at the Age of nineteen, was sent by his Father toFrance, where he continued someYears: He became very eminent for his Poetry, to which he discovered an early propension. And, pity it is, that this agreeable Writer had not discovered his Wit, without any Mixture of that Licentiousness, which, tho' it pleased, tended to corrupt the Audience.
The Relapsewas the first Play our Author produced, but not the first he had written; for he had at that Time by him, all the Scenes ofThe Provok'd Wife; but being then doubtful whether he should ever trust it to the Stage, he flung it by, and thought no more of it: Why the last written Play was first acted, and for what Reason they were given to different Stages, what follows will explain.
Upon our Author's first Step into public Life, when he was but an Ensign in the Army, and had a Heart greatly above his Income, he happened somewhere at his Winter Quarters, upon a slender Acquaintance with SirThomas Skipwith, to receive a particular Obligation from him; and many Years afterwards, when SirThomas's Interest in a Theatrical Patent (which he had a large Share in, though he little concerned himself in the Conduct of it) was rising but very slowly, SirJohnthought that to give it a lift by a new Comedy, might be the handsomestReturn he could make to those his former Favours; accordingly he soon after finishedThe Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger, which was acted at the Theatre inDrury-Lane, in 1696, with universal Applause.
Upon the Success ofThe Relapse, the late LordHallifax, who was a favourer ofBetterton's Company, having formerly heard some Scenes ofThe Provok'd Wiferead to him, engaged SirJohn Vanbrughto revise it, and give it to that Company. This was a Request not to be refused to so eminent a Patron of the Muses as LordHallifax, who was equally a Friend and Admirer of SirJohnhimself; nor was SirThomas Skipwithin the least disobliged by so reasonable a Compliance.The Provok'd Wifewas accordingly acted at the Theatre inLincoln's Inn-Fieldsin 1697, with great Success.
Tho' this Play met with so favourable a Reception, yet it was not without its Enemies: People of the graver Sort blamed the looseness of the Scenes, and the unguarded freedom of the Dialect; and indeed SirJohnhimself appears to have been sensible of the immorality of his Scenes; for in the Year 1725, when this Play was revived, he thought proper to substitute a new Scene in the fourth Act, in place of another, in which, in thewantonness of his Wit, he had made a Rake talk like a Rake, in the Habit of a Clergyman; to avoid which Offence, he put the same Debauchee into the Undress of a Woman of Quality; by which means the Follies he exposed in the Petticoat, appeared to the Audience innocent and entertaining; which new Scene is now for the first Time printed at the End of the Play.
Soon after the Success ofThe Provok'd Wife, SirJohnproduced the Comedy ofEsop, in two Parts, which was acted at the Theatre-Royal inDrury Lane, in 1697. This was originally written inFrenchby Mr.Boursaut, about six Years before; but the Scenes of SirPolydorus Hogstye, the Players, and the Beau, were added by our Author. This Play contains a great deal of general Satire, and useful Morality; notwithstanding which, it met with but a cold Reception from the Audience, and its run ended in about nine Days. This seemed the more surprizing, as theFrenchComedy was played to crowded Audiences for a Month together. The little Success this Piece met with on theEnglishStage, cannot be better accounted for than in the Words of Mr.Cibber, who, speaking of this Play, makes the following Observation: "The Character that delivers Precepts of Wisdom, is in some sort severe upon theAuditor, for shewing him one wiser than himself; but when Folly is his Object, he applauds himself for being wiser than the Coxcomb he laughs at; and who is not more pleased with an Occasion to commend, than to accuse himself?"
The next Play our Author wrote, wasThe False Friend, a Comedy, which was acted at the Theatre-Royal inDrury Lane, in 1702.
In 1703, SirJohnformed a Project of building a stately Theatre in theHaymarket, for which he had interest enough to get a Subscription of thirty Persons of Quality, at one hundred Pounds each, in consideration whereof, every Subscriber was for his own Life to be admitted to whatever Entertainments should be publicly performed there, without any farther Payment for Entrance.
In 1706, when this House was finished, Mr.Bettertonand his Co-partners, who then acted at the Theatre inLincoln's Inn-Fields, dissolved their Agreement, and put themselves under the direction of SirJohn Vanbrughand Mr.Congreve, imagining, perhaps, that the Conduct of two such eminent Authors might give a more prosperous turn to their Affairs; that the Plays it would now be their interest to write for them, would soonrecover the Town to a true Taste, and be an Advantage that no other Company could hope for; and that till such Plays could be written, the Grandeur of their House, as it was a new spectacle, might allure the Crowd to support them: But, if these were their Views, they soon found their Dependance upon them was too sanguine; for though SirJohnwas a very expeditious Writer, yet Mr.Congrevewas too judicious to let any Thing come unfinished from his Pen. Besides, every proper Convenience of a good Theatre had been sacrificed to shew the Audience a vast triumphal Piece of Architecture, in which, by Means of the spaciousness of the Dome, plays could not be successfully represented, because the Actors could not be distinctly heard.
Not long before this Time, theItalianOpera began to steal intoEngland, but in as rude a Disguise as possible: notwithstanding which, the new Monster pleased, though it had neither Grace, Melody, nor Action, to recommend it. To strike in therefore with the prevailing Fashion, SirJohnand Mr.Congreveopened their New Theatre with a translated Opera, set toItalianMusic, calledThe Triumph of Love; but it met with a very cool Reception, being performed only three Times—to thin Houses.
Immediately upon the Failure of this Opera, SirJohn Vanbrughbrought on his Comedy, calledThe Confederacy, taken, but very greatly improved, fromLes Bourgeoises à la Mode, of MonsieurD'Ancourt. The Success of this Play was not equal to its Merit; for it is written with an uncommon Vein of Wit and Humour; which plainly shews that the difficulty of hearing, distinctly, in that large Theatre, was no small Impediment to the Applause that might have followed the same Actors on any other Stage; and indeed every Play acted there before the House was altered, seemed to suffer greatly from the same Inconvenience; for what few could plainly hear, it was not likely many could applaud. In a Word, the Prospect of Profits from this Theatre was so very barren, that Mr.Congreve, in a few Months, gave up his Share in it wholly to SirJohn Vanbrugh; who, as he had a happier Talent of throwing theEnglishSpirit into his Translations, than any other Author who had borrowed from them, he in the same Season producedThe Mistake, a Comedy, taken fromLe D'epit Amoureux, ofMoliere; andThe Country House, a Farce, translated fromThe French, which has been acted at all the Theatres with general Applause.
SirJohnsoon afterwards, thoroughly tired of Theatrical Affairs, determined to get rid of his Patent on the best Terms he could; he accordingly made an Offer to Mr.Owen Swineyof his House, Clothes, and Scenes, with the Queen's Licence to employ them, upon Payment of the Rent of five Pounds upon every acting Day, and not to exceed 700l.in the Year; with which Proposal Mr.Swineysoon complied, and managed that Stage for some Time after.
SirJohnis not a little to be admired for his Spirit, and readiness in producing Plays so fast upon the Neck of one another; for, notwithstanding his quick Dispatch, there is a clear and lively Simplicity in his Wit, that neither wants the Ornaments of Learning, nor has the least Smell of the Lamp, as the Face of a fine Woman, with her Locks loose about her, may then be in its greatest Beauty; such were his Productions, only adorned by Nature. And there is, besides, something so catching to the Ear, and so easy to the Memory, in all he writ, that it has been observed by all the Actors of those Times, the Stile of no Author whatsoever gave their Memory less Trouble, than that of SirJohn Vanbrugh. And indeed his Wit and Humour was so little laboured, that his most entertaining Scenes seem to be no morethan his common Conversation committed to Paper. As his Conceptions were so full of Life and Humour, it is not much to be wondered at, if his Muse should be sometimes too warm to wait the slow Pace of Judgment, or to endure the Drudgery of forming a regular Fable to them.
Besides the Plays already mentioned, SirJohnleft behind him Part of a Comedy, calledA Journey to London, which has since been made an entire Play of by Mr.Cibber, and calledThe Provoked Husband, and was acted at the Theatre-Royal, inDrury Lane, in 1727, for twenty-eight Nights successively, with universal Applause.
In 1703, he was appointed Clarencieux King of Arms, and in 1706 was commissioned by QueenAnneto carry the Habit and Ensigns of the Order of the Garter to KingGeorgethe First, then atHanover; he was likewise Comptroller-General of the Board of Works, and Surveyor of the Gardens and Waters. In the Year 1714, he received the Order of Knighthood; and in 1719 he marriedHenrietta Maria, Daughter of ColonelYarborough, ofHaslington, nearYork, by whom he had three Children;Charlesthe eldest was killed at the Battle ofFontenoy, the other two died young.
SirJohndied at his House inScotland-Yard, the 26th ofMarch, 1726, and is interred in the Family Vault, under the Church ofSt. Stephen's,Wallbrook.