Sir George Etherege

• Posted by mgr on September 22nd, 2008 filed in Berühmte Dandys, HISTORISCHES
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ETHEREGE, sir George, one of the wits of Charles’s day, chiefly known as a writer of comedy, was born about 1636. He is supposed to have been for some time at Cambridge, then to have travelled, and, on his return, to have been entered at one of the inns of court. He appears, however, to have paid little attention to any thing but gay pursuits.

In 1664, he presented to the town his first comedy, entitled the Comical Revenge, or Love in a
Tub; which, although written with a very incongruous mixture of prose and verse, as suited the taste of the times, was well received. The author was immediately enrolled among the courtly wits of the day, and, in 1668, brought out his next piece, entitled She Would if She Could, which was very coarsely licentious.

In 1676, he produced his third and last comedy, entitled The Man of the Mode, or Sir Fopling Flutter; at which time, he was, as the dedication implies, in the service of Mary of Modena, the second duchess of York. This performance was still more applauded than the preceding, and the Sir Fopling was, for a long tune, deemed the ideal of the superlative beau or coxcomb of the age, as Dorimant was intended to represent its rakish fine gentleman, or Rochester.

Etherege’s plays are little more than lively conversation pieces, with a great paucity of genuine humor or felicitous plot, and have long been placed on the manager’s shelf. His future career was very much in character. Having injured his constitution and fortune, he sought to marry a rich elderly widow, who made his acquirement of the honor of knighthood the condition of her acceptance. This, on the accession of James II, he attained, and was appointed envoy to Ratisbon, whence he wrote two very pleasant letters to the duke of Buckingham, which are printed in the Biographia Britannica. On the revolution, he is said to have joined his former master in France. He was courtly and companionable, sprightly and generous, but deemed a little too much of his own Sir Fopling. Besides his plays, he wrote much light and easy poetry, such as songs, lampoons, panegyrics, &c., which are not without the merit usually belonging to the mob of gentlemen who write with ease.

Quoted from: Thomas Gamaliel Bradford: Encyclopædia Americana. Vol. IV. Philadelphia, Desilver, Thomas & Co., 1835.

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