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Aa.1.21. The forc’d marriage & The amorous prince (1671)

This volume contains two plays by the author. Considered a role model for later women authors, Behn (pseudonym Astrea), was an English poet, playwright, translator and writer of fiction. She was one of the earliest English women to earn a living from writing. Forced by debt and the death of her husband, she worked for the King’s Company and the Duke’s Company as a scribe. Prior to this she had written mainly poetry and acted as a spy for Charles II in Antwerp. In all she wrote 19 plays and was one of the most productive playwrights in Britain at that time. The Forc’d Marriage, or, The Jealous Bridegroom, was Behn’s first stage play and ran for 6 nights at the Duke of York Theatre in 1670. The prologue includes mention of the “poetess” who has “spyes abroad”, a clear reference to her gender and to her past as a spy. The Amorous Prince, or, The Curious Husband was Behn’s second play, and a comedy. It was also published in 1671 and performed by the Duke’s Company. It is filled with plot and counter-plot with women taking active roles in the machinations, and like the former, comments on the harmful effects of arranged marriages. The name ‘Mary’ is inscribed on the final page; evidence of a previous owner perhaps?