mposed two decades before as a
girl in Surinam, and the result was a tragi-comedy, _The Young King_,
which won considerable favour. Produced in March or early April,[34]
1679, it was not published till 1683, but a second edition was called
for in 1698.[35]

[Footnote 34: The date is fixed by the Epilogue 'at his R.H. second
exile into Flanders'. The Duke of York sailed for Antwerp 4 March,
1679. He returned in August owing to the King's illness.]

[Footnote 35: This fact sufficiently explodes the quite untenable
suggestion that _The Young King_ in earlier days could find
neither producer nor publisher. That the quarto did not appear until
four years after the play had been seen on the stage is no argument
of non-success. Ravenscroft's _Mamamouchi_ was produced early in
1672, and 'continu'd Acting 9 Days with a full house'. It specially
delighted the King and Court. It was not printed, however, until
1675.]

In March, _The Feign'd Courtezans_, one of Mrs. Behn's happiest efforts,
appeared on the boards of the Duke's House. Not one tittle is borrowed,
and its success gives striking proof of the capacity of her unaided
powers. When printed, the comedy was dedicated in adulatory terms to
Nell Gwynne. With the great Betterton, handsome Will Smith, Nokes,
Underhill, Leigh, an inimitable trio, the famous Mrs. Barry, pretty and
piquante Betty Currer, the beautiful and serenely gracious Mrs. Mary
Lee, in the cast, it had a perfect galaxy of genius to give it life and
triumph.

In 1681 a second part continued the adventures of _The Rover_, and
surprisingly good the sequel is.

From 1678 to 1683 were years of the keenest political excitement and
unrest. Fomented to frenzy by the murderous villainies of Gates and his
accomplices, aggravated by the traitrous ambition and rascalities of
Shaftesbury, by the deceit and weakness of Monmouth, and the open
disloyalty of the Whiggish crew, party politics and controversy waxed
hotter and fiercer until riots were common and a revolution seemed
imminent. Fortunately an appeal in a royal declaration to the justice of
the nation at large allayed the storm, and an overwhelming outburst of
genuine enthusiasm ensued. Albeit the bill against him was thrown out
with an 'ignoramus' by a packed jury 24 November, 1681, a year later,
28 November, 1682, Shaftesbury found it expedient to escape to Holland.
Monmouth, who had been making a regal progress through the country, was