usy
coxcomb courtier. Orgulius demands Alcippus' life from the King, but
Galatea, heart-broken, pleads for the man she loves. Philander is
distraught with grief, and the King decides that if he harms himself
Alcippus shall straightway pay the forfeit. The prince is about to wreak
his vengeance on the cruel husband when he is met by Erminia herself,
who, owing to her maid's attentions, has recovered from the swoon
Alcippus took for death. It is resolved that Alcippus, who is now torn
with agony and remorse, must be fittingly punished, and accordingly as
he lies sick at heart in his chamber Erminia enters as a spirit, and so
looking over his shoulder into a mirror wherein he is gazing tells him
plainly of Galatea's love. The princess then passes by as it were a
phantom, and after a masque, which he takes for a dream, he is conducted
to a room draped in black wherein is placed a catafalque. Here he
encounters Philander and as they are at hot words the King, who has been
privy to the whole design, enters and the two are reconciled. Erminia
next appears, and the happy accident explained, Erminia is bestowed upon
the dauphin, whilst the princess is united to the favourite.

There is a slight underplot which deals with the amours of Aminta,
sister to Pisaro, and Alcander. She is also courted by the cowardly
fop, Falatius.

SOURCE.

_The Forc'd Marriage; or, The Jealous Bridegroom_ is the earliest, and
most certainly one of the weakest of Mrs. Behn's plays. This is,
however, far from saying that it is not a very good example of the
Davenant, Howard, Porter, Stapylton school of romantic tragi-comedy. But
Aphara had not yet hit upon her brilliant vein of intrigue. In _The
Forced Marriage_ she seems to have remembered _The Maid's Tragedy_. The
situation between Alcippus and Erminia, Act ii, III, has some vague
resemblance to that of Amintor and Evadne, Act ii, I. Aminta also
faintly recalls Dula, whilst the song 'Hang love, for I will never pine'
has a far-off echo of 'I could never have the power.' But Mrs. Behn has
not approached within measuring distance of that supreme masterpiece.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.

The stage history of _The Forc'd Marriage; or, The Jealous Bridegroom_
is best told in the quaint phrase of old Downes. Produced in December,
1670 at the Duke's Theatre, Lincoln's Inn Fields, _The Jealous
Bridegroom_, says the veteran prompter, 'wrote by Mrs. Behn, a good play
and lasted six days'. This, it must b