1690 Mr. Limberham; or, The Kind Keeper by John Dryden

$1,800.00
A scarce 1690 printing of Mr. Limberham; or, The Kind Keeper by John Dryden — poet, playwright, and England’s first Poet Laureate. Originally written and briefly staged in 1678 before being swiftly suppressed, this biting Restoration comedy was judged too scandalous for the court of Charles II. The play lampooned the corruption and sexual hypocrisy of London’s libertine elite—so sharply, in fact, that it was rumored to parody real courtiers and royal mistresses. Mr. Limberham was swiftly suppressed after its 1678 premiere, likely by order of Charles II himself. Dryden’s satire cut too close to the bone—its foolish, lecherous “kind keeper” was said to parody real courtiers and royal mistresses from the king’s own circle. In an age when Restoration comedies routinely mocked vice, this one went further, exposing the moral rot of the very society that filled the playhouse. The backlash was immediate, and the play vanished from the stage, surviving only in manuscript until its first safe appearance in print in 1690, after that scandalous world had passed. By 1690, with the Restoration court gone and Dryden out of royal favor, Mr. Limberham could finally appear in print. Its publication marks both the end of the Restoration stage’s licentious spirit and the beginning of England’s moral reappraisal of that era. This edition captures a fascinating moment in literary and cultural transition: when satire that once endangered its author became a historical mirror for a changed England. Dryden’s wit is at full force here—clever, caustic, and uncomfortably close to truth. Details: Printed: 1690, London (likely first obtainable edition) Author: John Dryden (1631–1700) Title: Mr. Limberham; or, The Kind Keeper. A Comedy, as it was Acted at the Duke’s Theatre. Format: Small quarto Condition: Very good; rebound nicely Check out some of my other books here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP?ref=shop_sugg§ion_id=29392957 Or just browse around the shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP
A scarce 1690 printing of Mr. Limberham; or, The Kind Keeper by John Dryden — poet, playwright, and England’s first Poet Laureate. Originally written and briefly staged in 1678 before being swiftly suppressed, this biting Restoration comedy was judged too scandalous for the court of Charles II. The play lampooned the corruption and sexual hypocrisy of London’s libertine elite—so sharply, in fact, that it was rumored to parody real courtiers and royal mistresses. Mr. Limberham was swiftly suppressed after its 1678 premiere, likely by order of Charles II himself. Dryden’s satire cut too close to the bone—its foolish, lecherous “kind keeper” was said to parody real courtiers and royal mistresses from the king’s own circle. In an age when Restoration comedies routinely mocked vice, this one went further, exposing the moral rot of the very society that filled the playhouse. The backlash was immediate, and the play vanished from the stage, surviving only in manuscript until its first safe appearance in print in 1690, after that scandalous world had passed. By 1690, with the Restoration court gone and Dryden out of royal favor, Mr. Limberham could finally appear in print. Its publication marks both the end of the Restoration stage’s licentious spirit and the beginning of England’s moral reappraisal of that era. This edition captures a fascinating moment in literary and cultural transition: when satire that once endangered its author became a historical mirror for a changed England. Dryden’s wit is at full force here—clever, caustic, and uncomfortably close to truth. Details: Printed: 1690, London (likely first obtainable edition) Author: John Dryden (1631–1700) Title: Mr. Limberham; or, The Kind Keeper. A Comedy, as it was Acted at the Duke’s Theatre. Format: Small quarto Condition: Very good; rebound nicely Check out some of my other books here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP?ref=shop_sugg§ion_id=29392957 Or just browse around the shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP