Introduction.

History of the Play. The Rivals, Sheridan's first play, was produced at Covent Garden Theatre on the 17th of January, 1775, when the author was twenty-three years of age. On the first night, as well as on the second, the play was an unmistakable failure, and it was withdrawn. On the 28th it was again brought forward, reduced in length, and with Clinch in place of Lee as Sir Lucius O'Trigger; and from that day until now the comedy has been one of the most popular in the language. At the tenth performance Sheridan added a new prologue, giving his views of comedy, and ridiculing the "sentimental muse." It was The Rivals which brought to an end the reign of the sentimental or genteel comedy; yet Sheridan thought it prudent to introduce into this very play two tiresome characters, Julia and Faulkland, whose conversation, when they are together, contains none of his usual wit.No doubt the scenes in which they appear were once the most popular portions of the play with many of the spectators; now they are usually omitted or abridged. The theory that these passages were written as a satire upon the sentimentalists does not seem tenable, though fun is made from time to time of the unreasonable jealousy and suspicion of Faulk land, who always met his happiness with a "but." Faulkland is amusing enough when he is not with Julia; and for the rest, where is there a more entertaining gathering than Sir Anthony Absolute and his son, Mrs Malaprop and Lydia Languish, Bob Acres and Sir Lucius

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