[Illustration] Lovers’ Vows A Play in Five Acts From the German of Kotzebue by Mrs. Inchbald Contents PREFACE. THE PROLOGUE. LOVERS’ VOWS. ACT I Scene I. A high road, a town at a distance—A small inn on one side of the road—A cottage on the other. ACT II Scene I. A room in the Cottage. Scene II. An apartment in the Castle. ACT III Scene I. An open Field. Scene II. A room in the Castle. ACT IV Scene I. A Prison in one of the Towers of the Castle. Scene II. A Room in the Castle. ACT V Scene I. Inside of the Cottage. Scene II. A Room in the Castle. Epilogue. Dramatis Personæ Men BARON WILDENHAIM _Mr. Murray._ COUNT CASSEL _Mr. Knight._ ANHALT _Mr. H. Johnston._ FREDERICK _Mr. Pope._ VERDUN _the_ BUTLER _Mr. Munden._ LANDLORD _Mr. Thompson_ COTTAGER _Mr. Davenport._ FARMER _Mr. Rees._ COUNTRYMAN _Mr. Dyke._ Huntsmen, Servants, &c. Women AGATHA FIRBURG _Mrs. Johnson._ AMELIA WILDENHAIM _Mrs. H. Johnston._ COTTAGER’S WIFE _Mrs. Davenport._ COUNTRY GIRL _Miss Leserve._ SCENE, Germany—Time of representation one day. PREFACE. It would appear like affectation to offer an apology for any scenes or passages omitted or added, in this play, different from the original: its reception has given me confidence to suppose what I have done is right; for Kotzebue’s “Child of Love” in Germany, was never more attractive than “Lovers’ Vows” has been in England. I could trouble my reader with many pages to disclose the motives which induced me to alter, with the exception of a few common-place sentences only, the characters of Count Cassel, Amelia, and Verdun the Butler—I could explain why the part of the Count, as in the original, would inevitably have condemned the whole Play,—I could inform my reader why I have pourtrayed the Baron in many particulars different from the German author, and carefully prepared the audience for the grand effect of the last scene in the fourth act, by totally changing his conduct towards his son as a robber—why I gave sentences of a humourous kind to the parts of the two Cottagers—why I was compelled, on many occasions, to compress the matter of a speech of three or four pages into one of three or four lines—and why, in no one instance, I would suffer my respect for Kotzebue to interfere with my profound respect for the judgment of a British audience. But I flatter myself such a vindication is not requisite to the enlightened reader, who, I trust, on comparing this drama with the original, will at once see all my motives—and the dull admirer of mere verbal translation, it would be vain to endeavour to inspire with taste by instruction.