Upon the Success of _The Relapse_, the late Lord _Hallifax_, who was a favourer of _Betterton_'s Company, having formerly heard some Scenes of _The Provok'd Wife_ read to him, engaged Sir _John Vanbrugh_ to revise it, and give it to that Company. This was a Request not to be refused to so eminent a Patron of the Muses as Lord _Hallifax_, who was equally a Friend and Admirer of Sir _John_ himself; nor was Sir _Thomas Skipwith_ in the least disobliged by so reasonable a Compliance. _The Provok'd Wife_ was accordingly acted at the Theatre in _Lincoln's Inn-Fields_ in 1697, with great Success. Tho' this Play met with so favourable a Reception, yet it was not without its Enemies: People of the graver Sort blamed the looseness of the Scenes, and the unguarded freedom of the Dialect; and indeed Sir _John_ himself appears to have been sensible of the immorality of his Scenes; for in the Year 1725, when this Play was revived, he thought proper to substitute a new Scene in the fourth Act, in place of another, in which, in the wantonness of his Wit, he had made a Rake talk like a Rake, in the Habit of a Clergyman; to avoid which Offence, he put the same Debauchee into the Undress of a Woman of Quality; by which means the Follies he exposed in the Petticoat, appeared to the Audience innocent and entertaining; which new Scene is now for the first Time printed at the End of the Play. Soon after the Success of _The Provok'd Wife_, Sir _John_ produced the Comedy of _Esop_, in two Parts, which was acted at the Theatre-Royal in _Drury Lane_, in 1697. This was originally written in _French_ by Mr. _Boursaut_, about six Years before; but the Scenes of Sir _Polydorus Hogstye_, the Players, and the Beau, were added by our Author. This Play contains a great deal of general Satire, and useful Morality; notwithstanding which, it met with but a cold Reception from the Audience, and its run ended in about nine Days. This seemed the more surprizing, as the _French_ Comedy was played to crowded Audiences for a Month together. The little Success this Piece met with on the _English_ Stage, cannot be better accounted for than in the Words of Mr. _Cibber_, who, speaking of this Play, makes the following Observation: "The Character that delivers Precepts of Wisdom, is in some sort severe upon the Auditor, for shewing him one wiser than himself; but when Folly is his Object, he applauds himself for being wiser than the Coxcomb he laughs at; and who is not more pleased with an Occasion to commend, than to accuse himself?" The next Play our Author wrote, was _The False Friend_, a Comedy, which was acted at the Theatre-Royal in _Drury Lane_, in 1702.