[From the preface to The Dutch Lover: A Comedy (1673)]
The play was produced at the Duke's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in February 1673. Behn (c. 1640-89) had her first play, The Forced Marriage, produced in 1670, and thereafter made her living as a playwright, the first woman in the English theatre to do so. In the prologue to her second play The Amorous Prince (1671), she had divided the audience into the 'grave Dons who love no play / But what is regular, Great Jonson's way,' and are 'for things well said with spirit and soul' and the rest, who would rather hear a 'smutty jest' from the low comedians of the day, than 'a Scene / Of the admir'd and well-penn'd Cataline'. In the present preface, less flatteringly to Jonson, Behn suggests that there is an element of affectation in the 'Sect' of Jonson's admirers.
*****************************************... For waving the examination, why women having equal education with men, were not as capable of knowledge, of whatever sort as well as they: I'l only say as I have touch'd before, that Plays have no great room for that which is mens great advantage over women, that is Learning: We all well know that the immortal Shakespears Plays (who was not guilty of much more of this than often falls to womens share) have better pleas'd the World than Johnsons works, though by the way 'tis said that Benjamin was no such Rabbi neither, for I am inform'd his Learning was but Grammer high; (sufficient indeed to rob poor Salust of his best Orations) and it hath been observ'd, that they are apt to admire him most confoundedly, who have just such a scantling of it as he had; and I have seen a man the most severe of Johnsons Sect, sit with his Hat remov'd less than a hairs breadth from one sullen posture for almost three hours at the Alchymist; who at that excellent Play of Harry the Fourth (which yet I hope is far enough from Farce) hath very hardly kept his Doublet whole; but affectation hath always had a greater share both in the actions and discourse of men than truth and judgement have: and for our Modern ones, except our most unimitable Laureat, I dare to say I know of none that write at such a formidable rate, but that a woman may well hope to reach their greatest hights, Then for their musty rules of Unity, and God knows what besides, if they meant any thing, they are enough intelligable, and as practible by a woman; but really methinks they that disturb their heads with any other rules of Playes besides the making them pleasant, and avoiding of scurrility, might much better be imploy'd in studying how to improve mens too too imperfect knowledge of that antient English Game, which hight long Laurence: And if Comedy should be the Picture of ridiculous mankind, I wonder any one should think it such a sturdy task, whilst we are furnish'd with such precious Originals as him, I lately told you of; at least that Character do not dwindle into Farce, and so become too mean an entertainment for those persons who are us'd to think.
(sig. a1)I.e. to do nothing, to laze