The
Bath Comedy

By

Agnes & Egerton Castle

Authors of 'The Pride of Jennico,' &c.

London
Macmillan and Co., Limited
1900

All rights reserved

GLASGOW: PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO.

Dedicated
to our Sister
Mrs. Francis Blundell of Crosby
("M. E. Francis")
who, over the MS. of this frivolous
drama, was the first to
give us the kindly
criticism of
laughter

Contents

PREFACE
SCENE I.
SCENE II.
SCENE III.
SCENE IV.
SCENE V.
SCENE VI.
SCENE VII.
SCENE VIII.
SCENE IX.
SCENE X.
SCENE XI.
SCENE XII.
SCENE XIII.
SCENE XIV.
SCENE XV.
SCENE XVI.
SCENE XVII.
SCENE XVIII.
SCENE XIX.
SCENE XX.
SCENE XXI.
SCENE XXII.
SCENE XXIII.
SCENE XXIV.
SCENE XXV.

Preface

The Royal Crescent—

"Open we here on a Spring day fine..."

the first scene of this BathComedy.

The precise year, however, may not be given.A sufficient reason for reticence in the matterof exact date will be found in the unfortunatepredicament of the then Bishop of Bath andWells: undoubtedly a most mortifying episode inthe life of an invariably dignified Divine. Nowthere were several Bishops of Bath and Wellsduring the second half of the 18th century,and this trifling lack of circumstantiality willdo away with the least trace of scandal.

The second half of the century, however,is admitted. The fact, indeed, would berevealed at once to the curious in the matter,by the mention, on the one hand, of the King'sCircus (which dates from the last years ofsecond George), and on the other by thereference to Bathwick Meadows as a solitarysite and still fitted at the time to an honourablemeeting, whereas it has been known as a placeof popular resort (under the name of SydneyGardens) since the year 1795.

A few other points, again (should anyonethink worth his while to consider so trifling aquestion), might serve to fix within a fewlustres the date of Mrs. Kitty Bellairs' cantripsas they affected, among other things, LadyStandish's domestic happiness, Mr. O'Hara'sconnubial hopes, and my Lord Vern