The Wits

By William Davenant (1634)

Two middle-aged men, Elder Palatine and Sir Morglay Thwack, come to London from the country hoping to live on their wits and exploit the emotional susceptibility of the city's women. But they find that Lady Ample, the object of their attention, and Palatine's prodigal younger brother have other ideas. Davenant's comedy, a favourite with Charles I, is a witty and engaging portrait of an aggressively witty wooing culture in Caroline London.