William Mountfort

The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus Made into a Farce William Mountfort

In 1686, Mountfort married one of the attractive young actresses then appearing in London, Susanna Percival, and the Mountforts appeared together in a number of plays until his untimely death. Mountfort brought his first play, The Injured Lovers: or, The Ambitious Father, a tragedy, to be acted at Drury Lane early in February, 1688. The play was not a great success. Gildon mentions that it "did not succeed as the Author wish'd,"[4] although the play was brilliantly cast, with Betterton, Mrs. Bracegirdle, and Mrs. Barry in chief parts. Mountfort himself played second lead to Betterton, and the comedians Leigh, Jevon, and Underhill appeared in boisterous roles. But this rather extravagant account of passion and thwarted love did not take. Such lines as the heroine's "Thy Antelina, she shall be the Pile / On which I'll burn, and as I burn I'll smile," reveals an uncertain poetic talent. In the prologue Mountfort manages more wit: JO. Hayne's Fate is now become my Share, For I'm a Poet, Marry'd, and a Player: The greatest of these Curses is the First; As for the latter Two, I know the worst ...