A Restoration-era drama about a Newcastle merchant whose quest for wealth spirals into risky schemes and risky bargains, with sharp humor and a vivid sense of place.

This edition presents Anthony Brewer’s The Love-Sick King, edited from the 1655 quarto by A. B. H. Swaen. It situates the play in a local English setting and gives readers the historical context that surrounds its creation and performance. The action follows a trader named Thornton as he hatches a bold venture, navigating trust, cunning, and the pull of fortune in a world where every deal could change a life.

Audience members of the period (and today’s readers) will notice a brisk, colloquial style, characters who argue and scheme, and a plot driven by what money can buy—and what it cannot. The text includes stage directions and notes that illuminate how the play was written, printed, and revived, shedding light on early English drama and its local flavor.

Urban-meets-rustic setting with a Newcastle flavour and recognizable village-merchant concerns
A plot built on deals, misread signals, and sudden turns of fortune
Characters who speak in direct, practical language with moments of humor and irony
Editorial notes and context that explain its historical reception and textual history

Ideal for readers of early English drama, local history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how 17th‑century plays portrayed wealth, risk, and ambition.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

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