Lover's Vows is a play written by Elizabeth Inchbald, also known as Mrs. Inchbald. The play was first performed in 1798 and is set in Germany. The story follows the character of Agatha, a young woman who has been raised in a convent and is about to be married to a man named Count Cassel. However, Agatha's true love is Anhalt, a man she met while she was travelling with her father. Anhalt is a man of lower social status and is not considered an acceptable match for Agatha by her father or society. As the wedding approaches, Agatha is torn between her duty to marry Count Cassel and her love for Anhalt. Anhalt, desperate to be with Agatha, disguises himself as a clergyman and convinces the Count to allow him to perform a play called ""Lover's Vows"" for the wedding party. The play tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a man of lower social status, and the Count and his guests are moved by the story. As the play continues, it becomes clear that Anhalt is actually playing the role of the lower-class lover in the story, and Agatha is playing the role of the woman who falls in love with him. The play becomes a way for Anhalt and Agatha to express their love for each other without breaking social norms. However, the Count eventually discovers Anhalt's true identity and becomes enraged. He forbids Agatha from seeing Anhalt and threatens to ruin his reputation. In the end, Agatha stands up to the Count and chooses to be with Anhalt, despite the social consequences. Lover's Vows is a romantic and dramatic play that explores the themes of love, social class, and duty. It was controversial at the time of its publication and performance, as it challenged the social norms of the day. Today, it is considered a classic of English literature and is still performed and studied by scholars and theatre enthusiasts alike.ANHALT. Why do you force from me, what it is villanous to own?--I love you more than life--Oh, Amelia! had we lived in those golden times, which the poet's picture, no one but you ---- But as the world is changed, your birth and fortune make our union impossible--To preserve the character, and more the feelings of an honest man, I would not marry you without the consent of your father--And could I, dare I propose it to him.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.