This edition offers an ideal introduction to the plays and theatre of the late seventeenth century in both England and France. It brings together key texts exploring the themes of sex, marriage and society. The English play texts are based on first editions, while those of the French texts are based on the earliest published translations. Textual notes explain unfamiliar terms, allusions and points of detail in the translations. A full introduction locates the plays in their cultural and political context and gives a comparative account of playhouses in London and Paris.