Author: Richard Brinsley Sheridan / Year: 1751-1860 / Genre: St. Patric's Day The action of the play takes place on St Patrick's day. The farcical Irish hero Lieutenant O'Connor is in love with Lauretta, daughter of Justice Credulous. The lieutenant and his men are billeted on the town where the Justice's family lives, and although the lovers are thus continually in close proximity, Lauretta's jealous father prevents them from often meeting. O'Connor's men complain that "ever since your honour differed with justice Credulous, our inn-keepers use us most scurvily ... so we humbly petition that your honour would make an end of the matter at once, by running away with the justice's daughter". Their complaints are of no serious turn however, one soldier grieving that he is not allowed a "light to go to bed by" at his inn, whereas the provocation they give includes occasionally "fling[ing] a cartridge into the kitchen fire", or "drum[ming] up and down stairs" during the night.
