A Collection of Plays and Poems

The title page of this posthumous collection of writings by Robert Munford refers to the author as a colonel from Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Though best known today as a playwright, Munford was far better known in his lifetime for his civic and military roles. He served in the military before, during, and after the American Revolution, and was active in colony, state, and local government in Virginia.

This anthology was published in 1798, fifteen years after the author's death; the compilation was put together by his son William. A Collection of Plays and Poems features what many scholars consider to be the first comedies written in America, as well as Munford's translation of the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. His plays, which are reminiscent of English Restoration comedy, offer a satirical glimpse into the political climate of colonial Virginia.