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all those powers exalted and invigorated by juft confidence in his caufe.

Thus qualified, and thus incited, he walked out to battle, and affailed at once most of the living writers, from Dryden to Durfey. His onfet was violent: thofe paffages, which while they ftood fingle had paffed with little notice, when they were accumulated and expofed together, excited horror; the wife and the pious caught the alarm, and the nation wondered why it had so long fuffered irreligion and licentioufnefs to be openly taught at the publick charge.

Nothing now remained for the poets but to refift or fly. Dryden's conscience, or his prudence, angry as he was, with

held

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held him from the conflict; Congreve and Vanbrug attempted anfwers. Congreve, a very young man, elated with fuccefs, and impatient of cenfure, affumed an air of confidence and security. His chief artifice of controverfy is to retort upon his adversary his own words: he is very angry, and, hoping to conquer Collier with his own weapons, allows himself in the use of every term of contumely and contempt; but he has the fword without the arm of Scanderbeg; he has his antagonift's coarfenefs, but not his ftrength. Collier replied; for conteft was his delight, he was not to be frighted from his purpofe or his

prey.

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The

The caufe of Congreve was not tenable: whatever gloffes he might use for the defence or palliation of fingle paffages, the general tenour and tendency of his plays must always be condemned. It is acknowledged, with univerfal conviction, that the perufal of his works will make no man better; and that their ultimate effect is to represent pleasure in alliance with vice, and to relax thofe obligations by which life ought to be regulated.

The stage found other advocates, and the difpute was protracted through ten years; but at laft Comedy grew more

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modeft, and Collier lived to fee the

reward of his labour in the reformation of the theatre.

Of

Of the powers by which this important victory was atchieved, a quotation from Love for Love, and the remark upon it, may afford a specimen.

Sir Sampf. Sampfon's a very good name; for your Sampfons were ftrong dogs from the beginning.

Angel. Have a care-If you remember, the strongest Sampson of your name pull'd an old house over his head at last.

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"Here you have the Sacred History

burlesqued, and Sampfon once more "" brought into the house of Dagon, to "make sport for the Philistines!"

Congreve's laft play was The Way of the World; which, though, as he hints in his dedication, it was written with great labour and much thought, was received with

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with fo little favour, that, being in a high degree offended and difgufted, he refolved to commit his quiet and his fame no more to the caprices of an audience.

From this time his life ceased to be publick: he lived for himself, and for his friends; and among his friends was able to name every man of his time

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whom wit and elegance had raised to reputation. It may be therefore reafonably fuppofed that his manners, were polite, and his converfation pleafing.

He feems not to have taken much pleasure in writing, as he contributed nothing to the Spectator, and only one paper to the Tatler, though published by men. with whom he might be supposed will

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