ftudy, and to be involved in a perpe"tual war with knaves and fools.”

There seems to be a ftrange affectation in authors of appearing to have done every thing by chance. The Old Batchelor was written for amusement, in the languor of convalefcence. Yet it is apparently compofed with great elaboratenefs of dialogue, and inceffant ambition of wit. The age of the writer confidered, it is indeed a very wonderful performance; for, whenever written, it was acted (1693) when he was not more than twenty-one years old; and was then recommended by Mr. Dryden, Mr. Southerne, and Mr. Maynwaring. Dryden faid that he never had seen fuch a firft play; but they found it deficient

in fome things requifite to the fuccefs of its exhibition, and by their greater experience fitted it for the flage. Southerne ufed to relate of one comedy, probably of this, that when Congreve read it to the players, he pronounced it fo wretchedly that they had almost rejected it; but they were afterwards fo well perfuaded of its excellence, that, for half a year before it was acted, the manager allowed its author the privilege of the house.

Few plays have ever been fo beneficial to the writer; for it procured him the patronage of Halifax, who immediately made him one of the commiffioners for licenfing coaches, and foon after gave him a place in the pipe-office, A 4

and

and another in the cuftoms of fix hun.

As

dred pounds a year. Congreve's converfation must surely have been at least equally pleafing with his writings. Such a comedy, written at fuch an age, requires fome confideration. the lighter fpecies of dramatick poetry profeffes the imitation of common life, of real manners, and daily incidents, it apparently prefuppofes a familiar knowledge of many characters, and exact obfervation of the paffing world; the difficulty therefore is to conceive how this knowledge can be obtained by a boy.

But if the Old Batchelor be more nearly examined, it will be found to be one of those comedies which may be made by a mind vigorous and acute, and furnifhed with comick characters by the perufal

perufal of other poets, without much actual commerce with mankind. The dialogue is one conftant reciprocation of conceits, or clafh of wit, in which nothing flows neceffarily from the occafion, or is dictated by nature. The cha racters both of men and women are either fictitious and artificial, as those of Heartwell and the Ladies; or eafy and common, as Wittol a tame idiot, Bluff a fwaggering coward, and Fondlewife a jealous puritan; and the catastrophe arifes from a mistake not very probably produced, by marrying a woman in a

mask.

Yet this gay comedy, when all these deductions are made, will ftill remain the work of a very powerful and fertile

mind the dialogue is quick and fpark

ling, the incidents fuch as feize the attention, and the wit fo exuberant that it d'er-informs its tenement.

Next year he gave another specimen of his abilities in The Double Dealer, which was not received with equal kindnefs. He writes to his patron the lord Halifax a dedication, in which he endeavours to reconcile the reader to that which found few friends among the audience. These apologies are always uselefs; de guftibus non eft difputandum; men may be convinced, but they cannot be pleased, against their will. But though tafte is obftinate, it is very variable, and time often prevails when arguments have failed.

Queen