as an author, was a novel, which, under the assumed name of Cleophil, he dedicated to Mrs. Catherine Leveson. The title of it was, "Incognita, or Love and Duty reconciled," which has been said to have considerable merit as the production of a youth of seventeen, but it is certain he - was now full twenty-one, and had sense enough to publish it without his name, and whatever reputation he gained by it, must have been confined within the circle of a few acquaintance. Soon after, he applied himself to dramatic composition, and wrote a comedy called "The Old Bachelor;" of which Dryden, to whom he was recommended by Southerne, said, "That he never saw such a first play in his life; and that it would be a pity to have it miscarry for a few things, which proceeded not from the author's want of genius or art, but from his not being acquainted with the stage and the town." Dryden revised and corrected it; and it was acted in 1693. The prologue, intended to be spoken, was written by lord Falkland; the play was admirably performed, and received with such general applause, that Congreve was thenceforward considered as the prop of the declining stage, and as the rising genius in dramatic poesy. It was this play, and the very singular success that attended it upon the stage, and after it came from the press, which recommended its author to the patronage of lord Halifax: who, being desirous to place so eminent a wit in a state of ease and tranquillity, made him immediately one of the commissioners for licensing hackney-coaches, which was followed soon after by a place in the Pipe-office; and the office of a commissioner of wine licenses, worth 600l. per annum. After such encouragement as the town, and even the critics, had given him, he quickly made his appearance again on the stage, by bringing on "The Double Dealer;" but this play, though highly approved and commended by the best judges, was not so universally applauded as his last, owing, it is supposed, to the regularity of the performance; for regular comedy was then a new thing. Queen Mary dying at the close of this year, Congreve wrote a pastoral on that occasion, entitled "The Mourning Muse of Alexis;" which, for simplicity, elegance, and correctness, was long admired, and for which the king gave him a gratuity of 100l. In 1695 he produced his comedy called "Love for Love," which gained him much applause; and the same year addressed to king William an ode "Upon the taking of Namur;" which was very successful. After having established his reputation as a comic writer, he attempted a tragedy; and, in 1697, his "Mourning Bride" was acted at the new theatre in Lincoln's-inn-fields, which completely answered the very high expectations of the public and of his friends. His attention, however, was now called off from the theatre to ano ther species of composition, which was wholly new, and in which he was not so successful. His four plays were attacked with great sharpness by that zealous reformer of the stage, Jeremy Collier; who, having made his general attack on the immorality of the stage, included Congreve among the writers who had largely contributed to that effect. The consequence of the dispute which arose between Collier and the dramatic writers we have related in Collier's article *. It may be sufficient in this place to add, that although this controversy is believed to have created in Congreve some distaste to the stage, yet he afterwards brought on another comedy, entitled "The Way of the World;" of which it gave so just a picture, that the world seemed resolved not to bear it. This completed the disgust of our author to the theatre; upon which the celebrated critic Dennis, though not very famous for either, said with equal wit and taste, "That Mr. Congreve quitted the stage early, and that comedy left it with him." This play, however, recovered its rank, and is still a favourite with the town. He amused himself afterwards with composing original poems and translations, which he collected in a volume, and published in 1710, when Swift describes him as "never free from the gout," and "almost blind," yet amusing himself with writing a "Tatler." *Congreve's comedies are certainly among the most licentious of the English series, and have been oftener censured on that account than the writings of any other dramatist. The late lord Kames is peculiarly severe in his notice of Congreve, but it is impossible to say that he is unjust; "How odious ought those writers to be, who thus spread infection through their country, employing the talents they have from their Maker most ungratefully against himself, by endeavouring to corrupt and disfigure his creatures! If the comedies of Congreve did not rack him with remorse in his last moments, he must have been lost to all sense of virtue. Nor will it afford any excuse to such writers, that their comedies are entertaining, unless it could be maintained, that wit, sprightliness, and other such qualifications, are better suited to a vicious than a virtuous character: the direct contrary of which holds true in theory; and is exemplified in prac tice from the Merry Wives of Windsor, where we are highly entertained with the conduct of two ladies, not more remarkable for mirth and spirit_than_for the strictest purity of manners," Elements of Criticism. He had a taste for music as well as poetry; as appears from his "Hymn to Harmony in honour of St. Cecilia's day, 1701," set by Mr. John Eccles, his great friend, to whom he was also obliged for composing several of his songs. His early acquaintance with the great had procured him an easy and independent station in life, and this freed him from all obligations of courting the public favour any longer. He was still under the tie of gratitude to his illustrious patrons; and as he never missed an opportunity of paying his compliments to them, so on the other hand he always shewed great regard to persons of a less exalted station, who had been serviceable to him on his entrance into public life. He wrote an epilogue for his old friend Southerne's tragedy of Oroonoko; and we learn from Dryden himself, how much he was obliged to his assistance in the trauslation of Virgil. He contributed also the eleventh satire to the translation of "Juvenal," published by that great poet, and wrote some excellent verses on the translation of Persius, written by Dryden alone. The greater part of the last twenty years of his life was spent in ease and retirement; but towards the end of it, he was much afflicted with gout, which brought on a gradual decay. It was for this, that in the summer of 1728, he went to Bath for the benefit of the waters, where he had the misfortune to be overturned in his chariot; from which time he complained of a pain in his side, which was supposed to arise from some inward bruise. Upon his return to London, his health declined more and more; and he died at his house in Surry-street in the Strand, Jan. 19, 1729. On the 26th, his corpse lay in state in the Jerusalem chamber; whence the same evening it was carried with great solemnity into Henry VIIth's chapel at Westminster, and afterwards interred in the abbey. The pall was supported by the duke of Bridgewater, earl of Godolphin, lord Cobham, lord Wilmington, the hon. George Berkeley, esq. and brigadier-general Churchill; and colonel Congreve followed as chief mourner. Some time after, a neat and elegant monument was erected to his memory *, by Henrietta duchess of Marlborough, to whom he be It is remarkable that on this monument he is said to be only fifty-six years old, whereas he had nearly com pleted his sixtieth year; but at that time, neither the time of his birth was known, nor even his country. Southerue patronized him so warmly from thinking that he was one of his countrymen (an Irishman). Jacob only, although not frequently quoted as a good authority, maintained what is now known to be the truth, that he was born in Yorkshire. queathed a legacy of about 10,000l. the accumulation of attentive parsimony, which, though to her superfluous and useless, might have given great assistance to the ancient family from which he descended, at that time, by the imprudence of his relation, reduced to difficulties and distress. It has been observed of Congreve, that no man ever passed through life with more ease and less envy than he No change of ministries affected him in the least, nor was he ever removed from any post that was given him, except to a better. His place in the Custom House, and his of fice of secretary in Jamaica, are said to have brought him in upwards of 1200l. per annum; and though he lived suitably to such a fortune, yet by his economy he raised from thence a competent estate. He was always upon good terms with the wits of his time, and never involved in any of their quarrels, nor did he receive from any of them the least mark of distaste or dissatisfaction. On the contrary, they were solicitous for his approbation, and received it as the highest sanction of merit. Addison testified his personal regard for him, and his high esteem of his writings, in many instances. Steele considered him as his patron upon one occasion, in dedicating his Miscellanies to him, and was desirous of submitting to him as an umpire on another, in the address prefixed to Addison's " Drummer." Even Pope, though jealous, it is said, of his poetical character, has honoured him with the highest testimony of deference and esteem in the postscript to his translation of Homer's Iliad, and he preserved a high respect for him. About two years after his death, in a conversation with Tonson the bookseller, who happened to mention Congreve, Pope said with a sigh, "Ay, Mr. Tonson, Congreve was ultimus Romanorum!" "Congreve," says Dr. Johnson," has merit of the highest kind; he is an original writer, who borrowed neither the models of his plot, nor the manner of his dialogue. Of his plays I cannot speak distinctly, for since. I inspected them many years have passed; but what remains upon my memory is, that his characters are commonly fictitious and artificial, with very little of nature, and not much of life. He formed a peculiar idea of comic excellence, which he *He afterwards added, that "Garth, Vanburgh, and Congreve, were the three most honest-hearted, real good men, of the poetical members of the Kit-Cat Club." Spence's Anecdotes, MS. supposed to consist in gay remarks and unexpected answers; but that which he endeavoured, he seldom failed of performing. His scenes exhibit not much of humour, imagery, or passion: his personages are a kind of intellectual gladiators; every sentence is to ward or strike; the contest of smartness is never intermitted; his wit is a meteor playing to and fro with alternate corruscations. His comedies have therefore, in some degree, the operation of tragedies; they surprise rather than divert, and raise admiration oftener than merriment. But they are the works of a mind replete with images, and quick in combination. Of his miscellaneous poetry I cannot say any thing very favourable. The powers of Congreve seem to desert him when he leaves the stage, as Antæus was no longer strong than he could touch the ground. It cannot be observed without wonder, that a mind so vigorous and fertile in dramatic compositions, should on any other occasion discover nothing but impotence and poverty. He has in these little pieces neither elevation of fancy, selection of language, nor skill in versification; yet if I were required to select from the whole mass of English poetry the most poetical paragraph, I know not what I could prefer to an exclamation in The Mourning Bride:' ALM. It was a fancy'd noise; for all is hush'd. . ALM. It was thy fear, or else some transient wind Whistling thro' hollows of this vaulted isle: We'll listen LEON. Hark! ALM. No, all is hush'd, and still as death.-'Tis dreadful! Whose ancient pillars rear their marble heads, "He who reads those lines enjoys for a moment the powers of a poet; he feels what he remembers to have felt before, but he feels it with great increase of sensibility; he recognizes a familiar image, but meets it again amplVOL. X. M |