ever seen; and the players, to whom he had at first read it so badly that they almost rejected it, soon changed their opinion. The manager granted him the 'privilege of the house' for six months before it was acted, a then unprecedented compliment. Its great success prompted him to produce the 'Double Dealer,' first performed in November 1693. This met with some opposition, and some ladies were scandalised. Queen Mary, however, came to see it, and was afterwards present at a new performance of the 'Old Bachelor,' when Congreve wrote a new prologue for the occasion. Dryden had generously welcomed Congreve, who helped him in the translation of Juvenal (1692), and to Congreve Dryden now addressed a famous epistle, in which he declares Congreve to be the equal of Shakespeare, and pathetically bequeaths his memory to the care of the 'dear friend' who is to succeed to his laurels, a bequest acknowledged by Congreve in his preface to Dryden's plays (1718). Dryden also acknowledges (in 1697) Congreve's services in revising the translation of Virgil, in which he was also helped by Addison and Walsh.
Betterton [q. v.] and other players revolted from Drury Lane, and obtained permission to open a new theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields. It was opened on 30 April 1695, the first performance being Congreve's 'Love for Love.' The brilliant success of this comedy was acknowledged by a share in the house, on condition of Congreve's promise to produce a new play every year. On 12 July 1695 Congreve was appointed by Charles Montagu, afterwards earl of Halifax, 'commissioner for licensing hackney coaches,' a small office, which he held till 13 Oct. 1707. His next production was the 'Mourning Bride,' acted at Lincoln's Inn Fields, 'for thirteen days without interruption,' in 1697. The success saved the company, though the tragedy is generally regarded as an unlucky excursion into an uncongenial field. Johnson always maintained that the description of a cathedral in this play (act ii. sc. 1) was superior to anything in Shakespeare Boswell, 16 Oct. 1769, and Life of Congreve), In the same year Congreve was attacked by Jeremy Collier [q. v.] in a 'View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage.' He replied in a pamphlet called 'Amendment of Mr. Collier's False and Imperfect Citations' (from his four plays). Although the critical principles laid down by Collier are not such as would be now admitted, he was generally thought to have the best both of the argument and of the wit. Nor can it be doubted that he was attacking a serious evil. Congreve felt the blow. His last play, the 'Way of the World,' was produced, again at Lincoln's Inn Fields, in 1700. Congreve declares in the dedication that he did not expect success, as he had not written to suit the prevailing taste. The play was coolly received, and it is said that Congreve told the audience to their faces that they need not take the trouble to disapprove, as he meant to write no more. The play succeeded better after a time; but Congreve abandoned his career. In 1705 a new theatre was built for the same company by Vanbrugh, and Congrove was for a time Vanbrugh's colleague in the management. He did nothing, however, beyond writing 'a prologue or so, and one or two miserable bits of operas' (Leigh Hunt) (the 'Judgment of Paris,' a masque, and 'Semele, an Opera,' neither performed).
From this time he lived at his ease. In 1710 he published the first collected edition of his works, in three vols, octavo. A promise of Tonson to pay him twenty guineas on publication is m the British Museum (Addit. MS. 28275, f. 12) He was commissioner of wine licenses from December 1705 till December 1714. At the last date he became secretary for Jamaica. According to the 'General Dictionary' Lord Halifax gave him a 'place in the pipe-office,' a 'patent place in the customs of 600l. a year,' and the Jamaica secretaryship, worth 700l. a year. He is said to have been latterly in receipt of 1,200l. a year. Swift, in his verses on 'Dr. Delany and Dr. Carteret,' says that
Congreve spent on writing plays
And one poor office half his days.
But Swift when writing satire did not stick to prosaic accuracy. Congreve, at any rate, was universally flattered and admired. He is always spoken of by contemporaries as a leader of literature, and had the wisdom or the good feeling to keep on terms with rival authors. He never, it is said, hurt anybody's feelings in conversation. Swift, while at Sir W. Temple's in 1693, addressed a remarkable poem to his more prosperous friend, and always speaks of him with special kindliness. Many meetings are noticed in the 'Journal to Stella.' It is odd that Congreve was almost solitary in disliking the 'Tale of a Tub' (Monck Berkeley, Literary Relics, p. 340). Steele dedicated his miscellanies to him, and when assailed by Tickell in 1722 addressed his vindication (prefixed to the 'Drummer') to Congreve as the natural arbiter in a point of literary honour. Pope paid him a higher compliment, by concluding the translation of the 'Iliad' with a dedication to him. Pope was anxious to avoid committing himself to either party, and Congreve's fame was
