Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/42

22 Heroe, without the friendly Assistance of Fortune; and therefore Mr. Congreve must be said to be as much oblig'd to her for his Success, as to Nature for his Wit, which truly deserv'd it, and of which all those that read his Plays, must allow him a more than ordinary Share. And indeed, he took the most certain way to make sure of Fortune, by the Intimacy he contracted with the most active part of the establish'd and receiv'd Wits and Poets of the Age, before he ventur'd his Reputation to the Publick. For as a celebrated French Writer has observ'd, an Author should never expect to raise his Fame in the World, from an unknown State, by the Single Force of his own Genius, and without the Help and Concurrence of the Men of Wit, that have an Influence over the Opinion of the World in things of that Nature. But then on the other side, it must be confess'd, that his Merit was certainly of more than ordinary Power, to oblige them to forget their habitual Ill-Nature; and criminal Emulation or Jealousy (to give it no worse Name) of all those, whom they have any Cause to fear, will once prove any considerable Rivals in their Fickle Mistress, Fame. Mr. Congreve has already given us Four Plays, of which in their Alphabetical Order.

The Double Dealer, a Comedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal by their Majesties Servants, 1694. 4to. and Dedicated to the Right Honourable Charles Montague, Esq., one of the Lords of the Treasury. This Play not meeting with that Success as was expected, the Author, as Poets are generally apt to do, engages a little too violently in a Defence of his Comedy. The Character of Maskwell I take to be an Image of Vermish in The Plain Dealer.

Love for Love, a Comedy, Acted at the Theatre in Little Lincolns-Inn-Fields, by his Majesty's Servants, 1695. 4to. and Dedicated to the Right Honourable Charles, Earl of Dorset and Middlesex. This Play, tho' a very good Comedy in it self, had this Advantage, that it was Acted at the Opening of the New House, when the Town was so prepossess'd in Favour of the very Actors, that before a Word was spoke, each Actor was Clapt for a considerable Time. And yet all this got it not more Applause than it really deserv'd: For there is abundance of Wit in it, and a great deal of diverting Humour. The Characters are justly distinguish'd, and the Manners well marked. Yet in the Plot he has not given himself the Pains of avoiding that so often repeated Improbability of Marrying in Masques and Disguises, which Mr. Tattle, nor Mrs. Frail had Sense enough to avoid, if we may judge by the rest of their Characters; yet it must be own'd, that he has much better prepar'd this Incident to gain it, at least some shew of Probability, than in the Old Batchelor, or than I have generally met within other Plays. I leave the nicer Criticks to decide whether the unravelling of the Plot, and the Conduct of Angelica in it, be extreamly just or no: I shall