Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/123

Rh fix upon his own mind a ſtrong impreſſion of virtue and religion. But this ſecret admonition to his conſcience he judged too weak, and therefore in the year 1701 printed the book with his name prefixed, in hopes that a Handing evidence againſt himſelf in the eyes of the world, might the more forcibly induce him to lay a reſtraint upon his deſires, and make him aſhamed of vice, ſo contrary to his own ſenſe and conviction.

This piece was the firſt of any note, and is eſteem’d by ſome as one of the beſt of Mr. Steele’s works; he gained great reputation by it, and recommended himſelf to the regard of all pious and good men. But while he grew in the eſteem of the religious and worthy, he ſunk in the opinion of his old companions in gaiety: He was reckoned by them to have degenerated from the gay, ſprightly companion, to the dull diſagreeable pedant, and they meaſured the leaſt levity of his words and actions with the character of a Chriſtian Hero. Thus he found himſelf ſlighted, inſtead of being encouraged for his declarations as to religion; but happily thoſe who held him in contempt for his defence of piety and goodneſs were characters, with whom to be at variance is virtue. But Mr. Steele, who could not be content with the ſuffrage of the Good only, without the concurrence of the Gay, ſet about recovering the favour of the latter by innocent means: He introduced a Comedy on the ſtage, called Grief A-la-Mode, in which, tho’ full of incidents that move laughter, and inſpire chearfulneſs, virtue and vice appear juſt as they ought to do. This play was acted at the Theatre in Drury Lane 1702, and as nothing can make the town ſo fond of a man, as a ſucceſsful play; ſo this, with ſome other particulars enlarged on to his advantage, recommended him to king William, and his name to be provided for was in the laſt table-book worn by his majeſty. He