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I have borrow'd one Hint of it any where. I made the Plot as ftrong as I could, becaufe it was fingle; and I made it fingle, because I would avoid Confufion, and was refolved to preferve the three Unities of the Drama. Sir, this Difcourfe is very impertinent to you, whofe Judgment much better can dif cern the Faults, than I can excufe them; and whofe Good-nature, like that of a Lover, will find out thofe Hidden Beauties (if there are any fuch) which it wou'd be great Immodefty for me to difcover. I think I don't speak improperly when I call you a Lover of Poetry; for it is very well known fhe has been a very kind Miftrefs to you; fhe has not deny'd you the laft Favour; and fhe has been fruitful to you in a moft beautiful Iffue----If I break off abruptly here, I hope every Body will understand that it is to avoid a Commendation, which, as it is your Due, would be moft eafy for me to pay, and too troublefome for you to receive.

I have, fince the Acting of this Play, hearken'd after the Objections which have been made to it; for I was Confcious where a true Critick might have put me upon my Defence, I was prepared for the Attack; and am pretty confident I could have vindicated fome Parts, and excufed others; and where there were any plain Mifcarriages, I would moft ingenuoufly have confefs'd 'em. But I have not heard any thing faid fufficient to provoke an Answer. That which looks moft like an Objection, does not relate in particular to this Play, but to all or moft that ever have been written; and that is Soliloquy. Therefore I will answer it, not only for my own fake, but to fave others the Trouble, to whom it may hereafter be objected.

I grant, that for a Man to Talk to himself, appears abfurd and unnatural; and indeed it is fo in moft Cafes; but the Circumftances which may attend the Occafion, make great Alteration. It often

times

times happens to a Man, to have Defigns which re quire him to himself, and in their Nature cannot admit of a Confident. Such, for certain, is all Villany; and other lefs mischievous Intentions may be very improper to be Communicated to a fecond Perfon. In fuch a Cafe therefore the Audience must obferve, whether the Perfon upon the Stage takes any notice of them at all, or no. For if he fuppofes any one to be by, when he talks to himself, it is monftrous and ridiculous to the laft degree. Nay, not only in this Cafe, but in any Part of a Play, if there is expreffed any Knowledge of an Audience, it is infufferable. But other wife, when a Man in Soliloquy reafons with himself, and Pro's and Con's, and weighs all his Defigns: We ought not to imagine that this Man either talks to us, or to himfelf; he is-only thinking, and thinking fuch Matter as were inexcufable Folly in him to speak. But because we are conceal'd Spectators of the Plot in Agitation, and the Poet finds it neceffary to let us know the whole Myftery of his Contrivance, he is willing to inform us of this Perfon's Thoughts; and to that end is forc'd to make ufe of the Expedient of Speech, no other better way being yet invented for the Communication of Thought.

Another very wrong Objection has been made by fome, who have not taken Leisure to distinguish the Characters. The Hero of the Play, as they are pleas'd to call him, (meaning Mellefont) is a Gull, and made a Fool, and cheated. Is every Man a Gull and a Fool that is deceiv'd? At that rate I'm afraid the two Claffes of Men will be reduc'd to one, and the Knaves themselves be at a lofs to juftify their Title: But if an Open-hearted honeft Man, who has an entire Confidence in one. whom he takes to be his Friend, and whom he has oblig'd to be fo; and who (to confirm him in his Opinion) in all Appearance, and upon feveral Trials has been fo: If this Man be deceiv'd by the Treachery of

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the other; must he of neceffity commence Fool immediately, only because the other has prov'd a Villain? Ay, but there was Caution given to Mellefont in the firft Act by his Friend Careless. Of what Nature was that Caution? Only to give the Audience fome Light into the Character of Maskivell, before his Appearance; and not to convince Mellefont of his Treachery; for that was more than Careless was then able to do: He never knew Maskwell guilty of any Villany; he was only a fort of Man which he did not like. As for his fufpecting his Familiarity with my Lady Touchwood: Let 'em examine the Anfwer that Mellefont makes him, and compare it with the Conduct of Maskwell's Character through the Play.

I would beg 'em again to look into the Character of Maskwell, before they accufe Mellefont of Weaknefs for being deceiv'd by him. For upon fumming up the Enquiry into this Objection, it may be found they have mistaken Cunning in one Character, for Folly in another.

But there is one thing, at which I am more concerned than all the falfe Criticifms that are made upon me; and that is, fome of the Ladies are offended. I am heartily forry for it, for I declare I would rather difoblige all the Criticks in the World, than one of the fair Sex. They are concerned that I have reprefented fome Women Vicious and Affected: How can I help it? It is the Business of a Comick Poet to paint the Vices and Follies of Human-kind; and there are but two Sexes, Male, and Female, Men and Women, which have a Title to Humanity: And if I leave one half of them out, the Work will be imperfect. I should be very glad of an Opportunity to make my Compliment to thofe Ladies who are offended: But they can no more expect it in a Comedy, than to be Tickled by a Surgeon, when he's letting 'em Blood. They who are Virtuous or Dif

creet,

creet, fhould not be offended; for fuch Characters as thefe diftinguish them, and make their Beauties more fhining and obferv'd: And they who are of the other kind, may nevertheless pafs for fuch, by feeming not to be difpleas'd, or touch'd with the Satire of this Comedy. Thus have they also wrongfully accus'd me of doing them a Prejudice, when I have in reality done them a Service.

You will pardon me, Sir, for the Freedom I take of making Answers to other People, in an Epistle which ought wholly to be facred to you: But fince I intend the Play to be fo too, I hope I may take the more Liberty of Juftifying it, where it is in the Right.

I muft now, Sir, declare to the World, how kind you have been to my Endeavours; for in regard of what was well meant, you have excus'd what was ill perform'd. I beg you would continue the fame Method in your Acceptance of this Dedication. I know no other way of making a Return to that Humanity you fhew'd, in protecting an Infant, but by Enrolling it in your Service, now that it is of Age and come into the World. Therefore be pleas'd to accept of this as an Acknowledgement of the Favour you have fhewn me, and an Earneft of the real Service and Gratitude of,

SIR,

Your Moft Obliged,

Humble Servant,

William Congreve.

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To my Dear Friend

Mr. CONGREVE,

On his COMEDY, call'd,

The DOUBLE-DEALER.

WELL then; the promis'd Hour is come at laft;
The prefent Age of Wit obfcures the paft:

Strong were our Sires; and as they Fought they Writ,
Conqu'ring with Force of Arms, and Dint of Wit;
Theirs was the Giant Race, before the Flood;
And thus, when Charles return'd, our Empire ftood.
Like Janus, he the stubborn Soil manur'd,
With Rules of Husbandry, the Rankness cur'd:
Tam'd us to Manners, when the Stage was rude;
And boift'rous English Wit, with Art indu’d.

Our Age was cultivated thus at length;

But what we gain'd in Skill, we loft in Strength.
Our Builders were, with Want of Genius, curft;
The Second Temple was not like the Firft:
'Till You, the beft Vitruvius, come at length,
Our Beauties equal; but excel our Strength.
Firm Dorique Pillars found your folid Bafe:
The fair Corinthian crowns the higher Space;
Thus all below is Strength, and all above is Grace.
In eafy Dialogue is Fletcher's Praise:

He mov'd the Mind, but had no Pow'r to raife.
Great Johnfon did by Strength of Judgment please:
Yet doubling Fletcher's Force, he wants his Eafe.
In diff'ring Talents both adorn'd their Age;
One for the Study, t'other for the Stage.

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