ambition of wit. The age of the writer considered, it is indeed a
very wonderful performance; for, whenever written, it was acted
(1693) when he was not more than twenty-one years old; and was then
recommended by Mr. Dryden, Mr. Southern, and Mr. Maynwaring. Dryden
said that he never had seen such a first play; but they found it
deficient in some things necessary to the success of its exhibition,
and by their greater experience fitted it for the stage. Southern
used to relate of one comedy, probably of this, that when Congreve
read it to the players he pronounced it so wretchedly, that they had
almost rejected it; but they were afterwards so well persuaded of
its excellence that, for half a year before it was acted, the
manager allowed its author the privilege of the house.

Few plays have ever been so beneficial to the writer, for it
procured him the patronage of Halifax, who immediately made him one
of the commissioners for licensing coaches, and soon after gave him
a place in the Pipe-office, and another in the Customs, of six
hundred pounds a year. Congreve's conversation must surely have
been at least equally pleasing with his writings.

Such a comedy, written at such an age, requires some consideration.
As the lighter species of dramatic poetry professes the imitation of
common life, of real manners. and daily incidents, it apparently
presupposes a familiar knowledge of many characters, and exact
observation of the passing world; the difficulty, therefore, is to
conceive how this knowledge can be obtained by a boy.

But if The Old Bachelor be more nearly examined, it will be found to
be one of those comedies which may be made by a mind vigorous and
acute, and furnished with comic characters by the perusal of other