CONGREVE, William, English dramatist: b. Bardsey, near Leeds, 1670; d. London, 19 Jan. 1729. He entered the Middle Temple, London, to prepare himself for the legal profession, but soon deserted the law for literature. At a very early age he wrote a novel entitled (Incognita,' followed by his comedy of the Bachelor,' produced in 1693, and pronounced by Dryden the greatest first play that he had ever beheld. His next play, the (Double Dealer' (1693). was not so successful in representation; but his third, the comedy of (Love for Love' (1695), proved extremely popular. Its success acquired for the author the patronage of Lord Halifax, who conferred on him several very lucrative posts, so that he was far more prosperous than most men of letters. Not content with his fame in comedy, he essayed tragedy; and in 1697 pro duced his (Mourning Bride,' the reception of which was extremely favorable. The composi tion of four such plays before he had attained the age of 28 is a remarkable proof of early genius in a line of composition demanding great observation and experience. The licentiousness of his writings caused him to be attacked by Jeremy Collier in his 'Short View of the Im morality and Profaneness of the English Stage,' to which Congreve published a lame and inef fective reply. He soon after closed his dra matic career with the (Way of the World' (1700), considered by many critics as the most perfect of his comedies, hut which was received so coldly that he resentfully determined to re linquish a species of writing in which, upon the whole, he had been eminently successful. A
masque, entitled the 'Judgment of Paris,' and
an opera, neither of which was pre sented, close the list of his labors for the stage. He, however, continued to write occasional verses on public subjects; and in 1710 published a collection of his plays and poems. Dryden declared him to be the equal of Shakespeare. Steele dedicated to him his
Consult Macaulay, 'Comic Dramatists of the Restoration' ; Hazlitt,