abandoned, I would beg permiffion, in the most public manner poffible, to profess myself, with the utmost fincerity and zeal, Sire, your Majesty's most devoted subject and servant, RICHARD STEELE, CCCCLVII. PREFACE to "The Confcious Lovers.” TH HIS Comedy has been received with univerfal acceptance, for it was in every part excellently performed; and there needs no other applause of the actors, but that they excelled according to the dignity and difficulty of the character they reprefented. But this But this great fayour done to the work in acting renders the ex. pectation ftill the greater from the author, to keep up the spirit in the representation of the closet, or any other circumftance of the reader, whether alone or in company to which I can only fay, that it must be remembered, a play is to be feen, and is made to be represented with the advantage of action, nor can appear but with half the fpirit without it; for the greatest effect of a play in reading is, to excite the reader to go fee it; and when he does fo, it is then a play has the effect of example and precept. The chief defign of this was, to be an innocent performance, and the audience have abundantly antly fhewed how ready they are to support what is visibly intended that way; nor do I make any difficulty to acknowledge, that the whole was writ for the fake of the fcene; of the fourth act, wherein Mr. Bevill evades the quarrel with his friend; and hope it may have fome effect with the Goths and Vandals that frequent the theatres, or a more polite audience may fupply their abfence. This incident, and the cafe of the father and daughter, are esteemed by fome people no fubjects of comedy; but I cannot be of their niind; for any thing that has its foundation in happiness and fuccefs must be allowed to be the object of comedy; and fure it must be an improvement of it, to introduce a joy too exquifite for laughter, that can have no fpring but in delight, which is the cafe of this young lady. I must therefore contend, that the tears which were fhed on that occafion flowed from reafon and good fenfe, and that men ought not to be laughed at for weeping, till we are come to a more clear notion of what is to be imputed to the hardness of the head and the foftness of the heart; and I think it was very politely said of Mr. Wilks, to one who told him there was a General weeping for Indiana, "I'll warrant "he'll fight ne'er the worle for that." To be apt to give way to the impreffions of humanity, is the excellence of a right difpofition, and the natural natural working of a well-turned spirit. But as From place to place forlorn I go, To speak, till spoken to, afraid. My inward pangs, my fecret grief, Why fpeaks not he who may? It remains to say a word concerning Terence; and I am extremely furprised to find what Mr. Cibber told me prove a truth: That what I valued myself fo much upon, the tranflation of him, thould be imputed to me as a reproach. Mr. Cibber's zeal for the work, his care and application 1 ! application in inftructing the actors, and altering the difpofition of the scenes, when I was, through fickness, unable to cultivate fuch things myself, has been a very obliging favour and friendship to me. For this reason, I was very hardly perfuaded to throw away Terence's celebrated funeral, and take only the bare authority of the young man's character; and how I have worked it into an Englishman, and made use of the same circumftances of discovering a daughter when we leaft hoped for one, is humbly fubmitted to the learned reader, Sacred to the Memory of Sir RICHARD STEELE*. NA ATURE hath made it the condition of existence to live but for a time under any one mode; and when that period is expired, every thing changes, and gives way to a new fucceffion. The finest movements of her workmanship must fall to pieces, when the hours af figned them are fulfilled; and the greatest mafter-piece of creation must be no more, when it has performed the uses for which alone it was created. Thus the brave and base, the learne and illiterate, the wife and foolish, are deftine to an equal fate; and the most intelligent mind, Originally printed, immediately after his death, in "The British Journal, or the Cenfor, Sept. 13, 1729." however L however different in life, is the fame in death with the most vacant foul, or vegetative being. ...But memory ftill preferves the fair idea of ex-alted worth, and faithful history conveys it down to very late pofterity. It is then a grateful generous labour to confecrate the great man's fame, to - raife him monuments of praife and glory; and, v whilst the marble poorly fhews he only lived ⚫ and died, the nobler and more lafting work fhall witnefs wherein mankind were better from his actions, or may be happier by his good example. And now we come to pay the debt of justice; for we come to honour the manes of heroic worth whilft weeping friends or forrowful relations bewail the lot of nature, and blame a very equitable fate; let us return a much more. grateful tribute than tears, and exprefs the acknowledgements his virtues deferved, whilft they bestow the fighs he does not want. the Sir RICHARD STEELE lies dead before us, and great British CENSOR is no more! He is now gone to reft, whofe active genius laboured fo long for our welfare. Let our liberty and our happiness praise him. These we derived in an eminent degree from his illuftrious endeavours; and his name is worthy of a lafting remembrance by all who love their country. But why do I fay their country, fince he, who lived a univerfal good, deferves the thanks of all mankind; and he who struggles for the liberties of men does |