The Comedies of William Congreve - Volume 1 [of 2]

The Comedies of William Congreve, by William Congreve
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Title: The Comedies of William Congreve Volume 1 [of 2] Author: William Congreve Editor: G. S. Street Release Date: January 7, 2008 [eBook #24215] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMEDIES OF WILLIAM CONGREVE***
Transcribed from the 1895 Methuen and Co. edition (English Classics, edited by W. E. Henley) by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
THE COMEDIES OF WILLIAM CONGREVE
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I. METHUEN AND CO. 36 ESSEX STREET: STRAND LONDON 1895
Edinburgh: T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty
INTRODUCTION
I.
Before repeating such known facts of Congreve’s life as seem agreeable to the present occasion, and before attempting (with the courage of one’s office) to indicate with truth what manner of man he was, and what are the varying qualities of his four comedies, it seems well to discuss and have done with two questions, obviously pertinent indeed, but of a wider scope than the works of any one writer. The first is a stupid question, which may be happily dismissed ...