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Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature cover

Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature

Chapter 42: WILLIAM CONGREVE (1670-1729)
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About This Book

The book presents concise bibliographical essays on one hundred significant works of English literature, summarizing authorship, publication histories, typographical features, editional variants, and illustration and collation details. A prefatory explanation outlines the selection criteria and editorial practices used for handling early spelling and printing peculiarities. Individual entries vary in length depending on existing scholarship and rarity, and the volume includes a list of corrections, a contents list, and an index to aid reference. Overall, it documents the physical and textual histories of landmark volumes to assist readers in identifying and understanding important variant issues.

WILLIAM CONGREVE

(1670-1729)

37. The | Way of the World, | A | Comedy. | As it is Acted | At The | Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, | By | His Majeſty's Servants. | Written by Mr. Congreve. | [Quotation] London: | Printed for Jacob Tonſon, within Gray's-Inn-Gate next | Gray's-Inn-Lane. 1700.

This was the last of Congreve's plays to be performed upon the stage. It was presented by Betterton's company, but was a failure. "The unkind Reception this excellent comedy met with," said Charles Wilson, "was truly the Cauſe of Mr. Congreve's juſt Reſentment; and upon which, I have often heard him declare, that he had form'd a ſtrong Reſolution never more to concern himſelf with Dramatic Writings."

Quarto.

Collation:  A, three leaves; a, two leaves; B-N2, in fours.