如此世道__William Congreve.pdf

www.ChineseA 英文名著3000 本 中文在线出品 The Way of the World by William Congreve 1 www.ChineseA 英文名著3000 本 中文在线出品 The Way of the World by William Congreve Audire est operae pretium, prcedere recte Qui maechis non vultis.--HOR. Sat. i. 2, 37.- Metuat doti deprensa.-- Ibid. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC. My Lord,--Whether the world will arraign me of vanity or not, that I have presumed to dedicate this comedy to your lordship, I am yet in doubt; though, it may be, it is some degree of vanity even to doubt of it. One who has at any time had the honour of your lordships conversation, cannot be supposed to think very meanly of that which he 2 www.ChineseA 英文名著3000 本 中文在线出品 would prefer to your perusal. Yet it were to incur the imputation of too much sufficiency to pretend to such a merit as might abide the test of your lordships censure. Whatever value may be wanting to this play while yet it is mine,will be sufficiently made up to it when it is once become your lordships; and it is my security, that I cannot have overrated it more by my dedication than your lordship will dignify it by your patronage. That it succeeded on the stage was almost beyond my expectation; for but little of it was prepared for that general taste which seems now to be predominant in the palates of our audience. Those characters which are meant to be ridiculed in most of our comedies are of fools so gross, that in my humble opinion they should rather disturb than divert the well-