THE YOUTH, THE COLLEGIAN, AND THE SOLDIER-1671-1700.
Value and interest of biography-Birth and parentage of Steele
-His account of his mother, and of his father's death-Is
sent to the Charter-House School in London, where he makes
the acquaintance of Addison-Notice of the Chartreuse-
Enters Christ-Church, Oxford - Cultivates dramatic litera-
ture, and writes a comedy, which, being disapproved by a
college friend, he destroys-Lines on the death of Queen
Mary-Fancy for a military life, which, being disapproved by
friends, he enters the Guards as a volunteer, and is, in con-
sequence, disinherited by a wealthy relative-Remarkable
parallel instances, Cervantes and Coleridge-Acts as secretary
to Lord Cutts, his colonel, and receives a commission from
him-Notice of that officer-Is led into undue convivial
habits by the attractions of his wit and social qualities among
his military associates, opposed to his better feelings-His
resolve to break with these habits, and the effects of that
resolution,
in his good resolves-Finds it ineffectual-Resolves to publish
it-Dedicates it to Lord Cutts, the colonel of his regiment—
Account of the work-Note on Professor Schlosser's criticism
-Steele, forced into a duel, seriously wounds his antagonist,
though unintentionally- His sufferings on that account-
Becomes a decided opponent of the practice-Ridicule suffered
by Steele for his efforts at self-reformation-Turns his atten-
tion to dramatic literature-Notice of the drama and dramatic
predecessors of Steele: Wycherley, Vanbrugh, Farquhar, and
Congreve Jeremy Collier's attack on the stage-His comedy
of "The Funeral; or, Grief à-la-Mode "-Its success-Scene
from the play-Produces "The Tender Husband"—The pro-
logue written by Addison-Specimen scene-"The Lying
Lovers," his next comedy, not equally successful, though
one of his best productions-Its unmerited fate induces him
for some years to relinquish dramatic pursuits-Specimen
scene-Produces "The Conscious Lovers" after a long interval
-Remark of Horace Walpole on the writing of comedy-
Thackeray's remarks on Steele's plays, .
with a new set of characters, in conjunction with Addison
-Its unprecedented success-The Spectator Club-The De
Coverley series of papers-Notice of the contributors, Philips,
Budgell, Tickell, Hughes, Grove, &c.-The dedications, and
the subjects of them-Close of the original series-An ad-
ditional volume subsequently added, chiefly by Addison,
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