on sixty three days uninterrupted, and renewed the next
season with equal applause. It spread into all the great towns of
England, was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time;
at Bath and Bristol fifty. It made its progress into Wales, Scotland
and Ireland, where it was performed twenty-four days together. It was
lastly acted in Minorca. The fame of it was not confined to the author
only; the ladies carried about with them the favourite songs of it in
fans; and houses were furnished with it in screens. The girl who acted
Polly, 'till then obscure, became all at once the favourite of the
town, her pictures were engraved, and sold in great numbers; her life
written; books of letters and verses to her, published; and pamphlets
made even of her sayings and jests. Furthermore, it drove out of
England, for that season, the Italian Opera, which had carried all
before it for ten years; that idol of the nobility and the people,
which Mr. Dennis by the labours and outcries of a whole life, could
not overthrow, was demolished by a single stroke of this gentleman's
pen."

Dr. Swift in his Intelligencer Numb. 3. has given us a vindication of
Mr. Gay, and the Beggars Opera; he observes, 'that though an evil taste
be very apt to prevail both in Dublin and in London; yet, there is a
point which whoever can rightly touch, will never fail of pleasing a
very great majority; so great that the dislikers, out of dullness, or
affectation, will be silent, and forced to fall in with the herd; the
point I mean is, what we call humour, which, in its perfection, is
allowed to be much preferable to wit, if it he not rather the most
useful, and agreeable species of it.----Now I take the comedy, or
farce (or whatever name the critic will allow it) called The Beggar's
Opera, to excel in this article of humour, and upon that merit to have
met with such prodigious success, both here and in England.' The dean
afterwards remarks, 'that an opinion obtained, that in this opera,
there appears to be some reflexions on courtiers and statesmen. It is
true indeed (says he) that Mr. Gay hath been somewhat singular in the
course of his fortunes, attending the court with a large stock of real
merit, a modest and agreeable conversation, a hundred promises, and
five hundred friends, hath failed of preferment, and upon a very
weighty reason; he lay under the suspicion of having written a Libel,
or Lampoon, against a great minister, it is true that gre