ort of
a thing a Newgate Pastoral might make. Gay was inclined to try at such a
thing for some time; but afterwards thought it would be better to write
a comedy on the same plan. This was what gave rise to the Beggar's
Opera. He began on it, and when first he mentioned it to Swift, the
doctor did not much like the project. As he carried it on, he showed
what he wrote to both of us, and we now and then gave a correction, or a
word or two of advice; but it was wholly of his own writing. When it was
done, neither of us thought it would succeed. We showed it to Congreve,
who, after reading it over, said it would either take greatly or be
damned confoundedly. We were all, at the first night of it, in
great uncertainty of the event, till we were very much encouraged by
overhearing the Duke of Argyll, who sat in the next box to us, say,
'It will do--it must do! I see it in the eyes of them.' This was a good
while before the first act was over, and so gave us ease soon; for that
Duke (besides his own good taste) has a particular knack, as any one now
living, in discovering the taste of the public. He was quite right in
this, as usual; the good-nature of the audience appeared stronger and
stronger every act, and ended in a clamour of applause."

Its reception is thus recorded in the notes to the "Dunciad":--

"This piece was received with greater applause than was ever known.
Besides being acted in London sixty-three days without interruption,
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, etc. It made its progress into
Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where it was performed twenty-four days
successively. The ladies carried about with them the favourite songs of
it in fans, and houses were furnished with it in screens. The fame of
it was not confined to the author only. The person 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."

Of this performance, when it was printed, the reception was different,
according to the different opinions of its readers. Swift commended it
for the