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temper, of which too little notice has been taken by literary
historians. The attacks on the stage for its indecency and blasphemy had
been flippantly met by the theatrical agents, but they had sunk deeply
into the conscience of the people. There followed with alarming
abruptness a general public repulsion against the playhouses, and to
this, early in 1699, a roughly worded Royal Proclamation gave voice.
During the whole of that year the stage was almost in abeyance, and even
Congreve, with _The Way of the World_, was unable to woo his audience
back to Lincoln's Inn. During this time of depression Catharine Trotter
composed at least two tragedies, which she was unable to get performed,
while the retirement of Congreve in a paroxysm of annoyance must have
been a very serious disadvantage to her.

On May 1st, 1700, Dryden died, and with him a dramatic age passed away.
What Miss Trotter's exact relations with the great poet had been is
uncertain; she not only celebrated his death in a long elegy, in which
she speaks on behalf of the Muses, but wrote another and more important
poem, in which she gives very sound advice to the poetical beginner, who
is to take Dryden as a model, and to be particularly careful to disdain
Settle, Durfey, and Blackmore, typical poetasters of the period. She
recommends social satire to the playwright:--

"Let the nice well-bred beau himself perceive
The most accomplished, useless thing alive;
Expose the bottle-sparks that range the town,--
Shaming themselves with follies not their own,--
But chief these foes to virgin innocence,
Who, while they make to honour vain pretence,
With all that's base and impious can dispense."

Honour to those who aim high and execute boldly!

"If Shakespeare's spirit, with transporting fire,
The animated scene throughout inspire;
If in the piercing wit of Vanbrugh drest,
Each sees his darling folly made a jest;
If Garth's and Dryden's genius, through each line,
In artful praise and well-turn'd satire shine,--
To us ascribe the immortal sacred flame."

In this dead period of the stage Catharine Trotter found a warm friend
and doubtless an efficient patron in a Lady Piers, of whom we should be
glad to know more. Sir George Piers, the husband of this lady, was an
officer of rank under the Duke of Marlborough, later to become useful to
Catharine Trotter. Meanwhile the latter returned to the Theatre Royal i