of a genius for poetry, and Mr. Jacob in his Lives of the Poets tells us, that she composed a song before she was seven years old.  She is the author of fifteen plays; her talent is comedy, particularly the contrivance of the plots, and incidents.  Sir Richard Steele, in one of his Tatlers, speaking of the Busy Body, thus recommends it.  ’The plot, and incidents of the play, are laid with that subtilty, and spirit, which is peculiar to females of wit, and is very seldom well performed by those of the other sex, in whom craft in love is an act of invention, and not as with women, the effect of nature, and instinct’.

She died December 1, 1723; the author of the Political State thus characterizes her.  ’Mrs. Centlivre, from a mean parentage and education, after several gay adventures (over which we shall draw a veil) she had, at last, so well improved her natural genius by reading, and good conversation, as to attempt to write for the stage, in which sh had as good success as any of her sex before her.  Her first dramatic performance was a Tragi-Comedy, called The Perjured Husband, but the plays which gained her most reputation were, two Comedies, the Gamester, and the Busy Body.  She wrote also several copies of verses on divers subjects, and occasions, and many ingenious letters, entitled Letters of Wit, Politics, and Morality, which I collected, and published about 21 years ago[A].’

Her dramatic works are,

1.  The Perjured Husband, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre-Royal 1702, dedicated to the late Duke of Bedford.  Scene Venice.

2.  The Beau’s Duel, or a Soldier for the Ladies, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, 1703; a Criticism was written upon this play in the Post-Angel for August. 3.  The Stolen Heiress, or The Salamancha Doctor Out-plotted; a Comedy; acted at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields 1704.  The scene Palermo.

4.  The Gamester, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields 1704, dedicated to George Earl of Huntingdon.  This play is an improved translation of one of the same title in French.  The prologue was written by Mr. Rowe.

5.  The Basset Table, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, dedicated to Arthur Lord Altham, 4to. 1706.

6.  Love’s Contrivance, or Le Medicin Malgre lui; a Comedy; acted at Drury-Lane 1705, dedicated to the Earl of Dorset.  This is a translation from Moliere.

7.  Love at a Venture, a Comedy; acted at Bath, 4to. 1706, dedicated to the Duke of Beaufort.

8.  The Busy Body, acted at the Theatre-Royal 1708, dedicated to Lord Somers.  This play was acted with very great applause.

9.  Marplot, or the Second Part of the Busy Body; acted at the Theatre-Royal 1709, dedicated to the Earl of Portland.

10.  The Perplex’d Lovers, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre-Royal 1710, dedicated to Sir Henry Furnace.

11.  The Platonic Lady, a Comedy; acted at the Theatre-Royal 1711. 12.  The Man’s Bewitch’d, or The Devil to do about Her; a Comedy; acted at the Theatre in the Haymarket 1712, dedicated to the Duke of Devonshire.