born, a.d. 1667. died, a.d. 1722.

BE it known that the Person with Pen in Hand is no other than a Woman, not a little piqued to find that neither the Nobility nor Commonality of the Year 1722, had Spirit enough to erect in Westminster Abbey, a monument justly due to the Manes of the never-to-be-forgotten Mrs. Centlivre, whose works are full of lively Incidents, Genteel Language, and Humourous Descriptions of real Life, and deserved to have been recorded by a pen equal to that which celebrated the Life of Pythagoras. Some Authors have had a Shandeian knack of ushering in their own Praises, sounding their own Trumpet, calling Absurdity Wit, and boasting when they ought to blush; but our Poetess had Modesty, the General Attendant of Merit. She was even asham'd to proclaim her own great Genius, probably because the Custom of the Times discountenanced poetical Excellence in a Female. The Gentlemen of the Quill published it not, perhaps envying her superior Talents; and her Bookseller, complying with national Prejudices, put a fictitious name to her Love's Contrivance thro' Fear that the work should be condemned, if known to be Femenine. With Modest Diffidence she sent her performances, like Orphans, into the World, without so much as a Nobleman to protect them; but they did not need to be supported by Interest, they were admired as soon as known, their real Standard Merit brought crowding Spectators to the Play-houses, and the Female Author, tho' unknown, heard Applauses, such as have since been heaped upon that great Author and Actor Colley Cibber.”