Richard Steele Edited, with an Introduction and Notes by G. A. Aitken

Richard Steele is best remembered for his sharp essays, yet his four comedies reveal the same lively wit that made his periodicals so popular. This collection brings together those plays, offering listeners a glimpse of early‑18th‑century English drama where humor and moral insight walk hand in hand. The works stand as a bridge between the raucous Restoration stage and the more restrained tastes that followed, showing how Steele blended laughter with a genuine concern for virtue.

The accompanying introduction sketches Steele’s remarkable journey—from a Dublin orphan raised by an influential uncle, through his close friendship with Joseph Addison, to a brief military career that sparked his anti‑dueling convictions. It also situates his writing within a vibrant theatrical scene populated by figures such as Congreve, Vanbrugh, and Farquhar, and explains the cultural pushback against the era’s coarser productions. Together, the plays and commentary invite listeners to appreciate Steele’s unique voice in a pivotal moment of theatrical history.