Excerpt from William Congreve It has been thought unwise to burden the pages of this biography with excessive footnotes. They are used only where the source of material is not stated or implied in the text and for supplementary information. When the full title of a book has been given it is subsequently abbreviated, and well-known reference works are referred to by their short title whenever possible. Quotation, particularly from letters, has been liberally used when it has embodied a personal attitude. We become more aware of men's qualities and their relation with their fellows through their own words than by means of any account of what they have said. If we are interested in a man weprefer to listen to him and his friends when they discuss themselves than to any biographer's report, which is at best second hand. This biography would not have been written except for the suggestions of its subject and method of treatment by Sir Walter Raleigh, who was an inspiring guide and teacher. Much helpful advice, particularly with regard to source material, was also given by Professor Nichol Smith and Mr. Brett Smith. To several others who have assisted me with details and suggestions I must remain silently indebted. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.