FARQUHAR, GEORGE, an ingenious poet and
dramatic writer, the son of a clergyman in Ireland,
was born at Londonderry in 1678. He was sent to
Trinity College, Dublin; but his volatile disposition not
relishing a college life, he betook himself to the stage;
where, having dangerously wounded a brother actor in
a tragic scene, by forgetting to change his sword for a
foil, it shocked him so much that he left the Dublin
theatre and went to London. Here he procured a
lieutenant's commission by the interest of the earl of Or-
rery; which he held several years, and gave many
proofs both of courage and conduct. In 1698, he
wrote his first comedy called Love and a Bottle; which
for its sprightly dialogue and busy scenes, was well re-
ceived. In the beginning of the year 1700, which was
the jubilee year at Rome, he brought out his Constant
Couple, or a Trip to the Jubilee; and suited Mr Wilks's
talents so well in the character of Sir Harry Wildair,
that the player gained almost as much reputation as
the poet. This tempted him to continue it in another
comedy called Sir Harry Wildair, or The sequel of the
Trip to the Jubilee; in which Mrs Oldfield acquired
great applause. In 1702, he published his Miscellanies,
which contain a variety of humorous sallies of
fancy. In 1703, appeared the Inconstant, or the Way
to Win him; in 1704, a farce called the Stage-coach;
in 1705, the Twin Rivals; and in 1706, the Recruiting
Officer, founded on his own observations while on
a recruiting party at Shrewsbury. His last comedy
was the Beaux Stratagem, of which he did not live to
enjoy the full success. Mr Farquhar married in 1703.
Before that time his manner of life had been rather
dissipated. The lady, therefore, who afterwards became
his wife, having fallen violently in love with him, but
judging that a gentleman of his humour would not easily
be drawn into the trammels of matrimony, contrived
to have it given out that she was possessed of a large
fortune; and finding means afterwards to let Mr Far-
quhar know her attachment to him, interest and vanity
got the better of his passion for liberty, and the lady
and he were united in the hymeneal bands. But how
great was his disappointment when he found all his
prospects overclouded so early in life (for he was then
no more than 24), by a marriage from which he had
nothing to expect but an annual increase of family, and
an enlargement of expence in consequence of it far be-
yond what his income would support. Yet, to his ho-
nour be it told, though he found himself thus deceived
in a most essential particular, he never was known once
to upbraid his wife with it; but generously forgave an
imposition which love for him alone had urged her to,
and even behaved to her with all the tenderness and de-
licacy of the most indulgent husband. Mrs Farquhar,
however, did not very long enjoy the happiness she had
purchased by this stratagem; for the circumstances that
attended this union were in some respects perhaps the
1 Farquhar. means of shortening the period of the captain's life. For, finding himself considerably involved in debt in consequence of their increasing family, he was induced to make application to a certain noble courtier, who had frequently professed the greatest friendship for him, and given him the strongest assurances of his intended services. This pretended patron repeated his former declaration; but expressing much concern that he had nothing at present immediately in his power, advised him to convert his commission into money to answer his present occasions, and assured him that in a short time he would procure another for him. Farquhar, who could not bear the thoughts of his wife and family being in distress, followed this advice, and sold his com-
mission; but, to his great mortification and disappointment, found, on a renewal of his application to this inhuman nobleman, that he had either entirely forgotten, or had never intended to perform, the promise he had made him. This distracting frustration of all his hopes fixed itself so strongly on our author's mind, that it soon brought on him a sure, though not a very sudden, declension of nature, which at length carried him off the stage of life in 1707, before he arrived at 30 years of age.—His comedies have so much humour, and the characters are so natural, that his plays still continue to be represented to full houses.