Steele (1672-1729) was an Irish writer, playwright and politician remembered as co-founder with his friend Joseph Addison of the magazine The Tatler. His first play, a comedy entitled The Funeral written in 1701, met with wide success and was performed at London's Drury Lane, bringing him to the attention of the King. The complete list of the plays included in this collection published in 1894 is as follows: The Funeral, The Lying Lover, The Tender Husband, The Conscious Lovers, The School of Action (fragment), and The Gentleman (fragment). The volume also includes an introduction and notes by the editor.