a move that was most likely motivated by a wish for public attention. In the letters, the exchange between Astrea and Celadon (Capt. William Ayloffe) are of particular interest due to their intense romantic suggestions. However, biographers generally agree that this was merely practice for the epistolary fiction form. We also get a glimpse of Centlivre's poetry in her correspondence with George Farquhar, who also sometimes published under the name Celadon. Again, it is hard to suggest a definitive romantic relationship between Farquhar and Centlivre; the letters may have been intended for the public eye. Centlivre continued in September 1700, when she contributed a poem, "Of Rhetorick," under the name Polumnia, to The Nine Muses, an elegiac poetry collection left on the grave of John Dryden. In October 1700, Centlivre published her first play, The Perjur'd Husband: or, The Adventures of Venice. This tragicomedy (although considered a tragedy at the time) was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and, according to Centlivre, "went off with a general Applause." It was published under Susanna's own name, and the prologue made a point of pride out of its female authorship. By the end of 1700, with a long list of literary acquaintances and actors alike, Centlivre was well established in London. Her next play, The Beau's Duel, was performed in June 1702. Well received in its own right, the play did not see a lengthy stage life. Over the next five years or so, Centlivre's work was less successful. As a result, her next two plays, The Stolen Heiress (December 1702) and Love's Contrivance (June 1703), were performed under attempts to conceal the sex of the author. Although received well, all of Centlivre's plays up to this point had been performed at inopportune times in the season. It wasn't until Love's Contrivance that the experience and reputation of the cast allowed for a three-night run (in addition to some later productions and an eventual revival, three years after her death). Centlivre's next comedy, The Gamester, was first performed in February 1705. Here, she declared her intent to reform gamblers. This play was Centlivre's most successful to date and was frequently revived in later years. In 1705, Centlivre, in a brief moment away from the theatre, wrote a complimentary poem for a collection by Sarah Fyge Egerton. Centlivre continued the gambling theme in her next play entitled The Basset Table, performed in