In 1703, Sir _John_ formed a Project of building a stately Theatre in the _Haymarket_, for which he had interest enough to get a Subscription of thirty Persons of Quality, at one hundred Pounds each, in consideration whereof, every Subscriber was for his own Life to be admitted to whatever Entertainments should be publicly performed there, without any farther Payment for Entrance. In 1706, when this House was finished, Mr. _Betterton_ and his Co-partners, who then acted at the Theatre in _Lincoln's Inn-Fields_, dissolved their Agreement, and put themselves under the direction of Sir _John Vanbrugh_ and Mr. _Congreve_, imagining, perhaps, that the Conduct of two such eminent Authors might give a more prosperous turn to their Affairs; that the Plays it would now be their interest to write for them, would soon recover the Town to a true Taste, and be an Advantage that no other Company could hope for; and that till such Plays could be written, the Grandeur of their House, as it was a new spectacle, might allure the Crowd to support them: But, if these were their Views, they soon found their Dependance upon them was too sanguine; for though Sir _John_ was a very expeditious Writer, yet Mr. _Congreve_ was too judicious to let any Thing come unfinished from his Pen. Besides, every proper Convenience of a good Theatre had been sacrificed to shew the Audience a vast triumphal Piece of Architecture, in which, by Means of the spaciousness of the Dome, plays could not be successfully represented, because the Actors could not be distinctly heard. Not long before this Time, the _Italian_ Opera began to steal into _England_, but in as rude a Disguise as possible: notwithstanding which, the new Monster pleased, though it had neither Grace, Melody, nor Action, to recommend it. To strike in therefore with the prevailing Fashion, Sir _John_ and Mr. _Congreve_ opened their New Theatre with a translated Opera, set to _Italian_ Music, called _The Triumph of Love_; but it met with a very cool Reception, being performed only three Times--to thin Houses.