The Critical Heritage gathers together a large body of critical sources on major figures in literature. Each volume presents contemporary responses to a writer's work, enabling student and researcher to read the material themselves.

Introduction; Part 1 The Early Reception; Chapter 1 William Congreve, Preface to Incognita; Chapter 2 John Dryden on The Old Batchelour; Chapter 3 Prefatory poems to The Old Batchelour; Chapter 4 Peter Motteux in The Gentleman's Journal; Chapter 5 Henry Higden in the Preface to The Wary Widdow; Chapter 6 John Dryden in the dedication to Examen Poeticum; Chapter 7 Thomas Yalden, 'To Mr. Congreve. An Epistolary Ode Occasion'd by his late Play'; Chapter 8 Jonathan Swift, 'To Mr. Congreve'; Chapter 9 William Congreve, Epistle Dedicatory to The Double-Dealer; Chapter 10 John Dryden on The Double-Dealer; Chapter 11 William Dove, 'To Mr. Congreve'; Chapter 12 Joseph Addison in 'An Account of the Greatest English Poets'; Chapter 13 Charles Hopkins in 'To Walter Moyle, Esq.'; Chapter 14 Anon. in The Mourning Poets; Chapter 15 Edward Howard in the Proem to An Essay upon Pastoral; Chapter 16 William Congreve, 'Concerning Humour in Comedy'; Chapter 17 William Pittis in An Epistolary Poem to N. Tate, Esquire; Chapter 18 Catharine Trotter, 'To Mr. Congreve, on his Tragedy, the Mourning Bride'; Chapter 19 Sir Richard Blackmore in the Preface to King Arthur; Chapter 20 Charles Hopkins, dedication of Boadicea, Queen of Britain; Chapter 21 Anon, in The Justice of Peace; Chapter 22 Jeremy Collier in A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage; Chapter 23 Elkanah Settle in A Defence of Dramatick Poetry; Chapter 24 William Congreve in Amendments of Mr. Collier's False and Imperfect Citations; Chapter 25 Anon, in A Letter to Mr. Congreve; Chapter 26 Anon, in Animadversions on Mr. Congreve's Late Answer to Mr. Collier; Chapter 27 Jeremy Collier in A Defence of the Short View; Chapter 28 Anon, in Some Remarks upon Mr. Collier's Defence; Chapter 29 Charles Gildon in A Letter to Mr. Congreve, Occasion'd by the Death of the Countess Dowager of Manchester; Chapter 30 Anon. in 'A Session of the Poets'; Chapter 31 John Oldmixon in Reflections on the Stage; Chapter 32 Jam