"Life And Letters Of John Gay (1685-1732), Author of "The Beggar's Opera"" by Lewis Melville John Gay was an English poet and dramatist and a member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera whose characters became household names. In this book, Melville describes the life of this important figure in literary history through a collection of facts and letters that were collected and thoroughly researched to create an encompassing picture of Gay.