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Published 1 of April 1779 By Balding & Walker Pater Noster Rew

THE

THEATRICAL BOUQUET:

CONTAINING AN

ALPHABETICAL ARRANGEMENT

O F THE

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES,

Which have been Published by

DISTINGUISHED WITS,

FROM

The Time that COLLEY CIBBER first came on the
STAGE, to the present Year.

Extrema cum primis ;
Lilia Amarynthis.

LONDON:

Printed for T. LOWNDES, No. 77, in Fleet-Street.

MDCCLXXX.

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WH

WHEN the Connoiffeur and the Artist meet in the Patron, it is prefumed to be with peculiar propriety that Mafter-pieces, of the Art, in which he excels, lay claim to his protection. A Selection of modern Prologues and Epilogues, cannot, therefore, be more properly fheltered, than under the Patronage of Mr. GARRICK..

THAT flowing vein of Wit and facetious turn of Humour, which enter into his numerous compofitions of this kind, difplay a fund of most exquisite pleafantry; which fets him above every competitor in this fpecies of writing.

Not only mafter of the whole difpofition of that little world, the Theatre; but, poffeffed of talents, the moft diftinguifhed, for obfervation on men and manners in general, an intimate knowledge of the world at large became early familiar to him.

HENCE that admirable facility, with which, he af fumed, like a Proteus, the refemblance of others; or, rather, like the Dervife, whofe foul could take poffeffion of inanimated bodies, he infpired them with life, and exhibited them to the age in their true form and preffure. Hence it is, alfo, that Mr. GARRICK's excellence, in refpect to these appendages to the Drama, conftitutes but a part of the merit of his literary character.

Α

A DRAMATIC genius, formed on the fame plan as was that of our immortal SHAKESPEARE, Could not fail of sharing a confiderable portion of the powers of poetical defcription, as well as of perfonal action. Congenial faculties evidently directed them both to the fame pursuits, urged them in the fame career; and, if both did not equally fucceed in the different walks of their profeffion, it is doubtlefs for the rea fon affigned by the Philofopher.

Two Sciences will no one genius fit;

So wide is Art! fo narrow Human Wit!

To the honour of Both, however, it will be remembered, that the Poet as much excelled the Actor in the one, as the Ador excelled the Poet in the other; in his own excellence each equally inimitable! To fay this, of Mr. GARRICK, to himself, may carry with it the appearance of adulation; but, whatever the appearance, flattery is a meanness, of which, none, who know, will accuse the author of the prefent addrefs.

I am, Sir,

your's &c.

The EDITOR.

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