COLLECTION OF THE MOST ESTEEMED FAR CES A. N. D ENTERTAINMENTS PERFORMED ON THE BRITISH STAGE. VOLUME THE FIRST. A NEW EDITION. EDINBURGH: Printed for C. ELLIOT, PARLIAMENT SQUARES M,DCC, LXXXVIJ, T has long been a juft complaint, that copies of ficult to be procured, even at the exorbitant charge of one fhilling each, the ufual fhop-price; and that many of them are often not to be procured for any price: A circumftance which arifes chiefly from Bookfellers having little inducement to keep any regular affortment of pieces. of this kind, the demand even for those of the firft merit,, in a detached form, being inconfiderable and uncertain. Thefe inconveniences firft fuggefted the defign of the prefent publication:. And as no Collection of the fame kind has hitherto appeared, it is hoped this will meet with a favourable reception from the PUBLIC; and will. be peculiarly acceptable to thofe who are poffeffed of ac good Collection of Plays, to which it will form a properCompanion or Supplement, as including the principal. performances of a GARRICK, a FOOTE, &c. printed in an elegant and uniform manner, and attainable at a moderate expence. THE Volume now published is intended as a specimen ; and will be followed by three, four, five, or more, if the Publisher be encouraged to complete his Plan, which is meant to comprehend all the best petit pieces of the Stage that have appeared. THE feveral Pieces are printed entire, according to the laft editions corrected by their respective authors; and,. by the affiftance of fome gentlemen of tafte and theatrical knowledge, thofe paffages ufually omitted in the reprefentation are uniformly diftinguifhed by inverted commas. IT may be proper to mention, that the different Volumes are meant to be fold feparately, as well as in fets; but that the particular pieces cannot be fold in the fame way, as the manner of printing prevents their feparation.. AUGUST 1. 1782. ་ CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. PAGE I.. THE GUARDIAN. By David Garrick, Efq. II. THE APPRENTICE. By Arthur Murphy, Efq. 29 IV. FLORIZEL AND PERDITA; or, The Sheep- fhearing. Altered from Shakespeare. V. HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS. By David Gar- |