Excerpt from The Clandestine Marriage: A Comedy in Five Acts

As a finished specimen of dramatic art, the comedy of The Clandestine Marriage holds a very high rank. Mr. Peake, the biographer of the Colmans, says it may be put, in the list of the acting drama, next in merit to the School for Scandal: and though we are somewhat doubtful as to the justice of this classification, we cannot pronounce the estimate an extravagant one.

The title-page of the original edition of the comedy bears the names of George Colman and David Garrick as the authors; but there can be little doubt that by far the greater part of it was written the former. Garrick, though possessing some of the most essential qualities of the successful playwright, had not much true literary ability; while CoLman was not only an accomplished writer, but a good classical scholar. The whole outline of the plot of this piece appears to have been his, as well as the idea of the principal characters. In a letter to Garrick in closing a rough draft of the general scheme of the play, together with loose hints of acts and scenes, Colman, after giving a pretty clear foreshadowing of the story as it now stands, concludes by remarking: "Of the denouement I have not as yet even conceived those imperfect ideas I have got of some other parts. Think of the whole: and think in my train, if it appears worth while; and when you have thrown your thoughts on paper as I have mine, we will lay our heads together. Brother Bayes."

Upon the subject of Garrick sdramatic partnership, George Colman the Younger communicates the following facts: In respect to the report of Garrick having written the entire character of Lord Ogleby, my father once told me it was not true; that, as an instance to the contrary, he (my father) wrote the vshole of Ogleby sfirst

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