Excerpt from Critical Reflections on the Old English Dramatick Writers: Intended as a Preface to the Works of Massinger; Addressed to David Garrick, Esq. There is perhaps no Country in the World more fubordinate to the Power of F albion, than our own. Every vvhim, every Word, every Vice, every'virtue in its Turn becomes the Mode, and is followed with a certain Rage of Approbation for a Time. The favourite Stile in all the polite Arts, and the reigning Talle in Letters, are as notorioufiy Objeels of Ca price as Architeelure and Brefs. A new Poem, or Novel, or Farce, are as inconfiderately extolled or decried as a Ruff or a Chinefi: Rail, a Hoop or a Bow Window. Hence it happens, that the Publick Tafle is often vitiated: Or if, by Chance, it has made a proper Choice, becomes partially attached to one S ceies of Excellence, and remains dead to the Senfe of) all Other Merit, however equal, or fuperior. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.