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No II.
I should not have delayed so long to return you my thanks for the honour you have done me in letting me see your Play, if it had come to my hands as soon as the letter which informed me that I should be favoured with it from you; but I did not receive it till the end of last week.
As you desire me to give you my judgment upon it, I can very
sincerely tell you, that I think the plot interesting, the characters strongly
marked, and the dialogue lively and witty, though not without faults. But
experience has shown me, that to judge what will do for the stage, and
succeed well in the acting, Mr. Garrick's opinion is far superior to mine:
nor can I take on myself to recommend any play to him or Mr. Colman,
even if it were written by the best friend I have. Pardon me therefore,
Madam, for referring you to them, and particularly to Mr. Garrick; from
whose decisions in these matters there can, I think, be no appeal. If I
myself were to write a play, I would leave it entirely to his determination
whether it should be brought on the stage or not. Permit me to assure you
of my very grateful sense of the favourable opinion you do me the honour
to express of me, and of the high esteem and regard with which I am,
Madam, your most obedient humble servant,
Hagley, Sept. 20, 1770
LYTTELTION.
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