THE

LONDON THEATRE.

A COLLECTION OF THE

Most celebrated Dramatic Pieces.

CORRECTLY GIVEN, FROM COPIES USED IN THE THEATRES,

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR WHITTINGHAM AND ARLISS,

PATERNOSTER ROW.

THE

RECRUITING OFFICER.

A Comedy.
BY GEORGE FARQUHAR, ESQ.

CORRECTLY GIVEN, FROM COPIES USED IN THE THEATRES,

BY
THOMAS DIBDIN,
OF THE THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE.

Author of several Dramatic Pieces.

Printed at the Chiswick Press,

BY C. WHITTINGHAM;
FOR WHITTINGHAM AND ARLISS, PATERNOSTER

ROW, LONDON.

THE RECRUITING OFFICER

Was first acted at Drury Lane in 1705, and was written at Shrewsbury while the author was actually on the recruiting service, and “ by all accounts he was the very character he has drawn under the name of Captain Plume.” Justice Balance was written in compliment to Mr. Berkeley, then recorder of Shrewsbury; Sylvia was that gentleman's daughter; Melinda, a miss Harnage, of Balsadine, near the Wrekin; Worthy, a Mr. Owen, of Russason; and Brazen, we believe, the ențire offspring of Farquhar's fancy. This comedy is pronounced by a good critic to be one of the most standard and established comedies of the British stage: its pruriencies however call for great curtailment before it can be as attractive to the ladies as, strange to say, when it was first acted.