Rejected Addresses | Page 4

T. F. The Baby's Debut--by W. W.

An Address Without a Phoenix--by S. T. P. Cui Bono?--by Lord B.
Hampshire Farmer's Address--by W. C. The Living Lustres--by T. M.
The Rebuilding--by R. S. Drury's Dirge--by Laura Matilda. A Tale of
Drury Lane--by W. S. Johnson's Ghost The Beautiful Incendiary--by
the Hon. W. S. Fire and Ale--by M. G. L. Playhouse Musings,--by S. T.
C. Drury Lane Hustings--by a Pic-Nic Poet Architectural
Atoms--translated by Dr. B. Theatrical Alarm-bell--by the Editor of the
M. P. The Theatre--by the Rev. G. C. Macbeth Travestie--by Momus
Medlar Stranger Travestie--by Momus Medlar George Barnwell
Travestie--by Momus Medlar Punch's Apotheosis--by T. H. Footnotes
and other notes

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

On the 14th of August, 1812, the following advertisement appeared in
most of the daily papers:-
"Rebuilding of Drury Lane Theatre.
"The Committee are desirous of promoting a free and fair competition
for an Address to be spoken upon the opening of the Theatre, which
will take place on the 10th of October next. They have, therefore,
thought fit to announce to the public, that they will be glad to receive
any such compositions, addressed to their Secretary, at the
Treasury-office, in Drury Lane, on or before the 10th of September,
sealed up, with a distinguishing word, number, or motto, on the cover,
corresponding with the inscription on a separate sealed paper,
containing the name of the author, which will not be opened unless
containing the name of the successful candidate."
Upon the propriety of this plan men's minds were, as they usually are
upon matters of moment, much divided. Some thought it a fair promise
of the future intention of the Committee to abolish that phalanx of
authors who usurp the stage, to the exclusion of a large assortment of
dramatic talent blushing unseen in the background; while others
contended that the scheme would prevent men of real eminence from
descending into an amphitheatre in which all Grub Street (that is to say,
all London and Westminster) would be arrayed against them. The event
has proved both parties to be in a degree right, and in a degree wrong.
One hundred and twelve Addresses have been sent in, each sealed and

signed, and mottoed, "as per order," some written by men of great,
some by men of little, and some by men of no talent.
Many of the public prints have censured the taste of the Committee, in
thus contracting for Addresses as they would for nails--by the gross;
but it is surprising that none should have censured their TEMERITY.
One hundred and eleven of the Addresses must, of course, be
unsuccessful: to each of the authors, thus infallibly classed with the
genus irritabile, it would be very hard to deny six stanch friends, who
consider his the best of all possible Addresses, and whose tongues will
be as ready to laud him as to hiss his adversary. These, with the potent
aid of the bard himself, make seven foes per address; and thus will be
created seven hundred and seventy-seven implacable auditors, prepared
to condemn the strains of Apollo himself--a band of adversaries which
no prudent manager would think of exasperating.
But, leaving the Committee to encounter the responsibility they have
incurred, the public have at least to thank them for ascertaining and
establishing one point, which might otherwise have admitted of
controversy. When it is considered that many amateur writers have
been discouraged from becoming competitors, and that few, if any, of
the professional authors can afford to write for nothing, and, of course,
have not been candidates for the honorary prize at Drury Lane, we may
confidently pronounce that, as far as regards NUMBER, the present is
undoubtedly the Augustan age of English poetry. Whether or not this
distinction will be extended to the QUALITY of its productions, must
be decided at the tribunal of posterity; though the natural anxiety of our
authors on this score ought to be considerably diminished when they
reflect how few will, in all probability, be had up for judgment.
It is not necessary for the Editor to mention the manner in which he
became possessed of this "fair sample of the present state of poetry in
Great Britain." It was his first intention to publish the whole; but a little
reflection convinced him that, by so doing, he might depress the good,
without elevating the bad. He has therefore culled what had the
appearance of flowers, from what possessed the reality of weeds, and is
extremely sorry that, in so doing, he has diminished his collection to
twenty-one. Those which he has rejected may possibly make their
appearance in a separate volume, or they may be admitted as volunteers
in the files of some of the newspapers; or, at all events, they are sure of

being received