Anno Etatis 67 G.Vandergucht Sculp.

ΑΝ

APOLOGY

For the LIFE of

COLLEY CIBBER,

COMEDIAN,

AND

Late PATENTEE of the Theatre-Royal.

With an Hiftorical View of the STAGE during
his OWN TIME.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

Hoc eft

Vivere bis, vitâ posse priore frui.

When Years no more of active Life retain,

Mart. lib. 2.

'Tis Youth renew'd, to laugh them o'er again. Anonym.
The THIRD EDITION.

To which is now added,

A Short Account of the Rife and Progrefs of the
ENGLISH STAGE:

ALSO,

A Dialogue on OLD PLAYS, and OLD PLAYERS.

LONDON:

Printed for R. DODSLEY in Pall-Mall.

MDCCL.

SIR,

B

ECAUSE I know it

would give you lefs Con

cern, to find your Name

in an impertinent Satyr, than before the daintieft Dedication of a modern Author, I conceal it.

Let me talk never fo idly to you, this way; you are, at least, under no

neceffity of taking it to yourfelf: Nor when I boaft of your Favours, need you blush to have beftow'd them. Or I may now give you all the Attributes, that raife a wife, and good-natur'd Man, to Efteem, and Happiness, and not be cenfured as a Flatterer by my own, or your Enemies.I place my own firft; becaufe as they are the greater Number, I am afraid of not paying the greater Refpect to them. Yours, if fuch there are, I imagine are too well bred to declare themfelves: But as there no Hazard, or vifible Terror, in an Attack, upon my defencelefs Station, my Cenfurers have generally been Perfons of an intrepid Sincerity. Having there