Date: 1699

"My Friendship even yet does balance Passion; but throw in the least grain more of an affront, and by Heaven you turn the Scale."

— Farquhar, George (1676/7-1707)

Date: 1760

"Whenever this shall be executed, it is to be looked upon as the work of true genius; but when fallen short of, as often happens, it is to be deemed the impotent effort of the hard-bound brains of low plagiaries, whose memory is filled with the shreds and ill-chosen scraps of other mens wit."

— Macklin, Charles (1697-1797)