Exasperated at Colman's dithering over his comedy, Goldsmith sent a copy to David Garrick, manager of the rival patent theatre, Drury Lane. After discussing this move with the ‘sensible friend’ noted in the letter, he soon repented this fit of pique and requested the return of the manuscript. The identity of the ‘sensible friend’ is unknown, although Johnson must be a very likely candidate; Joseph Cradock and Arthur Murphy, both of whom contributed epilogues, are also possibilities.

The copy-text is the manuscript in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. It was first published in James Boaden, The Private Correspondence of David Garrick with the Most Celebrated Persons of his Time, 2 vols. (London: Henry Colburn, 1835), I: 527. It is addressed, ‘To | David Garrick Esqr. | Adelphi.’ and is endorsed in Garrick's hand ‘Dr. Goldsmith's about his play’. The letter is dated 6 February by Boaden but nothing on the manuscript corroborates the date.