King Edward VI School, Lichfield Patriae, Scholae", is broadly translated as "for God, Country, and School". In the 18th century a number of eminent people were educated at the school. These included the great scholar and compiler of the first English dictionary, Dr. Samuel Johnson (the buildings of the former grammar school bear his name), David Garrick, the actor, and Joseph Addison, the essayist and politician. Two of the school's four houses are named after Addison and Garrick. (The other houses are named after Roger de Clinton who founded a priory in Lichfield in the 12th century and Erasmus Darwin, who lived in the City
David Garrick (play) is only permitted to marry Garrick after "dying of love" leaves her otherwise incurably bedridden for several months. The element of the duel is also removed from the novel. In the introduction to the 2009 reprint, it is speculated that the "less farcical tone" may have more closely resembled Robertson's early drafts of the play, before Sothern's contributions. While much of the humour was removed in the novelisation, a great deal of exposition was added, and the story actually begins on the day Garrick and Ada first meet. Many of the character's names were altered from the play. Simon Ingot