"Palmy days" have always been yesterdays.

Our imaginary friend, mentioned above, who was present at the earliest of stage exhibitions, probably deemed the second and third to be less excellent than the first; at any rate, he assuredly informed his friends and neighbours, who had been absent from that performance, that they had missed very much indeed, and had by no means seen Thespis at his best.

Even nowadays, middle-aged playgoers, old enough to remember the late Mr.Macready, are trumped, as it were, by older playgoers, boastful of their memories of Kemble and the elder Kean.
And these players, in their day and in their turn, underwent disparagement at the hands of veterans who had seen Garrick.

Pope, much as he admired Garrick, yet held fast to his old faith in Betterton.

From a boy he had been acquainted with Betterton.