Antedatings of "[all] the rage"

[Hugo]

It feels like a late-19th or early-20th century phrase, but I was surprised to discover it dates back to the 18th century.

Sense 5.g. of "rage" in the OED is:

[Begin]
As complement: a widespread, temporary fashion or enthusiasm; esp. in to be (also become) (all) the rage .
[End]

First quotation is 1780. First quotation using "all the rage" is 1832.

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(Screenshots of the extracts here: http://english.stackexchange.com/a/127938/9001 )

THE RAGE

The Critical Review. For the Month of June, 1762:

[Begin]
Such is the rage of fashion that men of real genius have been seduced into this senseless mode of writing, only to remain contemptible examples of misapplied talents.
[End]

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DcAPAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22is%20the%20rage%22&q=%22is%20the%20rage%22#v=snippet&q=%22is%20the%20rage%22&f=false

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This one is good, so I'll include it too. I recommend going to read the whole (short) letter.

The Town and Country Magazine, Or Universal Repository of Knowledge, Instruction, and Entertainment for August, 1775 (Volume 7)

[Begin]
Such is the rage for Regattas.
[End]

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-VM3AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22is%20the%20rage%22&q=%22is%20the%20rage%22#v=snippet&q=%22is%20the%20rage%22&f=false

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ALL THE RAGE

The Sentimental and Masonic Magazine, Volume 1 (September 1792, page 202):

[Begin]
This is all the rage; yet, while we think, talk, and act in this manner, we profess to believe the Bible!
[End]

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MOcRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA202&dq=%22is%20all%20the%20rage%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_0o7Up6SHcai4gT25oGYAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22is%20all%20the%20rage%22&f=false

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Hugo

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