*p1773 11 18 cg The Merchant of Venice. ^As17731005^, but Bassanio-Bensley; Jessica-Mrs Baker; Nerissa-Mrs Lessingham (playbill); But Bassanio-Wroughton; Jessica-Miss Valois; Nerissa-Mrs Baker (<i>Public Advertiser</i>).*a1773 11 18 cg Love a-la-Mode. ^As17731005^.*d1773 11 18 cg III: <i>The Merry Sailors</i>, ^as17731007^; IV: <i>The Highland Reel</i>, ^as17731112^.*c1773 11 18 cg [$Macklin= dismissed after this night. See the account in <i>The Genuine Arguments of the Council, with the Opinion of the Court of the King's Bench</i>, &c., By a Citizen of the World, (<i>London</i>, 1774). Extracts in E. R. <i>Page, George Colman, the Elder</i> (<i>New York</i>, 1935). See notes for 23 and 30 Oct. and the subsequent action in note for 20 Nov. He did not return until 18 May 1775. This night was aparently, except for #4 5s. which was not recorded on the books of the theatre until 18 June well after the season closed. Macklin's suit in court against the rioters was judged 24 Feb. 1775. A column and a half account of the trial appeared in the <i>Public Advertiser</i>, Saturday 13 May 1775, giving the testimony of the witnesses accused of starting the riot, the lawyers, and the judge. The accused were $Leigh=, $Miles=, $James=, $Aldus=, and $Clarke=. The first four were convicted of a conspiracy and a riot, the last of a riot only. During the Course of the Business $Lord Mansfield= took Occasion to observe, that the Right of Hissing, and Applauding in a theatre was an unalterable Right, but there was a wide Distinction between expressing the natural Sensations of the Mind as they arose on what was seen and heard, and executing a pre-concerted Desagn, not only to hiss an Actor when he was playing a Part in which he was universally allowed to be excellent, but also to drive him from the theatre, and effect his utter ruin." See also $William W. Appleton=, <i>Charles Macklin, An Actors Life</i> (<i>Cambridge, Mass.</i>, 1960), Chapter X.]