Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Dryden. Set to Musick by Mr Handel. Pit and Boxes half a Guinea. Galleries 4s. and 2s. 6d. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 20 Feb.: Last Night his Royal Highness the Duke, and her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia were at. . . Mr Dryden's Ode, set to Musick by Mr Handel. Never was upon the like Occasion so numerous and splendid an Audience at any Theatre in London, there being at least 1300 Persons present; and it is judg'd that the Receipt of the House could not amount to less than 450l. It met with general Applause, tho attended with the Inconvenience of having the Performers placed at too great a distance from the Audience, which we hear will be rectified the next Time of Performance. [Egmont also present.]

Event Comment: Benefit Hyde. Receipts: money #41 3s. 6d.; tickets #69 14s. [In Daily Advertiser, 20 Feb., Hyde had given notice that tickets for the boxes numbered 208-14 had been lost and would not be accepted at the theatre.]

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Duke, and their Highnesses the Princesses Caroline, Mary, and Louisa [who were present]. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 28 Feb.: The Author perceiving from the Behaviour of some Persons, a determin'd Resolution, notwithstanding the Presence of part of the Royal Family, to breed a Disturbance, to the Prejudice of the Play, occasion'd, as 'tis supposed, from an invidious Letter inserted in Thursday's Grubstreet Journal, has chose to withdraw his Play, rather than give them an Opportunity of gratifying their Malice, by a Repetition of such Disturbances as must necessarily prevent the Audience from hearing the Performance in Peace. Receipts: #112 14s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. [For a comment on The Connoisseur, see Daily Advertiser, 2 March.]

Event Comment: Benefit Freeman. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Twelve Years. By particular Desire. Afterpiece: With Alterations. And a Description of Tom King's Coffee-house in Covent-Garden. At Common Prices [4s., 2s. 6d., and 1s. 6d. in Daily Advertiser]. 6 P.M

Event Comment: For a further discussion of The Connoisseur, see Daily Advertiser, 4 March

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. Written by Shakespear. In which will be restor'd Scenes, Soliloquies, and other Circumstances, originally in the Part of Falstaff, which have been for many Years omitted. [Daily Advertiser lists Prologue as representing the Ghost of Falstaff.]

Event Comment: Daily Advertiser, 30 March: We hear that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales honour'd Pasquin last Night with his Presence, when it was acted the twentieth Time to a crowded Audience . . . and many thousands of People turn'd away for want of room

Event Comment: Benefit Poet Trapwit. By his own particular Desire. N.B. The Spectators are desir'd to take no Notice of the Tragedy, but attend very closely to the Comedy, there being several fresh Jokes new cloath'd at Second Hand for the Use of that Night. As there is little Hope of a great Demand of Tickets, or Places for that Evening, the Doors will be open'd by Six o'Clock in the Morning, and constant Attendance the whole Day given, for fear any Application shou'd be made for either. [The Daily Advertiser also carries a notice to the effect that "Copper-Plate Tickets representing the Murder of Common Sense" will be available.]

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Heron's Executors. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Daily Advertiser, 9 April: We hear, the late Mrs Heron, on Account of her long and expensive Illness, having contracted some Debts more than she apprehended her Effects would discharge, in order to do Justice to her Creditors, in almost her last Moments made her Entreaty, that the Profits arising from a Benefit Play . . . might be distributed amongst them. . .

Event Comment: Advertised in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 26 April, not later

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Norsa. Tickets at her Lodgings, Nassau Street, near Gerrard Street. Receipts: money #12 14s. 6d.; tickets #101 9s. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 29 April: We hear Mr Handel has compos'd a new Opera, on the Occasion of his Royal Highness's Marriage to the Prince[S] of Saxe Gotha, and as the Wedding was solemnized sooner than was expected, great Numbers of Artificers, as Carpenters, Painters, Engineers, &c. are employed to forward the same

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Pit and Boxes put together. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 6 May: There was an exceeding great Audience, and great Numbers of Quality both in the Boxes and Pit. Their Highnesses' Box was handsomely ornamented with white Damask, adorn'd with Silver Laces and Fringes; over the Canopy was the Figure of Hymen, with a Label on which was this Motto: Concordia Cordium. Daily Journal, 6 May: The House was so full about Five o'Clock, that several Gentlemen and Ladies, unable to go to their Seats, was obliged to depart

Event Comment: London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 6 May: Last Night the Opera of Ariodante was performed [at CG], in which Signior Gieacchino Conti Ghizziello made his first Appearance, and met with an uncommon Reception

Event Comment: A New Opera. [Librettist not known. Music by Handel.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 13 May: Last Night was perform'd ... Atalanta ...in which was a new Set of Scenes painted in Honour to this Happy Union, which took up the full length of the Stage: The Fore-part of the Scene represented an Avenue to the Temple of Hymen, adorn'd with Figures of several Heathen Deities. Next was a Triumphal Arch on the Top of which were the Arms of their Royal Highnesses, over which was placed a Princely Coronet. Under the Arch was the Figure of Fame, on a Cloud, sounding the Praises of this Happy Pair. The Names Fredericus and Augusta appear'd above in transparent Characters. Thro' the Arch was seen a Pediment supported by four Columns, on which stood two Cupids embracing, and supporting the Feathers, in a Princely Coronet, the Royal Ensign of the Prince of Wales. At the farther End was a View of Hymen's Temple, and the Wings were adorn'd with the Loves and Graces bearing Hymenael Torches, and putting Fire to Incense in Urns, to be ofter'd up upon this Joyful Union. The Opera concluded with a Grand Chorus, during which several beautiful Illuminations were display'd. . . . There were present their Majesties, the Duke, and the Four Princesses

Event Comment: A New Comedy. [By Mrs E. Cooper. Apparently not printed. The characters named in the bill are: Lord Belamour, Sir Roger Wrangle, Sir Charles Cumberland, Froward, Wary, Young Wrangle, Peinter, Snare, Lady Cumberland, Felicia, Ready. See also a puff by Mrs Cooper in Daily Advertiser, 17 May.]

Event Comment: Benefit Neale and Vaughan. Receipts: money #8 13s.; tickets #120 10s. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 25 May: Yesterday Mr Smith [of CG], being disorder'd in his Senses, threw himself out of his Lodging Window up two pair of Stairs near Gray's Inn . . . and ... his Life is despaired of

Event Comment: Benefit Odell, formerly Proprietor of Goodman's Playhouse. [Daily Advertiser has benefit postponed to 10 June, but probably not given then; see 30 Aug.]

Event Comment: As 18 June. [For another puff of the play, see Daily Advertiser, 24 June.]

Event Comment: The New Theatre by the Pound. [From 4 Aug. to 20 Aug. At 1 P.M. and end at Nine. Sometimes it is called Jones' and Lacey's Company. For a puff, see Daily Advertiser, 9 Aug.]

Event Comment: By the Company of Comedians from Goodman's Fields. Written by Mr Dryden. With new Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations, particularly an exact Representation of Merlin's Cave, as in the Royal Gardens, Richmond. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s, Middle Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. At 6 p.m.[The Prologue was printed in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 1 Oct.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve, London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 2 Oct.: Last Night in the Entertainment of Dr Faustus...when the Machine wherein were Harlequin, the Miller's Wife, the Miller and his the Miller's Man, was got up to the full Extent of its flying, one of the Wires which held up the hind part of the Car broke first, and then the other broke, and the Machine, and all the People in it fell down Upon the Stage; by which unhappy Accident the young Woman who personated the Miller's Wife had her Thigh broke, and her Kneepan shatter'd, and was otherways very much bruised, the Harlequin had his Head bruised, and his Wrist strained; the Miller broke his Arm; and the Miller's Man had his Scull so fractured that his Life in despaired of. Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 6 Oct.: Covent Garden has given me a sort of surfeit of Mr Rich and his cleverness, for I was at [cg] when the machine broke t'other night; the house was in amaze for above a minute, and I dare say a great many in the galleries thought it very desterously performed, and that they screamed as naturally as heart could wish, till they found it was no jest, by their calling for surgeons, of whom several luckily happened to be in the pit. I stayed to see the poor creatures brought out of the house, and pity poor Mrs Buchanan not a little, whom I saw put into a chair in such a fright that as she is big with child, I question whether it may not kill her.-Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Thomas Gray, I, 113-14

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Taken from the French of Mons Voltaire. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 13 Oct.: We are assured Mr Giffard will very shortly open the Theatre in Goodman's-Fields, notwithstanding the many false and invidious Reports o his having intirely left that part of the Town

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late J. Addison, Esq. [For an essay on the state of the drama, see Daily Advertiser, 27 Oct.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Mr Dryden. Daily Advertiser, 2 Nov.: The Director of [dl] has resolv'd, for the future, to suffer no living Persons to be concern'd in any Flights, or hazardoUs Machinery, but to have Figures made for that Purpose