Event Comment: Dined at the Ship, and went at 5 into the Pit to see Mrs Yates do Jane Shore a second time. Her powers are certainly amazingly great, the expression in her eyes in the last scene is particularly affecting. The entertainment was the foolish Pantomime called Harlequin Skeleton (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #189 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: At 6, the Pit being full, went into the First Gallery...Love does Stirling with propriety, but not with that ease and humour with which Yates does it (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Younger for writting parts #10 4s. 9d.; Paid Mrs Giles for a Blue & Silver suit of women's cloaths #9 9s. (Account Book). To Covent Garden. Beggar's Opera and Commissary. Found the Pit not over fifth full, and on the 4th bench from orchestra orange woman showed me Pol. Kennedy alias Mrs Bevon, on which I went and sat immediately before her, and talked with her much during the play. Pol. Kennedy in cloak and large hat. She is tall, large and raw-boned. Irish features, yet had something in her face and person necessarily attracting notice--was very civil, curteous, and chatty (Baker, Diary, p. 270). [Pol. Kennedy was the Irish actress and contralto who later appeared as Mrs Farrell at dl in 1776 in Arne's Caractacus.] Receipts: #122 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Receipts: #86 (Account Book). Charges #81 15s. Profit to Society #4 5s., plus #106 17s. from tickets (Box 242; Pit 309) (Account Book). Benefit for Use of the Society at the Thatched-House Tavern For the release and discharge of persons imprisoned for small debts. [The Epilogue was written by Cumberland. (See Folger Library Theatrical Clippings). The Curtain rises and discovers a prison; at some distance a woman, poorly habited, and in a disconsolate attitude; after standing some time montionless, in a posture of fixed attention she speaks]: @Woman: Thou loathsome dungeon in whose dreary womb@The pining Debtor finds a living tomb;@Where 'midst the Clank of Chains and Dismal yells@Of shakled felons my sad husband dwells;@From his dark cell, oh give him to my view!@Let him look forth and take a last adieu.@ [As she advances towards the prison, a person in Gentleman's apparel accosts her.] @Man: Stay, Child of Sorrow, thou whose piercing groans@Might move to pity e'en these senseless stones.@Why dost thou bend thy melancholy way@To that Drear Dungeon? Child of Sorrow stay.@Woman: Why should I stay, or my sad Griefs impart?@Can there be pity in a Human heart?@Away and let me die.@ [...The Man suggests a Human heart can have pity] @Woman: If there be such, O lead me to their sight,@And let me plead a wretched sufferer's right:@Can there be Truth, Humanity or Sense@In laws that make Misfortune an offence?@ [Her husband was a God-fearing weaver who fell ill for 10 weeks, lost his job and was seized upon by a relentless creditor.] @Steel'd to their trade, and deaf to all our cries,@Relentless ruffians seize their legal prize;@From my fond arms a dying Husband tear@And plunge their victims in a dungeon there!@Man: Enough! go speak the healing words of peace@To thy sad mate, and bear him this release;@Tell him the Muse, which on these Scenes attend@That balsam to his wounded spirit sends.@And Know this Truth thyself, 'tis not alone@The Preacher's pulpit and the Monarch's throne@That Charity frequents; but in this age,@She guides the Theatre and treads the stage;@Lo! She is present, cast your eyes around,@And here in each Spectator's heart she's found.

Event Comment: Last time but one of the Company's performing this season. House. Mr Garrick as before Mr Vernon being hoarse Mr Davies play'd Sr. John Loverule some body in the Pit call'd for Vernon as his Name was in the Bills Mr Davies told them that Mr Vernon had been ill these two day [sic] and it was thought unnecessary to trouble them with an apology they afterwards call'd for the Early Horn Mr Davies told them he did not know of doing the part till after two therefore he was not prepar'd. they call'd out & bid him go on his own way (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble omits the comment on the afterpiece. Song The Early Horn had been traditional for the part of Sir John for over 30 years. See 10 Sept. 1741.] Paid Mr Short, Chorus, 5s.; Blurton 4 days salary in full #1 6s. 8d.; French on acct #100. Receipts: #305 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Morning Chronicle, 8 May: The audience had been much better satisfied with less noise behind the scenes, while Miss Davies was singing. During her first song there was such a noise that Savoi was obliged to go off the stage, by orders from some gentlemen in the pit, to request silence three several times

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Author. Play [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Rev. [Thomas] Stratford. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had of Dr Stratford, No. 5, Cecil-street, Strand, and of Fosbrook at the Theatre. Dr Stratford, in the overflowing of a grateful heart, is happy indeed in returning thanks to the Ladies and Gentlemen who, with equal benignity and humanity, have so generously exerted themselves in bringing forward his tragedy of Russel. Above the mean manoeuvres that have been practised by persons he had the least reason to expect such a conduct from, and which have detained him almost three years in London, at a ruinous expense, he went with a party of his friends, on Wednesday last, to the Hay-market, in support of the other Lord Russel, penned by superior genius. As he never injured an individual, he trusts every intention to defeat the success of his play will be disappointed by a generous London audience who, he still presumes to hope, will be actuated by the same noble spirit and principle that first induced the Lady and Gentleman to undertake so arduous a task as appearing on a public theatre. As many parts of the play will be expunged and altered, he begs leave to mention that it cannot be again represented till Wednesday next, when the characters of Lord Howard and Hubert will be performed by two other Gentlemen, who have generously undertaken their parts, and an entire new address will be spoken by the Gentleman who performs Lord Russel, wrote by himself. "The performers ... rendered the Doctor's Tragedy one of the most laughable farces at which we were ever present. [It] has much Calimanco in it, and where we could hear a sentence compleat (which was seldom indeed) it abounded with Fustian" (Public Advertiser, 21 Aug.)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Griffiths. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Griffiths, No. 3, Southampton-buildings, Holborn; at the Royalty Coffee-house, Well Close Square; King's Arms, Leadenhall-street; Band Coffee-house; Sun-tavern, Foster-lane; Grotto, Southampton-buildings; Angel, St. Giles's; Cock and Bottle, Upper Brook-street; Nag's Head, Carnaby-market; One Tun, St. James's Market; Fox's Coffee-house, Bow-street; the Go, the Jump, and the Finish; and of Rice, at the Theatre

Event Comment: The Nobility, Gentry and Public at large are respectfully informed that, in compliance with the wishes of many of the principal Subscribers an supporters of this undertaking, and it being found that, without offence to law, the entertainments advertised for the Hanover-square Rooms may be given at this Place. The Doors to be opened at 6:30. To begin at 7:30 [same throughout season]. Pit 10s. 6d. Gallery 5s. As the Proprietors would not presume, even to save themselves from utter ruin, to offend either the Authority of the King, or of the Laws, they forbear all idea of performing Operas until the hardship and justice of their case shall produce the proper influence upon his Majesty's benevolent mind; and, under the circumstances in which thy stand, with a Company of the most celebrated singers and dances in the world, in their respective departments, engaged at an expense of #18,000, they confide in the liberality to the Public that they will countenance and support such an Entertainment as they are legally warranted to give, until they shall recover their just right of performing Operas under his Majesty's license. "From dinner we all went to the Opera House in the Haymarket, where for the first time they performed for money [see 23 Feb., 10 and 22 Mar.]; the singers, to avoid the [licensing] Act, coming in their own dresses and confining themselves to the airs. It will be seen whether this restriction will be considered sufficient" (Windham Diary, 219). "The action of Orpheus and Eurydice has been seen before at both the rehearsals [see 10 and 22 Mar.], but the scenery could not be then sufficiently displayed. It was very correctly managed on Saturday night...The scene of the Elysian fields deserved the most admiration, where, by means of lights placed behind gauze, a filmy hue is thrown over the stage, and the figures assume the appearance of aerial beings" (Gazetteer, 28 Mar.)

Event Comment: The Subscribers are most respectfully intreated to observe that in consequence of the frequent abuses practised in their names, it has become absolutely requisite to recur to the original custom of requiring the Subscribers themselves to produce their Tickets at the Doors, and the Public are intreated to observe that in future particular Ladies resorting to the Pit of the Opera will be required to give their names and places of residence at the Doors, as they go in, in order to ascertain and finally exclude improper Company from that part of the Theatre

Event Comment: Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery, to Edward, Viscount Conway, 17 July 1666: If we meet at London you will see a Play Acted, wh I writt by ye King s Command; I call it, Edward ye Black Prince; And if ever I writt anythinge fit for ye Theatre this Play is it (Calendar of State Papers, Ireland, 1666-1669, p. 158; in The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, 1, 43)

Event Comment: A playbill [PRO, State Papers 29, Vol. 317, No. 187): At the Booth at Charing-Cross, every day in the Week will be presented variety of Farces Drolls, and Comical Entertainments by Mr Anthony Devo, His Majesties Servant. And this present Monday being the Eleventh of November, will be presented the Dutch cruelties at Amboyna, with the humours of the Valiant Welch-Man. Acted by Men and Women. Beginning exactly at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, and at Four. Vivat Rex. [This playbill is reproduced in Theatre Notebook, VI (1952), opposite page 36.] L. C. 5@140, p. 129 (Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 250): That Antonio diVoto Doe sett forth Exercise & Play all Drolls and Interludes, He not receiuing into his Company any person belonging to his Mates or Royal Highnesse Theatres Nor Act any Play usually acted at any of ye said Theatres Nor takes peeces or Sceenes out of ye Playes Acted at ye said Theatres

Event Comment: A disturbance occurred at this theatre on this day. Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 21 March 1673@4: His Maty has also been pleased to Order ye Recorder of London to examine ye Disorders & disturbances on Tuesday last at ye Dukes Theatre by some persons in drink (John Harold Wilson, Theatre Notes, p. 79). See also CSPD, 1673-1675, p. 231

Event Comment: The Bulstrode Papers (1, 274): The first of January ye young Princes are to divert their Maties and Court wth a play & an opera in whch ye splendour of ye English monarchy will be seen

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Newdigate newsletters, 15 Aug. 1682: Thursday last being acted a play called the Tragedy of Romulus att the Dukes Theatre & the Epilogue spoken by the Lady Slingsby & written by Mrs Behn having reflected on ye Duke of Monmouth, ye Lord Chamberlaine thereupon has order[ed] them both in Custody to answer th[at] affront for ye same (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81). See also True Protestant Mercury, 12-16 Aug. 1682, for essentially the same statement. The Prologue and Epilogue were printed separately, and Luttrell' copy (Huntington Library) bears his acquisition date of 8 Aug. 1682. They are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 132-34. The separately printed Prologue states that Mrs Behn also wrote it. A song, Where art thou god of love, the music by Giovanni Draghi, is in Theater of Music, The Third Book, 1686

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120: at ye Wanton Wife with ye Q. & a box for ye Maides of honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters, 2 Sept. 1693: On Thursday a person acting ye Jack pudding on a stage in Bartholomew fair Bantering upon ye Straits Expedition & return of the ffleet was taken into Custody (Folger Shakespeare Library, transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). Luttrell, A Brief Relation, III, 176, 2 Sept. 1693: A merry andrew in Bartholomew fair is committed for telling the mobb news that our fleet was come into Torbay, being forced in by some French privateers, and other words reflecting on the conduct of great ministers of state. Newdigate newsletters, 12 Sept. 1693: On Sunday [10 Sept.] Mr Percivall who kept a Booth during St Barthollomew fair was siezed near Charing cross upon ye acct of clipping being discovered by a young man (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 82). [See also Luttrell, A Brief Relation, III, 183, 205, 207, 212.