Event Comment: The Royal Bounty of #1,000 went to the Opera of the Nobility. See Calendar of Treasury Papers, 1735-1738, p. 126

Event Comment: Egmont, Diary, II, 250: I went to the Haymarket Playhouse to see Pasquin again, which was extremely Crowded, though the 17th day of its acting

Event Comment: Benefit Carey. Afterpiece: By Desire of several Ladies of Quality, who went to see it at DL, but were disappointed. Written by Mr Carey

Event Comment: DDaily Post, 1 Nov.: Last Thursday Night four or five Persons (amongst whom two were known to belong to the Attorney of a neighbouring Manager) attended...Cato at [lif]: Their first Endeavour was to induce the Company in the Middle Gallery, where they were, to leave the House, insinuating there was nothing worth seeing could be play'd there, (tho' they had never seen the Gentleman who acted Cato,) and retiring towards the Door, as if to go out, in order to set others the Example: This Design failing, they thought fit to stay; and to make their Words good, resolv'd to interrupt the Performance, Their second Stratagem was to cry out Fire, making again to the Door to confirm the Reality of it: That miscarrying, the next was to hiss whenever the rest of the House applauded, no doubt, with the brutal Intention to confuse the Gentleman who play'd Cato in his first Attempt of that Kind, and might have effected their Purpose, if the whole House had not generously and vigorously oppos'd it, from a high Opinion of his Merit

Event Comment: LLondon Evening Post, 1 Jan. 1737: Last Night the Beggar's Opera (about the Playing of which, as much Noise has been made, as about several of our Modern Treaties) was perform'd...to a crowded Audience; the House being full by Four. There was a prodigious uproar, with Clappin, Hissing, Catcalls, &c. Mrs Clive, who play'd the Part of Polly, when she came forward, address'd herself to the House, saying, Gentlemen, I am very sorry it should be thought I have in any Manner been the Occasion of the least Disturbance; and then cry'd in so moving a Manner, that even Butchers wept. The she told them, She was almost ready with the Part of Lucy, and at all Times shou'd be willing to play such Parts as the Town should direct, and desir's to know if they were willing she should go on with the Part of Polly; she behaving in so humble a Manner, the House approv'd of her Behavious by a general Clap. [For Occasional Prompter XI, see Daily Journal, 31 Dec.

Event Comment: See Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb., for a letter from Colley Cibber to the Gentlemen of the Inns of Court. Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb.: Whereas it is agreed on between several Gentlemen, to erect a New Theatre for the exhibiting of Plays, Farces, Pantomime, &c. all such Persons as are willing to undertake the said Building, are desir'd to bring their Plans for the same by the 2d of May next ensuing, in order to be laid before the said Gentlemen, the Time and Place of which Meeting will be advertis'd in this Paper on the last of April. Proportions of the Ground: The North Side 120 Feet; the West, square with the North, 130 Feet; the South 110 Feet; and the East on a Bevil, joining the Parallel. Note, There must be a Passage left to go round the Building, and the Stages to be 30 Feet wide at the First Scene; the Distance between Wall and Wall 80 Feet; and the Scene-Rooms, Green and Dressing Rooms, to be on the outside of the last mention'd Measure. The Stage to be either North or South

Event Comment: Benefit Denoyer. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Mainpiece: Written by Colley Cibber, Esq; Poet-Laureat. Tickets at Denoyer's House in St. James's-Street, over-against Park-Place. Daily Advertiser, 7 March: On Saturday Night the Mob attempted to force into Drury-Lane Playhouse, and were so insolent, that Justice Deveil was oblig'd to go out and read the Proclamation concerning Rioters; the Guard was order'd to his Assistance, and some of the Offenders were apprehended and sent to Newgate. [For Occasional Prompter XXIV (on the alteration of Much Ado About Nothing), see Daily Journal, 5 March.

Event Comment: EEgmont, Diary, II, 364: I went to the new play called 'King Charles the First,' acted with approbation at [lif]. The Characters are as the historians represent them, the language good and the sentiments fine, but the players are bad, he who represented General Fairfax and Cromwell excepted

Event Comment: LLord Wentworth to the Earl of Strafford, 19 Jan.: We was at Covent Garden Play House last night, my mother was so good as to treat us with it, and the Dragon of Wantcliff was the farce. I like it vastly and the musick is excessive pretty, and tho it is a burlesque on the operas yet Mr Handel owns he thinks the tunes very well composed....and it has been acted 36 times already and they are always pretty full. The poor operas I doubt go on but badly, for tho every body praises both Cafferielli and the opera yet it has never been full, and if it is not now at first it will be very empty towards the latter end of the winter.--Wentworth Papers, p. 539

Event Comment: EEgmont, Diary, III, 5: I went at night to a public meeting of the vocal music club at the Crown Tavern, where the famous oratorio of Hendel, called 'The Feast of Alexander," was performed by the gentlemen of our club

Event Comment: As 27 Nov. 1738. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear. Victor, History of the Theatres, II, 48: In the Year 1738, having, as he [Colley Cibber] said, Health and Strength enough to be as useful as ever, he came to Terms with Mr Fleetwood for his performing Richard, Fondlewife, Sir John Brute, &c. All his Comedy Parts he was right in, but in Richard he found his Mistake; his usual Strength and Spirit failed him most unhappily. I went behind the Scenes in the third Act, and asking him how he fared? He whispered me in the Ear, "That he wou'd give fifty Guineas to be then sitting in his easy Chair by his own Fireside.

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Egmont, Diary, III, 23: In the evening I went to...Mustapha...the language of it is lofty but not bombast, the sentiments fine and justly expressed, the characters kept up to, and the principles of honour and virtue inculcated; in a word, to one of our best modern tragedies

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Duke. Egmont, Diary, III, 83: I went with my wife to the play entitled 'Sir Walter Raleigh,' revived by the comedians on occasion of the now differences with Spain. They choose one to represent Count Gundemar, who in all things is like Mr Giraldini, the Spanish minister at our Court lately recalled, and whenever any severe things were said which bore a resemblance to our ministry's transactions, or our backwardness to resent the insults of Spain, the audience clapped all over the house

Event Comment: By partiuclar Desire. Benefit Chapman. Tickets at Chapman's House, Corner of Bow Street. [in the London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 7 April, Chapman published a letter regretting that this benefit will be on the night Handel has a performance at lif. Chapman states that he owes much to Handel and wishes him success. Because, he states, some 20,000 will want to attend lif, which cannot hold above twenty hundred, Chapman remarks that, if those who cannot get into lif will go to dl, he will be happy.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. [See Mlle Auguste's letter to the Public in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 7 Dec., accusing Fleetwood of putting her name in the bills after she had renounced his employment, and had gone over to Rich. For her actual 1st appearance see cg 7 Dec.] Receipts: #90

Event Comment: A New Opera [a pasticcio, Metastasio text altered by Rolli, form Pergolesi's Olimpiade, 1735 (Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, I, 183)]. Music by Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Lampugnani. L. Leo, F. Leo [libretto in L. C.]. Two of the principal Performers being greatly indispos'd, the Dancers are oblig'd to be deferr'd. Thomas Gray to John Chute, 24 May: Our fifth Opera was the Olimpiade, in which they retain'd most of Pergolesi's Songs & yet 'tis gone already, as if it had been a poor thing of Galuppi's. Two nights did I enjoy it all alone, snugg in a Nook in the Gallery, but found no one in those regions had ever heard of Pergolesi, nay, I heard several affirm it was a Composition of Pescetti's.-Gray, Correspondence, I, 203

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Daily Advertiser: This evening their Royal Highnesses...will go to the theatre...to see the Comedy of the Committee, or the Faithful Irishman, and Dancing by Signior Brunoro, &c, being the first time of his appearing at that theatre