Event Comment: The last Time of performing this Season. [This was Mrs Hartley's last appearance on the tstage.] Account-Book, 29 May: Paid Foulis for writing Music #101 17s.; 31 May: Received of Their Majesties for this Season #60, of Prince of Wales #30; 16 June: Paid Pattinson, tallow chandler, #332 8s. Paid Cooper, printer, #335 11s. Paid Harris, manager, #500. Paid Enderby, oil merchant, #1,061 17s. Paid Hull, salary as Acting Manager #150. Paid Mrs Hartley in lieu of a Benefit #105; 6 July: Received Stage Forfeits this season #42 3s. 6d. Receipts: #63 8s. (61.14.6; 1.13.6)

Event Comment: The last Night of the Company's performing this Season. Receipts: #180 12s. (after-money not listed). Account-Book, 18 June: Paid Harris for his trouble in superintending the Business of the Theatre #500; Garton in full for salary this season #230; Hull for salary as acting manager #150; Mrs Yates in lieu of cloathes this season #200; Cooper, printer, #347 9s.; Carver, painter, #245 18s.; Hodgins, painter, #141 15s.; Received of Their Majesties this season #100; of the Prince of Wales #65. 27 June: Paid Hull in lieu of a benefit #100, Mrs Lessingham #70, Mrs Morton #21. 17 July: Paid one year's Land Tax #122 10s.; Macklin in full for season #217 10s.; Received Stage Forfeits #35 4s. 6d. 23 July: Paid Hawkes, coal merchant, #173 5s. 28 Aug.: Paid Hawkes, tallow chandler, #331 10s. 4 Sept.: Paid Barrett, wax chandler, #426 9s

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of The English Merchant; 3rd piece of The Agreeable Surprise, both announced on playbill of 31 Aug.

Event Comment: Paid Home & Co., Coal Merchants #166 18s. Receipts: #244 4s. (218/8/0; 24/16/0; 0/7/6; tickets not come in: 0/12/6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Mainpiece in place of The Merchant of Venice; afterpiece of Love a-la-Mode, both announced on playbill of 2 Nov. In afterpiece the playbill assigns Young Wilding to Bonnor, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Palmer.]

Event Comment: [By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain (but this notice does not appear on the playbill)]. Benefit for Miss Llewellin. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Tickets delivered for Monday the 24th, and Thursday the 7th of April will be admitted. Miss Llewellin is the daughter of a late eminent and respectable Merchant in one of our neighbouring islands, whose family have been great sufferers by the late war, and is left with two sisters, orphans. She solicits the patronage of a generous publick for that night only. Tickets to be had of Miss Llewellin, No. 204, Piccadilly

Event Comment: Paid Enderby, Oil Merchant, #142 12s. Receipts: #167 4s. (163/16/6; 3/7/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen are most earnestly requested to come early, to prevent Inconvenience in getting to their Places, and to send their Servants to keep them by Four o'clock. "At the close of the entertainment Mrs Abington came forward, and delivered a short poetical address to her fashionable auditory [written by Maurice Morgann (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 263)], apposite to her feelings on the present occasion" (Morning Herald, 11 Feb.). "The character [of Scrub] throughout was well conceived, and executed with a sprightliness and degree of humour that kept the house in a continual roar of laughter" (Public Advertiser, 11 Feb.) "Mrs Abington's voice was in its usual tone; her manners and deportment were inattentive and torpid, rather than active and interesting" (Morning Post, 11 Feb.). "With all her endeavours to give new points to the character, she entirely failed. Her appearance en culottes, so preposterously padded, exceeded nature. Her gestures to look comical could not get the least hold of the audience, though they had seen her before in men's clothes, when playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice, where her figure, dressed as a lawyer in his gown, gave effect to her excellent delivery on mercy, and the audience had been always delighted. But this leu de benefice, comparatively speaking, was disgusting and absurd as she dressed the character ... However, I have heard it originated in a bet she had previously made" (Henry Angelo, Reminiscenes, 11, 281-82). Receipts: #406 13s. 6d. (249/9/6; 1/9/0; tickets: 155/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: The Winter's Tale and the new Farce of The First Floor [both announced on playbill of 8 Jan.] are obliged to be deferred, on Account of the Indisposition of two principal Performers. Paid Parrott, Coal Merchant, #76 6s. 6d. Receipts: #150 9s. (120.10.0; 27.18.0; 1.8.6; tickets not come in: 0.12.6)

Event Comment: The Merchant of Venice and Love a-la-Mode [both advertised on playbill of 19 Dec.] are obliged to be deferred on Account of the Indisposition of Macklin. Receipts: #145 5s. 6d. (139.17.0; 5.8.6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Mainpiece in place of The Merchant of Venice; afterpiece of Love a-la-Mode, both advertised on playbill of 12 Feb.] Receipts: #315 15s. (304.2; 1.13)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The English Merchant, advertised on playbill of 27 June.

Event Comment: A new and correct Edition of the Farce [J. Debrett, 1790] to be had at the Theatre. Paid Perrott, Coal Merchant, #139 13s. Receipts: #166 7s. (126.1; 39.7; 0.19)

Event Comment: Paid Street, Woollen Draper, in full #133 18s. 6d.; Chorus to 11th Inst. #8 5s.; Yarroway, Timber Merchant, in full #143 6s. Receipts: #293 2s. 6d. (209.3.6; 82.11.0; 1.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 29 Apr. 1774]. "In the scene where Varanes kills himself, Kemble...was peculiarly striking. His manner of sheathing the sword in his body, after he has exclaimed, 'I feel the art'ry where the life-blood lies! It heaves against the point!-Now-Oh ye gods!' astonished us; and we turned, with horror, from the sight" (Monthly Visitor, Feb. 1797, p. 161). "I asked [Mrs Siddons] in which part she would most wish me to see her? She named Portia in the Merchant of Venice; but I begged to be excused...Mrs Siddons's warmest devotes do not hold her above a demigoddess in comedy. I have chosen Athenais;...her scorn is admirable" (Walpole [15 Jan. 1788], XIV, 42). Receipts: #231 9s. (175.2; 54.14; 1.13)

Event Comment: On account of Indisposition of a Principal Performer, Abroad and at Home [advertised on playbill of 16 Feb.] cannot be represented till Wednesday next. Account-Book: Paid Enderby, oil merchant, in full for last season #402 13s. 9d. Receipts: #202 0s. 6d. (198.8.6; 3.12.0)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Paid Enderby, oil merchants, on acct. of last season #402 13s. 9d. Receipts: #382 5s. (375.19; 6.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Merchant of Venice, advertised on playbill of 29 Oct.] Receipts: #159 9s. 6d. (106.5.6; 51.10.0; 1.14.0)

Event Comment: The Merchant of Venice [advertised on playbill of 20 Nov.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of a Principal Performer. Receipts: #122 8s. 6d. (66.11.0; 54.6.6; 1.11.0)