Event Comment: Tickets taken for Miss Haughton for 2 Henry IV #42 4s. Total value of House #109 14s. Paid Servandoni #5 5s. Last time of performing till the Holidays. Receipts: #67 10s

Event Comment: Benefit for Bridges and Blakes. Rec'd Cash #47 3s., plus #100 4s. from tickets. Total #147 7s. (Treasurer's Book). Yesterday Morning died of a Dropsy, Mr William Mills, belonging to the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane; a person formerly well esteem'd in his profession, and if his infirmities in the latter part of his life render'd him less useful to the stage, yet he amply made amends for it, in the deserv'd character of an Honest man, and an indulgent Husband. -The Stratagem will be play'd on Sat. next, for the benefit of Mrs Mills (General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for one Monett master of ye French Comedians (Cross). [174th and positively the last night.] Receipts: #120 (Cross). Account of Disbursements made by Mr Monnet for his Stage, as well in Ready Money as in Notes of Hand. @Names of Actors and Actresses Their Contracts with Mr Monnet Paid in Money Paid in Notes Whole sum of the Expence, as well in Money as in Notes@Desormes #227 7s. 6d. #65 17s. 9d. #131 5s. #197 2s. 9d.@Mauly & Hamond #301 8s. 9d. #175 #63 #238@Bureau #257 8s. 7d. #122 11s. 3d. #52 10s. #175 1s. 3d.@Toscano #289 7s. 10d. #123 16s. 7d. #66 1s. 3d. #189 7s. 10d.@Durancy and Wife #361 17s. 1d. #147 7s. #210 #357 7s.@Parant #218 15s. #108 10s. 10d. .... #108 10s. 10d.@Terodat #52 10s. #39 2s. .... #39 2s.@Kelly #30 18s. #30 18s. .... #30 18s.@Villiers #32 15s. #32 15s. .... #32 15s.@Chateauneuf #43 15s. #15 17s. .... #15 17s.@Dujoncel #36 15s. #24 13s. 6d. #12 1s. 6d. #36 15s.@Champville #87 10s. #52 10s. .... #52 10s.@StAmand #78 15s. #26 5s. #17 10s. #43 15s.@Totals #1,919 2s. 9d. #965 4s. 3d. #552 7s. 9d.@ @Other Expences@For the Play-House's Rent #110@For the Stage's Taylor #35 14s.@For the Expences of Four Representations acted #65 12s. 6d.@For the traveling Expences of Mr Monnet, and his Residence of twenty Months at London or Paris and the Expences for the Custom-House, Law, Prison #328 12s. 8d.@Whole Sum of the Expence #2,157 1s.@ @RECEIPTS@For Fifty-six Subscriptions, at Five Guineas each #294@Received from Four Representations acted at the Little Theatre in the Hay-Market #188 18s. 4d.@From a Subscription, by Mr Arthur, Master of White's Chocolate-House #367 10s.@Whole Sum of the Receipts #850 8s. 4d. @ Therefore the Expence exceeds the Money received by #1,306 12s. 8d. which Mr Monnet is entirely out of Pocket, besides two Years and a half of his Time spent for it. N.B. The Contracts are all made for Livres Turnois, and this Account is made upon a Calculation of 3 Livres Tournois for 31 1!2d. Sterling.--And the Contracts and Receipts are ready to be produced. [This account is by courtesy of Miss Sybil Rosenfeld from a photostat of the original (which is printed in both French and English) in the Bibliotheque National. See also British Magazine, August 1750, p. 322.

Event Comment: Last Tuesday Signior Pasquali, Master of the Band of Music at the Theatre Royal, Mr Cibber and some other prominent players arriv'd from England to act the ensuing season [in Dublin]. Mrs Bland arriv'd [in Dublin] last Sunday from England and will appear tomorrow night in the character of Miranda in the Busy Body. Receipts: #180

Event Comment: [M+Midwife, No II (at about this date) includes a Letter from Mary Midnight to David Garrick, Esq praising him as actor and even as manager, but asking why he neglects Fletcher's plays: "What is the reason that the public patience is so largely try'd, and the human understanding so shamefully insulted as it is, by a perpetual repetition of the Duke and No Duke, the Anatomist, and twenty things of like nature?" Concludes by remarking that the London Cuckolds is a scandal to virtue.] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: New Dresses and Decorations for the Dances (General Advertiser). Dances-Mons Devisse (from Paris), Auretti; Dances lik'd (Cross). Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: This day is publish'd a Guide to the Stage; or Select Instructions and Precedents from the best Authorities towards forming a polite Audience; with some account of the Players, &c. Printed and sold by D. Job, at the Spread Eagle in King St. [An ironical post-Addisonian quip at theatrical behavior]: I boldly enter the lists as the first champion for theatric decorum. The next thing to be consider'd is disapprobation, which I think may be sufficiently shewn, by an attention to something else, by loud discourse, profuse laughter, and the like. I cannot help thinking it a little out of character, for a polite audience to distort their features by a hiss: however for the sake of some ambitious youths, who thus love to signalize themselves, I shall leave a new play to their mercy. They then are at liberty to exercise their several talents whether they hiss or groan most successfully, or have a greater genius for the cat-call. If you desire to know when you are to shew your dislike, my answer is, when anything displeases you, or in fine when you will provided you have a strong party to second you; for the best hiss or groan in the universe may be drown'd in a general applause. [Never laugh at what passes on stage save it be an error, blunder, or accident. In tragic scenes avoid being visibly moved by humming a tune, regarding the audience, engaging in conservation, or turning your back to the stage. When a female social rival calls attention to herself and away from the stage, let fall your handkerchief into the pit, or call out to an acquaintance in the opposite box, or burst into loud and unexpected laughter. You'll know when to applaud, for the actors will tell you.] On these occasions Cato looks more than unusually big, Hamlet stares with great emphasis, Othello has a most languishing aspect, Monimia is all sighs and softness, Beatrice will bridle, and pretty Peggy Wildair leers you into a clap. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: A New Comedy written by Mr Moor, author of ye Foundling--the 3 first Acts went off without much hissing, but the two last were but indifferently treated; a great party for & against it, but it was given out again--great crowding to get in, & ye Pit took possession of many of the Boxes, wch confus'd ye accounts (Cross). [Cast taken from the 1751 edn., since the General Advertiser merely lists the actors and does not mention the Prologue or Epilogue.] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author, went off very well (Cross). Tickets to be had of the Author at Mr Francklin's in Russel St., Covent Garden; or Mr Dodsley in Pall Mall, and at the stage Door. Receipts: #143 (Cross)

Event Comment: A great deal of Hissing by some Gentlemen in the Pit--at ye beginning of the 4th Act an apple thrown at Mrs Pritchard, Mr Garrick call'd for by ye pit--one Gent: got up, & said they insisted upon another play for Monday--Mr Garrick said as they had met with no obstruction since ye first Night, the Author's property was concern'd & desir'd it might be play'd Monday and Tuesday, the last being ye Author's night, & wou'd give out another play for Wednesday--Several in ye House approving this--they consented & at ye end of ye play, Mr Garrick gave out Gil Blas for Monday & Tuesday & Romeo & Juliet for Wed.:--before this at ye end of ye 1st Act, & beginning of ye Second the performance, that Night had been interrupted with Groans, Hisses etc. from ye Pit (Cross). Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (no more Noise) (Cross). Tickets as of 5 Feb. Tickets deliver'd out for the third and sixth Nights will be taken. Receipts: #140 (Cross). Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1751, pp. 77-78, concerning Gil Blas: To animadvert upon a piece which is almost universally condemned is unneccessary, and to defend this is impossible. There is not one elegant expression or moral sentiment in the dialogue; nor indeed one character in the drama, from which either could be expected. It is however, to be wished that the Town, which opposed this play with so much zeal, would exclude from the theatre every other in which there is not more merit; for partiality and prejudice will be suspected in the treatment of new plays, while such pieces as the London Cuckolds, and the City Wives Confederacy, are suffered to waste time and debauch the morals of society....Upon the whole the Author appears to have intended rather entertainment than instruction, and to have disgusted the Pit by adapting his comedy to the taste of the Galleries....Perhaps the ill success of this comedy is chiefly the effect of the author's having so widely mistaken the character of Gil Blas whom he has degraded from a man of sense, discernment, true humor, and great knowledge of mankind...to an impertinent silly, conceited coxcomb, a mere Lying Valet, with all the affectation of a Fop, and all the insolence of a coward. [Thomas Gray wrote to Horace Walpole 3 March 1751, "Gil Blas is the Lying Valet in five acts. The fine lady has half-a-dozen good lines dispersed in it."