Event Comment: London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 4 July: The Patentee of Drury-Lane Theatre has countermanded the Summer Playing; and the Company has received Orders not to proceed, on account of the several New Preparations for the ensuing Winter

Event Comment: The extravagant Attempt of Sir F. Wronghead gives me painful Apprehensions; but as the Town has given me repeated Instances of their Indulgence. [Prologue is in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 July.]

Event Comment: London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 6 Oct.: The Young Company . . . defer playing 'till next Wednesday se'nnight, at which time they perform a Play, call'd The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written by the celebrated William Shakespear, it being the first Comedy ever he wrote, and which has not been acted these 73 Years

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Eminent Merchants and Citizens. Afterpiece: Written by Mr Carey. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 9 Oct.: Yesterday, between One and Two o'Clock, died of a Haemorrage . . . Mr Charles Hulett, belonging to [GF], whose natural Qualifications to the Stage, had he the Application of many of less Merit, would have render'd him one of the most considerable Performers now alive

Event Comment: By Their Majesties' Command. [Their Majesties, Duke, Princesses Amelia, Caroline, Mary, Louisa present.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 20 Nov.: Mrs Porter perform'd the Part of Belvidera, without having either Stick or Cane to support her. Receipts: #168 12s. 6d

Event Comment: A New Opera. [By Metastasio. Music by Francis Veracini. For a full account of this opera and opera in general, see Ilchester, Lord Hervey and his Friends, pp. 238-39.] Daily Advertiser, 26 Nov.: Their Majesties, his Royal Highness, and the Princesses [attended] Adriano, compos'd by the famous Signior Veracini, who perform'd the first Fiddle

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman in Distress. [Advertised in London DaIly Post and General Advertiser, 22 Dec, not later: With other Entertainments, as will be express'd in the Day's Bills.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted before. An Historical Play. [Apparently not published. Possibly by Mrs Haywood.] Afterpiece: A Ballad Farce of one Act. [Author unknown. Apparently not published.] With New Habits and all proper Decorations. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 21 Jan.: We hear there had like to have been a Disturbance at the Rehearsal of. . . The Contract. . . . Some Persons suppos'd to be sent by the Governor of a certain Baronet, endeavour'd first to intimidate the Actors from the Representation of it; and finding that ineffectual, have since attempted to spirit-away some of the principal Performers

Event Comment: London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 27 Jan.: We hear the Designs of Merlin's Cave, that were presented last Week to her Majesty by Mr Giffard, have been so well approv'd of, by many Persons of Quality, that Mr Devoto, who made the Draughts, has had several Copies bespoke by the Nobility

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: 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: 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 the Daughter of General Nugent, who was kill'd in the Defence of Gibraltar. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

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: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. Daily Advertiser, 4 Oct.: Yesterday Morning Mr James Todd, who represented the Miller's Man on Friday Night...and fell in one of the flying Machines from the very top of the Stage by the breaking of the Wires, by which accident his Skull was fractur'd, died in a miserable manner. Susan Warwick, who represented the Miller's Wife, lies at the point of Death at the Infirmary at Hyde-Park Corner: The two other Persons who fell in the same Machine are like to recover, [In London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 2 Oct.: All these unhappy People were Servants belonging to the Theatre, and only Representatives in the different Characters of Mr Lun, Mr Nivelon, Mr Salway, and Mrs Moreau.