Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Hillyard. Receipts: #46 17s. Charges: #63. Deficiency cover'd by tickets, #105 9s. (boxes 170; pit 279; gallery 211). Rec'd from John Rich, #100, being part of the sum paid to Mr Finny on account of the New Building (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Use of the Marine Society. Towards collecting clothing and equipping the distressed (both men and boys) who are inclined to serve in the Navy. Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets to be had of Mr John Stephens, Secretary to the society, in Princes St., near the Bank; Batson's Coffee House, Cornhill; and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door, where Places may be taken. As this is the Entertainment exhibited this season for this most beneficial undertaking, by which so many distressed Persons as well as Vagabonds have been preserved and rendered useful in the highest degree, it is hoped the polite, the brave and humane, of both sexes, will shew their approbation of this design, by interesting themselves in the promotion of it

Event Comment: [This month published Observations on the Use of Theatres, their present regulations and possible improvements. Price 1s. Printed for Cooper. See review in Gentleman's Magazine (p. 232). Proposal is that the "conduct of theatrical entertainments be for the future taken under the care of the goverment, and a person of judgment and integrity appointed by the name of comptroller, or conductor of the stage, who alone shall determine what old plays shall be acted, and what new ones received; and who shall take charge of the money received, and defray the necessary expenses, accounting for the remainder to the public. The author seemingly Dr John Hill, lately (see 21 Dec. 1758) upset by the failure of his farce, The Rout. (Winston MS 8). Receipts: #108 (Cross); #122 6d. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Receipts: #150. Paid Meares #1 6s.; Mock #1 10s.; Kemp #9 12s.; John Rich #500; Mrs Colman for a purple and silver gown #18 18s

Event Comment: Receipts: #146 1s. Paid John Rich on account #10 10s.; Lent Mr Buck #5 5s. and paid him for tambourines #1 4s

Event Comment: The Twenty-Third Day. Daily Advertiser, 18 Aug.: Last Saturday John Sterne was committed to Newgate by Justice Welch, for the Murder of Mr Matthews, an eminent Surgeon in Brook St., Holborn. [Sterne had been an usher in Mathews' Academy, was discharged, but Matthews let Sterne live in Matthews' house for a long time, then expelled him and put his belongings on the stairs. On Friday 15 Aug. Sterne got two pistols and came back to Owen's Coffee House. Here] he waited three Hours for Mr Matthews, who was gone with a Friend to the little Theatre in the Haymarket and afterwards into Company at the Pewter Platter, a publick house in Cross St. [There Sterne shot Matthews.

Event Comment: Benefit for Cresswick, Desse, Mrs Jansolin. Last time of performing till Whitsun holidays. Receipts: #25 plus #173 7s. 6d. from tickets: Cresswick #30 17s. (Box 53; Pit 106; Gallery 17); Desse #80 12s. (Box 146; Pit 186; Gallery 162); Mrs Jansoline #61 17s. (Box 105; Pit 130; Gallery 161). Rec'd from John Rich #200 by the hand of Mrs Rich. [The House is now showing a deficit of #727 5s. 11d. (Account Book).] Charges: #63 (Account Book)

Event Comment: TThe Jovial Crew, as advertised for this Day cannot be perform'd on account of the indisposition of Miss Brent. Positively the last time of the company's performing this season. Boxes #5 17s. 6d. Paid Younger a bill for writing parts #2 12s. Paid Ross in full to make his sallery #300 for the season: #60. The Account Book indicates a deficit this night of #1240 12s. 4d. after all salaries are paid. This deficit was reduced by #301 18s. 8d. on May 27 by deductions from the annual salaries of 23 actors and dancers for 19 nights on account of "the death of His Late Majesty King George the Second." A little more than 10 per cent was taken from the salary of each: From Miss Macklin's salary of #300, was deducted #31 16s. 10d., &c. The others who were similary taxed were: @Name Salary Deduction@Ross #300 #31 16s. 10d.@Maranesi & Mrs Maranesi[Wife #270 #28 13s. 2d.@Sparks #250 #26 10s. 8d.@Dyer & Mrs Dyer[Wife #250 #26 10s. 8d.@Beard #210 #22 5s. 9d.@Ridout #180 #19 2s. 1d.@Poitier Jr #150 #15 18s. 6d.@Miss Capdeville #150 #15 15s. 5d.@Barrington #100 #10 12s. 3d.@Bencraft #100 #10 12s. 3d.@LaLauze #100 #10 12s. 3d.@Poitier Sr #80 #8 9s. 9d.@Leppie #80 #8 9s. 9d.@Mrs Jansolien #60 #6 7s. 4d.@Mrs Viviez #60 #6 7s. 4d.@Rotchford #50 #5 6s. 1d.@Mrs Marianne #50 #5 6s. 1d.@Hussey #35 #3 14s. 3d.@Mrs Welsch #35 #3 14s. 3d.@Mrs Crawford #35 #3 14s. 3d.@ On 30 May the deficit was further reduced by receipts from 26 actors for advances, one-half value of tickets for their benefit performances, &c., plus #200 from John Rich, in the amount of #506 6s. 5d. (Account Book).] Receipts: #43 7s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: A new English Comic Burletta from the Italian. Music by John Adolf? Hasse. To begin at half after seven

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. John Rich, Master & Patentee of Covent Garden Theatre died (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: [This year was published, John Geere's Serious Consideration on Plays , Games and other Fashionable Diversions, showing the sinfulness and dangerous tendency therof (47 pp.).

Event Comment: [This year was published The Companion to the Playhouse; or, An historical account of all the Dramatic Writers, and their works that have appeared in Great Britain and Ireland to the year 1764. Composed in the form of a Dictionary. for the more readily turning to any particular author or performance. Two vols. Dedicated to Garrick. (Who receives eleven and one-half columns of comment, more than any other dramatist.) This is the beginning of the Biographia Dramatica. This year was published Essays on Important Subjects intended to establish the Doctrine of Salvation by Grace, by John Witherspoon (President of Princeton). Vol. II, contained a Serious Enquiry into the nature and effects of the Stage," being an attempt to show that contributing to the support of a Public Theatre is inconsistent with the character of a Christian (112 pp).

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Young. Afterpiece: Not acted in 20 years. Music by Dr Arne. [See John Lockman's Reflections concerning Operas, &c." in his introduction to his edition of Rosalinda (London, 1760), p. iv: 'A gentleman, well known for his musical compositions, is of opinion, that the reason why the Opera Rosamond tho' adorned with all the graces of lyric poetry, does not please from the stage, so much as might be expected, is owing to a circumstance that forms a beauty in the drama itself; I mean the suppos'd poisoning of Rosamond at the end of the second act, and her appearing no more upon the stage. Whilst this sheet was at press, I was told that Mr Arne has reduc'd this opera into one act, and set the whole anew; and so managed matters, that Rosamond appears throughout the whole drama. Tis said that the music of this new Rosamond is as delightful as that of another performance of Mr Arne's which now affords the town so agreeable an Entertainment."

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Send servants to keep places at 3 o'clock. Tickets deliver'd for King John will be taken. Garrick returned [from trip to France and Italy] to his house in Southampton St. (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: Benefit towards the Increase of a Fund, established by the Performers of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden for the Support of Decayed Actors and their Families. This Fund having been begun by voluntary contributions among the performers, improved by a proportionable Weekly Deduction on their salaries, and intended as a reciprocal Provision for them their widows and children, in sickness and infirmity, it is humbly hoped and appeal to the Generosity of the Public will not be taken amiss. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, &c. who are pleas'd to favour this Undertaking, are desired to send for places, Box or Pit tickets, to Mr Sarjant, at the Stage Door. Mainpiece [by John Banks]: Not acted these 20 years. Occasional Prologue, written by Hull [printed in the Jester's Magazine, May 1766, p. 241]

Event Comment: Paid Mr Wegg 3 quarter's rent due Mich. last past #52 10s.; Paid John Bottomly for scarlet cloath #4; Miss Berkley on note #11 11s. Rec'd stoppages #4 11s. (Treasurer's Book). Thespis publish'd at 2s. Receipts: #261 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing the bagpipes in Midas 3 nights 15s. Paid Samuel Norman, carver, for 4 Grand state chairs #63 (Account Book). Receipts: #194 11s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Rec'd from Blackmore #6 6s. for two spring velvet suits of cloaths in his last bill. Paid John Sutherland playing the Bag Pipes in Faustus 4 nights #1 (Account Book). Receipts: #193 19s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #1 8s.; from John Palmer in part of his bond #70; Paid 5 days salary list #367 13s. 4d. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to the 2 shilling Gallery to see the new tragedy, with its musical entertainment The Cunning Man, a sort of translation of Rousseau's Devin du Village. Holland, Powell and Bensley played Warwick, Edward and Pembroke very well. Mrs Yates did great justice to Queen Margaret. Mrs Palmer did Elizabeth. The Prologue was spoken by Bensley, the Epilogue by Mrs Yates. The characters were very richly dressed in the dresses of the time. The improper use of ridiculous modern dresses on the stage often offends me (Diary of Sylas Neville, unpublished MS portion)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing the Bagg Pipes 4 nights in Dr Faustus #1 (Account Book). Receipts: #190 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing Bagg Pipes 3 nights in Midas and 1 in Dr Faustus #1 (Account Book). Went into the Pit to see Woodward in the character of Brazen. He is a most inimitable fellow....This play is entertaining, but rather loose. End Act II, a pantomime Dance by Fishar and Manesiere. The entertainment was Harlequin Dr Faustus (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #145 9s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Younger. Tickets deliver'd by Bryan and Branson will be taken. Tickets sold at doors will not be admitted. Charges #65 15s. Balance to Younger #58 10s. plus income from tickets. Younger 70 129 159 #52 15s. Bryan 4 49 61 #14 9s. Branson 26 102 134 #35 4s.@Total ticket value #102 8s. (Account Book).@ Rec'd #20 a year improv'd rent of the houses in Bow St. and part of the effects of the late John Rich...#250. Receipts: #124 5s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Tragedy [by John Hoole] never perform'd. Paid Younger for a license for Cyrus & the New Occasional Prologue, #3 3s. (Account Book). [Account of the plot of the mainpiece, but without observational comment appeared in Lloyd's Evening Post, 2-5 Dec.] Receipts: #229 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy of 3 Acts [by George Colman] never performed. [In the Shakespearean Pageant, with figures from seventeen of his plays, the chief effectiveness lay with the Musicians who ushered in each group with appropriate music: Martial Music-The Roman Characters of Coriolanus and Julius Caesar; Soft Music-Antony and Cleopatra; Grand Music, Old English Characters-King John, Richard III, Henry VIII: Magical Music, "above, about, underneath" for Prospero; Macbeth's Music; Fairy Music-Oberon and Titania; Solemn Music for Tragic Muse accompanied by Othello, Hamlet, the Ghost, Mad Ophelia and Lear with Cordelia; Dead March in Saul-Juliet's Bier with attendants; Allegro for the Comic Muse-Falstaff, Touchstone, Launcelot, Malvolio; Andante-Florizel and Perdita, Portia Antonio and Bassanio; Flourish-for Car drawn by the muses carrying Shakespeare's Bust; Final Song by Mrs Mattocks, "Sweetest Bard that Ever Sung, Nature's glory, Fancy's Child--." The Prelude is, in print, entirely favorable to Garrick's effort at Stratford. But it could be rendered in a mercilessly ironical manner if the three participating actors so chose. Mainpiece reviewed in the Freeholder's Magazine, Oct.] Receipts: #224 10s