Event Comment: [T+The Provok'd Wife and The Rape of Proserpine had been advertised By Desire.

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties

Event Comment: Benefit for Capitani, now in the King's Bench, singer in the Opera for 20 years past. Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. Gallery 2s. 6d. To begin at 7 p.m. [A long note hn the Public Advertiser about the nature of Capitani's distresses--death of wife after an expensive illness loss of considerable sums in trade, now in debtor's prison. The Public Advertiser this day Published the following Sonnet V, seemingly a new sort of puff' for Foote]: @To Mr F-@While party rage, my F., distracts the state@And mutual lies contending parties raise,@As int'rest leads, or Pitt or Bute to praise,@Let vet'ran Tories with staunch Whigs debate.@With gen'rous Punch our spirits we'll dilate,@Laugh at those loud-tongued politicians' frays,@And to good Brookman's fame attune our lays,@Whose genial bowl all cares can dissipate.@Safely to Harrogate let Bute retire,@His gout at Hayes lett Pitt in quiet nurse,@And Wilkes at either Secretary rail:@These party feuds unsocial rage inspire,@Destroy all mirth, and all good humour curse,@But shall not o'er our joyous souls prevail.

Event Comment: MMrs Love play'd Mrs Peachum very bad. Her fit seem'd a very Aukward Imitation of Mrs Pritchard in the Jealous Wife (Hopkins). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No money received at the Stage Door. None returned after the curtain is up. Play to begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Places may be had of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door. Vivat Rex et Regina. [Customary notice, which will not be repeated here, Sept. 15 David Garrick & his Lady set out for Italy from his house in Southampton St. Covent Garden (Winston MS 9). Winston also refers to a Sept. 9 Letter from T. Davies, cg, to the poet Charles Churchill begging he would not introduce so unimportant a person as himself in his Smithfield Rosciad.] Receipts: #248 9s. (Cross Diary)

Event Comment: Oratorio by Dr Morell. Set by Mr Smith to the Music of some old genuine performances of Handel (Biographia Dramatica). Music of the Songs and Chorusses entirely from works of Mr Handel. This day publish'd Nabal an Oratorio, as performed at Covent Garden. Price 1s. This day Publish'd Midas: an English Burletta. 2nd Edition. Price 1s. As it is acted with great applause at Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Vincent. No building on the Stage. Mr Havard sent word that his Wife dy'd this morning. Mr Lee read his part. Imogen by Mrs Palmer (Hopkins). Charges: #64 4s. (MacMillan). Mrs Havard died this morning, on which account Mr Lee read Bellarius, and introduc'd two long speeches that were never spoke before. Miss Bride, being with child, cou'd (not) go into breeches, Mrs Palmer-Imogen (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan)

Event Comment: TThe Jealous Wife deferr'd. Mrs Pritchard indisposed

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Mr Garrick played Lusignan and Lord Chalkstone. It is almost impossible to express how finely he played both characters. The Prologue was called for. Mr Garrick went on directly to speak it--as soon as he appeared a general clap and a loud huzza,--and there was such a noise from the House being so crowded, very few heard anything of the prologue.--As soon as the play began there was a great disturbance in the Gallery, and some called out, Guards Guards! that they could not go on.--Mr Lacy went on the Stage, and looked up to the gallery, and came off again without saying anything.--They soon grew quiet, and the play went on.--Monsr Rousseau sat in Mr Garrick's box (Hopkins Diary). [Account in the Public Advertiser of the original story upon which VanBrugh founded some circumstance in his Provok'd Wife, signed Heartfree. The Gentleman's Magazine, January, in the Historical Chronicle section noted that Jean Jacques Rousseau arrived in England on 13 Jan. and "was at the play on the 23rd, and presented himself in the upper Box fronting his Majesty."

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson and West. Tickets deliver'd for Rule a Wife (which is oblidg'd on account of Palmer's Indisposition) will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Weller, Murden, Lewes. Afterpiece for 52nd and last time this season. Tickets deliver'd for Friday the 15th will taken. Tickets sold at the Door will not be admitted. Charges #65 10s. [Deficit to each beneficiary #1 14s. 4d., covered by income from tickets. Weller #41 14s. (Box 7; Pit 145; Gallery 182); Murden #41 12s. (Box 31; Pit 111; Gallery 172); Lewes #61 10s. (Box 45; Pit 239; Gallery 144).] Paid the Duke of Bedford half year's ground rent due Lady Day last for the theatre #41 13s. 4d. (#50 minus half year's Land Tax #8 6s. 8d.). Paid Duke of Bedford half year's ground rent for the New Building adjoining the theatre #12 10s. (#15 minus half year's Land Tax #2 10s.). (Account Book). Receipts: #60 1s. (Account Book). At 5 went to Covent Garden to see Conscious Lovers &c....Got a bad place hn the First Gallery...Lewis did Harlequin, but not so well as Woodward; and Miss D. Twist did ye Miller's Bride, Miss Wilford's Character. Mrs Mahon does the jealous fellow's wife (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Doors to open at half past Four. Play to begin at half past Six. Send servants to hold places by Four o'clock. [Mrs Vincent's deficit of 1st instant received #20 3s. 6d.] Paid scavenger's rate for St Martin's due Lady Day #5 1s. Paid printer's bill #9 6s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #262 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to Drury Lane, but could not get in. Stayed from half past 4, sometime at one Pit door, sometime at the other, till past 6, and got in at the right hand side just as the play began, and was dreadfully squeezed, but rewarded by seeing Garrick play Hamlet. The expression in his features, his eyes particularly, surpasses anything I ever saw. He is a little man, but handsome and full of that fire which marks the stronger, and of the softness natural to the tender passions. It is impossible to see his greatest excellencies from ye Gallery. Baddeley and Dodd are pretty well in Polonius and Ostrick. Mrs Baddeley and Yates do Ophelia and ye Grave Digger very well. Mrs Pritchard is great, as usual in ye Queen. Gravedigger's man-Castle. Horatio-$Mr Packer. Several parts of ye play, as it is in $Shakespeare, are omitted rather improperly...The Prince Brunswick, his wife and Louisa were present (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: [C$Colman published in the Public Advertiser this day extracts from the Oxonian in Town showing what favorable things were said of the Irish in it. He apparently did so to forstall a predicted riot by Irishmen who feared their nation was slandered because the scoundrels in the play were Irish. See E. R. Page, George Colman, The Elder (New York, 1935), p. 168. Monitor No V (21 Nov. 1767) includes a letter from Timothy Calfskin requesting refund of 4 shillings since his wife was frightened by the noise of the "wild Irish" and ran from the playhouse.] Receipts: #191 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. N.B. Those ladies and gentlemen who haven taken tickets for the Widow'd Wife, are desired to send their servants sometime today, in order to ascertain same, otherwise they cannot be secured

Event Comment: The New Comedy of the Man and Wife is oblig'd to be deferr'd for a few days. Receipts: #106 19s

Event Comment: Paid Messrs Richards and Dall for their expenses to Stratford #14 14s. (Account Book). [Apparently for gathering material for painting appropriate scenes for Harlequin's Jubilee (see 27 Jan. 1770) or for Man & Wife, 7 Oct.] Receipts: #91 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Last time of performing the afterpiece before the Benefits. A duel with pistols between George? Garrick and Baddeley on account of G. Garrick remon[stratin]g with Baddeley on [receiving] his wife's salary. Baddeley fir'd then G. G. fir'd in the air, and a reconciliation took place (Winston MS 10, from Dr Burney's News Clippings). [See full and humorous acct Town and Country Magazine, March, pp. 157-58 with woodcut of duel.

Event Comment: Books of the Entertainment [i.e., of The Spanish Lady] to be had at the theatre. The Comedy of Man and Wife cannot be perform'd, on account of Mr Shuter's hoarsness. Receipts: #202 6s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Miss Lawrence for walking 24 nights in Harlequin's Jubilee #3; Paid Mrs Bates for walking 12 nights in Man and Wife #4 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #203 3s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. To prevent confusion Servants are desired to be at the theatre by 4 o'clock. Charges #73 19s. Balance to Smith #62 3s. plus income from tickets #141 9s. (Box 413; Pit 162; Gallery 139). Paid Miss Potts for walking 12 nights in Man and Wife #1 10s. and Mrs Morris for walking 26 nights in Harlequin's Jubilee #3 5s. (Account Book). Receipts: #136 2s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for A. Smith and Miss Dowson

Event Comment: Bold Stroke for a Wife oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Indisposition of a principal performer. Receipts: #151 14s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Man and Wife oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Indisposition of Mrs Green. Paid Simpson for supper for the orchestra #8 1s.; Paid Mr Vincent for Music for the Orchestra #1 8s. 4d. (Account Book). Receipts: #161 12s. (Account Book)