Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Master Degville and Miss De Camp were from the Royal Circus.]

Event Comment: Benefit for the London Hospital. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre; the Doors of which will be opened at 5:30, and the Performance to begin precisely at 6:30. No Money to be returned after the Curtain is drawn up, nor will any Person be admitted behind the Scenes. [Master Braham is identified in Grove. Address by Arthur Murphy (Town and Country Magazine, July 1787, p. 324).] This was the opening night of this theatre, which had been built by and was under the management of John Palmer. Following the afterpiece he explained to the audience the objections of the proprietors of dl, cg and hay to his opening the theatre. He said that he had from the Lieutenant of the Tower of London what he considered to be sufficient permission, but that he would nevertheless close the theatre temporarily. Palmer's difficulty was that he had no really legal permission from anybody for the performance of actual plays. See 3 July, and for further details the head-note to this season. World, 18 July, prints an official accoudting for this night from the theatre's treasurer: Receipts were #273 12s.; paid for music, advertisements, servants, &c. #37 10s.; lost in bad silver #1 19s.; paid the London Hospital #234 4s.; the players acted without salary

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In I a Grand Masquerade. Account-Book: Paid Sloper [master carpenter] for Scene Men #40 17s. 11d. Receipts: #179 0s. 6d. (176.9.6; 2.11.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Musical Entertainment in 2 Acts [by Theodosius Forrest] never pebformed. With a New Overture by Dr Arnold. The Airs chiefly selected from the most eminent masters. [Larpent MS 392 confirms the character names and adds a Country Lad and a Country Lass. The Westminster Magazine for Oct. condemned the Weathercock: "To speak of this piece as a literary compostiion, it was throughout a dull, uninteresting narrative, told in duller numbers. Considered in a dramatic light, it was still less defensible....The overture by Dr Arnold was trite, except the last movement, which had great merit, and was universally admired....We expected in spite of the numerous Orders sent in by the Author and Managers, that it would have met with its deserved fate on the first representation, it was, however, somehow carried through that and a second night's hearing-on the third evening, however, it received a formal damnation."

Event Comment: This play was reviv'd instead of ye London Cuckolds by way of Compliment to the City--not lik'd at all--Mr Ross being ill Mr Mattocks did his part at 2 Day's Notice, wch at the end of the 4 Act Mr Woodward told the Audience, & tho Mr Mattocks was hiss'd before, when he next appear'd they gave him great Applause. Mattocks never play'd a principal part before in London (Cross). Mainpiece: Never Acted there. [Inspector No 206 reports a letter on the lack of wisdom of giving the London Cuckolds on Lord Mayor's Day, as the morals of the trading youth have been corrupted by it the writer rejoices to see the substitution of Eastward Hoe for it (Daily Advertiser and Literary Gazette).] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, adapted from Le Complaisant, by Antoine de Feriol comte de Pont-de-Veyle, and from Clavigo, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It has been attributed to John Fenwick (Genest, VII, 360-61; London Chronicle, 14 Feb. 1798). But for Holcroft's acknowledgment of authorship see his Life, ed. Elbridge Colby, 1925, II, 170. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 88)]. Times, 12 Apr. 1798: This Day will be published He's Much to Blame (2s.). "Mrs Mattocks has of late habituated herself to a constant titter, which destroys the effect of her best scenes" (Times, 14 Feb.). Receipts: #249 1s. (240.5; 8.16)

Event Comment: Benefit for Barrington Fox. Tickets deliver'd by Thompson and Master Harris will be taken. Charges #67 4s. 6d. were borne by Barrington and Fox, who faced a deficit of #16 4s. 9d. apiece. It was cover'd by income from tickets. Thompson and Master Harris rec'd their tickets gratis (Account Book). @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value@Barrington 69 92 50 #36 1s.@Fox 93 194 61 #58 9s.@Thompson 0 24 94 #13 @Mas. Harris 114 61 52 #42 17s.@ Receipts: #34 15s. (Account Book)