Event Comment: Benefit for Miles. [The Gazetteer lists Baker for Reinhold.

Event Comment: Benefit for Fishar (ballet master) and Sga Manesiere. [The previous day's bill made special announcement of the variety of Dancing to be offered. N.B. A previous Academy of Dancing 23 April 1762. Miles listed for the part of Landlady by Public Advertiser.

Event Comment: Benefit for Widow of the late Miles. Tickets deliver'd for King Lear will be taken

Event Comment: Doors open at 5 o'clock. Play to begin at 6 o'clock. Prices: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places to be had of Mr Johnston at the Stage door. [Customary note, repeated.] Rec'd Mrs Groath's one year's rent to Xmas last #3; Paid Renters #8 (Treasurer's Book). This regular expenditure was made nightly for the 189 acting nights of the season, as well as for the 11 nights on which Oratorio's were given in the Spring. The total amount came to #1600. No further note will be made of this item this season. The Westminster Magazine this month, reiterated its doleful cry "that the stage is on its decline." In a long article on "Stage Effect, or Dramatic Cookery," it concluded that our "Theatrical managers and even our Theatrical Critics seem to have resolved all the merit of dramatic composition into stage trick, and rest their criterion of Dramatic Genius on the knowledge of what they are pleased to call Stage effect." The "Theatre" article for the month remarked upon the boldness of Garrick's opening with the Beggar's Opera, "notwithstanding he was requested by the Bench of Justices at Bow-Street, to suppress it, as they were of opinion it had done a great deal of mischief among the low class of people." Lloyd's Evening Post, 17 Sept., included extracts from letters against playing the Beggar's Opera, "because every performance makes from one two twenty thieves." Sir John Fielding and his associates had addressed a letter to Garrick requesting him not to perform the opera for the same reason. The Morning Chronicle, 23 Sept., praised Garrick for not complying with the Justices' request. Wm Augustus Miles published a Letter to Sir John Fielding occasioned by his extraordinary Request to Mr Garrick for the suppression of the Beggar's Opera (44 pp.). In this he vindicated the moral effect of the opera.] Receipts: #158 (Treasurer's Book). [Note: For perform ance at hay 18 and 20 September, see Season of 1772-1773, p. 1740

Event Comment: [Macklin dismissed after this night. See the account in The Genuine Arguments of the Council, with the Opinion of the Court of the King's Bench, &c., By a Citizen of the World, (London, 1774). Extracts in E. R. Page, George Colman, the Elder (New York, 1935). See notes for 23 and 30 Oct. and the subsequent action in note for 20 Nov. He did not return until 18 May 1775. This night was aparently, except for #4 5s. which was not recorded on the books of the theatre until 18 June well after the season closed. Macklin's suit in court against the rioters was judged 24 Feb. 1775. A column and a half account of the trial appeared in the Public Advertiser, Saturday 13 May 1775, giving the testimony of the witnesses accused of starting the riot, the lawyers, and the judge. The accused were Leigh, Miles, James, Aldus, and Clarke. The first four were convicted of a conspiracy and a riot, the last of a riot only. During the Course of the Business Lord Mansfield took Occasion to observe, that the Right of Hissing, and Applauding in a theatre was an unalterable Right, but there was a wide Distinction between expressing the natural Sensations of the Mind as they arose on what was seen and heard, and executing a pre-concerted Desagn, not only to hiss an Actor when he was playing a Part in which he was universally allowed to be excellent, but also to drive him from the theatre, and effect his utter ruin." See also William W. Appleton, Charles Macklin, An Actors Life (Cambridge, Mass., 1960), Chapter X.

Event Comment: Gentleman's Magazine, XLX, p. 147: The cause of Macklin against Clarke, Aldys, Lee, James, and Miles came on to be tried in the Court of the King's Bench. The Indictment consisted of two counts; the first specifying that on the 18th of November 1773 the defendents had been guilty of a riot; the other that they had been guilty of conspiracy....The jury withdrew and in a few minutes brought Clark in guilty of the riot and the others of conspiracy. Judgment was deferred till next term

Event Comment: The father of the runaway siren of Covent Garden [Miss Brown; see 16 Dec. 1775] apprehended the little wanton truant at her aunt's in the city, forcing her into a coach, drove off with her into the country: however, she had not been carried above five miles before her cries raised the inhabitants of a village; whom she soon worked to her purpose by declaring that the man (her father) was carrying her away by force, in order to ship her for America....The peasants released her, when she run to town across the country, and has not been re-taken since by her father (Morning Post, 5 Jan.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by William Augustus Miles]: The music entirely new, composed by Michael Arne. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 15 Apr. 1780: This Day is published The Artifice (1s.). Receipts: #119 8s. 6d. (71.12.0; 47.1.6; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Wordsworth, Jackson, Painter, J. Bates, Fox, Besford, Eves, Mrs Sharpe, Mrs Templeton, Miss Bassan, the widow of the late Miles, and the widow of the late Dr Arne will be taken this evening. Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Receipts: #219 2s. 6d. (43.14.0; 4.5.6; tickets: 171.3.0)

Event Comment: The music was composed by Matthew Lock, and the architectural elements were created by Peter Mills, Surveyor of the City. For further details, see Robert Withington, English Pageantry (1918), I, 243

Event Comment: Edition of 1662: Being a True Relation of the Honourable the City of Londons Entertaining Their Sacred Majesties Upon the River of Thames, and Welcoming them from Hampton-Court to White-Hall. Expressed and set forth in several Shews and Pageants, the 23 day of August 1662. According to the printed version, the management of the pageant was under the care of Peter Mills, Surveyor; Malin, Water Bayliff; Thomas Whiting, Joyner; Richard Cleere, Carver. The songs were set by John Gamble, one of His Majesty's Servants. Evelyn, Diary: I this day was spectator of the most magnificent Triumph that certainly ever floted on the thames, considering the innumerable number of boates & Vessels, dressed and adorned with all imaginable Pomp: but above all, the Thrones, Arches, Pageants, & other representations, stately barges of the Lord Major, & Companies, with various Inventions, musique, & Peales of Ordnance both from the vessels & shore, going to meete & Conduct the new Queene from Hampton Court to White-hall, at the first time of her Coming to Towne.... his Majestie & the Queene, came in an antique-shaped open Vessell, convered with a State or Canopy of Cloth of Gold, made in forme of a Cupola, supported with high Corinthian Pillars, wreathd with flowers, festoones & Gyrlands: Pepys, Diary: We got into White Hall garden, and so to the Bowling-green, and up to the top of the new Banqueting House there, over the thames, which was a most pleasant place as any I could have got; and all the show consisted chiefly in the number of boats and barges; and two pageants, one of a King, and another of a Queen, with her Maydes of Honour sitting at her feet very prettily; and they tell me the Queen is Sir Richard Ford's daughter. Anon come the King and Queen in a barge under a canopy with 10,000 barges and boats, I think, for we could see no water for them, nor discern the King nor Queen. And so they landed at White Hall Bridge, and the great guns on the other side went off

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: So she [Mrs Pepys] and I to the King's playhouse, and there sat to avoid seeing Knepp in box above where Mrs Williams happened to be, and there saw The Usurper; a pretty good play, in all but what is designed to resemble Cromwell and Hugh Peters, which is mighty silly

Event Comment: Admission by ticket only at half a guinea. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 2s. At 6 p.m. Letter by Peter Wentworth, 11 Jan.: Wednesday was the Opera and there he [Prince Eugene] brought a great crowd, so much that Operas are to be perform'd thrice a week whilst he stays here (Wentworth Papers, p. 246)

Event Comment: DDavid Garrick to Peter Garrick: We have greater Business than Either Drury Lane or Convent Garden; Mr. Giffard himself Gave Me yesterday twenty Guinease for a Ticket & next Week I design buyin #200 of my Stock out of my Profits of Playing.-Little, Pineapples, p. 27

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Garrick to Peter Garrick (Dec. 1741): You perhaps would be glad to know what parts I have play'd, King Richd-+Jack Smatter in Pamela-Clody fop's fortune-Lothario fair Penitent-Chamont Orphan-Ghost Hamlet-& Shall soon be ready in Bays in ye Rehearsal-and in ye part of Othello-Both of which I believe will do Me and Giffard great Service-I have had great Success in all, & 'tis not yet determin'd whether I play Trajedy or Comedy best-$Old Cibber has spoke with ye Greatest Commendation of my Acting, as to playing a Harlequin 'tis quite false-Yates last Season was taken very ill & was not able to begin ye Entertainment so I put on ye Dress & did 2 or three Scenes for him, but Nobody knew it but him & Giffard; I know it has been Said I play'd Harlequin at Covent Garden but it is quite false.-Little, Pineapples, pp. 28-29

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Yates and Miss Medina. Tickets at Yates's, No. 6, near the Playhouse in Ayliff St., Goodman's Fields. Garrick to Peter Garrick: Mr Littleton...said I was only born to act what Shakespear writ--Little, Pineapples, pp. 30-31

Event Comment: The Thirty-second Day. To begin at 6:30 p.m. [Published this month, A Catalogue of Curiosities, Chiefly Theatrical which are to be sold by Auction. Dedicated to Foote by Peter Skewball. A twenty-two-page pamphlet containing suggestive comments about certain actresses. "Lot 13 Two young Actresses of different complections, who having been two years under the care of a certain physician are warranted sound, very little the worse for use...Lot 33 a Coquet Crying by Mrs C-; Lot 34 A Venus half naked at See Saw by Mrs W-; Lot 35 A Very Stanch actress, somewhat overfed, and of great Virtue (Mrs Pritchard?)." N.B.: This is the greatest curiosity in the Catalogue.

Event Comment: At Bridges, Cross, Burton and Vaughan's Great Theatrical Booth in the George Inn Yard, will be presented an Historical Drama never acted before call'd The Northern Heroes; or, The Bloody Contest between Charles XII, King of Sweden, and Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, with the Loves of Count Gillensternia, a Swedish General and the Fair Elimira, a Russian Princess, Containing the most remarkable Events of that Time; and concluding with the Memorable Battle of Pultowav, and Charles's Retreat into the Turkish Dominionv. Interspers'd with a Comic Interlude (never perform'd before) called The Volunteers; or, the Adventures of Roderick Random and his Friend Strap. Also the Comical Humours and Amours of Corporal Garbage and Serjeant Slim, with Mrs Vanspriggen the Swedish Sutler's Widow; the merry Pranks of her foolish son Janny, and several other diverting incidents. Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit 1s. 6d. First Gallery 1s. Upper Gallery 6d. To begin each Day at Twelve o'clock. [This notice repeated during "the short Time of the Fair." Notice repeated 24, 26, 27 Aug.