Event Comment: Towards raising a Sum of Money for building a Wing to the Middlesex Hospital. Pit and Boxes at Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. To begin at 6:30 p.m. After the Opera will be an Assembly, with Coffee, Tea, Orgeat, and Lemonade. At Mr Almack's Great Room in King St., St James, to which every Gentleman or Lady who shall produce a Ticket that will be annexed to the Box Tickets for the Opera, will be admitted without any additional Expense. Box Tickets for this Night will admit only one Person into any part of the House, as the Tickets for the Assembly are annexed thereto. Mr Almack's room will be opened at Nine o'clock, and Ladies are desired to order their Chairs to wait in King Street, and the Coaches in St James's Square

Event Comment: The Thirteenth Day. N.B. In order to vary the Entertainments, this Comedy will not be perform'd after tonight for some time

Event Comment: Benefit for Elisi. With Several alterations of new and favourite songs. This Opera will be one half an hour shorter than when it first came out, which renders the former books unserviceable. Sg Elisi has therefore ordered new books to be printed

Event Comment: [R+Rich's Register lists The Hermit as afterpiece.] Paid salary list 5 days at #72 6s. 8d. per diem, #361 13s. 4d.; Atkins not on list #1 7s. 6d.; Rollet on note #7 7s.; Vernon on note per order Mr L, #12 12s.; Bill for 2 suit Men's cloathes #15 15s. (Treasurer's Book). [See engagement contract for Guidetti (Private Correspondence of David Garrick, II, 454) arranged for in Paris by Jean Monnet in early August 1766. He was engaged as Premier Danseur and composer of Ballets at 150 Guineas a year plus "300 Livres argent de France" for travelling expenses. He was to dance for no other theatre without explicit permission from Garrick.] Receipts: #130 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Return'd by two persons who came in the 4th inst. with an Order wrote by Mr Sarjant for Mr Barber, and went out and took the money for it at the Pitt door-6s. (Account Book). Receipts: #188 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Rec'd of J. Jackson for an order for 3 in the Gallery the 28th inst. 6s. Paid Sutherland for playing bag pipes in Faustus six nights #1 10s. (Account Book). [Sutherland received his five shillings a night for this performance each time Harlequin Dr Faustus was put on for the rest of the season.] Receipts: #206 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Rec'd from Squib for an order for 2 box seats at the latter account for the 27th inst. 5s. (Account Book). [In other words Squib, who was singing in the afterpiece, paid for two guests who came in after the third act of the mainpiece and got seats for half price.] Receipts: #142 15s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Books of the opera to be had at the Theatre. A charge of #8 17s. for extras and music now appears regularly for this opera. Paid Cooper (Printer) as per bill #39. Rec'd of J. Jackson for an order for 2 in the Gallery 4s. (Account Book). Receipts: #175 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Widow Hunter by order #2 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of pit laid into boxes. House charges #61 4s. [Profit to Mrs Pritchard #68 8s.] Lent to Mr Johnston, Prompter, by order #2 2s.; Paid to James Aickin on his note #40; Paid Poor's rate (1!2 year for St Martin's) #20 4s.; Salary list #294 2s. 8d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #129 12s. (Treasurer's Book). Went to see Macbeth for Mrs Pritchard's Benefit. Got a good seat in the Pit, which was not full for half an hour after I went, tho part of it was laid into the boxes. Read the Public Advertiser of Today' and part of London Chronicle before the play began...Dance of the Furies in the 4th Act, and end of the Play (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Cautherley. House Charges #66 2s. 6d. [Afterpiece advertised as not acted for 3 years, but see 29 March 1764.] Paid J. Johnston by order #12 12s. (Treasurer's Book). Linco's Travels by particular Desire

Event Comment: Benefit for Hopkins (prompter) and Mrs Hopkins. Charges #64 17s. [Profit to the Hopkins family #30 19s. plus Tickets.] Tickets delivered by Philips will be taken. Paid B. Johnson's Head bill #1 2s. 3d.; Paid Mr J. Johnston, by order #21; Rec'd Mr Pope's rent 1 year at #30 minus King's Tax of #3 8s.: Total #26 12s. receiv'd. Paid Mr Pope's bill #13 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Before 4 dined behind St Clements, and went to ye First Gallery to see the Distressed Mother....We had the Capricious Lovers, Lisetta by Mrs Clive, who took off the ridiculous sing-song at ye Opera House charmingly (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #95 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Legg, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones. Afterpiece: For the last time this season. Tickets deliver'd for Hamlet will be taken. The Dragon of Wantly cannot be perform'd on account of indisposition of Mrs Pinto. Charges #67 9s. 6d. [Profit to each beneficiary #2 19s. 6d. plus income from tickets: Legg #84 2s. (Box 129; Pit 251; Gallery 142); Mrs Lampe and Mrs Jones combined #74 15s. (Box 102; Pit 219; Gallery 164).] Paid Bryan a bill for writing parts #1 1s. 6d. Paid Cooper (printer) #27 2s. Paid Condell for Coach hire, the last command by order of Mr Beard 2s. (Account Book). Before 5 went to ye Play...It was played tolerably well; Cleopatra very well by Mrs Bellamy, Octavia (for ye 1st time) by Mrs Mattocks, Antony by Smith, Vent. by Gibson not badly. We had ye Dances, Rural Love and ye Wapping Landlady (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #76 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire of several persons of Distinction, to be added for that night only. Neville MS Diary: Covent Garden Theatre after being shut up for the season was open'd tonight as a high favour to Shuter...Before [the farce] the Gods having call'd for the Music to play Roast Beef, would not suffer the play to begin till their request was complied with. They pelted Davies and Hull, who appeared first, with orange skins, crying Off, Off'...Glad Shuter had a good house. He is an excellent comedian and is said to have a good heart. [The income for this night not listed in the Account Books. On 10 June however, the treasurer received from Shuter #10 'for the renters for the night of his benefit," and #1 13s. 9d. for oyl that night. On 20 July the treasurer received from Shuter #43 15s. for tickets for his first benefit, and #1 4s. 1 1!2d. in money, along with #20 for his second benefit." On July 22, the treasurer paid "to sundry Creditors of Mr Shuter as per Receipt Books #245 4s. 1 1!2d., and to Mr Wilford by order of Shuter #60, and to Beard #26 16s." N.B. On Wednesday 1 July The sum of #60,000 was this day paid down for the purchase of the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, pursuant to agreement. The patentees are Messieurs Colman, Harris, Rutherford and Powell"--Gentleman's Magazine, p. 379.

Event Comment: [Afterpiece: With alterations and additions. News arrived of the death in Monaco of His Royal Highness Edward Augustus, Duke of York, next brother to His Majesty. Hopkins MS Notes: About eleven o'clock orders came from the Lord Chamberlain that the House must be stopt performing on account of the death of the Duke of York. --Fresh bills were printed and posted about the House that there would be no play that night. Neville MS Diary: Procured No. 5289 of the General Evening Post which contains my letter concerning the St. James' Company of Comedians. Glad to hear that the Lothario of that Company, the Infamous York, is called to that Tribunal where there is no respect of persons. Canceled

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: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Wm Kenrick] never perform'd before. The characters New Dress'd. [Theatrical Monitor, No VIII (16 Dec. 1767) approved the mainpiece--"engages the mind, affects the passions, totally divested of indecency"--but thought Garrick's art of "puffing" was evident in his note at foot of playbills, "Those Ladies and Gentlemen, who have taken places for this day, are desired to send their servants by one o'clock, in order to ascertain the same, otherwise they cannot be secured," since the house, except the first night, had not been half full. N.B. This note appeared in an Advance Bill, but did not appear in the Bill of the Day.

Event Comment: Full Prices. Hopkins MS Memorandum Book: By the Manager's order I ask'd Mr Joseph? Reed what he had a benefit for the next night. His answer was The Managers give it him for his withdrawing Dido and on account of The Register Office and to clear them from all demands he had upon them whatever

Event Comment: Benefit of a Public Charity. [The Lock Hospital?] To begin at 7:00 p.m. A great many Tickets having been lost by Accident, no Person can be admitted but by paying ready Money at the Door. Connection denied by Thos. Stamford, Secretary to the Lock Hospital: Whereas a Ridotto has been publicly advertised for the benefit of a "public charity," and tickets for the same sent to several governors of this charity, by which they and many others have been induced to suppose that the benefit was intended for this hospital; the Governors of this charity think it incumbent on them to inform the Public, that the same is NOT intended for the benefit of this Hospital (which has ever applied to the benevolence of the Town under the title of Public Charity), nor do they know for what charity the same is meant. By order of the Board (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hurst, Tassoni and Mrs Dorman. By Desire of the Honourable Lodge of the Order of Select Albions

Event Comment: The profits arising from the Entertainment will be applied to a Fund for opening an Academy the purpose of which will be the teaching of the English language Grammatically and the art of writing and speaking by rule. There have been Stoves kept constantly burning for days past, in order that the Theatre might be thoroughly warmed; Curtains also will be put up in the boxes. To begin at 7 p.m. Playhouse prices. By the Desire of many

Event Comment: HHopkins MS Memorandum Book: Mrs Barry sent word she was so ill she could not come out for the Pageant [The Jubilee]. If she did she could not play in the Mourning Bride on Monday. I waited on her by the manager's orders & told her they would excuse her playing on Monday if she would come out & do her part in Pageant; & as it was a thing of great consequence to them, they desir'd and expected as she had begun it [as the Tragic Muse] that she would continue it as long as she was able. Her answer was, that as they seem'd to think it of such consequence she would come out & do it tonight & Monday night, but after that desir'd to be excus'd from do[ing] it. On Tuesday Morning Mr Barry sent a note that Mrs Barry was ill in her Bed & could not come out till she was better. Tancred & Sigismunda was call'd, and I did not receive the note till the rehearsal was begun. I also on Saturday deliver'd a message to Mrs Barry from Mr Garrick that he would never ask her to play in anything in which he was particularly interested. Her answer was that was in his Rage. But if his mind should alter, she was ready and willing to do anything he would desire her to do

Event Comment: TTancred and Sigismunda deferred. Mrs Barry ill. I call'd upon Mr Barry. He was not at home. In the afternoon I sent him a note desiring they would send notice when they were able to perform. He sent me an angry note in answer on Fryday. I, by the managers [orders] answer'd it on Fryday morning, both which letters Mr Garrick has (Hopkins MS Memorandum Book)