Event Comment: Benefit for King. House charges #67 2s. (Treasurer's Book). N.B.
Dido is oblig'd to be deferr'd a few days (playbill). Paid
Blandford (tallow chandler) #29 18s. 6d.; Paid
Mr Pinto for 3 sets of symphonies #1 11s. 6d.
B. Jonson's Head #1 19s. 1d.;
Mrs Pritchard's gratuity #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Put on my old clothes and at 5 went to
Drury Lane, found the Pit and 2s. gallery quite full, at last had myself squeezed into the Pit, where I was most woefully pressed, but saw very well and got a seat ere the farce began. The play was
Cymbeline, with
The Deuce is in Him. This play pleases me. The dresses were tolerably proper, ye scenes (particularly that of
Imogen's chamber and the Cave) pretty and ye performance of ye principal characters good, but having never read the play, lost a great deal of the effect. Imogen,
Mrs Yates, she is very hoarse. In Act II a
Masquerade Dance, with singing by
Mrs Vincent. After Act III the
Vintage. After the play, King in the character of
Linco, with
Dorcas and others of his neighbors, asking him questions, partly spoke and partly sang, for this night only,-a new very humorous little piece called
Linco's Travels, particularly in
England. Glad I did not go to the other House, tho I wished to see
Macklin, who played there this night only for his daughter's benefit. When the Farce began, the Gods (as those in the Upper Gallery are called) called for the Prologue, on which
Packer came on and said,
Mr King has not spoke the Prologue this winter, and is now dressing to play in the Farce and hopes the Audience will excuse him."
Miss Pope and
Miss Plym coming on again were hissed off, and after we had waited some minutes longer, King spoke the Prologue, which was lucky for me who had never heard him speak it. The gods called for it on Monday last, but desisted on the above excuse being made. Almost eleven ere all was over. I now know all the entrances into the Pit and Gallery at Drury Lane (
Neville MS Diary)