Event Comment: Benefit for Webster. Mr Barry being ill, the tragedly of King Lear oblig'd to be deferr'd. [A comment in Lloyd's Evening Post for 29 Feb. refers to an incident in cg this evening: "A fellow who sat on the sixth row of the Upper Gallery...Threw a Keg (which he had brought full of liquor into the House) over the Gallery front. It fell upon a lady's head, who sat in that part of the Pit which was railed into the Boxes, but the Lady's hair being dress'd in high ton, the artifical mountain luckily prevented the mischief that otherwise might have been occasioned....The fellow who threw the cask was carried to the Public Office, in Bow Street, and from thence committed to Tothill Fields, Bridewell. As the custom of throwing mugs, bottles, apples, &c. from the galleries of the theatres is equally as wanton and wicked and is frequently the cause of great mischief, it is thought the present culprit will made an example of" (Quoted in Hampden, Journal).

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. Mr Lacy play'd Cyrus. Spoke too Low and wanted Spirit. Was receiv'd with Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] Tickets delivered for Siege of Damascus, for that night, will be taken. The Bill For establishing a Fund for Decayed Actors of dl Theatre has passed the House of Lords (Winston MS 11). Receipts: #134 19s. Charges: #67 7s. 6d. Profits to Smith: #67 11s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: House (Hopkins Diary). The new Comedy of The Runaway is unavoidably oblig'd to be deferred till Saturday. Rec'd Mr Stanley's Oratorio Account, 11 nights, #327 5s. Paid Lawrence (paper hanger) #13 7s.; Renters (for 11 Oratorio nights) #88; Cubit (tinman) #7 14s. 6d.; Gardner (shoemaker) #25; Chettle (timber merchant) #22 14s. 6d.; Mist andCo. (brazier) #10 8s.; Thomson (smith) #5 16s. 6d. Barrow andCo. (oil) #106 5s.; Tallow Chandler's 8th Bill #26 12s.; Palmer's Bill of Bath for Spermacetti Candles #162 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [MacMillan quotes from Kemble's note on the playbill, a Garrick interpolation in Drugger 's last speech (IV, vii): "Abel: Did you never see me play the Fool? Face: Yes. Abel: But the wise ones say I have played the Fool long enough; So I am going to leave it off and grow melancholy." [This note does not appear in the Hopkins Diary in the Folger Library.] Receipts: #265 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Mr and Mrs Vallouy. The new Dances entirely composed by Vallouy

Event Comment: Benefit for Hurst and Webb. Afterpiece: By Desire. Rec'd from Sinking Fund #504; from Stopages #11 9s. 6d. Paid Tallow Chandler's 9th bill #30 9s.; 1!2 year's land and window tax to Lady Day last #41 2s. 7.; Mr Wegg 1!2 year's rent to Lady Day last #57. Receipts: #32 16s. 6d. Charges: #66 11s. 6d. Deficit to Hurst and Webb: #33 15s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield and Miss Sharp. Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Siddons will be taken. Paid 2 Flutes 2 nights #1. Receipts: #69 4s. Charges: #68 15s. Profits to Miss Sharp and Mr Whitfield: 9s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bradshaw and Mrs Johnston. Paid Mr Parsons in lieu of Benefit #105. Receipts: #73 17s. Charges: #64 15s. Profits to Mrs Bradshaw and Mrs Johnston: #9 1s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for DuBellamy. The Constant attendance Mr DuBellamy has, and is still oblig'd to pay to the business of the theatre, he humbly hopes will be admitted as a sufficient excuse for his not making a personal appliaction to his friends. Doors open half past 5. To begin half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years [not acted since 27 Oct. 1758]. With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick]. The Characters new dressed. This Play is revived with Alterations (by R. B. Sheridan Esq) and a new occasional Prologue written by Mr Garrick? and spoken by Dodd, both well received. Miss Essex made her first Appearance upon this stage in Silvia, a small mean Figure and shocking Actress, so bad that she is to do the Part no more. Reddish was very imperfect in Vainlove from the Beginning, but was so very much so in the last Act, that the Audience hissed very much, and cryed out, 'Off, Reddish, Off!" He went forward, and addressed them as follows, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been honoured with your Favour and Protection for these ten years past, and I am very sorry to give any cause for your Displeasure now; but having undertaken the Part at a very short Warning, in order to strengthen the Bill, and having had but two Rehearsals for it, puts it out of my Power to do Justice to the Part, or myself.' The Play then went on. So great a Lye was never delivered to an Audience by any Actor or Actress before. He had the Part at least six weeks in his Possession, and repeated Notice to be ready in it, and six Rehearsals was called for it,--indeed, he attended but three. Vernon undertook to study the Part at eleven o'clock to-night, and to perform it to-morrow (Hopkins Diary). [Miss Essex was from the hay.] Receipts: #209 6s

Event Comment: Before the Play began, Reddish went on, and addressed the Audience as follows, which was drawn up by Mr Sheridan, "Ladies and Gentlemen, having in my Address to the Publick on Tuesday Night last accounted for my Omission in the Part of Vainlove in a manner which appeared to reflect highly on the Managers, I now beg Permission to ascribe it to the Confusion I was in from the Displeasure of the Audience, and, as the Managers are satisfied with my Assurance that this was the Case, I humbly hope for the Indulgence of the Publick, whom I never meant to offend, and whom I will ever study to please" (Hopkins Diary). Raceipts: #119 17s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; DR. POEM 5, by William Mason, 1st acted at Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 30 Mar. 1764]: Written on the Model of the ancient Greek Tragedy. The Overture and all the Music composed New by Dr Arne. With a New Scene designed and executed by Dahl [recte Dall]. The Dresses, Decorations, &c. all entirely New. Books of the Lyrical Part of the Drama to be had at the Theatre. 'But I had rather talk of Caractacus; I agree that he will not suffer by not being sputtered by Barry, who has lost all his teeth. Covent Garden is rather above Drury Lane in actors, but both sets are exceedingly bad, so bad-that I almost wish Caractacus was not to appear. Very seldom do I go to the play, for there is no bearing such strollers" (Walpole [to the author, 8 Oct. 1776], IX, 419-20). "I attended Caractacus last winter, and was greatly interested, both from my friendship for Mr Mason and from the excellence of the poetry. I was out of all patience; for though a young Lewis played a subordinate part very well, and Mrs Hartley looked her part charmingly, the Druids were so massacred, and Caractacus so much worse, that I never saw a more barbarous exhibition" (Walpole [13 July 1777], X, 81-82). Public Advertiser, 7 Dec. 1776: This Day is published the Lyrical Part of Caractacus (6d.). [The publisher, J. Wilkie, states that he also has the "whole Drama, as altered by the Author, 18d." Ibid., 9 Dec., contains an advertisement from Mason stating that this version is unauthorized.] Ibid., 12 Dec.: This Day is published [by A. Ward of York] a new Edition of Caractacus, now altered for Representation at the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #163 10s. (163.6; 0.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Booth, Miss Armstrong & Everard [who are named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill]. Receipts: #114 4s. (46.10; 10.8; 1.11; tickets: 55.15) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Mrs Jewell. The Out-standing Tickets of Mr Jewell [from his benefit on 3 Sept.], and those issued for King Richard III will be admitted

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mr and Mrs Massey. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had of Massey, No. 17, Portugal-street, Lincoln's inn fields. Care has been taken to have the House well aired