Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Acasto to Murray, but "An apology was made for Murray, who was prevented by illness from playing Acasto, which, at a short notice, was taken by Hull" (True Briton, 14 Oct.).] "This whole of [Mrs Spencer's] performance was marked by such unaffected simplicity that it was almost impossible to consider it as the mere fiction of the scene. This lady is really a great aquisition to the house" (True Briton, ibid). Receipts: #254 6s. 6d. (244.18.6; 9.8.0)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Lacy, formerly of the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. Tickets to be had of Fosbrook, at the Box Office of the Drury Lane Theatre, and Rice, at the Box Office of the Theatre-Royal, Haymarket, where Places for the Boxes may be taken. [Address by John Taylor (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 370). On this night the following appeared both at dl and at the hay: Hollingsworth, Caulfield, Bannister Jun., Suett, Miss Pope, Mrs Bland.

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for an Infant Orphan Family. Tickets to be had at No. 17, Tufton-street, Westminster; of Appleby, Hosier, Parliament-street; Mrs Cleaver, Cannon-row, Parliament-street; Newcomb, Confectioner, Bridge-street, Westminster; Taylor, Linen-draper, Whitehall; Thomas, Butcher, Charing-cross; Medhurst, Pastry Cook, Russel-court, Drury-lane; Rice, at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for the General Lying-In Hospital, Bayswater, Under the Patronage of Her Majesty. Tickets to be had at the Hospital; of Longman and Wilkinson, Cheapside; Broderip andCo., Haymarket; and of Brandon at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken. Many of the Re-Renters have generously relinquished their Privilege upon this Night. [Faulkner had acted at dl on 21 Dec. 1796, and Mrs Johnstone at cg on 4 Jan. 1798.] Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: Mainpiece [by Oliver Goldsmith]: Never Perform'd Before. [Quick, mentioned by Genest, does not appear on the playbill. The Edition of 1768 casts Mrs White as Landlady, and Cushing as Butler. It does not include Morris or Morgan, but adds Post@Boy-Quick; Bailiff-R. Smith; Dubardieu-Holtom. (See 1 Feb.) The Theatrical Monitor, No XI (6 Feb.), reviews the mainpiece in a lukewarm, judicial manner.] Receipts: #227 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the Preface refers to the Long Vacation and a thin house, suggesting a late summer production. As the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 16-18 Nov. 1697, a first performance in October 1697 is probably the latest date for this play, and September seems more likely. Among the songs are several for whom the composer and singer are named: Happy we who free from love, and How calm Eliza are these groves, the music set by Morgan and both sung by Mrs Lindsey. She comes my goddess comes, set by Morgan and sung by Mrs Cibber. Sleep shepherd sleep, the music set by Morgan and sung by Mrs Cross. All four are in A Collection of New Songs, 1697. Preface, Edition of 1698: To serve the wants of a thin Playhouse, and Long Vacation...This hasty Brat...had the Honor of keeping the Stage for five Days Reign. Animadversions on Mr Congreve's late Answer to Mr Collier (1698), pp. 34-35: The mighty Man of Wit [Congreve]...at the Representation of this Play...was seen very gravely with his Hat over his Eyes among his chief Actors, and Actresses, together with the two She Things, call'd Poetesses, which Write for his House, as 'tis nobly call'd; thus seated in State among those and some other of his Ingenious critical Friends, they fell all together upon a full cry of Damnation, but when they found the malicious Hiss would not take, this very generous, obliging Mr Congreve was heard to say, We'll find out a New way for this Spark, take my word there is a way of clapping of a Play down

Event Comment: Benefit Morgan. By Particular Desire. Last night of the season

Event Comment: Benefit Coker, Morgan, Salter, Mrs Gulick, Miss Francis. Receipts: money #4 19s. 6d.; tickets #141 18s

Event Comment: Benefit Morgan and Miss Bincks. Tickets for Aston, Dukes, Delagarde, Miss Horsington taken

Event Comment: The contending Parties [i.e., Murphy and MacNamara Morgan] Met again on Fryday at the Bedford, in order to accomodate Matters, but words arising, because Mr Murphy did not ack[nowledge] pardon and cried enough, as Mr Morgan said, some blows past & swords out-but no mischief. Morgan denies the letter (Cross)

Event Comment: [Benefit on one-half value of tickets basis to nine ticket holders. The General Advertiser notice lists beneficiaries as Harrington (Prompter); Stede, Carr, Mrs Bland, Mrs Rowley.] Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Daniel, Mrs Dumont, &c will be taken. /For Box Pit Gallery Value Half-Value/Harrington 7 29 22 #8 6s. #4 3s./Stede 7 52 59 #15 9s. #7 14s. 6d./Carr 6 53 46 #14 1s. #7 0s. 6d./Mrs Rowley 27 77 44 #22 14s. #11 7s./Mrs Dumont 36 31 32 #16 17s. #8 8s. 6d./Mrs Bland 9 56 91 #19 15s. #9 17s. 6d./Mrs Dupre 5 33 42 #10 8s. #5 4s./Mrs Daniel .. 45 109 #17 13s. #8 16s. 6d./Mrs Hitchcock 34 58 31 #20 6s. ........./Totals 131 434 476 #145 9s. #62 11s. 6d./ [Mrs Hitchcock seems to have received the full value of her tickets.] This Day is Publish'd A Treatis on the Passions so far as they regard the stage, with a critical inquiry into the Theatrical Merit of Mr G k, Mr Q n, and Mr B y, the first considered in the part of Lear, the last two oppos'd in Othello. By S. Foote, Esq

Event Comment: [By Mrs Mary Davys.] Never Acted before. Preface: The first Night, in which lay all the Danger, was attended with only two single Hisses....The one was a Boy, and not worth taking Notice of, the other a Man who came prejudic'd. Receipts: #28 10s

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Smith, Furkins, Roffe [sic], Miss Stede, Mrs Hartle. Tickets deliver'd by Morgan, Stephenson, Claridge, Bagg, Wilkinson, Whatley, Pullin, Miss Brown, Mrs Griffiths, and Mrs Walters will be taken. No charges. House received 1!2 value of Tickets and the Receipts. @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value 1!2 Value @T. Smith 10 48 75 #17 4s. #8 12s. @Furkins 10 20 24 #7 18s. #3 19s. @Rose 27 48 29 #6 17s. #8 8s. 6d. @Miss Stede 6 13 50 #8 9s. #4 4s. 6d. @Morgan 3 10 35 #5 15s. #2 17s. 6d. @Mrs Hartle 40 69 104 #30 15s. #15 7s. 6d. @Stephenson 21 66 129 #28 1s. #14 6d. @Claridge 15 16 19 #8 1s. #4 6d. @Bagg 3 4 9 #2 5s. #1 2s. 6d. @Wilkinson 30 13 5 #9 19s. #4 19s. 6d. @Whatley -- 4 33 #3 18s. #1 19s. @Pullen 2 41 64 #13 1s. #6 10s. 6d. @Miss Brown 11 37 31 #11 8s. #5 14s. @Mrs Griffiths -- 25 21 #5 17s. #2 18s. 6d. @Mrs Walters 2 19 83 #11 13s. #5 16s. 6d. @Money Value #48 5s. 6d. @Box 180 Pit 433 Gallery 711 Total House Value #229 6s. 6d. 1!2 Value #90 10s. 6d.@ [The house made no charges, but received the half value from each beneficiary as listed above (Account Book). About 1,324 Tickets given out. Capacity of the house must have been about 1,700 at this time. See 14 April.

Event Comment: Benefit Vallois and Mrs Vallois (late Widow to Monsieur Roger, the Pierrot in Drury Lane, Deceas'd). Acted by the Comedians form the Theatre in Goodman's Fields. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. 6:30 p.m. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 1s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Mainpiece: Never acted there. Thomas and Sally oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Indisposition of Mrs Pinto (playbill). Charges #64 5s. balance to Mrs Bellamy #62 15s. plus #110 8s. in tickets (Box 293; Pit 231) (Account Book). Receipts: #127 (Account Book)

Event Comment: GGarrick's performance was capital, the scenes where he particularly excelled were those with Cherry when he delivered Lady Howd'ye's message, and the picture scene with Mrs Sullen. Genest, IV, 33

Event Comment: Benefit a Widow in Distress. Prices 2s. 6d., 2s., 1s. Tickets at Mrs Huddy's, Fleece Tavern, corner of Ayliffe St., Goodman's Fields

Event Comment: Benefit for Anderson; Harrington (Prompter); Miss Ferguson; and Miss Morrison. Tickets deliver'd out by Messing, Plummer, and Mrs Dupre will be taken

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not performed these ten years. [See 12 Jan. 1758.] Paid Sarah Griffith a Bill for Green Wreaths 16s. Paid Mrs Paddick a Bill for cleaning Feathers #1 (Account Book). Receipts: #198 15s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Cantrell and Salle's Widow

Event Comment: Benefit for Legg, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones (playbill). Charges #64 15s. 6d. Balance to Legg #17 8s. 3d.; to Mrs Lampe and Mrs Jones together #17 8s. 3d. In addition Legg received #59 14s. from his tickets (Box 82; Pit 188; Gallery 110) and the two Actresses together received #55 9s. from tickets (Box 89; Pit 142; Gallery 119). Receipts: #99 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Macklin. Stage form'd into Front and Side Boxes. N.B. As Mr Macklin has reason to believe that several of his tickets are counterfeited, and will be offer'd for sale in the streets and passages leading to the theatre, he begs leave to give this publick caution of the fraud; and humbly desires that Gentlemen and Ladies who have taken places, to send for tickets to the Theatre, or to Mr Macklin at his House in Bow Street.--Daily Advertiser. Winston MS.: In 1743 Macklin, Mrs Woffington, and Garrick took house No. 6 Bow St.--a joint establishment

Event Comment: Benefit for Younger (prompter). Tickets delivered by Mrs Stephens, Miss Helme, Miss Twist, and Murden will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. Mainpiece [a tragedy by John Jackson]: Never perform'd there. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Newton and a lady who has not appeared upon the stage these seven years. By Permission