Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer Tomlinson and Lings. Tickets deliver'd by Chinnal, Page, and C. Roberts will be taken

Event Comment: Paid Tallow Chandler's 4th Bill #41 6s. 5d.; Spermacetti Candles, #132 18s. Mr Tomlinson for Men's cloaths #11 11s.; Mr J. French on acct #20; Miss Hopkins, 15 nights (19th Dec. incl.) #3 15s. (Treasurer's Book). [The sixth edition of Wm. Law's Absolute Unlawfulness of Stage Representations was published this year (1st. edn. 1726) This day was published the Preliminary Number of the Westminster Magazine, which, monthly, included a section called The English Theatre, which observed generally on the state of the Stage, and commented specifically on new plays. Its view of the stage in general was not as sanguine as had been that of the writer for the Town and Country Magazine (1 April 1772). "We are of opinion, that the English Theatre is now in its decline. Whether it is that the stores of Dramatic Subjects or of Dramatic Genius are exhausted, is not immediately obvious; but there is a fault somewhere....We have seen the Morning star of Wit--the Noon too is past; we have now arriv'd at its evening...There is in Arts, as in Empires, a progress which leads to Refinement; and this refinement leads to Ruin." According to the writer the meridian glory of the English stage was during the reign of Queen Anne. Reviewer damns the Irish Widow, refuses to discuss the Gamesters (revived), damns the Rose and praises the Garrick alteration of Hamlet. This year also appeard Granny's Prediction, a 53-page pamphlet attack on Mrs Barry, condemning her on moral grounds (polygamy) and on aesthetic grounds, commenting on each of her characters. By a spiteful female relative Elizabeth Franchetti.] Receipts: #142 10s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson and Lings. Paid Mr Page on Note #5 5s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #262 19s. Charges: #84. Profits to beneficiaries: #178 19s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Messrs Tomlinson, Mortimer, Walton and Carlton Senr. Tickets delivered by Page will be taken. Paid Tabor & Pipe 5 nights (9th inst. incl.) #2 12s. 6d.; Mr Wrighten on note #42. Receipts: #239 16s. Charges: #84. Profits to beneficiaries: #155 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carlton, Sen, and Mr Walton. Rec'd Stopages #11 13s. 6d. Paid salary list #621 16s. 6d.; Extra trumpet, flute and hautboy #1 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book).Tickets deliver'd by Page and Silvester will be taken. Receipts: #4314s. 6d. Charges: #84. Deficit to Mortimer, Tomilson, Carlton senr, and Mr Walton: #40 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carleton Sen. & Walton. Tickets delivered by Page, Barthrope and Whittey will be admitted. Receipts: #235 4s. (20.1; 3.18; 0.0; tickets: 211.5) (charge: #84)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carleton Sen. & Woollams. Tickets delivered by Page, Whittey, Barthrope, Finney and the Widow Eddleston will be taken. Receipts: #278 16s. (26.17.0; 4.7.6; 0.8.6; tickets: 247.3.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carleton Sen. & Woollams. Tickets delivered by Bayne, Page, Finney, Barthrope and Whittey will be taken. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Receipts: #243 3s. (15.3; 3.11; 0.5; tickets: 224.4) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carleton Sen., Woollams & Bayne. Tickets delivered by Devoto, Page, Finney and Barthrope will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of Who's the Dupe?, announced on playbill of 22 May.] Receipts: #24 13s. 6d. (19.1.0; 5.2.6; 0.10.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Shade, Bayne & Carleton Sen. Receipts: #269 14s. (30.13; 15.6; 0.16; tickets: 222.19) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; M. ENT 2, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (also attributed to Richard Tickell). Prologue by Richard Tickell (London Chronicle, 23 Oct.). Text 1st published probably by T. Lowndes, 1795]: To conclude with a perspective Representation of the Grand Camp at Cox-Heathv [near Maidstone, Kent, where a military encampment had been in existence for several months], from a View taken by DeLoutherbourg and executed under his direction. [This was included in all subsequent performances.] With a New Overture and other Music [by Thomas Linley Sen.]. New Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Account-Book, 16 Oct.: Paid Supernumeraries & Soldiers for Camp #35 5s. 6d. Receipts: #266 0s. 6d. (258.16.0; 6.18.0; 0.6.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 608; not published. CG playbill of 16 Nov. 1795 has a detailed synopsis of the action]: Intermixed with Songs and Dialogue. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. The new Music composed by Shield. The new Scenes designed by Richards, and executed by Richards, Hodgins, and assistants. To conclude with a Representation of the Lord Mayor's Show on the Water. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "As to the Pantomime it wanted nothing on the first Night but Abbreviations . . . [which should be] omission of the Doctors, the two Women of the Town, and the whole of Edwin's Character" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.). Gentleman's Magazine, Jan. 1783, pp. 29-31, contains a detailed synopsis of the procession, and adds, "The personages of this procession were all dressed in the characters of the time in which they lived, and before each of them a label, a scroll, or a pageant was carried, bearing their name, or some allusion of the poets to their occupation. The figures in transparency were all painted as large as the life, and had a most grand and beautiful effect . . . The idea of the paintings was furnished by Mr Richards and Mr Smirk [sic], and all of them executed by the latter in a style of so much taste and excellence that it is a matter of some wonder to us, where an artist of Mr Smirk's abilities has been so long concealed . . . The glee introduced with so much applause is the composition of the late Dr Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs in the pantomime and procession arc by Handel, Lord Kelly, Abel, Stamitz and Shield, and have very great merit. The expense of preparing this splendid spectacle must have been very great, and the cost of continuing its representation cannot be inconsiderable, since more than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the procession." Receipts: #215 3s. (206/3; 9/0)

Event Comment: Edition of 1660: The Royal Oake, with Other various and delightfull Scenes presented on the Water and the Land, Celebrated in Honour of the deservedly Honoured Sir Richard Brown, Bar. Lord Mayor of the City of London, The 29th day of October...and performed at the Costs and Charges of the Right Worshipfull Company of Merchant-Taylors. [Tatham refers to Dyamond, a Lightfoot, Paynter; Thomas Whitein, Joyner; and Richard Cleere, Carver.] Pepys, Diary: And I...at the Key in Cheapside; where there was a company of fine ladies, and we were very civilly treated, and had a very good place to see the pageants, which were many, and I believe good, for such kind of things, but in themselves but poor and absurd. Evelyn, Diary: My Lord Majors shew stop'd me in cheape-side: one of the Pageants represented a greate Wood, with the royal Oake, & historie of his Majesties miraculous escape at Bosco-bell &c

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