Event Comment: Written by Sir John VanBrugh. Last night their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George and Prince Edward were at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to see the Comedy of Aesop and the Rape of Proserpine.-London Daily Post and General Advertiser

Event Comment: This Day at Noon, exactly at Twelve o'Clock...Mr Foote begs the favour of his Friends to come and drink a Dish of Chocolate with him; and 'tis hoped there will be a great deal of good company, and some joyous Spirits; he will endeavour to make the Morning as Diverting as possible. (Tickets for the Entertainment to be had at George's Coffee House, Temple Bar, without which no Person will be admitted.--Daily Advertiser, 24 April only.) Any Gentlemen or Lady, with or without Tickets, will be admitted. Sir Dilberry Diddle will be there and Lady Betty Frisk has absolutely promised. [Repeated 27 April.

Event Comment: Benefit for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York. Mainpiece a Sacred Ode written by Dr Brown set to select Airs, Duets and Choruses from Mr Handel, and other Eminent Composers, with the addition of several new songs. Pit and Boxes to be put together. No Persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office of the theatre at 1!2 a Guinea each; and also at the following Coffee House, viz: the Smyrna, Pall Mall; the Mount, Grosvenor St; George's, Temple Bar; the Rainbow, Cornhill, the New York, Sweetings's Alley; and the Pennsylvania, Birchin Lane. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallerp 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 1!2 after Six (playbill). This philanthropic enterprise, of which the theatrical benefit was but a part, seems not to have born much fruit for the respective Colleges. See Letter to the Governors of the Colleges of New York, respecting the Collection that was made in the Kingdom in 1762 and 1763, for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York, to which are added Explanatory notes and appendix. By Sir James Jay, M. D. (London, 1771). The funds collected seem largely to have been used up in a law suit. The Governor of the College of New York, Rev. Dr Johnson, asked Jay to collect funds, which he did. Alderman Trecothick wrote Dr Johnson that the funds were not safe in Jay's hands. The Governors insulted Jay, and when they found they were wrong refused to apologize. They entered a bill against him in Chancery to gain the funds. It dragged out for four years. When the power of Attorney had been given to Trecothick, he claimed that a sum of #1437 15s. 6d. was unaccounted for by Jay, and was supposed to be in Jay's hands. Jay explained the Governors had not reckoned on reimbursement for his time and expenses for two years.

Event Comment: In L. C. 5@139, p. 373, is a list of plays allowed to the Duke's Company: The Poetaster [by Ben Jonson]. Cupids Reuenge [by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. See 17 Aug. 1668]. Timon of Athens [by William Shakespeare]. Troyolus and Grisseida [by William Shakespeare]. Three parts of H. ye 6 [by William Shakespeare]. The honest mans fortune [by John Fletcher and others]. Woemen pleas'd [by John Fletcher]. Witt at Seuerall Weapons [by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher]. The Woemen Hater or The hungry Courtier [by Francis Beaumont]. All fooles [by George Chapman]. Birons Conspiracy [by George Chapman]. Broken heart [by John Ford]. Bird in a Cage [by James Shirley]. Chabot Admirall of ffranse [by James Shirley, with George Chapman]. ffaithful Shepherd [possibly Guarini's Il Pastor Fido]. Herod and Antipater [by Gervase Markham with William Sampson]. Humor out of breath [by John Day]. Jealous Louers [by Thomas Randolph]. Loues Melancholy [Lover's Melancholy, by John Ford]. Muliasses the Turke [by John Mason]. Queene of Arragon [by William Habington]. Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois [by George Chapman]. Revenge for Honor [or The Parricide, by Henry Glapthorne]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit [6 rows (Public Advertiser, 6 Mar.)] will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Orestes to Smith, but he "was indisposed . . . Throughout the whole [of his part] Kemble's skill was apparent. In the last scene he displayed as fine a picture of horror as was ever given from the stage" (Morning Chronicle, 6 Mar.).] Morning Herald, 24 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #293 11s. (122/17/0; 10/1/6; 1/2/6; tickets: 159/10/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Tom Brown, writing to George Moult, 30 Aug. 1699: As I have observ'd to you, this noble Fair is quite another thing than what it was in the last Age; it not only deals in the humble stories of Crispin and Crispianus, Whittington's Cat, Bateman's Ghost, with the merry Conceits of the Little Pickle-herring; but it produces Opera's of its own Growth, and is become a formidable Rival to both the Theatres. It beholds Gods descending from Machines, who express themselves in a language suitable to their dignity; it trafficks in Heroes; it raises Ghosts and Apparitions; it has represented the Trojan Horse, the Workmanship of the divine Epeus; it has seen St. George encounter the Dragon, and overcome him; In short, for Thunder and Lightning, for Songs and Dances, for sublime Fustian and magnificent Nonsense, it comes not short of Drury-Lane or Lincolns-Inn-Fields (in Thomas Brown, Works, 4th edition, 1715, I, 212-13). [For a colorful account of Bartholomew Fair at the turn of the century, see The London Spy Compleat, 1703, Parts X and XI, particularly pages 228-58.]

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: With new Scenes, Habits, Machines, and other Decorations

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Mary Man. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: The Sixth Day...at the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Daily Advertiser, 2 Oct.: Last Saturday Night the reviv'd Play of Romeo and Juliet...was acted...to a numerous and polite Audience, with Great Applause. There was an extraordinary fine appearance of Ladies in the Boxes; and every one allow'd Miss Jenny Cibber (who has given Proofs of an uncommon Genius) was greatly inprov'd in the character of Juliet. The Quality and Gentry were all safely guarded to the chairs and Coaches by the Lads of St. James's Market. [Hill was the stage name for Johnson.