Event Comment: CCraftsman, 9 June: We hear...
that
the Rebel Players are not yet reduced to
their Obedience, but it is
thought
that
They will soon be obliged to surrender at Discretion. In
that mean Time,
the Publick waits wi
th Impatience to see
the Manifesto of
their doubty Chief,
Mr Theophilus Cibber, which He ha
th promised in
the News-Papers. It is expected
that, in
this Manifesto,
the young Captain will endeavour to prove
that
the King's Patent, after a solemn Adjudgment in
the Court of Chancery, is of no Validity; and
that picking a Gentleman's Pocket of Six
Thousand Pounds is perfectly consistent wi
th the Principles of Liberty. In
the Daily Post, 11 June,
Benjamin Griffin, Comedian, published his Humble Appeal to
the Publick.
The gist of his statement is: (1) Griffin had been under
the management of
Rich at
Lincoln's Inn Fields, wi
thout any intention of leaving him, when, at
the beginning of
the season of 1721,
the managers at
Drury Lane sent him messages by
Thurmond Sr and
Shaw, seeking Griffin to treat wi
th them. Griffin at first refused, but
Steede,
then
the prompter of Drury Lane, prevailed upon him.
Wilks immediately offered
the same conditions Griffin had under Rich: #4 weekly and a benefit before 15 April, at
the certain incident charge of #40. Wilks also offered him articles for
three years, wi
th a promise of an advance in salary and better terms at
that time. (2) No sooner had Griffin agreed
than
the masters of bo
th companies entered into a private agreement not to receive any one of
the o
ther's company,
though discharged, wi
thout a private agreement to
that purpose. (3) At
the end of
three years, under date of 12 December 1724,
R. Castleman,
the treasurer of Drury Lane, sent Griffin a note to
the effect
that
the managers were willing to continue him at 10s. nightly (#3 weekly); as Griffin could not return to Rich, he had to accept
the reduction in pay as well as a delay of his benefit to May and a payment of #50 for
the charges. (4) He remained so until 1729, losing in salary #147 besides
the #10 extra benefits. At
Norris' illness and dea
th, the managers returned him to #4 weekly but kept
the charges at #50. (5) Under date of 4 June 1733, by
the signatures of
Mary Wilks,
Hester Booth</a>, John Highmore, and
John Ellys, Griffin received a discharge from Drury Lane and full Liberty to treat wi
th Rich or any one else. He asserts
that he had no previous notice and received no reason for his discharge