Event Comment: Benefit for
Hobson. Tickets and places of Hobson at
the stage door of
the Theatre.
Presentment of the Grand Juryv for
the County of Middlesex: We
the Grand Jury sworn to enquire for our Sovereign Lord
The King, and
the body of this county, have observed from most of
the presentments delivered to us by
the Constables of this County, that
they have been, as we apprehend and fear, very remiss in
their duty, by returning
their several districts to be quiet and in good order. Whereas
the contrary does most manifestly appear, in many instances as well from
the accounts or advertisements we read in
the daily Papers, printed and dispersed within
the County (inviting and seducing, not only
the inhabitants, but also all o
ther persons, to several places kept apart for
the encouragement of Luxury, Extravagance, and Idleness, and we fear o
ther wicked, illegal purposes, which by such means go on with impunity, to
the destruction of many families) as o
therwise to
the great Dishonour of
the Kingdom...especially at a time when we are engaged in expensive Wars, and so much overburdened with Taxes of all sorts, both Parliamentary and Parochial, that it is much as a prudent man can do, without a taste to extravagant and illegal pleasure to support himself and family according to his degree and station in life under
the most regular economy. [If unchecked this bad example will lead to National destruction]. We do accordingly hereby present as places riotous, of great extravagance, luxury, idleness, and ill fame,
the several house &c following: [lists two gambling houses,
then
the Proprietors of
the avenues leading to
the several playhouses for not preventing wicked loose and disorderly persons from loitering at
the front of
their several houses on nights of
the play to
the prejudice of playgoers.] 4.
Saddlers Wells, near
Islington; 5. New Wells,
Goodman's Fields; 6.
New Wells,
Clerkenwell; 7.
The Proprietors of a Place call'd
Hallam's New Theatre at
Mayfair. Prays that
the court will close all listed. N.B. Many people believed that after this presentment,
the places mentioned would be shut up or reformed, but
they advertise and continue
the same diversions as before.-
Gentlemen's Magazine (May, 1744), pp. 278-79