Event Comment: Not Acted these Eight Years [see 24 April 1741]. Benefit Cibber, Jr. Tickets and places of Hobson at the Stage door. Tickets ddliver'd out for All's Well at Covent Garden theatre will be taken to the above mentioned play this night. [Mrs Clive's Prologue recommended the cause of Liberty to the Ladies of Great Britain. Cibber had pleaded in his advance advertisement on 5 April in the General Advertiser.] As I have in justice to my creditors assigned over so much of my salary as reduces the remainder to a very small pittance, I very much depend on the encouragement and indulgence of the town at my Benefit. [On the day of the benefit he inserted in the General Advertiser a long, double column address to the Publick puffing his Benefit, and scotching a rumor industriously and invidiously spread that he came to Drury Lane only to impede Mrs Cibber in her performance there. In this he washes in public the linen of his domestic affairs at some length, professing his virtue, forbearance, and generosity, and Mrs Cibber's unfairness and ingratitude, citing her salary as about #700 per year, not a penny of which would she afford for his relief from creditors, or to bail him out of the Fleet prison where he languished six months. He alleges that she was instrumental in forming a cartel between the rival theatrical managers with precluded his employment by either house, and that she refused to act a benefit for him when he was in debtor's prison.

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day, at the Office at Covent Garden Theatre at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. The Galleries to be open'd at Half an Hour after Four o'clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Half an Hour after Six (General Advertiser). New Oratorio by Handel (Account Books, Egerton 2268). We hear that Mr Garrick, who has been lately very ill, is now out of danger (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: [No after money. Mrs Cibber's advance notice for her Benefit the following Saturday states she]: having been oblig'd by her illness to put off her Benefit, which was advertised for the 19th of March, and not being able to get any other day than a Saturday, is afraid it should be inconvenient to some of the Gentlemen and Ladies who have done her the honour to take tickets, therefore begs leave to acquaint them that if they please to send their tickets before Thursday next to Mr Page at the stage door of the theatre in Covent Garden, the Money will be returned. Receipts: #136 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Woodward. [Receipts: #81 3s. 6d., plus #59 9s. from tickets. Charges #63.] Paid Servandoni #10 10s. Paid Price a bill for carpenter's work at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre last week #2 19s. 9d. Tickets to be had of Woodward at his lodgings in King St. (near the Churchyard Gate) Covent Garden; at the Bedford Coffee House; at the Salutation Tavern in Nicholas Lane; and of Page at the stage door. Tomorrow The Distress'd Mother and Miss in her Teens, the part of Fribble by Garrick.--General Advertiser. Daily Advertiser: By Particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. [On 13 April Woodward published a letter of thanks to the former schoolfellow who sent him this speech, promised to present it, and assured him that no copy would be made. See Theatrical Clippings, Folger Library.

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no Person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day, at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre, at Half a Guinea each. First Galley, 5s. Upper Gallery, 3s. 6d. The Galleries, to be open'd at Four, Pit and Boxes at Five. To Begin at Half an Hour after Six. [Customary notice for oratorios. It will not be repeated further.

Event Comment: Benefit for myself and Wife (Cross). As my business at the theatre requires a constant attendance I beg the favour of those Ladies and Gentlemen, who intend to honour me with their company at my Benefit, to send for tickets to my Lodgings, opposite the Rose Tavern in Russel St., Covent Garden; or to Mr Hobson at the Stage door, where places for the Boxes may be taken. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. Receipts: #107 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel); cash, #59 17s. 1d.; tickets, #47 1s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Note in General Advertiser: For the Benefit of the Author's Sisters, Box and Pit Tickets for Coriolanus, a Tragedy written by the late Mr Thomson, and now acting at Covent Garden Theatre, are to be had of A. Millar, opposite to Catherine Street in the Strand; J. Davidson in the Poultry; and R. Dodsley in Pall Mall

Event Comment: Mainpiece: For the entertainment of two young Africans. On Friday 10 February will be perform'd a New Oratorio, call'd Susanna, with a Concerto. Pit and boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day, at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre, at half a guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries opened at half past four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To Begin at Half an Hour after Six. [This advertisement repeated in the General Advertiser daily to 10 Feb. 1749.

Event Comment: Benefit for Berry. Tickets to be had of Berry at Mr Pope's, Peruke Maker in Russel St., Covent Garden and of Hobson at the Stage Door. [From the Gentleman's Magazine Register of Books for this month: An Account of the Life of that Celebrated Tragedian, Mr Thomas Betterton, containing a distinct relation of his excellencies in his profession and character in private life, and interspersed with an account of the English theatre during his time. Printed for J. Robinson.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel)

Event Comment: [The French Company advertised that it would not perform this day in honor of the birth of the Princesse de Galles, but would present on 24 Nov. Moliere's Tartuffe and Arlequin Nulla. The General Advertiser also carried the following long note from Lord Trentham on the following day]: To the worthy inhabitants of the City and Liberty of Westminster, Gentlemen: His Majesty having been graciously pleased to appoint me one of the Commissioners for executing the Office Lord High Admiral, by which my seat in Parliament is vacated; and the shortness of time not permitting me to apply personally to you, I take this method of entreating your votes and interest to be re-elected your representative in Parliament, which will ever be acknowledged by Gentlemen, your oblig'd and humble servant, Trentham. N.B. the Election comes on Tomorrow the 24th instant at Covent Garden at nine o'clock in the Morning. N.B.B. Whereas it has been maliciously reported, in order to impose on the worthy inhabitants of the City and Liberty of Westminster, and to prejudice me in their opinion at this time, that I was active in the disturbance at the French Playhouse last Tuesday night; I do declare upon my honour, that I was neither in the Pit nor Gallery where the Disturbance happened during the time of the performance, nor drew my sword, nor made use of any weapon, either to strike or terrify any of the spectators; nor was I even present at the first and chief disturbance at that playhouse; nor have I been at any Representation at that playhouse since the first Night of the Performance, as has been falsely suggested. Trentham" In a few days will be publish'd A Particular Account of the Disturbance in the Haymarket Theatre, on Tuesday and Wednesday the 14th and 15th Instant; in which the behaviour of a noble Lord will be fully vindicated. By one of the French Comedians

Event Comment: Box & Pit 10s. 6d. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Oratorio to begin at half past 6 o'clock. No persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd this day at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre. The Galleries opened at half past Four. Pit and boxes at Five

Event Comment: At the New Theatre, Bowling Green, Southwark. Benefit for the Widow of Laguerre, late of Covent Garden. Boxes 2s. 6d. (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lowe. Charges #60. Deficiency to Lowe #11 16s. covered by #104 9s. from tickets. [Afterpiece appears under the Shakespearian title in the Account Book. Actually it was James Worsdale's Cure for a Scold taken from Shakespeare's play.] Mainpiece: By particular desire. Tickets to be had of Lowe at his lodgings the corner of Southampton St., Covent Garden, and of Page at the Stage door of the Theatre. Receipts: #48 4s

Event Comment: Whereas several Ungenerous aspersions have been cast on me, with respect to an Advertisement published in the London Gazetteer of Tuesday last, directed to the Friends of the Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, I declare that I was in no way consenting, or privy to the said Advertisement. John Rich (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office in Covent Garden theatre at Half a Guinea each; 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. The Galleries will be open'd at half an hour after Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit for Costollo and Miss Minors. Tickets of Costollo at his lodgings at Mr Waiter's, Chymist, the Golden Cross, in Russel St., Covent Garden; of Miss Minors, at Mr Nichols's a Baker, in Catherine St., near Russel Court, and at the Stage Door. We are assured that Sg Giardini's Performance on the Violin, at Sga Cuzzoni's Benefit, at the New Theatre in Haymarket, on Saturday Night last, gave the highest pleasure to several of the best judges of that instrument. Receipts: #90 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye widow of Capt. James Spencer, an Officer &c., and her small Children (Cross). An Old Officer who had been in His Majesty's Service 46 years, but dying when upon half-pay has left the Widow without pension and with several small children in greatest distress. N.B. Part of the Pit will be rail'd into the boxes and servants will be allowed to keep places on the Stage. Tickets to be had of Mrs Spencer, the uppermost house in Prince's Court, by Storey's Gate; the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; the Tiltyard Coffee House; St James Coffee House; Sweet's Coffee House, Bukingham Court; Bridge Street Coffee House; The Rainbow Coffee House, Ludgate Hill; the Temple Exchange, Fleet St.; the Rainbow, Cornhill; and at the Stage Door of the theatre where places may be taken. Mr Norton Amber, humbly hopes this general acknowledgment of the favour which his friends were pleas'd to confer on him by their generous appearance last Night at Drury Lane, will be accepted, instead of a more particular application, which his constant employment prevents; and begs leave to assure them, that he shall ever retain a most grateful sense of their indulgent assistance. Receipts: #252 (Cross)

Event Comment: On Saturday next will be performed a new dramatic entertainment call'd Taste, written by Mr Foote. Mr Woodward takes this opportunity of informing those Gentlemen and ladies who have honour'd him with Memorandums for his Night of the Entertainment, that it is fix'd for Thursday next, the 19th instant. Places may be taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre, or at Mr Woodward's Lodgings in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden. Receipts: #110 (Cross)

Event Comment: A little hissing during the farce, & at the End ye Audience call'd, no more &c.--& insisted upon another farce being given out wch Mr Blakes did--farewell Taste (Cross). The Book of the Entertainment will be sold in the theatre, and at R. Francklin's in Russel Street, Covent Garden (playbill). [The publication of Taste was dedicated to Francis Delaval, and includes in prefatory remarks Foote's distinction between Comedy and Farce: As the follies and absurdities of men are the sole objects of Comedy, so the powers of Imagination (Plot and Incident expected) are in this kind of writing greatly restrainded. No unnatural assemblages, no creatures of the fancy can procure the protection of the Comic Muse; men and things must appear as they are. To Farce greater liberties are permitted. I look upon Farce to hold the same rank in drama that Burlesque does in other poetry. It is employed either in debasing lofty subjects, or in raising humble ones.'] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: TThe Sorcerer, a Pantomime Entertainment, originally performed at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, is preparing, with alterations, at Covent Garden (The scenes painted by Mr Lambert) and will be performed one day next week. [Another letter appeared in the General Advertiser on innocent entertainment for the lower classes (see 29 Jan. 1752), but severely criticized the existence of Prize fights, Cock-pits, and Gambling houses as the real nuisances and nurseries of theft and disorder."] It is whispered that the Townwill shortly be entertained with a phenomenon of the Monosyllable Fun,--the match between Sir Alexander Drawcansir, Kent. and their Lownesses of Grub Street, being certainly to be decided on the Stage; great bets depending on this Battle, it is thought the Knowing ones will be taken in (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Pit and boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this day, at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre, at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be open'd at Half an Hour after Four c'oclock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Half an Hour after Six [repeated]. This day is publish'd Compos'd by Handel, at 10s. 6d., The Oratorio Joshua, in Score...Printed for J. Walsh, in Catherine St. in the Strand

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (Cross). Tickets to be had of the Author at his lodgings the Angel in King's Street, Covent Garden; A Millar, over-against Catharine Street, in the Strand; and at the Stage Door of the theatre, where places may be taken (playbill). We hear Mr Ross is to perform the part of Romeo in the Play Romeo and Juliet for his benefit, which is to be on Thursday, the 31st of March (General Advertiser). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Mossop. Tickets to be had of Mr Mossop, at his Lodgings in Southampton Street, Covent Garden; and at the stage door of the theatre. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Dexter. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. Tickets to be had of Dexter at his lodgings at Mr Gibson's in James Street, Covent Garden; at the Grecian Coffee House, in Deveraux Court; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre where Places may be taken. Receipts. #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Vincent. Mainpiece: Containing the Memorable Battle of Agincourtv; with the total overthrow of the French Armyv; and many other historical passages. Tickets to be had of Mrs Vincent at the Cock and Turk's Head, in Bedford St., Covent Garden; of Bencraft at the corner of the Piazzas; and of Mr Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre