Event Comment: Benefit Delane. Tickets at his lodgings in Queen's Court, in King St., Covent Garden; and at the Bedford Coffee House in the Great Piazza. Places for the Boxes to be Taken at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber Play'd (Cross). The Letter sign'd E. L. written in the Name of several Persons of Distinction, is receiv'd; and the Play of King Lear will be acted there, as soon as Mr Garrick is able to perform so long a Character (note "From the Theatre Royal Drury Lane" inserted in the General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); #156 17s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Neale and Winstone. By Particular Desire. Tickets at the Kings Arms Tavern in Bond St., and of Hobson at the Stage Door where Places may be taken for the Boxes. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire, as well as Afterpiece. Dawson &-fought in long Field ye first kill'd on ye spot (Cross). Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash, #48 6s.; tickets, #109 5s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye encrease of a fund for ye support of a publick Charity [Lock Hospital] (Cross(. Rec'd cash #76 17s. 6d., plus #123 16s. from tickets; Total #200 13s. 6d. Paid Moor for pair breeches for Garrick #1 5s.; Paid 1 year's subscription to H. Park Hospital #10 10s.; To Garrick by George Garrick #7 10s.; Paid King playing S. Doctor #1 1s. by order of Lacy (Treasurer's Book). Last time of performing till the Holidays. Receipts: #160 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Bellamy. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets of Miss Bellamy at her house in King St., James's Square, and at stage door. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The theatres this night met competition from (I) an Assembly at the king's Theatre in the Haymarket, tickets 26s. each, to admit one Gentleman and two ladies. (2) another Assembly at the Five Bells Tavern, behind the New Church, in the Strand, where was opened the Temple of Taste, where will be exhibited a grand concert of Music. Also an attempt towards the Introduction of a new rational entertainment, consisting of an Occasional Prologue by a Gentleman; a panegyric on the Utility of Public Speaking, in which the Design is particularly illustrated; Propositions made from a Gentleman in the Chair, to be debated by the company, such as the Gay and Polite may be supposed to understand, and speak upon with success; to conclude with an Original Epilogue; the whole interspers'd with several grand concertos, Overtures, and Full pieces of Musick. This design, which has for its object the interest of Knowledge, Eloquence and Politeness, needs no Apology, and can be opposed by those, with whom to be at variance, is Virtue. No subject of so Sacred Nature as Religion, will be there canvass'd nor anything that can give Occasion to Indecency, or unmannerly reflection on any Undertaking or Party.-In this attempt all Men of Taste are interested, as they will have an opportunity not only of being pleased, but giving pleasure by considering every subject with candour, and reasoning upon it, with Eloquence and propriety. To this entertainment, the Ladies are likewise invited, who have an unexceptionable right to be present at all Attempts, calculated for the promotion of knowledge, and as their appearance will naturally secure polite behavior, so they may reap some advantage from the Circulation of ideas, which is such an Assembly must necessarily take place. The price of entrance-half a crown each. To begin precisely at seven. The room which is very commodious, will be elegantly illuminated. The SUBJECT for the first Night's Debate will be, "If the Custom of Portioning Daughters was entirely suppress'd, would it not be a good Expedient towards the promotion of Matrimony and the felicity of that state." It continued on four Wednesday nights. Then seems to have died.

Event Comment: Receipts: #76 15s. 6d. Rec'd #27 12s. for the deficiency 21 Dec. Paid Barry his one third of the surplus above the #80 House Charges: #0. Paid Mrs Martha Bedwell, Mrs Creighton, Mr Bedwell and Mr Griffin their renter's interest, #24 12s. Gave King's Footmen and Chairmen #4 4s., the Prince of Wales's Footmen and Chairmen #2 2s., and the Princess of Wales's Footmen and Chairmen #2 2s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: CClandestine Marriage deferred, King Ill

Event Comment: West Indian deferred. King Ill

Event Comment: Paid Miss Younge, for men's cloaths #15 15s., Mrs Mott for women's Cloaths #10 10s.; Mr French on Acct #25; Mr King, Glassman #8 13s.; Half a year's poor's rate for St Martin's to Midqummer last #25 5s.; Mas. Brown 4 nights (10th inst. incl.) #1 10s.; Mrs Slaughter's bill, #1 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #147 1s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mr Moody Dr Cantwell 1st time--very bad (Hopkins Diary). Theatrical Review, 27 Nov.: Dr Cantwell was, this evening, played by Mr Moody on account of Mr King's illness, and, as we apprehend, it was undertaken on a short notice, we think he executed it with great propriety and justness. [Potter interprets the moral impact of the play considering it an improvement over Cibber's Non-Juror, its source.] Receipts: #108 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Rose is a New Musical performance of Two Acts by Dr Arne a very dull insipid piece. Mr G. protested against its being perform'd its being perform'd it was hiss'd from the beginning & wd not Suffer it to be given out again, therefore Mr King went on & told them it Should not be perform'd again until it be alter'd (Hopkins Diary). [Macmillan's note from Kemble differs slightly. See critical damnation of The Rose in British Theatre Article in The London Magazine, Dec. 1772.] Book of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre (playbill). Paid Mr Petit for men's cloaths, #8 8s. CTreasurer's Book). [Reviewer for Town and Country Magazine (Theatre, No. XLI) disappointed with the Rose: "We are told that this precious piece of stuff is the production of an Oxford student; it may be so, of this every auditor is certain, that the collegian who penned it was so entirely lost in the pursuit of some abstruse study, that he has totally forgot grammar, common sense, and even his mother tongue...it was unanimously damn'd."] Receipts: #172 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. The tragedy of King Henry II cannot be performed, on account of the indisposition of Miss Miller. Paid Mr Nix the balance for London Lying In Hospital #23 6s.; Paid Garton balance for Theatrical Fund, #89 4s. 6d.; Paid Mr Helme the balance for the Discharge of persons imprison'd for small debts #4 5s. Receipts: #129 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Younger, lately burnt out by the Fire in King Street, Covent Garden. Doors open at half past 5. To begin at exactly half past 6. [Miss Catley returned for this benefit. Description of the Fire in Gentlemen's Magazine, 1774, p. 234.] Charges #67 10s. Profit to Younger, #105 19s.. plus #67 12s. from tickets (Box 216; Pit 76; Gallery 22) (Account Book). [See dl 6 May where Garrick gave Younger & Kennedy #21 as a present to help them. See also dl 25 May.] Receipts: #173 9s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [As afterpiece the playbill announces the 23rd night of The Critic, but on the Kemble playbill it is deleted. Its substitute is listed in the Account-Book.] "The earliest notice will be given of the 23rd performance of The Critic, which is obliged to be deferred on account of King's illness" [see 23 Dec.] (Public Advertiser, 13 Dec.). Receipts: #126 14s. 6d. (89.5.0; 34.6.0; 3.3.6)

Event Comment: The Old Batchelor [announced on playbill of 17 Feb.] is obliged to be deferr'd on account of King's illness. Receipts: #161 7s. (107.3; 53.9; 0.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brandon, box-book and house-keeper. [The playbill announces as mainpiece King Henry the Eighth, and as afterpiece Barnaby Brittle, but the Account-Book has, "Alter'd to the Count of Narbonne" and "Alter'd to Comus."] Receipts: #300 8s. (66/2; tickets: 234/6) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [This was Hooke's 1st appearance on the stage; King was from the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.] Receipts: #252 7s. 6d. (251.13.0; 0.14.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Browne. [Miss Eccles, who was from the York theatre, is identified in European Magazine, July 1787, p. 64.] Public Advertiser, 16 July: Tickets to be had of Browne, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: "When Priuli was relating to the Senators the impending and immediate destruction of their wives and families, the Senators, without discovering any emotion, were very pleasantly surveying the house, and laughing with their friends in the Upper Gallery. These gross enormities, that yet hang about our stage and are its disgrace, call aloud for the correcting hand of an intelligent Manager, to weed them out. Thanks to their own genius the Principals take care of themselves-the Subalterns are a disgrace. Is not King responsible for this part at one house, and Lewis at the other?" (World, 8 Oct.). Receipts: #302 2s. 6d. (274.4.0; 27.3.0; 0.15.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. Public Advertiser, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 7, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #216 15s. 6d. (76.9.0; 21.7.6; 2.18.0; tickets: 116.1.0) (charge: #120 17s. 5d.)

Event Comment: "Harley's youth and vigour so repeatedly got the better of his endeavours to conceal them under the veil of assumed debility that it was rather the grandson of Lear, who was rehearsing the part of that injured Prince and parent, than the good old King himself" (Diary, 5 Jan.). Receipts: #269 8s. 6d. (266.13.0; 2.15.6)

Event Comment: ["When the Commemoration of King Charles's Death [on 30 Jan.] falls on a Sunday we always act on Monday. "This occurred for the first time, at both dl and cg, on 31 Jan. 1785. Previously, when 30 Jan. was a Sunday, both theatres had observed the commemoration on Monday 31 Jan. In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble as Faulkland, but "Mr Benson read FaulklandR for me [this because Kemble was detained returning from Bath to London]" (Kemble Mem.).] Receipts: #231 7s. (180.12.0; 50.1.6; 0.13.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by Jeremiah Meyer and William Hayley, "from the German." Larpent MS 941; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 18 Apr.]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Music selected from Ditteus [i.e. Dittersdorf], Rauzzini and Salieri; the Overture and new Music by Reeve. Book of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Mme Carnevale had 1st appeared at king's in 1783.] Receipts: #252 3s. 6d. (242.19.6; 9.4.0)