Event Comment: With Restorations from Shakespear (Cross). [Comment and criticism, Genest, IV, 475-76. See "Garrick's Production of King Lear," by G. W. Stone Jr, Studies in Philology, Jan. 1948.] Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: This Day publish'd at 1s. The Taxes, a Dramatic Entertainment [Dr Bacon] Printed for W. Owen

Event Comment: By Command [both pieces] by the Prince of Wales. Prince of W: & P: Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: [T$Theophilus Cibber opened the theatre this one night. Mainpiece, a Mock Tragedy by Joseph Reed. Afterpiece, anonymous.] Tickets to be had at the Swan, Westminster Bridge; Forest's Coffee House and Cannon Tavern, Charing Cross; the Tuns in the Borough, Southwark; the Rainbow Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange; and the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden. N.B. Tickets for the Author to be had at Mr Briscall's at Parliament-Street Coffee House; the Bedford Head, Southampton St.; Mr Wells at the Crown and W in Russel Court, Covent Garden; Mr Long's in Little Britain; the Union Coffee House in Cornhill; the White Lion in Talbot Court; and the Sun Tavern, Shadwell

Event Comment: Never Acted before. A Tragedy [By John Home]. I went to my Office and then slept [?] in at Drury Lane w here I see Mr and Miss Hayes, Lady Lindores who I see into a coach, I slept in at Covent Garden Gallery before the play, but see nobody I knew so I would not stay, otherwise I would have went out as I had set my mind on the Beggar's Opera for once more, but waived it all & went to my Office (Hailey Brietzcke Diary, Vol. 197, p. 72)

Event Comment: Benefit for Scrase, Courtney, Miss Reed. Tickets deliver'd by Mr Palmer and Mr W. Yates will be taken

Event Comment: [This day Horace Walpole wrote as follows to George Montagu, forshadowing an event to take place on 27 July: "If you will stay with me a fortnight or three weeks, perhaps I may be able to carry you to a play of Mr Bentley's--you stare--but I am in earnest--nay, and de par le roy. In short, here is the history of it. You know the passion he always had for the Italian comedy. About two years ago he writ one, intending to get it offered to Rich--but without his name--he would have died to be supposed an author, and writing [I, 372] for gain. I kept this a most inviolable secret. Judge then of my surprise when about a fortnight or three weeks ago I found my Lord Melcomb reading this very Bentleiad in a circle at my Lady Hervey's. Cumberland had carried it to him, with a recommendatory copy of verses, containing more incense to the King and my Lord Bute, than the Magi brought in their portmanteaus to Jerusalem. The idols were propitious, and to do them justice, there is a great deal of wit in the piece, which is called The Wishes or Harlequin's Mouth Opened. A bank note of #200 was sent from the Treasury to the author, and the play ordered to be performed by the summer company. Foote was summoned to Lord Melcomb's, where Parnassus was composed of the peer himself, who, like Apollo as I am going to tell you, was dozing, the two Chief Justices and Lord Bute. Bubo read the play himself, with handkerchief and orange by his side. But the curious part is a prologue which I never saw. It represents the god of verse fast asleep by the side of Helicon. The race of modern bards try to wake him, but the more they repeat of their works, the louder he snores. At last "Ruin seize thee ruthless King" is heard, and the god starts from his trance. This is a good thought, but will offend the bards so much, that I think Dr Bentley's son will be abused at least as much as his father was. The prologue concludes with young Augustus, and how much he excels the ancient one, by the choice of his friend. Foote refused to act this prologue, and said it was too strong. 'Indeed,' said Augustus's friend, 'I think it is.' They have softened it a little, and I suppose it will be performed. You may depend upon the truth of all this; but what is much more credible, is that the comely young author appears every night in the Mall in a milkwhite coat with a blue cape, disclaims any benefit, and says he has done with the play now it is out of his own hands, and that Mrs Hannah Clio alias Bentley writ the best scenes in it. He is going to write a tragedy, and she, I suppose, is going--to court."--Horace Walpole's Correspondence with George Montagu. Ed. W. S. Lewis and Ralph S. Brown Jr (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), I, 372-73. [IX, 372-373.