Event Comment: "At a little before nine went to the Opera. Sat in Duchess of Gordon's box. My motive in going having been to join her in hissing a dance, if it had been such as it was before" (Windham, 421)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Joanna Baillie. "Adapted to the stage by J. P. Kemble" (note in his hand on Kemble playbill), Text in the author's A Series of Plays (T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798). Prologue by the Hon. Francis North; Epilogue by Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Larpent MS 1287)]: The Scenery, Musick, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick of the Third Act composed by Shaw [and sung by Sedgwick (Dramatic Censor, II, 162)] and of the Second and Fourth Acts by Kelly. The Scenes designed by Greenwood? Jun and Capon, and executed by them, Banks, &c. The Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed under his direction by Gay and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Receipts: #308 12s. 6d. (264.3.0; 43.15.6; 0.14.0)

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2639, 23-26 Feb. 1690@1: The new Consort of Musick, which began on Friday the 20th instant, next Bedford Gate in Charles-street, Covent Garden, will be performed at the aforesaid place, this present Thursday the 26th instant, and so continue every Thursday, beginning between 7 and 8 in the Evening

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2697, 14-17 Sept. 1691: The Great Room next Bedford-Gate in Charles-street, Covent-Garden being now enlarging to a far greater Dimension for the Convenience of Mr Frank's and Mr King's Musick

Event Comment: Benefit Carey. With some Additional Songs proper to the Characters, which will be printed, and given Gratis to all Persons at their Entrance. [A Tragedy of half an act entitled Did You Ever See The Like? was advertised as an afterpiece for this day 1n Fog's, 28 Nov.] Daily Post, 3 Dec.: Our Friend Harry Carey having this Night a Benefit...the Powers of Music, Painting, and Poetry, assemble in his Behalf, he being an Admirer of the three Sister Arts: The Body of Musicians meet in the Hay-market, from whence they march in great Order, preceded by a magnificent moving Organ, in Form of a Pageant, accompany'd by all Kinds of Musical Instruments ever in Use, from Tubal Cain to this Day: A great Multitude of Booksellers, Authors and Printers, form themselves into a Body at Temple-Bar, from whence of Printers Devils, with their proper Implements: Here the two Bodies of Music and Poetry are joined by the Brothers of the Pencil, where taking a Glass of Refreshment at the Bedford-Arms, they make a solemn Procession to the Theatre, amidst an innumerable Croud of Spectators

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman, late of Eaton School. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Receipts: money #65 6s.; tickets #88 16s. Daily Advertiser, 6 March: To-morrow...for the Benefit of a Gentleman late of Eaton School...and the Company of his School Fellows will be very acceptable to meet at the Bedford Arms Tavern...in order to proceed to the said Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Short and Neale. Receipts: money #28 1s.; tickets #212 4s. [Short's Tickets at his House in Milman Street, near Bedford Row; Neale's at his house in Nottingham Street, Bloomsbury.

Event Comment: In a letter to the Daily Post. 4 June, the Patentees of Drury Lane-Mary Wilks, John Ellys, Hester Booth, and John Highmore-stated the cast of the Patentees. The gist of their statement is: (1) They operate under a Patent commencing 1 Sept. 1732 which, by Deaths and Legal Assignments, is the property of the four, with Highmore possessing one half, at an expence of #6,000 and upwards. (2) Several of the Players have threatened to desert the service of the Patentees and have contracted with some of the Trustees (the Sharers) to secure possession of the Theatre. (3) Drury Lane is let upon lease from the Duke of Bedford, granted to Thomas Kynaston and Francis Stanhope, Trustees for the Sharers (commonly called Renters) of Drury Lane at the rent of #50 annually upon a Fine of 1,000 guineas paid for the renewal of the lease. (4) The Players, under the Patentees, have acted at Drury Lane for twenty-one years without any interruption form the Trustees upon the sole contract that the Patentees pay the Trustees #3 12s. each acting night, besides the Liberty of seeing Plays. (5) At the beginning of this Season the manager's office received a letter from a few of the Renters demanding an Advance of Rent. Highmore, being new, was concerned, and asked the managers to take care of the matter; and thereafter the signers (the Patentees) had heard of no further discontent among the Renters. (6) To defend themselves against stories of hardship or complaint by the actors, the Patentees point out that the following weekly salaries had been paid: Colley Cibber #12 12s.; Theophilus Cibber #5; Mills Sr, #1 daily for 200 days certain, and a benefit, clear of all charges; Mills Jr #3; Johnson #5; Miller #5; Harper #4; Griffin #4; Shepard #3; Hallam, for himself and his father, the latter of little or no service, #3; Mrs Heron #5; Mrs Butler #3. For these charges and others, the Patentees stand a daily expence of #49 when the theatre is open. (7) Further, the Patentees paid Cibber Jr his wife's whole salary without her being able to act the greater part of the winter, #9 weekly for the two; Mills Jr, in the same circumstances with his wife, #5 10s. weekly for the two; Miller a salary (amounting to #40) for eight weeks before he acted, and a gratuity of ten guineas; Griffin a present of ten guineas; Harper a present, amount not specified; Mrs Heron an increase form 40s. to #5 weekly, although she refused afterward to play several parts assigned her and acted but seldom

Event Comment: Preface to edition of 1734: The Fourth Night a Set of about eight or ten young Fellows went to the Bedford Coffee-House ... and declared publickly that they came purposely to damn the Play, and would not leave the Play-House till they had compassed their Ends. . . . Accordingly Mr Ryan coming on to speak the Prologue, they began their Uproar, but were soon silenced, and the Prologue was heard with Applause. The Play beginning, they began again, and were so loud that Mr Ryan acquainted them, that as he could not imagine there was anything in the Play they could except against, he was apprehensive he had the Misfortune to displease them. Mr Quin then came on, and told them he found the House was divided, and as the Majority was for hearing the Play, he hop'd those who were not, would go out. The House on that were unanimous, and cry'd, Turn them out, Turn them out, but they saved the Audience the Trouble of doing it, and retired under the general Hiss of every Person then present

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Thurmond. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. [Tickets at Mrs Thurmond's, next door to Bedford Arms Tavern, CG.]

Event Comment: Benefit Walker. Afterpiece: Not acted these Twenty Years. [Tickets at Walker's, in Bedford Court.] Receipts: money #42 16s.; tickets #81 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Essex. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. [Tickets at Essex's Lodgings, next door to the Bedford Tavern, CG.]

Event Comment: Benefit Short. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Wycherley. Afterpiece: A short Musical Pastoral. [Author not known. Apparently not published.] Tickets at Short's House in Millman Street, near Bedford-Row, Holborn. Receipts: money #14 7s.; tickets #105 13s

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Thurmond. [Tickets at Thurmond's, next door to Bedford Arms Tavern, cg.

Event Comment: Benefit Short, Tickets at Short's House, Millman Street, near Bedford Row, Holborn

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. Mainpiece: Written by Dryden, in Imitation of Shakespear. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toyshop. [Tickets at Quin's Lodgings, The Sun, in Bedford-street, cg.

Event Comment: Benefit Philips, the Harlequin. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. [Tickets at Philips' Lodgings, at the Harness Maker's in Bedford Court, cg.

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. [Tickets at Quin's Lodgings, Sign of the Sun, Bedford Street, cg.

Event Comment: Benefit Short. Mainpiece: Written by Colley Cibber, Esq; Poet Laureat. Afterpiece: Alter'd from Hob; or, The Country Wake. [Tickets at Short's House, Little Ormond Street, near Bedford-Row, Holborn.

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. Tickets at Quin's Lodgings at The Sun in Bedford Street, cg

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Horton. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir Richard Steele. [Tickets at Mrs Horton's Lodgings, the Angel in Bedford Street, Covent Garden.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Horton. Tickets at Mrs Horton's, at the Angel, in Bedford Street. Receipts: money #78; seals #81 17s. (Account Book); #160 (Rylands MS.). [Mrs Horton received a Free Benefit.

Event Comment: Benefit Garrick, who perform'd King Richard. Pit and Boxes 4s. Gallery 1s. 6d. Tickets to be had at Garrick's Lodgings in Mansfield Street, Goodman's Fields, Bedford's, Tom's, Carey's, and Fleece Tavern. The Stage will be built after the Manner of an Amphitheatre, where Servants will be allow'd to keep Places, and likewise in the First Boxes, but not in the Pit, who are desire'd to be at the House by Three o'clock

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Benefit Lowe. Amphitheatre on stage. Tickets and places to be had of Lowe, next the Seven Stars in Bedford St., Covent Garden; at the Globe and Sceptre in Old Jewry; at Ben Johnson's Head in Little Britain; and at Mr Benskin's, Stationer, next the Ship-Tavern, Gracechurch St. Receipts: #180