Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and three in the Box at Marryage hater. 16s. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 378. John Dryden to Mrs Steward, 14 Dec. 1699: Both the Iphigenias have been played with bad Success; & being both acted, one against the other, in the same week, clashed together, like two rotten ships, which cou'd not endure the shock; & sunk to rights (The Letters of John Dryden, p. 131)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: a new Set of Scenes representing a Fleet of Ships

Event Comment: By a Company of Comedians from the Theatres in London. At the Great Room at the Ship Tavern. Stage 2s. 6d. Pit 2s. First Gallery 1s. Second 6d. 6 P.M

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Commanders of Ships

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman who has been under Misfortune, formerly Commander of a Ship, and now going to settle in Georgia. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. For the Benefit of the Brave and Unfortunate Capt John Peddie, of the Prince of Orange, who, after defending his Ship, and saving her by the most Gallant Behaviour, against a Spanish Privateer, had the Misfortune to lose her, and all he had on Board, in the late Storm. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Addison. Pit and Boxes 5s. Galleries 2s. and 1s. Receipts: money #52 1s.; tickets #295 (Account Book); #350 (Rylands MS.)

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

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of the antient Family of Rowlands. Benefit Ravenscroft and Beaumont, Tickets at the George in Vine St., in the Minories; Jennings's, Ship in Upper Shadwell; and at the Taphouse of the Wells. [Prices as 25 Feb. (Daily Advertiser only).

Event Comment: Play never acted. 'Tis hoped no gentleman will take it ill that he cannot possibly be admitted behind scenes this night (General Advertiser). This play was wrote by Mr Whitehead Tutor to my Lord Jersey,--it was receiv'd with Extravagant applause--& it was Agreed Mr-(Cross). Paid Mr Ackman for writing voice parts in Don Severio #1 1s.; Salary list #305 6d. Norton 6 chorus #1 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [Of some interest is the fact that a ship plying between London and Dublin was named the Roman Father, perhaps in response to the popularity of this play. See note of its safe arrival in Crookhaven in General Advertiser 25 Oct. 1750.] Receipts: #190 (Cross); #191 7s. 6d. [Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. On Thursday 6 Dec. 1750 a Benefit for a Citizen's Widow with 8 Children, As You Like It, and Miss in her Teens. Tickets to be had at Moorgate Coffee House; Rainbow, Sam's and Janeway's Coffee Houses in Cornhill; Paul's Head, Carter Lane; Peele's and Nandoe's in Fleet Street; Mr Law's, Confectioner, at the Eagle and Child, Fleet St.; Charing Cross; Bethell's Hatter and Hosier, the corner of Pall Mall; Thatched House Tavern, St James St.; Mr Jones, Bookseller, the corner of Staples Inn, and Seagoe's Coffee House, Holborn; the Aldersgate Coffee House, Aldersgate Street; and Ship Tavern, Ratcliff cross. This day is publish'd The Rosciad: a Poem (at 1s.) in which the excellencies and imperfections of the three present principal ornaments of the British Stage are illustrated, and conspicuously represented; with observations on theatrical performances. Printed for J. Robinson. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee. Tickets to be had at Mr Prince's, Linnen Draper, the Golden Artichoke, in Great Queen St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields; of Mr Calcroft at the Ship in Ivy Lane, Newgate St., and at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for the 22nd will be taken. No building on stage. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: [Benefit] (Toll) for Goodfellow who play'd Hamlet (Cross). Tickets to be had at the Ship Tavern, at Ratcliff-Cross; the Swan in Ratcliff-Highway; the Black Lyon, in Russel St. Covent Garden, and at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Berry (Cross). Tickets at Pope's, a Peruke-Maker, in Russel Street, Covent Garden; of Benoni Sedgley, at the Ship and Anchor, Temple Bar, and at the Stage Door. Receipts: #230 (Cross)

Event Comment: This night the Riot was very Great, the Gentlemen came with Sticks, & tho' the play went on quiet 'till the last Act, we had there a great Stop, notwithstanding we ended it, & then the rout went on, ye Boxes drove many out of the Pit, & broken heads were plenty on both Sides; the dance began,--was Stop'd--& so again & again--while this was doing numbers were assembl'd in the Passages of the pit, broke down & were getting into the Cellar, but were repuls'd by our Scene men &c.--heavy blows on both sides--Justice Fielding--& Welch came with Constables & a Guard; but without effect, tho' the Justices stood upon ye Stage--I thought ye proclamation must have been read--after ye battle in the Passages numbers went & broke Garrick's Windows in Southhampton Street, --part of ye Guard went to protect it-Garrick was oblig'd to give up the Dancers-& ye Audience disperc'd (Cross). This day publish'd at 1s. The Country Coquet; or, Miss in her Breeches, a Ballad Opera, as it may be acted at Drury Lane. @Men, some to business, some to pleasure take@But every woman is at heart a Rake.@ Pope By a Young Lady. Printed for and sold for J. Major, in Three-Tun Court, leading from the Ship in Ivy Lane into Newgate Market. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Jefferson and Champnes. Mainpiece: By Desire. Tickets delivered for Love Makes a Man will be taken. Yesterday Five Guineas were paid into the Hands of Justice Fielding by Miss Macklin, for the use of the Marine Society, towards clothing men and boys for the sea, to go on board His Majesty's ships (Public Advertiser). Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: To the Public: An Impartial Account of Cibber's Impromptu, by a Spectator: @In a frolicsome humour I went t'other day@To see the Diversions collected by THE',@When seen -from Amazement I could not refrain@That such an odd Oglio should come in his brain;@That from Chaos, Confusion and Visible night@He could bring such a queer group of figures to light:@I went-with a critical spleen that disdained@This project -but found myself well entertained.@For the English there's ships; for the Scots a good song;@[what] He sought to provide for Hibernia was Wrong@When this I observ'd to aworthy dear Honey -@He reply'd -"Blurr and Houns? there's enough for your money.@But to state the affair without laughter or fun@All agreed -my shift was superior to none;@With new Scenes, new Machines, Music, Dancing and all,@To risk our Diversions THE' ventured a fall@And if his last trump should unluckily fail,@[Brain?] must lay a scheme to keep out of a jail.@A few trivial errors we ought to forgive@Pay to Merit reward and let Industry live,@For your Candor alone must determine his fate@For the sake of Old Coll', let Theophilus eat.@ His Benefit tomorrow, Wednesday, the 14th Instant, at the Theatre in The Haymarket

Event Comment: About this time Mr Theo: Cibber Mr Maddocks the wire Dancer, & several other Theatrical performers, with & number of other Passangers embark'd on board the Dublin, Captain White, in order to go to Ireland but the Ship was lost & every Soul perish'd (Cross). As Mr Sparks & others complain'd of Mr Wilkinson for taking them off, it [Diversions of ye Morning] was intended to be omitted this Night, But the Audience call'd so violently for it, that we were oblig'd to let him do it--he took off Foote & Sheridan, & wou'd have left out Sparks but ye Audience wou'd not be satisfied without it--when they first call'd Mr Foote went forward & said as some of the performers had complain'd it was to be omitted; as for being taken off himself he had no Objection to it, as he was always glad to contribute to their Entertainm[en]t &c. (Cross). Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years [see 14 Oct. 1756]. Receipts: #130 (Cross); #139 10s. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Widow Gentlewoman and her Children, who have suffered the loss by Two Ships, to the amount of #2000. Urged at the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Tickets to be had at Mr Harper's at the Corner of Avemary Lane; Mount's Coffee-House, Grosvenor St.; Smyrna Coffee-House, Pall Mall; Sam's Coffee-House in Change Alley, Cornhill; and of Sarjant at the Stage Door, where Places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit Sig and Signora Forti. [Actually a charity benefit, as the ship with their costumes was seized by the French.

Event Comment: Dined at the Ship, and went at 5 into the Pit to see Mrs Yates do Jane Shore a second time. Her powers are certainly amazingly great, the expression in her eyes in the last scene is particularly affecting. The entertainment was the foolish Pantomime called Harlequin Skeleton (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #189 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Chorus 2 nights (this incl.) #4 1s.; Mr Serres, for painting & rigging ships #63; Mr G. Garrick's note for Mr Weston #44 2s. (Treasurer's Book). [Serres is probably Dominique Serres, 1722-1793, brought to England 1752, apointed marine painter for George III, member of Royal Academy and its librairan after 1792. See Bryan's, Dictionary of Painters and Engravers.] Receipts: #253 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The father of the runaway siren of Covent Garden [Miss Brown; see 16 Dec. 1775] apprehended the little wanton truant at her aunt's in the city, forcing her into a coach, drove off with her into the country: however, she had not been carried above five miles before her cries raised the inhabitants of a village; whom she soon worked to her purpose by declaring that the man (her father) was carrying her away by force, in order to ship her for America....The peasants released her, when she run to town across the country, and has not been re-taken since by her father (Morning Post, 5 Jan.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs West. Tickets to be had of West, at the Ship, near the Seven Houses, Rotherhithe. Mainpiece: In Act II the triumphal entry of Alexander into Babylonv; In Act IV the grand Banquet where Alexander kills his faithful soldier, old Clytus. [The playbill contains a lengthy synopsis of the plot of the mainpiece; it concludes by noting that "the many flowery passages with which this tragedy abounds does honour to the pen of its author, N. Lee, Esqr., and we may justly say with Mr Pope, 'Such plays alone shou'd please a British ear, as Cato's self had not disdain'd to hear.'"]

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis, Dancer & J. Smith. Tickets to be had of Lewis at the Europa; of Smith at the Ship, Seven Houses

Event Comment: Benefit for Jones. Tickets to be had of Jones at the White Horse, Parson's Green; at the King's Arms, Fulham; Ship, Fulham; and the George, Walham Green. Afterpiece: It is hoped that the greatest Attention will be paid, as it is impossible for the Company to cogitate throughtout the Cogibundity of Cogitations, unless the most profound Profundity of Thought is observed. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. Good Fires in the Pit