Event Comment: Performed after the French Manner. With New Scenes and Decorations proper to the Play. In which will be seen a Battle on Horseback between the Knight of the Sun and the Emperour of the Moon, call'd in French La Cavalcade Espagnol, a Performance never yet seen in England

Event Comment: At Lee's Great Theatrical Booth over against the Hospital Gate. Mainpiece: A Dramatic Opera. A Masque of Paradise, with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Edenv, the Serpent, and all the Creation, the Heavens open, the Sun appears, and an Angel descends and drives them thence. With Scenes, Machines, and Decorations proper

Event Comment: The Noted Yeates, at his Booth adjoining the Sun

Event Comment: Benefit Jones and Excell. At the Sun Tavern behind the Royal Exchange. 6 p.m

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 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 Castelman, the Treasurer. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Beaumont and Fletcher by Sir John Vanbrugh and Mr Dryden. [Tickets at Castelman's Lodgings, at Mr Watford's, Upholder, over-against the Sun Tavern, Russel Street, Bloomsbury.

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

Event Comment: Benefit Michael Dove. Tickets at Dove's, The Sun, in Hooper's Square

Event Comment: This Benefit being designed for the Use of Mr Mills and his Creditors, Tickets for the Creditors are to be had of Mr Lucas, at the Sun Tavern, Clare Market; and for Mills at His Lodgings in Bow St., Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Sowdon. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. A Gent: play'd Puff in the farce--Bug (Cross). [Seems to have been a clear benefit, as Treasurer's Book lists no charges.] Cash #65 8s. 6d., plus tickets #95; Paid Reynolds for wax & [brickdust] 3s. 9d. Paid Mr Pope a Bill #7 14s. [wigmaker] (Treasurer's Book). Tickets of Sowdon at his lodgings, the Sign of the Sun, a Milliner's facing Exeter exchange in the strand, and of Hobson at the stage door. Tickets otherwise to be had at Will's Coffee House in Cornhill, and of Mr Thomas Sowdon in Blackman St., Southwark. We hear William Mills, Comedian, lies at the point of death, at his lodgings in Russell St., Covent Garden. Receipts: #170 (Cross); #160 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Ladies are desired to send Servants to keep Places at 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St., in Southampton St., and of Hobson at the stage door. Cash receipts #63 6s., plus #74 6s. from tickets. Total #137 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Mr Delane dy'd Sun: ye 1st of Ap. (Cross). The Masque of Comus, design'd to be perform'd at Drury Lane Wednesday next, the 4th of Apl, for the Benefit of Mrs Foster, Granddaughter of Milton, and his only surviving descendant, is, by particular desire of several persons of Quality, on account of Handel's Oratorio deferr'd till Thursday the 5th instant (General Advertiser). Receipts. #150 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Three Brothers of ye Delavals play'd ye Eldest Othello, ye next Iago, ye next Cassio--+Brabantio & Lodovico Mr Pine Roderigo-Cap. Stevens and Wife Emelia $Mrs Quan did Desdemona, the performance was very decent & met with great applause the Audience from ye Boxes to the upper Gallery were fill'd with people of ye first rank & make a most brilliant appearance. & ye greatest Crowd at ye Doors I ever saw. their Agreement for ye House was a receipt of one of the Alfred Houses upon an Averidge. they had all new cloaths, & very nicely ornamented with Diamonds (Cross). [See eulogy and criticism in some detail concerning the acting, by John Hill, Inspector No 3.] All Gentlemen and Ladies who intend going in coaches this evening to Drury Lane Theatre, are desired to order their coachmen to drive thro' Covent Garden, and stop at Bridges St. Door, and as soon as they have set down the company to drive off directly towards the Strand.--Those who go in chairs, are requested to order the men to the New Door in Russel St., and to prevent the avenues being stopt up no person will be admitted to either passage without first showing their tickets at the outward door (General Advertiser). Tickets Lost. If any person has found three tickets (numbers forgot) for the private play this night at Drury Lane, and will be so kind as to bring them to the Bar of the Rainbow Coffee House, Ironmonger Lane, shall receive 15s. for the whole, or in proportion for one or two of them (General Advertiser). Tomorrow Morning at 8 o'clock will be published' (price 6d.) by Thomas Carnan, at Mr Newberry's, at the Bible and Sun in St Paul's Churchyard; An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue to Othello, as it will this night be acted at the theatre-Royal in Drury Lane, by Persons of distinction, for their diversion. Written by Christopher Smart, A.M., Fellow of Pembroke Hall in the University of Cambridge. To be had at the place above mentioned, and at the pamphlet shops at the Royal Exchange and Charing Cross. This Prologue and Epilogue will be entered in the Hall Book of the Company of Stationers, and whoever presumes to pyrate them, or any part of them, will be persecuted as the Law directs (General Advertiser). [Both pieces by Christopher Smart, according to the Daily Advertiser. See two exceedingly favorable critical comments and one derogatory reprinted in the Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751 (pp. 119-22): "The greatest part of the play was much better performed than it ever was on any stage before. In the whole, there was a face of nature that no theatrical piece, acted by common players ever came up to." Macklin was Delaval's dramatic coach, according to one of these articles.

Event Comment: This Day a Paragraph appear'd in the papers that we always began by ye green room Clock which was kept by Mr Grignions regulator of equal time, & was now slower than ye Sun 16 Minutes (Cross). Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lauder. By Desire. To begin at six. Tickets for boxes to be had of Lauder at the Rising Sun opposite Hungersford Market, Strand, at the Edinburgh Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange, and at the theatre

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: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #170 (Cross); #166 14s. (Winston MS 8). Sun. Dec. 31, 1758 Mrs Macklin buried at Covent Garden (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #92. Paid Ledley for 20 doz. wax candles at 31s. per dozen, #31; Paid for Insurance of the Wardrobe, &c. in the Sun Fire Office for 12 Months to 12 Jan. 1761, on #10,000, #25 7s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for the Unhappy Sufferers by the late Dreadful Fire in King's Stredt, Covent Garden (playbill). We gave our Night's pay for ye Sufferers by the fire in King's Street Covent Garden Sun: ye 23d. of Dec. (Cross). Sisters diner at Mrs B's. I slept [slipt?] in after the play at Drury Lane & see them in the Gallery, where I had a few words with Mr Williams (Hailey, "Brietzcke Diary," Vol. 197, p. 69). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: At the Greyhound Inn, West Smithfield. N.B. The Gentry and others are desired to take notice, that there is a most commodious Way to the Boxes and Pit next the sheep pens, where they may pass without the least Crowd, and Coaches may draw up close to the Door

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Gambarini. At the Great Concert Room, Dean St., Soho Tickets: Pit, half a guinea. Gallery 5s. Composed by Geminiani, who being lately returned to England, has lent the aforementioned composition in favour of this Benefit. Also a new Ode The Argument Britannia rising from the waves like the morning sun, pointing out her young Monarch, and predicts? the glory and felicity of his reign. The music composed by Sga Gambarini

Event Comment: Paid one year's Insurance to Xmas Next #15 (Treasurer's Book). [Probably a renewal of the same #4000 policy held, with Sun Fire Office referred to on 22 Dec. 1749.] Receipts: #215 18s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Wilford for 10 nights Renters Money #100 (Account Book). [Duly noted in Account Book as third night for the comedy, but no indication of any fee to the author on this occasion. The following verse tribute to Miss Wilford appeared this day in the Public Advertiser: @"Strike the loud Harp and raise the tuneful Song;@On all your wings, Wind, bear her Fame along!@Her eyes are rolling suns, which dart a ray,@Bright as the splendor of a Summer Day;@Her arms are as the foam of Ocean white,@Like waves her Breasts heave slowly to the sight.@Her breath is sweeter than the vernal gale,@Which Zephyr wafts o'er Tempe's flowry vale;@Her cheaks are painted only by that hand@Which scatters roses through the blooming land;@And every ringlet of her glossy hair@Is trusted to some Love's peculiar care.@Her speech the songs of other Nymphs excels,@And on her lips persuasion blushing dwells;@Her smiles are as the streaming pow'rs of Light,@Which cheer and gild the rugged Front of Night.@To the quick Pipe and Tabor's lively sounds,@High as the Hind or Mountain Roe, she bounds;@And if to solemn Notes the cadence flow,@Stately she moves, majestically slow.@Deaf the prais'd ear-yet Modesty must own@The Female Archer by these Marks is known."@ Miss Wilford was the Female Archer.] Receipts: #151 13s. 6d.(Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Tickets to be had of her Two Doors beyond the Rising Sun in Great Suffolk St; and of Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #64 5s. [Profit to Mrs Bellamy #33 16s. 6d. plus #102 1s. from Tickets (Box 251; Pit 262)] (Account Book). Receipts: #98 1s. 6d. (Account Book)