Event Comment: Benefit Richard Starkey, late of Goodman's Fields Wells, now a Prisoner in the Fleet, and having not the Opportunity to wait on his Friends

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Woffington. Mainpiece: By the late Mr Taverner, never acted there before. Tickets deliver'd out for the 19th of February, and 5 March will be taken this night

Event Comment: Mainpiece: At the Desire of Several Persons of Quality. Benefit John Hippisley. [Receipts: #72 17s. 6d. plus #93 1s. from tickets without Stage (Account Books, Egerton 2268)]. Receipts: #165 18s. 6d. We hear Mr Hippisley is so far recover'd from his late illness, that, tho' considerably alter'd in his physiognomy, and lower'd in spirits, he persuades himself a crowded house on Thursday next, at the Stratagem for his benefit, will create a smile on his countenance, raise his spirits, and make him appear as much a Scrub as ever

Event Comment: AA Letter to Mr Garrick on his having purchased a Patent for Drury Lane Play-House published. [Written by one who subscribed himself the Plain Dealer, it pointed out the troubles in store for the young manager from grievances from subordinates, arrogance from other actors (all individualists, no unity) failure from joint managership, grievances from public, and extraordinary expense from costume. He suggests the reasons for Garrick's jumping from actor to manager are vanity and avarice. He indicates Garrick's challenge and sums up the late troubled years of management under Fleetwood and Highmore.

Event Comment: [This dance had been introduced in Act IV of The Refusal on 29 Sept.] Receipts: #100 (Cross); #102 6s. (Powel)

Event Comment: [Song and Chorus] Written over our late Victory over the French Fleet (General Advertiser). (bad) upon beat F: fleet (Cross). [The battle was fought on 25 Oct. off Cape Finisterre. Accounts, both French and English, appeared in the General Advertiser by 16 Nov.] Receipts: 120 (Cross); #114 16s. (Powel)

Event Comment: We hear that the play Venice Preserv'd is in Rehearsal at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, and is to be perform'd on Friday next; and that the part of Pierre will be attempted by a Gentleman who never appear'd on any stage before (General Advertiser). [This month was published A Letter to a certain Patentee, in which the Conduct of Managers is impartially considered, and a few Periods bestowed on those darlings of the Publick, Mr G k, Mr F te, Mrs P d, &c." Addressed to Rich it is criticism of his personnel policies as manager, with side comments on his morals, and some on his performances: of his Orpheus and Eurydice, the author agrees that three flaming scenes of Hell, now left out, should have been omitted from the beginning. The Serpent, however, generally behaves himself so well, that "I have had more real pleasure in his appearance than if he had been a living one." Dislikes his replacing Ryan with Hallam, dislikes his abuse of Mrs Pritchard, criticizes his casting Hippisley as Polonius, since Polonius requires more than Hippisley can give, the latter being able to act only in the comic way.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes, and stage form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Tickets and Places to be had at Mrs Pritchard's in Duke's late Earl's Court, (Bow Street), at Mr Vaughan's at the Golden Fan, next the Royal Exchange, Cornhill; and of Hobson at the stage door. Receipts: #220 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel); cash, #63 10s. 6d.; tickets, #118 17s. (Clay MS). By her agreement she has ten Guineas return'd her out of this charge, and therefore I shall subtract that out of the rest (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Tickets and Places of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St. next Southampton St., Covent Garden; and of Hobson at the stage door. Being the last time of acting till the Holidays. Cash, #92 12s.; tickets, #56 8s.; total, #149 (Clay MS page reproduced in Oct. 1926 issue of Connoisseur, p. 93). A few days ago arriv'd in Town Mr Sheridan, Manager of the Theatre Royal in Dublin, and we hear as his stay is to be but short, he intends to perform only once, for the benefit of the poor sufferers by the late Fire (General Advertiser). [The fire happened the 25th in "Exchange alley (London) and in the space of 10 hours consumed a great number of houses occupied by persons in middling circumstances and with large families." Subscriptions were raised and distributed by a committee of ten bankers. See General Advertiser.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Relief of Sufferers by the late Fire. [It happened in the Exchange on 25 March. See General Advertiser accounts.] Boxes and Pit laid together at 5s. each. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. [Statement about gift of the night's box receipts (31 March) repeated. See note, 11 April.

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee and Matthews. Tickets and places to be had of Lee at Mr Oliphant's Exeter St., and of Matthews, at the Golden Ball in Duke's, late Earl's Court, Drury Lane. Receipts: #150 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash, #77 2s.; tickets, #82 7s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: SSignior Nicholini gives Chocolate Precisely at Twelve. Afterpiece: A tragi-comi-Fracical Whimsical Kind of a Dance in Grotesque Characters. The original Hint taken from a late unfortunate Irish Expedition

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Luke? Sparks. Tickets and places to be had of Hobson at the stage door, and of Sparks at Courteen's Coffee-House in Bow St., Covent Garden. Dramatic Censor, I, 34-35: The whole part of the King, except his soliloquy, is truly wretched for an actor: and, to say truth, I never saw one who did not make a very insipid figure in it, the late Mr Sparks excepted; he was great in the formentioned soliloquy, respectable in every passage of the least regard, and so peculiarly happy in falling, when stabled, from the throne, that we may truly say, a good end apologized for a very bad character. Receipts: #150 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash, #80 7s. 6d.; tickets, #91 5s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Play By Particular Desire. Last time of acting the Mainpiece this season. The Play of the Lover's Melancholy, and the Farce of the Club of Fortune Hunters, which were to have been acted this evening, for the Benefit of Mrs Macklin, are deferr'd till Thursday the 28th, on account of the Indisposition of Mr Barry; when tickets deliver'd out for the 22nd instant will be taken. Tomorrow, King Lear for the benefit of the suffers by the late fire. Receipts: #28 (Cross); #24 16s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Gift for ye Sufferers by ye fire in Cornhill (Cross). [A column and a half "Letter to the Author" appeared in the General Advertiser this day, laying historical background for Ford's Lover's Melancholy]. The history of the stage before the Restoration is like a Foreign Land, in which no Englishman had ever travelled; we know there were such things as Playhouses, and one Shakespear a great writer, but the historical traces of them are so imperfect, that the manner in which they existed is less known to us, than that of Eschylus or the theatres of Greece. For this reason, 'tis hoped that the following Gleaning of Theatrical History will readily obtain a place in your paper. 'Tis taken from a Pamphlet written in the reign of Charles I, with this quaint title, "Old Ben's Light Heart made heavy by young John's Melancholly Lover"; and as it contains some historical anecdotes and altercations concerning Ben Johnson, Ford, Shakespear, and the Lover's Melancholy it is imagined that a few extracts from it at this juncture, will not be unentertaining to the Public. [The substance of the remainder retails Jonson's critical cantankerousness and his wounded pride at the failure of the New Inn, quoting some epigrams made at Jonson's expense on his allegation that Ford was a plagiary. This second "puff" for the play, presumably also written by Macklin, formed the basis for a Steevens-Malone controversy late in the century, centering on the existence or nonexistence of the pamphlet referred to by Macklin as "Old Ben's Light Heart made Heavy, &c." A summary account of the evidence appears in the Dramatic Works of John Ford, by Henry Weber (Edinburgh, 1811) I, Intro. XVI, XXXI.] Receipts: #210 (Cross); #208 1s. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pritchard (Treasurer). Tickets delivered for the London Merchant will be taken. On April 12 that play was advertised for this evening--the part of George Barnwell to be performed (by particular desire) by Mrs Pritchard, Millwood by Mrs Furnival, and Lucy by Mrs Clive. Tickets to be had of Pritchard at his House in Duke's late Earl's Court, Bow St., Covent Garden; and of Hobson at the stage door. Tomorrow Lover's Melancholy, and a New Farce call'd The Club of Fortune Hunters for the Benefit of Mrs Macklin. Receipts: #180 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash #85 6s. 6d.; tickets, #81 9s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for Burton, Raftor, I. Sparks (Cross). Last week Mr Garrick Paid to Mr Belchier, Banker in Lombard St., #208 1s., being the whole money receiv'd at the Benefit Play of King Lear, which he most generously gave for the relief of the unhappy sufferers by the late most dredful fire in Cornhill, &c., whithout deducting any charges whatsoever. [See note, 3 May] Receipts: #180 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash, #56 19s. tickets, #128 10s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: At the Particular Desire of Several Persons of Quality. N.B.: [This bill] was put up, but Mr Garrick was seiz'd with an ague, & there was no play, nor the Doors open'd (Cross). The Managers of Drury Lane Playhouse paid the sum of #208 1s. [Being the whole money taken at the play of King Lear, for the benefit of the Sufferers by the late Fire] into the hands of Mt Knight and Mt Jackson; and not as mentioned by Mistake in yesterday's paper; and the whole company gave their night's pay for the said benefit. The last new Reviv'd Play, call'd The Lover's Melancholy, will be acted by particular desire next Thursday, at Drury Lane, to which will be added, Miss in her Teens, being the last time of performing it this season (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: By Desire, at his Auction Room, late the New Theatre in the Haymarket, Mr Foote will exhibit a Choice Collection of Pictures, all warranted Originals, with some entire new Lots. Places for boxes to be taken at the Auction Room. The Thirty-ninth Day. The auction to begin at exactly half an hour after six

Event Comment: Published at 1s. 6d. Romeo and Juliet, revised by Theo. Cibber, first rev[ived] in Sept. 1744 at the Theatre in the Haymarket. Now acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Great objects only strike the Gen'rous Heart@Praise the Sublime, o'er look the Mortal Part@Be there your judgment, Here your Candor shown@Small is our Portion-and we wish 'Twere none.-Prologue to Comus alter'd, &c. To which is added a Serio-Comic Apology for part of the life of Theophilus Cibber, Comedian, written by himself. Interspers'd with Memoirs and Anecdotes relating to the Stage managements, Theatrical Resolutions, &c., also Cursory Observations on some Pribcipal players. Particularly, Mr Quin, Ryan, Delane, Mrs Woffington, Mrs Ward, Miss Bellamy, Mr Garrick, Barry, Mrs Cibber, Mrs Clive, Mrs Pritchard and others. Likewise Original Letters that passed between the late Sir Thomas deVeil and Mr Theophilus Cibber relating to the Stage Act. "Each Puny Critic can Objections raise@The Greatest still is Knowing when to praise,"-Buckingham. Concluding with a Copy of Verses called The Contrite Comedian's Confession. Printed for C. Corbett &c. (General Advertiser). [This pamphlet details Cibber's troubles with Fleetwood during the years 1743-46.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); #151 11s. (Powel)

Event Comment: We hear that the Tragedy of Coriolanus, wrote by the late Mr Thompson, has been rehearsed at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, and will be perform'd there on Friday next

Event Comment: To be seen a Person who performs the most surprizing Things...he presents you with a common Wine bottle, which any of the Spectators may first examine; this Bottle is plac'd on a Table in the Middle of the Stage, and he (without any Equivocation) goes into it in Sight of all the Spectators, and sings in it; during his Stay in the Bottle, any Person may handle it, and see plainly that it does not exceed a common Tavern Bottle. The Performance continues about Two Hours and a Half. These Performances have been seen by most of the Crowned Heads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, and never appear'd anywhere Public but once. Stage 7s. 6d. where Masks may be worn. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. [The famous Bottle Conjurer hoax.] Theatre was crowded...by five o'clock; at seven the house was lighted up [but not music]...a Person came before the Curtain, and, bowing, promis'd if Mr Conjurer did not arrive in half an Hour, their Money should be return'd...after near an Hour...a Gentleman in the Box snatch'd a Candle lighted, and in Violence threw it on the Stage; this was the Signal for the Onset of Battle...the Boxes, Seats, Glasses, Scenes, Chairs, Machinery, and all the Furniture of the Play House, were in less than ten Minutes carried into the Street...an excellent Bonfire was made of Mr Foote's Auction Room...it may put a [pe]riod to the Auction, till the Theatre can be refitted.--Charles Adams to John Gilbert-Cooper, Theatre Notebook, XI (1957) p. 139. [Potter was still owner of this theatre.] Those opposed to a recent late book would have been gratified had the Conjurer jumped into the bottle and proved that miracles had not yet ceased."--Daily Advertiser, 17 Jan. Last Night a numerous Audience, among whom were several Persons of Quality, was at the New Theatre in the Haymarket, in wonderful Expectation of seeing the Miraculous Man creep into a Bottle, and do several other Miracles; but the only one he perform'd was, that he render'd himself invisible (without any Equivocation) to the no small Disappointment of the gaping Multitude; who, being told from behind the Curtain that the Performer had not yet appear'd, but that if they would stay until the next Night, instead of a Quart Bottle he should creep into a Pint, immediately grew outrageous, and in a Quarter of an Hour's Time broke to Pieces all the Boxes, Benches, Scenes, and everything that was in their power to destroy, leaving only the Shell of the House remaining. Surely this will deter anyone from venturing to impose on the public in the like manner for the future.--General Advertiser, 17 Jan. [See also dl Comment 18, 19, 20, 27 Jan.

Event Comment: Note in General Advertiser: For the Benefit of the Author's Sisters, Box and Pit Tickets for Coriolanus, a Tragedy written by the late Mr Thomson, and now acting at Covent Garden Theatre, are to be had of A. Millar, opposite to Catherine Street in the Strand; J. Davidson in the Poultry; and R. Dodsley in Pall Mall

Event Comment: Tomorrow will be publish'd at 1s. 6d., Coriolanus, a Tragedy; as it is now acting at Covent Garden, by the late James Thompson

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Copen, Miss Haughton, Mrs Gondou, and Madem Contair. Tickets deliver'd out for the support of the two orphan children of the late Mr Mullart will be taken