Event Comment: On Tuesday next will be presented The Relapse, or Virtue in Danger, the part of Lord Foppington to be perform'd by Mrs. Cibber. [This day appeared in the papers an account of the salaries of present-day actors compared with those in the time of Wilkes and Betterton, suggesting great overpayment of Garrick, Macklin, &c. This, according to Mrs Clive (Case, p. 8) was a false account.

Event Comment: Performance After the manner of an Oratorio Set by Mr Handel. Tickets will be deliver'd to subscribers on paying their subscription money, this day and every day following at Mr Handel's House in Brook Street, near Hanover Square, where attendance will be given from nine o'clock in the Morning till three in the afternoon. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office in the theatre at Half a Guinea each, First Gallery 5s.; Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. [Customary notice which will not be repeated.] Gallery opened at Four o'clock, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Six. Mrs Delany to Mrs Dewes: There is a four-part song that is delightfully pretty...there was no disturbance at the playhouse. -Delany, Autobiography, II, 262. [Libretto by Congreve.

Event Comment: This month was printed The Dispute between the Managers and Their Actors Adjusted. See Gentlemen's Magazine Register of Books

Event Comment: There is now in rehearsal and is to be acted in few days an New Historical Play call'd The Alternative, Tyranny or Liberty

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office at cg theatre, at half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half an hour after Four o'clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half an hour after Six. The Subscribers who favoured Mr Handel last season with their subscription, are desired to send to the office at cg on the day of the performance, where two tickets shall be deliver'd to each Gratis, in order to make good the Number of Performances subscrib'd to last season. [Recitative and chorus. Words taken from Milton and Spenser (Edition of 1746). Rehearsed at Handel's lodgings on 7 Feb. Burney and DeFesch in orchestra. (Deutsch, Handel, pp. 629-30.) Librettist not known, possibly Thomas Morell.

Event Comment: The Characters all New Dress'd. A new Comedy [by Dr Benjamin Hoadly] never before acted. [The previous July Garrick had been entertained by the Rev. Dr John Hoadly at Alresford and carried on a pleasant correspondence with him afterwards. In his letter 19 Aug. 1746 (Folger) he wrote]: I had the pleasure of the Doctor's company [brother Benjamin Hoadly] to supper at my lodgings the night before I set out for this place; we talk'd about Ranger, but whether he will appear next winter or sleep forever in ye scritore, is not yet determined: 'tis pit, faith. [That this friendship was exceedingly profitable to Garrick is indicated by the fact that Benjamin Hoadly seems to have turned over the profits from the three author's nights to Garrick. (1) Garrick by a bargain with John Rich received #80 advance cash and promised to pay nightly charges (3rd, 6th, & 9th nights) of #60, and (2) to divide equally the remaining profits on those nights. The agreement was drawn 27 Dec. 1746. Garrick noted on this document]: N.B. the copy of the play is my own, and the profit arising from the printing of it. [Hoadly seems to have received only the #100 given him by George II for dedicating the printed copy to him.] [Settlement for the three performances was made 6 April. Total receipts for those nights (14, 18, 21 Feb.) was #570 11s. Total expenses were #182 2s. (including #2 2s. for the licensing). The profit of #388 9s. was equally divided and Garrick received his #194 4s. 6d. on that day. He had received the other #80 the day before the play opened, 11 Feb. 1747. See documents in Folger, Holograph Letters of David Garrick, p. 38, seemingly Edmund Malone's copy, of BM Add MSS 21508.] Receipts: #205 9s. 6d

Event Comment: This Day is Publish'd The Roman and English Comedy consider'd and compared. With Remarks on the Suspicious Husband; and an examen into the Merits of the present Comic Actors by S. Foote, Esq. This day is publish'd in Two Volumes a Companion to the Theatre or a View of our most celebrated dramatic pieces. In which the Plan, Characters and Incidents, of each are particularly explained. Interspersed with remarks Historical, Critical, and Moral. Price Bound 6s. Printed for J. Nourse, at the Lamb, over against Katherine St. in the Strand

Event Comment: Benefit for Foote, being the last Time of his Performing this Season. Tickets deliver'd for Wednesday the third will be taken this Day. Servants will be admitted to keep Places on the Stage, which for the better Accommodation of the Ladies are form'd into Side-Boxes

Event Comment: The Nineteenth Day. As many of Mr Foote's Customers will be out of Town next Week, his Auction Room will be open'd only this Day, Thursday and Saturday during the week

Event Comment: [Both pieces advertised at foot of previous day's bill. But no notice of the performance in this day's paper. Only advertisements for Beaux Stratagem to be played Friday, and Way of the World on Saturday.

Event Comment: [MS note in hand of Colley Cibber (in R. J. Smith, History of the Stage, Vol. IV. BM 11826r)]: December 25, 1750 Sr. Tho' Death has been cooling his his [sic] heels at my door these three weeks, I have not had time to see him. The Dayly conversation of my friends have kept me so agreeably alive, that I have not passed my time better a great while. If you have a mind to make [?] us, I will order Death to come another day--to be serious I long to see you, and hope you will take the first opportunity. And so wish as merry a Christmas, as many New Years as your heart can hope for, I am Your real friend and Serv't C. Cibber Xmas Day

Event Comment: Pit and boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this day, at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre, at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be open'd at Half an Hour after Four c'oclock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Half an Hour after Six [repeated]. This day is publish'd Compos'd by Handel, at 10s. 6d., The Oratorio Joshua, in Score...Printed for J. Walsh, in Catherine St. in the Strand

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Judas Macchabaeus: a Sacred Drama as it is performed at Covent Garden. Set by Mr Handel. Printed for J. Watts. This day Publish'd The Oracle, a Comedy of one act as it is perform'd at Covent Garden, at 1s. By Mrs Cibber printed for R. Dosdley in Pall Mall, &c

Event Comment: great Nreat Noise--before the Entertainm[en]t began Mr Garrick went on & said--Gent: as we find the new Scene, tho' it pleases some, offends others & as we wou'd please all, we shall omit it after this Night--but I hope when the other House is merry with us, we may be merry with them--the Song was printed & thrown down from ye Slips--great Noise--great applause--some blows in the pit--some Gents insisted upon its being given out again, wch Mr Lacy did--the Inspector very Impudent to-day (14th) about Woodward for saying I thank you to Fitzpatrick who threw an Apple at him from ye Stage Box on Fryday last--the fool against us to-day (Cross). [Cross omits receipts this night.

Event Comment: This day at noon will be published at 6d. A Letter to Mr Henry Woodward, Comedian, occasioned by his letter to the Inspector. by Simon Partridge, the facetious Cobbler of Pall Mall, and son to the late Mr Partridge, famous for his dispute with Isaac Bickerstaff. "Barbarian to attack, a chymist, Critick, Journalist, and Quack" (Anon). Printed for H. Jeffrey in Pope's Head Alley, Cornhill. [Another mock defense of Hill, casting opprobrium on him in the manner of the eightenth-century bully boys of the bathroom. A second edition of Sampson Edwards' Letter to Woodward appeared this day. See Comment, 9 Dec.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Animal Comedians are in a Few Days to leave England. Forty-second Day

Event Comment: During the short time of Bartholomew Fair, which begins this Day, Mrs Midnight from the Haymarket, will entertain the Town with her Jubilee Concert, after the Venetian Manner at the Large Room, Swan Yard, West Smithfield. Mrs Midnight humbly entreats the Nobility and Gentry not to encore any of her Performers on account of the Shortness of the Fair. The Room to be illuminated with Wax Lights. A Flag will be hoisted, during the Fair, over the Passage leading to my Room. To begin each Day at 12 Noon. Prices 3s., 2s., 1s. Mrs Midnight Entertains, gratis, with La Je Ne Sca Quoi

Event Comment: At the Large Commodious Room at the lower end of the Swan Inn Yard, West Smithfield, during the short time of Bartholemew Fair, which begins this day. The Characters dressed in the Italian manner. Scenes, Cloaths, Machinery, and other Decorations entirely New. To began each day at 12:00 noon. A very extraordinary band of musick is provided, and the Room decorated in an elegant Manner, for the better reception of the Nobility and Gentry. There is a back door to Hosier Lane for the conveniency of those who don't chose to be crowded...The passages will be elegantly illuminated