Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. [Winston MS 10 lists Merope & Pigmy Revels, but notes that the bills indicate Way to Keep him.] School for Fathers deferr'd. Mrs Wrighten hoarse. Epistle to David Garrick published by Lloyd 2s. (Winston MS 10). Paid Mr Dimon upon Acct #5 5s. Receipts: #171 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid salary list #513 17s. 6d.; Miss Mansell on acct #5 5s.; Mr Clinch on acct #5 5s.; Rec'd Stopages #16 13s. Receipts: #154 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #183 17s

Event Comment: Paid half year's water to Xmas last #3 2s.; Mr Costain's Rent &c. #6 6s. Receipts: #189 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Masque of Comus oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Indisposition of Reinhold. Paid Varley (plumber) #38 10s.; Huddy (ropemaker) #28 10s. Heafford (plasterer) #23 6s. (Account Book). Receipts: #180 18s. 6d

Event Comment: Boniface-Ackman (Public Advertiser). This day only. Paid $Mr C. Bannister on note #50. Receipts: #262 7s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Stephens (mason) #13 3s., and Wilford (painter) #9 4s. 6d. as per bills (Account Book). Receipts: #202 19s. 6d

Event Comment: The 22nd Night of Elfrida is oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of the Indisposition of a Principal Performer. Paid Noble (upholsterer) #73, and Jack (blacksmith) as per Bills #23 12s. (Account Book). Receipts: #121 13s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Whitefield quarter year's salary due Xmas last #25, and Sarjant quarter year's salary due same time, #10. Advanc'd cash to Lee Lewes as per note #50 (Account Book). Receipts: #215 2s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these two years. [See 13 April 1771.] Paid Mr Cropley (linnen draper) #14 16s.; Sandys & Co. (colourmen) #50 3s.; Mr Chettel (timbermerchant) #52 4s.; Mr Cole (turner) #46 3s.; Mr Barrow & Co. for Oil, #46 6s. 6d.; Mrs Vaughan (haberdasher) #22 18s.; Mr Callon for men's cloaths #30 (Treasurer's book). Receipts: #217 4s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Malthus one year's rent Xmas last (#2 2s. 6d. Tax deducted) #30 17s. 6d. Mr J. French on acct. #15 15s.; Mr Batchelor for men's cloaths #5 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #258 1s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Every Man in His Humour oblig'd to be Deferr'd. Paid Joseph Stephenson as per Certificate from Sir John Fielding, 10s. (Account Book). Receipts. #156

Event Comment: Paid salary list #513 17s. 6d.; Mr Davies's draft to Gapper, #4 7d.; Miss Mansell's salary in full to this day #7 17s.; Rec'd stopages #19 18s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #153 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid half year's Poor's rate for St Martin's to Xmas last #27 10s. Receipts: #143 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #179 4s

Event Comment: All for Love deferr'd. Miss Younge ill. Paid Mr Clinch in full of salary to 23rd Inst. excl. #12 14s.; Mr Powney (stationer) #7 14s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #232 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Calthorpe's first payment #157 10s.; Mr G. Garrick on acct #100; Tallow chandler's 5th bill, #42 2s. 3d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #250 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. The Masque of Comus oblig'd to be deferr'd. Paid Leverton & Co. (bricklayers) #182 19s. Paid Holme & Co. (timber merchants) #72 1s. Paid Evans (sawyer) #7 12s. (Account Book). Receipts: #168 16s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Rec'd from Condell on Acct for Fruit Rent #20. Rec'd by an Overcharge in Mrs Lynn's Bill 7 Jan. last 12s., and by ditto in Messrs Benn and Pugh's Bill of 5 June last #2 14s. 6d. [Neither of these bills is recorded in the Account Books available.] Paid half year's water rate for the Theatre due Xmas, #3 (Account Book). Receipts: #218 15s. 6d

Event Comment: Music of Afterpiece entirely new Composed by Dibdin. [An adaptation of Goldoni's Il Filosofo di Campagna.] Book of Songs to be had at Theatre (playbill). The Wedg R. a Comic Opera of Two Acts wrote & composed by Mr Dibdin. The Music very pretty--as the Author was kept a Secret The Town fancy'd that is one of Mr Bickerstaff & call'd out to know who was the Author. Mr Garrick inform'd them that he had no power to declare who the Author was but he could assure them that it was not Mr Bickerstaffs this did not Satisfy them at last Mr Dibdin went on & declard himself to be the Author & made an Affidavit of it & then the Farce went on with Applause (Hopkins Diary). [Account of The Wedding Ring in Westminster Magazine for Feb. 1773.] Paid #4 4s. for licensing The Wedding Ring and Alonzo (Treasurer's Book). [Maria Macklin, in a MS letter to her father, 3 Feb. 1773, commented fully on this night's performance: "Written as it was suppos'd by Bickerstaffe. The music by Dibdin. I went with a party into the Gallery to see the event as there was a great riot expected, & indeed never did I see an audience more inflamed. They would not suffer them to begin the piece. At last Mr King came on with a written paper in his hand, which he said he was desir'd to read in the name of the managers. After a great noise they let him read it. He said just before the play began the managers had receiv'd a letter from Mr Dibdin in which he declared that Bickerstaff was not the author of that piece, that he had made oath of it, and was ready to do the same again, but that for very particular reasons the author could not be given up. Then they stopp'd him & roar'd out that the author should be given up then. He continued as loud as he possibly could, reading on that 'but that if Mr Dibdin did not very soon given up the author he never should be suffered to appear again on that stage or any other.' Very luckily that turn'd them as I believe the House would have come down. The piece then began. Before the end of the first act one of Bannister's songs were encor'd. The other party were against it and would not let it go on. They all stood up and insisted that the author should be known then. After some time the house being nothing but confusion, Dibdin was push'd upon the stage ready to drop with fright, and declared that he was the author himself. Then they were as noisy the other way. Made them finish the piece, but how you may guess in a storm. It is like the Padlock, but the songs not so good." (Brander Matthews, Actors and Actresses, extra illustrated, Vol. I. Harvard Theatre Collection.). Westminster Magazine this month included in parallel columns flattering "Characters of Mr Garrick and Mr Colman," the Rival managers. The article especially praised Garrick's acting.] Receipts: #252 3s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Mr Weston per Mr G. Garrick's 3 notes #19 11s. 6d.; Mrs Robinson in full of salary #32. Receipts: #218 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Patrick (tinman) #51 19s. (Account Book). As the tragedy of Elfrida, written (after the Greek manner) by that most excellent poet Mr Mason, has met with such singular applause at Covent Garden Theatre, I cannot help lamenting that our English Roscius has never had a play of Sophocles (translated into English blank verse) represented at Drury Lane. The plays in general, are the finest ever written; and the Oedipus Tyrannus is, in my opinion, the properest to be represented at present, both for the grandeur of the chorusses and the magnificence of the scenery. I mention this because I think this new species of drama would be better received, by an English audience, than all the Golden Pippins, or Nonpareils, that have lately appeared on the stage. (signed) Cantab (Gentleman's Magazine , XLIII, 74). Receipts: #183 16s

Event Comment: Characters in Afterpiece New Dress'd. Paid Mr Weston per Mr G. G's note #4 11s. 7d. (Treasurer's Book). [King's costume in part of Wilding cost #8 12s. 3d. Payment made 4 March.] Receipts: #174 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Maria Macklin in a MS letter to her father this date (See dl 1 Feb. 73) complains that Elfrida alone drew houses at cg this season, and that even that play failed to fill the galleries; that Colman was difficult to see; that Younger carried on all the business of the theatre, everyone kowtowing to him: "Savigny has been discharged from the theatre; Ross has been laid up all the winter with the Gout, and has lately played Lear to a thin house. The Town is big with expectation of Foote's Puppet Show."] Receipts: #166 6s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted in two years. [See 15 May 1771.] Paid Mr Weston per Mr G. G's note #18 7s. Receipts: #148 3s. (Treasurer's Book)