Event Comment: Benefit Cook and Laurence. All Friends are desir'd to be there betimes, by reasons of the Length of the Entertainments. Tickets 2s. 6d. Beginning between 6 and 7 a Clock

Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman, Note, The Subscribers are desir'd not to bring their Tickets this Day, his Friends having promis'd to make this a Jubilee Day to him, and fill the House at the full Price, Mr Penkethman being at a greater Charge than ordinary. For the Entertainment of Madam la Signiora Fount, Signiora, Espagnola, Native d'Barcellone di cale Quallificatta, who will, in a particular Manner, hounour Mr Penkethman...by appearing in her own Country Habit. The Boxes opened to the Pit at 2s. 6d. At five o'clock, by reason of thelength of the Entertainments, and that the Gentry may return to London before 'tis Dark

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of Esquire Bickerstaff, who will honour Mr Penkethman with his Presence. These Performances will be done between the 1st and 4th Act, by reason Esquire Bickerstaff is oblig'd to be gone when the 3d Act is over. Altho' Mr Penkethman is at an Extraordinary Charge for these Entertainments, besides the Play, yet to oblige his Friends he lets 'em in at Common Prices [as 7 Aug.]. Note, No Subscribers Tickets will pass this Day

Event Comment: At the desire of several Perons of Quality will be perform'd that great and celebrated Scene in Julius Caesar at the table between Brutus and Cassius , Written by the Immortal Shakespeare. And altho' Mr Penkethman is at an extraordinary Charge in providing these Entertainments, to oblige his Friends he lets them in at Common Prices [as 7 Aug.]. Note, The Subscribers' Tickets have free Admittance

Event Comment: [By Ambrose Phillips.] At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. William Egerton: And in the Spring came on Mr Phillips's Tragedy, The Distrest Mother. Mrs Rogers, an Actress, who in her Turn, had made a considerable Figure on the Stage, was designed the Part of (Andromache, Hector's Widow, &. i.e.) the Distrest Mother. But the Author, as well as his Friends, were soon convinced that Mrs Oldfield was infinitely the more accomplished Person for so Capital a Part. Upon its being given to Her, Mrs Rogers raised a Posse of Profligates, fond of Tumult and Riot, who made such a Commotion in the House, that the Court hearing of it send four of the Royal Messengers, and a strong Guard, to suppress all Disorders. This being effected, the Play was brought upon the Stage and crowned with deserved Success (Egerton, pp. 31-32)

Event Comment: [By Joseph Addison.] Never Acted before. G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival, 16 April: On Tuesday last...Cato was acted the first time. I am informed the front boxes were all bespoke for nine days, a fortnight before the play was acted. I was present with Mr Addison, and two or three more friends in a side box, where we had a table and two or three flasks of burgundy and champagne, with which the author (who is a very sober man) thought it necessary to support his spirits in the concern he was then under, and indeed it was a pleasant refreshment to us all between the acts....The actors were at the expence of new habits, which were very magnificent. (Rand, p. 113. See also Victor, II, 29-31, and Cibber, I, 122-23, II, 127-33)

Event Comment: He gives his humble Duty to the Quality and Service to his Friends and Acquaintances, hoping they will grace his first Night, at 6 p.m. 1s. N.B. All this is perform'd by Mr Anthony Aston, his Wife and Son of 10 Years only, and will continue Nightly, Bills being stuck up of the whole Entertainment, which varies each Night

Event Comment: A riot caused the acting of Cato to cease in Act IV. See The Weekly Packet 1 March, The Evening Post 22-25 Feb., The Post Boy 22-25 Feb. The most complete account appeared in Read's Original Weekly Journal, 1 March: The Night before had been the Third Night of a New Comedy, written by a young Gentleman of good Interest, and well respected, and the Boxes were bespoke for Monday Night, but a certain Ruler of that House, remarkable for Ill-Nature and Immorality, stop'd the Run of the Play, and caus'd the Tragedy of Cato to be given out...and tho' he was earnestly expostulated with on the Injustice of such a Proceeding, yet he obstinately persisted in his Resolution, which the Friends of the Author of the New Play very much resented: But this was not all, for when Cato came to be play'd, Mr Wilks, Mrs Oldfield, and Mrs Porter, who have principal Parts had given them to some of the inferior Players, which was look'd on as Riding the Audience, who would no longer Brook what they look'd on as an Insult, but with their hisses, Catcalls, &c. deafen'd the House, and drown'd the Shrill Pipes of the Actors; insomuch that the loudest Rant in Lee or Shakespear had been no more to be prefer'd to it, than the Noise of a Flagelot to the whistling of a Tempest; till the End the Players were obliged to retreat to their Fastnesses, unable any longer to Stand their Assaults; for they were storm'd with Orange-Peals, &c. as well as bombarded with Hisses Huzzas and Catcalls. Nor wou'd the Audience suffer them to Capitulate or receive any Offers of Submission, but calling for a Dance, put an End to the Play, in the middle of the 4th Act

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. At the particular desire of the Author's Friends, Two Benches of the Pit will be rail'd in, at the Price of the Boxes

Event Comment: Benefit Bickerstaff, who has not been able to wait on his Friends, by reason of his being lame. By Command. Tickets for Henry VIII taken. Original Weekly Journal, 25 April: His Majesty was to have come to Drury Lane... but was prevented by the arrival of some important Dispatches from abroad

Event Comment: Benefit Bickerstaff, who, being very Lame, cannot wait on his Friends as usual, but hopes they will favour him with their Company

Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman. N.B. Mr Penkethman being still Indispos'd he hopes that all his Friends will shew him their usual Favours on this Occasion, and excuse his not waiting on them

Event Comment: Benefit Bickerstaffe. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. N.B. The sudden and unexpected Death of Mrs Bickerstaffe (and his extream Pain, and Lameness with the Gout) has prevented the proper Application to the Quality, and his Friends. Yet (not withstanding) tis hoped, they will, with their usual Goodness, favor him with their Appearance

Event Comment: Benefit all the Lilliputians. As there will be no Tickets printed on this Occasion, we hope that our Friends will be so kind as to encourage our Endeavours, and favour us with their Companies. Receipts: #85 16s. 6d. Probable attendance: boxes, 126 paid; stage, 5 paid; pit, 200 paid; slips, 20 paid; first gallery, 135 paid; second gallery, 129 paid

Event Comment: Benefit Leveridge. N.B. Mr Leveridge hopes that his Friends accept of this Invitation, and favour him with their Companies, since a tedious Indisposition hath rendered him incapable of waiting on them in Person. Receipts: money #39 4s.; tickets #87 19s

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. For the Conveniency of the Author's Friends, the Pit and Boxes will be laid together

Event Comment: Benefit Carey. With some Additional Songs proper to the Characters, which will be printed, and given Gratis to all Persons at their Entrance. [A Tragedy of half an act entitled Did You Ever See The Like? was advertised as an afterpiece for this day 1n Fog's, 28 Nov.] Daily Post, 3 Dec.: Our Friend Harry Carey having this Night a Benefit...the Powers of Music, Painting, and Poetry, assemble in his Behalf, he being an Admirer of the three Sister Arts: The Body of Musicians meet in the Hay-market, from whence they march in great Order, preceded by a magnificent moving Organ, in Form of a Pageant, accompany'd by all Kinds of Musical Instruments ever in Use, from Tubal Cain to this Day: A great Multitude of Booksellers, Authors and Printers, form themselves into a Body at Temple-Bar, from whence of Printers Devils, with their proper Implements: Here the two Bodies of Music and Poetry are joined by the Brothers of the Pencil, where taking a Glass of Refreshment at the Bedford-Arms, they make a solemn Procession to the Theatre, amidst an innumerable Croud of Spectators

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [by Charles Johnson.] With New Habits. [See Preface for an account of the noisy reception of the play, and Lord Hervey and his Friends, p. 61, for Hervey's amusing account of the first night.

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of El Hadgee Moham'd Assayd, sent to His Majesty from the Dey and Divan of Algiers, and his Friend El Hadgee Ali

Event Comment: [T$Their Majesties, Prince, Duke, Princesses, and Duke of Lorrain present. See Lord Hervey and His Friends, p. 103.