Event Comment: DDaily Post, 28 Sept.: Yesterday Morning [27 Sept.] between Nine and Ten o'Clock, Robert Wilks, Esq., one of the Patentees and Managers of his Majesty's Company of Comedians, died, at his House in Bow-street, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: [The opening of Covent Garden Theatre.] Written by the late Mr Congreve. The Cloaths, Scenes, and Decorations entirely New. And, on Account of the great Demand for Places, the Pit and Boxes, by Desire, will be laid together at 5s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. And to prevent the Scenes being crowded, the Stage Half a Guinea. All Persons who want Places are desir'd to send to the Stage Door (the Passage from Bow-street leading to it), where Attendance will be given, and Places kept for the following Nights as usual. Receipts: #115

Event Comment: Daily Post, 25 Dec: Last Night there was a Rehearsal of a new Opera at the Prince of Wales's House in the Royal Gardens in Pall-Mall, where was present a great Concourse of the Nobility and Quality of both Sexes: some of the choicest Voices and Hands assisted in the Performance

Event Comment: Benefit Harper. Tickets at Harper's House in Katherine-strcet, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Not Acted these Forty Years. Written by Mr Dryden. And new Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations, particularly An Exact Representation of Merlin's Cave, as in the Royal Gardens at Richmond. Boxes and Balconies on the Stage 5s. Boxes 4s. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 1s. 6d. No After-Money will be taken. [According to edition of 1736, the Prologue and Epilogue were written by Mr Sterling.]

Event Comment: Benefit Freeman. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Twelve Years. By particular Desire. Afterpiece: With Alterations. And a Description of Tom King's Coffee-house in Covent-Garden. At Common Prices [4s., 2s. 6d., and 1s. 6d. in Daily Advertiser]. 6 P.M

Event Comment: At Petty's Old Playhouse, the End of Tottenham Court, leading up to Hampstead Road. With a Representation of Merlin's Cave, and the Hermitage, as in the Royal Gardens at Richmond. Likewise several other Scenes performed by Merlin's Art. 10 A.m. to 9 P.M. [To play from 4 Aug. to 20 Aug.]

Event Comment: By the Company of Comedians from Goodman's Fields. Written by Mr Dryden. With new Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations, particularly an exact Representation of Merlin's Cave, as in the Royal Gardens, Richmond. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s, Middle Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. At 6 p.m.[The Prologue was printed in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 1 Oct.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve, London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 2 Oct.: Last Night in the Entertainment of Dr Faustus...when the Machine wherein were Harlequin, the Miller's Wife, the Miller and his the Miller's Man, was got up to the full Extent of its flying, one of the Wires which held up the hind part of the Car broke first, and then the other broke, and the Machine, and all the People in it fell down Upon the Stage; by which unhappy Accident the young Woman who personated the Miller's Wife had her Thigh broke, and her Kneepan shatter'd, and was otherways very much bruised, the Harlequin had his Head bruised, and his Wrist strained; the Miller broke his Arm; and the Miller's Man had his Scull so fractured that his Life in despaired of. Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 6 Oct.: Covent Garden has given me a sort of surfeit of Mr Rich and his cleverness, for I was at [cg] when the machine broke t'other night; the house was in amaze for above a minute, and I dare say a great many in the galleries thought it very desterously performed, and that they screamed as naturally as heart could wish, till they found it was no jest, by their calling for surgeons, of whom several luckily happened to be in the pit. I stayed to see the poor creatures brought out of the house, and pity poor Mrs Buchanan not a little, whom I saw put into a chair in such a fright that as she is big with child, I question whether it may not kill her.-Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Thomas Gray, I, 113-14

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir Richard Steele. Mrs Pendarves to Mrs Ann Granville, 8 Jan.: I was this morning regaled with Mr Handel's new opera called Arminius, it was rehearsed at Covent Garden.--Delany, Autobiography, I, 587

Event Comment: [P$Prince and Princess of Wales present.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 1 Feb. A great Disturbance made on Saturday last at Covent Garden

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these Thirty Years. All the Characters New Dress'd. Afterpiece: A New Dramatick Pantomime Entertainment. With New Cloaths, Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations. An Exact Representation of the Hermitage, as in the Royal Garden at Richmond. And Entire New Musick, compos'd by Mr Jones. [Author not known. Apparently not published.] Daily Advertiser, 2 Feb.: When one of the Changes [on 1 Feb.] by Chance miscarried, a second Attempt was generally desir'd, which, when executed, was so pleasing, a general Clap continu'd for more than the Space of a Minute

Event Comment: Benefit Berry. For the Entertainment of the Grand Master, and the rest of the Brethren...of Free and Accepted Masons. By Desire, two Rows of the Pit will be rail'd into the Boxes for Masons only, who are desir'd to attend the Grand Master at the Shakespear's Head, Covent-Garden, exactly at Five o'clock, in order to proceed to the Play. Tickets to be had of Berry, in Crown-Court, Russell Street

Event Comment: LLord Wentworth to the Earl of Strafford, 19 Jan.: We was at Covent Garden Play House last night, my mother was so good as to treat us with it, and the Dragon of Wantcliff was the farce. I like it vastly and the musick is excessive pretty, and tho it is a burlesque on the operas yet Mr Handel owns he thinks the tunes very well composed....and it has been acted 36 times already and they are always pretty full. The poor operas I doubt go on but badly, for tho every body praises both Cafferielli and the opera yet it has never been full, and if it is not now at first it will be very empty towards the latter end of the winter.--Wentworth Papers, p. 539

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. [See London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 10 Feb., for a Prologue Occasioned by the Encouragement several Ladies of Quality have lately given to the Revival of Shakespear's Plays at Covent Garden Theatre.

Event Comment: Benefit the Widow of Mr Walter Aston, and her Three Children. At Mr Rainton's, The Crown and Cushion, in Russel-Street, Covent Garden. 7 p.m. 1s

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Horton. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir Richard Steele. [Tickets at Mrs Horton's Lodgings, the Angel in Bedford Street, Covent Garden.

Event Comment: Benefit Oates and Miss Oates. Tickets at Oates', within two Doors of Mitre Tavern, James Street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: With all the Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations proper to the Opera, particularly, An exact Representation of Merlin's Cavev, as in the Royal Gardens at Richmond

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Benefit Cibber. [Tickets at Cibber's Lodgings at the Shell House in Spring Garden.] Receipts: money #65 15s. 6d.; seals #126 7s. (Account Book); #230 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: HHallam from the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden, Over-against the Hospital Gate. Afterpiece: A new Ballad Opera. 1 p.m. to 11 p.m

Event Comment: DDavid Garrick to Peter Garrick: We have greater Business than Either Drury Lane or Convent Garden; Mr. Giffard himself Gave Me yesterday twenty Guinease for a Ticket & next Week I design buyin #200 of my Stock out of my Profits of Playing.-Little, Pineapples, p. 27

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Garrick to Peter Garrick (Dec. 1741): You perhaps would be glad to know what parts I have play'd, King Richd-+Jack Smatter in Pamela-Clody fop's fortune-Lothario fair Penitent-Chamont Orphan-Ghost Hamlet-& Shall soon be ready in Bays in ye Rehearsal-and in ye part of Othello-Both of which I believe will do Me and Giffard great Service-I have had great Success in all, & 'tis not yet determin'd whether I play Trajedy or Comedy best-$Old Cibber has spoke with ye Greatest Commendation of my Acting, as to playing a Harlequin 'tis quite false-Yates last Season was taken very ill & was not able to begin ye Entertainment so I put on ye Dress & did 2 or three Scenes for him, but Nobody knew it but him & Giffard; I know it has been Said I play'd Harlequin at Covent Garden but it is quite false.-Little, Pineapples, pp. 28-29

Event Comment: Benefit Gentleman with a large Famil y, under Misfortunes. Tickets 4s., 2s. 6d., to be had of Alexander Burges, Hardwareman, near Finch Lane, Cornhill; Tickets deliver'd out for the Tender Husband, which was to have been perform'd at Covent-Garden on Friday the 8th Instant, will be taken at this concert