Event Comment: Mainpiece: Being a True Story in Common Life, and the Incidents extremely affecting. Written by the Author of George Barnwell [George Lillo]. N.B. This is much the coolest House in Town. At Common Prices, viz. Boxes 5s. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 1s. 6d. [For a puff, see Daily Advertiser, 25 May.] Daily Advertiser, 28 May: Last Night . . . Guilt its own Punishment . . . was acted . . . with the greatest Applause that has been shewn to any Tragedy for many Years. The Scenes of Distress were so artfully work'd up, and so well perform'd, that there scarce remain'd a dry Eye among the Spectators at the Representation; and during the Scene preceding the Catastrophe, an attentive Silence possess'd the whole House, more expressive of an universal Approbation than the loudest Applauses

Event Comment: By Pasquin's Company of Comedians. At the Great Theatrical Booth in the Half-Moon Yard. The Company will continue playing till the 22d. Noon to Ten P.M. [Advertised 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 Sept. The Duke expected to attend on 14 Sept.]

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: By Desire of Mrs Mapp, the Famous Bone-Setter of Epsom. Daily Journal, 18 Oct.: On Saturday Evening there was such a Concourse of People at [lif] to see the famous Mrs Mapp, that several Gentlemen and Ladies were obliged to return back for want of Room. She came there about eight o'Clock in her Coach and Four....The Confusion at going out was so great, that several Gentlemen and Ladies had their Pocket picked

Event Comment: Benefit a Widow, who has met with great Losses in Trade

Event Comment: Benefit a Person in Great Distress

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 24 Jan.: We hear that the new grand Pantomime Entertainment, design'd to be perform'd in a few Days at [lif], was practis'd there on Saturday last before a great many People of Quality and Distinction, who gave particular Marks of their Approbation to every Change, and were highly pleas'd with the Musick, compos'd b Mr Jones

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: Never Acted before. [By John Hewitt.] Preface to edition of 1737: This Comedy made it's Appearance under many Disadvantages:...It was read for the first Time to the Performers, Tuesday the 15th, and acted Monday the 21st. Mrs Giffard, who had been Ill the Whole Season, undertook the Character of Lady Betty Manly, but finding herself indisposed, returned the Part on Thursday Evening. It was then given to Mrs Hamilton, who on Saturday about one in the Afternoon declared she could not do it unless it was cut, which the Nature of that Part not admitting, there was a Necessity to ask the Favour of Miss Hughes to undertake it, who with a great deal of good Nature, studied and played it perfect, tho' at so short a Warning

Event Comment: Benefit a Decay'd Merchant and his Family, in Great Distress. Mainpiece: Written by the late $J. Addison, Esq.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Lowe, from Openshaw near Manchester in Lancashire, who lately kept the Gray's Inn Coffeehouse, near Gray's-Inn-Gate, in Holbourn, and is now in great Distress. At the Desire of several Worthy Gentlemen

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toy Shop. [For a letter on the disputes between the footmen and the gentlemen, see Grub St. Journal, 17 March.] [There is in the Bennett Collection, I, 93, in the Birmingham Library, an exceptionally curious advance notice for a performance to be given at Drury Lane soon after Easter of The Conscious Lovers and The Devil to Pay, with no cast for either play in the bill. The announcement appears to refer to the spring of 1737 and presumably appeared around the middle of March. It is intended for the benefit of a Widow under Misfortunes and the bill bears the heading: Gift and Pleasure. According to the announcement, the widow has been left Italian pictures, antiqees, jewels, and precious stones; and she intends, for the encouragement of her benefactors, to make a gift of all the objects, which will be placed in three hundred parcels. Tickets for the performance are advertised at five shillings, and no one is to be admitted without a ticket. The pit and boxes are to be put together at two tickets for each person, and the first and second galleries are placed together at one ticket for each spectator. The tickets are not to be left with the door-keepers as usual, but only shewn and kept. On the day following the benefit a raffle will be held, by Mr Foubert's Patent Mathematical Machine, at Hickford's Great Room in Brewers Street, Golden Square, and only holders of tickets will be admitted to the raffle, After this entry was set, an advertisement was found in the Daily Advertiser, 18 April 1738, announcing this performance for 13 May 1738. The Daily Advertiser on 5 May 1738, however, announced that the proposed performance had been cancelled.

Event Comment: Benefit Arne. Tickets to be had only at Mr Arnes's, in Great Queen Street. 5s. 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit A. Hallam. Tickets at Hallam's, next the Chapel in Great Queen Street.Tickets for Mrs Forrester taken also

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. Egerton 2320: Berry, Oats & Shepard discharg'd much noise in ye Pit for ye restoring of Oats. Griffin at Rotterdam, Jack Ray did his part. Milward's [?] a good one--the first night of Beard's playing--his success great. Receipts: #115. [For performances at the Fairs, see season of 1736-1737.] Daily Advertiser, 22 Aug.: The House [dl] is neatly decorated, and a very large Lobby prepar'd for the Servants that keep Places, with two Fire Places, Seats, near the Boxes, where a Person is to attend to call them, whe wanted by their Masters or Ladies. There is also a new Passage to the Pit, which will make it much more convenient for the Audience

Event Comment: Benefit Handel. Pit and Boxes half a guinea. Gallery 5s. London Evening Post, 30 March: Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales were present; there was the greatest and most polite Audience ever seen there, and it's thought Mr Handel cou'd not get less that Night than 15001. Egmont, Diary, II, 474: In the evening I went to Hendel's Oratorio, where I counted near 1,300 persons besides the gallery and upper gallery. I suppose he got this night 1,000 1. [For further details, see Deutsch, Handel, p. 455.

Event Comment: Benefit Oates. For the Entertainment of the Grand Master and the rest of the Brethren belonging to the...Masons. [Tickets at Oates', King's Arms Tavern, Great Wild Street.

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 24 May: May 23, 1738. All Persons that have subscrib'd or are willing to subscribe twenty Guineas for Italian Opera to be perform'd next Season at the King's Theatre...under my Direction, are desired to send ten Guineas to Mr Drummond the Banker....and Whereas I declared I would undertake the Operas provided I can agree with the Performers, and that 200 Subscriptions are procured, and as the greatest Part ob the Subscribers have already paid the 10 Guineas; it is desired that the remaining Subscribers will be pleased to send the Money to Mr Drummond, on or before the 5th of June next....J. J. Heidegger

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 26 July: To be Sold by Auction, On Tuesday, August 1, and the following Days, At the Great-House the Corner of Carlisle-street, Soho-Square...A Large Quantity of Theatrical Goods...late the Property of Mr Henry Giffard...By Bernard Warren, Auctioneer

Event Comment: At Fielding-Hallam Great Booth, Near the Trunpike in Tottenham-Court [during the Fair]. 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. [Advertised also on 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 Aug.

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. N.B. The Boxes, not being equal to the great Demand for Places, by particular Desire, two Rowes of the Pit will be Rail'd into the Boxes; and two large Side-Boxes will be form'd on the Stage for the Accommodation of Ladies only

Event Comment: Benefit Bullock. N.B. Mr Bullock hopes his great Age, upwards of Threescore and Twelve, will plead his Excuse, that he cannot pay his Duty to his Acquaintances and Friends, whose Good Nature may engage them to assist him in this Decline of Life, in order to make the Remainder of his Days easy and comfortable to him

Event Comment: Benefit Carey. N.B. And whereas building Benches, &c. on the Stage obstructs the Performance, and gives great Cause of Complaint, Mr Carey chuses rather to relinquish that Part of his Profit than incommode his Friends, and hopes no Person will take it ill, that they cannot be admitted behind the Scenes

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 22 Jan.: Last Saturday Night his Majesty, his Royal Highness the Duke, the Princesses, with several Foreign Ministers and their Ladies, were at [cg]: So great a Concourse of People came in order to see his Majesty there, as has scarcely been seen; many Persons who came to the Play-House at Four o'Clock, offering any Price, if they could possibly be admitted. In the Fury Dance of Macbeth, Mr Haughton had the misfortune to dislocate his Ankle-Bone, and fell down upon the Stage, and was obliged to be carried off; upon which his Majesty was graciously Pleased to send him Ten Guineas instantly, and to order him to be taken Care of

Event Comment: Benefit Chapman [who states that he is in danger of losing vision in one eye. Tickets at Chapman's House, the Corner of Bow Street cg.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 27 March: Last Week died, after a most tedious and expensive Illness, at Chelsea, Mrs Laguerre, formerly a celebrated Dancer on the Stage. Daily Post, 29 March: During the Rehearsal [on 27 March], of a new Tragedy, written by Mr Thompson, call'd Edward and Eleonora, (which was to have been acted on this Day) he receiv'd, to his great Surprise, a Message from the Lord Chamberlain, absolutely forbidding the acting of the said Play. No Objection having been made to the Whole or any Part of it, we must conclude it was consider'd as immoral or seditious