Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Thurmond. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. [Tickets at Mrs Thurmond's, next door to Bedford Arms Tavern, CG.]

Event Comment: Last time of performing the play this season (General Advertiser). Paid Duke of Bedford half year's Ground Rent in full to Lady? Day? #100. Receipts: #165 14s

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter and Palmer. Rec'd cash #50 14s., plus #82 15s. in tickets. Paid Duke of Bedford's Steward for leases #3 13s. 6d.; Mrs Swift 1s. 6d., omitted Wednesday; Mrs Roberts #1 omitted Wednesday [Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #150 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Afterpiece: A New Pantomime (2 scenes excepted). Paid one Year's assurance at the Royal Exchange for #3000 to 15 Dec. 1767, #6. Paid Duke of Bedford's half year's ground rent for theatre due Mich. last #50 minus half year's land tax of #8 6s. 8d.; total #41 13s. 4d. Paid ditto for the New Buildings adjoining the theatre #15 minus half year's land tax of #2 10s. Total #12 10s. (Account Book). [The newness of the pantomime seems, according to the Larpent MS 259, to have consisted in three new songs.] Receipts: #191 7s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Duke of Bedford 1!2 year's rent to Mich. 1st, #182 10s. Taxes allowed, #25 7s., total paid #157 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #289 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dibdin. Paid Duke of Bedford half year's rent to Lady Day last (#182 10s. Taxes allowed #25 7s.) #157 3s.; Subscription to St George's Hospital 1 year to Lady Day, #10 10s.; Mr Calthorpe's 2nd and last payment #157 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #134 2s. Charges: #68 15s. Profits to Dibdin: #65 12s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid half year's rent to the Duke of Bedford to Mich. last #165 17s. 7d.; Mr J. French on Acct #26 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #217 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Tallow chandler's 4th Bill #47 15s. 1d.; Mr J. Palmer's draft on the managers #50; Lent Mr Lauchery as per order #3 17s.; Duke of Bedford's rent half year to Mich last #164 2s. 10d.; Tabor & Pipe 5 nights (this incl.) #2 12s. 6d. Receipts: #126 15s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid half a years rent to Duke of Bedford to Mich. Last #164 2s. 10d.; Ditto to Mr Wegg to ditto #57; Mrs Scott (laceman) #99 7s.; Mrs Chitty for coals #92 10s.; Mrs Sutton for women's cloathes #12; Tabor and Pipe 7 nights #3 13s. 6d.; Two additional flutes #3. Receipts: #272 1s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). At the Play Mr Garrick acted and the house was so full you could not have thrust your little finger in, not withstanding the plague sweeps us away by dozens (Cumberland's Letters; Hampden, Journal)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Crespi. Tickets deliver'd by Harwood will be taken. Rec'd Stopages #14 14s. Paid half yrs. paving #19 13s. 9d.; three quarters land and Window tax (Covent Garden Parish) #12 2s. 9d.; Ditto for paving #6; Ditto for Rector's rate 13s. 4d.; Duke of Bedford's Rent half year to Lady day last #164 2s. 10d. Receipts: #25 17s. Charges: #66 18s. 6d. Deficit to Sga Crespi: #41 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid the Duke of Bedford 1!2 Yrs Rent #164 12s. 1!2d. Receipts: #141 11s. 6d. (115.2.0; 25.13.6; 0.16.0)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Old Batchelor, announced on playbill of 24 Feb.] Paid the Guardians of the Duke of Bedford rent to Michaelmas 1778, land tax deducted, #160 16s. 4d. Receipts: #128 16s. 6d. (88.5.0; 38.11.0; 2.0.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece: The Carnival here and in all subsequent performances called A Carnival Masquerade.] Paid the Duke of Bedford's Rent on Acct. #200. Receipts: #145 6s. 6d. (114/0/0; 31/3/6; 0/3/0)

Event Comment: Paid the Duke of Bedford 1/2 Yrs Rent #171 12s. 10d. Receipts: #203 11s. 6d. (166/12/0; 35/3/6; 1/16/0)

Event Comment: Paid Duke of Bedford 1 Yrs. Rent #343 5s. 1d. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Edward Morris. Author of Prologue unknown]: With new Dresses and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 8 Apr. 1790: This Morning is published The Adventurers (1s.). Receipts: #260 8s. (226.5.0; 31.16.0; 2.4.6; ticket not come in: 0.2.6)

Event Comment: Paid the Duke of Bedford one years Rent #192 10s. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 26 Apr. 1792]. Receipts: #237 2s. 6d. (235.9.6; 1.13.0)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. This Evening the Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Account-Book: Paid the Duke of Bedford one years rent for the Theatre, the back of the Theatre, the houses in Bow Street, Hart Street, the Piazza, and Playhouse Passage, as expressed in the Receipt, due Lady Day 1796, #456 4s. Receipts: #459 9s. 6d. (452.5.6; 7.4.0)

Event Comment: 'TTis said Miss Bellamy, who engag'd lately with Mr Rich is off again. Mr Colthorp who kept her, swears to kick Rich &c. Great noise about it in ye Bedford Coffee House (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Farren. Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Public Advertiser, 7 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Farren, Gower-street, Bedford Square. Receipts: #340 7s. 6d. (92.11.0; 4.2.6; tickets: 243.14.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Half past Four o'Clock. Afterpiece: Not acted these 10 years. Public Advertiser, 12 Dec.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #282 6s. (143.1.0; 22.19.6; 0.10:6; tickets: 115.15.0) (charge: #107 9s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Half past Four o'Clock. Mainpiece: Never performed there. Public Advertiser, 24 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #302 14s. 6d. (104.15.0; 13.19.0; 0.17.6; tickets: 183.3.0) (charge: #108 15s. 3d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. Gazetteer, 5 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 17, Bedford-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #366 8s. (282.17; 2.14; tickets: 80.17)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text 1st published in his Posthumous Dramatic Works, Vol. II (G. and W. Nicol, 1813); it assigns no parts, but adds George Ivey and David Duncan, acted by Caulfield and Packer. Genest erroneously assigns Sir Adam to Wewitzer and Beau Tiffany to R. Palmer. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (True Briton, 9 May). Songs by Michael Kelly, in Act I harmonized by Sir William Parsons.] True Briton, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #581 15s. (294.18.6; 72.7.0; 3.17.6; tickets: 210.12.0) (charge: #213 6s. 8d.)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. As the play was not printed until 1689, the date of composition is uncertain. In Act I, however, a reference to the death of the Earl of Rochester (26 July 1680) suggests that the play probably followed that even rather closely. On the other hand, the latest likely date for the first production seems set at late 1682 by the fact that Thomas Farmer's music for the play in BM Add. Mss. 19183-19185 is dated December 1682. The play has been placed in September 1680 as the earliest likely date (the presence of an experienced cast makes somewhat unlikely a production in mid-summer 1680). A song, All other blessings are but toys, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Fourth Book, 1683. A song, Lovely Selina, innocent and free, with music by John Blow, is in the same collection; and another, Weep all ye nymphs, with music by John Blow, is in The Theater of Music, The First Book, 1685

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first production is not known, but Part II seems to have followed rather closely upon Part I. The Gentleman's Journal, June 1694 (which apparently appeared in mid-June) states: The first Part of Mr Durfey's Don Quixote was so well received, that we have had a second Part of that Comical History acted lately, which doubtless must be thought as entertaining as the first; since in this hot season it could bring such a numerous audience (p. 170). The Songs were advertised in the London Gazette, 5 July 1694, and Part II advertised in the same periodical 19-23 July 1694. The songs as listed in the separately printed Songs are as follows: Genius of England, the music by Henry Purcell, sung by Freeman and Mrs Cibber. I burn, I burn, the music by John Eccles, sung by Mrs Bracegirdle. Since times are so bad, the music by Henry Purcell, sung by Reading and Mrs Ayliff. Damon, let a friend, the music by Pack, sung by Mrs Hudson. Ye nymphs and sylvan gods, the music by John Eccles sung by Mrs Ayliff. If you will love me, composer and singer not named. In addition, Thesaurus Musicus, 1695, published Lads and lasses, blithe and gay, the music by Henry Purcell, sung by Mrs Hudson. Purcell also wrote the music for other songs for which the singer is not known. Preface, edition of 1694: The good success, which both the Parts of Don Quixote have had, either from their Natural Merit, or the Indulgence of my Friends, or both, ought sufficiently to satisfie me, that I have no reason to value tne little Malice of some weak Heads, that make it their business to be simply Criticizing....I think I have given some additional Diversion in the Continuance of the character of Marcella, which is wholly new in this Part, and my own Invention, the design finishing with more pleasure to the Audience by punishing that coy Creature by an extravagant Passion here, that was so inexorable and cruel in the first Part, and ending with a Song so incomparably well sung, and acted by Mrs Bracegirdle, that the most envious do allow, as well as the most ingenious affirm, that 'tis the best of that kind ever done before....I deserve some acknowledgment for drawing that Character of Mary the Buxom, which was intirely my own,...by making the Character humorous, and the extraordinary well acting of Mrs Verbruggen, it is by the best Judges allowed a Masterpiece of humour