Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman. Written by Shakespear. N.B. The Tickets delivered out for The Trip to the Jubilee will be taken at this Play. [See Swift's Journal to Stella for the rehearsal of Cato at 10 a.m. on this day.

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Receipts: money #162 8s.; tickets #13 10s. Probable attendance: boxes, 204 by money and 54 by tickets; stage, 43 by money; balcony, 2 by money; pit, 269 by money; slips, 58 by money; first gallery, 424 by money; second gallery, 180 by money. [For the fortunes of the play, see Gay to Swift, 15 Feb. in Correspondence of Pope, II, 473-74.

Event Comment: For the fortunes of The Beggar's Opera, see Gay to Swift, 20 March, in Correspondence of Pope, II, 478-79

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Mr Davis will be taken. [Bransby doubled in Oxford and Tyrrel. The General Advertiser quoted a long Epilogue on the Birthday of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland Written by the Farmer (who had taken over the role of Swift's Drapier) and spoken by Garrick in Dublin. It also quoted the following long puff for Ray's Benefit to come]: Sir, As long acquaintance best entitles us to friendly good natured offices, and as no more proper time can be found to confer them than when the person is in the Decline of life, give me leave to recommend (thro' your means) Mr Ray of Drury Lane Theatre, the oldest actor now belonging to that House, to the Favour of the Town, at his ensuing Benefit next Saturday. A person who once agreeably entertained the Public, should always feel the warmth of their Indulgence, tho' the Infirmities of Old age may have render'd him less pleasing than formerly. This Application is therefore meant to those friends of his, whom Distance of time, and change of Situation may have made it impossible any other way to acquaint them, that The Merchant of Venice is to be acted for his Benefit on Saturday next; therefore 'tis hoped they will be so kind as to send for his Tickets to Mr Hobson, in the Playhouse Passage, or to Mr Ray's lodgings, the second Door in Queen's Court, Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the Favour will ever be greatly acknowledged by him

Event Comment: Benefit for Winstone and King. Tickets at Stage Door. Rec'd Cash #62 18s. 6d., plus #71 17s. from tickets. Total #134 15s. 6d. Paid King's Tax (Land) Windsor's House #10; Paid Mrs Swift for a suit of women's cloaths #12 14s. 6d.; Paid Knight (Lampman) month bill #7 8s. 6d.; Mrs Hobson a bill 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #150 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

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: mong the Addresses of the Lords and Commons to the Sovereign which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1751, pp. 513-14) one recommended that provision be made for suppressing audacious crimes of robbery and violence. A contributor called Mr Urban's attention to a "method of reformation earnestly recommended more than 40 years ago by an eminent Divine" (Dean Swift). In this treatise occured the following paragraph: "The Reformation of the Stage is entirely in the power of the Court; and in the consequence it hath upon the minds of younger people, doth very well deserve the strictest care. Surely a pension would not be ill employed on some men of wit, learning and virtue, who might have power to strike out every offensive and unbecoming passage from plays already written, as well as those that may be offered to the stage for the future, by which, and other wise regulations, the theatre might become a very innocent and useful diversion instead of being a scandal and reproach to our religion and country."] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMiss Bellamy has lain in & is up (Cross). [This month published, The Upper Gallery, a poem, neatly descriptive of the opening scene in a playhouse from the vantage point of the first Gallery. This is an expanded, revised and modernized version of The Upper Gallery inscribed to the Rev Dr Swift, Dublin, 1733.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Phillips. Gazetteer, 5 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Miss Phillips, at Swift's, bookseller, Charles-street, St. James's-square. Mainpiece: With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by [Thomas] Linley [Sen.]. Receipts: #230 10s. (110/15/0; 30/11/6; 0/5/6; tickets: 88/18/0) (charge: #108 9s. 2d.)

Event Comment: The Memoirs of Sir John Reresby, ed. Browning (p. 137): This day in the afternoon I had a quarrell in the King's playhous upon this occasion. As I sate in the pit a gentleman, whose name I afterwards heard to be Mr Symons came and placed himself next to me, and not content to rest ther, after a while desired me to give him my seat, or to exchange with him, (pretending he was to speake to one of his acquaintances on the other side). I had noe mind to quitt my seat, which was better to see than his; besides, he haveing been drinking, his manner of askeing was not altogather soe gratefull, insomuch as I denyed it. Here upon he said I was uncivil, and I tould him he was a rascall; upon which words we were both prepared to strike one another, had not a gentleman that sate near us (one Sir Jonathan Trelany) put his hand between us to prevent it

Event Comment: Benefit Jonathan Martin. 6:30 P.M. 5s

Event Comment: By Mr Handel. Benefit for Jonathan Snow. Pit and Boxes 5s. Gallery 3s. To begin at 6:30 p.m