Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5]: By the celebrated Henry Fielding; and never yet performed or published. With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. [and incidental music by Michael Arne. Prologue by David Garrick. Epilogue by the same (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 12 Dec. 1778: This Day is published The Fathers (1s. 6d.). "This play was written by Mr Henry Fielding, some years before his death. Mr Garrick saw it at that time. Mr Fielding gave the only fair copy he had of it to his friend Sir Charles Williams, of whose judgment he entertained a high opinion. Sir Charles soon after went abroad, and the comedy was mislaid. Mr. Fielding communicated this circumstance to his family on his death-bed; and enquiry was made for it, but without effect. At length Mr Thomas? Johnes, Member for Cardigan, looking over Sir Charles's books, found a comedy in manuscript, which he read, and, approving, had it transcribed and sent to Mr Garrick for his opinion, who, like Archimedes, cried out, 'This is the lost sheep! This is Mr Henry Fielding's play!' Mr Garrick communicating it to Mr Johnes, Mr Johnes immediately sent the original manuscript, which was in Mr Fielding's hand-writing, to the family, with his best wishes for its success, promising to assist it to the utmost of his power" (Gentleman's Magazine, Dec. 1778, p.586). See also, for corroboration of the above and for other details, Wilbur L. Cross, The History of Henry Fielding, 1918, III, 99-104. Receipts: #210 11s. 6d. (186.6.0; 23.19.6; 0.6.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted before. [by Henry Fielding.] Afterpiece: Never perform'd before. By Scriblerus Secundus. [By Henry Fielding.] Afterpiece: Never perform'd before. By Scriblerus Secundus. [By Henry Fielding.] Books of the Tragedy, with Notes by Way of Key, &c. will be sold at the Theatre, as also Books of the Farce

Event Comment: By Henry Fielding. Never acted before. On 25 Jan. Lady Hertford wrote to her son: Mr Fielding has wrote a comedy which has been refus'd by the Licenser, not as a reflecting one, but on account of its immorality. On 19 Feb. she wrote again: Mr Fielding by suffering the bawd to be carted, tho she is his favorite character in the new play, has obtained a license to have it acted, and it was perform'd on thursday for the first time, but so much dislik'd that it is believ'd that it will be impossible to prevail with a second audience to hear it through.-Hughes, Hertford, p. 242. The Larpent MS. shows many question marks, and deletions of suggestive, passionate, and physiological references

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Ballad Farce, never performed there, written by Fielding. New Music by Dr Arne. [This is Fielding's Miss Lucy in Town under a new title (Biographica Dramatica).

Event Comment: [By Henry Fielding.] Never Acted before

Event Comment: [By Henry Fielding.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: [By Henry Fielding.] For a comment on the performance, see Egmont, Diary, I, 97

Event Comment: Never Acted before. Written by the Author of Tom Thumb [Henry Fielding]. With New Scenes and other Decorations

Event Comment: Third piece: an entire New Act [introduced into Tom Thumb, By T. Cooke]. Daily Journal, 30 Nov.: Whereas it hath been advertised, that an entire New Act, called, The Battle of the Poets, is introduced into the Tragedy of Tom Thumb; This is to assure the Town, that I have never seen this additional Act, nor in any ways concerned therein. Henry Fielding

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Afterpiece: Never perform'd before. [By Henry Fielding.

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [Both plays by Henry Fielding. For a discussion of recent plays, see The Comedian, No. 3, June 1731.

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: A New Farce. [By Henry Fielding.] Alter'd from the French of Moliere

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Raftor. At the desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: A Farce of one Act. [By Henry Fielding. Apparently not published.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In it The Pleasures of the Town. With great Additions. Afterpiece: a new Farce of two Acts. [By Henry Fielding.]

Event Comment: A New Comedy. Written by the Author of The Miser [Henry Fielding]. Tickets for the Author's Night at DL will be taken here every Night of the Performance. Boxes 4s. Pit is. Gallery 1s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit John Roberts, in lieu of one last Season at DL. Afterpiece: Written by Henry Fielding, Esq. 6:30 P.M. N.B. The Play and Entertainment will be conducted with the utmost Decorum: And whereas several Irregularities have been committed, as to Hours of beginning, &c. this is to assure all Gentlemen and Ladies that please to favour us with their Presence, that the Play will certainly begin at the time propos'd; and particular Care is taken that the whole Performance will endeavour at universal Satisfaction. Tickets for Sir Walter Raleigh taken at this Play

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Mr Otway. Afterpiece: A new Farce of one Act [by Henry Fielding]

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [By Henry Fielding.] Admission: 5s., 3s., 2s., 1s. Preface: What could incense a Number of People to attack it with such an inveterate Prejudice, is not easy to determine; for Prejudice must be allowed, be the Play good or bad, when it is condem'd unheard. Prompter, 18 Feb.: Here I had an Opportunity of making an Observation very much in Favour of the Town; viz, That the Accusation of Bad Taste is very falsly and unjustly brought against them, since if the Town had really the bad Taste, they are represented to have, the Play would have run the remaining Part of the Season, in an uninterrupted Course of Applause. I had likewise an Opportunity of observing much more Impartiality than I expected, in the Behaviour of the Audience, for till almost the third Act was over, they sat very quiet, in hopes it would mend

Event Comment: By the Great Mogul's Company of English Comedians, Newly Imported. [By Henry Fielding.] N.B. Mr Pasquin intending to lay about him with great Impartiality, hopes the Town will all attend, and very civilly give their Neighbours what they find belong to 'em. N.B. The Cloaths are old, but the Jokes intirely new. N.B. All Ladies that intend to be present during the first Run, cannot take Places too early. To prevent any Interruption in the Movement of the Persons in the Drama (some of whom are Machines) no Person whatever can possibly be admitted behind the Scenes. Boxes 4s. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman. Nunc aut Nunquam. Mainpiece: Written by Henry Fielding, Esq; Author of the Miser. [Tickets at Penkethman's, overagainst the Three Tuns, Ayliff Street.]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: The Practice of a Dramatick Entertainment of Walking, in Serious and Absurd Characters. [By Henry Fielding.]

Event Comment: Benefit the Author of the Farce. Mainpiece: Written by the late J. Addison, Esq. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of Pasquin [Henry Fielding]

Event Comment: By the Great Mogul's Company of Comedians. Mainpiece: Written by the Author of George Barnwell. Afterpiece: A new Dramatick Satire: With freshest Advices Foreign and Domestick. Written by the Author of Pasquin [Henry Fielding]. These Characters will all be seen cheap; 1n the Boxes at 5s.; in the Pit at 3s.; in the Gallery at 2s. Note, None will be admitted after the House is full; for which Reason, the sooner you come, or secure your Places, the better. All Persons are desir'd to cry at the Tragedy, and laugh at the Comedy, being quite contrary to the present general Practice. Mr Hen gives Notice, that if any Joke is both Hiss'd and Clapp'd, such Division will be consider'd an Encore, and the said Joke be put up again. Daily Advertiser, 22 March: Last Night the two new Performances at the Hay-Market...were receiv'd with the greatest Applause ever shown at the Theatre

Event Comment: EEgmont, Diary, II, 375: I went...to see The Historical Register, wrote by Mr Fielding. It is a good satire on the times and has a good deal of wit

Event Comment: Benefit the Author of both Pieces. Mainpiece: Written by the Author of Pasquin. Afterpiece: a very short, but very merry Tragedy [By Henry Fielding]. Pit and Boxes (at the Desire of several Ladies of Quality) put together at 5s