Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 April: On Sunday about 7 o'Clock, died Mr Hill of [cg], of the Weunds he received by Villains unknown

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. Afterpiece: a New Dramatick Entertainment of Musick and Grotesque Dancing. Edition of 1740: Set to Musick by Mr John-Frederick Lampe. [For further letters concerning John Hill and Rich, see London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 11 and 12 Feb.

Event Comment: On Friday Night last as Mr Lowe, belonging to Drury Lane Playhouse was going down Snow Hill, he was stopt by two fellows, one of whom, without speaking a word, gave him a most violent blow on the Temple, with a great stick, which stunned him so that he fell back against a shop Window, and remained insensible for some time; as soon as he recover'd he felt in his pockets and found they had robb'd him only of 11 shillings in silver, being (as he supposes) disturb'd by some people passing by, for they had not taken his watch, nor a Guinea and a half which he had also in his pockets

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. We Hear that at Drury Lane is now in rehearsal and will shortly be perform'd a New Musical Entertainment call'd Don Saverio. The Music composed by Mr Arne (General Advertiser). Author of Merope [Aaron Hill] confin'd to his bed (Winston MS 7). Paid Cross for playing Young Worthy #1 1s. [See 26 Jan.]; Paid Salary list #254 3s. 9d.; Norton 4 chorus #1 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #200 (Cross); #142 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: MMr Garrick did Richard (Cross). This day is publish'd, Dedicated to the Right Honorable John, Earl of Orrery, Sejanus a Tragedy, as it was intended for the stage, with a Preface; wherein the Manager's reasons for refusing it are set forth. By Mr Gentleman. Printed for R. Manby and H. S. Cox on Ludgate Hill. [Garrick turned it down and Gentleman accepted his judgment without animosity.] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye widow of Capt. James Spencer, an Officer &c., and her small Children (Cross). An Old Officer who had been in His Majesty's Service 46 years, but dying when upon half-pay has left the Widow without pension and with several small children in greatest distress. N.B. Part of the Pit will be rail'd into the boxes and servants will be allowed to keep places on the Stage. Tickets to be had of Mrs Spencer, the uppermost house in Prince's Court, by Storey's Gate; the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; the Tiltyard Coffee House; St James Coffee House; Sweet's Coffee House, Bukingham Court; Bridge Street Coffee House; The Rainbow Coffee House, Ludgate Hill; the Temple Exchange, Fleet St.; the Rainbow, Cornhill; and at the Stage Door of the theatre where places may be taken. Mr Norton Amber, humbly hopes this general acknowledgment of the favour which his friends were pleas'd to confer on him by their generous appearance last Night at Drury Lane, will be accepted, instead of a more particular application, which his constant employment prevents; and begs leave to assure them, that he shall ever retain a most grateful sense of their indulgent assistance. Receipts: #252 (Cross)

Event Comment: [Noise, & some fighting in ye pit Mr Woodward when ye Entertainment was over each Night gave it out again, which the opposite Party look'd upon as Impudent--ye Inspector wrote against it--the fool, against the Silent Woman, as Indecent, & this Night whatever passages he had mark'd out were hiss'd by two or 3 people (Cross). [The Inspector edited by Dr John Hill.] Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Next week will be publish'd the Hilliad, Book the First, written by Mr Smart. [Another document in the Woodward-Hill feud.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Dr New Dress'd & in a New Manner with a Prologue by ye old Dr to introduce the New by the Author of the Hilliad. The Prologue was forbid by the Licencer, & struck out of the bills, but by Mistake was left in ye News; a great noise for it, Woodward said; as he had face to study, he had not time to do it--more Noise--I went on--& told 'em the Prologue was forbid--Noise still--Woodward went on & said it was forbid by L@or@d Chamberlain--it cool'd a little but when he came on dress'd like Dr Hill, it began again, & so ye farce ended (Cross). Benefit for Mr Woodward. Part of Pit laid into Boxes, and Stage commodiously built in form of an Amphitheatre. Boxes and Stage 5s. Ladies send servants by 3. Tickets to be had of Woodward in Great Piazza, Covent Garden; and at Stage Door. This day publish'd The Chaplet at 6d. a Musical entertainment as performed at Drury Lane. Receipts: #330 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Beaumont and Fletcher, acted but once these 15 years. Afterpiece: At the particular Desire of several persons of Quality. Benefit for my Self & Wife (Cross). [See The Spouter; or, The Triple Revenge, farce in two acts attributed to Mr Murphy, satirizing John Hill, Theophilus Cibber, Samuel Foote. Discussed by Genest, IV, 459-61.] Receipts: #214 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The play was not allowed to conclude, nor was the afterpiece, All the World's a Stage, performed. "Yesterday evening, during the representation of...A Bold Stroke for a Wife, at China Hall, Rotherhithe, a party of the inhabitants, who had laid an information against the performers, rushed into the theatre, behind the scenes, and seized Mr Russell (who played the character of Colonel Feignwell), and carried him, in his stage dress, before Justice Smith, at the Rotation-Office, St Bennet's-hill, who committed him to the House of Correction, for further examination this morning" (Morning Chronicle, 24 July). What happened to Russell is not known, but because of this occurrence the theatre did not re-open until the following season, on 25 May 1778. See my article on the history of this unlucky playhouse, Theatre Notebook, VIII, 76-80.

Event Comment: Evelyn, Diary: Came to my house some German strangers, & Signor Pietro Reggio a famous Musitian, who had ben long in Sweden in Queene Christina s Court: he sung admirably to a Guittar & has a perfect good tenor & base: & had set to Italian composure, many of Abraham Cowleys Pieces which shew'd extremely well

Event Comment: Not Acted these Thirty Years [but see 5 Oct. 1702]. Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: #35 16s

Event Comment: Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: #21 19s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: #28

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Bullock. Mainpiece: Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: money #39 18s. 6d.; tickets #89 1s

Event Comment: Benefit Legare. By His Royal Highness's Command. Mainpiece: Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: money #118 9s.; tickets #4 5s. The Prince and Princess present

Event Comment: Written by Abraham Cowley. Receipts: #10 18s. 6d

Event Comment: To Macklin the Player: The Laity as well as Priests of all Religons are the same. Macklin, Thou mayst remember when thou wert learning the part of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice, thou camest daily to the Change, and artfully dids't introduce thyself into my company, till thou hads't stolen my Face, my Looks, and not content with the Index, thou did'st turn over the volume of my Mind, as it if thy Author had been wanting in the manner of his character, and dids't show me on the stage to the Disgrace of my Tribe, for which we wish thee not in Abraham's Bosom, thou may'st be sure. Now if thou hast a mind to compromise the Affair, and serve thyself at thy Benefit time, publicly delcare what Place thou did'st frequent, and what set of Christians thou did'st herd with, before thou playd'st the part of Iago in the Moor of Venice; Comply and our Rancor to thee will be turn'd into Love and Service. s@Zorobabel. PS I will call to thee tonight at thy Synagogue in the Hay-market, about the sixth Hour, as you players reckon, for intelligence.-Daily Advertiser

Event Comment: Receipts: #124 7s. 6d. Barry's 1!3 of surplus came to #14 15s. 10d. [Three new Renters came in: James Partridge, Abraham Langford, William Williams at 1 share each] (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid salary list #624 6s. 6d.; Abrahams (Jew) #30. Receipts: #163 7s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a New Scene and New Dresses. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin and Edward Thompson. Thompson's name does not appear on the title-page of the text; it has been added by J. P. Kemble on the half-title of his copy now in the Huntington Library]: The Music chiefly composed by Dibdin [Public Advertiser, 15 Nov.: Three of the airs and the finale were composed by Samuel Arnold; one air by John Abraham Fisher]. With New Scenes [ibid: by Dall, Richards, and Carver], Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 7 Feb. 1777: Paid Dibdin in full for copyright of the Seraglio #20; ibid, 2 June 1777: Received of Cooper for Songs & Books sold of The Seraglio #19 10s. 9d. [Mrs Ward was from the Birmingham theatre]. Receipts: #221 11s. 6d. (219.7.0; 2.4.6)