Event Comment: Benefit for Sowdon. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. A Gent: play'd Puff in the farce--Bug (Cross). [Seems to have been a clear benefit, as Treasurer's Book lists no charges.] Cash #65 8s. 6d., plus tickets #95; Paid Reynolds for wax & [brickdust] 3s. 9d. Paid Mr Pope a Bill #7 14s. [wigmaker] (Treasurer's Book). Tickets of Sowdon at his lodgings, the Sign of the Sun, a Milliner's facing Exeter exchange in the strand, and of Hobson at the stage door. Tickets otherwise to be had at Will's Coffee House in Cornhill, and of Mr Thomas Sowdon in Blackman St., Southwark. We hear William Mills, Comedian, lies at the point of death, at his lodgings in Russell St., Covent Garden. Receipts: #170 (Cross); #160 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: nother long letter to the author of the General Advertiser pleading attendance at the benefit performance of Comus]: Whoever then would be thought capable of Pleasure in reading the works of our Incomparable Milton, and not so destitute of Gratitude as to refuse to lay out a Trifle in a rational and elegant entertainment for the Benefit of his living remains, for the exercise of their own Virtue, the Increase of their Reputation, and the pleasing consciousness of doing good, should appear at Drury Lane theatre tomorrow April 5, when Comus will be performed for the Benefit of Mrs Elizabeth Foster, Granddaughter to the Author, and the only surviving branch of the family. N.B. There will be a new Prologue on the Occasion written by the Author of Irene, and spoken by Mr Garrick; and by particular Desire there will be added to the Masque, a dramatic Satyr call'd Lethe in which Mr Garrick will perform. Tickets to be had of Dodsley, Bookseller, Pall Mall; Messrs Payne and Boquet, Booksellers, Paternoster Row; Batson's Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange, and of Hobson at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Both ye Houses play'd on ye same day, Romeo & Juliet, Mr Barry & Mrs Cibber at Covent Garden against Mr Garrick & Miss Bellamy at Drury Lane--Miss Bellamy never appear'd upon this stage before, & was greatly receiv'd--both houses too added a Scene of Juliet's funeral (Cross). Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author, went off very well (Cross). Tickets to be had of the Author at Mr Francklin's in Russel St., Covent Garden; or Mr Dodsley in Pall Mall, and at the stage Door. Receipts: #143 (Cross)

Event Comment: Three Brothers of ye Delavals play'd ye Eldest Othello, ye next Iago, ye next Cassio--+Brabantio & Lodovico Mr Pine Roderigo-Cap. Stevens and Wife Emelia $Mrs Quan did Desdemona, the performance was very decent & met with great applause the Audience from ye Boxes to the upper Gallery were fill'd with people of ye first rank & make a most brilliant appearance. & ye greatest Crowd at ye Doors I ever saw. their Agreement for ye House was a receipt of one of the Alfred Houses upon an Averidge. they had all new cloaths, & very nicely ornamented with Diamonds (Cross). [See eulogy and criticism in some detail concerning the acting, by John Hill, Inspector No 3.] All Gentlemen and Ladies who intend going in coaches this evening to Drury Lane Theatre, are desired to order their coachmen to drive thro' Covent Garden, and stop at Bridges St. Door, and as soon as they have set down the company to drive off directly towards the Strand.--Those who go in chairs, are requested to order the men to the New Door in Russel St., and to prevent the avenues being stopt up no person will be admitted to either passage without first showing their tickets at the outward door (General Advertiser). Tickets Lost. If any person has found three tickets (numbers forgot) for the private play this night at Drury Lane, and will be so kind as to bring them to the Bar of the Rainbow Coffee House, Ironmonger Lane, shall receive 15s. for the whole, or in proportion for one or two of them (General Advertiser). Tomorrow Morning at 8 o'clock will be published' (price 6d.) by Thomas Carnan, at Mr Newberry's, at the Bible and Sun in St Paul's Churchyard; An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue to Othello, as it will this night be acted at the theatre-Royal in Drury Lane, by Persons of distinction, for their diversion. Written by Christopher Smart, A.M., Fellow of Pembroke Hall in the University of Cambridge. To be had at the place above mentioned, and at the pamphlet shops at the Royal Exchange and Charing Cross. This Prologue and Epilogue will be entered in the Hall Book of the Company of Stationers, and whoever presumes to pyrate them, or any part of them, will be persecuted as the Law directs (General Advertiser). [Both pieces by Christopher Smart, according to the Daily Advertiser. See two exceedingly favorable critical comments and one derogatory reprinted in the Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751 (pp. 119-22): "The greatest part of the play was much better performed than it ever was on any stage before. In the whole, there was a face of nature that no theatrical piece, acted by common players ever came up to." Macklin was Delaval's dramatic coach, according to one of these articles.

Event Comment: Benefit for Barry. Last time of performing mainpiece this season. N.B. A New Tomb will be made use of, so modell'd as to prevent any obstruction to persons sitting on the stage, from seeing the performance. Pit and boxes will be laid together. Amphitheatre on stage. Servants admitted to keep places. Tickets at Mr Barry's in Bow St., Covent Garden and at Stage Door

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Norris. Tickets of Miss Norris at Mr Jackson's Habit warehouse Tavistock St., and of Hobson at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd out for 30 March will be taken. [Advance publicity for Havard's Benefit, Inspector No 29: I have said in a former paper, that those who have not seen Alfred, have yet to see Mr Garrick in a character in which he excells everything that has been attempted in one of the noblest Roads of Tragedy. I shall add to it on this occaison, that those who have not yet seen Alfred will have a pleasure from it greater than they can receive from the best dramatic performance they are already acquainted with' (London Advertiser and Literary Gazette).] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Wid. Mills & Mr Matthews (Cross). Tickets and places to be had of Mathews in Fountain Court, Aldermanbury; of Mrs Mills, at Mr Gardiner's a Printer in Little Russel St., Covent Garden and at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for the Way of the World, and for the 18th will be taken, and those for the Fair Penitent the 25th. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for James, Winstone and Burton, Tickets of James, at Mr Dale's Watchmaker in Little Wild St.; or Winstone at the Queen's Head, in Duke's Court, near Bow St., Covent Garden; and of Burton at the Lock and Key, in Brownlow St. near Long-Acre, and at the Stage Door. As Mr Burton is confin'd with a violent cold, he hopes his friends will excuse his not having waited on them and be so kind as to send for tickets to his lodgings as above. Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Costollo and Miss Minors. Tickets of Costollo at his lodgings at Mr Waiter's, Chymist, the Golden Cross, in Russel St., Covent Garden; of Miss Minors, at Mr Nichols's a Baker, in Catherine St., near Russel Court, and at the Stage Door. We are assured that Sg Giardini's Performance on the Violin, at Sga Cuzzoni's Benefit, at the New Theatre in Haymarket, on Saturday Night last, gave the highest pleasure to several of the best judges of that instrument. Receipts: #90 (Cross)