Event Comment: Third Day. For the Author. House charges and Candles #64 5s. Balance to Bickerstaffe #155 11s. 6d. (Account Book). This month were published Harris and Rutherford's Narrative of the Rise and Progress of the Disputes subsisting between the Patentees of Covent Garden Theatre, and Colman's True State of The Differences subsisting....Both were reviewed in the Gentleman's Magazine. Receipts: #219 16s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Letter from Impartial to the editor of the Public Advertiser: The managers of the Opera most certainly think themselves peculiarly unfortunate in having incurred the disapprobation of your correspondent Timotheus....If...it has been found...that this Demi-critic has given his opinion to the public too precipitately, little regard will be paid to his animadversions, and the managers who, perhaps, will be found to have spared neither trouble or expense, will meet with the support they solicit....The splenetic gentleman, perhaps, resides chiefly in the country, and only came to town to see some Raree Shew, consequently he might never have heard of our justly celebrated Lovattini, Guadagni, Moriggi, and so forth, with whose performances we have been so highly entertained, to whom the Nightengale, as he is pleased to call Giaccomazzi, and Luciani, for the demi-characters in the Comic will make no inconsiderable additions; from hence I conclude, that our Opera entertainments this season will exceed any we have ever had in this country

Event Comment: By Authority and Particular Desire. For the Son of an Officer, fifty Years in Commission. Tickets delivered by Smith and Sharpless for the 15th and Monday the 19th will be admitted. N.B. As Regularity, at least, will be attempded, it is hoped no Gentleman will ask admittance behind the Scenes

Event Comment: great applause to the Play (Hopkins Diary). Mainpiece: A tragedy never before acted [by Mrs Celisia]. Prologue (by Whitehead)-Reddish; Epilogue (by Garrick)-Mrs Barry. New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations (Winston MS 10). [The Gentleman's Magazine for Feb. reviewed the mainpiece in great detail, concluding: "A combat between two knights in the days of chivalry and honour, not to determine whether a person accused is innocent or guilty, but whether a person under the infamy of acknowledged guilt shall suffer, is, as the Scotch peasant says emphatically of his pupil, a phenomenon. It is, however, but justice to Mrs Barry, to say, that in performing the part allotted her in this piece, she rises like perfection out of chaos, and therefore those who have not yet seen it represented should by no means be deterred by these strictures on the composition, supposing them to be just."

Event Comment: [The bill for this night and on subsequent nights specifies the additions "Particularly two views of the Eruptions of Mount Vesuviusv." The Gentleman's Magazine this month contained a four-column review of Nipclose's The Theatres, blasting its contentions.] Receipts: #195 5s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Public Advertiser, 14 Jan.: By particular desire the next performance [i.e., the above comic opera] will be Monday, on account of the Parliament meeting on the day following. 25 Jan.: The opera advertisement was omitted last Monday owing to the order for it having been mislaid at the printing office, and not to any misconduct in the Gentleman in whose department it is to give Directions for the same

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Farce [by a Gentleman from Dublin] never performed. [It was fitted to the stage as an afterpiece, and provided with a Prologue by Colman. Advertisement for the Edition of 1772 indicates that it was "attempted to be acted, "but was damned. Taken principally from Moliere's Marriage Force. See account of damning of Farce, in Town and Country Magazine (Theatre No. XXXIII), before last act was over by a candle being thrown on stage.] Paid one year's ground rent for theatre due Mich. last #100 minus land tax of #16 5s.: Total #83 15s.; Paid ditto for the New Building adjoining the theatre #30, minus Land Tax of #4 17s. 6d.: Total #25 2s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #198 16s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: On Tuesday last died at Ealing in Middlesex at a very advanced age and much regretted by all who had the Pleasure of his Acquaintance, Henry Giffard, the Celebrated Manager of Goodman's Fields Theatre. This Gentleman was of a Genteel Family in the West of England (Public Advertiser). [Though him Garrick had come to the stage.

Event Comment: Receipts: #86 (Account Book). Charges #81 15s. Profit to Society #4 5s., plus #106 17s. from tickets (Box 242; Pit 309) (Account Book). Benefit for Use of the Society at the Thatched-House Tavern For the release and discharge of persons imprisoned for small debts. [The Epilogue was written by Cumberland. (See Folger Library Theatrical Clippings). The Curtain rises and discovers a prison; at some distance a woman, poorly habited, and in a disconsolate attitude; after standing some time montionless, in a posture of fixed attention she speaks]: @Woman: Thou loathsome dungeon in whose dreary womb@The pining Debtor finds a living tomb;@Where 'midst the Clank of Chains and Dismal yells@Of shakled felons my sad husband dwells;@From his dark cell, oh give him to my view!@Let him look forth and take a last adieu.@ [As she advances towards the prison, a person in Gentleman's apparel accosts her.] @Man: Stay, Child of Sorrow, thou whose piercing groans@Might move to pity e'en these senseless stones.@Why dost thou bend thy melancholy way@To that Drear Dungeon? Child of Sorrow stay.@Woman: Why should I stay, or my sad Griefs impart?@Can there be pity in a Human heart?@Away and let me die.@ [...The Man suggests a Human heart can have pity] @Woman: If there be such, O lead me to their sight,@And let me plead a wretched sufferer's right:@Can there be Truth, Humanity or Sense@In laws that make Misfortune an offence?@ [Her husband was a God-fearing weaver who fell ill for 10 weeks, lost his job and was seized upon by a relentless creditor.] @Steel'd to their trade, and deaf to all our cries,@Relentless ruffians seize their legal prize;@From my fond arms a dying Husband tear@And plunge their victims in a dungeon there!@Man: Enough! go speak the healing words of peace@To thy sad mate, and bear him this release;@Tell him the Muse, which on these Scenes attend@That balsam to his wounded spirit sends.@And Know this Truth thyself, 'tis not alone@The Preacher's pulpit and the Monarch's throne@That Charity frequents; but in this age,@She guides the Theatre and treads the stage;@Lo! She is present, cast your eyes around,@And here in each Spectator's heart she's found.

Event Comment: Benefit for Dodd. Afterpiece: Not acted these 9 years. [See 26 March 1763.] Married at Marylebone Church-W. Lacy, Esq one of managers of Drury Lane to Miss Orpen, daughter of an eminent hatter (Winston MS 10). Married: Willoughby Lacy, Esq to Miss Orpen of St Mary-le-bon (Gentleman's Magazine, 1744, p. 141). Receipts: #166 16s. Charges: #64 12s. Profits to Dodd: #102 4s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By desire. Last time of the company's performing this season. [The Epilogue recites the mock burial of this King of Brentford reviewing certain high points of his management. A mock heroic written by Colman and printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1774 (p. 280). He sold his share for #20,000, which was #5,000 more than he paid for it. (See Page, George Colman, The Elder.) Rec'd half value of ticket returns from 13 servants amounting to #98 3s. 6d. Receipts: #124 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Permission. For this Night only. Benefit for Jacobs and Owenson. To begin at 7:00 p.m. [The Public Advertiser, 20 Sept., omits Hamilton] and Walker but adds Jacobs, Everard, and a Young Gentleman 1st time on that Stage.