Event Comment: Afterpiece An Historical Dramatic Piece of on act (taken from Shakespear) with a representation of the Trials of the Lords for High Treason, in the Reign of King Henry V. The Characters dress'd in the Habits of the times. With proper Scenes and Decorations. On account of the Extraordinary Scenery, &c, and to prevent any interruption in the performance, it's desired no persons will take it ill that they cannot admitted behind the Scenes.--General Advertiser. [This adaption most certainly occasioned by the trial, which began in Westminster Hall on 28 July of Lord Kilmarnock, Lord Cromarty, and Lord Balmerino for participation in the Rebellion of '45! (Hogan, Shakespeare in the Theatre, p. 199).] An Historical Dramatic Piece of one act, taken from Shakespear, will be perform'd, after a play, at Drury Lane; it will be a Representation of the trials of Lord Cambridge, Lord Scroopv, &c for High Treason, in the reign of King Henry the Fifth. The Characters are to [be] dress'd in rich antique Habits of the times.--Daily Advertiser, 31 July. Last night the Dramatick Piece call'd The Conspiracy Discover'd; or French Policy Defeated, with a representation of the Trials of the Lords for High Treason, was acted at dl, with great applause, and will be performed again tomorrow night at the desire of several persons of Distinction.--General Advertiser, 5 Aug

Event Comment: The Characters all New Dress'd. A new Comedy [by Dr Benjamin Hoadly] never before acted. [The previous July Garrick had been entertained by the Rev. Dr John Hoadly at Alresford and carried on a pleasant correspondence with him afterwards. In his letter 19 Aug. 1746 (Folger) he wrote]: I had the pleasure of the Doctor's company [brother Benjamin Hoadly] to supper at my lodgings the night before I set out for this place; we talk'd about Ranger, but whether he will appear next winter or sleep forever in ye scritore, is not yet determined: 'tis pit, faith. [That this friendship was exceedingly profitable to Garrick is indicated by the fact that Benjamin Hoadly seems to have turned over the profits from the three author's nights to Garrick. (1) Garrick by a bargain with John Rich received #80 advance cash and promised to pay nightly charges (3rd, 6th, & 9th nights) of #60, and (2) to divide equally the remaining profits on those nights. The agreement was drawn 27 Dec. 1746. Garrick noted on this document]: N.B. the copy of the play is my own, and the profit arising from the printing of it. [Hoadly seems to have received only the #100 given him by George II for dedicating the printed copy to him.] [Settlement for the three performances was made 6 April. Total receipts for those nights (14, 18, 21 Feb.) was #570 11s. Total expenses were #182 2s. (including #2 2s. for the licensing). The profit of #388 9s. was equally divided and Garrick received his #194 4s. 6d. on that day. He had received the other #80 the day before the play opened, 11 Feb. 1747. See documents in Folger, Holograph Letters of David Garrick, p. 38, seemingly Edmund Malone's copy, of BM Add MSS 21508.] Receipts: #205 9s. 6d

Event Comment: Adapted for the stage, as alter'd from Milton's Masque at Ludlow Castle (General Advertiser). Benefit for Beard. Ready Money #94 15s., plus #102 9s. from tickets. Charges #60. Paid Mrs Lane for Rent of Cowley in full to Michaelmas last #41. (Account Books, Egerton 2268) [Cowley was Rich's estate at Uxbridge. Notice about Amphitheatre (see 23 March) repeated.] Tickets of Beard at his house in Red Lyon Square

Event Comment: [M$Mr Carata the Turk, 2nd Week's salary #26 5s. A Dancer on the slack rope. Met general approbation in London two years earlier. Engaged this season at the Haymarket, where he first perform'd "after the Turkish Manner with surprising execution on the slack wire" 31 Oct. 1749. Rich took him over in December and kept him on the payroll at #26 5s. weekly for thirteen weeks until 10 May 1750. His salary included pay for this equipment and apparently a small company of assistants, as the Account Book refers to him often as Carata the Turk & Co.] Receipts: #105 14s

Event Comment: Benefit for Evans and Condell (Box-Keepers) and Page (House-keeper). Charges Evans #35; Condell #20; Page #3 3s. 6d. (taken up by Rich), plus 1!2 value of his tickets or #18 4s. Evans covered his Charges by #105 5s. from Tickets; Condell by #43 16s. from tickets; Page by #36 8s. These Box-Keepers also rec'd #10 each for attendance this season. Receipts: #12 14s

Event Comment: Whereas several Ungenerous aspersions have been cast on me, with respect to an Advertisement published in the London Gazetteer of Tuesday last, directed to the Friends of the Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, I declare that I was in no way consenting, or privy to the said Advertisement. John Rich (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: A Gentleman did Theodosius. First appearance. He played pretty (Cross). He is identified as William? Smith in Rich's Register

Event Comment: [M$Murphy in caustic comment in the Gray's Inn Journal this date laid out a set of rules for actor decorum for both Managers, but apparently directed it mostly towards Rich]: I. That no player shall during the performance stand with a vacant face, making a tour with his eyes around the House, or ogling the ladies in the Green Boxes, but that he shall to the best of this power, be attentive to the business of the scene in which he is engag'd. II. That no player shall come on imperfect in his part, or take liberties to insert his own jokes and witticisms in the Productions of those Geniuses, for whom he should have the proper respect due to the superiority of their parts. III. That no one shall mistake bawling for Expression; strutting and swaggering for deportment; twisting the body and looking cunning for sprightliness; pinching of hats and standing on tiptoe for graceful attitude; wry faces for Humour, &c., but that each player who cannot arrive at excellence, shall at least pay some regard to decency. IV. That Murder shall always be committed on stage without being comical

Event Comment: Comic Opera in Italian and French, 3 Acts (Larpent MS 107). Subtitle, O Sia, Il Finto Femmina. La Musica e del Sig Leonardo Leo, Maestro di Capella Napolitano (Edition of 1752, Amsterdam). [Rich had applied for license to Duke of Grafton 8 Feb.] This day at Noon will be publish'd at 1s. L'Amor Costante, Dramma Comico, pe Musica, as it is acted at Covent Garden. With an English translation. Sold by H. Woodfall

Event Comment: [No paper for this day. Rich's Register suggests Romeo and Juliet but gives no afterpiece. Hogan quotes from a Playbill in the Enthoven Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum.

Event Comment: [W+Winston MS 8 lists the mainpiece as All for Love. But Love for Love appears in the Public Advertiser and in Rich's Register.

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years. [See 22 March 1750.] No building on the Stage. Receipts: #49 4s. 6d. Charges: #63. Deficiency covered by #114 14s. from tickets (boxes 160; pit 394; gallery 156). Rec'd from John Rich, #300, being part of the sum paid Mrs Finny on account of the New Building. Paid out for sundries from the theatres and sum, to Barry and Lee, #284 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. This day publish'd, Price 1s. Brief Remarks on the Original and Present State of the Drama. To which is added Hecate's Prophecy, being a characteristic Dialogue between future Mangers and their Dependents. [William Shirley? A most virulent attack on Garrick's management as well as Rich's Quotes from the Herald No. XX, a denunciatory article on the managers, deplores the pamphleteering attempt to praise Garrick, asks "Shall he shine the God of our Idolatry, merely for excluding every other emulous and aspiring candidate?"] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [The London Chronicle 1758, p. 462, comments fully and very favorably on the performance of The Wonder, specifying the acting of Garrick, Miss Macklin, Palmer, and Mrs Davies, adding: "To this comedy was added a Pantomime Entertainment called Harlequin Ranger, which in spite of whatever may be urged to the contrary, I think diverting. And though it is against the general opinion, Woodward's pantomimes are, in my judgment, much superior to Rich's."] Receipts: #180 (Cross); #153 9s. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: KKing did Tom (Well) Mrs Clive being taken ill-Mrs Abington did Phillis & I borrow Mrs Baker from Rich to do Lucinda. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #115 1s. 6d. Sent Mrs Ward by order of Rich #10; Paid for a Pompadour Cloath Coat & Breeches, Waistcoat button holes & binding gold #10 10s.; for a suit embroider'd with silver #8 8s.; for a Blue coat for Hull #1 3s.; for a Coat and waistcoat loop'd and bound with gold #7 7s. Advanc'd to Beard #60

Event Comment: bout this time in the month was printed a 42-page pamphlet, Reasons why David Garrick should not appear on the Stage, in a Letter to John Rich. This is high praise of Garrick: 'I am so blinded either by prejudice of admiration that I can see nobody else" when Garrick plays.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #151 15s. 6d. Sent Mrs Ward by order of Rich #10. Paid Messrs Powell & Co for Miss White #3 12s

Event Comment: Farce hiss'd (Cross). The Confederacy is oblig'd to be deferr'd a few days (playbill). [Goldsmith in The Bee (Vol. 1759, p. 154) comments on the farce: "Too narrow a plan...The poor affecting the manners of the rich might be carried on through one character or two, at the most, with great propriety; but to have almost every personage on the scene almost of the same character, was unartful in the poet to the last degree." He laments the barrenness of incident, but admits one or two scenes are "fine satire and sufficiently humorous...Whatever defects there might be in the composition, there were none in the action; in this the performers shewed more humour than I had fancied them capable of."] Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts. #132 18s. 6d. British Chronicle: Rich has cleared #5000 besides his Expenses by the run of The Beggar's Opera (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Receipts: #52 10s. 6d. Paid Jno Rich Esq as per receipt #52 10s

Event Comment: Receipts: Benefit for Jackson, Charges #84. Cash #49 16s. 6d. plus #113 19s. from tickets (Boxes 83; Pit 432; Gallery 284). Total Income #163 15s. 6d. Paid Rich on account #500; Paid Ledley for 16 doz. Wax Candles #24 16s

Event Comment: Receipts: #150. Paid Meares #1 6s.; Mock #1 10s.; Kemp #9 12s.; John Rich #500; Mrs Colman for a purple and silver gown #18 18s