Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. This Morning at Ten will be publish'd at 6d. An Epistle from Mr The. Cibber to David Garrick, Esq; to which are prefix'd some occasional verses, Petitions, &c.: @Lowliness is young Ambition's ladder,@Whereto the Climber upwards turns his face;@But when he once attains the upmost Round,@He then unto the ladder turns his back,@Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees@By which he did ascend.@Shakespeare@"Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so we would have it; let them not say, we have swallow'd him up," Ps. XXXV. v.25. Printed for R. Griffiths. [A thirty-five-page apologia, and bitter attack upon Garrick for supposed complicity in prohibiting the license of the Haymarket to him.] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Speedily will be publish'd at 1s. 6d. Dedicated to David Garrick Esq a New Edition of the Orphan of China...acted at Paris with great applause. [A weekly writer says of this performance: "I could wish that our modern Play-wrights would endeavor to imitate this author in the judicious choice and dispositions of their Fable; and further think this very piece not unworthy the notice of our managers. The Translator has indeed, with great propriety, laid his version at Mr Garrick's door, since there is nobody so well qualified to take the orphan under their protection."] Printed for R. Baldwin in Paternoster Row. Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: A new Opera. [But not performed.] 'Twas with inexpressible Concern that Mr Vanneschi found the Nobility and Gentry disappointed last Night, by the new Opera's not being then performed; a circumstance wholly owing to Sig Ricciarelli's being, on a sudden, taken extremely ill Yesterday, at an hour too late for its being made known to the Public (Public Advertiser, 11 Feb.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. Benefit for Mr Blakes who spoke ye Ep: upon the Ass (Cross). Tickets at Blakes's House, Duke's Court, Bow St., Covent Garden, and at stage door. Receipts; #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Last time of performing the Mainpiece this Season. Benefit for Mr and Mrs Davies. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Lampe. Afterpiece: Perform'd but once these ten years [see 8 May 1755], a Burlesque Opera being a Sequel to the Dragon of Wantly, Music composed by the late Mr Lampe

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Scrase & Mathews (Cross). Tickets of Scrase at Tauranac's Wine Vault, in James St., Covent Garden, and at the Stage Door. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holtom, Miss Young, Miss Ferguson, Mrs Stephens, Miss Helm, and Mr Jona. Tickets deliver'd by Redman, R. Smith, and Jarvis will be taken

Event Comment: By Command. Afterpiece: Written by Mr Garrick. Acted by children. Prince of Wales & 4 more went off very well (Cross). New Scenes, Habits and Decorations. Full prices. Prologue-writ by Garrick, spoken by Woodward; Epilogue-Lady Flimnap. [The run of seventeen performances of the afterpieces seems to contradict the judgement of the author of the Theatrical Examiner (1757, p. 89): Lilliput is, I think, the most petit, trifling, indecent, immoral, stupid parcel of rubbish, I ever met with; and I can't help judging it a scandal to the public, to suffer such a thing to pass a second night, which at best was alone calculated to please boys and girls, and fools of fashion; it may gratify them; the manager to debauch the minds of infants, by putting sentiments and glances in their breasts and eyes, that should never be taught at any years, which are sufficiently bad when naturally imbibed. The question of Gulliver, in answer to the infant lady's gross adresses, is horrid, if we allow an audience a common share of delicacy, what should we do with her? and what the devil does it mean. Finally where is the instruction, or even tolerable language, to gild the dirt over. O tempora! O mores!"] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the British Lying-In Hospital for Married Women in Brownlow St. Tickets deliver'd out for The Country Lasses will be taken this night. Tickets and places to be had of Mr Crudge at the stage Door; Tickets may also be had at the Hospital in Brownlow St., Longacre

Event Comment: Benefit for raising money towards cloathing Friendless and Deserted Boys for the Sea. [The Prologue and Epilogue were printed in the Public Advertiser the following day. The Prologue, written by Derrick, very Patriotic and anti-Gallic. In the Epilogue, written by Mr Lockman, Secretary of the Free British Fishery, Shuter as Boatswain followed by a "considerable number of the Boys" for Britain to maintain rule of the Waves. Finances for this evening appeared in the Public Advertiser on 24 Dec.] @Cash at the House #185 4s.@Tickets 137 16s.@#323@Deductions: @Expense of Play #84@Building on stage 3 13s. 6d.@Present to Treasurer 1 1s.@Prologue 2 2s.@Total #90 16s. 6d.

Event Comment: [Music] compos'd by Mr Arne went of with Great Applause (Cross). With Proper Dances and Decorations. Books of the Opera will be sold at the Theatre price 1s. [The cast is first listed 17 Jan. 1757.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber is recover'd & plays tonight-Mr Garrick taken ill, Holland did Chamont (Cross). [Probably Havard of Davies did Polydore, as both were familiar with the part.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: [M+Mercury Harlequin seems to have been the afterpiece. The Public Advertiser carried the following notice under news from London: "Mr Garrick was prevented from appearing in the character of Chamont last night, by a sudden and violent Indisposition, but we hear that he is better, tho' not quite free from pain."] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: With new Music compos'd by Sig Nicola Conforto, and new Dances. A new Scene painted by Mr Mitermayer. [Repeated in the bills.

Event Comment: At the Great Room, Dean St., Soho. By Mr Handel. Benefit for Signora Frasi. Tickets Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. To begin at 6:30 p.m