Event Comment: OOccasional Prologue call'd for. Mr Griffith (Son of Griffith an Actor in Ireland) play'd Barnwell: Toll: [erable] (Cross). This day at Noon will be publish'd and sold by the proprietor and the print shops, two portraits of those celebrated Comedians, Mr Woodward and Mrs Clive, in the characters of the Fine Gentleman and Lady in Lethe (as they are to perform them tonight, at Drury Lane) curiously engraved (in Miniature) from Original drawings of the same size. By J. Brooks, Engraver of Silver and Copper plate. N.B. The above prints may be had together or separate (General Advertiser).Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Dirge (from the General Advertiser).@ Ah, hapless Maid doom'd to the gaping Jaws@Of a Cold and Comfortless and Dreary Tomb.@Thy Marriage song is chang'd to mournful Dirge@Thy bridal bed to a black Fun'ral Hearse.@Hark, how with awful Pause the solemn Bell@In Death-like Sounds tolls her untimely Knell.@She was her Parents' sole delight@They had but one and only child.@Since Death has torn her from their Arms@With Grief and Sorrow they are wild.@Their Grief and Sorrow ev'ry Bosom shares@Witness our sighs and Groans and falling Tears.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Tickets deliver'd out by Mr Oswald will be taken (General Advertiser). Mr Oswald ye Music had some Tickets (Cross). [Queen Mab played thirty-two times consecutively at full prices.] A. Betson, Miscellaneous Dissertations: Historical, Critical, and Moral, on the Origin and Antiquity of Masquerades, Plays, Poetry, and several other heathenish customs. Printed. (Register of Books, Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1751, p. 95). Receipts: #140 (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 Lee. Tickets to be had at Mr Prince's, Linnen Draper, the Golden Artichoke, in Great Queen St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields; of Mr Calcroft at the Ship in Ivy Lane, Newgate St., and at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for the 22nd will be taken. No building on stage. Receipts: #130 (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 one Barry a Jeweller (Cross). A Charity Play, recommended by the City of London for Barry, Jeweller in Salisbury Court (being in great distress). Tickets at Grigsby's, Shadwell's, Janeway's and Sam's Coffee Houses by the Royal Exchange; Peele's, Nando's Anderton's and Temple Exchange in Fleet St., Marsh's Coffee House in Silver St., and at the stage door. Stage will be form'd into an Amphitheatre (General Advertiser). Mr Reinhold dy'd (Cross). A man no less admired for his private character than his publick performance. He has left behind him a Wife and Four small children in great distress; for the relief of whom the Managers of Drury Lane, and the actors have agreed to perform a play Gratis, some time next week; when it is hop'd the good nature of the publick will favour the intention of the performers. Tickets to be had of Mr Beard, at his house in North St., Red Lion Square, and at the theatre (General Advertiser, 16 May). Receipts: #60 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: Not acted these two years. [See 30 Nov. 1749. Inspector No 191 analyzes and discusses The Orphan (Daily Advertiser and Literary Gazette).] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: mong the Addresses of the Lords and Commons to the Sovereign which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1751, pp. 513-14) one recommended that provision be made for suppressing audacious crimes of robbery and violence. A contributor called Mr Urban's attention to a "method of reformation earnestly recommended more than 40 years ago by an eminent Divine" (Dean Swift). In this treatise occured the following paragraph: "The Reformation of the Stage is entirely in the power of the Court; and in the consequence it hath upon the minds of younger people, doth very well deserve the strictest care. Surely a pension would not be ill employed on some men of wit, learning and virtue, who might have power to strike out every offensive and unbecoming passage from plays already written, as well as those that may be offered to the stage for the future, by which, and other wise regulations, the theatre might become a very innocent and useful diversion instead of being a scandal and reproach to our religion and country."] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Tradesman under Confinement. [This benefit had first been advertised on Monday 11 Nov. Tickets were to be had at seven Coffee Houses, at Mr Watkins' Optician, at Charing Cross, Mrs Crokett's, Harberdasher at the Seven Stars, Ludgate St., and at the stage door. On the day of the benefit one Philantropos contributed a letter in support of it which was printed in the first column of the General Advertiser. The Tradesman was a bookseller who was "the immediate instrument of ushering into the world some of the most valuable books that have been publish'd for these 30 years." But he had paid more attention to the advancement of letters than "to the lucrative views that attend the trade in general," so, in the eyes of Philantropos deserved the support of the town at this benefit.] The death of Mr Cooke mentioned in the Papers is a mistake, he being in a fair way of recovery (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: TThe Siege of Damascus is reviving at Covent Garden (in which Mrs Cibber is to perform the part of Eudocia , and Mr Barry that of Phocyas , it being the first time of his appearing in that character). As is also the Masque of Pyramus and Thisbe as set to Music by the late Mr Lamp; they will be performed some day this week

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. As Mr Edward Berry, one of the comedians of Drury Lane, was returning home from Temple Bar, he was stopt at the end of Arundel St. by three Fellows, one with a Horse-Pistol, another with a short pistol, and the other with a hanger, who robb'd him of his watch, some silver, and his Neck-cloth, and then walk'd off with their booty (General Advertiser, 20 Jan.). During the Performance on Saturday Night [11 Jan.] at Drury Lane, a dispute was carried on at great length between Mr V-n and a Gentleman unknown but on the Gentleman's being made sensible of his error, and making publick submission and Gentleman-like reparation, it was amicably terminated (General Advertiser). Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: TTancred and Sigismunda is oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of the Indisposition of a principal performer. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: By order of the Town. None to be admitted without tickets at 2s. 6d. each. The Roarings of the Lion disturbing some of the inhabitants of Covent Garden, his Leonic Majesty has adjudged it necessary to remove from that end of town to the place of performance. To begin at 7 p.m. [See Cross, History of Henry Fielding, II, 409, for an account of this piece and the way it was stopped by officers while the performance was in progress.

Event Comment: This day publish'd at 1s. the first number of the Dramatic Censor, being remarks on the tragedy of Venice Preserv'd, with observations on the principal performers, by Mr Derrick. This pamphlet is a specimen of criticism intended to be made on our most celebrated dramatic pieces. By several hands. Wherein, should the publick approve by encouraging this first essay, not the beauties and Inaccuracies of the poet, but of the several performers will be considered...To this number is added Proposals for printing by Subscription a New Tragedy call'd Osman by Mr Gentleman

Event Comment: Benefit for Barry. Eight rows of the Pit will be rail'd into the Boxes, where servants will be allow'd to keep places. Ladies send sevants by 3 p.m. And for their better accommodation the Stage will be form'd into an Amphitheatre, where servants will likewise be allow'd to keep Places

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Dexter. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. Tickets to be had of Dexter at his lodgings at Mr Gibson's in James Street, Covent Garden; at the Grecian Coffee House, in Deveraux Court; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre where Places may be taken. Receipts. #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Signor Bombasto and Signor Piantofugo. [Eighteenth night.] Henley's advertisements say he came to London in 1720, is not in debt and One Time with another, my Oratory is as full as ever, when I please, and my Service to Mr Smart, Mrs Warner, Mr Newberry, etc. J. Henley" (Daily Advertiser, 21 March).

Event Comment: Benefit for Winstone and Burton. No building on the stage. Tickets from Winstone at Mr Race's, Peruke Maker, Bridges St., from Mr Burton at Brownlow Sq., Long Acre. Receipts: #89 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Cross, Prompter, Mrs Cross, and Son. N.B. Mr Cross takes the liberty to inform the Ladies and Get&ntlemen who intend to honour him with their company, that his constant Attendance upon the Business of the theatre, will hinder him from applying to them in person, and therefore hopes to receive their commands at his house in Crown Court, Little Russel-Street, Covent Garden, or at the Stage Door of the theatre, where Tickets and Places are to be had for his benefit. Receipts: #156 (Cross)