Event Comment: Benefit Peploe, Little, Lee. By particular Desire of some Foreign Ministers. Tickets for Castles and Munro taken

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (Cross). [Tickets as of 9 Feb., with additional note that they could be obtained of Mrs Payne at the White Hart in Paternoster Lane.] Receipts. #140 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (Cross). Tickets for the Boxes may be had fo Mr Rush, in Porter St, Leicester Fields, and of Hobson at the stage door (General Advertiser). Paid Blandford (Talow Chandler) #18 8s.; Knight, Lampman #9 1s.; Mrs Reynolds for wax and Brick dust 4s. 7d.; for a Point d'Espagne Hat for Sowdon #3 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #150 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years [acted 24 Nov. 1791]. "Fawcett is unfortunate in his laugh, which is forced and affected, as if it were more the result of some specific direction acting on his memory, than of any combination of ludicrous images excited in his mind" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1795, p. 123). Receipts: #170 12s. (168.8.6; 2.3.6)

Event Comment: The King's Company, presumably. For a version of this play, see R. G. Howarth, "A Manuscript of James Shirley's Court Secret," Review of English Studies, VII (1931), 302-13. The manuscript is in the Worcester College Library (Plays 9. 21). Pepys, Diary: My wife going to-day to dine with Mrs Pierce, and thence with her and Mrs Clerke to see a new play, The Court Secret. [The play had not been acted before the Restoration.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With Sir Philip Carteret to the King's playhouse, there to see Love's Cruelty, an old play, but which I have not seen before and in the first act Orange Moll come to me, with one of the porters by my house, to tell me that Mrs Pierce and Knepp did dine at my house to-day, and that I was desired to come home. So I went out presently, and by coach home, and they were just gone away; so, after a very little stay with my wife, I took coach again, and to the King's playhouse again, and come in the fourth act; and it proves to me a very silly play, and to everybody else, as far as I could judge. But the jest is, that here telling Moll how I had lost my journey, she told me that Mrs Knepp was in the house, and so shews me to her, and I went to her, and sat out the play.... I could not but observe that Sir Philip Carteret would fain have given me my going into a play; but yet, when he come to the door, he had no money to pay for himself, I having refused to accept of it for myself, but was fain; and I perceive he is known there, and do run upon the score for plays, which is a shame.... In the pit I met with Sir Ch. North