Event Comment: True Briton, 20 Feb.: On Saturday Mme Banti "received that day an account of the death of her mother." She sang throughout Act I, but "was unable to appear in the second, and the audience concurred in the suppression, for the evening, of the Second Act.

Event Comment: Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 3 Jan.: I went to King Arthur last night, which is exceeding fine; they have a new man to supply Delane's place, one Johnson, with ye finest person & face in the world to all appearance; but as awkward, as a Button-maker; in short, if he knew how to manage his Beauties to advantage, I should not wonder, if all the Women run mad for him: the inchanted part of the play, is not Machinery, but actual magick: the second scene is a British temple enough to make one go back a thousand years, & really be in ancient Britain: the Songs are all Church-musick, & in every one of ye Chorus's Mrs Chambers sung ye chief part, accompanied with Roarings, Squawlings & Squeakations dire. Mrs Giffard is by way of Emmeline, & should be blind, but, heaven knows! I would not wish to see better than she does, & seems to do; for when Philidel restores her to sight, her eyes are not at all better than before; she is led in at first, by a Creature, yet was more like a Devil by half, than Grimbald himself; she took herself for Madame la Confidente, but every body else took her to be in the Circumstances of Damnation: when Emmeline comes to her sight, she beholds this Mrs Matilda first, & cries out Are Women all like thee? such glorious Creatures! which set the people into such a laugh, as lasted the whole Act: the Frost Scene is excessive fine; the first Scene of it is only a Cascade, that seems frozen: with the Genius of Winter asleep & wrapt in furs, who upon the approach of Cupid, after much quivering, & shaKing sings the finest song in the Play: just after, the Scene opens, & shows a view of arched rocks covered with Ice & Snow to ye end of ye Stage; between the arches are upon pedestals of Snow eight Images of old men & women, that seem frozen into Statues, with Icicles hanging about them & almost hid in frost, & from ye end come Singers, viz: Mrs Chambers, &: & Dancers all rubbing their hands & chattering with cold with fur gowns & worsted gloves in abundance. Gray, Correspondence, I, 36-37

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Music [to afterpiece] by Barthelemon. I often go to both theatres, have seen Garrick and Mrs Yates, who are the first in this theatrical sphere. The former has hitherto [i.e., this season] appeared only in comedy, --his manner, his humour, and his judgment are not to be equall'd. The adoration he meets with from the English is equal to his merit. His every motion they attend to, and every turn of his eye seems to transport them. Mrs Yates [at Covent Garden] has much tragic merit. Her low voice is very tuneful, her feeling great, her action peculiarly graceful and her figure uncommonly fine. She has more power than Mrs Dancer (at Drury Lane] and more variety than Mrs Fitz-Henry, tho' less strength and compass. On the whole she is superior to the former and inferior to the latter. Barry and Mrs Dancer are engag'd here (MS Letter from Henry Grattan to Cornet Broome giving his first impressions of living in London, 27 Oct. 1767, in Folger Library). Neville MS Diary: Went into the Pit to see As You Like It a second time. Reddish did Orlando for the 1st time. He is a pretty good player. End Act I, Hearts of Oak. The Entertainment was the new Farce called a Peep Behind the Curtain. Glib by King who is the author. The piece is not unentertaining, whatever other merit it may have. The Prologue and an Address to the Town by way of Epilogue, are spoken by Mr King, the music by Barthelemon

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Crawford. Mrs Crawford, imprest with the deepest Sense of Gratitude for the many Favours conferred on her by her Friends and the Public, is sincerely concerned that a violent Indisposition renders it impracticable for her to perform for her Benefit this Night. Mrs Crawford, fearing a second Disappointment would inconvenience those who have had the Goodness to interest themselves in her Support, has fixed on the Comedy of The Chances, instead of the Play advertised [Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, announced on playbill of 14 Apr.]. Tickets delivered for Isabella [the original play chosen for this night] will be taken. Public Advertiser, 4 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Crawford, No. 22, Bridges-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #168 2s. (99/3; tickets: 68/19) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Receipts: #116 10s. Probable attendance: boxes, 191 paid and 12 orders; pit, 262 paid and 5 orders; slips, 25 paid and 2 orders; first gallery, 242 paid and 6 orders; second gallery, 50 paid and 1 order. For an essay on Camilla, see London Journal, 26 Nov. Mrs Pendarves to Anne Granville, 27 Nov.: I was at the opera of Camilla...performed by a Mrs Chambers, Mrs Barbiere, Mrs Fletchere, a Signor Rochetti, Mr Leveridge, Mr Legard. I can't say I was much pleased with it, I liked it for old acquaintance sake, but there is not many of the songs better then ballads.-Mrs Delany@Autobiography, I, 125

Event Comment: TThe Jovial Crew, as advertised for this Day cannot be perform'd on account of the indisposition of Miss Brent. Positively the last time of the company's performing this season. Boxes #5 17s. 6d. Paid Younger a bill for writing parts #2 12s. Paid Ross in full to make his sallery #300 for the season: #60. The Account Book indicates a deficit this night of #1240 12s. 4d. after all salaries are paid. This deficit was reduced by #301 18s. 8d. on May 27 by deductions from the annual salaries of 23 actors and dancers for 19 nights on account of "the death of His Late Majesty King George the Second." A little more than 10 per cent was taken from the salary of each: From Miss Macklin's salary of #300, was deducted #31 16s. 10d., &c. The others who were similary taxed were: @Name Salary Deduction@Ross #300 #31 16s. 10d.@Maranesi & Mrs Maranesi[Wife #270 #28 13s. 2d.@Sparks #250 #26 10s. 8d.@Dyer & Mrs Dyer[Wife #250 #26 10s. 8d.@Beard #210 #22 5s. 9d.@Ridout #180 #19 2s. 1d.@Poitier Jr #150 #15 18s. 6d.@Miss Capdeville #150 #15 15s. 5d.@Barrington #100 #10 12s. 3d.@Bencraft #100 #10 12s. 3d.@LaLauze #100 #10 12s. 3d.@Poitier Sr #80 #8 9s. 9d.@Leppie #80 #8 9s. 9d.@Mrs Jansolien #60 #6 7s. 4d.@Mrs Viviez #60 #6 7s. 4d.@Rotchford #50 #5 6s. 1d.@Mrs Marianne #50 #5 6s. 1d.@Hussey #35 #3 14s. 3d.@Mrs Welsch #35 #3 14s. 3d.@Mrs Crawford #35 #3 14s. 3d.@ On 30 May the deficit was further reduced by receipts from 26 actors for advances, one-half value of tickets for their benefit performances, &c., plus #200 from John Rich, in the amount of #506 6s. 5d. (Account Book).] Receipts: #43 7s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [There are two Kemble playbills for this night. The first announces No Song No Supper and The Child of Nature (with Mrs Jordan as Amanthis) and The Spoil'd Child (with Mrs Jordan as Little Pickle). The second carries the notice: The Publick are most respectfully informed that, on account of the sudden Indisposition of Mrs Jordan, Miss Mellon will undertake the character of Amanthis, and humbly solicits their indulgence. The Entertainments this Evening will be [as above].] Receipts: #265 2s. (173.0.6; 81.6.0; 10.15.6)

Event Comment: Receipts: 76 17s. [The Country Wife intended, but deferred by illness of Mrs Berriman.] Probable attendance: boxes, 79 paid and 13 orders; stage, 10 paid; pit, 208 paid and 22 orders; slips, 18 paid and 2 orders; first gallery, 155 paid and 12 orders; second gallery, 88 paid

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Vincent. Afterpiece: By Desire and for that night only. No building on Stage. Miss Dawson's second time of speaking on the Stage. Tickets delivered out for Hamlet will be taken. Receipts: #76 4s. 6d. in cash, plus #83 5s. from tickets (Boxes 147; Pit 208; Gallery 153). Total income #159 9s. 6d. Charge #64 5s

Event Comment: Benefit for Barrington and Mrs Pitt. [Giles seems to have been played by Barnshaw. See his second appearance on that stage in that character 19 Sept.] Charges #64 10s. Balance to Barrington and Mrs Pitt #25 11s. 6d. plus Tickets (Barrington: #52 4s. from 84 Box tickets; 154 Pit; 81 Gallery); Mrs Pitt #72 15s. (Box 40; Pit 281; Gallery 206). Receipts: #90 1s. 6d. (Account Book)