Event Comment: full column letter to
the public signed by
John Beard appeared in
the Public Advertiser announcing his agreement to
the half-price demands of
the rioters, and excusing himself for not acquiescing with more alacrity on
the night of
the demand. His excuse was that he was merely manager for o
ther proprietors, and that property interest was involved in
the financial sacrifice he was asked to make. He noted fur
ther reasons for not immediately giving in to demands of
the rioters: Mr Beard had at that time received several anonymous threatening letters and notes concerning many o
ther branches of what
they called Reformation. He was ordered by one to add a farce to
Love in a Village, or
the House should be pulled about his ears. By and
ther he was commanded to put a stop to
the far
ther representation of that Opera, upon
the penalty of enforcing his compliance by a Riot
the next night of performance, and very lately received certain information of meetings, which have already been held, and an Association forming to reduce
the prices at
the Theatre to what
they were forty years since, tho' it is notorious
the Expence of
Theatrical Entertainments are more than doubled. For
these reasons he looked upon
the Occasion of
the present disturbance only as a prelude to future violence; as
the first not
the last salutation of this extraordinary kind to be expected, and apprehended that too easy an acquiescence might possibly prove ra
ther encouragement than prevention. Never
theless in gratitude for
the many favours and indulgencies received from
the Publick, and from an earnest desire to promote that order and decorum so essential in all Public Assemblies,
the Proprietors have now jointly authorized Mr Beard to declare that
they shall think
themselves equally bound with
the managers of
the o
ther
Theatre to an observance of those limitations which
they have agreed to." This letter repeated in
Public Advertiser, 3 March.