Event Comment: The rehearsal of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, by a band of 100 musicians, to an audience of above 12,000 persons.--Deutsch, Handel, p. 666., from Gentleman's Magazine, April 1749

Event Comment: Benefit for Will Hill. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire of his friends. N.B. The Gentlemen are desired to meet Mr Hill after the Play at the Rose Tavern, Temple Bar. [He had advertised since 15 April that "Gentlemen and Ladies who intend to honour him with their presence," should take tickets at: the Thatched House, St. James's St; Jack Bridell's, the One Tun in the Strand; Half moon in Holborn; Rose, Temple Bar; King's Head, in the Poultry; Castle, Lombard St; Bell, East cheap; King's Head, Tower Hill, Rummer, Bishopsgate St; West India and Jerusalem Coffee Houses near the Royal Exchange; Chapman's, Swordcutler, in Exchange Alley; and at Will Hill's Lodgings, Mr Geves's in Abchurch Lane.

Event Comment: At Yates's Booth in the George Inn, Smithfield. A new, pleasant and Diverting Droll...interspers'd with several Scenes both Satyrical and Comical, particularly the surprizing Metamorphosis of Jupiter and Mercury; the very remarkable Tryal before Judge Puzzlecause, with many learned arguments on both sides to prove that One can't be Two. Likewise the Humourous Adventures and whimsical Perplexities of Gormandize Simple, the Hungarian Footman; with the wonderful Conversations he had with and the dreadful Drubbings he received from his own Apparition; together with the Intrigues of Dorothy Squeezepurse, the wanton Chambermaid. Concluding with the Distresses of the Jealous Husband or the Innocent Adultress. Yates from Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Clothes, scenes, machines, flyings, Transparencies and all other Decorations entirely new

Event Comment: MMr and Mrs Dyer are arriv'd from the theatre in Dublin; and in a few days he will appear in the part of Tom in the Conscious Lovers at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Receipts: #55 8s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By command of the Royal Family. Receipts: #53 9s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for James Sturgis Adams (a Person in Distress) (Cross). Gave Xmas Box to Duke's Servts #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Tickets for Boxes to be had at the following Coffee Houses, St. James, St. James's St; Somerset in the Strand; Grigsby's behind the Royal Exchange; and the Union, Cornhill. Receipts: #205 (Cross); charges, #80 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: There will be no Opera till the 27th instant on account of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales's Birthday (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: Both pieces by Command of their Royal Highnesses Prince George, Prince William, Lady Augusta. Afterpiece: For last time this season. Present the Princes George & William, and the Lady Augusta. Paid Mr LaCourt in full for painting for the Fair #21. Receipts: #161 12s

Event Comment: Benefit for Quin. Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses Prince George, Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince Henry, Lady Augusta and the Lady Elizabeth. Six rows of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Stage will be Enclosed and form'd into an Amphitheatre. Paid Quin in full of his agreement #122; Advanced Servandoni #5 5s. [The Account Book itemizes the income this night as #93 15s. in money; #99 5s. in tickets, a total of #193 without stage (i.e., presumably without counting money to Quin gained from friends invited to sit in the Amphitheatre on stage.) This was also a "Free Benefit," i.e., clear of costumary house charges.] Receipts: #193

Event Comment: nother long letter to the author of the General Advertiser pleading attendance at the benefit performance of Comus]: Whoever then would be thought capable of Pleasure in reading the works of our Incomparable Milton, and not so destitute of Gratitude as to refuse to lay out a Trifle in a rational and elegant entertainment for the Benefit of his living remains, for the exercise of their own Virtue, the Increase of their Reputation, and the pleasing consciousness of doing good, should appear at Drury Lane theatre tomorrow April 5, when Comus will be performed for the Benefit of Mrs Elizabeth Foster, Granddaughter to the Author, and the only surviving branch of the family. N.B. There will be a new Prologue on the Occasion written by the Author of Irene, and spoken by Mr Garrick; and by particular Desire there will be added to the Masque, a dramatic Satyr call'd Lethe in which Mr Garrick will perform. Tickets to be had of Dodsley, Bookseller, Pall Mall; Messrs Payne and Boquet, Booksellers, Paternoster Row; Batson's Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange, and of Hobson at the Stage Door

Event Comment: A concert, etc. Benefit for Mrs Rachel Hooper, who perform'd Six Years ago at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields. [Earlier bills listed The Recruiting Officer for this night. Today's bill calls only for a concert.] To begin at six o'clock. (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bridges and Blakes. Rec'd Cash #47 3s., plus #100 4s. from tickets. Total #147 7s. (Treasurer's Book). Yesterday Morning died of a Dropsy, Mr William Mills, belonging to the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane; a person formerly well esteem'd in his profession, and if his infirmities in the latter part of his life render'd him less useful to the stage, yet he amply made amends for it, in the deserv'd character of an Honest man, and an indulgent Husband. -The Stratagem will be play'd on Sat. next, for the benefit of Mrs Mills (General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: To Relief Mr Monett, from his distresses and enable him to return to his own country, By his Majesties Comedians at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, Tuesday May 22 will be presented a Comedy, call'd The Suspicious Husband...Tickets and places to be had of Hobson at the stage door of the Theatre (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Last Tuesday Signior Pasquali, Master of the Band of Music at the Theatre Royal, Mr Cibber and some other prominent players arriv'd from England to act the ensuing season [in Dublin]. Mrs Bland arriv'd [in Dublin] last Sunday from England and will appear tomorrow night in the character of Miranda in the Busy Body. Receipts: #180

Event Comment: Nothing said abour ye prolog: (Cross). The Music of the Funeral Procession compos'd by Dr Boyce. [See "William Boyce's 'Solemn Dirge' in Garrick's Romeo and Juliet Production of 1750," by Charles Haywood, Shakespeare Quarterly, Spring, 1960.] This day is Publish'd at 1s. 6d. Romeo and Juliet a Tragedy, revised and alter'd from Shakespear by Theophilus Cibber, First revised in September 1744, at the Theatre in the Haymarket; now acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. To which is added a Serio-Comic Apology for Part of the Life of Mr Theophilus Cibber, Comedian, written by himself. Interspers'd with memoirs and anecdotes relating to the Stage Managements, Theatrical Resolutions, &c. also cursory Observations on principal Players: particularly Mr Quin, Mr Ryan, Mrs Woffington, Mrs Ward, and Miss Bellamy; Mr Garrick, Mr Barry, Mrs Cibber, Mrs Clive, Mrs Pritchard, &c. Likewise Original Letters that passed between the late Sir Thomas DeVeil and Mr Theophilus Cibber relating to the Stage Act, Concluding with a copy of Verses, call'd the Contrite Comedian's Confession. Printed for C. Corbett, the Publisher, at Addison's Head, facing St Dunstan's Church, Fleet St; G. Woodfall, at the King's Arms, the corner of Craig's Court, Charing Cross. [See 11 Oct.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: [For the New Epilogue] Great applause (Cross). This day is Publish'd, Price 6d. Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespear, with alterations, and an additional Scene; as it is performing at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for J. and R. Tonson, and S. Draper in the Strand. Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: [C$Cross suggests The Intriguing Chambermaid as afterpiece, but it is unsupported by the newspapers.] We hear that the Comedy call'd the Pilgrim is now in rehearsal, and will be acted soon, at the theatre Royal in Drury Lane; and that the Secular Masque written by Dryden and set to music by Dr Boyce will be performed with it. The Epilogue which was inserted in our Yesterday's paper, and copied from the Midwife's Magazine, we fine to be imperfect and not genuine, therefore think ourselves under a necessity of asking the Author's pardon. [Hope in a day or two to give it correctly (General Advertiser). Midwife No II, from which it was copied, adds the note: "This Epilogue was taken in shorthand the night I went to see Miss Jenny Cibber play the part of Alicia...Some few mistakes may therefore have happened which the candid reader will excuse and correct."] Receipts: #50 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Beard ill (Cross). Robin Hood Defer'd. Love's Last Shift deferr'd till Wednesday next. The Comedy of All's Well that Ends Well (written by Shakespear); and the Comedy of Every Man in his Humour (written by Ben Johnson) are now reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane (General Advertiser). Receipts: #60 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince & Pss of Wales (Cross). Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: A little Noise at ye Singing & Dancing (Cross). Nn Saturday night was played for the first time a new Masque called Alfred, at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, before a very numerous and splendid audience. The Piece itself, as it justly deserved met with great and universal applause: However, the spectators rightly found fault with some improprieties in the performance of the inferior dancers and actors, which we hear will be all corrected in this night's representation (General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: A new tragedy, call'd the Earl of Essex, which has sometime been in rehearsal at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, will be performed in a Few Days

Event Comment: Tomorrow will be publish'd at 1s 6d. Alfred, a Masque as it is now acting with great applause at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St., in the Strand. Receipts: #130 (Cross)