Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 24 Jan. 1758.] Prologue written by Paul Whitehead. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No persons can be admitted behind scenes, nor any Money returned after curtain is drawn up. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary note in succeeding bills.] Receipps: #190 14s. (Account Book). @The New Occasional Prologue@As when the merchant to increase his store@For Dubious seas, advent'rous quits the shore;@Still anxious for his freight, he trembling sees@Rocks in each buoy, and tempest in each breeze@The curling wave to mountain billow swells,@And every cloud a fancied storm fortells:@Thus rashly launch'd on this Theatric main,@Our All on board, each phantom gives Us pain;@The Aatcall's note seems thunder in our ears,@And every Hiss a hurricane appears;@In Journal Squibs we lightning's blast espy,@And meteors blaze in every Critic's eye.@Spite of these terrors, still come hopes we view,@Hopes, ne'er can fail us--since they're plac'd--in you.@Your breath the gale, our voyage is secure,@And safe the venture which your smiles insure;@Though weak his skill, th' adventurer must succeed,@Where Candour takes th' endeavor for the deed.@For Brentford's state, two kings could once suffice;@In ours, behold! four kings of Brentford rise;@All smelling to one nosegay's od'rous savor@The balmy nosegay of--the Public favor.@From hence alone, our royal funds we draw,@Your pleasure our support, your will our law.@While such our government, we hope you'll own us;@But should we ever Tyrant prove--dethrone us.@Like Brother Monarchs, who, to coax the nation@Began their reign, with some fair proclamation,@We too should talk at least--of reformation;@Declare that during our imperial sway,@No bard shall mourn his long-neglected Play;@But then the play must have some wit, some spirit,@And We allow'd sole umpires of its merit.@For those deep sages of the judging Pit,@Whose taste is too refin'd for modern wit,@From Rome's great Theatre we'll cull the piece,@And plant on Britain's stage the flow'rs of Greece.@If some there are, our British Bards can please,@Who taste the ancient wit of ancient days,@Be our's to save, from Time's devouring womb,@Their works, and snatch their laurels from the tomb.@For you, ye Fair, who sprightlier scenes may chuse,@Where Music decks in all her airs the Muse,@Gay Opera shall all its charms dispense,@Yet boast no tuneful triumph over sense;@The nobler Bard shall still assert his right,@Nor Handel rob a Shakespear of his night,@To greet the mortal brethren of our skies [upper galleries]@Here all the Gods of Pantomime shall rise:@Yet midst the pomp and magic of machines,@Some plot may mark the meaning of our scenes;@Scenes which were held, in good King Rich's days,@By sages, no bad epilogues to plays.@If terms like these your suffrage can engage,@To fix our mimic empire of the stage;@Confirm our title in your fair opinions,@And crowd each night to people our dominions.@--(Poems and Miscelaneous Compositions, Ed. Capt. Edward Thompson, 1777) Covent Garden opened with the Rehearsal with alterations. I was in the Pit. Powell, from Drury Lane, one of the new managers who have bought the patent from Rich's heirs, spoke an occasional Prologue. Shuter did Bayes pretty much to my liking, adding many crochets of his own.... Entertainment The Mock Doctor,...Young Jasper pretty well by one Massey, being his first appearance on that stage (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Desire. Fixed nightly expenses were five: music-varying from #6 to #7 7s. 8d.; Wardrobe, from #1 12s. to #4; Properties, from 6s. 3d. to #2; and Kettle Drum, at about 5s.; Renters stage;

Event Comment: Mainpiece: First time in 2 years. [See 17 Jan. 1766.] Harlequin's Invasion revived with alterations, particularly a Patagonian Man and Woman, executed by Mr Johnston, are very fine Figures, and gave great satisfaction to the Audience (Hopkins MS Notes)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing Bagg Pipes 3 nights in Midas and 1 in Dr Faustus #1 (Account Book). Went into the Pit to see Woodward in the character of Brazen. He is a most inimitable fellow....This play is entertaining, but rather loose. End Act II, a pantomime Dance by Fishar and Manesiere. The entertainment was Harlequin Dr Faustus (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #145 9s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: TThe Stratagem not acted for 3 years. Archer not acted by Garrick for 5 years. [See 20 May 1766, and 13 Oct. 1762.] I had not time to dine, Garrick being to play. Tho' I got into the Pit 15 minutes past 4, oblig'd to stand in the well....Scrub very well by Weston....The play was very well performed. The Doctor very well done by Love (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Rec'd from Condell for 45 nights fruit rent #20. Paid Tabor and Pipe for 2 nights #1 1s. (Account Book). [This charge occurs throughout season whenever Orpheus and Eurydice is performed.] Receipts: #192 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Aldridge and Miles. The Clandestine Marriage cannot be perform'd on account of Indisposition of Woodward. Charges #64 15s. 6d. Balance to Aldridge and Miles #12 12s. 6d. Paid Aldridge #6 6s. 3d. who also had from Tickets #39 13s. (Box 55; Pit 138; Gallery 52). Paid Miles #6 6s. 3d. who also had from Tickets #92 15s. (Box 140; Pit 253; Gallery 173) (Account Book). [Miles was much senior to Aldridge in serivce at cg. See note on Mrs Bulkley, 17 Nov. 1767, who had been ready in this part five months before.] Receipts: #77 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Smith, Parsons, Arnauld, Miss Madden, Miss Cockayne, and others. Tickets deliver'd by Wild, Mrs Hitchcock, Francis, Widow Trott, Mrs Paddick, and for the fourteenth will be taken. [The Mourning Bride and Orpheus had been planned for the 14th. See foot of playbill 13 May.] @Tickets Pit Box Gallery Value 1!2 Value@T. Smith 67 61 #16 3s. #8 1s. 6d.@ Maddan 10 30 49 #11 18s. #5 19s.@19 183 58 38 19@Cockayne 7 23 48 #10 5@Wilde 2 27 33 #7 17s. #3 18s. 6d.@Francis 4 25 31 #7 17s. #3 18s. 6d.@Arnd Fishar 14 8 #2 18s. #1 9s.@Hitchcock 31 41 14 #15 6s. #7 3s.@ Trott 16 8 4 #5 12s. #2 16s.@Paddick 16 7 #3 2s. #1 11s.@Total #118 13s. #59 6s. 6d. (Account Book).@ [No charges were listed. The house took, instead one-half value of the tickets, leaving the other half as profit to the ten beneficiaries. House also took the cash receipts.] Receipts: #27 19s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Rose, Sherrard and others. Tickets deliver'd by Robson, Dixon, Wooley, Roberts, Fransdorf, Doe, Reed, Ellis and Pilfold will be taken. @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value 1!2 Value@Rose 20 31 25 #12 3s. #6 1s. 6d.@Sharratt 6 6 11 #3 10s. #1 15s.@Robson 1 49 52 #12 16s. #6 8s.@Dixon 4 39 33 #10 3s. #5 1s. 6d.@Wooley 3 38 64 #12 17s. #6 8s. 6d.@Roberts 13 53 42 #15 8s. #7 14s.@Fransdorf 33 33 #8 5s. #4 2s. 6d.@Doe 1 13 49 #7 2s. #3 11s.@Reed 10 13 37 #8 3s. #4 1s. 6d.@Ellis 6 33 #4 4s. #2 2s@Pilfold 25 128 17 #27 3s. #13 11s. 6d.@Total #121 14s. #60 17s. (Account Book).@ [See note to 27 May.]@ Rec'd of Gardner for his deficiency 6th inst. #13 3s. 6d.@ Rec'd of Miss Besford her deficiency 25th inst. #7 2s. 10 1!2d.@ Rec'd of Holtom for his deficiency 25th inst. #7 2s. 10 1!2d.@ Rec'd of Mrs Trott her 1!2 value of tickets 27th #2 16s.@ Rec'd of Miss Maddan her 1!2 value of tickets 27th #5 19s.@ Rec'd of Arnd Fishar his 1!2 value of tickets 27th #1 9s.@ Rec'd of Parsons his 1!2 value of tickets 27th #19.@ Rec'd of Morris his deficiency the 3rd inst. #2 10s. 9d. (Account Book).@ Receipts: #35 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Doors will be open'd at 5 o'clock. Play to begin exactly at six o'clock. Powell after the play advised the Audience they had been applied to make 5 o'clock the hour to admit the company and that the Doors in the future would not be opened till that hour (London Evening Post, 7 Oct.). Receipts: #102 19s. (Account Book)