Event Comment: Benefit for Dickinson (1st Gallery Office Keeper). House charges #84. [Deficit #54 14s.] Went at 5 to see King Lear...oblig'd to stand in a corner of ye Pit. It is said that Powell does Lear as well as Garrick...Mrs Palmer-Cordelia. This is Mrs Yates's part, but she is become a great woman and refuses to play for many of ye Benefits (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #29 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Weller, Murden, Lewes. Afterpiece for 52nd and last time this season. Tickets deliver'd for Friday the 15th will taken. Tickets sold at the Door will not be admitted. Charges #65 10s. [Deficit to each beneficiary #1 14s. 4d., covered by income from tickets. Weller #41 14s. (Box 7; Pit 145; Gallery 182); Murden #41 12s. (Box 31; Pit 111; Gallery 172); Lewes #61 10s. (Box 45; Pit 239; Gallery 144).] Paid the Duke of Bedford half year's ground rent due Lady Day last for the theatre #41 13s. 4d. (#50 minus half year's Land Tax #8 6s. 8d.). Paid Duke of Bedford half year's ground rent for the New Building adjoining the theatre #12 10s. (#15 minus half year's Land Tax #2 10s.). (Account Book). Receipts: #60 1s. (Account Book). At 5 went to Covent Garden to see Conscious Lovers &c....Got a bad place hn the First Gallery...Lewis did Harlequin, but not so well as Woodward; and Miss D. Twist did ye Miller's Bride, Miss Wilford's Character. Mrs Mahon does the jealous fellow's wife (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Doors to open at half past Four. Play to begin at half past Six. Send servants to hold places by Four o'clock. [Mrs Vincent's deficit of 1st instant received #20 3s. 6d.] Paid scavenger's rate for St Martin's due Lady Day #5 1s. Paid printer's bill #9 6s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #262 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to Drury Lane, but could not get in. Stayed from half past 4, sometime at one Pit door, sometime at the other, till past 6, and got in at the right hand side just as the play began, and was dreadfully squeezed, but rewarded by seeing Garrick play Hamlet. The expression in his features, his eyes particularly, surpasses anything I ever saw. He is a little man, but handsome and full of that fire which marks the stronger, and of the softness natural to the tender passions. It is impossible to see his greatest excellencies from ye Gallery. Baddeley and Dodd are pretty well in Polonius and Ostrick. Mrs Baddeley and Yates do Ophelia and ye Grave Digger very well. Mrs Pritchard is great, as usual in ye Queen. Gravedigger's man-Castle. Horatio-$Mr Packer. Several parts of ye play, as it is in $Shakespeare, are omitted rather improperly...The Prince Brunswick, his wife and Louisa were present (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Theatrical Fund. Doors open at 5 o'clock. Play to begin at half past 6. Last night of season. Cash in the Galleries #88, from Mr Johnston #211 18s. Total #299 19s. Paid in sundries (Rent #8; Soldiers 14s.; Properties 2s.; Bill Stickers 18s.; Candles, Oyl, Lampmen #3 18s. 6d.; Printer #2 13s. 6d.; Total #16 5s. 6d.; Box tickets 680 #170). Ladies and Gentlemen who have taken tickets for the Pit and Boxes are requested to be early at the Theatre, to prevent their being incommoded in getting to their Place. [N.B. 27 June 1767 the Gentleman's Magazine reports that Sg Tenducci "renounced the errors of popery, and embraced the protestant religion in Dublin."] Receipts: #299 19s. (Treasurer's Book). Instead of going to dinner put The Suspicious Husband in my pocket and read Ranger's part at the Somerset Coffee House. Dressed and at half past 5 went into the Front Boxes at Drury Lane to see The Suspicious Husband for the Fund for the Relief of Decayed Actors, being the last time of performing this season. The Pit and Boxes were laid together. Mr Garrick spoke an occasional Prologue and played Ranger. Though in the back row I saw him very well by the help of my glass...Before the Dance Mr Garrick saying that he would not have been able to do it after, in the name of the company and managers thanked the public for the favors received this season. Mr @@ asked me to go to Vauxhall after ye Play, but I chose rather to see Daphne and Amintor ye characters as usual (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: At 6 went to Marybone Gardens, a place of the kind of Ranelagh-but not so elegant nor frequented by such good company--indeed much indifferent company resort to both. A transparent picture of a Patagonian man, woman and child was exhibited for the first time; went and returned on foot. Marybone fields are much pleasanter than the gardens. Got home about 11

Event Comment: With several curious and uncommon performances by the Venetian and his children. Neville MS Diary: At 6 got into the Pit at Sadler's Wells just as the entertainment began with concerts. The singing by Mrs Lampe, Master Herryman, &c. Dancing by Sg Grimaldi, Tassoni, Miss Reynolds from Drury Lane. Tumbling, but not equal to that by Plaida's company. Postures in which the Venetian and his children (a boy and a girl particularly) excel greatly. One stands on his hands, turns his feet backwards to his haunches, and walks in this position or forms an arch with his breast, while the other stands on his head upon it, the father carries one on his hand around his body, one stands on his head on his father's hand. These I mention as a specimen of many more, equally curious, tho' seeing these postures is disagreeable to a humane mind. The Father balances too the slack rope. The whole concluded with the pantomimic entertainment called Merlin

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: MMr Reddish played Lord Townly, being his first appearance in London, --was well received and met with Applause, --but an indifferent figure, --will be useful (Hopkins MS Notes)