Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 19 Feb. Yesterday died of an Astmatick Disorder, at his Chambers in Clement's Inn, Mr Benjamin Griffin, a celebrated Comedian, belonging to Drury-Lane Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Widow Harper. See Daily Advertiser, 30 April: The case of the Widow of the late John Harper, Comedian: Mr Harper, having been seiz'd about four years since with a Paralitic Disorder, which not only rendered him incapable of acting, but depriv'd him of the use of his limbs, and in some degree affected his senses so as to make him an object of great compassion; during which long and dreadful Indisposition of near four years all possible means were tried (tho' in vain) to recover him, which impair'd and hurt his Circumstances, so greatly, as not to permit him to leave a sufficent Support for his widow, who is in years and unprovided for. Mr Harper dying in January last, according to a custom in the theatre his widow is entitled to a Benefit, and the Comedy of The Miser is to be acted to-morrow night for her Benefit, at Drury Lane; but as she is incapable of making a proper interest for it, without applying to the Compassion and Generosity of the Publick, she hopes to be excused in giving them the Trouble of this her case. Tickets deliver'd out by Roger will be taken.See Garrick's Additional Benefit for her on 11 May.] Receipts: #50

Event Comment: TTiled Booth, Bowling Green. A Concert, etc. Benefit Mrs Bambridge. Particular care is taken that the Parts will be performed by comedians from both Houses

Event Comment: Benefit for Sowdon. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. A Gent: play'd Puff in the farce--Bug (Cross). [Seems to have been a clear benefit, as Treasurer's Book lists no charges.] Cash #65 8s. 6d., plus tickets #95; Paid Reynolds for wax & [brickdust] 3s. 9d. Paid Mr Pope a Bill #7 14s. [wigmaker] (Treasurer's Book). Tickets of Sowdon at his lodgings, the Sign of the Sun, a Milliner's facing Exeter exchange in the strand, and of Hobson at the stage door. Tickets otherwise to be had at Will's Coffee House in Cornhill, and of Mr Thomas Sowdon in Blackman St., Southwark. We hear William Mills, Comedian, lies at the point of death, at his lodgings in Russell St., Covent Garden. Receipts: #170 (Cross); #160 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: We hear that Mr Monette, who brought over the French Comedians having been four months under confinement in the King's Bench, on account of the Debts he had contracted in that Undertaking, has applied to the Managers of Drury Lane, for a Benefit Play, in hope that the Goodness and Generosity of the Public will contribute to his enlargement, and enable him to return to his own country (General Advertiser)

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: Benefit for one Monett master of ye French Comedians (Cross). [174th and positively the last night.] Receipts: #120 (Cross). Account of Disbursements made by Mr Monnet for his Stage, as well in Ready Money as in Notes of Hand. @Names of Actors and Actresses Their Contracts with Mr Monnet Paid in Money Paid in Notes Whole sum of the Expence, as well in Money as in Notes@Desormes #227 7s. 6d. #65 17s. 9d. #131 5s. #197 2s. 9d.@Mauly & Hamond #301 8s. 9d. #175 #63 #238@Bureau #257 8s. 7d. #122 11s. 3d. #52 10s. #175 1s. 3d.@Toscano #289 7s. 10d. #123 16s. 7d. #66 1s. 3d. #189 7s. 10d.@Durancy and Wife #361 17s. 1d. #147 7s. #210 #357 7s.@Parant #218 15s. #108 10s. 10d. .... #108 10s. 10d.@Terodat #52 10s. #39 2s. .... #39 2s.@Kelly #30 18s. #30 18s. .... #30 18s.@Villiers #32 15s. #32 15s. .... #32 15s.@Chateauneuf #43 15s. #15 17s. .... #15 17s.@Dujoncel #36 15s. #24 13s. 6d. #12 1s. 6d. #36 15s.@Champville #87 10s. #52 10s. .... #52 10s.@StAmand #78 15s. #26 5s. #17 10s. #43 15s.@Totals #1,919 2s. 9d. #965 4s. 3d. #552 7s. 9d.@ @Other Expences@For the Play-House's Rent #110@For the Stage's Taylor #35 14s.@For the Expences of Four Representations acted #65 12s. 6d.@For the traveling Expences of Mr Monnet, and his Residence of twenty Months at London or Paris and the Expences for the Custom-House, Law, Prison #328 12s. 8d.@Whole Sum of the Expence #2,157 1s.@ @RECEIPTS@For Fifty-six Subscriptions, at Five Guineas each #294@Received from Four Representations acted at the Little Theatre in the Hay-Market #188 18s. 4d.@From a Subscription, by Mr Arthur, Master of White's Chocolate-House #367 10s.@Whole Sum of the Receipts #850 8s. 4d. @ Therefore the Expence exceeds the Money received by #1,306 12s. 8d. which Mr Monnet is entirely out of Pocket, besides two Years and a half of his Time spent for it. N.B. The Contracts are all made for Livres Turnois, and this Account is made upon a Calculation of 3 Livres Tournois for 31 1!2d. Sterling.--And the Contracts and Receipts are ready to be produced. [This account is by courtesy of Miss Sybil Rosenfeld from a photostat of the original (which is printed in both French and English) in the Bibliotheque National. See also British Magazine, August 1750, p. 322.

Event Comment: OOccasional Prologue call'd for. Mr Griffith (Son of Griffith an Actor in Ireland) play'd Barnwell: Toll: [erable] (Cross). This day at Noon will be publish'd and sold by the proprietor and the print shops, two portraits of those celebrated Comedians, Mr Woodward and Mrs Clive, in the characters of the Fine Gentleman and Lady in Lethe (as they are to perform them tonight, at Drury Lane) curiously engraved (in Miniature) from Original drawings of the same size. By J. Brooks, Engraver of Silver and Copper plate. N.B. The above prints may be had together or separate (General Advertiser).Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMrs Mariet our Columbine ran away with some Gentleman (Cross). Mr Havard, the Comedian, who a few days ago was so well recover'd from his illness as to come abroad, is relapsed (General Advertiser). Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. As Mr Edward Berry, one of the comedians of Drury Lane, was returning home from Temple Bar, he was stopt at the end of Arundel St. by three Fellows, one with a Horse-Pistol, another with a short pistol, and the other with a hanger, who robb'd him of his watch, some silver, and his Neck-cloth, and then walk'd off with their booty (General Advertiser, 20 Jan.). During the Performance on Saturday Night [11 Jan.] at Drury Lane, a dispute was carried on at great length between Mr V-n and a Gentleman unknown but on the Gentleman's being made sensible of his error, and making publick submission and Gentleman-like reparation, it was amicably terminated (General Advertiser). Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mattocks and Dickenson. On Friday last died Mr Ray, an Old Comedian, belonging to Drury Lane; but his benefit, which is to be on Monday next, is put under the management of some eminent Tradesmen his friends, who intend to employ the profits of it towards the discharge of his creditors. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years. Full prices. [See 10 March 1750.] Mr Maddox ye Ballance Master perform'd [on the rope] in it. Great Expectations not answer'd (Cross). [See ridicule of this afterpiece at dl 6 Nov. and the summary account of the disturbance it produced, as recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1752, p. 535): The Town had been allured to Covent Garden by a wire dancer and some strange animals, which the manager brought together from Sadler's Wells and the Fair. Mr Garrick ridiculed this perversion of theatrical entertainment, by exhibiting a mock entertainment of the same kind. At this the town was offened, and a party went one evening determind to damn it; a person of some distinction [Fitzpatrick] who was very busy in this laudable attempt threw an apple at Woodward and hit him. Woodward resented the blow by some words, which, by the gentleman's account, implied a challenge, but by Woodward's no such thing. Woodward's account is confirm'd by the affidavits of many; that of the gentleman only by his own, though the box in which he sat was full. The Inspector espoused the cause of the Gentleman; and the Covent Garden Journalist of the comedian.'

Event Comment: [N.B. There is no playbill for this date.] This Week will be publish'd A Letter from Henry Woodward, Comedian, the meanest of all characters [see Inspector N. 524] to Dr John Hill, Inspector General of Great Britain, the greatest of all Characters [see all the Inspectors]. "I do remember an Apothecary...whom late I noted In Tatter'd Weeds;.. .Culling of simples..." Shakespeare. Printed and publish'd by M. Cooper in Pater Noster Row. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: [L+Letter from Henry Woodward, Comedian, The Meanest of all Characters To Dr John Hill, Inspector-General of Great Britain, the greatest of all characters completely damns Hill as unsuccessful player, apothecary, doctor, scholar, writer, and gentleman. It ran to three editions in the year.] We hear great interest is being made to succeed Mr Serjeant Shore, deceased, as Serjeant Trumpet to his Majesty, which is in the gift of his Grace the Duke of Grafton as Lord Chamberlain; and that the contest lies chiefly between that excellent performer, Mr. Valentine Snow, Trumpet to the First Troop of Horseguards; Mr. Debourg, the violin; and Mr Beard, of the theatre Royal in Drury Lane (Public Advertiser). Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: This day at noon will be published at 6d. A Letter to Mr Henry Woodward, Comedian, occasioned by his letter to the Inspector. by Simon Partridge, the facetious Cobbler of Pall Mall, and son to the late Mr Partridge, famous for his dispute with Isaac Bickerstaff. "Barbarian to attack, a chymist, Critick, Journalist, and Quack" (Anon). Printed for H. Jeffrey in Pope's Head Alley, Cornhill. [Another mock defense of Hill, casting opprobrium on him in the manner of the eightenth-century bully boys of the bathroom. A second edition of Sampson Edwards' Letter to Woodward appeared this day. See Comment, 9 Dec.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Animal Comedians are in a Few Days to leave England. Forty-second Day

Event Comment: This is the last time of the Animal Comedians performing in England. Fifty-first Day

Event Comment: TThe London Chronicle for 1758 (p. 455): On Friday the 3rd instant was presented Coriolanus. The two first acts of this play, as it is performed at the above theatre, were written by Shakespear; the three last for the most part by Mr. Thomson. But how a man of Mr Sheridan's knowledge (who first introduc'd it there about four years ago) could think of pounding into one substance two things so heterogeneous in their natures as the productions of those authors, is to me amazing. Mr Smith enters in the first act, after having (as we are to suppose) just overcome the Volsci, to the tune of violins and hautboys; but I am a little afraid the grandeur of his triumph is a little misapplied, considering the early times in which Coriolanus lived, before the Roman empire had arrived to any degree of splendor and magnificence, and was great in virtue only. However it makes a fine show; and Mr Smith, who has an excellent person, by the help of a little burnt cork and a real coat of mail cuts a very martial appearance. I think it was one of the Gracchi, who, when he was speaking to the people, always had a servant behind him in the Rostrum with a pitch-pipe which he touched whenever he found his master's voice rising beyond a certain height; such an instrument as this would, in my opinion, be of service to Mr Smith, for his fault seems to be that of keeping too much at the top of his vioce. Mrs Hamilton in the part of Veturai, especially in the last act, excells herself; and in particular, she repeats that line: "He never can be lost who saves his country," with the genuine spirit of a free-born Englishman. By the unnatural conjunction which is attempted to be made in this tragedy, most of the other characters are robbed of their significance. Those two excellent actors, therefore, Ryan and Sparks, only give us just cause to regret that the parts of Tullus and Volscius are not longer....After the play was presented a Ballad Opera called The Contrivances; in which some good comedians are oblig'd to submit to the drudgery of supporting as contemptible a trifle as ever was acted on the stage