Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/393

 10 8. VII. APRIL 27, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

321

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1007.

CONTENTS. No. 174.

NOTES : Theatrical "Benefits," 321 The Page Family and their Middlesex Estates, 322 Granger Annotated by Caulfield, 323 "Amel of Ujda" Aztec Names B.V.M. and the Birth of Children, 325 Voltaire and Rousseau Oxford Chancellorship Election Omar Khay- yam in Baskish W. L. Hertslet, 326 Seven Dials The Brooch of Lorn, 327.

-QUERIES : "Popery, tyranny, and wooden shoes "Court Leet : Manor Court St. Devereux : St. Duhricius, 327 Authors Wanted Tradagh=Drogheda Bacon's Apoph- thegms "Wound": its Pronunciation A. Macduff Baxter Rudyard Family Roscoe Arms and Family, 328 Mansfield Gooseberry-Tart Fair" Paws off, Poinpey Sir John Claridge's Portrait Rocher tie Gayette Sir W. Hamond, Kt. Flint and Steel Virginia and the Eastern Counties Bunyan and Milton Genealogies, 329.

REPLIES :" Idle Dick Norton," 330 Earl's Eldest Son and Supporters, 332 Ceiba Anne Plantagenet, Duchess of Exeter "Fires" for "Cymbals" Fifth-Monarchy Men Charles I. : Physical Characteristics, 334 Simpson's Restaurant : Guessing the Cheese Palreologus in the West Indies "Bell-Comb" for Ringworm, 336 Richard II. : his Arms Classical Quotations, 337" Wax and curnels " Mourning Rites in Persia, 338.

NOTES ON BOOKS: 'The Seven Deadly Sins' 'Gari- baldi's Defence of the Roman Republic ' ' Early English Prose Romances.'

Notices to Correspondents.

THEATRICAL " BENEFITS." WHILE the * N.E.D.' gives a quotation of 1709 from Steele, and one of 1721 from Swift, for the literary use of the word benefit in its theatrical sense, no illustration is afforded of its earliest practical employ- ment by the actors themselves, it being simply indicated from the ' History of the Stage,' published in 1792, that a benefit performance was first granted to Mrs. Barry on 16 Jan., 1687. The late Mr. Dutton Cook, in his chapter on ' Benefits ' in ' A Book of the Play,' furnishes, in addi- tion to the Barry instance, an indication of a benefit at Drury Lane in 1702, but with- out mentioning the precise date or for whom it was given. Yet the point is of interest in any study of the history and development of our stage ; and some notes upon it, taken from contemporary journals, may lead to further inquiry.

In The Daily Courant of 2 Jan., 1705, " a Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, perform' d by several Eminent Masters," was advertised to be held, " at Mr. Hills Danceing Room in Crosby-Square in Bishopsgate-street," " for the Benefit of Mr. Henry Eccles, Jun." ; and on the ensuing 19 February the same journal advertised a performance " At the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane, to-morrow, being Tuesday the 20th of February, For the Benefit'of Mr. Dennis."

As the years wen^< on the system steadily spread, and it was obviously in full swing in 1717, for I find in The Daily Courant for 4 April of that year two advertisements one announcing a performance at Drury Lane the same evening, " At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality, For the Benefit of Mr. Penkethman, By His Majesty's Company of Comedians " ; and the other at " the Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn- Fields, For the Benefit of Mr. Leveridge, By the Company of Comedians " ; while there were four such advertisements two days later, two of them being benefits given " at the Desire [in one case, " the par- ticular desire "] of several Ladies of Quality," and a third was " By Command, For the Benefit of Signer Cavaliero Nicolino Grim- aldi, at the King's Theatre in the Hay- Market."

To the first named of these benefits a special interest may be held to attach, for it is to be found that they did not always realize the promise of their name. The advertisement which appeared on the day of the Drury Lane performance on 4 April, 1717, announced that there would be

" presented a Comedy call'd Greenwick-Park. The part of Sir Thomas Reveller by Mr. Penkethman. To which will be added the What d'ye call it. With Singing by Mr. Turner, Mrs. Fitzgerald, and Mrs. Boman. And Dancing by Mons. Dupre, Mons. Boval, Mons. Dupre Jun., Mr. Prince, Mrs. Bicknel, and others. And an Epilogue by Mr. Penkethman riding on an Ass."

But, despite this wealth of attraction, the affair proved a disappointment, as is evidenced by the further advertisement in The Daily Courant of 13 Jan., 1718, which ran thus :

"At the particular desire of several Ladies of Quality. For Mr. Penkethman, to make up the Deficiency of his last Year's Benefit. By His Majesty's Company of Comedians. At the Theatre- Royal in Drury-Lane, this present Monday, being the 13th of January, will be presented a Play call'd, The Humorous Lieutenant. The part of the Humorous Lieutenant by Mr. Penkethman, the King Mr. Thurmond, Demetrius Mr. Wilka Leontius Mr. Mills, Celia Mrs. Oldfield. With Dancing by Mr. Shaw, Mr. Topham, Mr. Wade, Mrs. Santlow, Mrs. Bicknell, and Miss Lindar."

Such a failure, however, was not un- precedented, for in The Daily Courant of 14 June, 1717, had been advertised a per- formance at Drury Lane that night of ' The Constant Couple, or a Trip to the Jubilee,' with Wilks as Sir Harry Wildair and Ann Oldfield as Lady Lurewell, " for the Benefit of Mr. Norris, to make up for the Deficiency of his last."

ALFRED F. ROBBINS.