Trooper that the Duke of Argylle recommended to Major Foubcrt. I had the pleasure yesterday at court to see Madam Valmut, but I do not think her a beauty but very well, she was not fine. There was as great a crowd as of birthday. The Prince of Wales had a drawing room for the first time yesterday and is to have a ball of twelvt night. The Duke of Kent is to come to town very soon, for his wagon is at present at his door. They say that the cheif promoters of the riots in Drury Lane Play House is Lord Peterbrough and Sir Thomas Aston and that Mr. Fleetwood chalenged my Lord Peter- brough but his lordship did not choose to fight. Mr. Rich at Covent Garden is soon to have a new tragedy call'd Mustafa, and a farce with a great deal of machinary, in which he is to act himself; and if that does not retrieve his former losses he will leave off the manedgement of the Play House .... The Duke of Oueensbury's nephew Master Douglas, brother to Lord March, is a dying of the small pox. My Lord and Lady North was vastly frighten'd lately, for there house was a fire, but they soon put it out without any damage. Yester- day Lady Fanny Mountague was marry'd to Sir Roger Bur- goiene.
London, Ja)inary 4, 1739.
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I hear their will be a vast riot to night at the Play, for young Gibber is to act and the Templars are resolved to hiss him off the stage ; the event of the Play your lordship shall
hear in my next There was a report yesterday that
the Duke of Bedford could not live, but to-day I heard he was very well. Mr. Beckford (that your lordship saw at York races) was marry'd yesterday to the eldest Miss Ashley. The Dutchess of Queensbury has hired Hickford's great room for her sons and Lord Beauchamp and others to act Julius Gaesar, but I do not hear when it is to be.
January 6, 1739. .... Young Gibber was vastly hiss'd a Thursday, but his old friend Impudence kept him from being either out of countenance or in the least disturb'd at the noise.
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