Account of the riot occafioned by the advanced prices to the two Gentlemen of Verona, and the tragedy of Elvira-Account of the chief agent.-Hero of the Fribbleriad, &c.

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Riot a is the
Riot in a playhouse is very different

from a tumult in the street; the latter is a fudden fray arifing from ignorance or mistake, generally foon ended, and often without any mifchief done to any body; whereas the former is almost always the VOL. II. refult

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result of a confpiracy, proceeding from private refentment, and in its confequences pernicious to the object against whom it is levelled.

In January 1763, a certain gentleman and his confederates circulated a printed advertisement throughout all the coffeehoufes, taverns, and other public houfes in the neighbourhood of Covent-garden and Drury-lane; wherein they fet forth the great injuftice of the managers of the play-houses, in prefuming to exact the full prices on the night of a revived play; whereas they conceived that they had no reasonable claim to thefe charges from the beginning to the end of a night's entertainment, except on the addition of a pantomime. They declared, with feeming moderation, at the fame time, that their demand of redrefs fhould be urged with decency and temper, and an explanation of the managers conduct required in a manner becoming gentlemen.

The confederates chofe a very odd, or rather improper, time to enforce the doc

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trine

trine of fubmiffion to their authority, on the benefit-night of the writer, who had altered the play of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, at a time when the full charges were never difputed.

A Mr. Fitz-k, who is fince dead, appeared the avowed ringleader of these reformers, who were determined to disturb the audience, and deprive them of their right to enjoy the representation of a play unmolested.

This gentleman harangued the spectators from the boxes, and fet forth, in very warm and opprobrious language, the impofitions of the managers; and, with much vehemence, pleaded the right of the audience to fix the price of their bill of fare. When Mr. Garrick came forward to address the houfe, he was received with noife and uproar, and treated with the utmost contempt by the orator and his friends. He was not permitted to fhew the progreffive accumulation of theatrical expences, the nightly charge of which, from the year 1702 to 1760, had been raised from 341. to above B 2

gol.

901. They would not fuffer him to speak one word in defence of himself and his partner. It had been an invariable custom with Booth, Wilkes, and Cibber, to demand full prices on the acting of a new play which cost them additional expence in decoration. I am informed too, that the prefent managers of Drury-lane and Covent-garden, from the prodigious increafe of expenditure on various occafions, are obliged to charge their actors, for a benefit play, 100l.,

But this tribune of the people, Mr. Fitz-k, would hear no apology, would liften to no remonftrances in favour of the patentees; they muft not be allowed a night's time, no, not an hour, to deliberate on a matter of fo much confequence. to themselves and all dramatic writers, but muft yield unconditional fubmission to a peremptory order of this defpotical gentleman and his affociates, or the house must be torn to pieces, as a punishment for non-compliance.

The confequence of not inftantly giving up the privileges of authors to the fuperior

claims