The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-15 00:00:00

though the company did not remove from Por-
tugal-street till early the ensuing year (1733.)
The buildings removed for the new house are
thought to have been those of a former theatre
on this spot, built by Sir William Davenant, and
which was, probably, the same as was called the
Phoenix, from the commemorative name of
Phoenix-alley adjoining. We find Abel, the
composer, advertising a concert and dancing at
" Covent-garden Theatre " (probably this old
playhouse), for Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1702, the
perfbrmers, himself, Mons. l'Abbe, Mr. Isaac's
scholar, and others. The galleries were let for
the benefit of the proprietors of the playhouse.
The St. James's Evening Post, of Sept. 10,
1732, has the ensuing paragraph relative to the
new Covent-garden Theatre :—" We hear that
Mr. Harvey and Mr. Lambert have been em-
ployed for some time in painting scenes for the
new theatre in Covent-garden, and that Signor
Amiconi, who painted the Lord Tankerville's
excellent staircase, in St. James's-square, is to
show his art in the ceiling of that theatre ; and
in order thereto bath prepared a design in which
Apollo is represented, in an assembly of the
Muses, dignifying Shakspeare with the laurel.
And, as the several hands employed require
,some
farther time for completing 'their undertaking,
we are informed the theatre in Lincoln's Inn-
fields will be opened in a few days, it being now
determined not to act in that of Covent-garden
till the decorations are quite finished." The pre-
sent magnificent arched entrance from the
Piazzas, with columns and enrichments of the
lonic order, was erected in the same year. The
newspapers mention the theatre as completely
finished in November, and that it was to be
opened on the 27th of that month—when the
following lines made their appearance :
Thespis, the first of the dramatic race,
Stroll'd in a cart, for gain, from place to place;
His actors rude, his profits came but slow;
The poet be, and master of the show;
To raise attention, he employed his art
To build another, and more costly, cart :
New asses he procured to drag the load,
And gain'd the shouts of boys upon the road.
Awhile tl..t gay machine spectators drew,
The people throng'd because the sight Was new ;
Thither they hurried once, and went no more,
For all his actors they bad seen before;
And what it was they wish'd no snore to see :
The application Lun is left to thee.
On this removal of the Lincoln's Inn Com-

pally to Drury-lane, Hogarth published a sati-
rical print, called Rich's Glory, or his 7rium-
phant Entry into Covent-garden. Amongst
other figures in the procession, are the principals
of the company, headed by Quin, in the character
of the Old Bachelor. They consist of Ryas,
\\Talker, Hall, ilippesley, Bullock, Spiller,
Smith, Chapman, Milward, &c. properly charac-
terised ; Miss Warren, who succeeded Miss

Fenton, in Polly; Mr. Eagleton, Mrs.
Morceau, Mrs. Lacy, Miss Sally, &c. all in
their stage paraphernalia. Two authors, who
bring up the rear, are most obsequiously paying
their respects to the manager Rich, as he passes,
while a third is drawing a wheelbarrow full of
his works to the theatre.

From the death of Rich, which happened in
December, 1762, to the 14th of September,
1767, Covent-garden Theatre was under the (11-
' section of Mr. Beard, his son-in-law, by the ap-
pointment of the widow, and the rest of the par-
ties concerned. Mr. Rich leaving, besides his
widow, four daughters, all then living and un-
married, who were to have an equal dividend in
Covent-garden Theatre. Beard distinguished
this theatre by musical performances, as his pre-
decessor had done by pantomimes. Garrick was
in his zenith at Drury-lane Theatre, and drew
the whole town, until the tide was turned through
Baird's musical performances of Love in a Vil-
lage, Artaxerxes, the Maid of the Mill, &c.
aided by the best singers and instrumental per-
formers, brought crowded houses for four suc-
cessive prosperous seasons, at the end of which
Mr. Beard, who had long been troubled with
incurable deafness, once more brought the pa-
tent forward, which was purchased for 60,0001.
paid down in August, 1767, by Messrs. Col-
man, Harris, Rutherford, and Powell ; Mr. Col-
man undertaking the regulation of the stage de-
partment. This alliance, however, was of short
duration, as in July, 1768, Messrs. Harris and

utherford made a forcible entrance into the

theatre, expelled by violence the housekeeper
appointed by the acting managers, nor would
quit possession until compelled by virtue of a
warrant under the hand and seal of the High
Sheriffs of London and Middlesex. This pro-
duced a paper war, which was carried to a con-
siderable extent, and the proceedings in which
occupy a small 4to volume, now become scarce;
it ended in an arrangement that left the patent
and theatre in the possession of Messrs. Harris
and Powell; and on the decease of the latter,
Mr. Harris became sole patentee, under a cer-
tain obligation of paying a moiety of the profits
of the theatre, to the daughters of Mr. Powell.
Covent•garden Theatre, under the manage-
ment of Mr. Harris, was successively altered,
enlarged, and embellished, in the years 1781,
1782, and 1785; and for the last time, in 1794,
in order to keep pace with the newly-erected
Drury-lane Theatre ; the whole interior of the
theatre, on this occasion, being constructed
anew, and decorated in the most elegant style.
It was destroyed by fire, Sept. 20, 1808.
The foundation-stone of the 'present magnifi-
cent structure was laid by his Majesty (then
Prince of Wales) as Grand Master of the Free-
masons,
Saturday, Dec. 31, 1808 ; the Duke of
Sussex, Earl Moira, and other distinguished
noblemen, with some hundreds of that order, at-
tending the procession. Considerable import-
ance and interest was given to the spectacle by
the honour thus conferred upon it ; and all ne-
cessary arrangements having been admirably at-
tended to by the proprietors and architect, the
whole ceremony passed with much eclat. His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales arrived at
one o'clock, and was received by Earl Moira and
other superior members of the order ; a discharge
of artillery and loud acclamations welcomed his
approach, while all the bands uniting struck up
" God save the King." His path from the en-
trance to the marquee was covered with green
cloth. His Royal Highness being arrived at
the marquee, Mr. Smirke, the architect, pre-
sented him with a plan of the building. His
Royal Highness then advanced and deposited in
the basement stone a brass box, containing two
medals of bronze, on which was a portrait of his
Royal Highness, and on the reverse an inscrip-
tion commemorative of the event, together with
several gold, silver, and copper coins of the last
coinage. Three masons then spread mortar
over the lower stone ; and Earl Moira, Deputy
Grand Master, having presented the Prince with
a silver trowel, his Royal Highness, as Grand
it, and the stone was
slowly descent was proclaimed by
iVlaste r
i,e finishedton spreadingts
a discharge of artillery. The plumb, the level,
and the square, were then presented by the
Acting Grand Master, with which the Prince
tried the position of the stone, after which he