In Clare Street, Clare Market, there is a public-house called the Sun. John Rich, the harlequin and lessee of the Duke’s Theatre in Portugal Street (long since taken down), returning from the theatre in a hackney-coach, ordered to be driven to the Sun. On arriving there, he jumped out of the coach, and through the window into the public-house. The coachman thought his fare was a ’bilk’; but whilst he was still looking up and down the street, Rich again jumped into the coach, and told the driver to take him to another public-house. On reaching it, Rich offered to pay the coachman, but the latter refused the money, saying: ’No, none of your money, Mr. Devil; though you wear shoes, I can see your hoofs’; and he drove off as quickly as possible. The theatre called the Duke’s Theatre, in Portugal Street, was rebuilt by Christopher Rich, the father of the above-mentioned John, but he died before the building was quite finished, and it was opened by John; and it is in this theatre that the modern stage took its rise, and here the earliest Shakespearian revivals took place. Quin was one of the performers there; and there the ’Beggar’s Opera’ was first produced, and acted on sixty-two nights in one season, causing the saying that it made Gay rich and Rich gay. The opera was written under the auspices of the Duchess of Queensberry, who agreed to indemnify Rich in all expenses if the daring speculation should fail. Rich, in 1731, built himself a new theatre—the Covent Garden Theatre—on a site granted by the Duke of Bedford, at a ground-rent of £100 per annum. When a new lease was granted, in 1792, the ground-rent was raised to £940 per annum. When Thomas Killigrew was manager of the theatre in Bear Yard, Clare Market, he was a great favourite with Charles II. This King at times showed great indifference to the business of the State, and refused to attend the Council. One day, when he had been long expected, Lord Lauderdale went to his apartments, but was refused admission. His lordship complained to Nell Gwynne, upon which she wagered him £100 that the King would that evening attend the Council. Then she sent for Killigrew, and asked him to dress as if for a journey, and to enter the King’s rooms without ceremony, with further instructions what he was to do then. As soon as the King saw him, he said: ’What, Killigrew! Where are you going? Did I not give orders that I was not to be disturbed?’ ’I don’t mind your orders, and I am going as fast as I can.’ ’Why, where are you going?’ ’To hell,’ replied the jester in a sepulchral tone. ’What are you going to do there?’ asked the King, laughing. ’To fetch back Oliver Cromwell, to take some care of the national affairs, for I am sure your Majesty takes none.’ And the King went to the Council.