2           A  HISTORY  OF  THE  NEW YORK STAGE      C1750

"For Sale — All sorts Household Goods, viz: beds, chairs,
tables, chest of drawers, looking-glasses, andirons and pictures, as
also several sorts of drugs and medicines; also a negro girl, about
sixteen years of age, has had the small-pox, and is fit for town or
country. Enquire of Geo. Talbot, next door to the Play House."
There also appeared in the same paper the following advertisement:

"This evening will be performed the tragedy of ' Cato ' and for
three evenings next week, the following comedies will be acted,
viz: * The Recruiting Officer,' ' The Beaux' Stratagem,' and
'The Busy Body.'"

These performances were kept up for three nights each week
until Dec. 31, 1734, when concerts were given. On Jan. 13, 1736,
Mr. Pachebell, a harpsichord player, gave a concert for his benefit.
On Feb. 21, 1739, " The Adventures of Harlequin and Scaramouch,
or the Spaniard Tricked," was acted in Hall's Long Room. In
1743, an entertainment was given at the house of Governor Kip,
in Broad Street. The programme consisted of camera obscura and
microscope displays. On Aug. 31, 1743, a "Punch and Judy"
performance took place at Hamilton Haverton's house, near White¬
hall Slip. It was advertised as "Punch's Opera of Bateman, or
the Unknown Marriage; with a dialogue between Punch and his
wife Joan." In the winter of 1749 a company crossed the Atlantic.
It consisted of Messrs. Smith, Daniels, Douglass, Kershaw, and
Morris, and their wives, and Miss Hamilton, the latter playing
the leading business. This organization continued in New York
for a season of eight months.

THE FIRST  NASSAU  STREET  THEATRE

THE First Nassau Street Theatre was located on the east
side of Kip (now Nassau) Street, between John Street and
Maiden Lane. Kean and Murray appeared here March 5, 1750.
The room in which the performances were given was in a wooden
building, which had belonged to the estate of Hon. Rip Van
Dam.

It was a two-storied house, with high gables. The stage was
raised five feet from the floor. The scenes, curtains, and wings
were all carried by the managers in their " property " trunks. A
green curtain was suspended from the ceiling. A pair of paper
screens were erected upon the right and left hand sides, for wings.
Six wax lights were in front of the stage. The orchestra consisted
of a German flute, horn, and drum players. Suspended from
the ceiling was the chandelier, made of a barrel hoop, through
which were driven half a dozen nails, into which were stuck so
many candles. Two drop scenes, representing a castle and a
wood,   bits  of   landscape,   river,   and  mountain,   comprised   the