not long continue in the management.

In the year 1763 there occurred another disturbance. An adaptation of
Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona," by Mr. Benjamin Victor, had
been produced at Drury Lane Theatre. It was played five nights with
success, but, on the sixth, when, according to the old theatrical
custom, the receipts went to the author of the adaptation, the
performance was interrupted. "A set of young men," writes Mr. Victor,
"who called themselves 'The Town,' had consulted together and
determined to compel the manager to admit them at the end of the third
act at half-price to every performance except in the run of a new
pantomime; and they chose to make that demand on the sixth night of
'The Two Gentlemen of Verona,' though it was printed on the playbills
'for the benefit of the author of the alterations.'" The performance
of the play was actually forbidden. One Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was the
avowed ringleader of the reformers, harangued the audience from the
boxes, and set forth in very warm language the impositions of the
managers, vehemently pleading the right of the public to fix the price
of their bill of fare. Garrick came forward to address the house, but
was received with a storm of disapprobation, and refused a hearing.
The uproar continued; the benches were torn up, and the lustres and
girandoles broken. Ultimately, the money taken at the doors was
returned to the audience, and the theatre cleared.

On the following night, Mr. Mallet's tragedy of "Elvira" was played
for the first time. The disturbance was renewed, and Mr. Garrick was
called for. He was asked peremptorily: "Will you or will you not give
admittance for half-price after the third act of a play, except during
the first winter a pantomime is performed?" The manager, dreading a
repetition of the riot of the preceding evening, replied in the
affirmative. A demand was then made for an apology from Moody the
actor, who had interfered to prevent the theatre being fired. Moody
appeared, and, after an Irish fashion, expressed regret that he had
displeased the audience "by saving their lives in putting out the
fire." This pleasantry was very ill received. Mr. Fitzpatrick's party
insisted that the actor should go down on his knees and implore their
pardon. Moody refused with an oath, and abruptly quitted the stage. He
was received with open arms by Garrick in the wings, who assured him
he should not suffer for his spirited conduct. But the tu