“The ladies carried about with them the favourite songs of it in fans, and houses were furnished with it in screens....  The person who acted Polly, till then obscure, became all at once the favourite of the town; her pictures were engraved and sold in great numbers; her life written; books of letters and verses to her published, and pamphlets made even of her sayings and jests.  Furthermore, it drove out of England, for that season, the Italian opera, which had carried all before it for several years."[14] According to Richard’s account book, the opera ran at the theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields for sixty-two (not sixty-three) nights, of which thirty-two nights were in succession, and these thirty-two performances realised the total sum of L5,351, Gay’s share amounting to L693.[15] Swift, who was always anxious that Gay should do as well as possible, wrote to Pope on March 5th:  “I hope he [Gay] does not intend to print his Opera before it is acted; for I defy all your subscriptions to amount to eight hundred pounds, and yet I believe he lost as much more, for want of human prudence."[16] The advice, however, came too late, for Gay had already sold the copyright of the “Fables” and “The Beggar’s Opera” for ninety guineas.  The opera was published on February 14th, 1728.

Gay was in these days the happiest man in the world.  His play was successful, he was making money, and he had had his little dig at Walpole.  “John Gay ... is at present so employed in the elevated airs of his Opera ... that I can scarce obtain a categorical answer ... to anything,” Pope wrote to Swift in February, “but the Opera succeeds extremely, to yours and my extreme satisfaction, of which he promises this post to give you a full account."[17]

JOHN GAY TO DEAN SWIFT.

  Whitehall, February 15th, 1728.

“I have deferred writing to you from time to time, till I could give you an account of ‘The Beggar’s Opera.’  It is acted at the playhouse in Lincoln’s Inn Fields with such success that the playhouse has been crowded every night.  To-night is the fifteenth time of acting, and it is thought it will run a fortnight longer.  I have ordered Motte[18] to send the play to you the first opportunity.  I have made no interest, neither for approbation or money:  nor has anybody been pressed to take tickets for my benefit:  notwithstanding which, I think I shall make an addition to my fortune of between six and seven hundred pounds.  I know this account will give you pleasure, as I have pushed through this precarious affair without servility or flattery.

“As to any favours from great men, I am in the same state you left me, but I am a great deal happier, as I have no expectations.  The Duchess of Queensberry has signalised her friendship to me upon this occasion in such a conspicuous manner, that I hope (for her sake) you will take care to put your fork to all its proper uses, and suffer nobody for the future to put their knives in their mouths.  Lord Cobham says, I should have printed it in Italian over against the English, that the ladies might have understood what they read.  The outlandish (as they now call it) Opera has been so thin of late, that some have called it the Beggar’s Opera, and if the run continues, I fear I shall have remonstrances drawn up against me by the Royal Academy of Music."[19][20]