he makes John Rich the angel of the goddess Dulness: Immortal Rich! how calm he sits at ease Mid snows of paper, and fierce hail of pease; And proud his mistress' orders to perform, Rides in the whirlwind, and directs the storm." (III l. 257–260) The battle between Cibber's Drury Lane and Rich's Lincoln's Inn Fields Pope summarizes as, "Here shouts all Drury, there all Lincoln's-Inn; Contending Theatres our (Dulness's) empire raise, Alike their labours, and alike their praise." Yet, at the same time, 1728 was the year that Rich produced John Gay's Beggar's Opera. The play ran so successfully, with 62 performances, that it was famously said the play "made Gay rich and Rich gay." John Gay was a long-time friend of Pope's and a frequent collaborator of his. Rich's success with Beggar's Opera allowed him to open his own theatre, and in December 1732 he opened the Theatre Royal Covent Garden. This was the first of three theatres on the site, now known as the Royal Opera House. Rich commissioned some of the great landscape artists of his day to paint the scenery for Covent Garden, including George Lambert. His niece was Mary Bulkley, who trained and performed at Covent Garden Theatre during his lifetime. Rich received a 75% share in the Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre from his father, Christopher Rich, upon his death in 1714. At that time, the theatre was by no means ready for use, as it was still under construction. By that point, Rich had already begun acting in plays and taking a hand in the theatrical management. His father had set the reputation and direction of the Lincoln's Inn Theatre during the War of the Theatres in the 1690s, and John Rich continued it. In particular, John Rich exaggerated the theatricality of the Restoration spectacular by creating a new form of hireling drama designed strictly to generate opulent stagecraft. After becoming the majority owner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, his control grew as he sought to get the rest of the shares. It was the success of Beggar's Opera that allowed him, in the end, to open the new theatre at Covent Garden. John Rich also opened a Beefsteak Club along with his scenic artist, George Lambert. Rich's work was heavily criticized by some, with open letters being published, accusing his work of causing decay in the culture and morality of the stage. During