*p1691 05 00 dg King Arthur; or, The British Worthy. Edition of 1691: King Arthur-Betterton; Oswald, King of Kent-Williams; Conon-Hodgson; Merlin-Kynaston; Osmond-Sandford; Aurelius-Alexander [$Verbruggen=]; Albanact-Bowen; Guillamar-Harris; Emmeline-Mrs Bracegirdle; Matilda-Mrs Richardson; Philidel-Mrs Butler; Grimbald-Bowman; Prologue to the Opera-Mr Betterton; The Epilogue-Mrs Bracegirdle.*c1691 05 00 dg The <i>United Company</i>. The date of the first performance is not known, but it very probably occurred not later than May 1691, as the play was advertised in the <i>London Gazette</i>, 4-8 June 1691. For discussions of it, see $E. W. White=, <i>Early Performances of Purcell's Operas</i>, <i>Theatre Notebook</i>, XIII (1958-59), 44-45, and $R. E. Moore=, <i>Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre</i>, Chapter III. $Downes=, <i>Roscius Anglicanus</i>, p. 42: <i>King Arthur</i> an Opera, wrote by $Mr Dryden=: it was Excellently Adorn'd with Scenes and Machines: The Musical Part set by Famous $Mr Henry Purcel=; and Dances made by $Mr Jo. Priest=: The Play and Musick pleas'd the Court and City, and being well perform'd, twas very Gainful to the Company. $Roger North=: I remember in Purcell's excellent opera of <i>King Arthur</i>, when $Mrs Butler=, in the person of <i>Cupid</i>r, was to call up <i>Genius</i>r, she had the liberty to turne her face to the scean, and ner back to the theater. She was in no concerne for her face, but sang a recitativo of calling towards the place where Genius was to rise, and performed it admirably, even beyond any thing I ever heard upon the <i>English stage</i>....And I could ascribe it to nothing so much as the liberty she had of concealing her face, which she could not endure should be so contorted as is necessary to sound well, before her gallants, or at least her envious sex. There was so much of admirable musick in that opera, that it's no wonder it's lost; for the English have no care of what's good, and therefore deserve it not (<i>Roger North on Music</i>, ed. $John Wilson= [London, 1959], p. 217-18).