*p1694 03 21 dl The Ambitious Slave; or, A Generous Revenge. Edition of 1694: Prologue-Mrs Knight; King of Persia-Bowman; Tygranes-Verbruggen; Orontes-Powell; Briomar-Freeman; Mirvan-Mrs Rogers; Amorin-Sybars [$Cibber=]; Herminia-Mrs Knight; Clarismunda-Mrs Bracegirdle; Celestina-Mrs Barry; Rosalin-Mrs Leigh; Epilogue-Mrs Rogers.*c1694 03 21 dl The <i>United Company</i>. The date of this production is determined by a letter (see below). For a discussion of the origin and development of this play, see $Hotson=, <i>Commonwealth and Restoration Stage</i>, pp. 274-76. A song, <i>Why shou'd the world mistake</i>, the music composed by $John Eccles= and sung by $Mrs Hudson=, is in <i>Thesaurus Musicus</i>, 1695. An unidentified letter, 22 March 1693@4: We had another new play yesterday, called <i>The Ambitious Slave, or a Generous Revenge</i>. $Elkanah Settle= is the author of it, and the success is answerable to his reputation. I never saw a piece so wretched, nor worse contrived. He pretends 'tis a <i>Persian story</i>, but not one body in the whole audience could make any thing of it; 'tis a mere babel, and will sink for ever. The poor poet, seeing the house would not act it for him, and give him the benefit of the third day, made a present of it to the women in tie house, who act it, but without profit or incouragement ($Edmond Malone=, <i>An Historical Account of the Stage</i> in <i>Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare</i> [<i>London</i>, 1821], III, 163-64). <i>Gentleman's Journal</i>, March 1694: 'Tis not altogether strange for a Play to be less kindly receiv'd, immediately after one that has deservedly ingross'd all the Applause which the Town can well bestow in some time on new Dramatic Entertainments. Perhaps $Mr Settle= may partly impute to this, the want of success of a new Tragedy of his which was lately acted, 'tis called, <i>The Ambitious Slave; or, The Generous Revenge</i>. [This play followed $Southerne='s <i>The Fatal Marriage</i>.]