*p1698 03 00 lif The Pretenders; or, The Town Unmask'd. Edition of 1698: Lord Courtipell-Thurmond; Sir Wealthy Plainder-Underhill; Sir Bellamour Blunt-Kynaston; Vainthroat-Bowman; Breakage-Trefuse; Captain Bownceby-Bright; Nickycrack-Bowen; Prim-Baily; Widow Thoroshift-Mrs More; Minx-Mrs Peryng; Ophelia-Mrs Bowman; Sweetny-Mrs Lee; Nibs-Mrs Lawson; Doll-Mrs Willis; Prologue-Mrs Bowen coming upon the Stage in a great huff, follow'd by a Prompter, with a Paper in his hand, and a Boy with a Bottle and Glass; Epilogue-Mrs Moor.*c1698 03 00 lif <i>Betterton's Company</i>. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the <i>Songs</i> were advertised in the <i>Post Boy</i>, 29-31 March 1698, and performance probably occurred in early March. One song, <i>All things seem deaf to my complaints</i>, set by $John Eccles= and sung by $Mrs Bowman=, was published in <i>The A'lamode Musician</i>, 1698. According to the <i>Post Boy</i>, 17-19 March 1697@8, another song, <i>Fair Amoret is gone Astray</i>, had its words written by $Congreve=, and, according to the <i>Post Boy</i>, 29-31 March 1698, the music set by John Eccles. <i>A Comparison Between the Two Stages</i> (1702), p. 20: Damn'd. $Gildon=, <i>English Dramatick Poets</i>, p. 173: I have little to say to this Play, for 'tis not fair to attack a Man that's down, tho' I do not think (considering what Plays have pleas'd) that this ought to have met with so severe a Fate.