Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is quite likely that the run of this play extended for some time later in August. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. L. C. list 5@139, p. 125, lists this play for 9 August, a Sunday; possibly "9" is an error for "5". Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw The Guardian; formerly the same, I find, that was called Cutter of Coleman Street; a silly play

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but, as the companies were probably silenced to at least the end of July, and the play was entered in the Stationers' Register, 12 Sept. 1670, it was probably acted in August 1670. The Dedication tends to confirm this with the statement: in spight of a dead Vacation

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This date of the premiere is not known, but the presence of Cademan (who was injured in August 1673) in the cast suggests a late spring or early summer production. In addition, two songs, in the play, Beauty no more shall suffer eclipse, and Full round the health good natured and free, both set by Robert Smith, are in Choice Ayres and Songs, 1673 (which was entered in the Stationers' Register, June 1673). It is possible, then, that the play was first given early as May 1673. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33: A Comedy call'd The Reformation, Written by a Master of Arts in Cambridge; the Reformation in the Play, being the Reverse to the Laws of Morality and Virtue; it quickly made its Exit, to make way for a Moral one

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is not certain that this play was revived at this time, but Tom Essence, which was probably acted toward the end of August or in early September (it was licensed 4 Nov. 1676) contains a scene in "Malfey's Chamber," suggesting that a revival of The Duchess of Malfi had occurred not long before the production of Tom Essence. On the other hand, it should be noted that the cast in the edition of 1678 contains names which point to a much earlier production; for example, Cademan probably acted little after his injury in the summer of 1673 and Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 35) states that Cogan and Price died ca. 1673-74

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but a licensing date of 28 March 1678 suggests a first performance not later than February 1678. One song, One night while all the village slept, with music by Louis Grabu and words by Sir Car Scroop, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 17): Major Mohun...[in] Mithridates, &c. An Eminent Poet seeing him Act this last, vented suddenly this Saying: Oh Mohun, Mohun! Thou little Man of Mettle, if I should write a 100 Plays, I'd Write a Part for thy Mouth; in short, in all his Parts, he was most Accurate and Correct. [Downes, p. 12, gives an identical cast except for omissions.] Princess Anne apparently played Ziphares and Frances Apsley played Semandra in a production of this drama, probably at St James's Palace or at Sir Allen Apsley's house in St James's Square, between January 1677@8 and August 1679. See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), p. 61

Event Comment: This work is advertised in The Loyal Protestant 22, 27, and 29 Aug. 1682: at Mrs Saffry's, a Dutch Woman's booth, over against the Greyhound Inne in West Smithfield. [Her first announcement calls the company "By an Approved Company"; the other two notices refer to it as "the first New-market Company." See Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6.] John Coysh paid #6 for a booth at the Fair (Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6). See also Morley, Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair, p. 222, for notice of the Indian Water Worksv. In Wit and Drollery (1682), p. 304, are verses on the Fair: @Here's the Whore of Babylon the Devil and the Pope,@The Girl is just agoing on the Rope@Here's Dives and Lazarus and the World's Creation,@Here's the Tall Dutch Woman the like's not in the Nation,@Here is the Booth where the High-Dutch Made is@Hear are the Bears that dance like any Ladies,@Tat, tat, tat, tat, tat says the little penny Trumpet@Here's Jacob Hall, that does so jump it, jump it.@Sound Trumpet Sound, for Silver Spoon and Fork,@Come here's your dainty Pit and Pork.@ [See also August 1680.

Event Comment: John Dryden to Jacob Tonson, ca. August 1684: I desire to know whether the Dukes house are makeing cloaths & putting things in a readiness for the singing opera [The Tempest?], to be playd immediately after Michaelmasse: for the Actors in the two plays, which are to be acted of mine, this winter [All for Love and The Conquest of Granada], I had spoken with Mr Betterton by chance at the Coffee house the afternoon before I came away: & I believe that the persons were all agreed on, to be just the same you mentioned. Only Octavia was to be Mrs Buttler, in case Mrs Cooke were not on the Stage. And I know not whether Mrs Percivall who is a Comedian, will do so well for Benzayda (Letters of John Dryden, ed. Ward, pp. 23-24)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not precisely known, but a broadside copy of the Epilogue, in the Bodleian Library, has a licensing date of 20 Aug. 1685, a MS date of 24 Aug. 1685. The play was licensed on 11 Sept. 1685. These dates suggest a premiere in mid-to late-August 1685. For Anne Bracegirdle as Clita and speaker of the Epilogue, see Lucyle Hook, Anne Bracegirdle's First Appearance, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1959), 135. The Prologue and Epilogue, separately printed, are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 239-41. The broadside Prologue has a more detailed heading than that in the edition of 1686: Prologue To A Commonwealth of Women, Spoke by Mr Haynes, Habited like a Whig, Captain of the Scyth-men in the West, a Scythe in his Hand. Two songs, set by Samuel Ackroyde, are in The Theater of Musick, The Third Book, 1686

Event Comment: In The Theatre of Compliment, 1688, are verses similar to those apparently referring to August 1686: @Here is the Rarity of the whole Fair,@Pimper-la-Pimp, and the Wise Dancing Mare;@Here's valiant St George and the Dragon, a farce;@Here's Vienna Besieged, a most delicate thing;@And here's Punchinello, shown thrice to the King.@ John Verney entertained some of his wife's family who were in town to see Bartholomew Fair. See Memoirs of the Verney Family, ed. Margaret M. Verney (London, 1699), IV, 435

Event Comment: Luttrell, A Brief Relation, II, 270-71: The lord mayor of London has publish'd an order to prevent all sort of lewdnesse and disorder during Bartholomew fair, and that it shal be kept but 3 dayes, viz. 23d, 24 and 25 of August

Event Comment: Gentleman's Journal p. 26, August 1692 (licensed 24 Aug. 1692): The first of the three Songs which I send you is set by Mr Purcell the Italian way; had you heard it sung by Mrs Ayliff you would have owned that there is no pleasure like that which good Notes, when so divinely sung, can create. [The song, Ah me! Ah me! to many, many deaths, the words by John Crowne and the music by Henry Purcell, is in Crowne's Regulus. See Early June 1692.

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the Epilogue refers to it as a summer production and the play was advertised in the London Gazette, No 3108, 22-26 Aug. 1695; hence, it appeared first not later than August. A song, Stretch'd in a dark and dismall grove, composed by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson, is in Deliciae Musicae, The Third Book, 1696. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (p. 16): Sullen: Imprimis, Here's Pyrrhus King of Epire. Ramble: Whose is that? Sullen: Charles Hopkin's, an Irish Gentleman of good Sense, and an excellent Ovidian. Ramble: What was it's Fate? Sullen: Damn'd

Event Comment: Post Boy, No. 507, 2-4 Aug. 1698: In the Walks of the New Wells in Richmond, on Monday next, the 8th of August, will be Perform'd an Extraordinary Entertainment of Instrumental Music, with Trumpets, Kettle-Drums, Hautboys, Flutes and Violins, after the manner of the Entertainments lately perform'd in the Queen's Garden at Somerset-House; Price of coming in 1s. To begin before 7 a clock in the Evening because the Performance must end by Day-light. The Musick of the Wells will attend to play Dances

Event Comment: Not Acted these Five Years. N.B. There will be Acting at that Theatre every Wednesday and Friday, till the 24th of August. Receipts: #17 3s. 6d

Event Comment: For the last Time of Acting till August

Event Comment: By Their Royal Highnesses' Command. At Penkethman's Theatre. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Afterpiece: a diverting Droll. Box Tickets at Penkethman's House in Richmond. Daily Post, 5 Sept.: Mr Penkethman...had the Honour to divert their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, with Entertainments of Acting and Tumbling perform'd to Admiration; Likewise with his Picture of the Royal Family, down from the King of Bohemia to the young Princesses, in which is seen the Nine Muses playing on their several Instruments, in Honour of that August Family. There were present Nobility, Gentry and Ladies upwards of 200

Event Comment: Receipts: #170 9s. 6d. Probable attendance: boxes, 236 paid; stage, 44 paid; balcony, 2 paid; Pit, 290 Paid and 3 orders; slips, 47 paid and 1 order; first gallery, 419 paid and 1 order; second gallery, 189 paid. For a comment on the play by Thomas Edwards, see V. M. Gilbert, Unrecorded Comments on John Gay, Henry Travers, and Others, Notes and Queries, August 1953, pp. 337-38

Event Comment: See Craftsman, 31 August

Event Comment: [By Ebenezer Forrest.] By Command of His Royal Highness. After the Manner of the Beggar's Opera. All the Habits and Scenes entirely New. Receipts: #161 18s. 6d. [For a comment on this performance, see Thomas Edwards to John Clerke, "Unrecorded Comments on John Gay, Henry Travers, and Others", N & Q (August 1953), p. 338.

Event Comment: Composed by Signior Bononcini. Queen, Prince, and princesses present. [For a comment upon the entertainment, see The Craftsman, 12 August (partially reproduced in Deutsch, Handel, p. 295), and Daily Post, 9 June (also in Deutsch, Handel, pp. 293-94).

Event Comment: Benefit Butler. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality and Distinction. 7 P.M. N.B. The Reason of the Play being deferred from Tuesday the 20th of August . . . was on Account of the Absence of one of the principal Performers; so that Mr Butler humbly hopes his Friends will excuse it, and honour him with their Company; and to prevent any Disorder, Guards will attend at the Doors, every thing being to be perform'd in the same exact Manner as at the Theatres Royal

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 26 July: To be Sold by Auction, On Tuesday, August 1, and the following Days, At the Great-House the Corner of Carlisle-street, Soho-Square...A Large Quantity of Theatrical Goods...late the Property of Mr Henry Giffard...By Bernard Warren, Auctioneer

Event Comment: WWarner and Fawkes' Booth, facing the Hospital Gate, West Smithfield. Noon to 10 p.m. [Notice repeated 26, 27 August.