Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2648, 26-30 March 1691: The New Consort of Musick, performed by Mr Frank and Mr Knight, in Charles-street, Covent-Garden (which was designed for Mondays and Thursdays) will be continued on Thursday next, at the usual hours, and every Thursday for the future, except the Thursday in Passion-Week

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2697, 14-17 Sept. 1691: The Great Room next Bedford-Gate in Charles-street, Covent-Garden being now enlarging to a far greater Dimension for the Convenience of Mr Frank's and Mr King's Musick

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2878, 8-12 June 1693: Next Saturday being the 17th of June will be perform'd in Villers-street in York-Building, for that time only, Mr Franks Consort, which will consist of English Dialogues and Songs (the Words by Mr Motteux) with Instrumental Musick proper to them, beginning exactly at 7 at Night. The Gentleman's Journal, May 1693 (issued in June 1693): We have had lately a Consort of Music, which as it hath pleased the most nice and judicious Lovers of that Art; would doubtless have had your Approbation; I only speak of the Notes which were by Mr Franck; As for the words I [Motteux] made them in haste (p. 148)

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2926, 23-27 Nov. 1693: In Charles-street in Covent-Garden, on Thursday next the 30th Instant, will begin Mr Frank's Consort of Musick, and so continue every Thursday night, beginning exactly at Eight of the Clock

Event Comment: James Brydges, Diary: I went to Mr Roberts's, who had a consort of musick, Mr Frank Roberts Mr Banister, la Riche Mr Shore, &c. I staid here till towards eleven, & then home with Lady Lucy Bright & my Wife (Huntington MS St 26)

Event Comment: [Receipts missing from Treasurer's Book. Expenditure page present.] Paid Blandford (Tallow Chandler) #11 13s. 5d.; Paid to Frank going to Chiswick by order 5s.; Paid Fryar (Hosier) #3 19s.; Norton 3 chorus 15s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Particular Desire. The lamp at ye Alter boil'd over & Frank Heath was burnt in ye loins in getting it out (Cross). Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Acted but once these 20 years. Rec'd of Condell on Acct of Fruit Rent #20; Paid Richards (painter) as per bill #115 15s.; Paid Partridge & Franks (hosiers) #60 5s.; Paid Lowe & Lewis (woolen drapers) #35 15s. (Account Book). Receipts: #207 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Principal Violoncello by C. Ashley. Double Drums by R. Ashley. Trumpets by Sariant, Cantelo, Purney. Among the other Principal Instrumental Performers are Foster, Mahon, Boyce, Flack, Lavenu, John Sharp, Simpson, Gwilliam, Monro, Mich. Sharp, Wood, Warren, Wm. Sharp, Cobham, Cornish, Jenkinson, F. Sharp, Shutze, Lord, Woodham, J. Sharp, Franks, &c. With a Complete Set of Chorus Singers. The Whole under the Direction of Ashley. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No Money to be returned. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. Places to be had of Brandon at the Box Office in Hart-street. Books of the Performance, 6d. each, may be had at the Theatre. The Directors' Books have these words at the bottom of each title-page: "Printed by H. Madeish, Recorder-Office, Duke's-Court, Drury-lane."

Event Comment: In Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 82, is a list of the plays acted by the Red Bull actors: The Humorous Lieutenant. Beggars Bushe. Tamer Tamed. The Traytor. Loves Cruelty. Wit without Money. Maydes Tragedy. Philaster. Rollo Duke of Normandy. Claricilla. Elder Brother. The Silent Woman. The Weddinge. Henry the Fourthe. Merry Wives of Windsor. Kinge and no Kinge. Othello. Damboys [Bussy D'Ambois]. The Unfortunate Lovers. The Widow. This list (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 203) apparently concerns plays revived by this company, some before 10 Sept. 1660, some afterward. (See also the list of plays at the opening of the season and also 6 and 23 June 1660.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I...called my wife at my brother's where I left her, and to the Opera, where we saw The Bondman, which of old we both did so doat on, and do still; though to both our thinking not so well acted here (having too great expectations), as formerly at Salisbury-court. But for Betterton he is called by us both the best actor in the world

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's House, and there went in for nothing into the pit, at the last act, to see Sir Martin Marr-all, and met my wife, who was there, and my brother, and W. Hewer and Willett, and carried them home, still being pleased with the humour of the play, almost above all that ever I saw

Event Comment: Richard ye Third. Coriolanus. Andronicus. Julius Ceaser. The Moore of Venice [Othello]. Anthony & Clopatra. Cymbelyne. The Doubtfull Heire [Rosania; or, Love's Victory, by James Shirley]. The Impostor. The Brothers. The Sisters. The Cardinall. The Duke of Lerma. The Duke of Millan. Alphonso. The vnnaturall Cumbat. The Gardian. Aglaura. Arviragus & Philitia 1st pt. Arviragus & Philitia 2d pt. The Spartan Ladyes. The Bashfull Lover. Bussy D'Amboys. Brenoralt [or, The Discountented Colonel]. Country Captaine. The Variety. The Emperour of ye East. The Deserveing ffavorett. The Goblins. The ffatall Dowry. The Lost Lady. The Devell of Edmonton. More Desemblers then Weomen. The Mayor of Quinborough. The Northen Lasse. The Novella. Osmond ye Great Turke [or, The Noble Servant]. The Roman Actor. The Widdow. The Widdows Teares

Event Comment: Lady Mary Bertie to Katherine Noel, 2 Jan. 1670@1: There is letely come out a new play writ by Mr Dreyden who made the Indian Emperor. It is caled the Conquest of Grenada. My brother Norreys tooke a box and carryed my Lady Rochester and his mistresse and all us to, and on Tuestay wee are to goe see the second part of it which is then the first tim acted (Rutland MSS, HMC, 12th Report, Part V [London, 1889], 22). From this letter it is difficult to tell whether by "Tuestay" is meant Tuesday 3 Jan. 1670@1 or Tuesday 10 Jan. 1670@1. Hence, Part II has been entered on both days

Event Comment: Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 34-35): The 26th, Mrs Ellen Gwyn being at the dukes playhouse, was affronted by a person who came into the pitt and called her whore; whom Mr Herbert, the earl of Pembrokes brother, vindicating, there were many swords drawn, and a great hubbub in the house

Event Comment: The United Company. There is uncertainty concerning this date; it appears on Luttrell's copy (Huntington Library) of the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue, and the date may represent the time of his purchase rather than a date of performance. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 141-45. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 39-40): All the preceding Plays, being the chief that were Acted in Dorset-Garden, from November 1671, to the Year 1682; at which time the Patentees of each Company United Patents; and by so Incorporating the Duke's Company were made the King's Company, and immediately remov'd to the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. Upon this Union, Mr Hart being the Heart of the Company under Mr Killigrew's Patent never Acted more, by reason of his Malady; being Afflicted with the Stone and Gravel, of which he Dy'd some time after: Having a Sallary of 40 Shillings a Week to the Day of his Death. But the Remnant of that Company; as, Major Mohun, Mr Cartwright, Mr Kynaston, Mr Griffin, Mr Goodman, Mr Duke Watson, Mr Powel, Sr, Mr Wiltshire, Mrs Corey, Mrs Bowtell, Mrs Cook, Mrs Montfort. [Joined the new company]. Note, now Mr Monfort and Mr Carlile, were grown to the Maturity of good Actors. The mixt Company then Reviv'd the several old and Modern Plays, that were the Propriety of Mr Killigrew, as Rule a Wife, and have a Wife: Mr Betterton Acting Michael Perez; Don Leon, Mr Smith, Cacofogo, Mr Cartwright: Margaretta, Mrs Barry: Estiphania, Mrs Cook. Next, @The Scornful Lady.@The Plain Dealer.@The Mock Astrologer.@The Jovial Crew.@The Beggars Bush.@Bartholomew-Fair.@The Moor of Venice.@Rollo.@The Humorous Lieutenant.@The Double Marriage.@ With divers others. George Powell, Preface to The Treacherous Brothers (1690): The Time was, upon the uniting of the Two Theatres, that the Reviveing of the old stock of Plays, so ingrost the study of the House, that the Poets lay dorment; and a new Play cou'd hardly get admittance, amongst the more precious pieces of Antiquity, that then waited to walk the Stage. Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 95-96): I shall content myself with telling you that Mohun and Hart now growing old [for, above thirty Years before this Time, they had severally born the King's Commission of Major and Captain in the Civil Wars), and the younger Actors, as Goodman, Clark, and others, being impatient to get into their Parts, and growing intractable, the Audiences too of both Houses then falling off, the Patentees of each, by the King's Advice, which perhaps amounted to a Command, united their Interests and both Companies into one, exclusive of all others in the Year 1682. This Union was, however, so much in favour of the Duke's Company, that Hart left the Stage upon it, and Mohun survived not long after

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. James Brydges, Diary: About 6: he [Brydges' brother Henry] set me down at y- Playhouse in Lincolns inn fields, where I met Me Coke, Mr Hammond, & Sir Godfrey Coply: about 8: I came home (Huntington MS St 26)