Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play was also reprintdd in 1683. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120: Wth ye Q: & a box for ye Maides of honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349. On this day Drury Lane was leased for nineteen years to Charles Davenant and his associates in furthering the union of the two companies. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 277

Event Comment: Langhans, New Restoration Theatre Accounts, pp. 125-26, suggests that acting resumed on 29 Sept. and continued to 6 Feb. 1684@5, when Charles II died, although the theatre may not have acted from 2 through 5 Feb. Resuming at the end of April, the company Played regularly to the end of May, then on 43 days between 1 June and 31 Oct. 1685

Event Comment: On this day Charles II died. Although the order to close the theatres was not issued until 20 Feb. 1684@5 (L. C. 5@145, p. 153), acting Probably ceased on Thursday 5 Feb. 1684@5. At this time John Crowne's Sir Courtly Nice was in rehearsal. John Dennis gives a dramatic account of the last day of rehearsing: The Play was now just ready to appear to the World; and as every one that had seen it rehears'd was highly pleas'd with it; every one who had heard of it was big with the Expectation of it; and Mr Crown was delighted with the flattering Hope of being made happy for the rest of his Life, by the Performance of the King's Promise; when, upon the very last Day of the Rehearsal, he met Cave Underhill coming from the Play-House as he himself was going towards it; Upon which the Poet reprimanding the Player for neglecting so considerable a Part as he had in the Comedy, and neglecting it on a Day of so much Consequence, as the very last Day of Rehearsal: Oh Lord, Sir, says Underhill, we are all undone. Wherefore, says Mr Crown, is the Play-House on Fire? The whole Nation, replys the Player, will quickly be so, for the King is dead. At the hearing which dismal Words, the Author was little better; for he who but the Moment before was ravish'd with the Thought of the Pleasure, which he was about to give to his King, and of the Favours which he was afterwards to receive from him, this Moment found, to his unspeakable Sorrow, that his Royal Patron was gone for ever, and with him all his Hopes. The King indeed reviv'd from his Apoplectick Fit, but three Days after dyed, and Mr Crown by his Death was replung'd in the deepest Melancholy (John Dennis, Original Letters, 1721, I, 53-54). [It is not clear whether the last sentence refers to the day on which Crowne had seen the King and had assurances from His Majesty, the King dying three days later, or whether there was a false rumor of the King's death on 3 Feb. 1684@5.

Event Comment: The United Company. This play was in rehearsal before the death of Charles II-see 6 Feb. 1684@5-and was staged shortly after the playhouse reopened. Luttrell's date of acquisition of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue is 9 May 1685 (in possession of Pickering and Chatto, Ltd., 1938), and the play may have been first given on that date or during the week preceding Saturday 9 May 1685. For Cibber's account of Mountfort as Sir Courtly, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 129. The separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 228-30. A separately-printed Three New Songs in Sir Courtley Nice (1685) contains three songs, with the music by Samuel Ackroyde and an unknown composer. In addition, two songs, As I grazed unaware and O be kind my dear be kind, both composed by R. King, are in The Theater of Music, Second Book, 1685. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 40-41): The first new Comedy after King James came to the Crown, was Sir Courtly Nice, wrote by Mr Crown:...The Comedy being justly Acted, and the Characters in't new, Crown'd it with a general Applause: Sir Courtly was so nicely Perform'd, that not any succeeding, but Mr Cyber has Equall'd him. Note, Mr Griffin so Excell'd in Surly, Sir Edward Belfond, The Plain Dealer, none succeeding in the 2 former have Equall'd him, except his Predecessor Mr Hart in the latter. The Lover's Session; In Imitation of Sir John Suckling's Session of Poets (in Poems on Affairs of State, II [1703], 162): @Montrath was in Foppery conceiv'd another@Of Whitehall true Breed, Sir Nices Twin Brother:@None could tell, so alike all their Follies did seem,@Whether he acted Mumford, or Mumford him.

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the latest likely date is early summer, for it was licensed for publication on 14 Aug. 1685. if it did not appear before the death of Charles II, July 1685 is a likely date, as May was occupied with Sir Courtly Nice and June with Albion and Albanius. Dedication, Edition of 1685: [The Scenes] had no better Success on the Stage, was for this Reason: The principal Part (on which the Diversion depended) was, by Accident, disappointed of Mr Nokes's Performance, for whom it was design'd and only proper. A song, How great are the blessings of government made, set by Henry Purcell, is in The Musical Companion, The Second Book, 1686

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@149, p. 368: The Queene a Box, and a Box for the Maids Honor at Don Sebastian King of Portugal. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 352. There is no certainly that this is the first performance. The play was entered in the Stationers' Register, 15 Dec. 1689. See also Charles E. Ward, The Life of John Dryden (Chapel Hill, N. C., 1961), pp. 242-46. Preface, Edition of 1690: I am...to acknowledge, with all manner of gratitude, their civility; who were pleas'd to endure it with so much patience....Above twelve hundred lines have been cut off from this tragedy since it was first deliver'd to the actors. They were indeed so judiciously lopt by Mr Betterton, to whose care and excellent action I am equall y oblig'd, that the connexion of the story was not lost. Does a cryptic remark by Huygens, 3 Dec. 1689 OS, refer to this play: Dat dat geklap met de handen in comedie, onlanxgebeurt, als er gesproken wierd van een Coning, die wederom quam in sign rijck, van seer quade consequentie was. Dat voorseker de Con. too mercifull was, en dat er mosten exempelen gestatueert werden (Journal van Constantijn Huygens, Dutch Historical Society Transactions, New Series, XXIII [Utrecht, 18-212)

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2639, 23-26 Feb. 1690@1: The new Consort of Musick, which began on Friday the 20th instant, next Bedford Gate in Charles-street, Covent Garden, will be performed at the aforesaid place, this present Thursday the 26th instant, and so continue every Thursday, beginning between 7 and 8 in the Evening

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 2654, 16-20 April 1691: The Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick in Charles-street, Covent Garden, by Their Majesties Authority, will be perform'd on Thursday next the 23d instant, and to continue every Thursday, by Command

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 2709, 26-29 Oct. 1691: The Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will begin this present Thursday the 29th instant, at the usual Time in the Evening

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2712, 5-9 Nov. 1691: The Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will be performed on Thursday next, being the 12th of this instant, and every Thursday as formerly

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 2747, 7-10 March 1691@2: This present Thursday, being the 10th Instant, will be performed a Consort of Musick, with some new Voices, at the Vendu in Charles-Street, Covent-Garden, beginning between 7 and 8 a Cl ock at Night, as usually, and so continue every Thursday

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 2841, 3O Jan.-2 Feb. 1692@3: The Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will begin tomorrow, being Friday, the 3d of February, at Eight of the Clock at Night, and to continue every Thursday Night after during this Season

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 2854, 16-20 March 1692@3: The Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will begin again on Thursday next, being the 23th Instant

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: London Gazette, No 2982, 7-11 June 1694: On Thursday next will be a new Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent Garden; where a Gentlewoman that Sings that hath one of the best Voices in England, not before heard in publick, to be continued every Thursday for a Month

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 3018, 11-15 Oct. 1694: The Consort of Musick will begin in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, on Thursday the 18th instant, with two very fine Voices, and will continue all the Winter

Event Comment: London Gazette,No 3021, 12-15 Nov. 1694: A Consort of Musick composed by Mr Grabue, will be performed on Saturday next, at Mr Smiths in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, between the Hours of Seven and Eight

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 3030, 22-26 Nov. 1694: The Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will begin again next Thursday, with the Addition of two new Voices, one being a young Gentlewoman of 12 years of Age, the Room being Put in good Condition, and there to continue this Season

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 3085, 3-6 June 1695: The Consort of Musick in Charles-street, Covent-Garden, will be performed once more this next Monday, being the 10th of June instant, at the usual time

Event Comment: James Brydges, Diary: I went to ye Playhouse in Covent Garden where I met Mr Knight, after wch I went to yr other playhouse, & there saw Sr Charles Barinton, & Mr Mildmay; before ye play was done, I came hence home (Huntington MS St 26)

Event Comment: Rich's Company was apparently suspended because of its action in allowing John Powell, who had been involved in an altercation with Colonel Stanhope and Charles Davenant, to act before making satisfaction for the incident. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 368, and Cibber, Apology, II, 20n. The suspension lasted but a day; on 19 May 1698 Powell was forbidden to be received at either Drury Lane or Dorset Garden

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, No 496, 7-9 July 1698: This day is acted Oroonoko, at the King's Playhouse, for the particular Entertainment of some Persons of the highest Quality, with the Italian Shades, as they were perform'd with great Applause, before their Excellencies the Russian and Morocco Ambassadors, in the Reign of King Charles II. And an Entertainment after the manner of the Carnaval at Rome. With several Grotesque Dances

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the second edition (1700) states: The first appearance of this Play was on a Wednesday in Lent; for then (it seems) the Town look for a bad Entertainment. [As the play was advertised in the Flying Post, 2 April 1700, the first performance probably occurred in early March.] A Prologue by Sir Charles Sedley which may have been intended for this play is in Sedley's Works, ed. V. de Sola Pinto (London, 1928), I, 46-47, 288-89. A song in this play, separately printed ca. 1700, indicates that the music was composed by Daniel Purcell and that the song was sung by Mrs Erwin