Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield and Mrs Morton. Morning Chronicle, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield at his house, Crown-Court, Bow-street; of Mrs Morton, No. 15, Crown-Court, Covent Garden. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Receipts: #186 7s. 6d. (87.3.6; tickets: 99.4.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Public Advertiser, 18 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house in Broad Court, Bow-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Barrymore and Mrs Wilson. Morning Herald, 19 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Barrymore, No. 8, Martlet-court; of Mrs Wilson, No. II, Crown-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #295 13s. (75/6; 15/15; 1/6; tickets: 203/6) (charge: #105 8s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull and Macready. 1st piece: In Act I a Grand Banquet. With the Procession [in Act IV] from the Abbey at the Coronation of Anne Bullen . To conclude with the Ceremonial of a Royal Christening. [In 2nd piece the scenes, as listed on 10 May, are indicated.] Morning Herald, 20 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, No. 7, Duke's-court, Westminster; Diary, 21 May: of Macready, No. 3, Mary-street, Charles-street, Tottenham-Court-Road. Receipts: #282 14s

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull and Macready. 1st piece: In Act IV a Martial Procession with the Body of Marcus. 2nd piece [1st time: M. INT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 1173; not published]: With appropriate Scenery and Dresses. The Music selected from Boyce, Purcell, Reeve and Shield. Morning Herald, 31 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, No. 7, Duke's-court, near Dean's-yard, Westminster; of Macready, No. 22, Charles-street, Tottenham-court-road. Receipts: #314 3s. (112.9.0; 4.14.6; tickets: 196.19.6, of which Hull sold 70.12.6, and Macready 126.7.0)

Event Comment: [Emery was from cg. Mainpiece: Epilogue by the younger George Colman.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin precisely at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. Printed by T. Woodfall, No. 1, Cross Court, Russel Court, Drury Lane

Event Comment: [The edition of 1662 suggests that this was a ballet, the text offering description or synopses of the entries. Edition of 1662: Being part of that Magnificent Entertainment by the Noble Prince, DelaGrange, Lord Lieutenant of Lincolns Inn. Presented to the High and Mighty Charles II, Monarch of Great Britain, France and Ireland. On Friday 3 of January 1662. Evelyn, Diary: After Prayers I went to Lond: invited to the solemn foolerie of the Prince de la Grange at Lincolne Inn: where came also the King, Duke, &c.: beginning with a grand Masquev and a formal Pleading before the mock-princes (Grandes), Nobles & Knights of the Sunn: He had his L. Chancelor, Chamberlaine, Treasurer, & other royal officers gloriously clad & attended, which ended in a magnificent Banquet: one Mr John? Lort, being the young spark, who maintained the Pageantrie. Pepys, Diary: While I was there, comes by the King's life-guard, he being gone to Lincoln's Inn this afternoon to see the Revells there; there being, according to an old custom, a prince and all his nobles and other matters of sport and charge. John Ward (notebooks, 6 Jan.): I saw a Leopard and the same day as strange a sight which was the mock prince of Lincolnes' Inne his Nobels his Knights of the Garter and his other officers (Shakespeare Quarterly, XI [1960], 494)

Event Comment: In London Jacques Thierry and Will Schellinks saw: de France Comedij Andromeda (Seaton, Literary Relationships, pp. 333-34). The theatre is not known. This play may be Corneille's Andromede

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31) lists it as one of several plays whose runs expired on the third day. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, but the house so full, it being a new play, The Coffee House, that we could not get in...The Journals of John Lauder Lord Fountainhall (ed. Donald Crawford, 1900), pp. 174-75: heir is the Dukes playhouse, wheir we saw Tom Sydserfes Spanish Comedie Tarugo's Wiles, or the Coffee House, acted....He could not forget himselfe: was very satyricall sneering at the Greshamers for their late invention of the transfusion of blood, as also at our covenant, making the witch of Geneva to wy it and La Sainte Ligue de France togither

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. There is no certainty that this performance is the premiere, but it may well be. Two songs, Ah false Amyntas, and Amyntas led me to a grove, both set by Robert Smith, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673. Preface to the edition of 1673: Good, Sweet, Honey, Sugar-candied Reader, ...Indeed that day 'twas Acted first, there comes into the Pit a long, lither, plegmatick, white, ill-favour'd, wretched Fop, an Officer in Masquerade newly transported with a Scarfe & Feather out of France, a sorry Animal that has nought else to shield it from the uttermost contempt of all mankind, but that respect which we afford to Rats and Toads, which though we do not well allow to live, yet when considered as a part of God's Creation, we make honourable mention of them. A thing, Reader--but no more of such a Smelt: This thing, I tell ye, opening that which serves it for a mouth, out issued such a noise as this to those that state about it, that they were to expect a woful Play, God damn him, for it was a womans.... Reader, I have a complaint or two to make to you, and I have done; Know then that this Play was hugely injur'd in the Acting, for 'twas done so imperfectly as never any was before, which did more harm to this than it could have done to any of another sort; the Plot being busie (though I think not intricate) and so requiring a continual attention, which being interrupted by the intolerable negligence of some that acted in it, must needs much spoil the beauty on't. My Dutch Lover spoke but little of what I intended for him, but supplied it with a great deal of idle stuff, which I was wholly unacquainted with until I heard it first from him. According to the Preface, the Prologue was lost

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance, the premiere, is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216: first Acting. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. Nell Gwyn also attended this performance; see VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing, p406. The title page states: The English Opera; or The Vocal Musick in Psyche, with the Instrumental Therein Intermix'd...By Matthew Lock. Preface: All the Instrumental Musick (which is not mingled with the Vocal) was Composed by that Great Master, Seignior Gio. Baptista Draghi, Master of the Italian Musick to the King. The Dances were made by the most famous Master of France, Monsieur St.Andree. The Scenes were Painted by the Ingenious Artist, Mr Stephenson. In those things that concern the Ornament or Decoration of the Play, the great industry and care of Mr Betterton ought to be remember'd, at whose desire I wrote upon this Subject. Roger North Upon Music: I am sure the musick in the Psyche was composed by Mr M. Lock, of whom wee may say, as the Greeks sayd of Cleomenes, that he was ultimus Heroum. This masque is also in print, and begins 'Great Psyche,' &c. and the book containing the whole musick of that entertainment is not unworthy of a place in a vertuoso's cabanet (ed. John Wilson [1959], pp. 306-7). Preface to Settle's Ibrahim (licensed 4 May 1676): I have often heard the Players cursing at their oversight in laying out so much on so disliked a play [Psyche]; and swearing that they thought they had lost more by making choice of such an Opera: writer than they had gained by all his Comedies; considering how much more they might have expected, had such an Entertainment had that scence in it, that it deserved: and that for the future they expect the Tempest, which cost not one Third of Psyche, will be in request when the other is forgotten. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 35-36): In February 1672. The long expected Opera of Psyche, came forth in all her Ornaments; new Scenes, new Machines, new Cloaths, new French Dances: This Opera was Splendidly set out, especially in Scenes; the Charge of which amounted to above 800l. It had a Continuance of Performance about 8 Days together it prov'd very Beneficial to the Company; yet the Tempest got them more Money

Event Comment: Post Boy, No. 453, 29-31 March 1698: This day, being the 31st of March, at the Request of several Persons of Quality, will be performed in York Buildings, a French Consort, by some of the best Voices lately come from France

Event Comment: Post Boy, 13-15 April 1699: As both the Theatres have been very industrious to Entertain the Town with several eminent Master in Singing and Dancing, lately arrived, both from France and Italy, as Monsieur Balon, Signior Fideli, &c. we are now assured that the Masters of the Theatre Royal have engag'd Signior Clementine, the famous Eunuch, Servant of the Elector of Bavaria, to Sing on their publick Stage, for the short time of his stay in England. There is very great Expectation from his Performance as being a Person of that extraordinary Desert in Singing, that his yearly Salary on that Account is 500 #. a Year

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and two in the Box at Constant Couple. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 378. There is no certainty that this is the first performance, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 7-9 Dec. 1699, suggests that the first production may have occurred in mid-November. The Prologue also refers to the abandonment of Dorset Garden to "That strong Dog Sampson" (see 15 and 25 Nov. 1699). A song, Thus Damon knock'd at Celia's door, set by Daniel Purcell, was published separately about this time. Preface, Edition of 1700: All will join with me in Commendation of the Actors, and allow, without detracting from the Merit of others, that the Theatre Royal affords an excellent and compleat Set of Comedians. Mr Wilks's Performance has set him so far above Competition in the Part of Wildair, that none can pretend to envy the Praise due to his Merit. Preface to The Inconstant (1702): I remember, that about two Years ago, I had a Gentleman from France [The Constant Couple] that brought the Play-house some fifty Audiences in five months. A Comparison between the Two Stages (1702), p. 32: Critick: But above all, commend me to the ingenious Author of the Trip to the Jubilee. Ramble: Oh Lord, Sir! you won't quarrel with that Play; never any thing did such wonders. Critick: Oh 'twas admirable! admirable! I wonder the Town did not just then bespeak the Bays for him. Sullen: Nay, for ought you and I know, he may live to enjoy 'em; I assure you all the run of the Town is on his side. The Owl was never more esteem'd at Athens than the Trip to the Jubilee was here. Critick: Indeed I have known a Footman have a great stroak with his Lord at begging a Favour; if all the Footmen in Town that admire him were to club for his Preferment, I don't know what might be done. Ramble: The Footmen? Ay, and the middle Gallery too, I assure you are of his side, and that's a strong Party. Critick: Why, I believe it, 'tis about the pitch of their Understanding; but if ever it diverted one Man of tolerable Sense I'll be hang'd. Sullen: I don't know who are your People of tolerable Sense, Mr Critick, but at the play I have seen the Pit, Box and Stage so crowded--and if that is not a sign

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. Flying Post, 2-4 July 1700: At the Request, and for the Entertainment of several Persons of Quality, at the New Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields, to Morrow, being Friday, the 5th of this instant July, will be acted, The Comical History of Don Quixote, both Parts being made into one by the Author. With a new Entry by the little Boy, being his last time of Dancing before he goes to France: Also Mrs Elford's new Entry, never performed but once; and Miss Evan's Jigg and Irish Dance: With several new Comical Dances, compos'd and perform'd by Monsieur L'Sac and others. Together with a new Pastoral Dialogue, by Mr George and Mrs Haynes; and variety of other Singing. It being for the Benefit of a Gentleman in great distress; and for the Relief of his Wife and Three Children. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 45: Don Quixote, both Parts made into one, by Mr Durfey, Mrs Bracegirdle Acting, and her excellent Singing in't; the Play in general being well Perform'd tis little Inferior to any of the preceding Comedies

Event Comment: Benefit Eccles, Musician to his Grace. For the Entertainment of His Excellency, the Duke d'Aumont, Ambassador extraordinary from France. Tickets 5s. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: Not acted these Twenty Years. Written by Shakespear, and since revis'd with several Alterations. The whole Play being new dress'd. N.B. The Play will begin exactly at Six a-Clock. Weekly Journal or Saturday's Post, 5 Oct., reports a rumor that J. J. Heidegger has sent to France to recruit a set of comedians to act French plays at the king's

Event Comment: By the Company of French Comedians, just arrived from France. A Comedy in French after the Italian Manner. Pit and Boxes at 5s. Stage Boxes 7s. 6d. Gallery 2s

Event Comment: Benefit Durac, the Pantalon, and Soulart, the Doctor. N.B. An actress lately arrived from France will perform tne Part of Colombine in the Woman Captive, and in the Amoureuses Follies the Part of Agate