Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: So back to the Cockpitt [Whitehall], and there, by the favour of one Mr Bowman, he [Creed] and I got in, and there saw the King, and Duke of York and his Duchess (which is a plain woman, and like her mother, my Lady Chancellor). And so saw The Humersome Lieutenant acted before the King, but not very well done. But my pleasure was great to see the manner of it, and so many great beauties, but above all Mrs Palmer, with whom the King do discover a great deal of familiarity. Sometime before the Coronation of Charles II, on 23 April 1661, there may have been acted The Merry Conceited Humours of Bottom the Weaver. An edition of 1661 refers to its being "often publikely acted by some of his Majesties Comedians" and the Dedication suggests that it would make a good entertainment at the mirthful time of the Coronation. The edition lists no actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Opera, which begins again to-day with The Witts, never acted yet with scenes; and the King and Duke and Duchess were there...and indeed it is a most excellent play, and admirable scenes. Downes (p. 21): All the other Parts being exactly Perform'd; it continu'd 8 Days Acting Successively

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Hence my wife and I to the Theatre, and there saw The Joviall Crew, where the King, Duke and Duchess, and Madame Palmer, were; and my wife, to her great content, had a full sight of them all the while. The play full of mirth

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Creed and I to my wife again, and...to the Cockpitt, where we saw Claracilla, a poor play, done by the King's house (but neither the King nor Queen were there, but only the Duke and Duchess, who did show some impertinent and, methought, unnaturall dalliances there, before the whole world, such as kissing, and leaning upon one another); but to my very little content, they not acting in any degree like the Duke's people

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. The play, licensed on 27 Nov. 1667, was not printed until 1667. There is no certainty that this is the premiere, but it may well have been, as Pepys saw it on 30 March and on 11 April suggested that it had recently had its first showing: [The Duchess of Newcastle] was the other day at her own play, The Humourous Lovers; the most ridiculous thing that ever was wrote, but yet she and her Lord mightily pleased with it; and she, at the end, made her respects to the players from her box, and did give them thanks

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Prologue to the Queen of Arragon Acted before the Duke of York, Upon his Birthday, and Epilogue to the Same To the Duchess, by Samuel Butler, are in The Poetical Works of Samuel Butler, ed. R. B. Johnson (London, 1893), II, 175-77. Newsletter, 12 Oct. 1668: The Duke of York's birthday will be celebrated with the usual solemnities, a play being prepared for the entertainment of the ladies. The piece chosen is The Queen of Arragon. It will be acted in the Guard Chamber at St James's (HMC, Fleming MSS., 12th Report, Appendix, Part VII, p. 59). Pepys, Diary: But the Duke of York being gone out, and to-night being a play there, and a great festival, we would not stay

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@12, p. 17: King here. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344. See Noyes, Ben Jonson on the English Stage, p. 307, for a letter to Lady Sunderland on this performance, and, p. 308, for an anecdote from The Life of the Late Famous Comedian, Jo. Haynes, concerning Haynes and Hart in a scene. For another allusion to the action, see Henri Ferneron, Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth (London, 1807), p. 179n. Pepys, Diary: 15 Jan. 1668@9: It is about my Lady Harvy's being offended at Doll Common's [Mrs Corey's] acting of Sempronia, to imitate her; for which she got my Lord Chamberlain, her kinsman, to imprison Doll: when my Lady Castlemayne made the King to release her. Mrs John Evelyn to Mr Terryll, 10 Feb. 1668@9: There has not been any new lately revived and reformed, as Catiline, well set out with clothes and scenes (Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, ed. William Bray, IV, 14). See also 7 and 11 Dec. 1667

Event Comment: On this day arrived in London the news of the death of the King's sister, the Duchess of Orleans, which occured on 20 June 1670. According to The Bulstrode Papers (I, 144), 25 June 1670: The players are silenced dureing this tyme of sadness. [Probably acting ceased for at least six weeks, the customary period for silencing the companies when the Court went into full mourning. Nevertheless, the Duke's Company may have been permitted to act at Oxford. See Sybil Rosenfeld, "Some Notes on the Players in Oxford, 1661-1713," Review of English Studies XIX (1943), 366-67.

Event Comment: An order of the Lord Chamberlain (5@12, p. 202) dated 1 April 1671, states that the theatres are to be closed because of the death of the Duchess of York on 31 March 1671. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 322. It is uncertain how long the theatres were closed, but probably the closure extended for six weeks

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the date of licensing, 4 May 1676, suggests a production not later than March or April 1676. The Dedication indicates that the play was also acted privately at the residence of the Duchess of Albemarle, New-Hall

Event Comment: G. Lady Chaworth to Lord Roos, 2 Nov. 1676: I have not yet seen Mr Pack, being att Lord Major's show when hee was heere....The pageants were but three and worse then others formerly, but the King, Queen, Duke and Duchess finer in both clothes, liveries, coaches and traine then ever, to the honour of the Citty (HMC, 12th Report, Part V, Rutland Papers, II, 31)

Event Comment: Sir Charles Lyttleton, 10 Nov. 1677: [The Princess of Orange] is gone to ye play to-night in these and all ye Duchesses jewells (Hatton Correspondence, Camden Society, 1878, XXII, 155). The Prince and Princess had been married on 4 Nov. 1677

Event Comment: Apparently The Man of Mode had an amateur revival in Brussels in the autumn, possibly before the Duke and Duchess of York, when they were away from London. Princess Anne to Frances Apsley, 3 Oct. 1679: The play is practisde to night Miss Watts is to be Lady townly which part I beleeve wont much become her. [See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), pp. 111-12]

Event Comment: Edward Bedingfield to the Countess of Rutland, 1 Jan. 1684@5: Wee are in expectation of an opera composed by Mr Dryden, and set by Grabuche [Grabut], and so well performed at the repetition that has been made before his Majesty at the Duchess of Portsmouth's pleaseth mightily, but the rates proposed will not take soe well, for they have set the boxes at a guyny a place, and the Pitt at halfe. They advance 4,000 l. on the opera, and therefore must tax high to reimburse themselves (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, Vol. II, p. 85)

Event Comment: On this day the news of the death of the Duchess of Modena was brought to Windsor, and newsletters stated that the Court was to go into mourning the following Sunday. Acting at the theatres may have been curtailed during the late summer

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 22 Oct. 1687: There are to be 5 Pageants on the Ld Mayors day one representing Liberty by a Beautifull young Lady attended with Riches Plenty and ffreedom &c. (transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 418): The 29th was the anniversary of the lord mayors show, the new one, sir John Shorter, now entring on his office; the shew was splendid and the entertainment great, according to custome: his majestie, with the prince of Denmark, did the citty the honour to dine with them at Guildhall, as also the nobility, foreign ministers, amongst which was the popes nuncio (who was invited particularly by some of the aldermen): the streets were new gravell'd all that morning on one side of the way, from Charing-crosse to the citty, for his majesties passage. His majestie was well satisfied with the whole entertainment. The Duke of Beaufort to the Duchess, 29 Oct. 1687 [a summary, apparently]: Has just come from the greatest entertainment he ever saw at a Lord Mayor's feast in the city, and the best ordered, though there was the greatest concourse there and in the streets that was ever known, and the greatest acclamations, all through the city as the King passed. The Queen did not dare venture, remembering that the Bristol entertainment had put her out of order, but all the nobility in town, and the foreign ministers were there. The Pope's Nuncio in particular was invited by the Lord Mayor and nobly entertained (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., Part IX, pp. 90-91)

Event Comment: Benefit Estcourt. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. London in 1710 (pp. 138-39): On this occasion the actors represented a prodigiously satirical Interscenium, which was not to be found in the printed copy of the play....In this interlude a troop of soldiers came on, singing at the top of their voices an English song which had been made by the army in Flanders about the Duke of Marlborough. In it Prince Eugene is praised for his open-handedness, while Marlborough, on the other hand, is blamed for his avarice, so that every verse ended: 'but Marlborough not a penny.' The people, who are very bitter against the whole family, even the Duke himself, laughed prodigiously, and bandied about monstrous insults, although Marlborough's daughter, the Duchess of Montagu, was herself at the play and was so greatly shamed that she was covered with blushes....When the song was at an end, there was such a clapping and yelling that the actors were unable to proceed for nearly a quarter of an hour

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. The Diary of Mary Countess Cowper, p. 153: At Night at the French Play with the Duchess of Shrewsbury. Everybody took Notice of the Scene of the Drawing-room

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Afterpiece: A Comedy in 2 acts written by Foote, with Prologue and Epilogue by him. Miss Macklin did Calista and a part in the farce,-all went well (Cross). A Comedy in answer to the French Farce A Frenchman in London, with a Dialogue Prologue, spoken by Macklin & his wife. Epilogue spoken by Miss Macklin. All by Foote. Part of Pit laid into the boxes, with an amphitheatre on stage, all at 5s. Full Prices (Winston MS 8). The Englishman at Paris has been better recev'd that I expected. Garrick, &c., &c....say kinder things of it than modesty will permit me to repeat. Upon the whole it was damnably acted, Macklin miserably imperfect in the words and in the character (a stain to Comedy). You might have seen what I meant,--an English Buck, by the power of dulness instantaneously transformed into an Irish chairman. Miss Roach, accompany'd by some frippery French woman occupy'd, to the no small scandal of the whole house, the Prince's box, whilst the duchess of Bedford &c., &c. were oblig'd to take up with seats upon the stage. The piece will be printed the 25th instant, which I will enclose to you (Samuel Foote to Mr Delaval, MS in Folger Shakespeare Library, written either 24 March, or, perhaps more likely, 24 April, since Foote states later in the letter he is leaving for foreign parts the first of May)

Event Comment: Full Prices. There will not be room behind the Scenes for more than the persons acting in the coronation, [Others] cannot possibly be admitted. The coronation of their Majesties was followed by a stage representation of it at both houses...Garrick knew that Rich would spare no expense in the presentation of his show; he knew too that he had a taste in the ordering, dressing, and setting out these pompous processions, superior to his own; he therefore was contented with the old dresses which had been occasionally used from 1721-1761. This show he repeated for near forty nights successively, sometimes at the end of a play, and at other times after a farce. The exhibition was the meanest, and the most unworthy of a theatre, I ever saw. The stage was...opened into Drury Lane; and a new and unexpected sight surprised the audience, of a real bonfire, and the populace huzzaing and drinking porter to the health of Queen Anne Bullen. The Stage in the meantime, amidst the parading of Dukes, duchesses, archbishops, peeresses, heralds &c. was covered with a thick fog from the smoke of the fire, which served to hide the tawdry dresses of the processionalists. During this idle piece of mockery, the actors, being exposed to the suffocations of smoke, and the raw air from the open street, were seized with colds, rheumatisms, and swelled faces. At length the indignation of the audience delivered the comedians from this wretched badge of nightly slavery, which gained nothing to the managers but disgrace and empty benches. Tired with the repeated insult of a show which had nothing to support it but gilt copper and old rags, they fairly drove the exhibitors of it from the stage by hooting and hissing, to the great joy of the whole theatre....Rich...fully satisfied [the publick's] warmest imaginations (Davies, Life of Garrick, I, 365 ff.)

Event Comment: [No analysis of Box income.] Expenses #46 16s. 5d. Paid Bill for velvet and White sattin for their Majesties' and the Prince of Wales's Box #138 10s. Bill for Crimson Duchess Velvet & White Sattin used in Coronation #107 16s. Paid Linen Draper's Bill [for 11 April 1759-14 Nov. 1761) #106. Receipts: #231 6s. (Winston Theatrical Record)

Event Comment: SSigismunda by Mrs Dancer, being her first appearance on this stage, --was well received and great applause, --She is a good figure, and has a great deal of merit, --and is an acquisition to the theatre (Hopkins MS Notes). Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 21 Nov. 1765.] Got with difficulty into the Pit before the play began. Holland played Tancred pretty well but can never divest himself of a certain stiffness...Mrs Dancer was affecting in Sigismunda...Lovel [in the afterpiece] by King, much better than by Cautherly. Saw the Duchess of Ancaster at the Play, who tho upwards of 40, is still remarkably handsome (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: [Long letter in The Public Advertiser from Foote concerning Lord Chamberlin's refusal to license The Trip to Calais because of possible reflection upon the Duchess of Kingston in the Character of Lady Kitty Crocodile.

Event Comment: [The Public Advertiser contains an apology to the Duchess of Kingston from Foote, but with a hint that he may have to publish the scenes from The Trip to Calais (those in question, see 4 Aug.) unless her attacks upon him in the press cease. Her reply in the same paper suggests she will have nothing further to de with "an extortionable assassin of private reputation....I scorn to be bullied into a Purchase of your Silence."

Event Comment: [Further letter in The Public Advertiser from Foote to the Duchess of Kingston notes that he, at a visit to her place, "rejected her splendid Offers to suppress The Trip to Calais with the Contempt they deserved....I am happy, Madam, however, to hear that your Robe of Innocence is in such perfect Repair; I was afraid it might have been a little the worse for wearing; may it hold out to aeep you Warm the next winter."