Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This is another in the series of Court performances in L. C. 5@145, p. 120. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 11 Feb. 1679@80. It should be noted that not only is this date a Friday in Lent but it is also during the period of mourning for the Princess Elizabeth. Yet to place this performance in 1681 would make it fall on Sunday

Event Comment: Sir John Perceval to Elizabeth Stockwell, 20 Sept.: We should have languished for want of diversion but for Othello, which drew all the stragglers in town together, and our number was greater than I imagined....Meanwhile I declare that they who cannot be moved at Othello's story so artfully worked up by Shakespeare, and justly played by Betterton, are capable of marrying again before their husbands are cold, of trampling on a lover when dying at their feet, and are fit converse with tigers only (Egmont MS, II, 240)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Elizabeth Hemmings. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality and for the Entertainment of the Mohocks and the 3 Indian Kings (Being the last Time of their Appearance in Publick). At 8 p.m. Tickets 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Elizabeth Bewley, Mrs Aylett, and Young Gwin. Receipts: money #16 2s. 6d. and tickets #38 10s

Event Comment: Not Acted these Eight Years. Written by Shakespear. Containing, the Death of the Duke of Buckingham. The Fall of Cardinal Wolsey. The Divorce, and Death of Queen Catherine. The Coronation of Queen Anne Bullen, and the Christning of Queen Elizabeth. With Decorations proper to the Play. [The Prince of Wales present.

Event Comment: Benefit Schoolding, Scott, Giffard, Newhouse, Mrs Elizabeth Bewley. Receipts: money #9 10s. 6d.; tickets #126 10s

Event Comment: Benefit Price, Browne, and Elizabeth Bewley. The last Time of the Company's playing this Season

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. See also A Letter to Mr John Gay on his Tragedy call'd The Captives (1724), by Elizabeth Harrison, who attended a performance during the initial run

Event Comment: DDaily Post, 13 Nov.: We hear King Henry the Eighth, with the magnificent Coronation of Queen Anne Bullen , and the Christning of Queen Elizabeth , still continues to draw numerous Audiences, which is owing to the Excellency of the Performance, and the extraordinary Grandeur of the Decorations

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Lady Elizabeth Compton to Countess of Northampton, 28 Nov.: Mr Buncombe's Brother has written a Play & last night was the Poetts night, I was there & I think he had a prodigious full house, especially considering that the Town is not near so full as it will be after Xmas. A Play comes out now with great disadvantage for 'twas sadly acted. MSS of Marquess Townshend, p. 244

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Butler. [Tickets at Mrs Elizabeth Butler's Leicester Fields. See Daily Advertiser, 18 April for verses spoken by Mrs Butler on this night.

Event Comment: Benefit Berry. Mainpiece: Containing the Death of the Duke of Buckingham; The Fall of Cardinal Wolsey; The Divorce and Death of Queen Katherine; The Coronation of Anna Bullen, with the Military Ceremony of The Champion in Westminster Hallv; the Christening of Queen Elizabeth, and many other Historical Passages. Tickets to be had at Mr Berry's, the Corner of Crown-Court in Russel St., Covent Garden, and of Mr Bradshaw. Tickets deliver'd out by Woodburn, Mrs Roberts, and Speer will be taken. Receipts: #130

Event Comment: Godwin's Booth, Tyburn Road in Duke St., near Grosvenor Square. Princess Elizabeth, or Rise of Judge Punch, to which will be added by Persons for their Diversion, a farce call'd the Honest Yorkshireman. Pit 1s. First Gallery 6d. Upper Gallery 3s. [In spite of the wording, the entire performance may be a puppet show.

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Containing the Death of the Duke of Buckingham; the Divorce of Queen Katherine; the Fall of Cardinal Wolsey; the Christening of Queen Elizabeth; with many other Historical passages. [This elaboration occurs on all Subsequent notices this season, but will not be further recorded.] Thomas Griffith died (Burney Actors MS.)

Event Comment: Benefit Havard and Mrs Ridout. Tickets deliver'd for The Orphan will be taken....But if you are for a good sober piece, that has a great deal of good sense in it, and but few absurdities, pray read the play of Regulus. The run of the Town is against it, but whether it is the dulness of the poetry, or the nobleness of the sentiments that makes fine folks dislike it, I am unwilling to determine.--Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot (London, 1808), I, 35

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear Containing the Death of the Duke of Buckingham; the Divorce of Queen Katherine; the Fall of Cardinal Wolsey; the Christening of Queen Elizabeth; with many other Historical Passages. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Tragedy never acted. By James Thomson. Characters New Dress'd. But as it is rather more fashionable to run mad about Mr Thomsons's play, I will change my theme and talk to you of Tancred. I want much to know how you like it, at this distance I would lay any wager you do not like it so well as your sister does, who certainly cannot be your sister and not have been to see it long ago. Everybody agrees that no play was ever so much improved in acting, at least since the Booths and Bettertons. That first scene expecially, where Siffredi discovers to Tancred who he is, pleased me almost beyond anything I ever saw, indeed even before I saw it, that scene was my favourite. But what do you think of the story, and what of the style?-A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, I, 60 (dated strangely 2 March). [On 26 April, the Daily Post published a letter by Bellario on Tancred and Sigismunda, discussing the kind of support it received]: A very remarkable new Lord of the Treasury was proud of appearing its Foster Father, and attended at the public rehearsals; the first night of the performance this celebrated person and his friends in the Box with him (all very lately most flaming Patriots) were seen clapping their hands at the following remarkable speech: First of You All...To Quit Mistakes. [The letter also discussed political aspects of the play, then the poetry of the lines. The author heard that three hundred lines were cut out after the first performance, and was of opinion that double that amount would have been beneficial.

Event Comment: The Late Wells, the bottom of Lemon St., Goodman's Fields. A Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musick. Divided into two Parts. The Concert to conclude with the Chorus of Long Live the King. Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit or First Gallery 1s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. Between the two Parts of the Concert will be exhibited Gratis, and not acted these 50 years, an Historical Play...written by the celebrated Mr Lee. And founded on Facts which happened in France, in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. Shewing the unparalleled Dissimulations, Imprecations, and Perjuries of Charles the 9th of France, the Queen Mother, and Cardinal Lorrain, to draw the Hugonot Party into their snares, by which means the Death of the Queen Navarre was effected by Poison, and most of the Protestant Princes of the Blood destroyed. Chastillon, the famous Admiral of France, with his Wife, Children, Commanders, and Followers, all put to Death, with the King's Consent, bx the cruel and Revengeful Duke of Guise, and his Adherents. After which the Massacre becoming general over the Kingdom, near near 100,000 Protestants were destroyed in the most barbarous and inhuman manner. The Concert will begin every Evening Positively at Six of the Clock, and the Whole be concluded by Half an Hour after Nine, the Wdlls being appointed (after the Entertainment is over) for the Main Guard of the Militia of the Tower Hamlets

Event Comment: CCatherine Talbot to Elizabeth Carter, 18 April: These oratorios of Handel's are certainly (next to the hooting of owls) the most solemly striking music one can hear....In this last oratorio he has literally introduced guns, and they have a good effect.--Deutsch, Handel, p. 640, who identifies the guns as kettle-drums. But Winton Dean, Handel's Dramatic Oratorios, p. 471, identifies them as the outsize drums from the Tower of London. See Sheridan's The Critic on off-stage gun shots: This hint I took from Handel. Recced of Mr Handell for rent of his 10 Oratorio's #210.--Account Books, Egerton 2268. [Actually there were twelve nights of oratorios.

Event Comment: By Command. Present the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prince George, Prince Edward, and Prince William, with the Lady Augusta and Lady Elizabeth (Account Books, Egerton 2268). Receipts: #87 7s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Elizabeth Dove, now a widow