Event Comment: Newsletter, 7 April: Last evening their Majesties were diverted with a comedy acted at St James's by the little young ladies of the Court, who appeared extraordinarily glorious and covered with jewels (HMC, Fleming MSS. 12th Report, VII, 70). This may have been a performance of The Faithful Shepherdess which was entered by Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington, in his diary, 2 April 1670 [error for 6 April (?)]: I saw Lady Mary, daughter of the Duke of York, and many young ladies act the Faithful Shepherdess very finely (Diary, Volume V, in Chatsworth. I owe this entry to Professor Kathleen Lynch). In Covent Garden Drollery, 1672 (ed. G. Thorn-Drury), p. 68, is an Epilogue spoken by the Lady Mary Mordaunt, before the King and Queen at court, to the Faithful Shepherdess. As Lady Mary was then about twelve, this Epilogue seems to confirm the possibility that the play was The Faithful Shepherdess acted by amateurs

Event Comment: The Prologue and Epilogue to Sir William Cartwright's The Ordinary were printed in A Collection of Poems Written Upon Several Occasions, 1673, and the play was licensed for a revival, the date of the license being 15 January 1671. See The Plays and Poems of Sir William Cartwright, ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Madison, Wisc., 1951), p. 262. The fact that this day falls on Sunday and the fact that the Prologue and Epilogue were printed in 1673, raise the possibility that this date should be regarded as 15 January 1671@2 rather than 15 January 1670@1

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is uncertain whether this performance and those for 13 and 28 March belong to 1670@1 or 1671@2. They are on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2 (see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347), but VanLennep's discovery of an L. C. list for the Duke's Company covering March 1670@1 but not including these plays led him to believe that they Pertain to March 1671@2. See VanLennep, Plays on the English Stage, p. 19. On 9 March 1670@1 or 1671@2 Henry Herbert qranted permission to the Duke's Company to act The Lady Errant. See The Plays and Poems of William Cartwright, ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Madison, Wisc., 1951), p. 85

Event Comment: A revival of this play (probably by the King's Company) at about this time is a possibility. The Prologue and Epilogue are in A Collection of Poems Written upon several Occasions by several Persons (1673), and the Epilogue refers to the Witches in Macbeth, which had been acted on 18 Feb. 1672@3. See The Plays and Poems of William Cartwright, ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Madison, Wis., 1951), pp. 610-12

Event Comment: The United Company. Newdigate newsletters, 20 Jan. 1682@3: Yesterday was acted at the Theatre Royall the first of a new play Entituled the City Politiques the novelty of wch drew a Confluence of Spectators under both Qualifications of Whigg and Tory to hear and behold a Ld Mayor Sheriffs & some Aldermen with their wives in yr usuall formalityes buffoond & Reviled a great Lawyer with his young Lady Jeared and Intreagued Dr Oates pfectly represented berogued & beslaved the papist plott Egregiously Rediculed the Irish Testemonyes Contradictiorily disproved & befoold the Whiggs totally vanquished & undon Law & property men oreruld & there wanted nothing of Artifice in behaviour and discourse to render all those obnoxious & dispised in fine such a medly of occurences intervened that twas a question whether more of Loyalty designe or Rhetorique prvailed but there were mighty clappings among the poeple of both partyes in Expressing either their sattisfaction or displeasure (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81). The Prologue and Epilogue, separately Printed, have 20 Jan. 1682@3 as Luttrell's date of acquisition (Huntington Library) and are reprinted in Wiley's Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 166-69. John Dennis, To Mr --- In which are some Passages of the Life of Mr John Crown, Author of Sir Courtly Nice, June 23, 1719: About that time he writ The City Politicks, on purpose to Satyrize and expose the Whigs; a Comedy so agreeable, that it deserv'd to be writ in a much better Cause: But after he had writ he met with very great Difficulties in the getting it acted. Bennet Lord Arlington, who was then Lord Chamberlain of the King's Houshold, and who had secretly espous'd the Whigs, who were at that time powerful in Parliament, in order to support himself against the Favour and Power of the Lord Treasurer Danby, who was his declared Enemy, us'd all his Authority to suppress it. One While it was prohibited on the account of its being Dangerous, another while it was laid aside on the pretence of its being Falt and Insipid; till Mr Crown at last was forc'd to have Recourse to the king himself, and to engage him to give his absolute Command to the Lord Chamberlain for the acting of it; which Command the King was Pleas'd to give in his own Person (I, 49-50). Morrice Entry Book, Vol.1 1682@3: Mr Crowne [was cudgled on Wednesday last in St Martin's Lane and] hee that beat him said hee did it at the suite of the Earle of Rochester some time since deceased who greatly abused in the play for his penetency &c. (p. 353. I owe this note to the courtesy of Professor David M. Vieth of the University of Kansas and Professor G. H. Jones of Kansas State University)

Event Comment: Samuel Pepys to Robert Southwell, 10 Oct. 1685: To night wee have had a mighty Musique--Entertainment at court for the welcoming home the King and Queen. Wherein the fraequent Returnes of the Words, Arms, Beauty, Triumph, Love, Progeny Peace, Dominion, Glory, &c. had apparently cost our Poet-Prophet more paine to finde Rhimes then Reasons (R. G. Howard, Letters and the Second Diary of Samuel Pepys [London, 1932], p. 171. [The entertainment for this occasion seems not to have survived.

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@151, p. 369. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 352. The MS music composed for a revival of this play, apparently at this time, by G. Finger and Daniel Purcell, is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the London Gazette, 17-21 Feb. 1697@8, suggests that it was first given not later than January 1697@8. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 44: Heroick Love, Wrote by Mr George Greenvil, Superlatively Writ; a very good Tragedy, well Acted, and mightly pleas'd the Court and City. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: The Language is very correct: But with submission to him [Granville], his Fable is not well chosen; there's too little Business in't for so long a Representation: But if Mr G. had taken the Story at a greater length, and contriv'd the Incidents to surprize, he had made it an admirable Tragedy

Event Comment: Villiers Bathurst to Arthur Charlett, 28 Jan. 1699@1700: The Wits of all qualities have lately entertained themselves with a reviv 6: went to ye play. I staid there a quarter of an hour (Huntington MS St 26). The Wits of all qualities have lately entertained themselves with a revived humour of Sir John Falstaff in Henry the Fourth, which has drawn all the town, more than any new play that has bin produced of late; which shews that Shakespeare's wit will always last: and the criticks allow that Mr Betterton has hitt the humour of Falstaff better than any that have aimed at it before (G. Thorn-Drury, More Seventeenth Century Allusions to Shakespeare, [London, 1924], p. 48)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Lucyle Hook, James Brydges Drops in at the Theatre, Huntington Library Bulletin, VIII (1945), 309, speculates that James Brydges' attendance at lif this day may have been prompted by his seeing this new play, as he stayed longer than he often did at a theatrical performance. The comedy was certainly acted before 12 March 1699@1700. James Brydges, Diary: I went to ye play in Lincolns inn fields, where I met Sr G. Coply, who set me down after it was ended (Huntington MS St 26). Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 45: The Way of the World, a Comdey wrote by Mr Congreve, twas curiously Acted; Madam Bracegirdle performance her Part so exactly and just, gain'd the Applause of Court and City; but being too Keen a Satyr, had not the Success the Company Expected

Event Comment: [Words from the Italian of G. B. Neri. Music by Francesco Conti and others.] A new Opera. By Subscription. The Boxes to be open'd to the Pit, and no Person to admitted but by the Subscribers' Tickets. Stage Boxes 15s. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 2s. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: [Music by G. Bononcini? Librettist unknown.] By Subscription. The Boxes to be open'd to the Pit, and no Person to be admitted but by the Subscribers Tickets

Event Comment: [Text by Giacomo Rossi. Music by G. F. Handel.] By Subscription

Event Comment: [Text by N. F. Haym. Music by G. F. Handel.] Colman's Opera Register: Mr O. Swiny ye Manager of ye Theatre was now setting out a New Opera, Heroick. all ye Habits new & richer than ye former with 4 New Scenes, & other Decorations & Machines. Ye Tragick Opera was called Theseus. Ye Musick composed by Mr Handel....ye Opera being thus prepared Mr Swiny would have got a Subscription for Six times, but could not.--he then did give out Tickets at half a Guinea each, for two Nights ye Boxes lay'd open to ye Pit, ye House was very full these two Nights

Event Comment: [By Joseph Addison.] Never Acted before. G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival, 16 April: On Tuesday last...Cato was acted the first time. I am informed the front boxes were all bespoke for nine days, a fortnight before the play was acted. I was present with Mr Addison, and two or three more friends in a side box, where we had a table and two or three flasks of burgundy and champagne, with which the author (who is a very sober man) thought it necessary to support his spirits in the concern he was then under, and indeed it was a pleasant refreshment to us all between the acts....The actors were at the expence of new habits, which were very magnificent. (Rand, p. 113. See also Victor, II, 29-31, and Cibber, I, 122-23, II, 127-33)

Event Comment: [Text by P. A. Rolli. Music by G. Bononcini.] A New Opera. Four Hundred Tickets (for Pit and Boxes) will be deliver'd out, and after they are disposed of, no Person whatsoever will be admitted for Money. Neither Director nor Subscribers will be admitted on the Stage. A proper Officer will attend at each Door, to deliver Every Subscriber his Ticket, without which he will not be admitted. Pit and Boxes at a half guinea. Gallery 5s. The Doors to be open'd at Five a Clock. To Begin exactly at Six. [The Royal Family present.

Event Comment: DDaily Post, 1 Nov.: On Saturday Night they [the individuals who disturbed the performance on 28 Oct.] attended again in the Upper G allery, where having declar'd they came to disturb the Performance, they pursued their former Methods, with the same Success, to the End of the Play; when upon Mr Giffard's informing the Audience who they were, they were unanimously of Opinion to have them turn'd out...,The Manager mention'd before cannot be suspected to authorize such Behaviour....But what makes it most unlikely, is, that he sat in the Pit on Thursday, and was seen by every Body to applaud the Play

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Practice of a Dramatick Entertainment. [Author not known. Apparently not published.] Afterpiece: A Mock Tragedy. [Author not known, but Mrs. Lois G. Morrison of San Antonio College believes that it was written by Eustace Budgell. Apparently not published.] At Common Prices. Note, No Money to be return'd after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors will be open'd at Fou , and begin exactly at Six