Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 68. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350. This play was also reprinted in 1686. Memoirs of the Life of William Wycherley, Esq; With a Character of his Writings [by George, Lord Lansdowne, but part possibly by Charles Gildon (1718)], pp. 7-8: [After the death of Wycherley's wife, he was committed to Newgate for debt.] From hence he remov'd himself by a Habeas Corpus to the Fleet, where he continued seven Years in a close Imprisonment, almost forgot by his old Friends, till in the Reign of King James the Second, some of them bespeaking the Plain-Dealer, got the King to the Play, who declaring his Approbation of the Poet's Performance, they improv'd his liking so far as to get him to deliver him from his long Confinement. But here the Modesty of the Man did him a considerable Prejudice, for instead of giving in a full List of his Debts, he only mention'd those, the discharge of which wou'd set him at Liberty, which was done with this additional Bounty, that the same King allow'd him Two hundred Pounds a Years as long as he Reign'd; and this was the reason that made Mr Wycherley always a Jacobite

Event Comment: The United Company. Lord Ashburnham's Diary: I waited on my Mother home and afterwards I went into the play (the Maiden Queen) There was a great deale of company, I came home before 8 at night, I am now not charm'd with Playes &c. (Ashburnham MS 932, East Sussex County Record Office, County Hall, Lewes, Sussex; I owe this entry and the subsequent ones from this MS to the kindness of Professor George Hilton Jones, Kansas State University). This is an unusual example of the revival of a play at the public theatre the day before its presentation at court

Event Comment: John Dryden to Sir George Etherege, 16 Feb. 1686@7: The Coffee-house stands certainly where it did, & angry men meet in the square sometimes, as Abercomy, & Goodman lately did, where they say Alexander the Great was wounded in the arme (The Letters of John Dryden, ed. Ward, p. 27). See 27 Oct. 1686

Event Comment: In The Theatre of Compliment, 1688, are verses similar to those apparently referring to August 1686: @Here is the Rarity of the whole Fair,@Pimper-la-Pimp, and the Wise Dancing Mare;@Here's valiant St George and the Dragon, a farce;@Here's Vienna Besieged, a most delicate thing;@And here's Punchinello, shown thrice to the King.@ John Verney entertained some of his wife's family who were in town to see Bartholomew Fair. See Memoirs of the Verney Family, ed. Margaret M. Verney (London, 1699), IV, 435

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: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 3-5 March 1697@8, suggests that the first performance occurred probably not later than early February 1697@8. The Preface is signed by George Powell, who refers to the author of the play as unknown. In addition, Powell mentions that his company has recently revived some of Dryden's plays: Don Sebastian, Secret Love; or, The Maiden Queen, Marriage a la Mode, King Arthur, and adds: In relation to our reviving his Almanzor...very hard crutching up what Hart and Mohun...could not prop

Event Comment: Post Man, No 515, 15-17 Sept. 1698: At Mr Barnes's and Mr Appleby's Booth in the Coachyard near St Georges Church, Southwark, during the space of 14 days, is to be seen the most famous Rope Dancers of Europe, viz. the English, High German, Dutch, and Morocco Companies, who perform strange and wonderful things on the Rope, the German Maiden outdoing all Men and Women, that ever danc'd before her, both for high leaping and fine Dancing, and whatever has been done by any person on the Ground, as side, upright, cross or back Capers, is performed by her on the Dancing Rope, and rises to that prodigious height, as will startle all that see her

Event Comment: Post Man, No. 747, 4-7 May 1700: At the desire of several Ladies of Quality, To-morrow being Wednesday, (in the great Room in York Buildings) will be performed a new Mask set to Musick, with an extraordinary entertainment of other Vocal and Instrumental Musick for the Benefit of Mr Gouge [Mr George in Flying Post] and Miss Bradshaw. Prices 2s. 6d

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [By George Granville.

Event Comment: Written by the Author of the Recruiting Officer [George Farquhar]. Never Acted before

Event Comment: Not Acted these Four Years. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Written by Sir George Etheridge

Event Comment: [Text by Giacomo Rossi. Music by George Frederic Handel.] Never Perform'd before. Compos'd by Mr Hendel. Colman's Opera Register: This was not by Subscription but at ye usuall Opera Price of Boxes 8s. Pit 5s. Gallery 2s. 6d. The Scene represented only ye Country of Arcadia. ye Habits were old.--ye Opera Short. [Published as Pastor Fido.

Event Comment: At Penkethman's Great Booth, above Bird-Cage Alley, over against St. George's Church. Mainpiece: a celebrated Droll

Event Comment: At Mr Penkethman's Great Booth, above Bird-Cage Alley, over against St. George's Church

Event Comment: At Penkethman's and Norris's Great Theatrical Booth in the George Inn Yard, Smithfield. An excellent new Droll

Event Comment: A New Ballad Opera, [By George Lillo.] Receipts: #91 9s. 6d. Daily Courant, 12 Nov.: On Tuesday Night...Sylvia...was perform'd for the first Time...where there appeared a Set of People, who seem'd inclined to damn the whole Performance (if it had been in their Power)by their continual Hissing and Cat-Calls; notwithstanding which, the same was perform'd with Applause, by the general Approbation of the Pit and Boxes

Event Comment: Benefit Hen. Duncalfe. 7 p.m. At the George and Vulture Tavern, Cornhill

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction. Egmont, Diary, I, 472: I went... to see the famous moving tragedy, called George Barnwell

Event Comment: A Serenata. Being an Essay of several different Sorts of Harmony.[Music by Handel. Done into English by George Oldmixon.] Daily Advertiser, 14 March: Last Night Mr Handell's new Serenata, in Honour of the Princess Royal's Nuptials with the Prince of Orange, was perform'd before their Majesties, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Orange, and all the Royal Family, and was received with the greatest Applause; the Piece containing the most exquisite Harmony ever furnish'd from the Stage, and the Disposition of the Performers being contriv'd in a very grand and magnificent Manner. [The marriage of the Prince of Orange and Royal Princess occurred on Thursday, 14 March.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Sir George Etheridge

Event Comment: Benefit Laguerre. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. [Tickets at Laguerre's, over against the King's Arms in George Street, York Buildings.] Receipts: money #13 9s. 6d.; tickets #95 12s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the Author of George Barnwell. Afterpiece: As 26 May

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 March: This is to inform the Publick, that the new Tragi-Comedy, intitled The Free-Thinker; or, The Fox uncas'd, which was last Summer rehearsed and was to have been play'd at [lif], but by Mr Rich's letting that House to Mr Giffard, for that Season, was prevented, will be acted on the 14th of April next [at yb], by Mr Hallam's Company of Comedians. The Play is writ much in the same Stile and Manner of George Barnwell....The Author hopes that the Generous and Judicious will encourage the Performance, tho' the Company of Players are not dropt down from the Clouds, nor does the Play libel the Government. [No further announcement of the performance has been noted before 28 April.

Event Comment: Benefit J. Roberts. By Desire. For the Entertainment of the Ancient and Honourable Society of Non-Common Pleas, Mainpiece: Written by the Author of George Barnwell. Second and Third Pieces: Both written by the Author of Pasquin. To begin exactly at Half an Hour after Six, and all will be over by Half an Hour after Nine. Tickets (containing the Prologue to the Register, by way of Ode to the New Year, with the Musick engrav'd on a Copper Plate) may be had of Mr Henry Roberts, Engraver, at the Star over-against the Vine Tavern in Holborn, and at the Theatre in the Hay-Market. Daily Advertiser, 2 May: Sir, As at every one of our Theatres this Day there is a Benefit for Persons under Misfortunes, 'tis humbly hop'd that the more humane Pursuers o Pleasure will suspend their Curiosity for Vaux Hall for one Day, (out of a hundred) in Favour of so many Unfortunate, who have but the Chance of one single Night to relieve them from Afflictions which perhaps they have long labour'd under. And, as I have somewhere read, So humane Worth to God like Heights they'll raise, For the Preserver shares the Maker's Praise. I believe it is fully known, without troubling you with farther Particulars, that among the Number above mention'd, is included, Sir, Your very humble Servant, John Roberts