Event Comment: The United Company. This play was apparently never published, but it was mentioned in the Prologue to King Edward the Third (ca. Nov. 1690) and again in tne Gentleman's Journal, Jan. 1691@2. Gentleman's Journal, Jan. 1691@2: You have often ask'd me, who was the author of that, call'd The Gordian Knot unty'd; and wondred, with many more, why it was never printed. I hear that Gentleman who writ lately a most ingenious Dialogue concerning Women, now translated into French, is the Author of that witty Play, and it is almost a Sin in him to keep It and his name from the world. [This statement points to William Walsh's A Dialogue Concerning Women, Being a Defence of the Sex. Written to Eugenia (London, 1691).] Henry Purcell wrote the instrumental music for this work. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), vii

Event Comment: A warrant, L. C. 5@150, p. 306, in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 357, dated this day calls for a payment of L10 to William Mountfort for King Edward the Third, acted on an unspecified date before the Queen

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the Prologue to Bonduca refers to She Ventures and He Wins. As Bonduca was advertised in the London Gazette, No. 3126, 24-28 Oct. 1695, the play was certainly not acted later than early October 1695, probably not later than September 1695. The Edition of 1696 includes on the titlepage: With A New Entertainment of Musick, Vocal and Instrumental. [The music was composed by Henry Purcell. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XVI, vii-xiii.] Those songs for which a performer is named are as follows: O lead me to some peaceful gloom, sung by Miss Cross, and Sing ye Druids, all your voices raise, sung by Mrs Ayliff, both in Songs in the Tragedy of Bonduca, ca. 1696. To arms, sung by Freeman and Edwards, is in Thesaurus Musicus, The Fifth Book, 1696

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, 29 Feb.-2 March 1695@6, and the London Gazette, No. 3165, 9-12 March 1695@6, suggests that its first appearance was not later than early February. One song, The town rakes, set by Daniel Purcell and sung by Mr Edward, was separately printed ca. 1696. Epistle Dedicatory, Edition of 1696: The unjust Sentence this Play met with before very partial Judges in the Acting....So that I may reasonable impute its miscarriage to some Faction that was made against it, which indeed was very Evident on the First day, and more on the endeavours employ'd, to render the Profits of the Third, as small as could be...Ch. Gildon

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of this production is not certain. The Dedication, signed by George Powell and John Verbruggen, is dated Monday, 16 Oct. 1696, but this date is in error, for the sixteenth fell on Friday in October; however, 16 Nov. 1696 fell on Monday. In addition, the Dedication implies that the two men hope to have visitors (i.e., spectators at performances) on "Wednesday, and Saturday next, the Visiting Days of, Your Friends and Servants, George Powell, John Verbruggen." It is possible that the text and the songs were printed in advance of performance and were available at the theatre, but it is still uncertain whether the opera first appeared in October or November 1696. The Single Songs, With the Dialogue, was published separately in 1696, with Daniel Purcel named as the composer. The songs to which performers' names are listed are as follows: Cease, Cynthia, cease your fruitless tears, sung by Mrs Cross. I courted and writ, the verse by Jo Hanes and sung by Church. How happy I am the fair sex can defy, the verse by Jo Hanes and sung by Leveridge. 'Tis in vain to tell me I am deceived, sung by Freeman. Great queen of Hymen's hallowed fires, sung by Mrs Willis. Why, Chloe, will you not perceive, the verse by John Robens and sung by Church. Why dost thou fly me, sung by Edwards and Mrs Cross. If mortals laugh and sing, sung by Freeman. The Songs were entered in the Term Catalogues, November 1696

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308-the regular company at Drury Lane resumed acting (after the summer vacation) on 11 Oct. 1696 and acted 200 times to 7 July 1697, after which the young actors played 58 days to 7 Oct. 1697

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 8-10 June 1697, suggests a first performance in late May or the beginning of June. Preface: I [Motteux] write the Masque of Hercules, and Mr Eccles, having set it with his usual Success, and yet more masterly than my Mars and Venus, if possible, I prevail'd with the ingenious Mr J. Oldmixon to give me a short Pastoral, while I scribbled over a Farce after the Italian Manner, and an Imitation of part of a diverting French Comedy of one Act (for such Plays are very common in Foreign Parts). Then I wanted nothing but a Tragedy....At last I bethought myself of one already studied, called The Unnatural Brother, written by an ingenious Gentleman and acted 6 Months ago, tho not with the success it deserv'd. Yet the latter Part was extremely applauded: So I was persuaded to make bold with it, as I do....I could easily contract the most moving Part of the Story into the Compass of one Act, with some Additions....All this was done in a very short time, the warm Season threatening me with your Absence....The foregoing Lines were published as a Preface to that Masque, some few copies of which were printed for the use of the Audience, the first day of the Novelty's being Acted. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: Every Word stolen, and then Damn'd

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308--Rich's Company acted 161 days from 6 Oct. 1697 to 19 May 1698, 41 days from that date to 10 July 1698, and the young actors played 24 days from 10 July 1698 to 10 Oct. 1698

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308) Rich's Company acted 209 times from 9 Oct. 1698 to 9 July 1699, after which the young actors performed 27 times from 9 July 1699 to 10 Oct. 1699

Event Comment: Post Boy, 11 May 1699: A Consort of New Vocal and Instrumental Musick, for the Benefit of Mr Edward Keene, who was the first Promoter of the Musical Entertainments in Sommerset House Garden

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308) Rich's company acted 218 times between 6 Oct. 1699 and 26 July 1700, and the young actors played 15 times from 26 July 1700 to 12 Oct. 1700

Event Comment: Benefit Edward Lally. At the Desire of several Ladies of Qulity. Pit and Boxes together at 5s. Gallery Box 3s. Gallery 2s. Receipts: money #14 15s.; tickets #140 19s

Event Comment: Benefit Edward Lally. Receipts: money #29 18s. 6d.; tickets #137 13s

Event Comment: Receipts: #170 9s. 6d. Probable attendance: boxes, 236 paid; stage, 44 paid; balcony, 2 paid; Pit, 290 Paid and 3 orders; slips, 47 paid and 1 order; first gallery, 419 paid and 1 order; second gallery, 189 paid. For a comment on the play by Thomas Edwards, see V. M. Gilbert, Unrecorded Comments on John Gay, Henry Travers, and Others, Notes and Queries, August 1953, pp. 337-38

Event Comment: Benefit Edward Giles. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Roberts and Jones. Afterpiece: A New Ballad Opera of one Act [by Edward Phillips]. [For a puff of the afterpiece, see Daily Advertiser, 25 April, and Daily Post, 2 May.

Event Comment: Benefit Dove, Morris, World, Edward Giffard. Tickets for The Provoked Husband taken. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Nicholls, Ayres, and Edward Giffard, Numberer

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Dryden. [Tickets given out by Topham, Ravenscroft, and Edward Giffard taken.]

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 16 Sept.: To be Sold. The Lease (having upwards of 50 Years to come) of the late Theatre in Goodman's-Fields. Enquire of Mr Edward Shepherd, at his House in Audley-street, Grosvenor-Square

Event Comment: Benefit Chapman [who states that he is in danger of losing vision in one eye. Tickets at Chapman's House, the Corner of Bow Street cg.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 27 March: Last Week died, after a most tedious and expensive Illness, at Chelsea, Mrs Laguerre, formerly a celebrated Dancer on the Stage. Daily Post, 29 March: During the Rehearsal [on 27 March], of a new Tragedy, written by Mr Thompson, call'd Edward and Eleonora, (which was to have been acted on this Day) he receiv'd, to his great Surprise, a Message from the Lord Chamberlain, absolutely forbidding the acting of the said Play. No Objection having been made to the Whole or any Part of it, we must conclude it was consider'd as immoral or seditious

Event Comment: Benefit Raftor, Edwards, Beckham

Event Comment: Benefit Leviez, Edwards, Beckham

Event Comment: As 10 Dec. 1740. [For a discussion of recent Shakespearean performances, see Thomas Edwards to Richard Owen Cambridge, 31 January 1740@41 in Bodleian MS. 1009, pp. 140-41.

Event Comment: Benefit Edwards, Fenn, Fulwood, Fuller