Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the evidence points toward this day. On Thursday 19 Nov. 1696, Robert Jennens reported that the two pieces had been acted four or five days together. If that day saw the fifth performance, the premiere probably occurred on 14 Nov. 1696. The Single Songs and Dialogue in Mars and Venus, set by John Eccles (Acts I and II) and Godfrey Finger (Act III), was published separately in 1697. The pieces for whom a performer is indicated are as follows: Prologue. The first Song Sung by Mrs Hudson, set by Finger: Come all, with moving songs [it is reproduced opposite page 300 in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues]. Love alone can here alarm me, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. Scorn tho' Beauty frowns to tremble, sung by Mrs Hudson. To double the sports, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To treble the pleasures with regular measures, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To meet her, May, the Queen of Love comes here, set by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson. See Vulcan, Jealousie, Jealousie appears, set by Finger and sung by Mrs Hudson. Yield, no, no, sung by Mrs Bracegirdle and Bowman. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 115: This Play met with extraordinary Success having the Advantage of the excellent Musick of The Loves of Mars and Venus perform'd with it. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 44-45: The Anatomist, or Sham Doctor, had prosperous Success, and remains a living Play to this Day; 'twas done by Mr Ravenscroft. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: I remember the success of that was owing to the Musick

Event Comment: Benefit Chetwood. By Their Royal Highnesses' Command. N.B. Tickets given out for The Merry Wives of Windsor will be taken at this Play. [See Daily Post, 3 Aug., for Penkethman's celebration at Richmond on 1 Aug., the anniversary of the Hanoverian succession to the throne, and British Journal, 8 Aug., for an account of William Marshall, of lif, as an anti-Hanoverian demonstrator on 1 Aug.

Event Comment: By Command of There Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Admission: 5s., 3s., 2s., 1s. 6d. No Latter Account will be taken. The Performance of the above Entertainment depending greatly on the Orchestra and the Stage being kept entirely clear, tis hoped no Persons will take it ill that they are refused Admittance behind the Scenes, it being impossible for the Scene-Men to make their Shifts and proper Changes, if they are interrupted by any Obstructions in the Passages. Receipts: #184 3s. 6d. (Account Book); #220 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, and Princess Augusta. Receipts: #158 15s. (Account Book); #170 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: The King's Company. For an edition of this play from the MS prompt copy, see The Change of Crownes, ed. F. S. Boas (Oxford University Press, 1949). For the consequences of Lacy's ad libbing, see 16, 20, and 22 April, and 1 May. Pepys, Diary: I to the King's house by chance, where a new play: so full as I never saw it; I forced to stand all the while close to the very till I took cold, and many people went away for want of room. The King and Queene, and Duke of York and Duchesse of York there, and all the Court, and Sir W. Coventry. The play called The Change of Crownes; a play of Ned Howard's the best that ever I saw at that house, being a great play and serious; only Lacy did act the country-gentleman come up to Court, who do abuse the Court with all the imaginable wit and plainness about selling of places, and doing every thing for money. The play took very much.... Gervase Jaquis to the Earl of Huntington, 16 April: Here is another play house erected in Hatton buildings called the Duke of Cambridgs play-house, and yester-day his Matie the Duke & many more were at the King's Playe house to see some new thing Acted (Hastings MSS, HA 7654, Huntington Library)

Event Comment: Receipts: #166 10s. 6d. By Command of His Royal Highness. The Recruiting Officer for the benefit of Mrs Younger is deferred to Tuesday 17

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Receipts: #99 5s. [The Prince present.

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. [The Prince present.

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness [who was present]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales

Event Comment: By Command of the Prince of Wales. Receipts: #115 18s. 6d. Present Prince of Wales at #5 5s., with Duke of York; Princess of Wales at #5 5s., with Lady Augusta, Lady Caroline, Lady Louisa. Paid Woodfall for printing #46 18s. 6d. and another printing bill #31 12s. 6d

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of performance is uncertain. The play was entered in the Stationers' Register, 15 Feb. 1663@4, and its publication noted in The Newes, 3 March 1663@4. Katherine Philips, writing from Cardigan, Wales to Lady Temple in London, 24 Jan. 1663@4: I beleive er'e this you have seen the new Pompey either acted or written & then will repent your partiallity to ye other, but I wonder much what preparations for it could prejudice Will Davenant when I heare they acted in English habits, & yt so aprope yt Caesar was sent in with his feather & Muff, till he was hiss'd off ye Stage & for ye Scenes I see not where they could place any yt are very extra-ordinary, but if this play hath not diverted ye Cittizens wives enough Sr W: D: will make amends, for they say Harry ye 8th & some later ones are little better then Puppett-plays. I understand ye confederate-translators are now upon Heraclius, & I am contented yt Sr Tho. Clarges (who hath done that last yeare) should adorn their triumph in it, as I have done in Pompey (Harvard Theatre Collection)

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Receipts: #82 15s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Written by Shakespear. [Tickets at Quin's Lodgings, King's Street, cg. For a long account of the disturbance at dl, 5 Aarch, see Daily Advertiser, 10 March, and for a letter on theatrical affairs, see Grub St. Journal, 10 March.] Daily Gazetteer, 12 March: On Thursday Night last a Footman, who was keeping Places at [dl] upon the Stage behind the Curtain, hearing some Gentlemen who were in the Pit, call to some Footmen who were in the Boxes to take off their Hats, leapt from his Seat, and opening the Curtain, cry'd out with a loud Voice, bidding the said Footmen keep on their Hats

Event Comment: This play was wrote by Mr Shirly & was at Lisbon when Acted--it was receiv'd with great Applause--only a little groaning at some of the Love Scenes; the prologue greatly lik'd--he says the play attempted after ye Manner of Shakespear (Cross). Paid salary list at #51 7s. 7d. per diem, #308 5s. 6d.; Blakes per order #1 1s.; Maltair added to salary list at 10s. per day. Paid Lacy as per draft #105; Xmas box to Prince and Princess's footmen #2 2s.; Mr Maltair for 11 days #5 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [Maltair is presumably the dancer Maltare who had appeared at dl in 1740.] Receipts: #180 (Cross); #185 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barry. Mainpiece: A Tragedy altered from Thomson [by Thomas Hull] never perform'd. Part of Pit laid into the Boxes. Servants who are to keep places are desired to be at the stage door by 4 o'clock, and those Ladies and Gentlemen who have taken seats in the Pit are requested to come early to prevent confusion in getting to their places. Epilogue by Sheridan. [This play had been refused a license on 26 March 1739, While Walpole was still Prime Minister, probably because of such speeches as: @Is there a cure on Humankind so fell@So pestilent, to Prince and People,@As the base servile vermin of a court;@Corrupt, Corrupting ministers and favourites?@How oft have such eat up the widow's morsel,@The Peasant's toil, the Merchant's far-sought gain,@And wantoned to the ruin of a nation!-Larpent MS, op. p. 65.@ Also the play equalizes Christianity and Mohammedanism before God, and gives a slight edge to the latter (Act IV, scene ii), suggesting the part politics play in Christian churches. An account of the alterations made for the present performance is given in the Westminster Magazine for March. The review concludes: The Play was got up altogether well, and reputedly acted, and is in its present state what the Ladies call "a very pretty tragedy."

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [never previously acted at this theatre]. Receipts: #462 8s. 6d. (340.18.0; 118.12.6; 2.18.0)

Event Comment: "Edward the Black Prince was performed at the Royalty Theatre on Monday evening, by a private party of Gentlemen" (Morning Herald, 9 Mar., which makes no mention of an afterpiece)

Event Comment: [Edward Young.] A new Tragedy. All the persons being new drest

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Never acted there Before. Amphitheatre on stage [see 12 March]. Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Tickets and places of Mrs Clive at her house in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; or of Page at the stage door of the theatre. Last Night their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales were at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to see the Merchant of Venice; when the Song of Britons strike home was commanded to be sung, which was accordingly done, with the Chorus's, accompanied by Trumpets, Kettle-Drums, etc. and met with the Greatest Applause.--General Advertiser, 14 March. [The notice about Miss Edwards' first attempt means in an acting role; she was a singer.

Event Comment: Under the Patronage of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York. Benefit for Roselli. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, to be had of Roselli, No. 6, King-street, St. James's-square

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Written by Sir George Etheridge. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Receipts: #230

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 359: Augustus Caesar. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. The music for a song in act I, scene I, was composed by Nicholas Staggins, and printed in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Second Book, 1679. There is no certainty that this was the premiere, but it may well have been. The play was entered in the Term Catalogues, May 1676