Event Comment: Ode: Written by Dryden, and set to Music by Handel

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. With Additions from Dryden; the Musick by Purcell and Dr Arne, and the new Airs and Chorusses by the late Mr Linley Jun. [Afterpiece in place of A Friend in Need, advertised on playbill of 21 Feb.] The Publick is respectfully informed that on Account of the sudden Indisposition of Sga Bossi DelCaro, The Scotch Ghost [advertised on playbill of 21 Feb.] cannot be performed this Evening (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). Receipts: #212 2s. 6d. (145.1.0; 61.0.0; 6.1.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Additions from Dryden; the Musick by Purcell and Dr Arne, and the new Airs and Chorusses by the late Mr Linley Jun. Receipts: #142 7s. 6d. (79.17.6; 60.10.0; 2.0.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sedgwick. Mainpiece: With additions from Dryden. The Musick by Purcell and Arne, and the new Airs and Chorusses by the late Linley Jun. Morning Chronicle, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Sedgwick, No. 18, Clement's-inn. Receipts: #390 8s. 6d. (97.13.6; 56.4.6; odd and after-money: 2.13;0; tickets: 233.17.6) (charge: #217 2s.)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of this Performance is stated as 16 Feb. (L. C. records) or 17 Feb. (Peregrine Bertie), but as Lent began on Wednesday 17 Feb., the performance probably occurred on Shrove Tuesday. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, P. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350. Peregrine Bertie to the Countess of Rutland, 17 Feb. 1685@6: To night will be the last play at court, they tell mee 'tis the Mocke Astrologer (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, p. 105). John Povey to Sir Robert Southwell, 18 Feb. 1685@6: Sir, the enclosed had been sent last post, had it not been detained late by a play at Court which ended our Carnival. The night before the King and Queen were entertained by the Lord President at a ball or masque in Lady Portsmouth's lodgings. The Masquers were twelve couples whose habits were of several nations' and prescribed by a picture sent to each of them from the Queen, and the least habit cost !bove a hundred Pounds, and some above three hundred pounds, besides jewels of which Mrs Fox and some others had above thirty thousand pounds value each (Savile-Finch Correspondence, Add. Mss. 28,569; I owe this quotation to Professor John Harold Wilson)

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@149, p. 368: The Queene a Box, and a Box for the Maids of Honor at the Spanish Fryer. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 352. A warrant, dated 8 June 1689, L. C. 5@149, p. 154 (see Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 356), calls for a payment of #25 to Mrs Barry and presumably represents payment for this performance. Daniel Finch, ca. June 1689: The only day Her Majesty gave herself the diversion of a play, and that on which she designed to see another, has furnished the town with discourse for a month. The choice of the play was the Spanish Fryar, the only play forbid by the late K@@. Some unhappy expressions, among which those that follow, put her in some disorder, and forc'd her to hold up her fan, and often look behind her and call for her palatine and hood, and any thing she could next think of, while those who were said. (Sir John Dalrymple, Memoirs of Great Britain [London, 1771-88], in the pit before her, whenever their fancy led them to make any application of what was Volume II, Appendix, Part II, pp. 78-80.) Henry Purcell's new setting for whilst I with grief did on you look may have been made by this date. It is in Deliciae Musicae, 1695

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not precisely known, but it seems likely to have been in mid-January. See the discussion under 10 Jan. 1693@4 and Evelyn's remarks on 11 Jan. 1693@4. Part of the music for the play was composed by John Eccles: Young I am and yet unskill'd, sung by a girl, in Gentleman's Journal, January@February 1693@4, and Thesaurus Musicus, 1694: What state of life can be so blest, -Mrs Hudson, in Thesaurus Musicus, 1694. One song was set by Henry Purcell, How happy's the husband, the words by Congreve and sung by Mrs Ayliff, in Thesaurus Musicus, 1694: see also Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), xiii-xiv

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The fee of #20 was paid to John Miles, an officer of Betterton's Company. See Calendar of the Inner Temple Records, III, 342

Event Comment: Benefit Cross (Numberer), John and Chr. Rich. Receipts: money #10 13s.; tickets #98 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Harper. Afterpiece: An Entertainment of Dancing in Grotesque Characters. Compos'd by Mr John Weaver

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Horton. Afterpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. Receipts: money #65 15s.; tickets #51 18s

Event Comment: KKing John deferred on account of Mrs Cibber's Indisposition

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. Afterpiece: Never acted there before. Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Mrs Ward having been defrauded of a number of Tickets for the above play, those sold at the door will not be admitted. [Afterpiece is John Lee's alteration of Wycherley's play into two acts. See dl 26 April 1765.] @Receipts #74 2s. 6d.@House charges #63@Candles #1 5s.@Extra: Kettle drum 5s.@Side Drum 2s.@Wardrobe #1 9s.@Total #66 1s.@Balance due Mrs Ward #8 1s. 6d.@Tickets 115 129 179 #66@Money #74 2s. 6d.@Total value of House #140 2s. 6d. (Account Book). [Mrs Ward seems to have profited only to the extent of #74 1s. 6d.

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not certain. This performance is known from an entry in the Newdigate newsletters, which also states that Rollo was to be acted on the following Monday. If this statement is accurate, the performance of The Loyal Brother on 4 Feb. 1681@2 may be the third night rather than the opening performance. Newdigate newsletters, 4 Feb. 1681@2: On Monday morn [the Moorish Ambassador] & ye Comers meet to conclude ye treaty and in ye afternoon goes to see Rollo D. of Normandy at ye Ks playhouse wre ye K was this afternoon to see ye new play calld ye Loyall brothr (Wilson, More Theater Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 59). The Prologue and Epilogue were printed separately and have been reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 70-72. Luttrell acquired his copies (Huntington Library) on 7 Feb. 1681@2. In The Life of John Dryden (Chapel Hill, 1961), Charles E. Ward believes (pp. 166, 355) that The Loyal Brother was first acted in the autumn of 1681; but the entry in the Newdigate newsletters seems to make February 1682 the more probable time

Event Comment: The King's Company. There is uncertainty as to the date of the first performance, but in A Bibliography of John Dryden, p. 193, Macdonald cites as evidence for this date, Wood's Ath. Ox., IV, 209. The play was certainly first acted not later than this month, because John Evelyn saw it on 14 Dec. 1671. For further details, see 14 Dec. 1671

Event Comment: Receipts: #157 15s. [The Account Book lists the payment of 2s. per acting night to each shareholder: @Shareholder Mrs Martha Bedwell No. Share 1@No. Nights 36@Payment #3 12s.@Shareholder Mrs Creighton No. Shares 1@No. Nights 36@Payment #3 12s.@Shareholder Mr Francis Bedwell No. Shares 1@No. Nights 37@Payment #3 14s.@Shareholder Mr Robert Griffin No. Share 1@No. Nights 37@Payment #3 14s.@Shareholder Mr John Mitchell No. Shares 1@No. Nights 87@Payment #8 14s.@Shareholder Mrs Mary Michell No. Shares 1@No. Nights 87@Payment #8 14s.@Shareholder Mr John Walsh No. Shares 1@No. Nights 86@Payment #8 12s.@Shareholder Mr Lucuss No. Shares 1@No. Nights 54@Payment #5 8s.@Shareholder Col. Wade No. Shares 1@No. Nights 8@Payment 16s.@Shareholder Sir Arthur Croft No Shares 1@No. Nights 8@Payment 16s.@Shareholder Mr John White No. Shares 1@No. Nights 5@Payment 10s.@Shareholder Mr John Croft, Esq</a> No. Shares 1@No. Nights 5@Payment 10s.@Shareholder Mr Rubin Adolphus No. Shares 1@No. Nights 5@Payment 10s.@Shareholder Mr Henry Woodfall No. Shares 1@No. Nights 3@Payment 6s.@Total No. Shares 14@No. Nights 494@Payment #49 8s.@ Winston MS 8 notes that on 1 Feb. dl had only 20 renters at 2s. a night.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late J. Addison, Esq

Event Comment: Benefit for Harley. Mainpiece: As altered from Beaumont and Fletcher by the Duke of Buckingham and D. Garrick, Esq. Not acted these 7 years. Morning Chronicle, 20 May: Tickets to be had of Harley, No. 22, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Receipts: #242 1s. 6d. (84.10.6; 7.5.0; tickets: 150.6.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Afterpiece: By permission of G. Colman@Jun. Esq</a>. [i.e. the holder of the copyright]. Morning Herald, 3 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #486 17s. (227.2.6; 43.2.0; 2.2.0; tickets: 214.10.6) (charge: #126 0s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clendining. 2nd piece: Not acted these 10 years [acted 25 Apr. 1788]. 3rd piece [1st time; M 1, altered by John Gretton from his Ode performed at the Pantheon, 4 May. Larpent MS 1087; text printed in Morning Chronicle, 2 May 1795, with parts as above]: The Words by John Gretton, Esq. The Music by Spofforth; the Dances by Byrn. Books containing the Words of the Masque will be delivered gratis at the different Doors. Morning Herald, 5 June: Tickets to be had of Mrs Clendining, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #204 5s. (72.17; 7.15; tickets: 123.13)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author of the Prologue, Epilogue and Pastoral Dialogue. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Addison. A New Pastoral Dialogue for the benefit of ye Author of ye Dialogue, Cook ye Poet (Cross). [The Prologue was on comic poetry (spoken by Ryan); the Epilogue was on the Comic Characters of Women (spoken by Mrs Bland). See published version (London, 1753 "to which is prefixed an Ode to John Rich, Esq</a>:"--British Museum 11795 K 31).