Event Comment: The King's Company. See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 118. Langbaine (English Dramatic Poets, p. 477): This Play has been received with Success (as I said) in our Time; and as I remember, the deceas'd Mr Lacy acted Jonny Thump, Sir Gervase Simple's Man, with general Applause

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Royall Theatre [Bridges St], but they not acting today, then to the Duke's house, and there saw The Slighted Mayde, wherein Gosnell acted Pyramena, a great part, and did it very well, and I believe will do it better and better, and prove a good actor. The play is not very excellent, but is well acted, and in general the actors, in all particulars, are better than at the other house

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Downes (p. 30): This Comedy in general was very well Perform'd. Pepys, Diary: I alone to the Duke of York's house, to see the new play, called The Man is the Master, where the house was, it being not above one o'clock, very full. But my wife and Deb. being there before, with Mrs Pierce and Corbet and Betty Turner, whom my Wife carried with her, they made me room; and there I sat, it costing me 8s. upon them in oranges, at 6d. apiece. By and by the King come; and we sat just under him, so that I durst not turn my back all the play. The play is a translation out of French, and the plot Spanish, but not anything extraordinary at all in it, though translated by Sir W. Davenant, and so I found the King and his company did think meanly of it, though there was here and there something Pretty: but the most of the mirth was sorry, poor stuffe, of eating of sack posset and slabbering themselves, and mirth fit for clownes; the prologue but poor, and the epilogue little in it but the extraordinariness of it, it being sung by Harris and another in the form of a ballet

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. There is no certainty that this is the premiere, but the fact that the play was given again on 4 Dec. 1672 suggests that this was the first performance and that it was also acted on Tuesday 3 Dec. 1672. A song, How pleasant is mutual love, set by John Bannister for this play, is in Choice Songs and Ayres, First Book, 1673. See Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 155, for Underhill's acting of Justice Clodpate. Downes (p. 33): This Play in general being Admirably Acted, produc'd great Profit to the Company. Note, Mrs Johnson in this Comedy, Dancing a Jigg so Charming well, Loves power in a little time after Coerc'd her to Dance more Charming, else where

Event Comment: The Ode is in D'Urfey, Wit and Mirth, I, 70-71. Gentleman's Journal, January 1691-2, pp. 4-5: On that day [22 Nov.] or the next when it falls on a Sunday, as it did last time, most of the Lovers of Music, whereof many are persons of the first Rank, meet at Stationers-Hall in London, not thro' a Principle of Superstition, but to propagate the advancement of that divine Science. A splendid Entertainment is provided, and before it is always a performance of Music by the best Voices and Hands in Town; the Words, which are always in the Patronesses praise, are set by some of the greatest Masters in Town. This year Dr John Blow, that famous Musician, composed tne Music, and Mr Durfey, whose skill in things of that nature is well enough known, made the Words....Whilst the Company is at Table, the Hautboys and Trumpets play successively. Mr Showers hath taught the latter of late years to sound with all the softness imaginable, they plaid us some flat Tunes, made by Mr Finger, with a general applause, it being a thing formerly though impossible upon the Instrument design'd for a sharp Key

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the Gentleman's Journal, January 1691@2, suggests that it was first given in December 1691, although the tendency of this journal to be dated one month and appear in the next month makes the interpretation of its information difficult: We have had a new Comedy this last Month, call'd The Wives Execuse; or Cuckolds make themselves: It was written by Mr Southern, who made that call'd Sir Anthony Love, which you and all the Town lik'd so well. I will send you The Wives Excuse, as soon as it comes out in Print, which will be very speedily: And tho' the Town hath not been so kind to this last, as to the former, I do not doubt but you will own that it will bear a Reading; which some that meet with a better Fate too often do not; some that must be granted to be good Judges commend the Purity of its Language (pp. 51-52). Henry Purcell composed the music for this work. One song, Corinna I excuse thy face, the words (according to the Edition of 1692) by Tho. Cheek, the music by Henry Purcell, but without the singer's name, is in The Banquet of Musick, The Sixth and Last Book, 1692 (licensed 17 Feb. 1691@2). Say, cruel Amoret, sung by Mountfort; Hang this whining way, sung by Mrs Butler; and Ingrateful lover, the words by Major General Sackville, are in Joyful Cuckoldom, ca. 1695. See also Purcell, Works, Purcell Society, XXI (1917), xxvi-xxix

Event Comment: The United Company. The exact date of the first production is not known, but the play was entered in the Term Catalogues, February 1691@2, and mentioned in the Gentleman's Journal, February 1691@2 (licensed 12 February 1691@2). In all probability, it was first acted not later than January 1691@2. The music to one song, As soon as the Chaos, was composed by Henry Purcell. See Purcell, Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), xvii. Two songs--Bonny lad prithee lay thy pipe down, with music by Tollet; Great Jove once made love like a bull, with music by Mountfort--are in The Banquet of Musick, The Sixth and Last Book, 1692. Dedication, Edition of 1692: Having at last so well acquitted it self on the Stage (tho' the thronging, imperfect Action, and worse than all, the faulty length, which I will never be guilty of again, render'd it little Diversion the first day). A Letter to Mr D'Urfey [by Charles Gildon], Edition of 1692: If there be any fault in this Play, 'tis that which few are guilty of; that is, there are too many good Characters, too full of Humour, a very Pardonable failing, which only proceeds from Variety, the life of Pleasure and Wit, tho' that gave it the disadvantage of seeming too long the first days Acting, tho' the Stage's being throng'd with Spectators, did not a little contribute to the imperfect Acting of it, which accidental Misfortunes concurring with the Endeavours of an opposite Faction, must needs have damn'd it, had it not by the Force and Vigour of its own Worthy, rais'd it self the second day with the general Applause of all that saw it....But the Marriage-hater went further, and in spight of all the disadvantages it labour'd under of Action and Audience, pleas'd on, after several times Repetition. See also Poeta Infamis; or, A Poet not worth Hanging (1692) for a variety of comments upon this play. London Mercury, 26 Feb. 1691@2: Query 4. Whether in Justice he [D'Urfey] is not obliged to present Mr Dogget (who acted Solon to so much Advantage) with half the Profit of his Third Day, since in the Opinions of most Persons, the good Success of his Comedy was half owing to that admirable Actor? Query 5. Whether, if there be any Wit in bringing a Person upon the Stage with an extravagantly broad-brimmed Hat, and a Muff of the same Size, so it will not be a very easy Matter for the next Poet that writes a Play, to Out-hat and Out-muff his Predecessors, and consequently to Out-wit him? Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 42: Mr Dogget perform'd the part of Solon Inimitably. Gentleman's Journal, p. 454, February 1691@2 (licensed 12 Feb. 1691@2): I send you the Marriage-hater match'd, a new Comedy by Mr Durfey; it hath met with very good success, having been plaid six days together, and is a diverting Play. Gentleman's Journal, January 1691@2: Now I speak of Music I must tell you that we shall have speedily a new Opera, wherein something very surprising is promised us; Mr Purcel who joyns to the Delicacy and Beauty of the Italian way, the Graces and Gayety of the French, composes the Music, as he hath done for the Prophetess, and the last Opera called King Arthur, which hath been plaid several times the last Month [presumably December 1691]

Event Comment: Christopher Rich's Company. The date of the resumption of playing is not certain, for Cibber (see below) beclouds the issue by referring to Easter-Monday in April, whereas the first Monday following Easter fell on 25 March 1694@5. Nevertheless, Monday 1 April 1695 seems the likely date of the resumption of playing, with Rich's Company ready to perform before the seceding company under Thomas Betterton was fully organized. A new song for Abdelazar, Lucinda is bewitching fair, the music by Henry Purcell and sung by "the Boy" (Jemmy? Bowen), is in Thesaurus Musicus, The Fourth Book, 1695. Cibber, Apology, I, 195: [The Patentees] were not able to take the Field till the Easter-Monday in April following. Their first Attempt was a reviv'd Play call'd Abdelazar, or the Moor's Revenge, poorly written, by Mrs Behn. The House was very full, but whether it was the Play or the Actors that were not approved, the next Day's Audience sunk to nothing. However, we assured that let the Audiences be never so low, our Masters would make good all Deficiencies, and so indeed they did, till towards the End of the Season, when Dues to Ballance came too think upon 'em. [See I, 195-96, for Cibber's account of his Prologue.] A Comparison Between the Two Stages, 1702, p. 7: But in my Opinion, 'twas strange that the general defection of the old Actors which left Drury-lane, and the fondness which the better sort shew'd for 'em at the opening of their Newhouse, and indeed the Novelty it self, had not quite destroy'd those few young ones that remain'd behind. The disproportion was so great at parting, that 'twas almost impossible, in Drury-lane, to muster up a sufficient number to take in all the Parts of any Play; and of them so few were tolerable, that a Play must of necessity be damn'd that had not extraordinary favour from the Audience: No fewer than Sixteen (most of the old standing) went away; and with them the very beauty and vigour of the Stage; they who were left behind being for the most part Learners, Boys and Girls, a very unequal match for them who revolted. According to a statement made in litigation, the company in Drury Lane acted 84 times between 25 March 1694@5 and 7 July 1695; and the Young Actors played 68 times from 6 July 1695 to 10 Oct. 1695 to 10 Oct. 1695. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308