Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife's knowledge and leave did by coach go see the silly play of my Lady Newcastle's, called The Humourous Lovers; the most silly thing tiat ever come upon a stage. I was sick to see it, but yet would would not but have seen it, that I might the better understand her. Here I spied Knipp and Betty Hall?, of the King's house, and sent Knipp oranges

Event Comment: Newsletter: Lacy, the famous comedian, is at length, by great intercession, released from his durance under the groom porter, where he stood committed by His Majesty's order for having 'on his own head' added several indecent expressions in the part he acted in a late play called The Change of Crowns, written by Mr Edward Howard (HMC, Fleming MSS, 12th Report, Part VII [1890], p. 47)

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: Mrs Pierce tells me the two Marshalls at the King's house are Stephen Marshall's, the great Presbyterian's daughters [an erroneous rumor]; and that Nelly Gwin? and Beck Marshall, falling out the other day, the latter called the other my Lord Buckhurst's whore, Nell answered them, "I was but one man's whore, though I was brought up in a bawdy-house to fill strong waters to the guests; and you are a whore to three or four, though a Presbyter's praying daughter!" which was very pretty

Event Comment: The King's Company. See The Lyar; or, the Mistaken Beauty, 1661. Pepys, Diary: I away to the King's playhouse, and there sat by my wife, and saw The Mistaken Beauty, which I never, I think, saw before, though an old play; and there is much in it that I like, though the name is but improper to it--at least, that name, it being also called The Lyer, which is proper enough

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Downes (p. 29): It took well, but Inferior to Love in a Tub. Pepys, Diary: I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of Etherige's called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it. The King was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done...here was the Duke of Buckingham to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst, and Sidly, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned: while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. Thomas Shadwell, Preface to The Humorists (1671): The last (viz.) imperfect Action, had like to have destroy'd She Would if she could, which I think (and I have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect representation of it at first, received such prejudice, that, had it not ben for the favour of the Court, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very day

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Prologue, by John Dryden, is in Covent Garden Drollery (1672). Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's playhouse, and there saw Albumazar, an old play, this the second time of acting. It is said to have been the ground of B. Jonson's Alchymist: but, saving the ridiculousnesse of Angell's part, which is called Trinkilo, I do not see any thing extraordinary in it, but was indeed weary of it before it was done. The King here, and, indeed, all of us, pretty merry at the mimique tricks of Trinkilo

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: I took them [Mrs Pepys and Deb.] to the Nursery, where none of us ever were before; where the house is better and the musique better than we looked for, and the acting not much worse, because I expected as bad as could be: and I was not much mistaken, for it was so. However, I was pleased well to see it once, it being worth a man's seeing to discover the different ability and understanding of people, and the different growth of people's abilities by practise. Their play was a bad one, called Jeronimo is Mad Again, a tragedy. Here was some good company by us, who did make mighty sport at the folly of their acting, which I could not neither refrain from sometimes, though I was sorry for it.... I was pretthly served this day at the playhouse-door, where, giving six shillings into the fellow's hand for us three, the fellow by legerdemain did convey one away, and with so much grace faced me down that I did give him but five, that, though I knew the contrary, yet I was overpowered by his so grave and serious demanding the other shilling, that I could not deny him, but was forced by myself to give it him

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Although Downes refers to the play's being acted "12 Days together" [see below], these were not consecutive, as Pepys saw another play at lif on 7 May. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, at a little past twelve, to get a good place in the pit, against the new play, and there setting a poor man to keep my Place, I out...and so back again, where I find the house quite full. But I had my place, and by and by the King comes and the Duke of York; and then the play begins, called The Sullen Lovers; or, The Impertinents, having many good humours in it, but the play tedious, and no design at all in it. But a little boy, for a farce, do dance Polichinelli, the best that ever anything was done in the world, by all men's report: most pleased with that, beyond anything in the world, and much beyond all the play. Thence to the King's house to see Knepp, but the play done. Downes (p. 29): This Comedy being Admirably Acted:...This Play had wonderful Success, being Acted 12 Days together

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there saw The Impertinents again, and with less pleasure than before, it being but a very contemptible play, though there are many little witty expressions in it; and the pit did generally say that of it. Thence, going out, Mrs Pierce called me from the gallery

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly's called Hide Parke; the first day acted; where horses are brought upon the stage: but it is but a very moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: To the King's house to see a play revived called The [...], a sorry mean play, that vexed us to sit in so much heat of the weather to hear it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. L. C. list 5@139, p. 125, lists this play for 9 August, a Sunday; possibly "9" is an error for "5". Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw The Guardian; formerly the same, I find, that was called Cutter of Coleman Street; a silly play

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: [After leaving lif] met my wife in a coach, and stopped her going thither [lif] to meet me; and took her, and Mercer, and Deb., to Bartholomew Fair, and there did see a ridiculous, obscene little stage-play, called Marry Andrey; a foolish thing, but seen by every body; and so to Jacob Hall's dancing of the ropes; a thing worth seeing, and mightily followed

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, to see a new play, acted but yesterday, a translation out of French by Dryden [see 14 Sept. 1668], called The Ladys a la Mode; so mean a thing as, when they come to say it would be acted again to-morrow, both he that said it, Beeson [Beeston], and the pit fell a-laughing, there being this day not a quarter of the pit full

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage," p. 13. Charles II to Madame, Whitehall, 14 Dec.: I can say no more to you now for I am called to goe to the Play (C. H. Hartman, Charles II and Madame [London, 1934], p. 227)

Event Comment: Newsletter, 5 Jan.: Copies of a malicious comedy called Pluto, reflecting on several persons of honour, have been taken. It was to have been acted within the prison of the King's Bench (HMC, 12th Report, Part VII, p. 61). The play was published in Amsterdam in 1669 with the title: Pluto furens & vinctus; or, The raging devil bound. The Dedication speaks of it as being suitable for performance by schoolboys during the holidays. The edition has a Prologue and an Epilogue but no actors' names

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 14. A song in this play, Thus all our Lives, with music by John Banister, is in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31): [Concerning several plays] All which Expir'd the third Day, save the Royal Shepherdess, which liv'd Six. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there before one, but the house infinite full, where, by and by, the King and Court come, it being a new play, or an old one new vamped, by Shadwell, called The Royal Shepherdesse!; but the silliest for words and design, and evepything, that ever I saw in my whole life, there being nothing in the world pleasing in it, but a good martial dance of pikemen, where Harris and another do handle their pikes in a dance to admiration; but never less satisfied with a play in my life

Event Comment: Add. Mss. 36916, folio 128, 2 March 1668@9: The occasion of this [a challenge of the Duke of Buckingham to a duel by Lord Halifax or another friend of Sir William Coventry] there was a new play to be acted on Saturday last called the Country Gentleman, said to be made by the Duke & Sr Robt Howard, wherein tis said that the Earle of Clarendon, Sr Wm Coventry and some other Courtiers are plainly personated, but especially Sr William in the midst of his table of Writings; this he (or some of his relations) would not brooke, but whether he or the Ld Halifax was to fight the Duke is not knowne, but the King hath prevented all; and the play is not acted. [See also Pepys, 4 and 6 March]

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. If The Royal Shepherdess was acted six days consecutively, the interruption of its run for this day is due to the tradition of the company's not regularly acting on Wednesday and Fridays in Lent. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw an old play, the first time acted these forty years, called The Lady's Tryall, acted only by the young people of the house; but the house very full. But it is but a sorry play, and the worse by how much my head is out of humour by being a little sleepy and my legs weary since last night

Event Comment: On this date (L. C. 5@188, p. 111) a warrant was issued for the arrest of Will Cavill (or Gavill) for presenting without leave a dumb show called Paradise. See the season of 1660-61 for Paradise Transplanted

Event Comment: The King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: Whence to see the Duke of Buckingam's ridiculous farce & Rhapsody called the Recital, bouffoning all Plays yet prophane enough. In a collection of broadsides (Bodleian Wood 417) A Ballad (on Buckingham and his son) has some lines which apparently refer to a performance: @I confess the Dances were very well Writ, @And the Tune and the Time by Haynes as well Hit, @And Littlewood's Motion and Dress had much Wit: @But when his Poet John Bayes did appear, @'Tis known to more than half that were there, @The greatest part was his own Character.

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. The Bulstrode Papers, (I, 254), 27 Dec. 1672: This evening their Matyes and the whole Court are to be diverted with a comedy in the Theater in Whitehall by his Royal Highness's servants called Epsome Wells, at which will be present all the principal persons of quality

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. There is considerable uncertainty as to when the first performance occurred, but it appears to have been acted first at court. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 131-34. The first Prologue, written by Lord Mulgrove, and the second, written by Lord Rochester, are in A Collection of Poems Written upon several Occasions by several Persons (1673). Roger North: And now we turne to the Publik theatres. It had bin strange if they had not observed this promiscuous tendency to musick, and not have taken it into their scenes and profited by it. The first proffer of theirs, as I take it, was in a play of the thick-sculd-poetaster Elkanah Settle, called The Empress of Morocco; which had a sort of masque poem of Orfeus and Euridice, set by Mr M. Lock, but scandalously performed. It begins The Groans of Ghosts, &c. and may be had in print (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 306)

Event Comment: Thomas Isham, Diary: It is reported that Harris has killed his associate actor, in a scene on the stage, by accident. It was the tragedy called Macbeth, in which Harris performed the part of Macduff, and ought to have slain his fellow-actor, Macbeth; but during the fence it happened that Macduff pierced Macbeth in the eye, by which thrust he fell lifeless, and could not bring out the last words of his part, 'Farewell vane world, and farewell, which is worse, ambition' (Walter Rye, The Journal of Thomas Isham of Lamport [1875], p. 102). VanLennep--See 9 Aug. 1673--doubts that Cademan ever played Macbeth and thinks that Downes's version is the more probable. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 367-68