Event Comment: The Travels of Cosmo the Third [Tuesday 30 April 1669 NS; Tuesday 20 April 1669 OS]: This day, his highness went to the comedy at the Duke of York's theatre, where the music and dancing, after the English manner, were less pleasing than the operas performed by the comedians; because, being in the English language, the only pleasure which we who heard them, can derive from the latter, is that of observing their action, which it cannot be denied, was supereminently excellent (London, 1821, p. 194)

Event Comment: The news of the death of Henrietta-Maria, the Queen Mother, reached London ca. 3 Sept. 1669. There may well have been an order forbidding playing, although it is not extant; but an order, L. C. 5@12, p. 251 (in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 322) directs the two companies to act again on Monday, 18 Oct. 1669. Probably the theatres were closed for approximately six weeks

Event Comment: For a quarrel, terminating in a duel, at one of the playhouses, see Lady Newton, Lyme Letters 1660-1760 (London, 1925), p. 36

Event Comment: Sir Ralph Verney, 11 May 1670: The King & Duke are at dover...all the Towne is gonn, & the Kings Musicke, & Duke's players, & all the Bravery that could be got on such a sudden (Memoirs of the Verney Family [London, 1899], IV, 201). See also a newsletter, 17 May 1670 (HMC, Fleming MSS. 12th Report, VII, 70)

Event Comment: On this day arrived in London the news of the death of the King's sister, the Duchess of Orleans, which occured on 20 June 1670. According to The Bulstrode Papers (I, 144), 25 June 1670: The players are silenced dureing this tyme of sadness. [Probably acting ceased for at least six weeks, the customary period for silencing the companies when the Court went into full mourning. Nevertheless, the Duke's Company may have been permitted to act at Oxford. See Sybil Rosenfeld, "Some Notes on the Players in Oxford, 1661-1713," Review of English Studies XIX (1943), 366-67.

Event Comment: Lady Mary Bertie to Katherine Noel, 2 Jan. 1670@1: There is letely come out a new play writ by Mr Dreyden who made the Indian Emperor. It is caled the Conquest of Grenada. My brother Norreys tooke a box and carryed my Lady Rochester and his mistresse and all us to, and on Tuestay wee are to goe see the second part of it which is then the first tim acted (Rutland MSS, HMC, 12th Report, Part V [London, 1889], 22). From this letter it is difficult to tell whether by "Tuestay" is meant Tuesday 3 Jan. 1670@1 or Tuesday 10 Jan. 1670@1. Hence, Part II has been entered on both days

Event Comment: Lady Mary Bertie to Katherine Noel, 4 Feb. 1670@1: I have news to send you but that there are two very fine new plays lately acted (HMC, 12th Report, Part V [London, 1889], II, 22)

Event Comment: Early in 1672 a group of French players may have acted in London, but the evidence is not precise or detailed. See W. J. Lawrence, Early French Players in England, p. 142

Event Comment: Journal of the Earl of Anglesey, 25 Jan. 1671@2: At eight of the clock The King's playhouse took fire, and most of that side of Russell Street and many other houses thereabout were burnt down, and we in Drury Lane and all about in great danger; but the Lord had mercy, and by great industry and blowing up houses the fire was overcome: I had no rest, but sat up almost all night, even till six in the morning. The Lord pardon sin, which brings judgements (HMC, 13th Report, Part VI [London, 1893], p. 270. The Bulstrode Papers (I, 217): About 8 hapened a sad and violent fire, which begun in the King's Theater, and in a few howers burnt down that...severall were hurt and killed, amongst which was Mr Bell, one of the actors in that house. For a poem, On the Unhappy Conflagration of the Theatre Royal, January 25th, 1672, see Fitzgerald, A New History of the English Stage, I, 137

Event Comment: The Diary of Robert Hooke: at Bartholomew fair with Grace. Shows 2 1!2 sh. (ed. H. W. Robinson and W. Adams [London, 1935])

Event Comment: The Diary of Robert Hooke, 1672-1678: at Scaramuches at york house. present: the King, Duke of York, Lord Ormond &c. (ed. H. W. Robinson and Walter Adams [London, 1935], p. 42). See slso Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 118-19, and John Harold Wilson, A Theatre in York House, Theatre Notebook, XVI (1962), 75-78

Event Comment: A quarrel occurred at the King's Theatre on this day (apparently) between Ravenscroft and Sir George Hewitt. See Letters Adressed from London to Sir Joseph Williamson, Camden Society, VIII (1874), 87

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: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. The date on the list seems to be "3," but as this is a Sunday, it is more likely "9." This performance may well be the one to which Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31) refers: Note, Mr Cademan in this Play [The Man's the Master], not long after our Company began in Dorset-Garden; his Part being to Fight with Mr Harris, was Unfortunately, with a sharp Foil pierc'd near the Eye, which so Maim'd both the Hand and his Speech, that he can make little use of either; for which Mischance, he has receiv'd a Pension ever since 1673, being 35 Years a goe. [For a discussion of this accident, see William VanLennep, Henry Harris, Actor, Friend of Pepys, Studies in English Theatre History (London, 1952), p. 16, and the entry under 20 Aug. 1673.

Event Comment: A disturbance occurred at this theatre on this day. Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 21 March 1673@4: His Maty has also been pleased to Order ye Recorder of London to examine ye Disorders & disturbances on Tuesday last at ye Dukes Theatre by some persons in drink (John Harold Wilson, Theatre Notes, p. 79). See also CSPD, 1673-1675, p. 231

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance (entitled The French Opera) is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 73. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 345. The edition of 1674 (appearing in both an English and a French version) states: An Opera, or, a Vocal Representation. First Compos'd by Monsieur P. P. Now put into Musick by Monsieur Grabut, Master of His Majesties Musick. And Acted by the Royall Academy of Musick, At the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. The names of the singers for this production are not known, but it is possible that some of the French singers who appeared in Calisto in the following season, 1674-75, were in London for this production. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 201, 222, and W. J. Lawrence, Early French Players in England, The Elizabethan Playhouse and Other Studies, p. 145. French dancers in the opera were Pecurr [Preux], LeTemps, Shenan, D'muraile. See L. C. 5@140, p. 472, in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 355

Event Comment: It is possible that The Tempest had been acted regularly to this date and that it continued to be presented frequently in the following week. In L. C. 5@15, p. 3 (Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 356) there is an order directing Turner and Hart (and any other members of the His Majesty's Chapel Royal) who sing in The Tempest to remain in London during the week, going to Windsor (when the King was absent from Whitehall) on Saturdays and returning on Mondays

Event Comment: Evelyn, Diary: [I] heard Signor Francisco on the Harpsichord, esteem'd on[e] of the most excellent masters in Europe on that Instrument: then came Nicholao Matteis? with his Violin & struck all mute, but Mrs Knight, who sung incomparably, & doubtlesse has the greatest reach of any English Woman; she had lately ben roming in Italy: & was much improv'd in that quality: Then was other Musique, & this Consort was at Mr Slingsbys Master of the Mint, my worthy friend, & great a lover of musique. [For a contemporary account of Matteis, see Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson (London, 1959), pp. 307-11.

Event Comment: [Evelyn, Diary: [I] was at the repetition of the Pastoral, on which [occasion] my friend Mrs Blagg, had about her neere 20.000 pounds worth of Jewells, of which one she lost, borrowed of the Countesse of Suffolck, worth about 80 pounds, which the Duke made good; & indeede the presse of people was so greate, that it was a wonder she lost no more. There is some doubt that this was a full performance of the work, for Evelyn refers to it as "the repetition" and other evidence points to 15 Feb. 1674@5 as the first complete production. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81. It is probable that Mrs Blagge's loss of jewels occurred, not on this date, but on 15 Feb. 1674@5. For a more complete account of that incident, see The Life of Mrs Godolphin by John Evelyn of Wotton, ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford (London, 1874), pp. 97-101. See also 15 Feb. 1674@5

Event Comment: Boswell (Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81) believes that a performance occurred on this day, as well as on 16 Feb. 1674@5, Shrove Tuesday, the date often specified in advance statements. For previous notices, see 2 Feb. 1674@5, 15 and 22 Dec. 1674. Edition of 1675:....followed at innumerable Rehearsals, and all the Representations by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality...at the 20th or 30th, for near so often it had been Rehearsed and Acted....And the Composer of all the Musick both Vocal and Instrumental Mr Staggins. Langbaine. (English Dramatick Poets, p. 92): a Masque at court, frequently presented there by Persons of great Quality, with the Prologue, and the Songs between the Acts: printed in quarto Lond. 1675....This Masque was writ at the Command of her present Majesty: and was rehearsed near Thirty times, all the Representations being follow'd by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality, and very often grac'd with their Majesties and Royal Highnesses Presence. John Evelyn (The Life of Mrs Godolphin): [Mrs Blagge] had on her that day near twenty thousand pounds value of Jewells, which were more sett off with her native beauty and luster then any they contributed of their own to hers; in a word, she seemed to me a Saint in Glory, abstracting her from the Stage. For I must tell you, that amidst all this pomp and serious impertinence, whilst the rest were acting, and that her part was sometymes to goe off, as the scenes required, into the tireing roome, where severall Ladyes her companions were railing with the Gallants trifleingly enough till they were called to reenter, she, under pretence of conning her next part, was retired into a Corner, reading a booke of devotion, without att all concerning herself or mingling with the young Company; as if she had no farther part to act, who was the principall person of the Comedy...[With] what a surprizeing and admirable aire she trode the Stage, and performed her Part, because she could doe nothing of this sort, or any thing else she undertooke, indifferently....Thus ended the Play, butt soe did not her affliction, for a disaster happened which extreamly concern'd her, and that was the loss of a Diamond of considerable vallue, which had been lent her by the Countess of Suffolke; the Stage was immediately swept, and dilligent search made to find it, butt without success, soe as probably it had been taken from her, as she was oft inviron'd with that infinite crowd which tis impossible to avoid upon such occasion. Butt the lost was soon repair'd, for his Royall Highness understanding the trouble she was in, generousely sent her the wherewithall to make my Lady Suffolke a present of soe good a Jewell. For the rest of that days triumph I have a particular account still by me of the rich Apparell she had on her, amounting, besides the Pearles and Pretious Stones, to above three hundred pounds (ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford [London, 1847], pp. 97-100). See also 15 Dec. 1674

Event Comment: See a note from the Marquis Cattaneo to the Duke of Modena (in Campana de Cavelli, Les derniers Stuarts [Paris and London, 1871], I, 171), in which he states that the entire court went three or four times to see The Man of Mode

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@142, p. 81. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. There is no indication as to whether this is the premiere. The play was advertised in the London Gazette, 6-9 Aug. 1677

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is not known. Although the play was not entered in the Term Catalogues until February 1677@8, it was advertised in the London Gazette, 29 Oct.-1 Nov. 1677, and was probably acted in October 1677 or earlier. See also, in the introductory list of plays, Thomas Rymer's Edgar, which may have been acted in opposition to Ravenscroft's play

Event Comment: A new band of French Comedians came to London, probably in this month (see Treasury Books, 1672-1675, p. 803), and remained until early 1678. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 253. See also 5 and 17 Dec. 1677

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but a licensing date of 28 March 1678 suggests a first performance not later than February 1678. One song, One night while all the village slept, with music by Louis Grabu and words by Sir Car Scroop, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 17): Major Mohun...[in] Mithridates, &c. An Eminent Poet seeing him Act this last, vented suddenly this Saying: Oh Mohun, Mohun! Thou little Man of Mettle, if I should write a 100 Plays, I'd Write a Part for thy Mouth; in short, in all his Parts, he was most Accurate and Correct. [Downes, p. 12, gives an identical cast except for omissions.] Princess Anne apparently played Ziphares and Frances Apsley played Semandra in a production of this drama, probably at St James's Palace or at Sir Allen Apsley's house in St James's Square, between January 1677@8 and August 1679. See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), p. 61