Event Comment: Boswell (
Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81) believes that a per
formance 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 Comm
and 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 thous
and 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, abstr
acting
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, w
here 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 far
ther part to
act, who was
the principall person of
the Comedy...[With] what a surprizeing
and admirable aire she trode
the Stage,
and per
formed
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 underst
anding
the trouble she was in, generousely sent
her the w
herewithall 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