Event Comment: The
United Company. The date of the first performance is not known. The January issue of the
Gentleman's Journal, wnich did not appear until some time in February, stated:
Mr Congreve...hath written a Comedy, which will be
acted in a little time,
and is to be call'd,
The Old Batchelor (p. 28). The
Gentleman's Journal, February 1692@3 (issued in March 1693): The success of Mr Congreve's
Old Batchelor has been so extraordinary, that I can tell you nothing new of that Comedy; you have doubtless read it
before this, since it has been already printed thrice.
And indeed the Wit which is diffus'd through it, makes it lose but few of those Charms in the Perusal, which yield such pleasure in the Representation. Mr Congreve will in some time give us another play; you may judge by this how acceptable it will be (p. 61). In addition, a reference in the Epilogue indicates that it was produced during
Lent, ano since the third edition was advertized in the
London Gazette, No. 2856, 23-27 March 1693, early March seems the most likely date for the premiere. According to
The Female Wits (ca. 1696),
The Old Batchelor was
acted fourteen days successively.
John Barnard of
Yale University states that
Narcissus Luttrell's copy of
The Old Batchelor in the
Newberry Library bears the notation: "10d Mar. 16 1692@3."
BM Add. Mss. 4221 (341)
Memoirs Relating to Mr Congreve Written by Mr Thomas Southern (in
Macdonald,
Bibliography of Dryden, p. 54n): When he began his Play the Old Batchelor haveing little Acquaintance with the traders in that way, his Cozens recommended him to a friend of theirs, who was very usefull to him in the whole course of his play, he engag'd
Mr Dryden in its favour, who upon reading it sayd he
never saw such a first play in his life, but the Author not being acquainted with the stage or the town, it woud be pity to have it miscarry for want of a little Assistance: the stuff was rich indeed, it wanted only the fashionable cutt of the town. To help that Mr Dryden,
Mr Arthur Manwayring,
and Mr Southern red it with great care,
and Mr Dryden putt it in the order it was playd, Mr Southerne obtained of
Mr Thos. Davenant who then governd the Playhouse, that Mr Congreve should have the privilege of the Playhouse half a year
before his play was playd, wh. I
never knew allowd any one
before. The music for the play was composed by
Henry Purcell. See
Purcell's Works,
Purcell Society, XXI (1917), iii-v