Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the evidence points to this day as a strong Possibility. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus (p. 44) states that it was given thirteen days consecutively, and John Coke (see 16 March 1696@7) states that it was acted "till Saturday" (16 March 1696@7). If the tragedy was acted on Wednesdays but not Fridays, as was often the practice in Lent, and if the farce alluded to for Saturday, 16 March 1696@7, comprised the entire program, this day was probably the premiere. The following sequence of performances is based on these premises. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 44: The Mourning Bride...had such Success, that it continu'd Acting Uninterrupted 13 Days together. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 23: This Play had the greatest Success, not only of all Mr Congreve's, but indeed of all the Plays that ever I can remember on the English Stage, excepting some of the incomparable Otway's. Aston, A Brief Supplement (in Cibber, Apology, II, 302): His [Betterton's] Favourite, Mrs Barry, claims the next in Estimation. They were both never better pleas'd, than in Playing together.--Mrs Barry outshin'd Mrs Bracegirdle in the Character of Zara in the Mourning Bride, altho' Mr Congreve design'd Almeria for that Favour

Event Comment: Benefit Morgan and Miss Bincks. Tickets for Aston, Dukes, Delagarde, Miss Horsington taken

Event Comment: Benefit Aston's Family. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. @'Tis a pitifull Age@And Puppet-shew Stage,@True Humour and Comedy've lost us;@Yet by Fools some still thrive@There's Punch all Alive,@A windmill, the Devil and Faustus@

Event Comment: TTony Aston from Bath. At the George Tavern at Charing-Cross...exhibits his most Learned, Serious, Comical and Whimcal Extra-Rhapsodical Declamation. 7 p.m. 1s