Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (Knapp, 269, 221)]: With new Dresses, &c. Morning Chronicle, 12 Oct. 1795: This Day is published First Love (2s.). Receipts: #266 7s. 6d. (205.4.0; 52.2.0; 9.1.6)

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 3-5 March 1697@8, suggests that the first performance occurred probably not later than early February 1697@8. The Preface is signed by George Powell, who refers to the author of the play as unknown. In addition, Powell mentions that his company has recently revived some of Dryden's plays: Don Sebastian, Secret Love; or, The Maiden Queen, Marriage a la Mode, King Arthur, and adds: In relation to our reviving his Almanzor...very hard crutching up what Hart and Mohun...could not prop

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and one in the Box at the Grove an Opera. 10s. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Drama, p. 378. It is not known whether this performance was the premiere, but the publication of this work on 16 March 1699@1700 (Post Man, 14-16 March 1699@1700) suggests that if the usual month between premiere and publication intervened for this work, the premiere may have been in mid-February. On the other hand, a letter-see 20 Jan. 1699@1700-may refer to this work. The music was composed by Daniel Purcell. In Songs in the New Opera Called The Grove or Love's Paradice (1700) the following singers are listed: Mrs Irwin, Freeman, The Boy, Hughes, Mrs Lindsey, Pate, and Mrs Shaw. The Preface implies that the opera was a failure: As for the Persons who were not so generous...who thought the Catastrophe was not enough prepar'd, and that the discovery in the last Act was huddled and in confusion, they will now see if what he had writ had been spoken, every thing would have appear's clear and natural, which, to shorten the Entertainment had been before broken and disorder'd