Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: With my wife to
the King's house, but there found the bill torn down
and no play acted.... Here [at
lif; see below] met with
Mr Rolt, who tells me the reason of no play to-day at the King's house. That
Lacy had been committed to the porter's lodge for his acting his part in the late new play [see 15 April],
and that being thence released he come to the King's house, there met with
Ned Howard, the poet of the play, who congratulated his release; upon which Lacy cursed him as that it was the fault of his nonsensical play that was the cause of his ill usage. Mr Howard did give him some reply, to which Lacy [answered] him, that he was more a fool than a poet; upon which Howard did give him a blow on the face with his glove; on which Lacy, having a cane in his h
and, did give him a blow over the pate. Here Rolt
and others that discoursed of it in the pit this afternoon did wonder that Howard did not run him through, he being too mean a fellow to fight with. But Howard did not do any thing but complain to
the King of it; so the whole house is silenced,
and the gentry seem to rejoice much at it, the house being become too insolent