Event Comment: The United Company. This play was in rehearsal before the death of Charles II-see 6 Feb. 1684@5-and was staged shortly after the playhouse reopened. Luttrell's date of acquisition of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue is 9 May 1685 (in possession of Pickering and Chatto, Ltd., 1938), and the play may have been first given on that date or during the week preceding Saturday 9 May 1685. For Cibber's account of Mountfort as Sir Courtly, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 129. The separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 228-30. A separately-printed Three New Songs in Sir Courtley Nice (1685) contains three songs, with the music by Samuel Ackroyde and an unknown composer. In addition, two songs, As I grazed unaware and O be kind my dear be kind, both composed by R. King, are in The Theater of Music, Second Book, 1685. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 40-41): The first new Comedy after King James came to the Crown, was Sir Courtly Nice, wrote by Mr Crown:...The Comedy being justly Acted, and the Characters in't new, Crown'd it with a general Applause: Sir Courtly was so nicely Perform'd, that not any succeeding, but Mr Cyber has Equall'd him. Note, Mr Griffin so Excell'd in Surly, Sir Edward Belfond, The Plain Dealer, none succeeding in the 2 former have Equall'd him, except his Predecessor Mr Hart in the latter. The Lover's Session; In Imitation of Sir John Suckling's Session of Poets (in Poems on Affairs of State, II [1703], 162): @Montrath was in Foppery conceiv'd another@Of Whitehall true Breed, Sir Nices Twin Brother:@None could tell, so alike all their Follies did seem,@Whether he acted Mumford, or Mumford him.

Event Comment: The Last time of the company's performing this season. [Following deficiencies for this season paid up: Richard Smith, Lewes, Dumay, Condell, Potter, Thomas Smith, Quick, Furkins, Wilkinson, Abbott, Simmonds, Pullen, Stephenson, Asbury, Wilde, Francis, Mrs Griffiths, Claridge, and Sharratt (Account Book). This includes payment of half value of tickets for those who were granted partial benefits on that basis.] Music forfeits at end of season #17 6s. 11d. Neville MS Diary: Went...to see Cymbeline...chiefly to hear Powell speak an occasional prologue. Would not have gone had I known it was only a stale piece of flattery to George. [See The Gentleman's Magazine, 9 July p. 346: "On shutting up the playhouse in Covent Garden at the end of the season, admission into the theatre having been denied to Mr H and R through any other passage but Mr Powell's House, those gentlemen at the head of a large posse on the 17th of last month, [June] made a forcible entry by breaking open a window near the playhouse door in Hart street; after which they expelled by violence Mr Sargeant the Housekeeper, all his family and others; but the acting managers not being inclined to submit to the arbitrary proceedings of their colleagues, immediately applied for redress, where redress was effectually to be had, and this day they were formally expelled by virtue of a warrant from under the hand and seal of the high sherrifs of London and Middlesex, and the old housekeeper, Mr Sargeant, restored to his office of trust, to the great mortification of one of the champions who had been heard to say: That he had now got possession and d--n him if he would not keep it while he had a drop of blood in his body, and while there was one brick upon another belonging to the house."

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife and girle to the King's house, and there saw The Mad Couple, which is but an ordinary play; but only Nell's and Hart's mad parts are most excellently done, but especially her's: which makes it a miracle to me to think how ill she do any serious part, as the other day [26 Dec.], just like a fool or changeling; and, in a mad part, do beyond all imitation almost. It pleased us mightily to see the natural affection of a poor woman, the mother of one of the children brought on the stage: the child crying, she by force got upon the stage, and took up her child and carried it away off of the stage from Hart. Many fine faces here today

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Daily Advertiser, 12 Oct.: The same Day [11 Oct., the Anniversary of His Majesty's Coronation] Mr Giffard...gave a handsome Entertainment, with a Concert of Musick, to the Company of Comedians, and a large Bonfire and Liquor to the Populace, when the Healths of their Majesties, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; the Duke, and the Princesses, were drank, with the sounding of Kettle Drums and Trumpets, and repeated Acclamations of Joy. Daily Post, 13 Oct.: Mr Fielding the Player (who keeps a Booth...during...Bartholomew Fair) gave to the Populace before his own Door in Hart-street, Bloomsbury, a Butt of the strongest Beer that could be got; also a large Bonfire

Event Comment: Benefit Stephens. Mainpiece: At the particular desire of several Ladies of Quality. Tickets deliver'd out for As You Like It will be taken. Tickets to be had of Stephens at the Jar, opposite Red-Lion St., Holborn; of Mr Johnson, at the White Hart in Paternoster Row; and at the stage door next Bow St. where places may be taken. Last Night Shakespear's play of King Henry the Fifth, was performed at Covent Garden, with the many incidents that are applicable to the present Juncture of Affairs with France, occasioned the whole to be receiv'd with an uncommon Applause.--General Advertiser, 21 April

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Yates. Paid Miss Collett, a Gratuity, per order #5 5s.; Mr G. Garrick on acct, per Mr Hart #100. Receipts: #280 6s.; Charges: #67 5s.; Profits to Mrs Yates: #212 19s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The King's Company acted at Oxford. John Dryden wrote a Prologue, To the University of Oxon, Spoken by Mr Hart, at the Acting of The Silent Woman, 1673, and an Epilogue, Spoken by the Same. There were first printed in the 1684 Miscellany Poems

Event Comment: Mainpiece: At the particular desire of Several Ladies of Quality. Tickets deliver'd out for the Silent Woman will be taken this night. Tickets at Mr MacEvoy's, at the Hart and Feather in Bedford Court

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Tickets deliver'd by Mrs James will be taken. For ye Benefit of Mrs James, tho' her name was not put up, who is going to leave the Stage, and retire as said to a Nunnery. Mr Macklin's Oratory open'd at his house in ye Piazza (Cross). Public Advertiser 22 Nov.: At Macklin's Great Room in Hart St. Covent Garden this day...will be opened The British Inquisition. This Inquisition is upon the plan of the ancient Greek, Roman and modern French, Italian Societies@of@liberal@investigation...&c. First lecture to be on Hamlet. [See Mackliniana (2 Vols. Folger Shakespeare Library) MS notes by Isaac Reed, from the Public Advertiser, 22 Nov. Macklin's lecture series was repeated on 23, 28 Nov., 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 26, 28 Dec.] Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Middlesex Hospital. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Tickets to be had at Mr John Horne's, Treasurer of the Hospital, in Market St., near Newport Market; At Tom's Coffee House, Cornhill; The White Hart Tavern, Holborn; The Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; Berkeley Square Coffee House; at the Hospital, and of Varney at the Theatre, where places may be taken. Receipts: #280 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Maid of the Mill oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of indisposition of a principal performer. Rec'd of Mr Leverton (bricklayer), for overdrafts on the theatre #67 18s. 6d. and of Sarjant for Timber used at the houses in Bow St. and Hart St., charged to the Theatre account #16 14s. Paid Sarjant for part of a #5 2s. 6d. bill for Ironmonger's work done for the house in Bow Passage #1 12s. (Account Book). Receipts: #148 1s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: From the late unfortunate calamity at the King's Theatre [see 16 June], the Subscribers are respectfully acquainted that as many Operas will be represented at this Theatre as can from this Evening to the 11th of July, the day on which most of the Performers' Contracts expire. Mr Gallini humbly requests it may be observed that on account of there not being Boxes enough to accomodate the Subscribers, as at the late Opera House, in order to avoid partiality, no particular Places or Boxes can be allotted to the respective Subscribers. The Entrance into the Theatre will be from Covent-Garden and Hart-street only, the doors from Bow-street will, from necessity, be shut up. Pit and Boxes 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. "Covent--Garden, on Saturday night, had the honour of entertaining this noble Foreigner--but by some accident they did not agree...The Gallery, only, was filled" (World, 29 June)