Event Comment: Last time of performing both pieces this season. Zenobia deferr'd. Hopkins MS Memorandum Book: waited on Mrs Dancer & told her the Managers gave their compliments to Mr Barry and her & as their going to Ireland would be of such advantage to 'em, they would not hinder 'em, & they had their permission to go the 15th. The only reason they wish'd they would have stay'd a few days longer, was to have kept up the reputation of Zenobia, as the play had got a reputation. They were sorry it had not been played oftener. Mrs Dancer's answer was: Their compliments to the Managers, that it was now too late, & that Mr Barry has wrote word they should not go to Ireland as the Managers seem'd against it & that Mr Barry & She was ready to do anything the Managers desir'd, as long as the House was open. I ask'd, if they stay'd, if she thought Mr Barry would be able to play in Zenobia the Thursday following, & if it would be agreeable to her do play Mrs Sullen [Stratagem] the next week. Her answer was she would play that or anything else the Managers pleas'd & that she was going to Mr Barry the next morning & that she would send word if he thought he should be able to play in Zenobia on Thursday next. When I left her the Maid follow'd me into the street & told me Mrs Dancer meant by saying as long as the House was open was--as long as the usual time of keeping the House open

Event Comment: Paid salary list 3 days at #72 4s. 1d. per diem #216 12s. 3d.; Mr Weston on his note #5 5s.; Mrs Abington 3 first days not on list #2 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [From a long review in the Public Advertiser 3 Oct.: Two new performers in parts very difficult to execute-Mr Cautherly a pupil of the greatest master of the art of acting that ever graced the English stage (if not European)...has this summer convinced us that he is susceptible of the most refined instructions of his great patron and tutor. Of the Lady, I can say nothing prior to her appearance 30 Sept. as I am noways acquainted with her history any more than that by declaration of common report; she is the spouse of the brother of that Mr Barry who has so greatly pleas'd the town this summer at the Opera House." [Comments on her figure, voice and countenance well adapted to express the stronger passions.] She seemed to be so much in love with Romeo as to forget she represented a young and inexperienced virgin unused to men...The first scene of consequence is the Masquerade scene, which was as to business very badly conducted; but this, I doubt not will be rectified another night, they were discovered in disorder and they went off in confusion. It appeared a tumultous assembly rather than a Masquerade of nobility in an Italian Palace. Romeo stayed so long behind the crow that he was oblig'd to run to his station opposite Juliet to be in time for "Cousin Benvolio, do you mark that lady." [A long and detailed review of the stage action act by act.] In the Garden scene an unlucky accident happened to Cautherly...his nose ran with blood and he was oblig'd to keep his handkerchief to his nose all through, which was a great loss to the audience...The Apothecary is the best figure I ever saw, and spoke more sensibly than I ever heard an apothecary speak in my life. Mr Castle has rescued that character from ridicule, and worked by pity what buffoonery used to run off with-applause." Receipts: #145 11s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book.

Event Comment: A riot caused the acting of Cato to cease in Act IV. See The Weekly Packet 1 March, The Evening Post 22-25 Feb., The Post Boy 22-25 Feb. The most complete account appeared in Read's Original Weekly Journal, 1 March: The Night before had been the Third Night of a New Comedy, written by a young Gentleman of good Interest, and well respected, and the Boxes were bespoke for Monday Night, but a certain Ruler of that House, remarkable for Ill-Nature and Immorality, stop'd the Run of the Play, and caus'd the Tragedy of Cato to be given out...and tho' he was earnestly expostulated with on the Injustice of such a Proceeding, yet he obstinately persisted in his Resolution, which the Friends of the Author of the New Play very much resented: But this was not all, for when Cato came to be play'd, Mr Wilks, Mrs Oldfield, and Mrs Porter, who have principal Parts had given them to some of the inferior Players, which was look'd on as Riding the Audience, who would no longer Brook what they look'd on as an Insult, but with their hisses, Catcalls, &c. deafen'd the House, and drown'd the Shrill Pipes of the Actors; insomuch that the loudest Rant in Lee or Shakespear had been no more to be prefer'd to it, than the Noise of a Flagelot to the whistling of a Tempest; till the End the Players were obliged to retreat to their Fastnesses, unable any longer to Stand their Assaults; for they were storm'd with Orange-Peals, &c. as well as bombarded with Hisses Huzzas and Catcalls. Nor wou'd the Audience suffer them to Capitulate or receive any Offers of Submission, but calling for a Dance, put an End to the Play, in the middle of the 4th Act

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Mr Davis will be taken. [Bransby doubled in Oxford and Tyrrel. The General Advertiser quoted a long Epilogue on the Birthday of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland Written by the Farmer (who had taken over the role of Swift's Drapier) and spoken by Garrick in Dublin. It also quoted the following long puff for Ray's Benefit to come]: Sir, As long acquaintance best entitles us to friendly good natured offices, and as no more proper time can be found to confer them than when the person is in the Decline of life, give me leave to recommend (thro' your means) Mr Ray of Drury Lane Theatre, the oldest actor now belonging to that House, to the Favour of the Town, at his ensuing Benefit next Saturday. A person who once agreeably entertained the Public, should always feel the warmth of their Indulgence, tho' the Infirmities of Old age may have render'd him less pleasing than formerly. This Application is therefore meant to those friends of his, whom Distance of time, and change of Situation may have made it impossible any other way to acquaint them, that The Merchant of Venice is to be acted for his Benefit on Saturday next; therefore 'tis hoped they will be so kind as to send for his Tickets to Mr Hobson, in the Playhouse Passage, or to Mr Ray's lodgings, the second Door in Queen's Court, Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the Favour will ever be greatly acknowledged by him

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: And wife and Deb. to the King's house, there to see The Wild-goose Chase, which I never saw, but have long longed to see it, being a famous play, but as it was yesterday I do find that where I expect most I find least satisfaction, for in this play I met with nothing extraordinary at all, but very dull inventions and designs. Knepp come and sat by us, and her talk pleased me a little, she telling me how Mis Davis is for certain going away from the Duke's house, the King being in love with her; and a house is taken for her, and furnishing; and she hath a ring given her already worth #600: that the King did send several times for Nelly, and she was with him, but what he did she knows not; this was a good while ago, and she says that the King first spoiled Mrs Weaver, which is very mean, methinks, in a prince, and I am sorry for it, and can hope for no good to the State from having a Prince so devoted to his pleasure. She told me also of a play shortly coming upon the stage, of Sir Charles Sidly's, which, she thinks, will be called The Wandering Ladys, a comedy that, she thinks, will be more pleasant; and also another play, called The Duke of Lerma; besides Catelin, which she thinks, for want of the clothes which the King promised them, will not be acted for a good while

Event Comment: Alice Hatton, writing on (possibly) 20 Jan. 1699@1700: I was last night (with Lady Longuevil and Lady Arundel) at ye Princess's, and Lady Long: was so kind to offer to carry me to ye Oppera to day with her and Lady Portland; but I was so unfortunate as to be engaged to go to Lady Denbighs to see ye famous Mrs Binges dance, or else I should have bin glad to have waited on Lady Long: tho I had seen it before and think it very silly. Mr Abel is to have a fine musicke meeting to morrow, and ye tickets are guineas a piece, wch is a little to much for me to throw away; so I shall not be there, and I find so many yt can afford it better of my mind, yt I fancy, if he had lower rates, he would have got more (Hatton Correspondence, Camden Society, XXIII [1878], 245). It is difficult to assign a proper date to this letter. It is unlikely that it was written on Saturday 20 Jan., as Abell was not likely to offer a concert on Sunday at which admission would be charged. It is possible that the opera referred to is The Grove, which is known to have been performed on 19 Feb. 1700, but the fact that this opera was unsuccessful makes it unlikely that it had its premiere in mid-January and was played again in mid-February. Perhaps the letter should be dated mid-February

Event Comment: G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival: Mr Addison's play has taken wonderfully, they have acted it now almost a month, and would I belive act it a month longer were it not that Mrs Oldfield cannot hold out any longer, having had for several nights past, as I am informed, a midwife behind the scenes (Rand, p. 115)

Event Comment: [The Public Advertiser published a long New Historical Epilogue, intended by the Author as a proper sequel to the Tragedy of the Brothers. It speaks of the authentic history in the play, and of the effective moral lesson, closing: @As public woes a Prince's crimes pursue,@So public blessings are his Virtues' due.@Shout Britons, shout!--auspicious Fortune Bless!@And cry, Long live--OUR title to success!@ This was followed by a Letter from Mr Booth in the Shades to Dr Young, on his Tragedy call'd the Brothers (an elaborate puff). In it Booth forgives Young for withdrawing the play from rehearsal thirty years earlier, and thus precluding his playing the part of Demetrius: "And I the more readily pardon you, as you have not disgraced me by giving the part to any of my successors, till this Garrick appeared, whose reputation, I can assure you, is by no means confined to your world, and who, I am told, hath more than supply'd my place, hath rendered the loss even of Betterton himself very supportable." He then lets Young in on a secret that there will be a performance of his play in the shades by all the old actors as soon as Curll can steal a copy of it for them.] We are assured that on Thursday the 22nd instant will be publish'd a Comedy in 2 acts, call'd The Rehearsal; or, Bayes in Petticoats, witten by Mrs Clive, and to be performed that evening, after the Mourning Bride, for her Benefit at Drury Lane. Mr Yates's Benefit will be on Thursday the 5th of April, when the tragedy of the Gamester will be played, being the twelfth day. A new farce will be added to it, the preparing of which has oblig'd Yates to defer his Benefit till the above day. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 68. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350. This play was also reprinted in 1686. Memoirs of the Life of William Wycherley, Esq; With a Character of his Writings [by George, Lord Lansdowne, but part possibly by Charles Gildon (1718)], pp. 7-8: [After the death of Wycherley's wife, he was committed to Newgate for debt.] From hence he remov'd himself by a Habeas Corpus to the Fleet, where he continued seven Years in a close Imprisonment, almost forgot by his old Friends, till in the Reign of King James the Second, some of them bespeaking the Plain-Dealer, got the King to the Play, who declaring his Approbation of the Poet's Performance, they improv'd his liking so far as to get him to deliver him from his long Confinement. But here the Modesty of the Man did him a considerable Prejudice, for instead of giving in a full List of his Debts, he only mention'd those, the discharge of which wou'd set him at Liberty, which was done with this additional Bounty, that the same King allow'd him Two hundred Pounds a Years as long as he Reign'd; and this was the reason that made Mr Wycherley always a Jacobite