Event Comment: The Diary of Robert Hooke, 1672-1678: at Scaramuches at york house. present: the King, Duke of York, Lord Ormond &c. (ed. H. W. Robinson and Walter Adams [London, 1935], p. 42). See slso Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 118-19, and John Harold Wilson, A Theatre in York House, Theatre Notebook, XVI (1962), 75-78

Event Comment: This work, printed in 1674, was performed, probably, at court by a French company. See M. Horn-Monval, French Troupes in England During the Restoration, Theatre Notebook, VII (1953), 82; and Edwin P. Grobe, S. Bre, French Librettist at the Court of Charles II, Theatre Notebook, IX (1954), 20-21

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Loyal Protestant, 20 May 1682: May 18. Yesterday his Excellency the Morocco Embassador was entertain'd at His Royal Highness's Theatre with a Play, called, Sir Timothy Treat all. [See also True Protestant Mercury, 17-20 May 1682; Luttrell, A Brief Relation, I, 187; Wilson, More Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters," p. 59.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. True Protestant Mercury, 17-20 May 1682: On Thursday the Ambassador from the King of Bantam was entertained with a play called the Libertine Destroyed at the Duke's Theatre. [See also Luttrell, A Brief Relation, I, 187, and Wilson, More Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 59

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Newdigate newsletters, 5 Aug. 1682: [Yesterday the] Dutchess goes to ye Dukes Theatre--that and ye Kings house haveing Joyned interests the latter being Discontinued where will be purposely Acted for her Anna Bullen being a deepe Tragedy of the beheading of the said Lady by Henry the 8th (Wilson, Theatres Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81). See also London Mercury, 8 Aug. 1682. Juliana Brabazon to the Countess of Rutland, Aug. 1682: The Dutches of Yorke kept her bed the day after seeing Anna Bulloigne acted (HMC, 12th Report, Rutland MSS., Part V, 1889, p. 77)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Newdigate newsletters, 15 Aug. 1682: Thursday last being acted a play called the Tragedy of Romulus att the Dukes Theatre & the Epilogue spoken by the Lady Slingsby & written by Mrs Behn having reflected on ye Duke of Monmouth, ye Lord Chamberlaine thereupon has order[ed] them both in Custody to answer th[at] affront for ye same (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81). See also True Protestant Mercury, 12-16 Aug. 1682, for essentially the same statement. The Prologue and Epilogue were printed separately, and Luttrell' copy (Huntington Library) bears his acquisition date of 8 Aug. 1682. They are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 132-34. The separately printed Prologue states that Mrs Behn also wrote it. A song, Where art thou god of love, the music by Giovanni Draghi, is in Theater of Music, The Third Book, 1686

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters, 14 Aug. 1683: The Manager of ye Kings Theatre intend wth in short time to pforme an Opera in like manner of yt of ffrance. Mr Betterton wth other Actrs are gone over to fetch Ye designe [Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 82). See also a letter from Lord Preston to the Earl of Sunderland, Paris, 25 Aug. 1683 N.S. concerning Betterton's visit to Paris (HMC, 7th Report, Appendix, p. 288)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but it very probably occurred not later than May 1691, as the play was advertised in the London Gazette, 4-8 June 1691. For discussions of it, see E. W. White, Early Performances of Purcell's Operas, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59), 44-45, and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter III. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 42: King Arthur an Opera, wrote by Mr Dryden: it was Excellently Adorn'd with Scenes and Machines: The Musical Part set by Famous Mr Henry Purcel; and Dances made by Mr Jo. Priest: The Play and Musick pleas'd the Court and City, and being well perform'd, twas very Gainful to the Company. Roger North: I remember in Purcell's excellent opera of King Arthur, when Mrs Butler, in the person of Cupid, was to call up Genius, she had the liberty to turne her face to the scean, and ner back to the theater. She was in no concerne for her face, but sang a recitativo of calling towards the place where Genius was to rise, and performed it admirably, even beyond any thing I ever heard upon the English stage....And I could ascribe it to nothing so much as the liberty she had of concealing her face, which she could not endure should be so contorted as is necessary to sound well, before her gallants, or at least her envious sex. There was so much of admirable musick in that opera, that it's no wonder it's lost; for the English have no care of what's good, and therefore deserve it not (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 217-18)

Event Comment: Intelligence Domestick and Foreign, 21-25 June 1695: One Phillips, a Dancer in the Playhouse, is Committed to Newgate for being one of those concerned in the Robbery of the Theatre in Dorset-Garden, and a great many of their Habits are recovered again, but plundered of their Silver and Gold Lace, Fringes, &c. [See also Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 82.

Event Comment: From 16 Jan. 1696@7 to 18 May 1702 James Brydges, afterwards first Duke of Chandos, kept a diary in which he recorded, among other events, his attendance at the theatre. Unfortunately, his first entry dealing with the playhouses, like many other similar entries, does not name the play he saw; on 22 Jan. 1696@7 he wrote: my Uncle Warwick Lake? carried me to ye Playhouse. [For an account of his theatrical entries, see Lucyle Hook, James Brydges Drops in at the Theatre, Huntington Library Bulletin, VIII (1945), 306-11.

Event Comment: Post Boy, 13-15 April 1699: As both the Theatres have been very industrious to Entertain the Town with several eminent Master in Singing and Dancing, lately arrived, both from France and Italy, as Monsieur Balon, Signior Fideli, &c. we are now assured that the Masters of the Theatre Royal have engag'd Signior Clementine, the famous Eunuch, Servant of the Elector of Bavaria, to Sing on their publick Stage, for the short time of his stay in England. There is very great Expectation from his Performance as being a Person of that extraordinary Desert in Singing, that his yearly Salary on that Account is 500 #. a Year

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. At Mr Penkethman's Theatre in Richmond. By a Company of Comedians from the Theatre Royal. Written by Sir John Vanbrugh. In proper Habits

Event Comment: This Theatre is proportioned to the Actors, and contains a great Variety of correct and beautiful Scenes, Machines, and all the regular Decorations and Changes incident to a Theatre, and will be varied to the Subject. The Musick is set and performed by some of the best Hands

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 3 Nov.: We are assured that a Patent for the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, is order'd to pass the Seals in Favour of Mr Wilks, Mr Booth, and Mr Cibber, The Patent for the said Theatre was granted to Mrs Oldfield, deceas'd, upon the Death of the late Sir Richard Steele