Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's house, to see Horace; this the third day of its acting--a silly tragedy; but Lacy hath made a farce of several dances--between each act, one: but his words are but silly, and invention not extraordinary, as to the dances; only some Dutchmen come out of the mouth and tail of a Hamburgh sow. Thence, not much pleased with the play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and saw Twelfth Night, as it is now revived; but, I think, one of the weakest plays that ever I saw on the stage

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage," p. 14. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I to White Hall; and there, by means of Mr Cooling, did get into the play, the only one we have seen this winter: it was The Five Hours' Adventure: but I sat so far I could not hear well, nor was there any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife, who sat in my Lady Fox's pew with her. The house very full; and late before done, so that it was past eleven before we got home

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I to the Duke of York's house, to a play, and there saw The Mad Lover, which do not please me so well as it used to do, only Betterton's part still pleases me. But here who should we have come to us but Bab. and Betty and Talbot, the first play they were yet at; and going to see us, and hearing by my boy, whom I sent to them, that we were here, they come to us hither, and happened all of us to sit by my cozen Turner and The.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there saw "The Gratefull Servant," a pretty good play, and which I have forgot that ever I did see

Event Comment: Pepys' remarks suggest that Shadwell's The Royal Shepherdess may once have been intended to have its premiere on this day. Pepys, Diary: By a hackneycoach followed my wife and the girls, who are gone by eleven o'clock, thinking to have seen a new play at the Duke of York's house. But I do find them staying at my tailor's, the play not being to-day.... Thence to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there, finding the play begun, we homeward

Event Comment: See 27 Feb. 1668@9. Pepys, Diary: I did meet Sir Jeremy Smith, who did tell me that Sir W. Coventry was just now sent to the Tower, about the business of his challenging the Duke of Buckingham, and so was also Harry Saville to the Gate-house....So, meeting with my Lord Bellassis, he told me the particulars of this matter; that it arises about a quarrel which Sir W. Coventry had with the Duke of Buckingham about a design between the Duke and Sir Robert Howard, to bring him into a play [The Rehearsal] at the King's house, which W. Coventry not enduring, did H. Saville send a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, that he had a desire to speak with him. Upon which, the Duke of Buckingham did bid Holmes, his champion ever since my Lord Shrewsbury's business, go to him to know the business; but H. Saville would not tell it to any but himself, and therefore did go presently to the Duke of Buckingham, and told him that his uncle Coventry was a person of honour, and was sensible of his Grace's liberty taken of abusing him, and that he had a desire of satisfaction, and would fight with him. But that here they were interrupted by my Lord Chamberlain's coming in, who was commanded to go to bid the Duke of Buckingham to come to the King, Holmes having discovered it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: And my wife being gone abroad with W. Hewer, to see the new play to-day, at the Duke of York's house, Guzman, I dined alone.... I thence presently to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there, in the 18d. seat, did get room to see almost three acts of the play; but it seemed to me but very ordinary. After the play done, I into the pit, and there find my wife and W. Hewer...[and] here I did meet with Shadwell, the poet, who, to my great wonder, do tell me that my Lord of Orrery? did write this play, trying what he could do in comedy, since his heroique plays could do no more wonders. This do trouble me; for it is as mean a thing, and so he says, as hath been upon the stage a great while; and Harris, who hath no part in it, did come to me, and told me in discourse that he was glad of it, it being a play that will not take

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Hearing that The Alchymist was acted, we did go, and took [Pierce] with us to the King's house; and it is still a good play, having not been acted for two or three years before; but I do miss Clun, for the Doctor. But more my eyes will not let me enjoy the pleasure I used to have in a play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's house, and there saw The General revived--a good play, that pleases me well. The Travels of Cosmo the Third [4 May 1669 NS; 24 April 1699 OS]: [On 4 May and the two subsequent days His Highness received callers] and many of them remained to dine with his highness, who continued on each of these days his visits to the ladies, appearing at Hyde Park, at the comedies, sometimes at the king's theatre, sometimes at that of the duke's theatre (p. 195)

Event Comment: Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31: Note, About the Year 1670, Mrs Aldridge, after Mrs Lee, after Lady Slingsby, also Mrs Leigh Wife of Mr Antony Leigh, Mr Crosby, Mrs Johnson, were entertain'd in the Duke's House

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 16. Whether this is the premiere is not known. A song, Amintas that true-hearted swain, with music by John Bannister, is in Choice Ayres, Songs, and Dialogues, 2d. Ed., 1675. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 34: The Jealous Bridegroom, Wrote by Mrs Bhen, a good Play and lasted six Days; but this made its Exit too, to give Room for a greater. The Tempest. Note, In this Play, Mr Otway the Poet having an Inclination to turn Actor; Mrs Bhen gave him the King in the Play, for a Probation Part, but he being not us'd to the Stage; the full House put him to such a Sweat and Tremendous, Agony, being dash't, spoilt him for an Actor

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is quite uncertain, but the fact that the Prologue was spoken at Lincoln's Inn Fields and refers to that theatre as "a damn'd House," appropriate to its status before the Company's removal to Dorset Garden (9 Nov. 1671), would place it in the early autumn. The presence of unfamiliar names in the cast and the statement in the Dedication to its "hasty Representation" suggest a summer or early autumn performance before the principals had resumed their places in the Company. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 424, for other complications in the dating of this play

Event Comment: Add. Mss. (British Museum) 36916, folio 230: On Tuesday last his Majesty and the Court saw the dancing on the Ropes in the Banquetting house at Whitehall

Event Comment: The Diary of Robert Hooke: at the musick house with Mr Boas. (27 Sept. 1673)

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 923, 21-24 Sept. 1674: At Mr John Banisters house in White-Fryers, called the Musick School, will be several Masters performing Vocal and Instrumental Musick, on Tuesday next, and every evening for the future. Beginning exactly at five of the clock

Event Comment: The Diary of Robert Hooke, 31 Oct. 1674: With Mr Francis Moegan at musick house

Event Comment: A letter, written in January 1674@5, mentions the hissing Admiral Van Tromp received when "he was conducted over the stage to get to his place" at a performance of "a new play" at one of the London theatres. See Lady Newton, The House of Lyme (London, 1917), p. 271

Event Comment: [The Duke's Company. Nell Gwyn attended this performance. See VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing, p. 407. There is no certainty that this performance is the premiere, btt an additional known performance on 15 June suggests that early June probably saw the initial run. The music for two songs, Thou joy of all hearts and When you dispense your influence, both set by Dr William Turner, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, Second Book, 1679. Preface, Edition of 1676: I have no reason to complain of the success of this Play, since it pleased those, whom, of all the World, I would please most: Nor was the Town unkind to it....[There] being no Act in it, which cost me above Five days writing: and the last Two (the Play-house having great occasion for a Play) were both written in Four Days. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 37): The Libertine and Virtuoso: Both Wrote by Mr Shadwell; they were both very well Acted, and got the Company great Reputation. The Libertine perform'd by Mr Betterton Crown'd the Play

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is not known. Although the play was not entered in the Term Catalogues until February 1675@6, the references to "Miss-Non-so-Fair," prince Nick, and t'other House Gallants" suggest that it capitalized upon the appearance of Psyche Debauched at dg

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is known from a disturbance which occurred on this day; Langbaine states that the play was Macbeth. John Verney to Sir Ralph Verney, 30 Aug. 1675: On Saturday last, at the Duke's playhouse, Sir Tho. Armstrong killed Mr Scrope....Their quarrel is said to [be] about Mrs Uphill, the player, who came into the house maskt, and Scrope would have entertained discourse with her, which Sir T. Armstrong would not suffer, so a ring was made wherein they fought (HMC Verney MSS., 7th Report, 1879, p. 465). See also The Hatton Correspondence, Camden Society, XXII (1878), 121

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 1045, 22-25 Nov. 1675: At Mr John Bannister's house in Chandois-street, Covent-garden, called the Musick-School, will be variety of Musick every Evening, beginning this present Thursday at six of the Clock

Event Comment: The Bulstrode Papers (I, 324) 3 Dec. 1675: The Earle of Pembroke had another rencounter yesterday at a play house at which he wounded one Davenant, Sir William's son, and got a hurt himself

Event Comment: The King's Company. There is no indication of the date of the first performance, but a licensing date of 6 April 1677 and the large number of minor actors in the cast suggest a Lenten performance. Preface to edition of 1677: I think (without Ostentation) never was House more throng'd;...The first, second, and other times it was Acted, I think lost me no Credit, but...Fortune...Jaded me, robbing me of the Honour of my Plays continuance for that time; by a Mischance which hapned to one, whose Part was too considerable to be quickly studied

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 359: The Rivall Queene. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. That this is the premiere is indicated by a letter from the Marquis of Worcester to the Marchioness, 17 March 1676@7: Sir Charles Sedley's Cleopatra has been acted often, and to-day a new play of the death of Alexander, but I have not been to see either, living a mighty drudging life (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., IX, 66). Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 11), has a cast which agrees (except for omissions) with that in the edition of 1677. Downes adds (p. 16): [Hart in] Alexander, towards the latter End of his Acting; if he Acted in any one of these but once in a Fortnight, the House was fill'd as at a New Play, especially Alexander, he Acting that with such Grandeur and Agreeable Majesty, That one of the Court was pleas'd to Honour him with this Commendation; That Hart might Teach any King on Earth how to Comport himself