Event Comment: Benefit for the Subscription opened in favour of the West India Sufferers [from two hurricanes that had devastated the West Indies on 3 and 10 Oct. 1780]

Event Comment: At Mr Croome's, at the Sign of the Shoe and Slap, near the Hospital Gate in West Smithfield, is to be seen, The Wonder of Nature, A Girl, above Sixteen Years of Age, born in Chesire, and not above Eighteen Inches long, having shed the Teeth seven several Times, and not a perfect Bone is any part of her, only the Head; yet she hath all senses to Admiration, and Discourses, Reads very well, Sings, Whistles, and all very pleasant to hear. Sept. 4, 1667. God Save the King. (Henry Morley, Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair, p. 189)

Event Comment: This work is advertised in The Loyal Protestant 22, 27, and 29 Aug. 1682: at Mrs Saffry's, a Dutch Woman's booth, over against the Greyhound Inne in West Smithfield. [Her first announcement calls the company "By an Approved Company"; the other two notices refer to it as "the first New-market Company." See Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6.] John Coysh paid #6 for a booth at the Fair (Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6). See also Morley, Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair, p. 222, for notice of the Indian Water Worksv. In Wit and Drollery (1682), p. 304, are verses on the Fair: @Here's the Whore of Babylon the Devil and the Pope,@The Girl is just agoing on the Rope@Here's Dives and Lazarus and the World's Creation,@Here's the Tall Dutch Woman the like's not in the Nation,@Here is the Booth where the High-Dutch Made is@Hear are the Bears that dance like any Ladies,@Tat, tat, tat, tat, tat says the little penny Trumpet@Here's Jacob Hall, that does so jump it, jump it.@Sound Trumpet Sound, for Silver Spoon and Fork,@Come here's your dainty Pit and Pork.@ [See also August 1680.

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 68: The King and Queene & a Box for ye Maydes of Honor at the Opera. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 1 Jan. 1684@5. The opera was certainly given on 3 June, probably on 10 June, and probably on 13 June, the day that the news of the Duke of Monmouth's landing reached London; as Downes states that it was acted six times, there were three additional performances between 3 and 13 June 1685. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 40): In Anno 1685. The Opera of Albion and Albanius was perform'd; wrote by Mr Dryden, and Compos'd by Monsieur Grabue: This being perform'd on a very Unlucky Day, being the Day the Duke of Monmouth, Landed in the West: The Nation being in a great Consternation, it was perform'd but Six times, which not Answering half the Charge they were at, Involv'd the Company very much in Debt. Roger North: The first full opera that was made and prepared for the stage, was the Albanio of Mr Grabue, in English, but of a French genius. It is printed in full score, but proved the ruin of the poor man, for the King's death supplanted all his hopes, and so it dyed (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 311). The Prologue and Epilogue, published separately, are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 244-46. The score and the libretto were published in 1687 (licensing date of 15 March 1686@7): Albion and Albanius; An Opera; Or, Representation in Musick. Set by Lewis Grabu, Esq; Master of His late Majesty's Musick

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not precisely known, but a broadside copy of the Epilogue, in the Bodleian Library, has a licensing date of 20 Aug. 1685, a MS date of 24 Aug. 1685. The play was licensed on 11 Sept. 1685. These dates suggest a premiere in mid-to late-August 1685. For Anne Bracegirdle as Clita and speaker of the Epilogue, see Lucyle Hook, Anne Bracegirdle's First Appearance, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1959), 135. The Prologue and Epilogue, separately printed, are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 239-41. The broadside Prologue has a more detailed heading than that in the edition of 1686: Prologue To A Commonwealth of Women, Spoke by Mr Haynes, Habited like a Whig, Captain of the Scyth-men in the West, a Scythe in his Hand. Two songs, set by Samuel Ackroyde, are in The Theater of Musick, The Third Book, 1686

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2533, 17-20 Feb. 1689@90: The Musick-Meeting that was lately held in Villers-street in York-Buildings, is removed to Exeter Change in the Strand; the Entrance is at the West-door of the said Exchange; and will begin at the Hours as formerly, every Monday

Event Comment: Luttrell, A Brief Relation, IV, 268, 24 Aug. 1697: The lord mayor has published an order forbidding all unlawfull gameing, excesse in drinking, swearing, cursing in Bartholomew fair. The only notice of a performance is an advance one, Post Boy, 12-14 Aug. 1697: At Mr Barns's Booth, between the Crown Tavern, and the Hospital-Gate, over against the Cross-Daggers in West-Smithfield Rounds, during the time of Bartholomew Fair, is to be seen the famous Rope-Dancers of Europe, being four Companies join'd in one, viz. the English, High-German, French and Morocco Companies of Rope-Dancers, by whom will be presented a Variety of Agility of Body, as Danceing, Tumbling, Walking, and Vaulting, the like was never seen before

Event Comment: Benefit Wilcox, West, Clarke, Mrs Rice. Written by Mr Congreve. Receipts: money #12 12s. 6d.; tickets #129 18s

Event Comment: At Fielding-Hippisley Booth at the George Inn in West Smithfield. A new Dramatick Entertainment. Done from the French of Moliere, and intermix'd with Variety of Songs to old Ballad Tunes and Country Dances. All the Characters to be entirely new Dressed. [Advertised 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 Aug.; 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 Sept.

Event Comment: See Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb., for a letter from Colley Cibber to the Gentlemen of the Inns of Court. Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb.: Whereas it is agreed on between several Gentlemen, to erect a New Theatre for the exhibiting of Plays, Farces, Pantomime, &c. all such Persons as are willing to undertake the said Building, are desir'd to bring their Plans for the same by the 2d of May next ensuing, in order to be laid before the said Gentlemen, the Time and Place of which Meeting will be advertis'd in this Paper on the last of April. Proportions of the Ground: The North Side 120 Feet; the West, square with the North, 130 Feet; the South 110 Feet; and the East on a Bevil, joining the Parallel. Note, There must be a Passage left to go round the Building, and the Stages to be 30 Feet wide at the First Scene; the Distance between Wall and Wall 80 Feet; and the Scene-Rooms, Green and Dressing Rooms, to be on the outside of the last mention'd Measure. The Stage to be either North or South

Event Comment: Benefit John Peele, A West-India Merchant, reduc'd by Great Losses in Trade. By particular Desire of several Eminent Merchants

Event Comment: TTurbutt (from the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane) and Yates (from the Theatre in Goodman's-Fields). At Turbutt's and Yate's Great Theatrical Booth, Opposite the King's Head and Greyhound Inn, West Smithfield. [The Fair runs from 22 through 26 Aug.

Event Comment: RRylands: Benefit Fausan. At the Particular desire of several Ladies of Quality. Three rows of the Pit will be rail'd in at the Price of the Boxes. Tickets and places to be had of Mr West at the Green Door in Duke's St, Lincoln's Inn Fields; and at Mr Bradshaws, King's Arms in Russel St., near the theatre. Tickets deliver'd out for As You Like It will be taken this night, the play being oblig'd to be chang'd on Account of the indisposition of Mr Milward. Receipts: #173

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Benefit Signora Fausan. Part of the Pit will be rail'd in, and added to the front boxes. Tickets and places in the Boxes to be had only of Mr West, at the Green Door in Duke St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; and for the Stage, of Mrs Moor, at the Sign of the Theatre in the Playhouse Passage. Receipts: #160. Rylands MS.: Duke &c attended

Event Comment: A three Act Comedy. Godwin's Booth, opposite the White Hart, near Cow Lane, West Smithfield. From Noon to 10 p.m. [Notice repeated 26 Aug.

Event Comment: PPhillips and Yeates' Booth, opposite Hospital Gate, West Smithfield, during the time of bf. Boxes, 2s. 6d. Pit 1s. 6d. First Gallery 1s. Upper Gallery 6d. There is an extraordinary Band of Music promis'd. [Notice repeated 26 Aug.

Event Comment: FFawkes and Pinchbeck's Booth, end of Hosier Lane, West Smithfield. Noon to 10 p.m. Boxes 2s. Pit 1s. Gallery 6d. Mainpiece: Written by Henry Fielding, Esq. Afterpiece: The Present Tense...by Punch's Company of comical Tragedians from the Haymarket [i.e., a puppet show]

Event Comment: TTurbutt and Dove's Booth, end of Hosier Lane, West Smithfield, during the Time of the Fair. [London Daily Post and General Advertiser gives Kevenhuller-$Woodward. Repeated 24, 25, 26 Aug.] Ballance Master, just arriv'd from Paris