Event Comment: The Journal of Sir Richard Bulstrode (p. 19): This evening is repeated in the great Hall by foure persons of quality the Indian Emper, but the Company is made very private, soe as few attempt to gett in. Jean Chappuzeau, Le Theatre Francois (Paris, 1675), p. 55, states that in 1668 he saw a revival of The Indian Emperor in London. Pepys, Diary: 14 Jan.: They fell to discourse of last night's work at court, where the ladies and Duke of Monmouth and others acted The IndianEmperour; wherein they told me these things most remarkable: that not any woman but the Duchesse of Monmouth and Mrs Cornwallis did any thing but like fools and stocks, but that these two did do most extraordinary well: that not any man did any thing well but Captain O'Bryan, who spoke and did well, but, above all things, did dance most incomparably. That she did sit near the players of the Duke's house; among the rest, Mis Davis, who is the most impertinent slut, she says, in the world; and the more, now the King do show her countenance; and is reckoned his mistress, even to the scorne of the whole world; the King gazing on her, and my Lady Castlemayne being melancholy and out of humour, all the play, not smiling once. The King, it seems, hath given her a ring of #700, which she shews to every body, and owns that the King did give it her; and he hath furnished a house for her in Suffolke Street most richly, which is a most infinite shame. It seems she is bastard of Colonell Howard, my Lord Berkshire, and that he do pimp to her for the King, and hath got her for him; but Pierce says that she is a most homely jade as ever she saw, though she dances beyond any thing in the world

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Jean Chappuzeau, Le Theatre Francois (Paris, 1675), states that he saw a revival of this play in 1668. Pepys, Diary: Sent my wife and Deb. to see Mustapha acted...and so to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw the last act for nothing. Where I never saw such good acting of any creature as Smith's part of Zanger; and I do also, though it was excellently acted by [...], do yet want Betterton mightily

Event Comment: Pepys does not name the theatre in which he saw this play, but previous performances of the play were given by the King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To a play, Love's Cruelty.... Play part 2s. Oranges, 1s

Event Comment: [The King's Company. Settings by Alphonso Marsh the Elder of two of the songs are in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673. This performance, which may have been the first one, is one the L. C. list 5@139, p. 129: An Evening Love his Mate and the Queene at the Theatre. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play is on L. C. list, 5@12, p. 17: ye king here. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344. The play was apparently designed for the opening of the Bridges St playhouse in November 1666 but was not then acted. The edition of 1667 gives a intended cast. Bonhomme-Cartwright; Valerio-$C. Hart; Ergasto-$W. Winterson [$Wintershall]; Don Buisson-Burt; La Fleur-$E. Keninston [$Kynaston]; Sganarelle-J. Lacy; Mascarillio-$M. Moon [$Mohun]; Jodelet-R. Shatterel; Housekeepers-$Alexander, $Wilbraham; Mary and Anne-$The Two Marshalls; Isabella-$Mrs Rutter; Lysette-$Nel Guin; Prologue Intended for the Overture of the Theatre, 1666; Epilogue. [In this list the names Alexander and Wilbraham are not otherwise known and may represent errors in the printed list.

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@12, p. 17. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344. Newsletter, 9 Nov.: A play, The tanner tanned, is appointed for this evening in the new theatre at Whitehall (HMC, Fleming MSS., 12th Report, Appendix, Part VII, p. 60)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See William VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 13. The edition of 1668 states: As it was Acted (with great Applause) by the Servants of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn Fields

Event Comment: Evelyn does not name the theatre or company, but previous offerings of Horace were given by the King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: I saw Mrs Philips's Horace acted againe

Event Comment: The King's Company. See 3 March 1668@9 for another play acted(on a Wednesday in Lent by the young players. Langbaine, (English Dramatick Poets, p. 208): Coxcomb, a Comedy, which was reviv'd at the Theatre-Royal, the Prologue being spoken by Jo. Haines. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Coxcomb, the first time acted, but an old play, and a silly one, being acted only by the young people

Event Comment: The Travels of Cosmo the Third [Tuesday 30 April 1669 NS; Tuesday 20 April 1669 OS]: This day, his highness went to the comedy at the Duke of York's theatre, where the music and dancing, after the English manner, were less pleasing than the operas performed by the comedians; because, being in the English language, the only pleasure which we who heard them, can derive from the latter, is that of observing their action, which it cannot be denied, was supereminently excellent (London, 1821, p. 194)

Event Comment: The Travels of Cosmo the Third [Monday 20 May 1669 NS, Monday 10 May 1669 OS]: After this excursion through the city, his highness went to the comedy at the Duke's theatre (p. 304)

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play has generally been assigned to June 1669, partly on the basis of a suit--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, pp. 252-53, 348-55-over a scene for it which Isaac Fuller, the scene designer, states was finished by 23 June 1669. The suit also states that the play ran for fourteen days, but it is not certain that the theatres played on consecutive days in the summer. The play has been assigned to 24 June 1669 on the basis of a letter from Charles II to Princess Henriette-Anne, dated 24 June [1669]: I am just now going to a new play that I heare very much commended (Cyril Hughes Hartmann, Charles II and Madame [London, 1934], p. 259). Elizabeth Cottington to Herbert Aston, ca. May 1669: Wee ar in expectation still of Mr Draidens play. Ther is a bowld woman [Aphra Behn (?)] hath oferd one: my cosen Aston can give you a better account of her then I can. Some verses I have seen which ar not ill; that is commentation enouf: she will think so too, I believe, when it comes upon the ptage. I shall tremble for the poor woman exposed among the critticks (Arthur Clifford, Tixall Letters [London, 1815], II, 60)

Event Comment: The news of the death of Henrietta-Maria, the Queen Mother, reached London ca. 3 Sept. 1669. There may well have been an order forbidding playing, although it is not extant; but an order, L. C. 5@12, p. 251 (in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 322) directs the two companies to act again on Monday, 18 Oct. 1669. Probably the theatres were closed for approximately six weeks

Event Comment: The Duke's Theatre. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", pp. 12, 16

Event Comment: On this day Jeffreys Boys gave Punchinello 1s. See I. K. Fletcher, "Italian Comedians in England in the Seventeenth Century," Theatre Notebook, VIII (1954), 87, for Anthony Devoto, presumably the puppet player whom Boys saw

Event Comment: In the Term Catalogues a new edition of John Wilson's The Cheats was announced as licensed on 30 May 1671. This play had previously been given in March 1663. The edition of 1671 states that it has been given by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, and it may have been revived at this time

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the Preface suggests that it was given first in the summer; the fact that part of the Duke's Company was at Oxford in July makes June a probable time. Preface: It had the misfortune to be brought into the world in a time, when the Dog-star was near his Reign, and my Judges sat in a hot Bath, rather than a Theatre, and were doubly persecuted by the heat of the weather, and the Impertinence of the Poet; and which was the worst mishap, when the most candid, as well as the most Illustrious Judges (I mean the Court) were absent. A song, Lo behold a sea of tears, with music by John Bannister, for this play, is Choice Ayres and Songs, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: This play was reprinted in 1672, being entered in the Term Catalogues, 20 Nov. 1671. It probably was acted in the late summer of 1671. The title page states that it was acted at the Theatre Royal, Bridges Street

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the premiere probably occurred during this month. The Preface states: This Play, as it was wrote in less than a moneth, and was the last Play that was Acted at the King's Theatre in Covent-Garden, before the fatal Fire there. [The Preface may mean that this was the last new play acted before the fire.] Two songs for this play, with music by Robert Smith, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: Journal of the Earl of Anglesey, 25 Jan. 1671@2: At eight of the clock The King's playhouse took fire, and most of that side of Russell Street and many other houses thereabout were burnt down, and we in Drury Lane and all about in great danger; but the Lord had mercy, and by great industry and blowing up houses the fire was overcome: I had no rest, but sat up almost all night, even till six in the morning. The Lord pardon sin, which brings judgements (HMC, 13th Report, Part VI [London, 1893], p. 270. The Bulstrode Papers (I, 217): About 8 hapened a sad and violent fire, which begun in the King's Theater, and in a few howers burnt down that...severall were hurt and killed, amongst which was Mr Bell, one of the actors in that house. For a poem, On the Unhappy Conflagration of the Theatre Royal, January 25th, 1672, see Fitzgerald, A New History of the English Stage, I, 137

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. There is no indication as to whether this is the premiere. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, Plays on the English Stage, p. 19. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 32): The third new Play Acted there [dg] was the Gentleman Dancing-Master, Wrote by Mr Witcherly, it lasted but 6 Days, being like't but indifferently, it was laid by to make Room for other new ones. A song, with music by John Bannister, for this play is in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: The King's Company. Although the play was not licensed until 16 Oct. 1676 and not published until 1678, the Epilogue refers in detail to the burning of the King's Theatre in Bridges Street, Drury Lane, suggesting that the premiere came not long after that event

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play is one of a series represented by Prologues and Epilogues in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672, all of which may have been acted by the actress only. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, p. 213) states: This Play was One of those that were represented at the old Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields, when the Women acted alone. The Prologue and Epilogue were spoken by Mrs Marshall, and printed in Covent-garden Drollery, pag. 18. About this Time there was a Prologue written on purpose for the Women by Mr Dryden, and is printed in his Miscellany Poems in octavo, p. 285

Event Comment: The King's Company. This is another in the series of plays acted entirely by actresses and probably Performed in the early summer of 1672. The Prologue and Epilogue are in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, p. 313): This play was reviv'd at the Old Theatre, in little Lincolns-Inn-fields, and acted all by Women, a new Prologue and Epilogue being spoken by Mrs Marshall in Man's Cloaths, which Reader may find printed in Covent-Garden Drollery, 80, pag. 3. &c

Event Comment: The Kings's Company. This is another in the series of plays acted by the women of the theatre. The Prologue and Epilogue are in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672