Event Comment: During February and March 1678@9 two plays, titles unknown, were acted before the King. See an order: To Edward Griffin, Esq. Treasurer of the Chamber, to be paid over to John Lacy, assigne of Charles Killigrew, Mastr of the revells, for two plays acted before his said Majestie in Feb'ry and March 1678@9 (Moneys Received and Paid for Secret Services, ed. J. Y. Akerman, Camden Society, LII 1851, 34)

Event Comment: See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 116. This was the King's Company (under Killigrew), split off from the United Company. According to Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 2) the roster included: Theophilus Bird, Hart, Mohun, Lacy, Burt, Cartwright, Clun, Baxter, Robert Shatterel, William Shatterrel, Duke [Marmaduke Watson], Hancock, Kynaston, Wintersel, Bateman, Blagden. (But see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 295.) According to the articles of agreement, 5 Nov. 1660 (Herbert, Dramatic Records, pp. 96-100), the Duke's Company (under Davenant) included Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Moseley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, Thomas Lilleston

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: By and by with Lord Bruncker by coach to his house, there to hear some Italian musique: and here we met Tom Killigrew, Sir Robert Murray, and the Italian Signor Baptista, who hath composed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T. Killigrew do intend to have up; and here he did sing one one of the acts. He himself is the poet as well as the musician.... This done, T. Killigrew and I to talk: and he tells me how the audience at his house [Bridges St.] is not above half so much as it used to be before the late fire. That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come upon the stage, she understanding so well: that they are going to give her #30 a-year more. That the stage is now by his pains a thousand times better and more glorious than ever heretofore. Now, wax candles, and many of them; then, not above 3 l6s. of tallow: now, all things civil, no rudeness anywhere; then, as in a bear-garden: then, two to three fiddlers; now, nine or ten of the best: then, nothing but rushes upon the ground, and every thing else mean; and now, all otherwise: then, the Queen seldom and the King never would come; now, not the King only for state, but all civil people do think they may come as well as any....That he hath gathered our Italians from several Courts in Christendome, to come to make a concert for the King, which he do give #200 a-year a-piece to: but badly paid, and do come in room of keeping four ridiculous gundilows, he having got the King to put them away, and lay out money this way; and indeed I do commend him for it, for I think it is a very noble undertaking. He do intend to have some times of the year these operas to be performed at the two present theatres, since he is defeated in what he intended in Moorefields on purpose for it; and he tells me plainly that the City audience was as good as the Court, but now they are most gone

Event Comment: On this day a quarrel occurred at lif between Henry Killigrew and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, but the play is not named in the various accounts of the affair. For details, see HMC, 12th Report, Part VII, p. 51; and Carl Niemeyer, "Henry Killigrew and the Duke of Buckingham", Review of English Studies, XII (1936), 326-28. Pepys, Diary: 22 July: Creed tells me of the fray between the Duke of Buckingham at the Duke's playhouse the last Saturday (and it is the first day I have heard that they have acted at either the King's or Duke's house this month or six weeks) and Henry Killigrew, whom the Duke of Buckingham did soundly beat and take away his sword, and make a fool of, till the fellow prayed him to spare his life; and I am glad of it; for it seems in this business the Duke of Buckingham did carry nimself very innocently and well

Event Comment: Benefit for the Relief of the Widows and Orphans of the brave Men who fell in the late Glorious Actions [on 1 June 1794], under Earl Howe. The Whole Receipt of the Night to be applied to the above Fund. Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. The Tickets for the Boxes at Half-a-Guinea each, are issued under the Direction of a Committee consisting of the following Noblemen and Gentlemen, who have obligingly undertaken to attend to the arrangements of the Evening: The Duke of Leeds, The Duke of Bedford, The Earl of Lauderdale, Lord Mulgrave, Lord William Russel, The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor [Paul Le Mesurier], Mr Alderman Coombe, Hon. Thos. Erskine, J. Nesbit Esq., I. B. Church Esq., W. Devaynes Esq., J. Taylor Vaughan Esq., J. J. Angerstein Esq., R. B. Sheridan Esq. Tickets and Places for the Boxes, not disposed of by the Committee, to be had of Fosbrook, at the Box-Office, Little Russel-Street. Tickets also to be had at the Bar of Lloyd's Coffee House. Afterpiece [1st time; ENT 2, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and James Cobb; with songs written by the Duke of Leeds, the Earl of Mulgrave, Mary Robinson, Joseph Richardson, &c. In 1797 altered as CAPE ST. VINCENT. Prologue by Joseph Richardson (London Chronicle, 4 July). Epilogue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]: The Music composed and selected by Storace [with one song each by Reeve. Linley Sen., Michael Kelly]. The Dresses, Scenery and Machinery entirely New. "This piece is a sort of continuation of No Song No Supper...hastily put together for the occasion" (European Magazine, July 1794, p. 60). "The Theatre this Evening was crowded in every Part, the receipt amounting to something better than 1300 Guineas" (Powell). Powell, 1 July: Country Girl rehearsed at 10; Glorious First at 12 and at night. 2 July: Glorious First rehearsed at 10. Receipts: #1,526 11s. (450/6/0; 41/13/0; 0/12/6; tickets in boxes: 954/0/0; tickets in pit: 80/0/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: The United Company. There is uncertainty concerning this date; it appears on Luttrell's copy (Huntington Library) of the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue, and the date may represent the time of his purchase rather than a date of performance. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 141-45. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 39-40): All the preceding Plays, being the chief that were Acted in Dorset-Garden, from November 1671, to the Year 1682; at which time the Patentees of each Company United Patents; and by so Incorporating the Duke's Company were made the King's Company, and immediately remov'd to the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. Upon this Union, Mr Hart being the Heart of the Company under Mr Killigrew's Patent never Acted more, by reason of his Malady; being Afflicted with the Stone and Gravel, of which he Dy'd some time after: Having a Sallary of 40 Shillings a Week to the Day of his Death. But the Remnant of that Company; as, Major Mohun, Mr Cartwright, Mr Kynaston, Mr Griffin, Mr Goodman, Mr Duke Watson, Mr Powel, Sr, Mr Wiltshire, Mrs Corey, Mrs Bowtell, Mrs Cook, Mrs Montfort. [Joined the new company]. Note, now Mr Monfort and Mr Carlile, were grown to the Maturity of good Actors. The mixt Company then Reviv'd the several old and Modern Plays, that were the Propriety of Mr Killigrew, as Rule a Wife, and have a Wife: Mr Betterton Acting Michael Perez; Don Leon, Mr Smith, Cacofogo, Mr Cartwright: Margaretta, Mrs Barry: Estiphania, Mrs Cook. Next, @The Scornful Lady.@The Plain Dealer.@The Mock Astrologer.@The Jovial Crew.@The Beggars Bush.@Bartholomew-Fair.@The Moor of Venice.@Rollo.@The Humorous Lieutenant.@The Double Marriage.@ With divers others. George Powell, Preface to The Treacherous Brothers (1690): The Time was, upon the uniting of the Two Theatres, that the Reviveing of the old stock of Plays, so ingrost the study of the House, that the Poets lay dorment; and a new Play cou'd hardly get admittance, amongst the more precious pieces of Antiquity, that then waited to walk the Stage. Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 95-96): I shall content myself with telling you that Mohun and Hart now growing old [for, above thirty Years before this Time, they had severally born the King's Commission of Major and Captain in the Civil Wars), and the younger Actors, as Goodman, Clark, and others, being impatient to get into their Parts, and growing intractable, the Audiences too of both Houses then falling off, the Patentees of each, by the King's Advice, which perhaps amounted to a Command, united their Interests and both Companies into one, exclusive of all others in the Year 1682. This Union was, however, so much in favour of the Duke's Company, that Hart left the Stage upon it, and Mohun survived not long after

Event Comment: Know all men by these presents, that Colley Cibber, Esq</a>; of the Parish of St/James's in the County of Middlesex, for and in consideration of the sum of Eighty Pounds of lawful Mony of Great Britain to him in hand paid by John Watts of London, Stationer, he the said Colley Cibber, Esq; hath bargained, sold and assigned, and set over, and by these presents doth bargain, sell, assign and set over all that the full and sole right and title, of, in and to the copy of a Tragedy, intitled, Papal Tyranny in the Reign of King John, written by the said Colley Cibber, Esq; to have and to hold the said copy of the said tragedy unto the said John Watts, his heirs and assigns for ever, notwithstanding any act or law to the contrary: In witness whereof the said Colley Cibber, Esq; hath hereunto sett his hand and seal this twentieth day of February, 1744/5. [Signed] C. Cibber. [Witnesses] James Webster, John Mark Bimson. [Original Document in Folger Shakespeare Library, validated by three Sixpence stamps, and Cibber's seal. Case No. 993 among Cibber documents.