Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on L. C. list, 5@147, p. 260: The King & Queene & a Box for ye Maydes of honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351. Langhans, New Restoration Theatre Accounts, pp. 127-28, thinks that acting resumed on 27 Sept. 1686 and continued to 25 June 1687, with 30 Performances from 25 June to 12 Oct

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 260: The King & Queene & a box for ye Maydes of Honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 361: The King & Queene & a Box for ye Maides of Honor at ye Rehearsall. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 361: The King & Queene & a Box for ye Maides of Honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 22 Oct. 1687: There are to be 5 Pageants on the Ld Mayors day one representing Liberty by a Beautifull young Lady attended with Riches Plenty and ffreedom &c. (transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 418): The 29th was the anniversary of the lord mayors show, the new one, sir John Shorter, now entring on his office; the shew was splendid and the entertainment great, according to custome: his majestie, with the prince of Denmark, did the citty the honour to dine with them at Guildhall, as also the nobility, foreign ministers, amongst which was the popes nuncio (who was invited particularly by some of the aldermen): the streets were new gravell'd all that morning on one side of the way, from Charing-crosse to the citty, for his majesties passage. His majestie was well satisfied with the whole entertainment. The Duke of Beaufort to the Duchess, 29 Oct. 1687 [a summary, apparently]: Has just come from the greatest entertainment he ever saw at a Lord Mayor's feast in the city, and the best ordered, though there was the greatest concourse there and in the streets that was ever known, and the greatest acclamations, all through the city as the King passed. The Queen did not dare venture, remembering that the Bristol entertainment had put her out of order, but all the nobility in town, and the foreign ministers were there. The Pope's Nuncio in particular was invited by the Lord Mayor and nobly entertained (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., Part IX, pp. 90-91)

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@148, p. 145. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351. By this time Henry Purcell had apparently composed the Act tunes for this play. See Purcell, Works, The Purcell Society, XVI (1906), xxxii. Luttrell [A Brief Relation, I, 431): The 6th was observed as a festival of joy for the king s comeing to the crown;...and at night was a play at court

Event Comment: Luttrell, A Brief Relation: The 18th, upon the water before Whitehall, in a great barge, was performed an exercise of musick, vocall and instrumental, by the kings musick (I, 445). B. M. Sloane MS 3929, newsletter, 23 June 1688: on Monday night a great performance was upon the water of Vocal and Instrumental Musique in a Barge borrowed from one of the Companies of London stuck around with lighted fflambeaux, and many of the Nobility and Gentry invited thereto (transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). J. Pulver, A Biographical Dictionary of Old English Music (London, 1927), under John Abell: The Barge was decorated and illuminated by numerous torches....The performers, vocal and instrumental, amounted to one hundred and thirty....Nobility and company that was upon the water gave three shouts to express their joy and satisfaction; and all the gentlemen of the musick went to Mr Abell's house, which was nobly illuminated and honoured with the presence of a great Company of the nobility

Event Comment: In The Theatre of Compliment, 1688, are verses similar to those apparently referring to August 1686: @Here is the Rarity of the whole Fair,@Pimper-la-Pimp, and the Wise Dancing Mare;@Here's valiant St George and the Dragon, a farce;@Here's Vienna Besieged, a most delicate thing;@And here's Punchinello, shown thrice to the King.@ John Verney entertained some of his wife's family who were in town to see Bartholomew Fair. See Memoirs of the Verney Family, ed. Margaret M. Verney (London, 1699), IV, 435

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2500, 24-28 Oct. 1699: Whereas the Consort of Musick, lately in Bow-street, being remov'd to York Buildings, intended to have begun this present Munday, but upon an urgent occasion, are forc'd to defer it till the Monday after the King's Birth-day, being the 11th of November, and so continue every Munday for the future. [See also 17 Oct. 1689.

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@149, p. 368: The Queene a Box, and a Box for the Maids Honor at Don Sebastian King of Portugal. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 352. There is no certainly that this is the first performance. The play was entered in the Stationers' Register, 15 Dec. 1689. See also Charles E. Ward, The Life of John Dryden (Chapel Hill, N. C., 1961), pp. 242-46. Preface, Edition of 1690: I am...to acknowledge, with all manner of gratitude, their civility; who were pleas'd to endure it with so much patience....Above twelve hundred lines have been cut off from this tragedy since it was first deliver'd to the actors. They were indeed so judiciously lopt by Mr Betterton, to whose care and excellent action I am equall y oblig'd, that the connexion of the story was not lost. Does a cryptic remark by Huygens, 3 Dec. 1689 OS, refer to this play: Dat dat geklap met de handen in comedie, onlanxgebeurt, als er gesproken wierd van een Coning, die wederom quam in sign rijck, van seer quade consequentie was. Dat voorseker de Con. too mercifull was, en dat er mosten exempelen gestatueert werden (Journal van Constantijn Huygens, Dutch Historical Society Transactions, New Series, XXIII [Utrecht, 18-212)

Event Comment: Luttrell (A Brief Relation, II, I): The same day [1 Jan.] the king and queen came to Whitehall, where many of the nobility and gentry came to wish them a happy new year; and there was a great consort of musick, vocal and instrumental, and a song composed by the poet laureat

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue bear a licensing date of 17 March 1689@90 suggests a first performance near that date, as on many Previous occasions the separately-printed prologues and epilogues appeared almost simultaneously with the first performance. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 287-89. A song, I once had virtue, wealth, and fame, the music by R. King, is in The Banquet of Musick, The Fifth Book, 1691

Event Comment: The United Company. This play was apparently never published, but it was mentioned in the Prologue to King Edward the Third (ca. Nov. 1690) and again in tne Gentleman's Journal, Jan. 1691@2. Gentleman's Journal, Jan. 1691@2: You have often ask'd me, who was the author of that, call'd The Gordian Knot unty'd; and wondred, with many more, why it was never printed. I hear that Gentleman who writ lately a most ingenious Dialogue concerning Women, now translated into French, is the Author of that witty Play, and it is almost a Sin in him to keep It and his name from the world. [This statement points to William Walsh's A Dialogue Concerning Women, Being a Defence of the Sex. Written to Eugenia (London, 1691).] Henry Purcell wrote the instrumental music for this work. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), vii

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 369. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 352. In L. C. 5@150, p. 156, is an order to prepare the stage for the play, and, in L. C. 5@150, p. 164, is another order for new equipment. Luttrell, A Brief Relation, II, 125: The 4th, being his majesties birth day...and at night was a consort of musick, and a play afterwards. Matthew Prior wrote A Pindarique Ode which was sung before Their Majesties at court on this day. See The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, ed. H. B. Wright and M. K. Spears (Oxford, 1959), I, 96-98; II, 858. Cibber, Apology, I, 128: The agreeable was so natural to [Mountfort], that even in that dissolute Character of the Rover he seem'd to wash off the Guilt from Vice, and gave it Charms and Merit. For tho' it may be a Reproach to the Poet to draw such Characters not only unpunish'd but rewarded, the Actor may still be allow'd his due Praise in his excellent Performance. And this is a Distinction which, when this Comedy was acted at Whitehall, King William's Queen Mary was pleas'd to make in favour of Monfort, notwithstanding her Disapprobation of the Play

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2697, 14-17 Sept. 1691: The Great Room next Bedford-Gate in Charles-street, Covent-Garden being now enlarging to a far greater Dimension for the Convenience of Mr Frank's and Mr King's Musick

Event Comment: A warrant, L. C. 5@150, p. 306, in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 357, dated this day calls for a payment of L10 to William Mountfort for King Edward the Third, acted on an unspecified date before the Queen

Event Comment: The United Company. Tne date of the first performance is not known, but the Gentleman's Journal, March 1692 (licensed 9 March 1691@2), refers to its having already been produced. See also a letter concerning it dated 19 Jan. 1691@2. Probably the play was given in early February 1692. A song, How long must women wish in vain, the music by Robert King, is in Comes Amoris, The Fourth Book, 1693. Gentleman's Journal, March 1692: We have had lately a new Play, called, The Innocent Impostors. It hath been acted four times. Mr Shadwell Poet-Laureat, usher'd it into the Stage. It is said that the Author of it is not one of the Laity; therefore since he desires not to be known, I shall not presume to let you know his Name, tho the Play being Historical, and altogether of the Tragick kind, and withal treated with all the decency imaginable, can never be inglorious to its ingenious Author

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is stated in Luttrell, A Brief Relation, II, 435, 28 April 1692: On Monday will be acted a new opera, call the Fairy Queen: exceeds former playes: the clothes, scenes, and musick cost 3000#. [According to Some Select Songs As they are Sung in the Fairy Queen (1692) tne singers were Mrs Ayliff, Mrs Dyer, Freeman, Mrs Butler, and Pate. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XII (1903), ii; E. W. White, Early Performances of Purcell's Operas, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59 ), 45; and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter IV.] Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 42-43: The Fairy Queen, made into an Opera, from a Comedy of Mr Shakespeare s: This in Ornaments was Superior to the other Two [King Arthur and The Prophetess]; especially in Cloaths, for all the Singers and Dancers, Scenes, Machines and Decorations, all most profusely set off; and excellently perform'd, chiedly the Instrumental and Vocal part Compos'd by the said Mr Purcel, and Dances by Mr Priest. The Court and Town were wonderfully satisfy'd with it; but the Expences in setting it out being so great, the Company got very little by it. Gentleman's Journal, May 1692: The Opera of which I have spoke to you in my former hath at last appear'd, and continues to be represented daily: it is call'd, The Fairy Queen. The Drama is originally Shakespears, the Music and Decorations are extraordinary. I have heard the Dances commended, and without doubt the whole is very entertaining. [As the May issue of the Gentleman's Journal was licensed on 14 May, the statement that The Fairy Queen continued to be acted daily may indicate consecutive performances from 2 May to at le ast 14 May 1692.

Event Comment: Gentleman's Journal, November 1693: An Ode upon His Majesty's Birth-day, Set to Musick by Dr Staggins; and Perform'd before Their Majesties, Nov. 4. 1693. The Words by N. Tate, Servant to Their Majesties. [The Ode was published separately as a broadside in 1693. A song, Gallic force, in vain, set by Staggins and sung to the King on his birthday, is in Comes Amoris, The Fifth Book, 1694.

Event Comment: Post Man, 25 Sept. 1697: A Trumpet Song on the King, and a Song made for the Birth day of his Highness the Duke of Gloucester: with two Sonatas by Mr John Shore. And variety of other new Musick...being the last time of performance this Season

Event Comment: In L. C. 5@152, pp. 202, 220--see Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, p. 105--is a reference to a performance given jointly by both companies. As this was the customary date of the celebration of King William's birthday, this musical work was probably given on this day. The BM copy has a MS date of 29 Nov. 1697; and a dialogue from this work was noticed in the Post Boy, 30 Nov.-2 Dec. 1697. The music was composed by John Eccles

Event Comment: Post Man, No 419, 6-8 Jan. 1697@8: In York Buildings, on Monday the 10th of this instant January, at the request of several Persons of Quality, will be a Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, never performed there before; beginning at the usual Hour, for the benefit of Mr King and Mr Banister

Event Comment: Post Man, No 413, 13-15 Jan. 1697@8: The Consort of Musick, which was performed last Monday in York-Buildings, will be performed there again, with an Addition of new Musick on Monday next, being the 17th of this instant January: beginning at the usual hour, for the benefit of Mr King and Mr Banister

Event Comment: On this date the Czar of Muscovy attended an opera, but the title is not given. Lady Newton, Lyme Letter, 1660-1760, p. 209: On Saturday last the Czar of Muscovy, attended by the Marquis of Carmarthen, and some of his Bayers, was at the King's Playhouse in Drury Lane, and saw 3 acts of the Opera. Luttrell, A Brief Relation, IV, 343, 12 Feb. 1697@8: This evening the czar was at the playhouse in Drury Lane to see an opera