Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: So resolved to take my wife to a play at court to-night, and the rather because it is my birthday....While my wife dressed herself, Creed and I walked out to see what play was acted to-day, and we find it The Slighted Mayde. But, Lord! to see that though I did know myself to be out of danger, yet I durst not go through the street, but round by the garden into Tower Street. By and by took coach, and to the Duke's house, where we saw it well acted, thought the play hath little good in it, being most pleased to see the little girl [Moll Davis] dance in boy's apparel, she having very fine legs, only bends in the hams, as I perceive all women do

Event Comment: Flora's Figarys appears in Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 148, under this date. As Flora's Vagaries, it had been acted at Christ Church, Oxford, on 8 Jan. 1663. The play was not published before 1670, and the entry in Herbert's list has sometimes been regarded as the date of licensing, sometimes as the date of a performance in London. Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 427, assigned it to ca. January 1662@3 at Vere St, presumably because "Mr Bird" in the cast in the quarto of 1670 referred to Theophilus Bird, who died before 3 Nov. 1663. But the cast in the edition of 1670 is presumably that for 5 Oct. 1667, when Pepys saw the play and referred to Nell Gwyn and Mrs Knepp as acting in it; they, too, are listed in the quarto of 1670 but could hardly have played in it in 1663. If the cast in the 1670 edition is not that for 3 Nov. 1663 and if the "Mr Bird" is Theophilus Bird Jr, then the obstacles to consiuering 3 Nov. 1663 as the date of a performance rather than of licensing are less formidable. [I am indebted to professor John Harold Wilson for much of this argument.

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: Thence to Islington, and so to St John's to the Red Bull, and there saw the latter part of a rude prize fought

Event Comment: A facsimile of a bill announcing A Trial of Skill at this playhouse, 30 May 1664, is in Rariora, ed. John Eliot Hodgkin (London, n.d.), III, 53-54. See also William VanLennep, The Death of the Red Bull, Theatre Notebook, XVI (1962), 133-34

Event Comment: Henry Muddiman, 29 Nov. 1666: The Players have upon great proffers of disposing a large share to charitable uses prevailed to have liberty to act at Both Houses, which they begin this day (CSPD, Charles II, clxxcii, 6, in Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 250). A manuscript prologue for the opening of the theatre in Bridges Street is in J. Payne Collier's MS Restoration Stage History, Part I, p. 106, in the Houghton Library, Harvard. The Diary of John Milward, Esq., ed. Caroline Robbins (Cambridge, 1938), p. 49: This day at my coming to the House [of Commons] it moved that plays might be tolerated and acted in the common theatres, and whether any members of the House of Commons should be admitted to go to acts of the playhouses, but it was not resolved

Event Comment: In April or May 1667, probably, John Dryden's The Wild Gallant may have been revived, perhaps because of the success of Secret Love. The 1667 edition of The Wild Gallant, which was entered in the Stationers' Register, 7 Aug. 1667, contains: A Prologue to The Wild Gallant revived. An Epilogue to The Wild Gallant revived

Event Comment: [The Duke's Company. For Harris' role, see Pepys, 11 May 1668. For Angel as Stephano, see An Elegy Upon...Mr Edward Angell, reprinted in A Little Ark, pp. 38-39: @Who shall play Stephano now? your Tempest's gone@To raise new Storms i' th' hearts of every one.@ For Underhill as Trincalo, note his nickname of Prince Trincalo. (For Mary Davis as Ariel and Mrs Long as Hypolito, see J. H. Wilson, All the King's Ladies, pp. 140, 166.) Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33): The Tempest...Acted in Lincolns-Inn-Fields...alter'd by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden before 'twas made into an Opera. Pepys, Diary: At noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go see The Tempest, an old play of Shakespeare's, acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full; the King and Court there: and the most innocent play that ever I saw; and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on the latter, which is mighty pretty. The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. Thence home with Sir W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with the play

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: I met Rolt and Sir John Chichly, and Harris, the player, and there we talked of many things, and particularly of Catiline, which is to be suddenly acted at the King's house; and there all agree that it cannot be well done at that house, there not being good actors enow: and Burt acts Cicero, which they all conclude he will not be able to do well. The King gives them #500 for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. Thence home for dinner, and would have had Harris home with me, but it was too late for him to get to the playhouse after it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Away to my wife at the Duke of York's house, in the pit, and so left her; and to Mrs Pierce, and took her and her cozen Corbet, Knepp and little James, and brought them to the Duke's house; and, the house being full, was forced to carry them to a box, which did cost me 20s., besides oranges, which troubled me, though their company did please me. Thence, after the play, stayed till Harris was undressed, there being acted The Tempest, and so he withall, all by coach, home

Event Comment: This performance was recorded by Count Dona of Sweden (Seaton, Literary Relationships, pp. 337-38). Evelyn, Diary: This Evening I saw the Trajedie of Horace (written by the virtuous Mrs Philips) acted before their Majesties: 'twixt each act a Masque & Antique: daunced: The excessive galantry of the Ladies was infinite, Those especially on that...Castlemaine esteemed at 40,000 pounds & more: & far out shining the Queene &c. BM Add. Mss. 36916, folio 62: This night there is a play Acted at court by the Dutchess of Monmouth Countess of Castlemain and others. The Countess is adorned with Jewells to the Value of #200,000 the Crowne Jewells being taken from the Tower for her. There are none but the Nobility admitted to see it. The play is Madam Phillips translation of Corneiles Horace, finished by Sr John Denham

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Although this performance is not certainly the premiere, it is the earliest known acting of the play. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 14. John Boyle, Fifth Earl of Orrery: Master Anthony too the sequel of Guzman was after Lord Orrery's Death brought upon the Stage, but being disrelish'd by the Audience appear'd only one Night. It is probable The Author had not supervis'd and corrected It sufficiently before he died (The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, ed. W. S. Clark II, II, 950). If these private notes, written some fifty years after the premiere, are correct, this performance may have been the premiere and the only day of acting it

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: 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 King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: Whence to see the Duke of Buckingam's ridiculous farce & Rhapsody called the Recital, bouffoning all Plays yet prophane enough. In a collection of broadsides (Bodleian Wood 417) A Ballad (on Buckingham and his son) has some lines which apparently refer to a performance: @I confess the Dances were very well Writ, @And the Tune and the Time by Haynes as well Hit, @And Littlewood's Motion and Dress had much Wit: @But when his Poet John Bayes did appear, @'Tis known to more than half that were there, @The greatest part was his own Character.

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 Diary of Robert Hooke, 1672-1678: at Scaramuches at york house. present: the King, Duke of York, Lord Ormond &c. (ed. H. W. Robinson and Walter Adams [London, 1935], p. 42). See slso Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 118-19, and John Harold Wilson, A Theatre in York House, Theatre Notebook, XVI (1962), 75-78

Event Comment: The King's Company acted at Oxford. John Dryden wrote a Prologue, To the University of Oxon, Spoken by Mr Hart, at the Acting of The Silent Woman, 1673, and an Epilogue, Spoken by the Same. There were first printed in the 1684 Miscellany Poems

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. There is considerable uncertainty as to when the first performance occurred, but it appears to have been acted first at court. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 131-34. The first Prologue, written by Lord Mulgrove, and the second, written by Lord Rochester, are in A Collection of Poems Written upon several Occasions by several Persons (1673). Roger North: And now we turne to the Publik theatres. It had bin strange if they had not observed this promiscuous tendency to musick, and not have taken it into their scenes and profited by it. The first proffer of theirs, as I take it, was in a play of the thick-sculd-poetaster Elkanah Settle, called The Empress of Morocco; which had a sort of masque poem of Orfeus and Euridice, set by Mr M. Lock, but scandalously performed. It begins The Groans of Ghosts, &c. and may be had in print (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 306)

Event Comment: A disturbance occurred at this theatre on this day. Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 21 March 1673@4: His Maty has also been pleased to Order ye Recorder of London to examine ye Disorders & disturbances on Tuesday last at ye Dukes Theatre by some persons in drink (John Harold Wilson, Theatre Notes, p. 79). See also CSPD, 1673-1675, p. 231

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 10 Sept. 1674: This Evening their Maty & Court are diverted by a play Acted by his Royall Hss Servants at Whitehall. [Transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson.

Event Comment: Preparations for the production of a play (Calisto) at court in midwinter had been underway by this time. On this day Margaret Blagge wrote to John Evelyn: the play goes on mightily, which I hoped would never have proceeded farther....Would you believe it, there are some that envy me the honour (as they esteeme it) of acting in this play (The Life of Mrs Godolphin, ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford [1847], p. 96. See also pp. 93-95.). Several orders for costumes, scenes, and properties dated through the winter offer valuable information concerning details of the preparations. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 357-58, p. 43n; Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 178-227

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: Evelyn, Diary: [I] heard Signor Francisco on the Harpsichord, esteem'd on[e] of the most excellent masters in Europe on that Instrument: then came Nicholao Matteis? with his Violin & struck all mute, but Mrs Knight, who sung incomparably, & doubtlesse has the greatest reach of any English Woman; she had lately ben roming in Italy: & was much improv'd in that quality: Then was other Musique, & this Consort was at Mr Slingsbys Master of the Mint, my worthy friend, & great a lover of musique. [For a contemporary account of Matteis, see Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson (London, 1959), pp. 307-11.

Event Comment: [Evelyn, Diary: [I] was at the repetition of the Pastoral, on which [occasion] my friend Mrs Blagg, had about her neere 20.000 pounds worth of Jewells, of which one she lost, borrowed of the Countesse of Suffolck, worth about 80 pounds, which the Duke made good; & indeede the presse of people was so greate, that it was a wonder she lost no more. There is some doubt that this was a full performance of the work, for Evelyn refers to it as "the repetition" and other evidence points to 15 Feb. 1674@5 as the first complete production. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81. It is probable that Mrs Blagge's loss of jewels occurred, not on this date, but on 15 Feb. 1674@5. For a more complete account of that incident, see The Life of Mrs Godolphin by John Evelyn of Wotton, ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford (London, 1874), pp. 97-101. See also 15 Feb. 1674@5

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 958, 21-25 Jan. 1674@5: Mr John Bannister that lived in White-Fryers, is removed to Shandois-street, Covent-garden, and there intends to Entertain, as formerly, on Tuesday next, and likewise every Evening for the future, Sundays only excepted