Event Comment: Pepys, 7 March, refers to a new play at the King's Theatre. Possibly it was Thomas Porter's The Carnival, published in 1664, with no actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue, and announced in The Intelligencer, 2 May 1664

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of this Performance is stated as 16 Feb. (L. C. records) or 17 Feb. (Peregrine Bertie), but as Lent began on Wednesday 17 Feb., the performance probably occurred on Shrove Tuesday. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, P. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350. Peregrine Bertie to the Countess of Rutland, 17 Feb. 1685@6: To night will be the last play at court, they tell mee 'tis the Mocke Astrologer (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, p. 105). John Povey to Sir Robert Southwell, 18 Feb. 1685@6: Sir, the enclosed had been sent last post, had it not been detained late by a play at Court which ended our Carnival. The night before the King and Queen were entertained by the Lord President at a ball or masque in Lady Portsmouth's lodgings. The Masquers were twelve couples whose habits were of several nations' and prescribed by a picture sent to each of them from the Queen, and the least habit cost !bove a hundred Pounds, and some above three hundred pounds, besides jewels of which Mrs Fox and some others had above thirty thousand pounds value each (Savile-Finch Correspondence, Add. Mss. 28,569; I owe this quotation to Professor John Harold Wilson)

Event Comment: [MMrs Midnight will entertain the Town with her Grand Carnival Concert. After the Concert, gratis, will be given...at Bence's Booth, upper end of Bowling Green. The Afterpiece: a Pantomime Burletta by the Company of Lilliputians. To begin at 12 Noon each day. To prevent mistaking the Booth, Mrs Midnight has thought proper to hoist English Colours. [Bill repeated each day.

Event Comment: The Carnival of Venice [announced on playbill of 31 Dec] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of Dodd. Receipts: #104 3s. 6d. (70/5/0; 33/6/0; 0/12/6)

Event Comment: The Carnival of Venice [announced on playbill of 1 Apr.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of a principal Performer. Receipts: #103 10s. (81/7; 21/18; 0/5)

Event Comment: The King's Company. For the identification of this play and details of its performance, see W. J. Lawrence, "Foreign Singers and Musicians at the Court of Charles II," Musical Quarterly, IX (1923), 217-25, and James G. McManaway, "Entertainment for the Grand Duke of Tuscany," Theatre Notebook, XVI (1961), 20-21. The Travels of Cosmo the Third [Monday 3 June 1669 NS; Monday 24 May 1669 OS]: In the afternoon his highness left home earlier than usual to make his visits, that he might be at the King's Theatre in time for the comedy, and a ballet set on foot and got up in honor of his highness by my Lord Stafford, uncle of the Duke of Norfolk. On arriving at the theatre, which was sufficiently lighted on the stage and on the walls to enable the spectators to see the scenes and the performances, his highness seated himself in a front box, where, besides enjoying the pleasure of the spectacle, he passed the evening in conversation with the Venetian ambassador, the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Stafford, and other noblemen. To the story of Psyche, the daughter of Apollo, which abounded with beautiful incidents, all of them adapted to the performers and calculated to express the force of love, was joined a well-arranged ballet, regulated by the sound of various instruments, with new and fanciful dances after the English manner, in which different actions were counterfeited, the performers passing gracefully from one to another, so as to render intelligible, by their movements, the acts they were representing. This spectacle was highly agreeable to his highness from its novelty and ingenuity; and all parts of it were likewise equally praised by the ladies and gentlemen, who crouded in great numbers to the theatre, to fill the boxes, with which it is entirely surrounded, and the pit, and to enjoy the performance, which was protracted to a late hour of the night (pp. 347-48). In BM Add. Mss. 10117, folio 230, Rugge's Diurnall states that towards the end of May 1669 Cosmo, Prince of Tuscany had several plays acted for him

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Man, 28-30 April 1696: The Venetian Ambassadors went yesterday to see a Play called the Indian Queen, accompanied by about 30 persons in 6 coaches

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of their Excellencies, the Venetian Ambassadors Entraordinary

Event Comment: [Written by Lewis Theobald.] The Music by Mr Galliard. By Subscription. A new Comic-Dramatic Opera. With all new Cloaths, and the Scenes are Machines after the Venetian Manner. N.B. There are above two Thousand Ells of Cloath employ'd in the Painting. Pit and Boxes by tickets only. Stage Boxes 15s. First Gallery 3s. Box in the Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d

Event Comment: During the short time of Bartholomew Fair, which begins this Day, Mrs Midnight from the Haymarket, will entertain the Town with her Jubilee Concert, after the Venetian Manner at the Large Room, Swan Yard, West Smithfield. Mrs Midnight humbly entreats the Nobility and Gentry not to encore any of her Performers on account of the Shortness of the Fair. The Room to be illuminated with Wax Lights. A Flag will be hoisted, during the Fair, over the Passage leading to my Room. To begin each Day at 12 Noon. Prices 3s., 2s., 1s. Mrs Midnight Entertains, gratis, with La Je Ne Sca Quoi

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee, at the Particular Desire of His Excellency Chevalier Morosini, the Venetian Ambassador. Tickets deliver'd for Oroonoko will be taken. Mainpiece for the last time this season. Afterpiece: By Desire, not acted these 3 years. [See 23 Nov. 1761.