Event Comment: [By John Williams] At Mr Penkethman's Theatre. Benefit Author. At 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: In the Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library, is a broadside: A Lenten Prologue Refus'd by the Players. Luttrell's date of acquisition is 11 April 1683

Event Comment: The United Company. Newdigate newsletters, 2 June 1683: The same day [31 May] their Royall highnesses... in ye afternoone Countenanced a new play with their presences (Wilson, More Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 59). Wilson proposes that this play is Dame Dobson, as the separately Printed Prologue bears Luttrell's acquisition date of 1 June 1683 (Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library). The separately printed Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 176-78

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell's copy of the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue bears the date 12 Nov. 1683 (item 87, Sotheby's sale, 12 June 1939), and the premiere probably occurred shortly before that date. A revised version of the Epilogue, correcting errors, appeared almost immediately after the one first published; it bears Luttrell's date of 14 Nov. 1683. The Epilogue, in the revised version, bears the note: Written by Mr Dryden. The Prologue and both versions of the Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 183-87. In addition, a song, Awake O Constantine awake, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in The Theater of Music, 1865; it also appeared in A Collection of the Newest and Choicest Songs, 1864 (which bears Luttrell's date, 10 March 1683@4, Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library)

Event Comment: The United Company. An order, 9 Feb. 1683@4, in L. C. 5@145, p. 14 (Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 356), and another, L. C. I, specify requirements for a play to be acted at Whitehall on 11 Feb. 1683@4, and name Valentinian as the drama. The first Prologue and the Epilogue Written by a Person of Quality were printed separately; Luttrell's copy (Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library) is dated 20 Feb. 1683@4. They are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 249-51. It is not certain on what date the first performance occurred, for premieres at court are quite rare in the Restoration period. In Nahum Tate's Poems by Several Hands (1685): Sir Francis Fane: A Masque Made at the Request of the Earl of Rochester, for the Tragedy of Vadentinian. Downes (p. 40): The well performance, and the vast Interest the Author made in Town, Crown'd the Play, with great Gain of Reputation; and Profit to the Actors. For an intended cast of Rochester's alteration of the play by John Fletcher, see the introductory note to the season of 1675-76. In A Pastoral in French by Lewis Grabu (published in 1684; advertised in the London Gazette, No. 1947, 17 July 1684) are two songs for this play for which Grabu apparently composed the music: Injurious charmer of my vanquished heart and Kindness hath resistless charms. In Choice Ayres and Songs, The Fourth Book, 1684, is: A new Song in the late reviv'd Play, call'd Valentinian: Where would coy Aminta run [the composer of the music not being indicated]

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of this revival is not precisely known but that it occurred in mid-March is indicated by Luttrell's date of 21 March 1683@4 on his copy of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue (Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library). It should be noted, however, that Friday 21 March is a Friday in Lent, a day on which the companies sometimes did not act. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 202-6. When this play was advertised to be acted on 8 Nov. 1704, the bill bore the heading: "Not Acted these 20 Years." Langbaine (English Dramatic Poets, p. 37): This Play was reviv'd by the Players, since the Union of the Two Houses, and reprinted in quarto Lond. 1684 with a new Prologue and Epilogue, the former written by Jo. Haynes the Comedian

Event Comment: On this day Luttrell purchased a copy (Bindley Collection, William Andrew Clark@Jr@Library) of The Beggars Delight As it was Sung at the Theatre Royal, published in 1684 by J. Dean

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but Luttrell dated his copy of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue 4 June 1684 (Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library). Ordinarily the broadside prologues and epilogues appear to have been available shortly after the premier; hence, it is likely that this play appeared in the first week of June 1684. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 211-14

Event Comment: The United Company. This play may have been revived during this month or earlier. A song, Come Jug my honey let's to bed, the music by Thomas Farmer, sung by Reading and Mrs Norris, was printed in Choice New Songs never before Printed [by Thomas D'Urfey, 1684]. Luttrell purchased a copy of this collection on 8 Jan. 1684@5 (Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library)