Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This is the third in the series of Court performances in L. C. 5@145, p. 120: Sir Fopling Flutter. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 11 Feb. 1679@80

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This is another in the series of Court performances in L. C. 5@145, p. 120. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 11 Feb. 1679@80. Mountstevens to Henry Stevens, 20 Feb. 1679@80: Upon Sunday the Court is to be in mourning for the death of the Princess Elizabeth, sister to Prince Rupert. (R. W. Blencowe, Diary of the Time of Charles the Second [London, 1843], I, 283)

Event Comment: Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 34-35): The 26th, Mrs Ellen Gwyn being at the dukes playhouse, was affronted by a person who came into the pitt and called her whore; whom Mr Herbert, the earl of Pembrokes brother, vindicating, there were many swords drawn, and a great hubbub in the house

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This is another in the series of Court performances in L. C. 5@145, p. 120. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 11 Feb. 1679@80. It should be noted that not only is this date a Friday in Lent but it is also during the period of mourning for the Princess Elizabeth. Yet to place this performance in 1681 would make it fall on Sunday

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: March 6 Saturday: See 2 acts of the New Play Orphan (Mornamont MS II, f. 1207, Cambridge University Library)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is another in the sequence of plays acted at court in L. C. 5@145, p. 120: Night's Intrigue. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350, and 11 Feb. 1679@80. If this performance were placed on 6 March 1680@1, it would fall on Sunday

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known; an entry in L. C. 5@145, p. 120, lists it for 1 March, but leaves the year in question. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349. Because the Prologue upbraids the audience for deserting Dorset Garden to see The Female Prelate at Drury Lane (beginning 31 May 1680) and because the Epilogue refers to railing at the Penny Post, a service inaugurated on 1 April 1680, a performance in mid-June 1680 seems the likely first production. If so, the L. C. entry for 1 March probably represents a revival for 1 March 1680@1. A song, Bonny lass gin thou wert mine, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. For Leigh as Sir Jolly and Nokes as Sir Davy, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 147-48. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 36): These two Comedies [The Soulder's Fortune and D'Urfey's The Fond Husband] took extraordinary well, and being perfectly Acted; got the Company great Reputation and Profit

Event Comment: The King's Company. The Newdigate newsletters, 3 June 1680: But on Wednesday the Duchesse of Portsmouth to disoblige Mr Settle the Poet carryed all the Court with her to the Dukes house to see Macbeth (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 80)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play appears on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120--see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349--without an assigned year. For arguments against assigning it to 1 March 1679@80, see the discussion in mid-June1680

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120--see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349--immediately following the 1 March listing for The Soldier's Fortune. Because The Spanish Fryar was apparently a newly acted play on 1 Nov. 1680, the performance on this L. C. list is assigned to 8 March 1680@1 rather than to 8 March 1679@80

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120: with ye Q: & a Box for ye Maides of Honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but as the play was entered in the Term Catalogues, November 1681, it was probably first given in September, certainly not later than October. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 38-39): Being a kind of Opera, having several Machines of Flyings for the Witches, and other Diverting Contrivances in't: All being well perform'd, it prov'd beyond Expectation; very Beneficial to the Poet and Actors. Edition of 1682, To the Reader: I heard that great opposition was design'd against the Play (a month before it was acted)...The Master of the Revels (who I must confess used me civilly enough) Licenc'd it at first with little alteration: But there came such an Alarm to him...that upon a Review, he expunged all that you see differently Printed, except about a dozen lines which he struck out at the first reading....I had so numerous an assembly of the best sort of men, who stood so generously in my defence, for the first three days, that they quash'd all the vain attempts of my Enemies, the Inconsiderable Party of Hissers yielded, and the Play lived in spight of them

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell dated his copy, 17 Dec. 1681; hence a November 1681 first production is likely. See VanLennep, Two Restoration Comedies, pp. 57-58

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but a reference in the Prologue to the "Ignoramus" Jury (24 Nov. 1681) and the entering of the play in the Term Catalogues in February 1681@2 (and its advertisement in Domestick Intelligence, 2-6 Feb. 1681@2) suggest a premiere in December 1681

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. A performance of this play is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120. The entry is not clear, but it appears to be Jany 24, although Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349, reads it as June 24

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Lady Anne Howe to the Countess of Rutland, 26 Jan. 1681@2: The King went by water to the new play yesterday, it being the poet's day, and is call'd the Loyallest (HMC, Rutland MSS., 12th Report, Appendix, Part V, p. 64). Newsletter, 26 Jan. 1681@2: Yesterday was a new play called the Royalist, where the Salamanca Doctor is exposed (HMC, 10th Report, Appendix, Part IV, p. 175)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company received the customary payment of #20. See A Calendar of the Inner Temple Records, ed. Inderwick, III, 183

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349

Event Comment: Impartial Protestant Mercury, 2 May 1682: Mr Charles? Deering? son to Sr Edward D., and Mr Vaughan?, quarrelled in the Duke's Playhouse, and presently mounted the stage and fought, and Mr D. was dangerously wounded, and Mr V. secured lest it should prove mortal. [See also, Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 80.

Event Comment: On this date the officers of the Duke's Company and the King's Company entered into agreements to merge the two companies. For details, see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 271; Fitzgerald, A New History, I, 154-58; and Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 296-97. See also Langhans, New Restoration Theatre Accounts, p. 122, for evidence that the union had been effectively made by 13 May 1682. See page 123 for evidence that the company probably acted continuously to 7 August 1682, then closed until early October. But see 10 August 1682

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Loyal Protestant, 20 May 1682: May 18. Yesterday his Excellency the Morocco Embassador was entertain'd at His Royal Highness's Theatre with a Play, called, Sir Timothy Treat all. [See also True Protestant Mercury, 17-20 May 1682; Luttrell, A Brief Relation, I, 187; Wilson, More Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters," p. 59.

Event Comment: A poem--To the Duke on His Return. Written by Nat. Lee--was separately printed in 1682, and Luttrell's copy (Huntington Library) is dated 29 May 1682. A note on the Folger Shakespeare Library copy states that the lines were spoken at the King's Theatre, but the date on which it was recited is uncertain. The poem has been reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 113-15

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Newdigate newsletters, 17 June 1682: And the Mor. Embr...this day...took his leave of ye Playhouse having seen Epsom Wells (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, pp. 80-81)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Newdigate newsletters, 8 July 1682: The Bantam Embrs...this afternoon took yr leave of ye playhouse the Empresse of Morocco being acted (Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81)