Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Black Prince again: which is now mightily bettered by that long letter being printed, and so delivered to every body at their going in, and some short reference made to it in heart in the play, which do mighty well; but, when all is done, I think it is the worst play of my Lord Orrery's. But here, to my great satisfaction, I did see my Lord Hinchingbroke and his mistress, with her father and mother; and I am mightily pleased with the young lady, being handsome enough--and, indeed, to my great liking, as I would have her. I could not but look upon them all the play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: All alone to the King's house, and there sat in an upper box, to hide myself, and saw The Black Prince, a very good play; but only the fancy, most of it, the same as in the rest of my Lord Orrery's plays; but the dance very stately; but it was pretty to see how coming after dinner and with no company with me to talk to, and at a play that I had seen, and went to now not for curiosity but only idleness, I did fall asleep the former part of the play, but afterward did mind it and like it very well

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Prince. By reason of the Entertainment, the Play will be shortened. Boxes 6s., pit 4s., gallery 2s. 6d. [Genest, II, 293, lists this for 7 June.

Event Comment: Benefit Prince, the Dancing-Master

Event Comment: Benefit Raphael Courtivell Jr and the Two American Princes. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. [The King, Prince and Princess of Wales present.

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. [The Prince and Duke present.

Event Comment: A New Opera. [Librettist not known. Music by Handel.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 13 May: Last Night was perform'd ... Atalanta ...in which was a new Set of Scenes painted in Honour to this Happy Union, which took up the full length of the Stage: The Fore-part of the Scene represented an Avenue to the Temple of Hymen, adorn'd with Figures of several Heathen Deities. Next was a Triumphal Arch on the Top of which were the Arms of their Royal Highnesses, over which was placed a Princely Coronet. Under the Arch was the Figure of Fame, on a Cloud, sounding the Praises of this Happy Pair. The Names Fredericus and Augusta appear'd above in transparent Characters. Thro' the Arch was seen a Pediment supported by four Columns, on which stood two Cupids embracing, and supporting the Feathers, in a Princely Coronet, the Royal Ensign of the Prince of Wales. At the farther End was a View of Hymen's Temple, and the Wings were adorn'd with the Loves and Graces bearing Hymenael Torches, and putting Fire to Incense in Urns, to be ofter'd up upon this Joyful Union. The Opera concluded with a Grand Chorus, during which several beautiful Illuminations were display'd. . . . There were present their Majesties, the Duke, and the Four Princesses

Event Comment: [E+Edward the Black Prince, a new play by Mrs Hoper. Apparently not published.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Paid Dr Arne for composing the Music for the Fairy Prince #120 (Account Book). Receipts: #230 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: With an Additional Scene painted by Cipriani, Representing the taking of the Bohemian Standard at the Battle of Cressyv. In memory of which, the Princes of Wales have ever since borne three Ostrich Feathers (the Bohemian Standard) as their crest, with the original motto Ich Dien. This scene is pleasingly executed and has a very good effect, and is the work of that celebrated artist Cipriani (Theatrical Review, II, p. 36). Paid Whitefield a Bill for making cloaths #30 8s. 7d. (Account Book). Receipts: #184 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: "Edward the Black Prince was performed at the Royalty Theatre on Monday evening, by a private party of Gentlemen" (Morning Herald, 9 Mar., which makes no mention of an afterpiece)

Event Comment: The date of the first performance is not certainly known, but Pepys, on 2 July, saw Part II, stating that 2 July was the premiere of Part I and the opening of the Duke's Company's new theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 20-21): His [Davenant's] Company Rehears'd the First and Second Part of the Siege of Rhodes...at Pothecaries-Hall: And in Spring 1662 [1661], Open'd his House with the said Plays, having new Scenes and Decorations, being the first that e're were Introduc'd in England....All Parts being Justly and Excellently Perform'd; it continu'd Acting 12 Days without Interruption with great Applause. Downes, p. 34: I must not forget my self, being Listed for an Acotr in Sir William Davenant's Company in Lincolns-Inn-Fields: The very first Day of opening the House there, with the Siege of Rhodes, being to Act Haly; (The King, Duke of York, and all the Nobility in the House, and the first time the King was in a Publick Theatre). The sight of that August presence, spoil'd me for an Actor too. HMC, 10th Report, Appendix, Part IV, p. 21: @For the Siege of Rhodes all say@It is an everlasting play@Though they wonder now Roxalana is gon@What shift it makes to hold out so long@For when the second part took, butt for Bully@The first did not satisfie so fully.@ [Presumably this verse was written after Mrs Davenport left the stage, in 1662(?).

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To Sir William Davenant's Opera; this being the fourth day that it hath begun, and the first that I have seen it. To-day was acted the second part of The Siege of Rhodes. We staid a very great while for the King and the Queen of Bohemia. And by the breaking of a board over our heads, we had a great deal of dust fell into the ladies' necks and the men's hair, which made good sport. The King being come, the scene opened; which indeed is very fine and magnificent, and well acted, all but the Eunuch, who was so much out tha he was hissed off the stage

Event Comment: See Calendar of the Middle Temple Records, ed. Hopwood, p. 169, for a fee of #20 paid to Sir William Davenant's@company, the receipt being signed by Richard Baddeley; and for #1 5s. for baize to cover the stage and scenes. The play may well have been Love and Honour

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This apparently was not the first performance, but the time of premiere is not known. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Mercer to the Duke's house, and there saw The Rivalls, which is no excellent play, but good acting in it; especially Gosnell comes and sings and dances finely, but, for all that, fell out of the key, so that the musique could not play to her afterwards, and so did Harris also go out of the tune to agree with her. Downes (p. 23): The Rivals, A Play, Wrote by Sir William Davenant; having a very Fine Interlude in it, of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, mixt with very Diverting Dances: M Price introducing the Dancing, by a short Comical Prologue, gain'd him an Universal Applause of the Town....And all the Womens Parts admirably Acted; chiefly Celia, a Shepherdess being Mad for Love; especially in Singing several Wild and Mad Songs

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. An entry in the journal of William Hamon--see also Late January 1664--refers to a performance ca. 6 Jan. 1664@65: Item given my 4 sistars for the Rivalls 00 06 00 (Folger MS. v. a. 422)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. The date on the list seems to be "3," but as this is a Sunday, it is more likely "9." This performance may well be the one to which Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31) refers: Note, Mr Cademan in this Play [The Man's the Master], not long after our Company began in Dorset-Garden; his Part being to Fight with Mr Harris, was Unfortunately, with a sharp Foil pierc'd near the Eye, which so Maim'd both the Hand and his Speech, that he can make little use of either; for which Mischance, he has receiv'd a Pension ever since 1673, being 35 Years a goe. [For a discussion of this accident, see William VanLennep, Henry Harris, Actor, Friend of Pepys, Studies in English Theatre History (London, 1952), p. 16, and the entry under 20 Aug. 1673.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Sometime in September Nell Gwyn attended this play, but the document listing her attendance is mutilated and the exact date is lost. See William VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing at the King's Expence, Harvard Library Bulletin, IV (1950), 406

Event Comment: Not Acted these Twelve Years. Written by Sir William D'Avenant, and carefully revised. Receipts. #28 7s. 6d

Event Comment: Not Acted these Sixteen Years. For the Entertainment of his Excellency Sid Mahomet Ben Ali Abogly, Ambassador from the Emperor of Morocco. Written by Sir William D'Avenant, and very carefully revis'd with Alterations. Receipts: #31 9s. 6d

Event Comment: As altered by Mr Dryden and Sir William Davenant from Shakespear