Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's house, and there was the house full of company. but whether it was in over-expecting or what, I know not, but I was never less pleased with a play in my life. Though there was good singing and dancing, yet no fancy in the play, but something that made it less contenting was my conscience that I ought not to have gone by my vow, and, besides, my business commanded me elsewhere

Event Comment: See Boswell (Restoration Court Stage, p. 280), who identifies the company as the King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: Saw the Young Admiral acted coram Rege &c

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: After dinner with my wife to the Duke's Theatre, and saw the second part of Rhodes, done with the new Roxalana; which do it rather better in all respects for person, voice, and judgment, than the first Roxalana [Mrs Davenport]. Home with great content with my wife, not so well pleased with the company at the house to-day, which was full of citizens, there hardly being a gentleman or woman in the house; a couple of pretty ladies by us that made sport in it, being jostled and crowded by prentices

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's Playhouse, where we saw but part of Witt without mony, which I do not like much, but coming late put me out of tune, and it costing me four half-crowns for myself and company

Event Comment: The King's Company. This marks the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, Drury Lane, to which Killigrew moved his company from Vere Street. Downes erroneously gives the opening date as 8 April, a fact which led to the creation of the famous spurious playbill for Bridges Street, Thursday, 8 April 1663. See Montague Summers, The Restoration Theater (London, 1934), p. 15. Pepys, Diary: This day the new Theatre Royal begins to act with scenes the Humorous Lieutenant, but I have not time to see it, nor could stay to see my Lady Jemimah lately come to town, and who was here in the house. Downes (p. 3): Note, this Comedy was Acted Twelve Days Successively

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With Creed, my wife, and Mercer to a play at the Duke's, of my Lord Orrery's, called Mustapha, which being not good, made Betterton's part and Ianthe's but ordinary too, so that we were not contented with it at all...All the pleasure of the play was, the King and my Lady Castlemayne wer there; and pretty witty Nell Gwin?, at the King's house, and the younger Rebecca? Marshall sat next us; which pleased me mightily. Downes (p. 26): All the Parts being new Cloath's with new Scenes, Sir William's great Care of having it perfect and exactly perform'd, it produc'd to himself and Company vast Profit

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on His Majesty's bill at the Duke's Company, L. C. 5@139, p. 125: Worse & Worse at court. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play should not be confused with Heraclius Emperour of the East by Lodowick Carlell. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I out to the Duke's playhouse, and there saw Heraclius, an excellent play, to my extraordinary content; and the more from the house being very full, anand great company; among others, Mrs Steward, very fine, with her locks done up with puffs, as my wife calls them: and several other great ladies had their hair so, though I do not like it; but my wife do mightily--but it is only because she sees it is the fashion. Here I saw my Lord Rochester and his lady, Mrs Mallet, who hath after all this ado married him; and, as I hear some say in the pit, it is a great act of charity; for he hath no estate. But it was pleasant to see how everybody rose up then my Lord John Butler, the Duke of Ormond's son, come into the pit towards the end of the play, who was a servant to Mrs Mallet, and now smiled upon her, and she on him. I had sitting next to me a woman, the likest my Lady Castlemayne that ever I saw anybody like another; but she is a whore, I believe, for she is acquainted with every fine fellow, and called them by their name, Jacke, and Tom, and before the end of the play frisked to another place. Mightily pleased with the play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary To the Duke's house...not much company come, which I impute to the heat of the weather, it being very hot. Here we saw Macbeth, which, though I have seen it often, yet is it one of the best plays for a stage, and variety of dancing and musique, that ever I saw. So being very much pleased

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, by agreement met Sir W. Pen, and saw Love in a Maze: but a sorry play: only Lacy's clowne's part, which he did most admirably indeed; and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty again. Here was but little, and that ordinary, company. We sat at the upper bench next the boxes, and I find it do pretty well, and have the advantage of seeing and hearing the great people, which may be pleasant when there is good store. Now was only Prince Rupert and my Lord Lauderdale, and my Lord [...]...But here was neither Hart, Nell, nor Knipp; therefore, the play was not likely to please me

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is not certain this is the first performance, but it may well have been. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen and I to the Duke's house, where a new play. The King and Court there: the house full, and an act begun. And so went to the King's. Downes (p. 28): Sir Martin Marral, The Duke of New-Castle, giving Mr Dryden a bare translation of it, out of a Comedy of the Famous French Poet Monseur Moleire: He adapted the Part purposely for the Mouth of Mr Nokes, and curiously Polishing the whole....All the Parts being very Just and Exactly perform'd, specially Sir Martin and his Man, Mr Smith, and several others since have come very near him, but none Equall'd, nor yet Mr Nokes in Sir Martin: This Comedy was Crown'd with an Excellent Entry. In the Last Act at the Mask, by Mr Priest and Madam Davies; This, and Love in a Tub, got the Company more Money than any preceding Comedy

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I walked to the King's playhouse, there to meet Sir W. Pen, and saw The Surprizall, a very mean play, I thought; or else it was because I was out of humour, and but very little company in the house. But there Sir W. Pen had a good deal of discourse with Moll Meggs?; who tells us that Nell Gwyn? is already left by my Lord Buckhurst, and that he makes sport of her, and swears she hath had all she could get of him; and Hart, her great admirer, now hates ner; and that she is very poor, and hath lost my Lady Castlemayne, who was her great friend also: but she is come to the House, but is neglected by them all

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With Sir W. Pen, my wife, and Mary Batelier to the Duke of York's house, and there saw Heraclius, which is a good play; but they did so spoil it with their laughing, and being all of them out, and with the noise they made within the theatre, that I was ashamed of it, and resolve not to come thither again a good while, believing that this negligence, which I never observed before, proceeds only from their want of company in the pit, that they have no care how they act

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: [After stopping at Bridges Street] against our wills, went all to see Tu Quoque again, where there is pretty store of company, and going with a prejudice the play appeared better to us. Here we saw Madam Morland, who is grown mighty fat, but is very comely. But one of the best parts of our sport was a mighty Pretty lady that sat behind us, that did laugh so heartily and constantly, that it did me good to hear her

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I after dinner to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw Sir Martin Mar-all; which I have seen so often, and yet am mightily pleased with it, and think it mighty witty, and the fullest of proper matter for mirth that ever was writ; and I do clearly see that they do improve in their acting of it. Here a mighty company of citizens, prentices, and others; and it makes me observe, that when I begun first to be able to bestow a play on myself, I do not remember that I saw so many by half of the ordinary prentices and mean people in the pit at 2s. 6d. a-piece as now; I going for several years no higher than the 12d. and then the 18d. places, though I strained hard to go in them when I did: so much the vanity and prodigality of the age is to be observed in this particular

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: The Duke's Company. Downes (p. 30): This Comedy in general was very well Perform'd. Pepys, Diary: I alone to the Duke of York's house, to see the new play, called The Man is the Master, where the house was, it being not above one o'clock, very full. But my wife and Deb. being there before, with Mrs Pierce and Corbet and Betty Turner, whom my Wife carried with her, they made me room; and there I sat, it costing me 8s. upon them in oranges, at 6d. apiece. By and by the King come; and we sat just under him, so that I durst not turn my back all the play. The play is a translation out of French, and the plot Spanish, but not anything extraordinary at all in it, though translated by Sir W. Davenant, and so I found the King and his company did think meanly of it, though there was here and there something Pretty: but the most of the mirth was sorry, poor stuffe, of eating of sack posset and slabbering themselves, and mirth fit for clownes; the prologue but poor, and the epilogue little in it but the extraordinariness of it, it being sung by Harris and another in the form of a ballet

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: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Lord Brouncker and I to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw Love in a Tubb; and, after the play done, I stepped up to Harris's dressing-room, where I never was, and there I observe much company come to him, and the Witts, to talk, after the play is done

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I carried [Mercer and Mrs Gayet] to the King's house...and there saw The Country Captain, a very dull play, that did give us no content, and besides, little company there, which made it very unpleasing

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Here comes Harris, and first told us how Betterton is come again upon the stage: whereupon my wife and company to the [Duke's] house to see Henry the Fifth.... Thence I to the playhouse, and saw a piece of the play, and glad to see Betterton

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife and Deb. to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw The Slighted Maid, but a mean play; and thence home, there being little pleasure now in a play, the company being but little. Here we saw Gosnell, who is become very homely, and sings meanly, I think

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Thence carried Harris to his playhouse, where, though four o'clock, so few people there at The Impertinents, as I went out; and do believe they did not act, though there was my Lord Arlington and his company there. So I out

Event Comment: Evelyn does not name the theatre or company, but previous offerings of Horace were given by the King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: I saw Mrs Philips's Horace acted againe

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the premiere is not known. Although the play was not in print until 1671, it was acted on 9 May 1670 and again at Dover on 19 or 20 May 1670. Downes (p. 29) placed the comedy among the plays of 1669, but the presence of Mrs Johnson (who, according to Downes, p. 31, did not join the company until 1670) and the performances in May 1670 suggest that the comedy was first given in the spring of 1670. Downes (pp. 29-30): The Play being Singularly well Acted, it took 12 Days together