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. Pepys, Diary: After dinner I put the women into a coach, and they to the Duke's house, to a play which was acted, "The [....]." It was indifferently done, but was not pleased with the song, Gosnell not singing, but a new wench, that sings naughtily

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's house, and there saw Macbeth most excellently acted, and a most excellent play for variety

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To White Hall, and got my Lord Bellasses to get me into the playhouse; and there, after all staying above an hour for the players, the King and all waiting, which was absurd, saw Henry the Fifth well done by the Duke's people, and in most excellent habits, all new vests, being put on but this night. But I sat so nigh and far off, that I missed most of the words, and sat with a wind coming into my back and neck, which did much trouble me. The play continued till twelve at night. A Prologue for this play is in A Letter from a Gentleman to the Honourable Ed. Howard (London, 1668)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife, to the Duke's house, and there saw Mustapha, a most excellent play for words and design as ever I did see. I had seen it before but forgot it, so it was wholly new to me, which is the pleasure of my not committing these things to my memory

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's house, and saw Macbeth, which, though I saw it lately, aet appears a most excellent play in all respects, but especially in divertisement, though it be a deep tragedy; which is a strange perfection in a tragedy, it being most proper here, and suitable. So home, it being the last play now I am to see till a fortnight hence, I being from the last night entered into my vowes for the year coming on

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It seems likely that this play was acted about this time. Pepys, Diary, 20 Feb.: I heard discourse how Harris of [Duke's] play-house is sick, and everybody commends him, and, above all things, for acting the Cardinall

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I alone out and to the Duke of York's play-house, where unexpectedly I come to see only the young men and women of the house act; they having liberty to act for their own profit on Wednesdays and Fridays this Lent; and the play they did yesterday, being Wednesday, was so well-taken, that they thought fit to venture it publickly to-day; a play of my Lord Falkland's called The Wedding Night, a kind of tragedy, and some things very good in it, but the whole together, I thought, not so. I confess I was well enough pleased with my seeing it: and the people did do better, without the great actors, than I did expect, but yet far short of what they do when they are there, which I was glad to find the difference of

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife to the Duke of York's house, and there saw The Wits, a play I formerly loved, and is now corrected and enlarged: but, though I like the acting, yet I like not much in the play now

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 Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there saw The Witts again, which likes me better than it did the other day, having much wit in it.... Here were many fine ladies this afternoon at this house as I have at any time seen.... Resolving by the grace of God to see no more plays till Whitsuntide, I having now seen a play every day this week

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. Pepys, Diary: But, Lord! how it went against my heart to go away from the very door of the Duke's play-house, and my Lady Castlemayne's coach, and many great coaches there, to see The Siege of Rhodes. I was very near making a forfait, but I did command myself

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I to the Duke of York's house, and there saw Love Trickes, or the School of Compliments; a silly play, only Miss Davis?'s dancing in a shepherd's clothes did please us mightily

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, all alone, and there saw Sir Martin Marr-all again, though I saw him but two days since, and do find it the most comical play that ever I saw in my life

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my Lord Bruncker to the Duke's playhouse (telling my wife so at the 'Change, where I left her), and there saw Sir Martin Marr-all again, which I have now seen three times, and it hath been acted but four times, and still find it a very ingenious play, and full of variety

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's play house, and there saw Mustapha, which, the more I see, the more I like; and is a most admirable poem, and bravely acted; only both Betterton and Harris could not contain from laughing in the midst of a most serious part, from the ridiculous mistake of one of the men upon the stage; which I did not like

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: I by coach to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw part of The Ungratefull Lovers; and sat by Beck Marshall, who is very handsome near hand

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Davenant's alterations were apparently not published. Pepys, Diary: To a play...at the Duke's house, where Tu Quoque was the first time acted, with some alterations of Sir W. Davenant's; but the play is a very silly play, methinks; for I, and others that sat by me, Mr Povy and Mr Progers, were weary of it; but it will please the citizens

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw a piece of Sir Martin Marall, with great delight, though I have seen it so often

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's House, and there went in for nothing into the pit, at the last act, to see Sir Martin Marr-all, and met my wife, who was there, and my brother, and W. Hewer and Willett, and carried them home, still being pleased with the humour of the play, almost above all that ever I saw

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, thinking as we appointed, to meet my wife there, but she was not; and more, I was vexed to see Young (who is but a bad actor at best) act Macbeth in the room of Betterton, who, poor man! is sick: but, Lord! what a prejudice it wrought in me against the whole play, and everybody else agreed in disliking this fellow. Thence home, and there find my wife gone home; because of this fellow's acting of the part, she went out of the house again

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse; but there Betterton not being yet well, we would not stay, though since I hear that Smith do act his part in The Villaine, which was then acted, as well or better than he, which I do not believe

Event Comment: [The Duke's Company. For Harris' role, see Pepys, 11 May 1668. For Angel as Stephano, see An Elegy Upon...Mr Edward Angell, reprinted in A Little Ark, pp. 38-39: @Who shall play Stephano now? your Tempest's gone@To raise new Storms i' th' hearts of every one.@ For Underhill as Trincalo, note his nickname of Prince Trincalo. (For Mary Davis as Ariel and Mrs Long as Hypolito, see J. H. Wilson, All the King's Ladies, pp. 140, 166.) Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33): The Tempest...Acted in Lincolns-Inn-Fields...alter'd by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden before 'twas made into an Opera. Pepys, Diary: At noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go see The Tempest, an old play of Shakespeare's, acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full; the King and Court there: and the most innocent play that ever I saw; and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on the latter, which is mighty pretty. The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. Thence home with Sir W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with the play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I and my wife and Willett to the Duke of York's house, and there saw the Tempest again, which is very pleasant, and full of so good variety that I cannot be more pleased almost in a comedy, only the seaman's part a little too tedious. Thence home, and there to my chamber, and do begin anew to bind myself to keep my old vows, and among the rest not to see a play till Christmas but once in every other week, and have laid aside #10, which is to be lost to the poor, if I do