Event Comment: Under the Patronage of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Duke of Clarence, Duke of Cumberland, and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York [and] the Duchess of Devonshire and the Duchess of Gordon. Benefit for O'Keeffe, the Unfortunate Author of the following successful Dramatic Pieces: The Son in Law, Agreeable Surprise, Peeping Tom, Dead Alive, Young Quaker, Life's Vagaries, Castle of Andalusia, Czar, Tony Lumpkin in Town, Poor Soldier, Modern Antiques, Basket Maker, Wild Oats, Wicklow Mountains, French Grenadier [never acted], Positive Man, Love in a Camp, Tantara Rara Rogues all, Beggar on Horseback, Toy, London Hermit, Highland Reel, Blacksmith of Antwerp, Man Milliner, Irish Mimic, Little Hunchback, World in a Village, Fontainbleau, Magic Banner, Farmer, Doldrum, Sprigs of Laurel, Birth Day, Prisoner at Large, &c. &c. Tickets delivered for The Belle's Stratagem will be admitted. [O'Keeffe is referred to as being unfortunate because he was totally blind. In delivering his Poetical Composition, which is printed in Dramatic Censor, II, 265-67, the Monthly Mirror, June 1800, p. 367, reports that he was led on and off the stage by Lewis. It also notes that "Mrs Jordan...came from Drury-Lane, where she had performed the Child of Nature, to officiate at Covent-Garden as the handmaid of charity."] The Last Night of the Company's performing this season. Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: So back to the Cockpitt [Whitehall], and there, by the favour of one Mr Bowman, he [Creed] and I got in, and there saw the King, and Duke of York and his Duchess (which is a plain woman, and like her mother, my Lady Chancellor). And so saw The Humersome Lieutenant acted before the King, but not very well done. But my pleasure was great to see the manner of it, and so many great beauties, but above all Mrs Palmer, with whom the King do discover a great deal of familiarity. Sometime before the Coronation of Charles II, on 23 April 1661, there may have been acted The Merry Conceited Humours of Bottom the Weaver. An edition of 1661 refers to its being "often publikely acted by some of his Majesties Comedians" and the Dedication suggests that it would make a good entertainment at the mirthful time of the Coronation. The edition lists no actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue

Event Comment: On Sunday Charles, Duke of Cambridge, the son of the Duke of York, died. On 7 May 1661, Francis Newport wrote to Sir Richard Leveson: The Duke of Cambridge dyed on Sunday in the afternoon and was buryed yesternight without any solemnity, noe mourning in the Court for him (HMC, Sutherland MSS, 5th Report, Appendix, 1876, p. 151). If the theatres were closed because of this death, the closure was for not more than ten days

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 King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I...to the Theatre, where we seated ourselves close by the King, and Duke of York, and Madame Palmer, which was great content; and, indeed, I can never enough admire her beauty. And here was Bartholomew Fayre, with the puppet-show, acted to-day, which had not been these forty years (it being so satyricall against Puritanism, they durst not till now, which is strange they should already dare to do it, and the King to countenance it), but I do never a whit like it the better for the puppets, but rather the worse

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Against my judgment and conscience (which God forgive, for my very heart knows that I offend God in breaking my vows therein) to the Opera, which is now newly begun to act again, after some alteracion of their scene, which do make it very much worse; but the play, Love and Honour, being the first time of their acting it, is a very good plot, and well done. Downes (pp. 21-22): This Play was Richly Cloath'd; The King giving Mr Betterton his Coronation Suit;...The Duke of York giving Mr Harris his...and my Lord of Oxford gave Mr Joseph Price his...and all the other Parts being very well done: The Play having a great run, Produc'd to the Company great Gain and Estimation from the Town

Event Comment: Rugge's Diurnal, BM Add. Mss. 10117, folio 179: Acted at Whitehall atcourt a play witt wt'out mony before King and nobility. Pepys, Diary, 15 Oct.: But she [Lady Carteret] cries out of the vices of the Court, and how they are going to set up plays already; and how, the next day after the late great fast, the Duchesse of York did give the King and Queene a play. Nay, she told me that they nave heretofore had plays at court the very nights before the fast for the death of the late King [i.e., on the night preceding 30 Jan.]

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: After dinner, with my wife, to the King's house to see The Mayden Queene, a new play of Dryden's, mightily commended for the regularity of it, and the strain and wit; and, the truth is, there is a comical part done by Nell, which is Florimell, that I never can hope ever to see the like done again, by man or woman. The King and Duke of York were at the play. But so great performance of a comical part was never, I believe, in the world before as Nell do this, both as a mad girle, then most and best of all when she comes in like a young gallant; and hath the motions and carriage of a spark the most that ever I saw any man have. It makes me, I confess, admire her

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Sir W. Pen to the King's playhouse, where the house extraordinary full; and there was the King and Duke of York to see the new play, Queen Elizabeth's Troubles, and the History of Eighty Eight. I confess I have sucked in so much of the sad story of Queen Elizabeth, for my cradle, that I was ready to weep for her sometimes; but the play is the most ridiculous that sure ever come upon the stage; and, indeed, is merely a shew, only shews the true garbe of the Queen in those days, just as we see Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth painted; but the play is merely a puppet play, acted by living puppets. Neither the design nor language better; and one stands by and tells us the meaning of things: only I was pleased to see Knipp dance among the milkmaids, and to hear her sing a song to Queen Elizabeth; and too see her come out in her night-gowne with no lockes on, but her bare face and hair only tied up in a knot behind; which is the comeliest dress that ever I saw her in to her advantage

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play in on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. It is possible that this is a delayed third performance and that the conjectured one for 7 Oct. did not occur. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Willet to the Duke of York's house, where, after long stay, the King and Duke of York come, and there saw The Coffee House, the most ridiculous, inspid play that ever I saw in my life, and glad we were that Betterton had no part in it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Being full of my desire of seeing my Lord Orrery's new play this afternoon at the King's house, The Black Prince, the first time it is acted; where though we come by two o'clock, yet there was no room in the pit, but we were forced to go into one of the upper boxes, at 4s. a piece, which is the first time I ever sat in a box in my life. And in the same box come, by and by, behind me, my Lord Barkeley and his lady; but I did not turn my face to them to be known, so that I was excused from giving them my seat; and this pleasure I had, that from this place the scenes do appear very fine indeed, and much better than in the pit. The house infinite full, and the King and Duke of York was there. By and by the play begun, and in it nothing Particular but a very fine dance for variety of figures, but a little too long. But, as to the contrivance, and all that was witty (which, indeed, was much, and very witty), was almost the same that had been in his two former plays of Henry the 5th and Mustapha, and the same points and turns of wit in both, and in this very same play often repeated, but in excellent language, and were so excellent that the whole house was mightily pleased with it all along till towards the end he comes to discover the chief of the plot of the play by the reading of a long letter, which was so long and some things (the people being set already to think too long) so unnecessary that they frequently begun to laugh, and to hiss twenty times, that, had it not been for the King's being there, they had certainly hissed it off the stage. But I must confess that, as my Lord Barkeley says behind me, the having of that long letter was a thing so absurd, that he could not imagine how a man of his parts could possibly fall into it; or, if he did, if he had but let any friend read it, the friend would have told him of it; and, I must confess, it is one of the most remarkable instances that ever I did or expect to meet with in my life of a wise man's not being wise at all times, and in all things, for nothing could be more ridiculous than this, though the letter of itself at another time would be thought an excellent letter, and indeed an excellent Romance, but at the end of the play, when every body was weary of sitting, and were already possessed with the effect of the whole letter, to trouble them with a letter a quarter of an hour long was a most absurd thing. After the play done, and nothing pleasing them from the time of the letter to the end of the play, people being put into a bad humour of disliking (which is another thing worth the noting), I home by coach, and could not forbear laughing almost all the way home, and all the evening to my going to bed, at the ridiculousness of the letter, and the more because my wife was angry with me, and the world, for laughing, because the King was there, though she cannot defend the length of the letter

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Although Downes refers to the play's being acted "12 Days together" [see below], these were not consecutive, as Pepys saw another play at lif on 7 May. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, at a little past twelve, to get a good place in the pit, against the new play, and there setting a poor man to keep my Place, I out...and so back again, where I find the house quite full. But I had my place, and by and by the King comes and the Duke of York; and then the play begins, called The Sullen Lovers; or, The Impertinents, having many good humours in it, but the play tedious, and no design at all in it. But a little boy, for a farce, do dance Polichinelli, the best that ever anything was done in the world, by all men's report: most pleased with that, beyond anything in the world, and much beyond all the play. Thence to the King's house to see Knepp, but the play done. Downes (p. 29): This Comedy being Admirably Acted:...This Play had wonderful Success, being Acted 12 Days together

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: But, Lord! to see how this play of Sir Positive At-all [The Sullen Lovers], in abuse of Sir Robert Howard, do take, all the Duke's and every body's talk being of that, and telling more stories of him, of the like nature, that it is now the town and country talk, and, they say, is most exactly true. The Duke of York himself said that of his playing at trap-ball is true, and told several other stories of him

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See William VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 13. The edition of 1668 states: As it was Acted (with great Applause) by the Servants of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn Fields

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage," p. 13. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's playhouse, and saw Macbeth. The King and Court there; and we sat just under them and my Lady Castlemayne, and close to the woman that comes into the pit, a kind of a loose gossip, that pretends to be like her, and is so, something...The King and Duke of York minded me, and smiled upon me, at the handsome woman near me: but it vexed me to see Moll Davis, in the box over the King's and my Lady Castlemayne's head, look down upon the King, and he up to her; and so did my Lady Castlemayne once, to see who it was; but when she saw her, she looked like fire; which troubled me

Event Comment: Newsletter, 7 April: Last evening their Majesties were diverted with a comedy acted at St James's by the little young ladies of the Court, who appeared extraordinarily glorious and covered with jewels (HMC, Fleming MSS. 12th Report, VII, 70). This may have been a performance of The Faithful Shepherdess which was entered by Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington, in his diary, 2 April 1670 [error for 6 April (?)]: I saw Lady Mary, daughter of the Duke of York, and many young ladies act the Faithful Shepherdess very finely (Diary, Volume V, in Chatsworth. I owe this entry to Professor Kathleen Lynch). In Covent Garden Drollery, 1672 (ed. G. Thorn-Drury), p. 68, is an Epilogue spoken by the Lady Mary Mordaunt, before the King and Queen at court, to the Faithful Shepherdess. As Lady Mary was then about twelve, this Epilogue seems to confirm the possibility that the play was The Faithful Shepherdess acted by amateurs

Event Comment: An order of the Lord Chamberlain (5@12, p. 202) dated 1 April 1671, states that the theatres are to be closed because of the death of the Duchess of York on 31 March 1671. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 322. It is uncertain how long the theatres were closed, but probably the closure extended for six weeks

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. See Duffett's burlesque, above. The Diary of Robert Hooke, 6 Dec. 1673: Saw Empress of Morocco at Duke's Theatre. 1s. 6d. Dutchess of York? there

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first production is uncertain. The fact that the Epilogue suggests that it followed Settle's The Female Prelate is not a factor in the dating, as the Newdigate newsletters--see Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 80--show that Settle's play was first acted on 31 May 1680, whereas Caesar Borgia was entered in the Term Catalogues, November 1679. Although the reference in the Epilogue to burning the Pope's Effigies" has been argued as referring to the Pope-burning procession of 17 Nov. 1679, the references in the Epilogue to Father Lewis, who was tried and convicted at York, 28 March 1679, suggest that it was written before his execution, 27 Aug. 1679. Hence the play may have been acted first some time in the late spring or the summer. A song, Blush not redder than the Morning, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but it was probably acted much earlier than November 1682, when it was entered in the Term Catalogues. The fact that the Epilogue refers to the Duke of York's "second Exile into Flanders" points to the possibility that it may have been acted near that time, i.e., between 24 Sept. 1679 and 14 Oct. 1679. It may have been first acted early as March 1679, when the political flights of the Duke of York were also a matter of public concern

Event Comment: Apparently The Man of Mode had an amateur revival in Brussels in the autumn, possibly before the Duke and Duchess of York, when they were away from London. Princess Anne to Frances Apsley, 3 Oct. 1679: The play is practisde to night Miss Watts is to be Lady townly which part I beleeve wont much become her. [See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), pp. 111-12]

Event Comment: It is not certain that this performance was given by the King's Company, but because it first produced the play, it has been assigned to Drury Lane. Pepys, Diary: Tuesday January the 27th...comeing home at night (after I had carryed my Cozen Winn Houblon home from a Play (shee would if she could). [Mornamont MS II, folio 1192, Cambridge University Library.] See also Arthur Bryant, Samuel Pepys: Years of Peril (New York, 1935), p. 314

Event Comment: The True News; or, Mercurius Anglicus, 4-7 Feb. 1679@80: On Munday night last happened a great dispute in the Duke's Play-house, some Gentlemen in their Cupps entring into the Pitt, flinging Links at the Actors, and using several reproachfull speeches against the Dutchess of P. and other persons of Honour, which has occasioned a Prohibition from farther Acting, till his Majesties farther pleasyre. A letter written by the Dowager Countess of Sunderland to Henry Sidney, dated 6 Jan. 1679@80 [possibly misdated] refers to disorders which are similar to those recorded in The True News: You must needs hear of the abominable disorders amongst us, calling all the women whores and the men rogues in the playhouses--throwing candles and links--calling my Lord Sunderland traitor, but in good company; the Duke of York?, rascal; and all ended in "God bless his Highness, the Duke of Monmouth. We will be for him against the world." I am told they may be fined a great deal if they are prosecuted. Two of these are knights of shires, Sir Scroope How, and my Lord Wharton's@eldest son; the only sufferer yet is Porter. They are ashamed, I hear, and afraid (R. W. Blencowe, Diary of the Times of Charles the Second by the Honourable Henry Sidney [London, 1843], I, 237)

Event Comment: The Duke of York: I have been at a play this day (CSPD, Charles II, 1682, p. 497)