Event Comment: Alexander the Great? [announced on playbill of 4 Nov.] is obliged to be deferred. [The playbill lists Mrs Yates as Lady Townly, but see following note. Miss Younge's name appears in all subsequent playbills, except on 19 Dec.] Alexander was advertised for this Night, but Lacy being hoarse, who was to have played Alexander, it was obliged to be deferred, and this Play substituted. It was between eleven and twelve o'clock at (Night) before we got it settled. Mr. Sheridan ordered me not to send to Mrs. Yates about (it) till the Morning. About eight o'clock I sent her Notice that the Provoked Husband was to be performed at Night. A little after nine, she sent Word by her Niece that she was never so ill treated in her life, that she was never before asked to play on the fifth of November [which day was traditionally set aside for the acting of Tamerlane], that she would not play Lady Townly that Night, nor would she play any more; and if she had an Inclination to play, she had no Cloaths ready to play it in; and sent back the Part of Semiramis in a new Tragedy that was preparing [see 16 Nov., 14 Dec.]. I got Miss Younge to do Lady Townly, and an Apology was made by Packer that Mrs Yates having refused this Morning to do Lady Townly, Miss Younge at a Minutes' Notice undertook to do it. Miss Younge was much applauded and Yates had a few hisses (Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #179 11s. 6d

Event Comment: See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 116. The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Mr Shepley and I to the new Play-house near Lincoln's-Inn-Fields (which was formerly Gibbon's tennis-court), where the play of Beggar's Bush was newly begun; and so we went in and saw it, it was well acted: and here I saw the first time one Moone [Mohun], who is said to be the best actor in the world, lately come over with the King, and indeed it is the finest play-house, I believe, that ever was in England

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Creed and I to Whitefriars to the Play-house, and saw The Mad Lover, the first time I ever saw it acted, which I like pretty well

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys: I to Whitefryars, and saw The Bondman acted; an excellent play and well done. But above all that ever I saw, Betterton, do the Bondman the best

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I went to the Theatre, and there I saw Claracilla (the first time I ever saw it), well acted. But strange to see this house, that used to be so thronged, now empty since the Opera begun; and so will continue for a while, I believe

Event Comment: The King's Company. An edition, undated but possibly issued about this time, refers to its being acted at Vere Street. The edition has no cast, no prologue, no epilouge. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen and his daughter and I and my wife to the Theatre, and there saw Father's own Son, a very good play, and the first time I ever saw it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary To the Theatre, and there saw Argalus and Parthenia, where a woman acted Parthenia, and came afterwards on the stage in men's clothes, and had the best legs that ever I saw, and I was very well pleased with it

Event Comment: It is uncertain at which theatre this play was performed, but it has been assigned to the King's Company because Pepys saw that company act it on the following day, 27 Nov. Evelyn, Diary: I saw Hamlet Pr. of Denmark played: but now the old playe began to disgust this refined age; since his Majestie being so long abroad

Event Comment: This play, possibly an adaptation from Corneille, was apparently not printed. It bears, however, some resemblances to Walter Hawkesworth's Latin comedy, Labyrinthus (which was first acted at Trinity College, Cambridge, in March 1602@3); and this Restoration play may be a variation on Hawkesworth's. Pepys, Diary: To the King's Playhouse...my wife and I and Madamoiselle. I paid for her going in, and there saw The Labyrinth, the poorest play, methinks, that ever I saw, there being nothing in it but the odd accidents that fell out, by a lady's being bred up in men's apparel, and a man in a woman's

Event Comment: The King's Company. Richard Legh, writing to his wife, 3 Jan. 1667@7, reported to her concerning this play: which is so damn'd bawdy that the Ladyes flung their peares and fruites at the Actors (Lady Newton, The House of Lyme, p. 240). Pepys, Diary: Alone to the King's House, and there saw The Custome of the Country, the second time of its beind acted, wherein Knipp does the Widow well; but, of all the plays that ever I did see, the worst--having neither plot, language, nor anything in the earth that is acceptable; only Knipp sings a little song admirably. But fully the worst play that ever I saw or I believe shall see

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's house, and there saw The Humerous Lieutenant: a silly play, I think; only the Spirit in it that grows very tall, and then sinks again to nothing, having two heads breeding upon one, and tihen Knipp's singing, did please us. Here, in a box above, we spied Mrs Pierce; and, going out, they called us, and so we staid for them; and Knipp took us all in, and brought to us Nelly, a most pretty woman, who acted the great part of Coelia to-day very fine, and did it pretty well: I kissed her, and so did my wife; and a mighty pretty soul she is. We also saw Mrs Hall, which is my little Roman-nose black girl, that is mighty Pretty: she is usually called Betty

Event Comment: [The King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: Saw the Virgin Queene a play written by Mr Dryden &c. [Possibly the run of this play continued, for Pepys saw it again on 25 March and there are no certain performances of other plays at the King's Theatre. If Secret Love was acted without interruption, except for the customary non-acting days in Lent, it was probably given on 16, 18, 19, 21, and 23 March.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I to the King's playhouse, to fetch my wife, and there saw the best part of The Mayden Queene, which, the more I see, the more I love, and think one of the best plays I ever saw, and is certainly the best acted of any thing ever the House did, and particularly Becke Marshall, to admiration

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: [Mercer] and I to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw The Tempest, and between two acts, I went out to Mr Harris, and got him to repeat to me the words of the Echo, while I writ them down, having tried in the play to have wrote them; but, when I had done it, having done it, withour looking upon my paper, I find I could not read the blacklead. But now I have got the words clear, and, in going in thither, had the pleasure to see the actors in their several dresses, especially the seamen and monster, which were very droll. So into the play again. But there happened one thing which vexed me, which is, that the orange-woman did come in the pit, and challenge me for twelve oranges, which she delivered by my order at a late play, at night, to give to some ladies in a box, which was wholly untrue, but yet she swore it to be true. But, however, I did deny it, and did not pay her; but, for quiet, did buy 4s. worth of oranges of her, at 6d. a-piece. Here I first saw my Lord Ormond since his coming from Ireland, which is now about eight days

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife, to the Duke of York's playhouse, and saw The Unfortunate Lovers; a mean play, I think, but some parts very good, and excellently acted. We sat under the boxes, and saw the fine ladies; among others, my Lady Kerneguy, who is most devilishly painted

Event Comment: Evelyn, Diary: Saw a Comedie at night, at court, acted by the Ladys onely, viz: The Lady Mary & Ann his R. Highnesses two Daughters, & my deare friend Mrs Blagg, who having the principal part, perform'd it to admiration: They were all covered with Jewels. [It seems likely that Evelyn saw a rehearsal or was in error concerning the date of performance.] Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library): On Twelfe day the principallest abt ye Court divert their Matys with a Play & Opera where in ye Splendor & Grandeur of the English Monarchy will be seen (Wilson, Theatre Notes, p. 79). See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 357-58, for an order of this date, L. C. 5@141, p. 83, concerning habits for the opera