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 United Company. This play was in rehearsal before the death of Charles II-see 6 Feb. 1684@5-and was staged shortly after the playhouse reopened. Luttrell's date of acquisition of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue is 9 May 1685 (in possession of Pickering and Chatto, Ltd., 1938), and the play may have been first given on that date or during the week preceding Saturday 9 May 1685. For Cibber's account of Mountfort as Sir Courtly, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 129. The separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 228-30. A separately-printed Three New Songs in Sir Courtley Nice (1685) contains three songs, with the music by Samuel Ackroyde and an unknown composer. In addition, two songs, As I grazed unaware and O be kind my dear be kind, both composed by R. King, are in The Theater of Music, Second Book, 1685. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 40-41): The first new Comedy after King James came to the Crown, was Sir Courtly Nice, wrote by Mr Crown:...The Comedy being justly Acted, and the Characters in't new, Crown'd it with a general Applause: Sir Courtly was so nicely Perform'd, that not any succeeding, but Mr Cyber has Equall'd him. Note, Mr Griffin so Excell'd in Surly, Sir Edward Belfond, The Plain Dealer, none succeeding in the 2 former have Equall'd him, except his Predecessor Mr Hart in the latter. The Lover's Session; In Imitation of Sir John Suckling's Session of Poets (in Poems on Affairs of State, II [1703], 162): @Montrath was in Foppery conceiv'd another@Of Whitehall true Breed, Sir Nices Twin Brother:@None could tell, so alike all their Follies did seem,@Whether he acted Mumford, or Mumford him.

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 3346, 2-6 Dec. 1697: The Song Composed by Mr Jeremiah Clark, and Sung on St Cecilia's day will be performed on Thursday next, at Mr Hickford's Dancing-School in Panton-street, or in James-street over against the Tennis Court, just by the blue Posts, there being a door out of each street to the Room; and for the benefit of the said Mr Clark and Mr Le Riche, late Stewards of the said Feast, the Musick begins at 8. [See 22 Nov. 1697.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Norton Amber, formerly a Patentee, & Banker, now Pit Doorkeeper (Cross), late of the Strand (Winston MS 7). Tickets to be had at Mr Pierce's at the Castle Tavern, Corner of Henrietta Street, in Bedford Street, Covent Garden; Mr Frye's a Hosier, the Corner of James Street, Long Acre; King Street Coffee House, near Guild Hall; Batson's Coffee House, Cornhill; and at the Theatre. Places will be taken at the Stage Door of the theatre. This Day publish'd, Young Scarron, at 2s. 6d. sew'd, 3s. bound. Dedicated to the managers of both theatres. "The Stage reproves the follies of the age. For once we'll laugh at Follies of the Stage." Anon. Printed for T. Tyre, near Gray's Inn Holborn and W. Reeve in Fleet St. (General Advertiser). A comical and satirical account of summer strolling players: "When the time draws near that the Theatres Royal disband their troops, or rather grant their furloses till the next Campaign, each private Man becomes an Officer; and they who for nine months before submitted to Monarchical Government, now form themselves into several republicks for the remaining three. Then each Hero takes the path of his own ambition...The various whimsical disputes that arise from this kind of Emulation, are, in part the subject of the following sheets" (173 pp. Written by Thomas Mozeen, Biographia Dramatica). Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Davies and Mrs Love. Tickets deliver'd by Norris taken. Receipts: #143 5s. 6d. Charges: #74 14s. Profits to Davies and Mrs Love: #68 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: An unidentified letter, 22 March 1693@4. There is hardly anything now to make it acceptable to you, but an account of our winter diversions, and chiefly of the new plays which have been the entertainment of the town. The first that was acted was Mr Congreve's, called The Double Dealer [see October 1693]. It has fared with that play, as it generally does with beauties officiously cried up: the mighty expectation which was raised of it made it sink, even beneath its own merit. The character of The Double Dealer is artfully writt, but the action being but single, and confined within the rules of true comedy, it could not please the generality of our audience, who relish nothing but variety, and think any thing dull and heavy which does not border upon farce.--The criticks were severe upon this play, which gave the author occasion to lash 'em in his Epistle Dedicatory, in so defying or hectoring a style, that it was counted rude even by his best friends; so that 'tis generally thought he has done his business, and lost himself: a thing he owes to Mr Dryden's treacherous friendship, who being jealous of the applause he had gott by his Old Batchelour, deluded him into a foolish imitation of his own way of writing angry prefaces. The 2d play is Mr Dryden's, called Love Triumphant, or Nature will prevail [see 15 January 1694]. It is a tragi-comedy, but in my opinion one of the worst he ever writt, if not the very worst: the comical part descends beneath the style and shew of a Bartholomew-fair droll. It was damn'd by the universal cry of the town, nemine contradicente, but the conceited poet. He says in his prologue, that this is the last the town must expect from him; he had done himself a kindness had he taken his leave before. The 3d is Mr Southern's call'd The Fatal Marriage, or the Innocent Adultery [see February 1693@4]. It is not only the best that author ever writt, but is generally admired for one of the greatest ornaments of the stage, and the most entertaining play has appeared upon it these 7 years. The plot is taken from Mrs Behn's novel, called the Unhappy Vow-Breaker. I never saw Mrs Barry act with so much passion as she does in it; I could not forbear being moved even to tears to see her act. Never was poet better rewarded or incouraged by the town; for besides an extraordinary full house, which brought him about 140 #. 50 noblemen, among whom my Lord Winchelsea, was one, give him guineas apiece, and the printer 36 #. for his copy. This kind usage will encourage desponding minor poets, and vex huffing Dryden and Congreve to madness. [For the fourth play, see 21 March 1693@4; Edmond Malone, Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare (London, 1821), III, 162-64.

Event Comment: Benefit Garrick. By particular desire 5 rows of the pit will be railed into boxes--Servants will be admitted to keep places on the stage, which for the better accomodation of the ladies will be formed into boxes--the ladies are desired to send their servants by three o'clock--to begin at 6 o'clock. Tickets to be had of Garrick at his lodgings, the last house in James St., joining the Great Piazza; at the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; Mr Vaillant's, Bookseller at the Strand; Mr Harrache's, Toyman in Long Acre; and of Mr Hobson at the stage door of the theatre where places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (Cross). Places for Boxes to be taken of Hobson at the stage door. Tickets to be had of Mr Miller, in the strand; Mr Dodsley in Pall Mall; at the Half-Moon Tavern, near Holborn Bars, and of Mr Hobson. Just Publish'd Mahomet and Palmira. A Tragedy as it is acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, by a Gentleman of Wadham College. [This would seem to be James Miller's Mahomet, with the printer capitalizing on Johnson's production at dl.] Receipts: #175 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Play never acted before. [This new tragedy by MacNamara Morgan is mercilessly scourged by Paul Hiffernan in Tuner No 1, (21 Jan.), pp. 41-61]: To Tune it in Lilliputian Score : @Such sighing@Such Billing@Such Flashing@Such Heeling@And Dying@And Killing@And Dashing@And Kneeling@Such Rizing@Surprizing!@Such Falling@And Bawling@Such Attitudes@And Flattitudes@Were ne'er exhibited before.@ In the representation Mr Barry spared no pains; Miss Nossiter and Mr Smith strained hard-Mrs Bland, as far as her part exposed itself, did it with alacrity, but vanished abruptly in a storm of Lust. Mrs Vincent put as good a face on wanton barbarity as possible-and Mr Sparks who can do justice to a more spirited character, supported his Arcadian Kingship with becoming equanimity...It is a Romance crush'd together without choice, unconnected and full of Exidents not Incidents. Musidorus and Pamela , are duplicates to Pyrocles and Philoclea , which lengthen by so much the play, with repetition of the same dull nauseous tale of love, stirr'd up now and then by a bounce and a cracker-many persons come on we know not why, and disappear we know not wherefore....This new piece is an outlaw from all rules of Criticism; the Unities of Time, Place, and Action are unobserv'd; Plot, Moral, Verisimilitude, or even Probability unknown: many scenes bid defiance to possibility....Mr Rich stopp'd at no expence as to the Dresses and Decorations, and reprieving the play's duration to the utmost extent of Managerian clemency

Event Comment: A New Pantomime of Mr Messinks went off with great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Music By Dibdin. New Scenes, Habits, and Machines. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken. [Repeated.] Paid 4 days salary list at #85 12s. 11d., #342 11s. 8d.; Miss Mansell on acct #5 5s.; Mr Clinch ditto, #6 6s.; Dr Arne for Mrs Bradley 2 nights per order #5 5s.; Stopages nil (Treasurer's Book). [Full description of the New Pantomime is given in the Westminster Magazine (January 1773): Harlequin born to the Pigmies comes to manhood, gets a job from the Register Office in a Nobleman's family where he meets Colombine. They love, and elope, a chase ensues through several noted places in London, which are detailed in the review. The union of the lovers is finally consended to, and all closes with dancing. "Some of the paintings in the scenery are well executed; and the generality of Mr Dibdin's music deserves equal praise." In it Mrs Wrighten gives a ludicrous imitation of Miss Catley's manner of singing. The reviewer's general thesis about the London stage of this period, given first in the preliminary number, 1 Jan. 1773 continues: "The Stage seems now buried in universal darkness...The Publick for several weeks, has been fed with the lean carcass of two villainous pantomimes."] Receipts: #162 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)