Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; M. ENT 2, by Andrew Franklin. Larpent MS 1268; not published]: With appropriate Scenery, Dresses, &c. The Music entirely new, with a Naval and Military Medley Overture, composed by Reeve. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [European Magazine, Oct. 1799, p. 255, states that this was founded on the expedition to Holland which embarked at Deal from 7th to 11th September 1799.] Receipts: #340 14s. 6d. (225.17.0; 114.13.2; 0.4.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the Author of The Castle-Spectre [Matthew Gregory Lewis, also the author of Prologue and Epilogue (see text)]. "The Epilogue was spoken by Bannister Jun. in the character of Queen Elizabeth, who ascends from a trap in the middle of the stage, and who is supposed to have obtained the permission of Pluto to revisit her kingdom, in order to witness the representation of the East Indianv" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1799, p. 367). Receipts: #200 13s. 6d. (131.11.0; 67.9.6; 1.13.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer and Caulfield. [In 3rd piece the playbill retains Miss DeCamp as Fanny, but "Miss DeCamp being reported ill during the representation of [1st piece], the part of Fanny, in the Entertainment, was undertaken, at a moment's notice, by Miss Heard, [who]...studying the character, scene by scene, acted the part to general satisfaction, which was announced merely to be read" (Dramatic Censor, II, 232).] Morning Chronicle, 19 May: Tickets to be had of Caulfield, No. 6, Southampton-place, Tottenham-court-road [Palmer not listed]. Receipts: #194 1s. 6d. (120.10.0; 66.10.6; 7.1.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #212 4s. 7d.)

Event Comment: 1st piece: In one Act; 1st time at this Theatre [acted 19 June 1784]. 2nd piece [1st time; D 3, by Charles Kemble, based on Le Deserteur, by Louis Sebastien Mercier. Authors of Prougue and Ephlogue unknown]. Morning Chronicle, 1 Aug. 1800: This day is published The Point of Honour (2s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Joseph George Holman]: The Overture and the whold of the Musick by Davy. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Miss Wheatley was from cg.] Morning Chronicle, 20 Aug. 1800: This day at twelve o'clock is published What a Blunder! (2s.)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. On Thursday 10 Dec. 1663, Pepys reported that this play was to be acted the following week, but the date of the first performance is uncertain. But--except for the holidays--it was probably acted on consecutive days until 1 Jan. 1663@4, when Pepys saw it. The play is also in Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 138, as a "Revived Play." Pepys, Diary: I perceive the King and Duke and the Court was going to the Duke's playhouse to see Henry VIII. acted, which is said to be an admirable play. But, Lord! to see now near I was to have broken my oathe, or run the hazard of 20s. losse, so much my nature was hot to have gone thither; but I did not go. Downes (p.24): King Henry the 8th, This Play, by Order of Sir William Davenant, was all new Cloath'd in proper Habits: The King's was new, all the Lords, the Cardinals, the Bishops, the Doctors, Proctors, Lawyers, Tip-staves, new Scenes: The part of the King was so right and justly done by Mr Betterton, he being Instructed in it by Sir William, who had it from Old Mr Lowen, that had his Instructions from Mr Shakespear himself, that I dare and will aver, none can, or will come near him in this Age, in the performance of that part: Mr Harris's performance of Cardinal Wolsey, was little Inferior to that, he doing it with such just State, Port, and Mein, that I dare affirm, none hitherto has Equall'd him:...Every part by the great Care of Sir William, being exactly perform'd; it being all new Scenes; it continu'd Acting 15 Days together with general Applause

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage," p. 13. Diary of Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington: Heer dined with mee my lord of Canterbury my ld Sandwich and my brother and sister Orrery, and in the afternoone wee all went but his Grace to see my brothers new play cald Tryphon which was much applauded (Volume IV, in the Library at Chatsworth. This excerpt supplied by Kathleen Lynch). Pepys, Diary: My wife tells me of my Lord Orrery's new play "Tryphon," at the Duke of York's house...and [we] went thither, where, with much ado, at half-past one, we got into a blind hole in the 18d. place, above stairs, where we could not hear well, but the house infinite full, but the prologue most silly, and the play, though admirable, yet no pleasure almost in it, because just the very same design, and words, and sense, and plot, as every one of his plays have, any one of which alone would be held admirable, whereas so many of the same design and fancy do but dull one another; and this, I preceive, is the sense of every body else, as well as myself, who therefore showed but little pleasure in it

Event Comment: Impartial Protestant Mercury, 2 May 1682: Mr Charles? Deering? son to Sr Edward D., and Mr Vaughan?, quarrelled in the Duke's Playhouse, and presently mounted the stage and fought, and Mr D. was dangerously wounded, and Mr V. secured lest it should prove mortal. [See also, Wilson, Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 80.

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the Preface states:...the many inconveniences this hasty Peice has been expos'd to, as the Season of the being [sic] so near Christmas. [The Preface also refers to several scenes omitted in the action and expresses gratitude to Mountfort who wrote one scene of the fifth act.] This play was entered in the Term Catalogues, Feb. 1690@1

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the premiere is not certain, but reference to it in the Gentleman's Journal, May 1693 (issued in June 1693), suggests that it appeared in May: We have had since my last a new Comedy called, The Female Vertuosos, something in it was borrowed from Moliere's Femmes Savantes, and as it hath Wit and Humour, it cannot but please in the perusal, as in the representation (p. 168). One song, Love thou art best of human joys, to words by Anne, Countess of Winchelsea, was set by Henry Purcell

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: Thomas Brown to George Moult, 12 Sept. 1699: But tho' Bartholomew-Fair is dead and buried for a twelvemonth, yet it is some consolation to us, that it revives in both the play-houses. Poetry is so little regarded there, and the audience is so taken up with show and sight, that an author will not much trouble himself about his thoughts and language, so he is but in fee with the dancing-masters, and has a few luscious songs to lard his dry composition. One would almost swear, that Smithfield had removed into Drury-lane and Lincolns-Inn-Fields, since they set so small a value on good sense, and so great a one on trifles that have no relation to the play. By the by, I am to tell you, that some of their late bills are so very monstrous, that neither we, nor our forefathers, ever knew anything like them: They are as long as the title-pages to some of Mr Prynn's works; nay, you may much sooner dispatch the Gazette, even when it is most crowded with advertisements. And as their bills are so prodigious, so are the entertainments they present us with: For, not to mention the Bohemian women, that first taught us how to dance and swim together; not the famous Mr Clinch of Barnet, with his kit and organ; nor the worthy gentlemen that condescended to dance a Cheshirerounds, at the instance of several persons of quality; nor t'other gentleman that sung like a turky-cock; nor, lastly, that prodigy of a man that mimick'd the harmony of the Essex lions; not to mention these and a hundred other notable curiosities, we have been so unmercifully over-run with an inundation of Monsieurs from Paris, that one would be almost tempted to wish that the war had still continued, if it were for no other reason but because it would have prevented the coming over of these light-heel'd gentlemen, who have been a greater plague to our theatres, than their privateers were to our merchantmen. Shortly, I suppose, we shall be entertain'd here with all sorts of sights and shows, as, jumping thro' a hoop; (for why should not that be as proper as Mr Sympson's vaulting upon the wooden-horses?) dancing upon the high ropes, leaping over eight men's heads, wrestling, boxing, cudgelling, fighting at back-sword, quarter-staff, bear-baiting, and all the other noble exercises that divert the good folk at Hockley; for when once such an infection as this has gain'd ground upon us, who can tell where it will stop? What a wretched pass is this wicked age come to, when Ben. Johnson and Shakespear won't relish without these bagatelles to recommend them, and nothing but farce and grimace will go down? For my part, I wonder they have not incorporated parson Burgess into their society; for after the auditors are stupify'd with a dull scene or so, he would make a shift to relieve them. In short, Mr Collier may save himself the trouble of writing against the theatre; for, if these lewd practices are not laid aside, and sense and wit don't come into play again, a man may easily foretell, without pretending to the gift of prophecy, that the stage will be shortliv'd, and the strong Kentish man will take possession of the two play-houses, as he has already done of that in Dorset-Garden (The Works of Thomas Brown, 4th ed. [London, 1715], I, 216-18)

Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Dryden. Set to Musick by Mr Handel. Pit and Boxes half a Guinea. Galleries 4s. and 2s. 6d. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 20 Feb.: Last Night his Royal Highness the Duke, and her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia were at. . . Mr Dryden's Ode, set to Musick by Mr Handel. Never was upon the like Occasion so numerous and splendid an Audience at any Theatre in London, there being at least 1300 Persons present; and it is judg'd that the Receipt of the House could not amount to less than 450l. It met with general Applause, tho attended with the Inconvenience of having the Performers placed at too great a distance from the Audience, which we hear will be rectified the next Time of Performance. [Egmont also present.]

Event Comment: Benefit Hippisley. For the better Accommodation of the Ladies, the Stage will be enclosed into an Amphitheatre, and formed into Boxes. Receipts: money #68 3s.; seals #135 11s. (Account Book); #202 (Rylands MS.). [According to the Account Book, Hippisley was charged #20 for his benefit.

Event Comment: WWilliam Hint in letter (Daily Gazetteer, 31 Oct.): Here again we find Mr Delane ill cast for the sake of casting Mr Sheridan?; Still worse, Need I say how much better this play would have been acted had Mr Delane? play'd Pierre, and Mr Garrick? Jaffier

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Mr Davis will be taken. [Bransby doubled in Oxford and Tyrrel. The General Advertiser quoted a long Epilogue on the Birthday of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland Written by the Farmer (who had taken over the role of Swift's Drapier) and spoken by Garrick in Dublin. It also quoted the following long puff for Ray's Benefit to come]: Sir, As long acquaintance best entitles us to friendly good natured offices, and as no more proper time can be found to confer them than when the person is in the Decline of life, give me leave to recommend (thro' your means) Mr Ray of Drury Lane Theatre, the oldest actor now belonging to that House, to the Favour of the Town, at his ensuing Benefit next Saturday. A person who once agreeably entertained the Public, should always feel the warmth of their Indulgence, tho' the Infirmities of Old age may have render'd him less pleasing than formerly. This Application is therefore meant to those friends of his, whom Distance of time, and change of Situation may have made it impossible any other way to acquaint them, that The Merchant of Venice is to be acted for his Benefit on Saturday next; therefore 'tis hoped they will be so kind as to send for his Tickets to Mr Hobson, in the Playhouse Passage, or to Mr Ray's lodgings, the second Door in Queen's Court, Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the Favour will ever be greatly acknowledged by him