Event Comment: Flying Post, 7 March 1698@9: A Consort of all new Vocal and Instrumental Music; for the Benefit of Mr William Hall, who formerly had the Consort of Musick at his House in Norfolk-street

Event Comment: Post Boy, No. 613, 11-14 March 1698@9: At the Request of several Persons of Quality, in York Building, on Friday next the 17th Instant, will be a Consort of new Vocal and Instrumental Musick, for the Benefit of Mr Corbett, Beginning exactly at Eight of the Clock

Event Comment: Post Man, 28 March 1699: For the Benefit of Mr Robert Roades...a Consort, all new Music, both Vocal and Instrumental: There being no Play at either House

Event Comment: Post Boy, 11 May 1699: A Consort of New Vocal and Instrumental Musick, for the Benefit of Mr Edward Keene, who was the first Promoter of the Musical Entertainments in Sommerset House Garden

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. This performance is known by a letter of John Dryden to Mrs Steward, 7 Nov. 1699: There is this day to be acted a New tragedy, made by Mr Hopkins, & as I believe in rhime. He has formerly written a play in verse calld Boadicea, which you fair Ladyes likd: & is a poet who writes good verse without knowing how, or why; I mean he writes naturally well, without art or learning, or good sence (The Letters of John Dryden, p. 124). The Dedication to the play is dated 1 Nov. 1699, but the play was not advertised until, apparently, in the Post Man, 17-20 Feb. 1699@1700

Event Comment: John Dryden to Mrs Steward, 26 Nov. 1699: If you come up next Week, you will be entertaind with a New Tragedy; which the Author of it, one Mr Dennis, cryes up at an Excessive rate, & Colonel Codrington, who has seen it, prepares the world to give it loud Applauses. Tis calld Iphigenia, & Imitated from Eurypides, an old Greek poet. This is to be Acted at Betterton's House, & another play of the same name, is very shortly to come on the stage in Drury Lane (The Letters of John Dryden, p. 129)

Event Comment: Villiers Bathurst to Arthur Charlett, 28 Jan. 1699@1700: The Wits of all qualities have lately entertained themselves with a reviv 6: went to ye play. I staid there a quarter of an hour (Huntington MS St 26). The Wits of all qualities have lately entertained themselves with a revived humour of Sir John Falstaff in Henry the Fourth, which has drawn all the town, more than any new play that has bin produced of late; which shews that Shakespeare's wit will always last: and the criticks allow that Mr Betterton has hitt the humour of Falstaff better than any that have aimed at it before (G. Thorn-Drury, More Seventeenth Century Allusions to Shakespeare, [London, 1924], p. 48)

Event Comment: A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), commenting upon Betterton's success with I Henry IV (see 9 Jan. 1699@1700) pictures Betterton entering his Closet and praying to Shakespeare for further assistance (p. 25), with the result that "tho' some of those Plays that Batterton Acted were Historical, and consequently highly irregular, yet they never fail'd to please" (p. 26). Sullen adds: Well, this lucky hit of Batterton's put D. Lane in a non-plus! Shakespear's Ghost was rais'd at the New-house, and he seem'd to inhabit it for ever: What's to be done then? Oh, says Rich I'll pray as well as he-What? Shall a Heathen Player have more Religion than a Lawyer? No, it shall never be said--with that Mr R@@ goes up to the Garret (a pair of Stairs higher than his own Apartment) and taking Ben Johnson's Picture with him, he implores. This work implies that Betterton presented Henry VIII in addition to I Henry IV and that Rich revived Volpone, The Alchymist, and The Silent Woman, which had, according to the author of this work, lain unacted for twenty years (p. 26)

Event Comment: Post Man, 16-19 March 1700: For the benefit of Mrs Hudson and Mr Williams, to morrow being Wednesday the 20th instant, in the Great Room in York Buildings, will be performed an extraordinary entertainment of Vocal and Instrumental Musick. At the desire of several Ladies of Quality, with a new Prologue to be performed by Jo. Haines

Event Comment: As it was altered from Shakespear by Sir Wil. D'Avenant, and the late Mr Dryden, Poets Laureat. With new Scenes, Machines, and all the Original Decorations proper to the Play. By her Majesty's Command no Persons are to be admitted behind the Scenes

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. As it was altered from Shakespear by Sir Will. D'avenant, and the late Mr Dryden, Poets Laureat. With new Scenes, Machines, and all the Original Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Shakespear by Sir Will. d'Avenant, and the late Mr Dryden, Poets Laureat: With new Scenes, Machines, and all the original Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: [By Joseph Addison.] Never Acted before. G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival, 16 April: On Tuesday last...Cato was acted the first time. I am informed the front boxes were all bespoke for nine days, a fortnight before the play was acted. I was present with Mr Addison, and two or three more friends in a side box, where we had a table and two or three flasks of burgundy and champagne, with which the author (who is a very sober man) thought it necessary to support his spirits in the concern he was then under, and indeed it was a pleasant refreshment to us all between the acts....The actors were at the expence of new habits, which were very magnificent. (Rand, p. 113. See also Victor, II, 29-31, and Cibber, I, 122-23, II, 127-33)

Event Comment: Written by Mr Wycherley, Carefully Revis'd. [In Daily Courant, 6 Oct., dl had announced its opening had been delayed to finish the New Decorations of the House.

Event Comment: Written by Mr Congreve. All the Characters being new drest

Event Comment: Not Acted these 15 Years. Written by Mr Congreve. All the Characters being new drest

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A new Entertainment of Vocal and Instrumental Musick...set to Musick by Mr Clayton

Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Dryden. All the Habits being entirely new. With Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A new Dramatick Entertainment of Dancing, compos'd by Mr Thurmond

Event Comment: Not Acted these Twenty Years. With new Scenes, Machines, Flyings, and other Decorations. The Musick compos'd by Mr Galliard

Event Comment: With new Scenes, Machines, Flyings, and other Decorations. The Musick compos'd by Mr Galliard

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A new Dramatick Entertainment of Dancing, compos'd by Mr Thurmond (after the Manner of the Pantomimes)

Event Comment: Not Acted these Fifteen Years. [i.e., at dl]. With new Habits, and Scenes proper to the Play. Written by Mr Lee

Event Comment: With new Habits, and Scenes proper to the Play. Written by Mr Lee

Event Comment: With new Musick. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Romagnezi