Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: [Mrs Knipp] tells me how Smith, of the Duke's house, hath killed a man upon a quarrel in play; which makes every body sorry, he being a good actor, and, they say, a good man, however this happens. The ladies of the Court do much bemoan him, she says

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, my eyes being so bad since last night's straining of them, that I am hardly able to see, besides the pain which I have in them. The play was a new play; and infinitely full: the King and all the Court almost there. It is The Storme, a play of Fletcher's; which is but so-so, methinks; only there is a most admirable dance at the end, of the ladies, in a military manner, which indeed did please me mightily....And there comes my wife home from the Duke of York's playhouse. Two songs, printed somewhat later in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673, may have been prepared for this revival: Hark the storm grows, set by Robert Smith; and Cheer up my mates, set by Pelham Humphrey

Event Comment: See 27 Feb. 1668@9. Pepys, Diary: I did meet Sir Jeremy Smith, who did tell me that Sir W. Coventry was just now sent to the Tower, about the business of his challenging the Duke of Buckingham, and so was also Harry Saville to the Gate-house....So, meeting with my Lord Bellassis, he told me the particulars of this matter; that it arises about a quarrel which Sir W. Coventry had with the Duke of Buckingham about a design between the Duke and Sir Robert Howard, to bring him into a play [The Rehearsal] at the King's house, which W. Coventry not enduring, did H. Saville send a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, that he had a desire to speak with him. Upon which, the Duke of Buckingham did bid Holmes, his champion ever since my Lord Shrewsbury's business, go to him to know the business; but H. Saville would not tell it to any but himself, and therefore did go presently to the Duke of Buckingham, and told him that his uncle Coventry was a person of honour, and was sensible of his Grace's liberty taken of abusing him, and that he had a desire of satisfaction, and would fight with him. But that here they were interrupted by my Lord Chamberlain's coming in, who was commanded to go to bid the Duke of Buckingham to come to the King, Holmes having discovered it

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the premiere probably occurred during this month. The Preface states: This Play, as it was wrote in less than a moneth, and was the last Play that was Acted at the King's Theatre in Covent-Garden, before the fatal Fire there. [The Preface may mean that this was the last new play acted before the fire.] Two songs for this play, with music by Robert Smith, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is most uncertain. The play was apparently finished in July 1671-see C. E. Ward, The Life of John Dryden (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1961), p. 83-and the play may have been acted before April 1672. For the possibilities see Macdonald, Bibliography of Dryden, p. 110, and Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 404-5. The Prologue and Epilogue are in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672. The song, Whilst Alexas lay prest, the music by Nicholas Staggins, was printed in Westminster Drollery (entered in the Stationers' Register, 3 June 1672) and in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673. Another song, Why should a foolish Marriage Vow, set by Robert Smith, is also in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the play followed The Citizen Turned Gentleman (4 July 1672) and refers to it in the Prologue. Edward Ravenscroft replied in the Preface and Prologue to The Careless Lovers, which appeared in February or March 1672@3. A song, Long betwixt Love and fear Phillis tormented, set by Robert Smith, is in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673. Preface to The Assignation: It succeeded ill in the representation, against the opinion of many of the best Judges of our Age. Langbaine, English Dramatick Poets, p. 154: This Play was Damn'd on the Stage

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. There is no certainty that this performance is the premiere, but it may well be. Two songs, Ah false Amyntas, and Amyntas led me to a grove, both set by Robert Smith, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673. Preface to the edition of 1673: Good, Sweet, Honey, Sugar-candied Reader, ...Indeed that day 'twas Acted first, there comes into the Pit a long, lither, plegmatick, white, ill-favour'd, wretched Fop, an Officer in Masquerade newly transported with a Scarfe & Feather out of France, a sorry Animal that has nought else to shield it from the uttermost contempt of all mankind, but that respect which we afford to Rats and Toads, which though we do not well allow to live, yet when considered as a part of God's Creation, we make honourable mention of them. A thing, Reader--but no more of such a Smelt: This thing, I tell ye, opening that which serves it for a mouth, out issued such a noise as this to those that state about it, that they were to expect a woful Play, God damn him, for it was a womans.... Reader, I have a complaint or two to make to you, and I have done; Know then that this Play was hugely injur'd in the Acting, for 'twas done so imperfectly as never any was before, which did more harm to this than it could have done to any of another sort; the Plot being busie (though I think not intricate) and so requiring a continual attention, which being interrupted by the intolerable negligence of some that acted in it, must needs much spoil the beauty on't. My Dutch Lover spoke but little of what I intended for him, but supplied it with a great deal of idle stuff, which I was wholly unacquainted with until I heard it first from him. According to the Preface, the Prologue was lost

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This date of the premiere is not known, but the presence of Cademan (who was injured in August 1673) in the cast suggests a late spring or early summer production. In addition, two songs, in the play, Beauty no more shall suffer eclipse, and Full round the health good natured and free, both set by Robert Smith, are in Choice Ayres and Songs, 1673 (which was entered in the Stationers' Register, June 1673). It is possible, then, that the play was first given early as May 1673. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33: A Comedy call'd The Reformation, Written by a Master of Arts in Cambridge; the Reformation in the Play, being the Reverse to the Laws of Morality and Virtue; it quickly made its Exit, to make way for a Moral one

Event Comment: Langhans, New Restoration Theatre Accounts, pp. 123-24, believes that acting resumed on 9 Oct. 1682 and continued to 14 July 1683, followed by 14 acting days between 16 July and 6 Oct. 1683.. Betterton and Smith managed the company for the proprietor

Event Comment: Christopher Rich's Company. The date of this revival is not certain. Apparently the revival was in preparation before the division of the company, but the publication of the Songs in 1695 confines the production to the period between mid-April and the late autumn. For the opera, see The Works of John Dryden, Vol. VIII: The Plays, edited by John Harrington Smith and Dougald MacMillan (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1692), pp. 325-30; Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter VI;and Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, Vol. XIX. The Songs (1695), the music by Henry Purcell, lists the following pieces and singers: I, Wake, wake, Quivera, sung by Freeman. I, Why shou'd men quarrel, sung by The Boy, with Flutes. Their looks are such that mercy flows, sung by Freeman. II, I come to sing, sung by Freeman. Scorn'd Envy here's nothing, sung by Freeman. Begone, curst Feinds of Hell, sung by Freeman. III, Ah, how happy we are, sung by Freeman and Church. I attempt from Love's sickness to fly, sung by Mrs Cross. IV, They tell us that you mighty powers above, sung by Mrs Cross. In addition, other parts of the opera appeared elsewhere: Act V, a Masque, set by Daniel Purcell, O Bless the Genial Bed with chast delights, in Deliciae Musicae, First Book of the Second Volume, 1696. [The others, since they do not name the performers, are omitted here.

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308-the regular company at Drury Lane resumed acting (after the summer vacation) on 11 Oct. 1696 and acted 200 times to 7 July 1697, after which the young actors played 58 days to 7 Oct. 1697

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308--Rich's Company acted 161 days from 6 Oct. 1697 to 19 May 1698, 41 days from that date to 10 July 1698, and the young actors played 24 days from 10 July 1698 to 10 Oct. 1698

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308) Rich's Company acted 209 times from 9 Oct. 1698 to 9 July 1699, after which the young actors performed 27 times from 9 July 1699 to 10 Oct. 1699

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308) Rich's company acted 218 times between 6 Oct. 1699 and 26 July 1700, and the young actors played 15 times from 26 July 1700 to 12 Oct. 1700

Event Comment: Benefit I. Smith

Event Comment: Benefit Smith and Isaac. At 7 p.m

Event Comment: [By Edmund Smith.] Never Acted before

Event Comment: Benefit Smith. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Smith. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality