Event Comment: According to Robert Withington (English Pageantry, An Historical Outline, Cambridge, Mass., 1918, I, 242n), the expense of the entertainment came to #7888 2s. 6d. (See also Pepys, Diary, and other accounts.) The Diurnal of Thomas Rugg, ed. Sachse, pp. 98-99: A lane [was] made in the Citty, made by the livery men of several companyes; and many pageants in the streets...Att Cheap sid his Majesty beheld a famous pagien, and staid there for som littl space, where were speeches made by the lady paganetts. Evelyn, Diary: I saw his Majestie go with as much pompe & splendor as any Earthly prince could do to the greate Citty feast...but the exceeding raine which fell all that day, much eclips'd its luster:...the streets adorn'd with Pageants &c: at immense cost

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Opera, where there was a new play (Cutter of Coleman Street), made in the year 1658, with reflections much upon the late times; and it being the first time, the pay was doubled, and so to save money, my wife and I went up into the gallery, and there sat and saw very well; and a very good play it is. It seems of Cowly's making. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 25): This Comedy being Acted so perfectly Well and Exact, it was perform'd a whole Week with a full Audience. John Dennis, Dedication to The Comical Gallant, 1702: The only Play that ever Mr Cowley writ, was barbarously treated the first night, as the late Mr Dryden has more than once informed me, who has told me that he went to see it with the famous Mr Sprat, now Bishop of Rochester, and that after the Play was done, they both made a visit to Mr Cowley. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, p. 81): This Play met with some Opposition, at its Representation under this new Name, from some who envyed the Authors unshaken Loyalty to the Prince, and the Royal Cause, in the worst of Times. BM Add. Mss. 34217, fol. 31b, in Hotson (Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 247): @The Cutter of Coleman street had more fame@Before the Author chang'd its name@And shewd himselfe an Englishman right@By mending of things to spoyle them quite@And bee's more to blame because he can tell@(No better) to make new strings soe well.

Event Comment: The Lord Mayor's show. Evelyn, Diary: Was my L. Majors shew with a number of sumptuous pageantry, speeches & Verses: I was standing in an house in Cheape side, against the place prepared for their Majesties. The Prince & heire of Denmark was there, but not our King

Event Comment: Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery, to Edward, Viscount Conway, 17 July 1666: If we meet at London you will see a Play Acted, wh I writt by ye King s Command; I call it, Edward ye Black Prince; And if ever I writt anythinge fit for ye Theatre this Play is it (Calendar of State Papers, Ireland, 1666-1669, p. 158; in The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, 1, 43)

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, by agreement met Sir W. Pen, and saw Love in a Maze: but a sorry play: only Lacy's clowne's part, which he did most admirably indeed; and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty again. Here was but little, and that ordinary, company. We sat at the upper bench next the boxes, and I find it do pretty well, and have the advantage of seeing and hearing the great people, which may be pleasant when there is good store. Now was only Prince Rupert and my Lord Lauderdale, and my Lord [...]...But here was neither Hart, Nell, nor Knipp; therefore, the play was not likely to please me

Event Comment: The King's Company. For the identification of this play and details of its performance, see W. J. Lawrence, "Foreign Singers and Musicians at the Court of Charles II," Musical Quarterly, IX (1923), 217-25, and James G. McManaway, "Entertainment for the Grand Duke of Tuscany," Theatre Notebook, XVI (1961), 20-21. The Travels of Cosmo the Third [Monday 3 June 1669 NS; Monday 24 May 1669 OS]: In the afternoon his highness left home earlier than usual to make his visits, that he might be at the King's Theatre in time for the comedy, and a ballet set on foot and got up in honor of his highness by my Lord Stafford, uncle of the Duke of Norfolk. On arriving at the theatre, which was sufficiently lighted on the stage and on the walls to enable the spectators to see the scenes and the performances, his highness seated himself in a front box, where, besides enjoying the pleasure of the spectacle, he passed the evening in conversation with the Venetian ambassador, the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Stafford, and other noblemen. To the story of Psyche, the daughter of Apollo, which abounded with beautiful incidents, all of them adapted to the performers and calculated to express the force of love, was joined a well-arranged ballet, regulated by the sound of various instruments, with new and fanciful dances after the English manner, in which different actions were counterfeited, the performers passing gracefully from one to another, so as to render intelligible, by their movements, the acts they were representing. This spectacle was highly agreeable to his highness from its novelty and ingenuity; and all parts of it were likewise equally praised by the ladies and gentlemen, who crouded in great numbers to the theatre, to fill the boxes, with which it is entirely surrounded, and the pit, and to enjoy the performance, which was protracted to a late hour of the night (pp. 347-48). In BM Add. Mss. 10117, folio 230, Rugge's Diurnall states that towards the end of May 1669 Cosmo, Prince of Tuscany had several plays acted for him

Event Comment: Newsletter, 8 Nov. 1670: The 4th being the birthday of the Prince of Orange a comedy was prepared at Whitehall to entertain him and all things done that might show what a great value the whole Court had for him (Hastings MSS. HMC, III, 324)

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 is the premiere. A song, A heart in love's empire, with music by Robert Smith, and another, Let's drink dear friends, set by Thomas? Farmer, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673. The Dedication in the edition of 1672 is to Prince Rupert and states: tho' of thirty times it has been acted, you seldom fail'd to honour it with your presence. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 32): The next new Comedy [at dg] was the Mamamouchi, or the Citizen turn'd Gentleman, Wrote by Mr Ravenscroft [cast as in edition of 1672 except French Tutor and Singing Master, by Mr Haines: (He having Affronted Mr Hart, he gave him a Discharge and then came into our House)]; This Comedy was look[ed] upon by the Criticks for a Foolish Play; yet it continu'd Acting 9 Days with a full House; upon the Sixth the House being very full: The Poet added 2 more Lines to his Epilogue, viz. @The Criticks came to Hiss, and Dam this Play,@Yet spite of themselves they can't keep away.@ However, Mr Nokes in performing the Mamomouchi pleas'd the King and Court, next Sir Martin, above all Plays

Event Comment: The Bulstrode Papers (1, 274): The first of January ye young Princes are to divert their Maties and Court wth a play & an opera in whch ye splendour of ye English monarchy will be seen

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 81. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. There is no certainty as to whether this is the date of the first performance. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 35): Then the Conquest of China by the Tartars, by Mr Settle; in this Play Mr Jevon Acting a Chinese Prince and Commander in it, and being in the Battle, Vanquisht by the Tartars; he was by his Part to fall upon the point of his Sword and Kill himself, rather than be a Prisoner by the Tartars: Mr Jevon instead of falling on the point of his Sword, laid it in the Scabbard at length upon the Ground and fell upon't, saying, now I am Dead; which put the Author into such a Fret, it made him speak Treble instead of Double Jevons answer was; did not you bid me fall upon my Sword

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 215. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 345. Marquis of Worcester to the Marchioness, 8 June 1675: I sate up last night at the play in Court--which was to entertaine the Prince of Newbough--till one of the clock in the morning (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., IX, 65)

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is not known. Although the play was not entered in the Term Catalogues until February 1675@6, the references to "Miss-Non-so-Fair," prince Nick, and t'other House Gallants" suggest that it capitalized upon the appearance of Psyche Debauched at dg

Event Comment: Sir Charles Lyttleton, 10 Nov. 1677: [The Princess of Orange] is gone to ye play to-night in these and all ye Duchesses jewells (Hatton Correspondence, Camden Society, 1878, XXII, 155). The Prince and Princess had been married on 4 Nov. 1677

Event Comment: The United Company. As the play was certainly acted on 1 Dec. 1682, it was probably given also on 29 Nov., in spite of the death of Prince Rupert on that day

Event Comment: On this day an order calls for the delivery, customs free, of the properties of the French troupe of the Prince of Orange. See Rosenfeld, Foreign Theatrical Companies, p. 4

Event Comment: The United Company. BM Sloane MS 3929, newsletter: 19 May 1688: On Munday last the King prince and princess were to see a play called the Squire of Alsatia. [I owe this quotation to Professor John Harold Wilson.

Event Comment: BM Add. Mss. 34096, folio 63r 64v, Whitehall, 15 July 1692: The Prince and Princesse of Danemarke...yesterday...tooke barge to Goe to ye Play House. [See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), p. 225, for a letter by Princess Anne ordering boats to take her to the theatre.

Event Comment: By Elkanah Settle. Luttrell, A Brief Relation, 29 Oct. 1692: This day the usuall show of lord mayors, where the king and queen dined, most of the nobility, &c., but the prince and princesse were not invited: the feast was at charge of lord mayor and court of alderman: the lord mayor subscribed 300#, each she rife, 150#, and the aldermen 50# apeice: the kings regiment of foot guards was all in new cloths, and the horse guards too: the militia of Middlesex were as a guard in the Strand, and the artillery, with silver and steell headpeices, lined tne streets where the mayor came

Event Comment: The Portledge Papers, 19 June 1697: On Thursday last in the neighbourhood of Somerset house in the evening was a great entertaynment of Musick and singing in so much as that part of the Strand was so crouded with coaches and sedans that I having occasion to goe that way could hardly Pass and I heard it reported that it was designed for the Prince of Wales birthday but the Lord Feversham hearing of it put it off till Thursday (ed. S. J. Kerr and I. C. Duncan, London, 1928, p. 261)