Event Comment: Charles II to Madame, 10 Dec. 1663: I am just now going to see a new play (C. H. Hartmann, Charles II and Madame[1934], p. 89). The Duke's Company. W. J. Lawrence, in a review of Boswell, The Restoration Court Stage, in Modern Language Review, XXVIII (1933), 103, suggests that it was The Step-Mother which was given on this occasion. The edition of 1664 lists: The Prologue to the King at the Cockpit at White-Hall. The Epilogue to the King

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys does not indicate that this performance is the premiere, and Summers, The Playhouse of Pepys, p. 137, states, without offering his evidence, that the play first appeared on 11 Aug. 1664. The play also appears in Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 138. If Pepys saw the premiere, the play was possibly given on 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24 Aug. Pepys, Diary: Mr Creed dining with me I got him to give my wife and me a play this afternoon, lending him money to do it, which is a fallacy that I have found now once, to avoyde my vowe with, but never to be more practised I swear, and to the new play, at the Duke's house, of Henry the Fifth; a most noule play, writ by my Lord Orrery; wherein Betterton, Harris, and Ianthe's parts are most incomparably wrote and done, and the whole play the most full of height and raptures of wit and sense, that ever I heard; having but one incongruity, or what did not please me in it, that is, that King Harry promises to plead for Tudor to their Mistresse, Princesse Katherine of France, more than when it comes to it he seems to do; and Tudor refused by her with some kind of indignity, not with a difficulty and honour that it ought to have been done in to him. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 27-28: This Play was Splendidly Cloath'd: The King, in the Duke of York's Coronation Suit; Owen Tudor, in King Charle's: Duke of Burgundy, in the Lord of Oxford's, and the rest all New. It was Excellently Perform'd, and Acted 10 Days Successively

Event Comment: Mainpiece containing the Distresses and death of King Henry VIv; The Artful Acquistion of the Crown by King Richardv; The Murder of Prince Edward and his Brother in the Towerv; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and Death of King Richardv in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the houses of York and Lancaster

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Arne. Afterpiece: By Desire. House Charges #68 16s. 6d. [Profits to Mrs Arne #150 18s. 6d.] Tickets deliver'd for The Beggar's Opera will be admitted. Dido oblig'd to be defer'd a few days. Paid 1 year's Watch for St Martin's #10 2s.; Reynolds Oil bill #46 4s.; Carpue (silk dyer) #7 9s. 6d.; Jennings (glover) #13 12s.; Vernon on note #21; Chorus 1 night #2 5s. 6d.; Hautboy 5s.; Salary list #294 2s. 8d. [Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #219 14s. (Treasurer's Book). At 4 dined at the Chop House in St Clements. At 5 went to Drury Lane to see the Tempest for the benefit of Mrs Arne the prettiest performer at the house...She has a sweet little voice...A grand Dance of Fantastic Spirits in different shapes. At the end of the play a Double Hornpipe by Mr Walker and Miss Tatley. We had the entertainment of Daphne and Amintor with dancing by Sg and Sga George, Sg Tessoni, Miss King, &c. Having a seat in the third row of the Pit, was much pleased as all the principal characters were well played and the scenery is very fine. Had I been later in going, I should not have got in (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Doors opened at 6 o'clock. To Begin (By Particular Desire) exactly at Seven. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. King of Denmark. Lusignan-Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). For the King of Denmark.--At a Quarter after seven, an Apology was made by Mr Holland--viz.--"The King, being detained longer than he expected, sent word to desire the play might begin as he would not by any means make the publick wait, and he would come as soon as he possibly could,--and he [Holland] desired to know the audience's pleasure whether it should begin before he came."--A great clap and cry'd "No,"--not begin till he comes"--At thirty-five minutes after seven he came, and the play began (Hopkins Diary)

Event Comment: This Comedy written by Mr Kelly was brought on the Stage by Capt. Addington as his own was well perform'd & receiv'd with great Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Rec'd stopages #24 12s. 6d.; Paid salary list #529 2s.; Mr King's extra salary #3; Miss Brooker, 8 weeks not on list #8. (Treasurer's Book). [Mainpiece reviewed favorably by the Westminster Magazine: "He that cannot relish such a pleasing picture of Manners with such powerful Sentiments, so interesting a Fable, and so striking a Moral, must be a churl indeed."] Receipts: #244 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid 3 day's salary at #100 12s. 6d. per diem #301 17s. 6d. Salaries short-paid last week #168 8s. 6d.; Tabor and Pipe #3 13s. 6d. Louchre [Lauchery] #8 8s. Mr Abington #2; Mr King #3; (Treasurer's Book). [The payment to King was the first of 37 similar ones for extra salary amounting to #111. That to Mrs Abington was the first of weekly payments for her clothes account, amounting to #60 for the season. No further mention will be made of these items.] Receipts: #265 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). [From the Middlesex Journal (7-9 Oct.) quoted by Hampden, Eighteenth Century Journal: "The Way of the World, though confessedly replete with wit and character, is not the most entertaining play in representation. It is so full of plot and intrigue, that it demands an Unusual degree of attention in the performers and audience to excite admiration. On Saturday they seemed averse to assist the author. Mr King in Witwou'd was as entertaining and full of spirits as usual. Mr Jefferson in the gay admired Mirabel (independent of the antique mode of his wig, and formal cut of his clothes, which surely were both uncharacteristic) seemed in attempting to be quite natural, to keep the entire plot of the play in his own bosom, looked more like the father than the Mirabel of Congreve. Mr Reddish was a contrast to his friend Mirabel; he seemed attentive nervous, and played the latter part of his character well....Mrs Abington's person, manner and dress were fashionable and elegant; but though the character was certainly a fine one, there was a want of that spirit best calculated to call her powers into action: her delivery was tediously formal; and had the audience been deprived of their sight they would conclude that Capt. Bobadill had got into petticoats. Her dress was no more decent than Madam Hidou's was on her first appearance last year; stays so low cut before puts modesty to the blush; and will not be countenanced by an English audience, though made after the French fashion....Mrs Greville, to convince the town that she could keep a secret, whispered it to only a few friends in the Pit....her indifference is intolerable, and should be noticed by her employer."

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years. [See 11 Nov. 1752.] Characters New Dressed in the Habits of the Times. This play is alter'd by Mr Colman and receiv'd with Some Applause, but it don't seem to hit the present Taste a few hisses at the End (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] Paid salary list #630 1s. 6d.; Widow Hunter #2 2s.; King's glass bill #3 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). [Mainpiece reviewed and contrasted with the original in the Westminster Magazine for Jan.: "Upon the whole we cannot esteem this a striking comedy, even with the assistance it has now received,--the fine manner in which it is got up, and the great expence which the managers have been at in habiting the whole dramatis personae in splendid and characteristic Old English dresses. All the actors except Mr King and Mr Parsons performed but indifferently. Bensley is the worst Old Man we ever saw. He presents the countenace of a sickly old woman; and the uniform goggle of his eye, by which he means to express infirmity and distress is the look of a man in anguish from the colic. Mr Palmer, Mr Brereton, and Mr Davis have a bloated vulgarity about them, which should ever deter the manager from assigning them the parts of cavaliers or men of fashion. Baddeley, as usual, overdid his part, and Mr Yates, as usual, was not very perfect in his."] Receipts: #192 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, where two acts were almost done when I come in; and there I sat with my cloak about my face, and saw the remainder of The Mayd's Tragedy; a good play, and well acted, especially by the younger Marshall, who is become a pretty good actor, and is the first play I have seen in either of the houses since before the great plague, they having acted now about fourteen days publickly. But I was in Mighty pain lest I should be seen by any body to be at a play. Elegy on that Worthy and Famous Actor, Mr Charles Hart, who departed this Life Thursday August the 18th., 1683: @Such Pow'r He had o'r the Spectators gain'd,@As forc'd a Real passion from a Feign'd.@For when they saw Amintor bleed, straight all@The House, for every Drop, a Tear let fall;@And when Arbaces wept by sympathy,@A glowing Tide of Wo gush'd from each Eye.@ [Reprinted in Thorn-Drury, A Little Ark, pp. 47ff; Sprague, Beaumont and Fletcher, p.38.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and Willett and I to the King's playhouse, and there saw Henry the Fourth; and contrary to expectation, was pleased in nothing more than in Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech about "What is Honour?" The house full of Parliamentmen, it being holyday with them: and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, did drop down as dead, being choked; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger down his throat, and brought him to life again

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@12, p. 17: King & Queene. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344

Event Comment: The United Company. There is uncertainty concerning this date; it appears on Luttrell's copy (Huntington Library) of the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue, and the date may represent the time of his purchase rather than a date of performance. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 141-45. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 39-40): All the preceding Plays, being the chief that were Acted in Dorset-Garden, from November 1671, to the Year 1682; at which time the Patentees of each Company United Patents; and by so Incorporating the Duke's Company were made the King's Company, and immediately remov'd to the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. Upon this Union, Mr Hart being the Heart of the Company under Mr Killigrew's Patent never Acted more, by reason of his Malady; being Afflicted with the Stone and Gravel, of which he Dy'd some time after: Having a Sallary of 40 Shillings a Week to the Day of his Death. But the Remnant of that Company; as, Major Mohun, Mr Cartwright, Mr Kynaston, Mr Griffin, Mr Goodman, Mr Duke Watson, Mr Powel, Sr, Mr Wiltshire, Mrs Corey, Mrs Bowtell, Mrs Cook, Mrs Montfort. [Joined the new company]. Note, now Mr Monfort and Mr Carlile, were grown to the Maturity of good Actors. The mixt Company then Reviv'd the several old and Modern Plays, that were the Propriety of Mr Killigrew, as Rule a Wife, and have a Wife: Mr Betterton Acting Michael Perez; Don Leon, Mr Smith, Cacofogo, Mr Cartwright: Margaretta, Mrs Barry: Estiphania, Mrs Cook. Next, @The Scornful Lady.@The Plain Dealer.@The Mock Astrologer.@The Jovial Crew.@The Beggars Bush.@Bartholomew-Fair.@The Moor of Venice.@Rollo.@The Humorous Lieutenant.@The Double Marriage.@ With divers others. George Powell, Preface to The Treacherous Brothers (1690): The Time was, upon the uniting of the Two Theatres, that the Reviveing of the old stock of Plays, so ingrost the study of the House, that the Poets lay dorment; and a new Play cou'd hardly get admittance, amongst the more precious pieces of Antiquity, that then waited to walk the Stage. Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 95-96): I shall content myself with telling you that Mohun and Hart now growing old [for, above thirty Years before this Time, they had severally born the King's Commission of Major and Captain in the Civil Wars), and the younger Actors, as Goodman, Clark, and others, being impatient to get into their Parts, and growing intractable, the Audiences too of both Houses then falling off, the Patentees of each, by the King's Advice, which perhaps amounted to a Command, united their Interests and both Companies into one, exclusive of all others in the Year 1682. This Union was, however, so much in favour of the Duke's Company, that Hart left the Stage upon it, and Mohun survived not long after

Event Comment: TTurbutt doubled as Marcellus and Player King

Event Comment: Benefit for Winstone and King. Tickets at Stage Door. Rec'd Cash #62 18s. 6d., plus #71 17s. from tickets. Total #134 15s. 6d. Paid King's Tax (Land) Windsor's House #10; Paid Mrs Swift for a suit of women's cloaths #12 14s. 6d.; Paid Knight (Lampman) month bill #7 8s. 6d.; Mrs Hobson a bill 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #150 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)