Event Comment: The United Company.
Newdigate newsletters, 20 Jan. 1682@3: Yesterday was acted at
the Theatre Royall
the first of a new play Entituled
the City Politiques the novelty of wch drew a Confluence of Spectators under both Qualifications of
Whigg and
Tory to hear and behold a
Ld Mayor Sheriffs & some
Aldermen with
their wives in yr usuall formalityes buffoond & Reviled a great Lawyer with his young Lady Jeared and Intreagued
Dr Oates pfectly represented berogued & beslaved
the papist plott Egregiously Rediculed
the Irish Testemonyes Contradictiorily disproved & befoold
the Whiggs totally vanquished & undon Law & property men oreruld &
there wanted nothing of Artifice in behaviour and discourse to render all those obnoxious & dispised in fine such a medly of occurences intervened that twas a question whe
ther more of Loyalty designe or Rhetorique prvailed but
there were mighty clappings among
the poeple of both partyes in Expressing ei
ther
their sattisfaction or displeasure (
Wilson,
Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 81).
The Prologue and Epilogue, separately Printed, have 20 Jan. 1682@3 as
Luttrell's date of acquisition (
Huntington Library) and are reprinted in
Wiley's
Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 166-69.
John Dennis, To Mr --- In which are some Passages of
the Life of
Mr John Crown, Author of
Sir Courtly Nice, June 23, 1719: About that time he writ
The City Politicks, on purpose to Satyrize and expose
the Whigs; a Comedy so agreeable, that it deserv'd to be writ in a much better Cause: But after he had writ he met with very great Difficulties in
the getting it acted.
Bennet Lord Arlington, who was
then
Lord Chamberlain of
the King's Houshold, and who had secretly espous'd
the Whigs, who were at that time powerful in
Parliament, in order to support himself against
the Favour and Power of
the Lord Treasurer Danby, who was his declared Enemy, us'd all his Authority to suppress it. One While it was prohibited on
the account of its being Dangerous, ano
ther while it was laid aside on
the pretence of its being Falt and Insipid; till
Mr Crown at last was forc'd to have Recourse to
the king himself, and to engage him to give his absolute Command to
the Lord Chamberlain for
the acting of it; which Command
the King was Pleas'd to give in his own Person (I, 49-50).
Morrice Entry Book, Vol.1 1682@3: Mr Crowne [was cudgled on Wednesday last in
St Martin's Lane and] hee that beat him said hee did it at
the suite of
the Earle of Rochester some time since
deceased who greatly abused in
the play for his penetency &c. (p. 353. I owe this note to
the courtesy of
Professor David M. Vieth of
the University of Kansas and
Professor G. H. Jones of
Kansas State University)