Event Comment: Thomas Isham, Diary: It is reported that Harris has killed his associate actor, in a scene on the stage, by accident. It was the tragedy called Macbeth, in which Harris performed the part of Macduff, and ought to have slain his fellow-actor, Macbeth; but during the fence it happened that Macduff pierced Macbeth in the eye, by which thrust he fell lifeless, and could not bring out the last words of his part, 'Farewell vane world, and farewell, which is worse, ambition' (Walter Rye, The Journal of Thomas Isham of Lamport [1875], p. 102). VanLennep--See 9 Aug. 1673--doubts that Cademan ever played Macbeth and thinks that Downes's version is the more probable. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 367-68

Event Comment: Thomas Shadwell to Earl of Dorset, 19 Jan. 1691@2 (summary): Asks that he will order The Innocent Impostors to be the next new play to be acted. He would have had it acted in Roman Habits and then, with a mantle to have covered her hips, [if] Mrs Barry would have acted the part; but Thomas Davenant has with a great slight turned him off, and says he will trouble himself no more about the Play. Asks Dorset to favour the author and him. Complains of priority being given to Durfey's play and a play by Dryden (HMC, 4th Report, Appendix [1874], pp. 280-81)

Event Comment: Thomas Lilleston, one of Rhodes' actors, was brought before the Middlesex Sessions, charged with acting a play on this date. (See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 197.)

Event Comment: Thomas Shadwell, the Poet Laureat, presented an Ode on the King's Birth-Day, which was published in 1692

Event Comment: Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 3 Jan.: I went to King Arthur last night, which is exceeding fine; they have a new man to supply Delane's place, one Johnson, with ye finest person & face in the world to all appearance; but as awkward, as a Button-maker; in short, if he knew how to manage his Beauties to advantage, I should not wonder, if all the Women run mad for him: the inchanted part of the play, is not Machinery, but actual magick: the second scene is a British temple enough to make one go back a thousand years, & really be in ancient Britain: the Songs are all Church-musick, & in every one of ye Chorus's Mrs Chambers sung ye chief part, accompanied with Roarings, Squawlings & Squeakations dire. Mrs Giffard is by way of Emmeline, & should be blind, but, heaven knows! I would not wish to see better than she does, & seems to do; for when Philidel restores her to sight, her eyes are not at all better than before; she is led in at first, by a Creature, yet was more like a Devil by half, than Grimbald himself; she took herself for Madame la Confidente, but every body else took her to be in the Circumstances of Damnation: when Emmeline comes to her sight, she beholds this Mrs Matilda first, & cries out Are Women all like thee? such glorious Creatures! which set the people into such a laugh, as lasted the whole Act: the Frost Scene is excessive fine; the first Scene of it is only a Cascade, that seems frozen: with the Genius of Winter asleep & wrapt in furs, who upon the approach of Cupid, after much quivering, & shaKing sings the finest song in the Play: just after, the Scene opens, & shows a view of arched rocks covered with Ice & Snow to ye end of ye Stage; between the arches are upon pedestals of Snow eight Images of old men & women, that seem frozen into Statues, with Icicles hanging about them & almost hid in frost, & from ye end come Singers, viz: Mrs Chambers, &: & Dancers all rubbing their hands & chattering with cold with fur gowns & worsted gloves in abundance. Gray, Correspondence, I, 36-37