Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance (entitled The French Opera) is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 73. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 345. The edition of 1674 (appearing in both an English and a French version) states: An Opera, or, a Vocal Representation. First Compos'd by Monsieur P. P. Now put into Musick by Monsieur Grabut, Master of His Majesties Musick. And Acted by the Royall Academy of Musick, At the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. The names of the singers for this production are not known, but it is possible that some of the French singers who appeared in Calisto in the following season, 1674-75, were in London for this production. See Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, pp. 201, 222, and W. J. Lawrence, Early French Players in England, The Elizabethan Playhouse and Other Studies, p. 145. French dancers in the opera were Pecurr [Preux], LeTemps, Shenan, D'muraile. See L. C. 5@140, p. 472, in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 355

Event Comment: It is possible that The Tempest had been acted regularly to this date and that it continued to be presented frequently in the following week. In L. C. 5@15, p. 3 (Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 356) there is an order directing Turner and Hart (and any other members of the His Majesty's Chapel Royal) who sing in The Tempest to remain in London during the week, going to Windsor (when the King was absent from Whitehall) on Saturdays and returning on Mondays

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216: K: & Q:. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. Nell Gwyn also attended this performance. See VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing, p. 406. BM Add. Mss. 27, 962v, f. 312 (a transcript of a newsletter by Salvetti), 14 Dec. 1674 (translation): On last Wednesday all the royal family were present at the theatre to hear the tragedy of Hamlet, which, for their greater entertainment, was adorned and embellished with very curious dances between the acts. [I am indebted to Professor George Hilton Jones, Kansas State University, for this item.

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but as the play was entered in the Term Catalogues in November 1680, it was probably first acted in September or October 1680. The Dedication refers to the ineffectiveness of the company at this time. Dedication, Edition of 1680: A Play so worthless, and so Unfortunate. Nay, to sum up all its Misfortunes, it does not only owe so little to the Composers Hand, but breath'd too in a Season, when Poetry even with its softest and more Curious Aires, to the Ears of this untunable Age, sounds but harsh and unpleasant: nay, and what's yet worst of all, perform'd by the feeble Fragment of a Company.--'Tis true, the Theatre Royal was once all Harmony....But when this hapless Play came forth, its sweetest Pipes were stopt; [Praise of Hart]. But, Alas, the very best of Plays now find but a cold Reception

Event Comment: Nahum Tate published a poem The Battle of the B@@d's in the Theatre Royal Dec. 3, 1680, in Poems Written on Several Occasions, 2d edition, 1684, pp. 153-54

Event Comment: The Loyal Protestant 23 Feb. 1681@2: London Feb. 22. This evening His Majesty was pleased to divert himself at a Comedy at the Theatre Royal

Event Comment: True Protestant Mercury, 25 Feb.--1 March 1681@2: Yesterday the Morocco Embassador diverted himself at a Comedy, at the Royal Theater

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of this performance is known from the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue: A Prologue by Mr Settle to his New Play, called The Emperor of Morocco, with the Life of Gayland. Acted at the Theatre Royal, the 11th of March 1682. The Epilogue, Spoken by Mrs Coysh's Girl, as a Cupid. [Luttrell's date of acquisition, 16 March 1681@2, is on his copies of the Prologue and Epilogue (Huntington); they have also been reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 84-85.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Loyal Protestant, 20 May 1682: May 18. Yesterday his Excellency the Morocco Embassador was entertain'd at His Royal Highness's Theatre with a Play, called, Sir Timothy Treat all. [See also True Protestant Mercury, 17-20 May 1682; Luttrell, A Brief Relation, I, 187; Wilson, More Theatre Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters," p. 59.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The players received the customary #20. See A Calendar of the Inner Temple Records, III, 183. Loyal Protestant and True Domestick Union. 4 Nov. 1682: London November 2. Yesterday began the Revels at the Temple; where all the Judges belonging thereunto were nobly entertained by a Splendid Banquet, and afterwards by an excellent new Comedy, acted by His Royal Highness's Servants in the Inner-Temple-Hall, called, Rule a Wife and have a Wife, to the great satisfaction of all the Spectators

Event Comment: London Gazette, 25-29 Nov. 1686: Whereas Mr Thomas Otway some time before his death made Four Acts of a Play, whoever can give Notice in whose Hands the Copy lies, either to Mr Thomas Betterton, or Mr William Smith, at the Theatre Royal, shall be well Rewarded for his pains

Event Comment: This score of Albion and Albanius was licensed for publication, 15 March 1686@7, and sold at the Theatre Royal (Drury Lane) entrance. Possibly a revival occurred at this time

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 361. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351. The date of the first performance of this revision is not known. As it is somewhat unlikely that a play would have its premiere at court, the first production possibly appeared earlier in the month. See 6 Nov. 1668 for an earlier revision of this work. The title-page of the edition of 1687 states: As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal. Reviv'd with Alterations

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@148, p. 145. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351. When this play was revised and revived as The Royal Merchant; or, Beggar's Bush at Drury Lane, 19 June 1705, the bill bore the heading: Not acted these Twenty Years

Event Comment: London Gazette, No 2520, 2-6 Jan. 1689@90: These are to give notice, That the Consort of Musick (at Mr Hughs's, in Freemans Court in Cornhill near the Royal-Exchange) will be perform'd on Wednesday next, being the 8th instant, and so continue every Wednesday for the future, beginning between 7 and 8 of the Clock in the Evening

Event Comment: London Gazette, No. 2599, 6-9 Oct. 1690: Mr Franck's Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick will be performed tomorrow, being Friday the 10th instant, at the Two Golden-Balls at the upper-end of Bow-Street, Covent-Garden, at 7 in the Evening, and next Wednesday at the Outropers-Office on the Royal Exchange, and will be continued all the ensuing Winter

Event Comment: This celebration of the Queen's Birthday presumably was given on 30 April, her birthday. The music in the Royal Society of Music gives the singers as Mrs Ayliff, The Boy, Turner, Snow, Edwards, Howell, Bowman, Damascene, Bouchier, Williams, Woodeson, Roberts. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XXIV (1926), ii

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the premiere is not certain, but the fact that a song in the play, composed by Henry Purcell and sung by Mrs Hudson, is in the Gentleman's Journal, January@February 1693@4 (advertised in the London Gazette, No 2955, 5-8 Marcn 1693@4) suggests that the play had its premiere in February. The play was advertised in the London Gazette, No 2959, 19-22 March 1693@4. The music for additional songs was composed by Henry Purcell: The danger is over, sung by Mrs Hudson, is in Joyful Cuckoldom, ca. 1695; I sighed and owned my love, sung by Mrs Ayliff, is in Thesaurus Musicus, Book III, 1695. See also Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), i-iii. Two songs were composed by John Eccles: Still, I'm grieving, sung by Mrs Bracegirdle; and Give then royal maid your sorrows o're, sung by Mrs Cibber, are in Thesaurus Musicus, 1695. Gentleman's Journal, March 1694 (advertised in London Gazette, No 2964,5-9 April 1694): Mr Southern's new Play call'd The Fatal Marriage; or, The Innocent Adultery, has been so kindly receiv'd, that you are by this time no stranger to its merit. As the world has done it justice, and it is above my praise, I need not expatiate on that subject. [See also 22 March 1693@4.

Event Comment: Flying Post, 26-28 Dec. 1695: Mr William Smith, a Gentleman, belonging to the Theatre Royal, who had acquired a considerable Estate, and thereupon desisted from Acting, was prevailed upon by the New Play house to remount the Stage; but upon shifting his cloathes in the last New Play, took cold and died thereof this week. [See Cyrus the Great, 15 December.

Event Comment: In spite of decrees concerning the transfer of a player from one house to another, Dogget entered into an agreement with Rich's Company. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 338-39. Cibber, Apology, I, 229: And the late Reputation which Dogget had acquired from acting his Ben in Love for Love, made him a more declared Male-content on such Occasions; he over-valued Comedy for its being nearer to Nature than Tragedy, which is allow'd to say many fine things that Nature never spoke in the same Words; and supposing his Opinion were just, yet he should have consider'd that the Publick had a Taste as well as himself, which in Policy he ought to have complied with. Dogget, however, could not with Patience look upon the costly Trains and Plumes of Tragedy, in which knowing himself to be useless, he thought were all a vain Extravagance: And when he found his Singularity could no longer oppose that Expence, he so obstinately adhered to his own Opinion, that he left the Society of his old Friends, and came over to us at the Theatre-Royal: This happened in the Winter following the first Division of the (only) Company

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance. Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 377: Lady Morley and one in the Box att Sham Lawyer 8s. [There is no certainty that this performance was the premiere, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 26-28 June 1697 (Luttrell's copy, Huntington Library, bears his acquisition date of 24 June 1697) suggests that its premiere occured in late May.] Title Page, Edition of 1697: As it was Damnably Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 19-21 June 1698, suggests a first performance probably not earlier than the middle of May. Preface, Edition of 1698: I am sufficiently Recompenc'd by the Kind Reception it met with among those whom I design'd to please;...I am blam'd for suffering my Play to be Acted at the Theatre-Royal, accus'd of Foolish Presumption, in setting my weak Shoulders to Prop this Declining Fabrick, and of affronting the Town, in Favouring whom they Discountenance

Event Comment: Flying Post, 21-23 Feb. 1699: The famous Italian, Seignor Fideli, is to Sing next Tuesday at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane; both in Italian and English; which he never yet performed

Event Comment: Post Boy, 13-15 April 1699: As both the Theatres have been very industrious to Entertain the Town with several eminent Master in Singing and Dancing, lately arrived, both from France and Italy, as Monsieur Balon, Signior Fideli, &c. we are now assured that the Masters of the Theatre Royal have engag'd Signior Clementine, the famous Eunuch, Servant of the Elector of Bavaria, to Sing on their publick Stage, for the short time of his stay in England. There is very great Expectation from his Performance as being a Person of that extraordinary Desert in Singing, that his yearly Salary on that Account is 500 #. a Year

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and two in the Box at Constant Couple. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 378. There is no certainty that this is the first performance, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 7-9 Dec. 1699, suggests that the first production may have occurred in mid-November. The Prologue also refers to the abandonment of Dorset Garden to "That strong Dog Sampson" (see 15 and 25 Nov. 1699). A song, Thus Damon knock'd at Celia's door, set by Daniel Purcell, was published separately about this time. Preface, Edition of 1700: All will join with me in Commendation of the Actors, and allow, without detracting from the Merit of others, that the Theatre Royal affords an excellent and compleat Set of Comedians. Mr Wilks's Performance has set him so far above Competition in the Part of Wildair, that none can pretend to envy the Praise due to his Merit. Preface to The Inconstant (1702): I remember, that about two Years ago, I had a Gentleman from France [The Constant Couple] that brought the Play-house some fifty Audiences in five months. A Comparison between the Two Stages (1702), p. 32: Critick: But above all, commend me to the ingenious Author of the Trip to the Jubilee. Ramble: Oh Lord, Sir! you won't quarrel with that Play; never any thing did such wonders. Critick: Oh 'twas admirable! admirable! I wonder the Town did not just then bespeak the Bays for him. Sullen: Nay, for ought you and I know, he may live to enjoy 'em; I assure you all the run of the Town is on his side. The Owl was never more esteem'd at Athens than the Trip to the Jubilee was here. Critick: Indeed I have known a Footman have a great stroak with his Lord at begging a Favour; if all the Footmen in Town that admire him were to club for his Preferment, I don't know what might be done. Ramble: The Footmen? Ay, and the middle Gallery too, I assure you are of his side, and that's a strong Party. Critick: Why, I believe it, 'tis about the pitch of their Understanding; but if ever it diverted one Man of tolerable Sense I'll be hang'd. Sullen: I don't know who are your People of tolerable Sense, Mr Critick, but at the play I have seen the Pit, Box and Stage so crowded--and if that is not a sign