Event Comment: Rich's Company.
The date of
the premiere is not known, but
Cibber (see below) states that it was acted in January;
the Dedication was signed 7 Feb. 1695@6, and
the play was advertised in
the London Gazette, No 3157, 10-13 Feb. 1695@6. Two songs were published separately:
Go home, unhappy wench, set by
Francks and sung by
Mrs Cross and
the Boy (in
Thesaurus Musicus,
The Fifth Book, 1696) and
What an ungratefull devil moves you, set by
Daniel Purcell (in
Deliciae Musicae,
The First Book of
the Second Volume, 1696). A separately-printed sheet of
the second song states that it was sung by "
The Boy",
Cibber, Apology, I, 212-14:
The next Year I produc'd
the Comedy of
Love's last Shift; yet
the Difficulty of getting it to
the Stage was not easily surmounted; for, at that time, as little was expected from me, as an Author, as had been from my Pretensions to be an Actor. However,
Mr Southern,
the Author of
Oroonoko, having had
the Patience to hear me read it to him, happened to like it so well that he immediately recommended it to
the Patentees, and it was accordingly acted in January 1695 [i.e., 1695@6]. In this Play I gave myself
the Part of
Sir Novelty, which was thought a good Portrait of
the Foppery
then in fashion. Here, too, Mr Sou
thern, though he had approv'd my approv'd my Play, came into
the common Diffidence of me as an Actor: For, when on
the first Day of it I was standing, myself, to prompt
the Prologue, he took me by
the Hand and said,
Young Man! I pronounce
they Play a good one; I will answer for its Success, if thou dost not spoil it by thy own Action....I succeeded so well in both, that People seem'd at a loss which
they should give
the Preference to.
A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 16:
Ramble: Ay, marry, that Play was
the Philosopher's Stone; I think it did wonders.
Sullen: It did so, and very deservedly;
there being few Comedies that came up to 't for purity of Plot, Manners and Moral: It's often acted now a daies, and by
the help of
the Author's own good action, it pleases to this Day