Event Comment: [This day Horace Walpole wrote as follows to George Montagu, forshadowing an event to take place on 27 July: "If you will stay with me a fortnight or three weeks, perhaps I may be able to carry you to a play of Mr Bentley's--you stare--but I am in earnest--nay, and de par le roy. In short, here is the history of it. You know the passion he always had for the Italian comedy. About two years ago he writ one, intending to get it offered to Rich--but without his name--he would have died to be supposed an author, and writing [I, 372] for gain. I kept this a most inviolable secret. Judge then of my surprise when about a fortnight or three weeks ago I found my Lord Melcomb reading this very Bentleiad in a circle at my Lady Hervey's. Cumberland had carried it to him, with a recommendatory copy of verses, containing more incense to the King and my Lord Bute, than the Magi brought in their portmanteaus to Jerusalem. The idols were propitious, and to do them justice, there is a great deal of wit in the piece, which is called The Wishes or Harlequin's Mouth Opened. A bank note of #200 was sent from the Treasury to the author, and the play ordered to be performed by the summer company. Foote was summoned to Lord Melcomb's, where Parnassus was composed of the peer himself, who, like Apollo as I am going to tell you, was dozing, the two Chief Justices and Lord Bute. Bubo read the play himself, with handkerchief and orange by his side. But the curious part is a prologue which I never saw. It represents the god of verse fast asleep by the side of Helicon. The race of modern bards try to wake him, but the more they repeat of their works, the louder he snores. At last "Ruin seize thee ruthless King" is heard, and the god starts from his trance. This is a good thought, but will offend the bards so much, that I think Dr Bentley's son will be abused at least as much as his father was. The prologue concludes with young Augustus, and how much he excels the ancient one, by the choice of his friend. Foote refused to act this prologue, and said it was too strong. 'Indeed,' said Augustus's friend, 'I think it is.' They have softened it a little, and I suppose it will be performed. You may depend upon the truth of all this; but what is much more credible, is that the comely young author appears every night in the Mall in a milkwhite coat with a blue cape, disclaims any benefit, and says he has done with the play now it is out of his own hands, and that Mrs Hannah Clio alias Bentley writ the best scenes in it. He is going to write a tragedy, and she, I suppose, is going--to court."--Horace Walpole's Correspondence with George Montagu. Ed. W. S. Lewis and Ralph S. Brown Jr (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), I, 372-73. [IX, 372-373.

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but a licensing date of 28 March 1678 suggests a first performance not later than February 1678. One song, One night while all the village slept, with music by Louis Grabu and words by Sir Car Scroop, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 17): Major Mohun...[in] Mithridates, &c. An Eminent Poet seeing him Act this last, vented suddenly this Saying: Oh Mohun, Mohun! Thou little Man of Mettle, if I should write a 100 Plays, I'd Write a Part for thy Mouth; in short, in all his Parts, he was most Accurate and Correct. [Downes, p. 12, gives an identical cast except for omissions.] Princess Anne apparently played Ziphares and Frances Apsley played Semandra in a production of this drama, probably at St James's Palace or at Sir Allen Apsley's house in St James's Square, between January 1677@8 and August 1679. See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), p. 61

Event Comment: Apparently The Man of Mode had an amateur revival in Brussels in the autumn, possibly before the Duke and Duchess of York, when they were away from London. Princess Anne to Frances Apsley, 3 Oct. 1679: The play is practisde to night Miss Watts is to be Lady townly which part I beleeve wont much become her. [See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), pp. 111-12]

Event Comment: BM Add. Mss. 34096, folio 63r 64v, Whitehall, 15 July 1692: The Prince and Princesse of Danemarke...yesterday...tooke barge to Goe to ye Play House. [See Benjamin Bathurst, Letters of Two Queens (London, 1924), p. 225, for a letter by Princess Anne ordering boats to take her to the theatre.

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but it cannot be later than December 1698, for the play was advertised in the Post Man, 27-29 Dec. 1698. The play may have been produced earlier in the season, but it apparently followed the two operatic works (The Island Princess and Rinaldo and Armida), as the Epilogue alludes to the "late Singers." It also refers to Sigismondo Fideli, as being lately arrived, and he is known to have given a concert on 22 Dec. 1698

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Benefit Miss Holliday. Afterpiece: A New Pastoral Ballad Opera of one Act [Author unknown]. Receipts: money #47 16s.; tickets #123 13s. [Prince and two of three eldest Princesses present.] Gentleman's Magazine, I (1731), 216: Miss Holliday...received from the Royal Family, over and above the usual Present, a large Gold Medal, weighing about 50 Guineas, with the Bust of her Majesty as Electress of Hanover on each Side

Event Comment: By Command of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal. Benefit Mills. Daily Post, 5 March: Colley Cibber...is so ill of a Cold he is not able to Act. Daily Advertiser, 7 March: On Monday Night last a great Disorder happen'd amongst the Footmen at [dl], occasion'd by one of the Orange Women, who meeting with some Affront, as she was passing from the Theatre to the Coffeehouse, drew out her Penknife, and stabb'd a Chairman and two Gentlemen's Servants therewith, before it could be wrench'd from her, and then took Sanctuary in the Coffee-house; but the same was immediately beset, and the People refusing either to produce the Woman, or acquaint the Footmen who she was, they forc'd themselves into the Room, broke all the Glasses and China

Event Comment: [Prince of Wales and Princess Amelia present.] Lord Hervey to Henry Fox, 2 Nov.: No place is full but the Opera; and Farinelli is so universally liked, that the crowds there are immense. By way of public spectacles this winter, there are no less than two Italian Operas, one French play house, and three English ones. Heidegger has computed the expense of these shows, and proves in black & white that the undertakers must receive seventy-six thousand odd hundred pounds to bear their charges, before they begin to become gainers. Ilchester, Lord Hervey and his Friends, p. 211

Event Comment: As 5 March. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 13 March: Last Night their Majesties and the Princess Caroline . . . heard Esther, an Oratorio; and Mr Handel's two new inimitable Concertos on the Organ. [Egmont also present.]

Event Comment: Benefit Michael Lally. By Command of Her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia. Tickets to be had at Mr Lally's House in Southampton-Row, Bloomsbury. Two Rows of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Pit and Boxes put together at half a guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 2s. 6d. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 8 Nov.: The Box in which their Royal Highnesses sat, was of white Sattin, beautifully Ornamented With Festons of flowers, in their proper Colours, and in Front was a flaming Heart, between two Hymeneal Torches, whose different Flames terminated in one Point, and were surmounted with a Label, on which were wrote, in Letters of Gold, these Words, Mutuus Ardor

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Porter. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Written by the late Mr Congreve. The Pit and Front Boxes will be laid together at 5s. Servants may keep Places on the Stage, Side-Boxes, and the two Corner Front-Boxes on each Side of the Pit

Event Comment: Receipts: #92 17s. Mem: Princess Caroline died this day in the afternoon, and the two theatres &c. were silenc'd to Friday the 6th of January following, seven nights. (Account Book)

Event Comment: The Lord Chamberlain sent an order, between four and five in the evening, to the two theatres to cease representing any plays, till after the funeral of the late Princess Amelia [daughter of George II; she died on 31 Oct.] (Morning Chronicle, 2 Nov.)

Event Comment: 1st piece: With Alterations; Not acted these 6 years [acted 18 May 1792]. [The playbill announces this performance as "By Command of Their Majesties," but they, "who had been expected here last night, did not arrive; the indisposition of two of the Princesses having detained them at Windsor" (Morning Herald, 16 Apr.). "After the Relief of Williamstadt [which is not listed on the playbill, but which on 13 Apr. is called '8th Time,' and on 16 Apr. '10th Time'], the Irishman in London...was attempted to be performed; but after many unsuccessful apologies, the piece was not suffered to proceed, and the farce originally intended for representation, The Lying Valet, not without considerable difficulty, many of the performers having quit the theatre, was gone through with, to the gratification of a part of the audience who appeared determined rather to exercise their power than adhere to propriety" (Public Advertiser, 16 Apr.).] The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same for rest of season]. Receipts: #345 5s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In Act I The Cardinal's Banquet. In Act II The Court for the Trial of Queen Katharine. In Act V a Grand Procession to the Christening of Princess Elizabeth. Paid Charles Smith on Acct. of Upholders Work at Drury Lane Theatre #400. Powell: Henry VIII rehearsed at 10 (for Packer, lame, and Mrs Siddons); Siege of Belgrade music at 12 (for Storace, Bannister Jun., Crouch, Davis, Danby). The Iron Curtain being finish'd was this Evening exhibited for the first Time with the Epilogue [and see 21 Apr.]. "On the 24th February, 1809, this theatre was burnt down . . . Every care had been taken to guard against such a calamity. Two large reservoirs for water, on the top of the house, happened, unfortunately, at this crisis to be empty; and an iron curtain, intended to separate the auditory from the stage, for the purpose of saving a part of the edifice in case of conflagration, was, with its machinery, so much out of order as to be useless; it was, in fact, utterly immoveable" (Brayley, p. 8). Receipts: #451 8s. 6d. (389/4/0; 56/5/0; 4/6/6; tickets not come in: 1/13/0)

Event Comment: Ode: In two Parts. Principal Instrumental Performers as 20 Feb., but omitted: Bridgtower, Archer, Mahon, Lavenu, Napier, Simpson. Mr Ashley is exceedingly concerned that he is under the necessity of informing the Public that the Anthem [The Anthem that will be performed at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, on the Nuptials oF his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Princess Caroline of Brunswick, composed by Handel, to conclude with the Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah (advance playbill of 25 Feb.)] advertised for this Evening is necessarihy postponed until the Royal Marriage shall have taken place

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Benefit Mrs Younger. Receipts: money #73 19s.; tickets #135 3s. [The Prince, Princess Caroline, and Lady Ann Lumley present.