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where he began with the representation of what he called an opera ("The Siege of Rhodes"). This was followed by other works of a similar kind. In 1658, he went a step farther, and opened the Cockpit with a performance he described as "The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru, expressed by instrumental and vocal music, and by the art of perspective in scenes, at the Cockpit in Drury Lane, at three in the afternoon." We see he carefully avoided the word "play," that red rag of bullheaded fanaticism. It is said that Cromwell's hatred of the Spaniards, who in this piece were held up to execration, had much to do with my Lord Protector giving his consent.

Two years afterwards came the Restoration, and a new order of things dramatic.

Part EE.

THE ACTORS OF THE RESTORATION

AND THE BETTERTON SCHOOL.

CHAPTER I.

THE ACTORS OF THE RESTORATION.

Killigrew's and Davenant's Patent-Articles of Agreement-Copy of the First Drury Lane Playbill-Killigrew's Company-HartAnecdotes of Joe Haines-The First English Actress-Nell Gwynne-Anecdotes-Sir William Davenant.

(EVERAL months before the Restoration, to

SEVE

wards the end of 1659, theatres began to revive, and plays were openly performed at the Red Bull. The actors lost no time after "the King had got his own again," and Rhodes, formerly prompter at the Blackfriars, who had turned bookseller during the troublous times, waited upon Monk, while he was encamped in Hyde Park, and obtained permission from him to open the Cockpit in Drury Lane. Before the end of June, Beeston had opened the theatre in Salisbury Court, and the Red Bull company had fitted up a tennis court in Vere Street, Clare Market, for dramatic representations. All the old theatres were about to pass away. Neither Blackfriars nor the Globe was used after 1647. The Fortune, which had been once

burned down and rebuilt, was abandoned in 1661; the Cockpit and the Red Bull survived two years longer; the house in Dorset Gardens had been destroyed in 1649.

In August, 1660, the King granted to Thomas Killigrew, a groom of the Chamber, and to Sir William Davenant leave to erect two new theatres-one in Drury Lane, the other in Salisbury Court-and the sole privilege of dramatic representations in London and Westminster. The Company of the first was to be called the King's, that of the second the Duke of York's. The articles of agreement between Davenant and his actors give us a complete picture of the theatrical management of the period.

"It is agreed that the general receipts of money of the said playhouse shall-after the house-rent and hirelings [supers and inferior actors] and all other and necessary expenses of that kind be defrayed-be divided into fourteen proportions or shares, whereof the same William Davenant shall have four full proportions or shares to his own use, and the rest to the use of the company. It is further stipulated that the said company shall admit such a consort of musicians into the said playhouse for their necessary use, as the said Sir William shall nominate and provide, during their playing in the said playhouse, not exceeding the rate of thirty shillings a day, to be defrayed out of the general expenses of the house before the said four

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