PLAYHOUS E. 
662 
this junftion of the two companies appear to have been 
the confequence of it. Though the patents were united, 
the profits to the proprietors and performers feem not to 
have been increafed. The old patentees either fold their 
authority to new adventurers, or relinquifhed all their 
attention to the management. The performances were 
continued occafionally, however, till the year 1697. 
Elkanah Settle, whole verfatile genius fupplied either 
opera, city-pageant, or Bartholomew-fair droll, was pro¬ 
bably the firft dramatic writer that fought to extend and 
fupport his popularity through the aid of a newfpaper; 
and certainly the following paragraph, from the Pofi-Boy 
of June 15, 1697, is one of the earlieft, if not of the firlt, 
dramatic puff which appeared through the medium of 
fuch a circulation : it was inferted a few days before the 
performance of The World in the Moon. “ Great pre¬ 
parations are making for a new opera, in the play-houfe 
in Dorfet Garden, of which there is great expectation, 
the fcenes being feveral new fets, and of a moddel different 
from all that have been ufed in any theatre whatever, 
being twice as high as any of their former fcenes ; and the 
whole decorations of the ftage not only infinitely beyond 
all the operas ever yet performed in England, but alio, by 
the acknowledgement of feveral gentlemen that have 
traveli’d abroad, much exceeding all that has been feen 
on any of the foreign ftages.” However, notwithftanding 
the attraClion of a new opera, with the novelty of enlarged 
fcenery, and the auxiliary aid juft noticed, this piece 
proved little more than a requiem to the theatrical per¬ 
formances at this houfe, which appear to have finally ter¬ 
minated with the feafoti of 1697. 
In the following year a penny lottery was drawn here, 
as is fliown by a tradf, intituled “The Wheel of Fortune, 
or Nothing fora Penny; being remarks on the drawing of 
the Penny Lottery at the Theatre Royal, in Dorfet 
Garden,” 1698, 4to. Afterwards there was a Ihort exhi¬ 
bition of prize-fighters. But in the fpring of 1703, a 
general repair of the building for the purpoferof re-open¬ 
ing commenced ; the grand jury of London, at the July 
feftions held at the Old Bailey, by their prefentment ftated 
there was fomethingyet wanting towards carrying on the 
new reformation of manners; and therefore they humbly 
propofed the following matter for the confideration of 
the court, which may be given in their own words: viz. 
“ The having foine effectual courfe taken (if poflible) to 
prevent the youth of this city from reforting to the play- 
houfes, which we rather mention becaufe the playhoufe- 
bills a re again ported up throughout the city, in contempt 
of a former prefentment and a pofitive order of the lord 
mayor and court of aldermen to the contrary (June 
1700); as alfo becaufe we are informed that a playhoufe 
within the liberties of this city, which has been of late 
difufed and neglefted, is at this time refitting in order to 
be ufed as formerly. We do not prefume to prefcribe to 
this honourable court; but we cannot queftion, but that, 
if they {hall* think fit humbly to addrefs her majefty in 
this cafe, flie will be gracioufly pleafed to prevent it.” 
This mealure was echoed by the faftidious canting author 
of the Obfervator, as a “ very good prefentment againft 
the playhoufes, particularly againft one of them now 
fitting up in Dorfet Gardens” The expefted oppofition 
of the citizens, or perhaps fome order from the matter 
of the revels, occafioned the plan for re-opening this 
theatre to be abandoned ; and we have not yet difcover- 
ed that any diverfion was afterwards exhibited. In 1709 
it was razed to the ground. In Buck’s Views (1749), 
the fite is reprefented as a timber-yard. Atprefentthe 
ground is occupied by the offices of the New River Com¬ 
pany. See the article London, vol. xiii. p. 522. 
This playhoufe has been generally defcribed as “ the 
Duke’s Theatre, Dorfet Gardens the checks had a 
double D, one being reverfed, with the letter Y central, 
furmounted by a ducal coroner, obverfe Vpper Gallerie, 
1671. In February 1684-5, upon the accefliqn to the 
throne of the Duke of York, this houfe was immediately 
diftinguifiied as “ the Queen’s Theatre.” In compliment 
to the patronefs, new checks were caft, preferving the 
date according to the old ftyle. On one fide in bas-relief, 
is the head of Maria d’Elte, with Qveen’s Theatre; 
obverfe, Forthe Pit 1684; and are of yellow metal. Fac- 
fimiles of thefe checks are given at the bottom of Plate I. 
and a fouth view of the theatre itfelf is the fubjeft of 
Plate II. It (food, near the mouth of Fleet ditch, 
which had on the oppofite fide a handfome ftruft ure, with 
a balcony, belonging to a noted empiric, Dr. Salmon ; a 
part of which is (hown in the annexed view. 
But in the mean time two new playhoufes had been 
built, befides Sadler’s Wells, (as to which fee vol xi. p, 
438.) Only three months after the Duke’s company 
began to aft in their new theatre Dorfet Gardens, an ac¬ 
cident happened, which mull have difabled their anta- 
gonifts from contending with them for a {hort time. In 
January, 1672, the playhoufe in Drury-lane took fire, 
and was entirely demoliftied. The violence of the con¬ 
flagration was fo great, that between fifty and fixty ad¬ 
joining houfes were burnt or blown up. Whither the 
company belonging to this houfe removed, we have not 
been able to difcover, though, from the feries of plays 
which they produced, it feems probable that they imme¬ 
diately occupied fome theatre which then remained un- 
ufed. The proprietors refolved to rebuild their theatre, 
with fuch improvements as might be fuggefted ; and for 
that purpofe employed Sir Chriftopher Wren, the moft 
celebrated architeft of his time, to draw the defign, and 
to fuperintend the execution of it. The new theatre, 
being finilhed, was opened on the 26th of March, 1674. 
On this occafion, a prologue and epilogue were delivered, 
both written by Dryden, in which the plainnefs and 
want of ornament in the houfe, compared with that in 
Dorfet Gardens, were particularly mentioned. The en¬ 
couragement given to the latter, on account of its fcenery 
and decorations, was not forgotten ; and, as an apology 
for the deficiency of embeliiftiment which was to be 
found in the former, “ the direftion of his majefty” is 
exprefsly aflerted. 
We have mentioned the junftion of the two companies, 
and the confequences of it. On the 30th of Auguft, 1687, 
Mr. Charles Davenant afligned his patent to Alexander 
Davenant, efq. who, on the 24th of March, 1690, loid his 
intereft therein to Chriftopher Rich, a lawyer, whofe 
name is often to be found in the future annals of the 
theatre. This gentleman, who was not poflefied of 
abilities calculated to make the ftage flourifii under his 
adminiftration, foon contrived to engrofs the whole 
power into his own hands. By various inftances of mif- 
management, he alienated the affeftions of the principal 
performers from him, and by wanton oppreffions pro¬ 
voked them to attempt their deliverance from the tyranny 
he exercifed over them. An afiociation of the aftors 
was entered into, with Betterton at the head of it. Their 
complaint, by means of the earl of Dorfet, was laid before 
king William, and was confidered of fufficient import¬ 
ance to engage the attention of his majefty. The prin¬ 
cipal lawyers at that period were confulted, who agreed 
that the grants from king Charles to Killigrew and 
Davenant did not preclude the reigning prince from 
giving a fimilar authority to any perfon with whom he 
might choofe to entruft it. In confequence of this 
opinion, a licenfe was granted to a leleft number of the 
players to aft in a feparate theatre for themfelves. 
This favour being obtained, “a fubfcription (fays 
Cibber) was fet on foot for building a new theatre 
within the walls of the tennis-court, in Lincoln’s Inn 
Fields.” As the Duke’s old Theatre had been re-con¬ 
verted into a tennis-court, it is probable that the fame 
fite was chofen for the theatre we are now to fpeak of. 
Cibber tells us, that it was “ but fmall, and poorly fitted^ 
up, within the walls of a tennis quarrit court, which is of 
the lefler fort.” This houfe was called the New Theatre 
in Little Lincoln’s Inn Fields-; and was opened, under 
3 the 
