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xii RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. between fifty and sixty adjoining houses were burntor blown up. Where the company belonging to this house re-moved, I have not been able to discover, though Tfind they continued to act in the lime which inter-vened between the destruction of the old house andits being rebuilt; and from the series of plays whichthey produced, it seems probable that they immedi-ately occupied some theatTe which then remainedunused. r £he proprietors of the old playhouse, afterthey had recovered the consternation which this acci-dent had thrown them into, resolved to rebuild theirtheatre with such improvement as might be suggested ;and for that purpose employed Sir Christopher Wren,the most celebrated architect of his lime, to draw thedesign, and superintend the execution of it. Theplan which he produced, in the opinion of those whowere well able to judge of it, was such as one as wasalike calculated for the advantage of the performers andspectators : and the several alterations afterwards madein it, so far from being improvements, contributedonly to defeat the intention of the architect, and tospoil the building. The new theatre, being finished, was opened onthe 20th of March, 1 o 74. On this occasion a pro-logue and epilogue were delivered, both written byMr. Dryden, in which the plainness and w'ant ofornament in the house, compared with that in Dorset-Gardens, were particularly mentioned. The encou-ragement given to the latter on account of its sceneryand decoration was not forgot. The preference given to Davenant’s theatre, on ac-count of its scenery and decorations, alarmed thosebelonging to the rival house. To stop the progressof the public ta3te, and to divert it towards themselves,they endeavoured to ridicule the performances whichwere so much followed. The person employed forthis purpose was Thomas Duffet, who parodied theTempest, Macbeth, and Psyche : these efforts were,Jiovvever, ineffectual. The duke’s theatre continued D t g itt z gtf ■ by ^t»e^c j RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. XXliito be frequented ; the victory of sound and shew oversense and reason was as complete in the theatre at thisperiod as it hath often been since. The king’s theatrelanguished; but the great expenccs incurred at the.other diminished their gains to such a degree, thatafter a few years the leaders in each discovered, thatit would be for their mutual advantage to unite theirinterests together, and open but one house. Of thosewho originally belonged to Killegrew’s company, se-veral had quitted the stage, some were dead, and thechief who remained began to experience the infirmi-ties of age. These considerations induced them tolisten to overtures from Davenant, Betterton, andSmith, who entered into an agreement with Hart andKynaston, which effectually detached those performersfrom the king’s theatre. Their revolt, and ihe influ-ence which they possessed, seem to have effected theunion sooner than it otherwise might have been agreedto, though it could not have been prevented any lengthof time, Having been recommended by the king. Thejunction took place in the year lt>82, on which eventthe duke’s company quitted Dorset Gardens, and re-moved to Drury-Lane. Hart performed no more, hutretired on a pension ; and Mohun soon afterwards died.The remainder of the troop were incorporated with theduke’s, and were styled the king’s company. The advantages which were expected to follow thisjunction do not appear to have been the consequence ofit. Though the patents were united, the profits to theproprietors and performers seem not to have been in-creased. The old patentees either sold their authorityto new adventurers, or relinquished all their attentionto the management. On the 30lh of August, 1G87,Mr. Charles Davenant assigned his patent to AlexanderDavenant, Esq. who, on the 24th of March 1(K)0,sold his interest therein toChristophcr Rich, a lawyer,whose name is often ^obe found in the annals of thetheatre. This gentleman, who was not possessed ofabilities calculated to make the stage flourish under bisadministration, soon contrived to engross the whole XXIV RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE,power into his own hands. By various instances of*mismanagement, he alienated the affections of theprincipal performers from him, and by wanton op-pressions provoked them to attempt their deliverancefrom the tyranny he exercised over them. An asso-ciation of the actors was entered into, with Bettertonat the head of it. Their complaint, by means of theearl of Dorset, was laid before King William, and wasconsidered of sufficient importance to engage the at-tention of his majesty. The principal lawyers at thatperiod were consulted, who agreeJ that the gVantsfrom King Charles to Killegrew and Davenant did notpreclude the reigning prince from git ing a similar au-thority to any person with whom he might chuse tointrust it. In consequence of this opinion, a licencewas granted to a select number of the players to act ina separate theatre for themsehes. This favour being obtained, a subscription was seton foot for buildinga new theatre within the walls ofthe Tennis Court, in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The peo-ple of quality, to shew their sense of the ill treatmentwhich the actors had received, contributed very libe-rally for this purpose. The patentees became sensibleof the folly of their conduct, and, to repair the mis-chief they had done themselves, endeavoured to retainas many of the actors as ihev could engage. To supplythe places of some who had left them, they brought afew new performers from the companies in the coun-try, and made the best disposition they- vigfe able, toencounter their enemies. The theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn Fields was opened onthe 30th of April, lOyj, with the new comedy ofLove for Love, which was acted wiih extraordinarysuccess during the remainder of the season. The?prosperity of the new house was of no long continu-ance. After one or two years success, the audiencesbegan to decline, and it was found that two rival the-atres were more than the town was able to support.The old house suffered all the distresses which obstina-cy and ignorance in a manager at the head of a raw.
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