This Theatre was opened by Sir William D'Avenant (at whose sole expense it had been erected), in the spring of , and was, as an author well acquainted with it assures us,[*]  the regular theatre built after the Restoration; the at which scenes and decorations were brought into use; and the visited by King Charles II. on his return to England, who honoured its opening with his own presence, and that of his court.

The granting of patents, about the same time, occasioned the erection of companies, under the respective denominations of the "King's Company" and the "" that under Killigrew being sworn the King's Servants; and the under D'Avenant being sworn by my Lord Manchester, then Lord Chamberlain, to serve His Royal Highness the Duke of York, at the Theatre in , which from this circumstance assumed the name of the "" as the in , under Killigrew, did from the like circumstance assume the name of the ""

Of these companies, that under Sir William D'Avenant was prior in point of time, and claims our present attention. Their comparative merits, it is perhaps impossible, at this period, to discuss fairly. , as the largest and principal theatre, had probably, if not the best, the more numerous company; as we learn from a list of them on its opening in , that the performers who had acted before the civil wars were selected and engaged for this purpose; and Kynaston, taken from the company that acted under Rhodes the bookseller, at the Cockpit, in .[*]  The celebrated Nell Gwynn was of this company likewise, and became in a short time no inconsiderable attraction.

Sir William having completed his company in the beginning of the year , soon after the date of his patent, in order to prepare plays to open his new Theatre in , then nearly finished, rehearsed the and parts of the "" and the "" at , and in the spring of the same year opened his house with the former of these pieces, having new scenes and decorations; the , says Downes, which were introduced into England.[*] 

Nothing could be more splendid than this opening. The King, who had never before attended a public theatre since his restoration, the Duke of York, and all the principal nobility, were present. Downes, the historian of this Theatre, and who officiated as prompter, was himself, as he informs us, to have acted the part of but was so overawed by the august presence of the King, and the pomp that surrounded him, that he was unable to proceed in the part, and was (to use his own expression) "for ever spoilt from being an actor."

From to , we have a particular account of the several new pieces got up at this Theatre, and their various success.

The Siege of Rhodes (the opening piece) ran successive nights, which, considering the comparatively small number of play-going people at that time, indicates that it must have possessed no small degree of attraction. The Siege of Rhodes was succeeded by the comedy of the "," written by the same author, and which was performed successive nights to great houses.

Shakespeare's Hamlet, which had been some time in preparation, was next produced with a considerable degree of On this occasion the celebrated Betterton made his attempt to represent that difficult character, in which he afterwards obtained such high celebrity, as to put all competition at defiance. His success has been ascribed in a great measure to the instructions of Sir William D'Avenant, who taught him the part as he had seen it performed by of the Black Friars playhouse, who was the original Hamlet of the author, Shakespeare's, own instructing. Betterton, however, possessed all the requisites of a great actor, as he afterwards proved in the long course of his

Hamlet, which produced a considerable accession to the treasury of the Theatre, was succeeded by Sir William's play of "" This drama was very richly clothed. The King gave Betterton (now becoming the great attraction of the town) his , in which he acted the part of Prince the Duke of York, to Mr. , his, to perform Prince in; and my Lord of Oxford, to Mr. Joseph Price, his, who played , the Prince of Parma's son. Thus splendidly got up, this piece had a very great run.

Romeo and Juliet, The Twelfth Night, and King Henry VIII. by Shakespeare, were respectively produced afterwards, and attended with proportionable success. The other new pieces got up at this Theatre during the following seasons, were, "The Adventures of Hours," which ran days; the "Rivals," by D'Avenant, which ran days; Cowley's "Cutter of ;" Webster's "Duchess of Malfey;" "Mustapha," by the Earl of Orrery, which was expensively produced, and eagerly followed; and the then great favourite "Love in a Tub," by Sir George Etherege. This latter piece, Downes informs us, got the company more reputation and profit than any preceding comedy, the receipts of the house amounting to upwards of within the month. This sum, considering the smallness of the Theatre, the low prices of admittance, and the then value in money, it must be confessed was very great.

These were the principal, or stock plays, performed here from the opening until , when the beginning to rage, the company ceased acting, and the Theatre continued closed until the Christmas after the great fire of . From this period the company recommenced acting, with the play of Mustapha, which was performed by , at Court. After this they continued to perform at their Theatre in ,[*]  with various success, until the smallness of the house, and other inconveniences attached to it, rendered a removal necessary, and the new Theatre in Dorset Gardens was begun to be built.

The desertion of the Field's Theatre took place towards the close of the year , from which period its history, as a playhouse, ceased; and, though D'Avenant's building does not appear to have been occupied for theatrical representations, yet on the same site a new Theatre was erected by Mr. Christopher Rich, who, on his expulsion from , employed the short remainder of his life, in consulting with Mr. Sheppard, who had previously built the playhouse in , about finishing Theatre, of which he had sometime obtained a lease at a low rent; and having a presentiment of his removal from , he had, under the direction of the said Sheppard, begun to build, though slowly, in the year -, as it now standeth; for which operation he had an abundant leisure.

But, alas! whatsoever plans the sage manager might have had in his head, it is plain they all fell, like himself, to the ground. The Weekly Packet of , states that "Christopher Rich, Esq., the patentee of the playhouse, and a great encourager of poetical performances, died days since, without seeing his new perfected; which is left to the care of Mr. John Rich, his eldest son." The same paper adds, , that "Mr. Rich, driven from the Theatre by his rebellious subjects, was buried at , , from his house adjoining the King's Theatre, accompanied (attended) by several of those who have resisted his authority when living." And in the same publication, , same year, is the following paragraph: "This day the new playhouse in is to be opened, and a comedy acted, called the Recruiting Officer, though it is said that some of the gentlemen who have left the service of Drury, are ordered to return to their colours, upon pain of not exercising their lungs elsewhere."

It seems that, although this company flourished at , in a few years it experienced difficulties. The London Journal, in , states, that the house was seized in execution for debt, and the company dissolved.

A riot, which happened in in , occasioned the custom, still retained, of having a serjeant and men stationed round the house during the performance.

IT appears, from a reference to the patent for the erection of this theatre, which is dated as early as the year , and which recites, by way of , preceding patents (the dated , and the other dated , the latter being an exemplification of the former, and which Sir William D'Avenant, the grantee, had surrendered into the Court of Chancery for the purpose of obtaining the firstmen- tioned patent of ), that the design of building a theatre on this spot had been long in contemplation. It begins with reciting, that

"Whereas King Charles I. of glorious memory, by his letters patent, under the great seal of England, bearing date at , the in the year of his reign" (), "did give and grant unto Sir William D'Avenant, by the name of William D'Avenant, , his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, his full power, license, and authority, that he, they, and every of them, by him and themselves, and by all and every such person and persons, as he or they should depute and appoint, and his and their labourers, servants, and workmen, should and might lawfully, quietly, and peaceably frame, erect, new build, and set up, ,[*]  in the parishes of St. Dunstan's in the West, London, or in , London, or in either of them; or in any other ground, in or about that place, or in the whole street aforesaid, then allotted to him for that use; or in any other place that was, or thereafter should be assigned or allotted out to the said Sir William D'Avenant, by Thomas Earl of Arundel and Surrey, then Earl Marshal of England, or any other commissioner, for building, for the time being in that behalf, A THEATRE, OR PLAYHOUSE, with necessary and retiring rooms, and other places convenient, wherein plays, and musical entertainments, scenes, or other the like presentments might be presented. And that the said King did grant unto the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, that it should and might be lawful to and for him the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, from time to time, to gather together, entertain, govern, privilege, and keep such and so many players and persons to exercise actions, musical presentments, scenes, dancing, and the like, as he the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, from time to time, to act plays in such houses, so to be by him or them erected, and exercise, music, musical presentments, scenes, dancing, or other the like, as the same or other houses, or times, or after plays are ended, peaceably and quietly, , for the honest recreation of such as should desire to see the same. And that it should and might be lawful to and for the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, to take and receive of such as should resort to hear and see any such plays, scenes, and entertainments whatsoever, such sum or sums of money as was, or then after, from time to time, should be accustomed to be given or taken in other playhouses and places, for the like plays, scenes, presentments, and entertainments as in and by the said letters patent, relation being thereunto had, at large might appear."

The instrument proceeds to state the exemplification of such letters patent under the great seal of England (ann. Car. II.), which was the patent granted at the same time with Killigrew's, and under which the theatre had been opened, and the delivery of such exemplification, and the before-recited letters patent of Charles I. into the Court of Chancery to be cancelled; and continues to recite, that in consequence of such surrender, &c. and upon the humble petition of the said Sir William D'Avenant, and in consideration of the good and faithful services he had rendered and might render, there should be given and granted by that then present patent "full power, license, and authority, for him to frame," &c, as before, "in any place within the cities of London and , or the suburbs thereof, where he, or those he should employ, might best find accommodation for that purpose, to be assigned and alloted out by the surveyor of the works (Sir Christopher Wren), THEATRE, OR PLAYHOUSE, with tiring and retiring rooms, and other places convenient, wherein tragedies, comedies, plays, operas, music, scenes, and all other entertainments of the stage, whatsoever, might be presented."

We thus see that the original patent, authorizing Sir William D'Avenant to build a theatre on this spot, had been granted long before the commencement of the civil wars, but for reasons with which we are now unacquainted, it had never been carried into execution. For its non-erection afterwards, the troubles which succeeded afford a sufficient excuse. Sir William's predilection for this situation to erect his playhouse in, probably arose from its having been before appropriated to a similar purpose; it having been the site of a small theatre, the company of which styled themselves "The Prince's Servants," and their representations were by candle-light, which was then considered a novelty. On the Restoration, and Sir William gaining a renewal of the patent, he chose (probably from its vicinity to the in , where he had been ever since his removal from Rutland House, in , permitted to represent operas) , for the site of his new theatre. There is every reason to think, however, that he soon perceived his mistake, and again resumed his original intention, as the grant for building a theatre in Dorset Gardens is dated only year from the founding of the Theatre, ; yet, notwithstanding the bo ve grant, no preparations were made for building the new theatre in Dorset Gardens during the life of Sir William (probably from want of funds); and he continued at the head of his concern until his death, which took place on .

On Sir William's demise, his theatre and property descended to his widow, the Lady D'Avenant (her son, Mr. Charles D'Avenant acting for her); over which, and the concerns of the company, Betterton and Harris were constituted stage managers; when the incommodiousness of their small theatre rendering the necessity of a new imperious, the Dorset Gardens plan was renewed, and Sir Christopher Wren employed to erect a larger and more elegant theatre on that site.

During the progress of this new house, which was intended to outrival that of , by the orders of his Soverign, King Charles II. (who took great interest in the business), Betterton went over to France, to view the scenery and machinery in use in the theatres there; and, on his return, so much improved the stage, by new and expensive decorations, that the proprietors were obliged to raise the prices of admittance: Boxes from to ; Pit from to ; Gallery from to ; and Upper Gallery from to ; which had been the stated prices at the former theatre.[*] 

The new theatre being now finished, the company removed from thither, on the , when they opened with the comedy of "," which was represented successive nights with much applause. Of the other pieces brought forward at this theatre, during an interval of or years, during which it continued open, it would be needless in this place to speak. In the great rivalry between it and , each had alternately the start of the other; but the situation was finally found so inferior, in spite of all exertions, that in the year the patentees and the "Duke's Company," being incorporated with and made a part of the "King's Company," immediately deserted the Dorset Gardens Theatre, and removed to .

Some time after, a difference happening between the united patentees and the chief actors, as Mr. Betterton, Mrs. Barry, and Mrs. Bracegirdle, the latter complaining of oppression from the former; they for redress appealed to Lord Dorset, then Lord Chamberlain, for justice: who espousing the cause of the actors, with the assistance of Sir Robert Howard, finding their complaints just, procured from King William a separate license for Mr. Congreve, Mr. Betterton, Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Bracegirdle, and others, to set up a new company, calling it, "The New Theatre in ;" and the house being fitted up from a , they opened it the last day of , with a new comedy, called, ""[*] 

After this separation of Mr. Betterton's company from Mr. Rich, in , they performed with various success, till, about the end of , Betterton assigned his license, and his whole company, over to Captain Vantbrugg, to act under his at the theatre in the , which was opened on the . Here they acted with indifferent success until , when Captain Vantbrugg with the concurrence of the Lord Chamberlain, transferred his license and government of the theatre to Mr. Swinney, who brought with him from Rich,—Wilks, Cibber, Mills, Mrs. Oldfield, &c. and united them to the old company; Mr. Betterton and Mr. Underhill being the only remains of the Duke of York's Servants from till this their union in .

Dorset Gardens, for several years after its desertion, became the receptacle of various adventurers; and conjurors, prize fighters, and other exhibitors (whose bills and puffs may be seen in the advertisements of the day), here showed off their wonderful powers. It was standing, and apparently perfect, in the year , as we learn from a small elevation of it, in the plan of parish, inserted in Strype's Stowe of that date.

The annexed view sufficiently explains the appearance of this very elegant theatre. It is copied from a unique drawing preserved in the Pepysian Library at Cambridge.

We shall conclude this article by inserting the remainder of the patent granted to Sir William D'Avenant, which contains various regulations, &c. for the government of his new theatre, and which modern events, and their being still in force, have rendered peculiarly interesting:

"And we do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors, grant unto the said Sir William D'Avenant, &c. full power, license, and authority, from time to time, to gather together entertain, govern, privilege, and keep, such and so many players and persons to exercise and act comedies, tragedies, &c. within the house to be built as aforesaid, or within

"And further for us, our heirs and successors, we do hereby give and grant unto the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs and assigns, full power to make such allowance, out of that which he shall so receive by the acting of plays and entertainments of the stage as aforesaid, to the actors, and other persons employed in acting, representing, or in any quality whatsoever, about the said theatre, And for that we are informed that divers companies of players have taken upon them to act plays publicly in our said cities of London and , or the suburbs thereof, without any authority for that purpose, we do hereby declare our dislike of the same, and will and grant that only the said company, erected and set up, or to be erected and set up, by the said Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs and assigns, by virtue of these presents, and other company erected and set up, or to be erected and set up, by Thomas Killigrew, Esquire, his heirs and assigns, and none others, shall from henceforth act or represent comedies, tragedies, plays, or entertainments of the stage, within our said cities of London and , or the suburbs thereof: which said company to be erected by the said Thomas Killigrew, his heirs or assigns, shall be subject to his and their government and authority, and shall be styled the company of US and OUR ROYAL CONSORT. And the better to preserve amity and correspondence, and that the may not encroach upon the other by any indirect means, and ordain, that no actor, or other person employed about either of the said theatres, by the said Sir William D'Avenant and Thomas Killigrew, or either of them, or his company, shall be received by the governor, or any of the said other company, or any other person or persons, to be employed in acting, or in any manner relating to the stage, without the consent and approbation of the governor of the said company, whereof the said person so ejected or deserted was a member, signified under his And we do by these presents declare all other company and companies, saving the companies before mentioned, to be silenced and suppressed. And forasmuch as many plays, formery acted, do contain several profane, obscene, and scurrilous passages; , at which some have taken offence; for the preventing of these abuses for the future, we do hereby strictly command and enjoin, that from henceforth no new play shall be acted by either of the said companies, containing any passages offensive to piety and good manners, nor any old or revived play, containing any such offensive passages as aforesaid, until the same shall be corrected and purged by the said masters or governors of the said respective companies, from all such offensive and scandalous passages as aforesaid. And we do likewise, permit and give leave, , as long as these recreations, which, by reason of the abuses aforesaid, were scandalous and offensive, may, by such reformation, be esteemed not only harmless delight, but useful and instructive representations of human life, to such of our good subjects as shall resort to the same."

The present Covent Garden Company perform, at this time, under the above patent.

[*] Downes, who was book-keeper and prompter here, from its first opening until its close, and who afterwards held the same situation at Dorset Gardens, on the uniting of the two companies (the King's and the Duke's), until the year 1708. He was employed in writing out parts, attending rehearsals, &c.

[*] Rhodes, who afterwards became a bookseller and theatrical manager, was originally "wardrobe-keeper" to King Charles I.'s company of comedians in Black Friars; but in the year 1659, on General Monk's marching his army from Scotland into London, he got a licence from the then governing powers, to fit up a house for acting, called the "Cockpit," in Drury Lane. Sir William D'Avenant, who had removed from Rutland House (where he had been permitted to play operas), and was then performing here, on gaining his patent from the King, some time afterwards, created Rhodes's company the King's Servants, and engaged them for his new-built Theatre.

[*] This is a mistake: for scenes had been before used in private exhibitions. It ought, therefore, to have been added, "on a public theatre." Sir William had himself introduced them (probably in a less perfect state), about four years before this period; not indeed in a play, but in an entertainment entitled "The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru," expressed by vocal and instrumental music, and by art of perspective in scenes, represented daily at the Cockpit in Drury Lane, 1658. Scenes of the most splendid kind had been used in the masques at court, by Inigo Jones, long before.

[*] "On the back side of Portugal Row, is a street which runneth to Lincoln's Inn Gate, which used to pass without a name, but since the place is increased by the new buildings in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the settling of the Playhouse, it may have a name given it, and not improperly, Playhouse Street. Fronting the Playhouse, is a street which goeth to Plough Stables, which also had no name, unless one may call it Grange Street, from the Grange Inn, a place of good note; nigh to which is the parish round-house, on the back side of which is a churchyard, also belonging to the parish."—Strype's Stow, vol. ii. p. 819, 1720.

[*] The site of this tavern or ordinary was, until of late, distinguished by a bas relief of three kings, fixed in the front of a house near the entrance to Salisbury Square. It is probable, also, that it gave rise to the sign of the Three Kings public house in Fleet Street, nearly opposite.

[*] Wilkes's View of the Stage.

[*] This is the present remaining theatre in Portugal Street, which has been generally mistaken for, and confounded with, the "Duke's Theatre," in Bear Yard, or Little Lincoln's Inn Fields.