Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-06-18

,esnerv and music, called the Cruelty
Of the Spaniards in Peru" The sum OF
''twopence" for each performance was
exacted by the goVernmentfor the oene-
fit of the poor. Within year after
Davensn'ts venture bookseller called
Rhodes, who had been prompter at
Blackfrler's Theatre, secured the man
agemsnt OF the cockpit, and be put Tor
ward IS stars Thomas Betterton and
Yynaston, who had not yet risen TO
their subsequent fame. Rhodes had 10
meet the opposition OF Davenant, who'
with Thomas Killigrsw, erected . ne"
theatre ia Portugal row, called the
Dukes. the actors being styled tine
Duke of YOrk's servants.
Killigrew soon started out solel y on
his own account, and armed with MS
patent prOspected ground at Riding
Yard, built theatre on the exact sue
Of the present Drury Lane playhouse
and secured for his company the ute Oh
the "King's Players" The cost OF TINS
house was e1, 500, which seems almost
ridjculously small, but meant consider
able money in those days. The length
oftbe buildipg was 1l2 feet and its
width 50 feet. Under the title OF 'Ihe
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the mousse
was opened to the public on April
5, 1868. The piece was Beaumoht
and Fletcher's Humorous Lieutenant.
The company numbered about ten
actors, who as the Kings Players were
allowed stem yards each OF scarlet ciotn
with a proper quantity Of lace" for
Uveries. and In their warrants from the
Lord Chamberlain were described as
Gentlemen OF the Great Chamber"
In this theatre Charles IL. first fell In
love with Nell Gwynne as she was act
ing Valeria in Dryden's tragedy, "Iy-
rannic Love" Dryden had wanted TO
attract the Kings notice TO the fair
actress, so be got her the tragic part OF
Valeria aud said in his epilogue:
Oh. poet, who could prove so senseless to make
Nav. what's vet worse, to kill her in the prime
OF Easter Term,
In tart and cheesecake time.
UBIQUITOUS Mr.. Pepys found his way
behind the scenes and records that
"KniBp took US In aud introduced US TO
Nelly and my wife and kissed her.
Drury Lane had been open about a
year when one night terrific storm
of haVle" descended down over London,
and coming in through the roof OF the
theatre, demOralized the audience In
the Dit. Theatrical performances were
suspended during the great plague, but
Drury reopened November %, 1866,
for public performances, and Mr..
Pepys, who ventured to go
and see the play a fortnight
later, says, 81 sat in the pitt with my
cloke around my face, in dresde lest | bee
scene" February following he was
again at the theatre, soon after the great
Ere Of London, and wrote In his diary:
play over, and 80 home over the ruins
with link" Ia 1868 the rain came
through the roof and put the audience
in a panic. In July Of the same year
rdvI horses were put on the stage In the
NAV OF divide Park" The theatre was
destroyed by fire in January, 1872, and
a church collection for the sufferers
was taken up all over the country.
Sir Christopher Wren, the great arch
itect, was ordered to prepare plans for
a new theatre, subject to the Kings
approval, and on March %, 1874, an
other Drury Lane arose from the ashes
Of the former. The entrance to this
bouse was In what is known as Play
bouse passage and the motto, "ViVitur
Ingenio" was displayed on the centre
Of the prosceniam arch. The first night
prologue by Dryden was recited,
which, after abiding to the plainness
OF the new structure aud sneerlng at
the gaudiness Of the decorations In the
rival house-the Duke OF York's Thea
tre-went on to say that the King had
directed simplicity TO be observed and
then praised the convenient location OF
the house.
Our house relieves the ladies from the rights
OF ill paved streets and long, dark winter
nights,
The FLANDERS horses form 3 bleak, cold road,
Where bears In furs dare scarcely look abroad
The epilogue also contained the fol-
lowing severely sarcastic allusion to the
Dukes theatre, which had busts OF the
poets fixed over its stage:
Tho in their house the poets heads appear,
We hope we may presume their wits are mere
Horace Walpole said that the House
Of Commons was won't to adjourn to at
tend a special performance at Drury
Lane Just as it adjourns for the Derby
day. He also tells the story OF night
he sat in a side box in the theatre when
the audience expressed their vociferous
disapproval of an unpopular pantomtme.
The stage manager, Fleetwood, sent
lot OF professional bruisers into the pit
to ouell the row, but the pit drove the
brnisers out with loss. Then the cur