p. [198] A Dialogue. There is nothing to show when or for what entertainment this little Pastoral was written.
p. [200] Mr. J. H. i.e. Mr. John Hoyle.
p. [204] To the Honourable Edward Howard. The Six Days Adventure; or, The New Utopia was produced at the Duke's Theatre in 1671, and printed quarto the same year. Although the best of Edward Howard's comedies it was received with scant favour, and the author vindicates himself, pretty sharply rebuking both actors and audience, in a long preface.
Sir Grave Solymour, about to enter the bed of the chaste Celinda, finds himself in the embraces of a black-a-moor, whilst his friends rush in and jeer the precise old knight, whose 'night-hag' eventually proves to be Celinda's sooty page. The 'braver Heroins' of Howard, Serina, Crispina, Eugenia, Petilla, wish to assume and usurp all the privileges of the bolder sex. The scene lies in Utopia. Peacock, created by the low comedian Angel, is a silly fribbling fop.
When the play was printed commendatory verses were prefixed by Ravenscroft and Mrs. Behn, both of whom adopted Pindarics; by J. T.; and by Sam Clyat.
In Mrs. Behn's Miscellany of 1685 is included 'A Pindaric by the Honourable Edward Howard to Mrs. B. Occasioned by a Copy she made on his Play, called the New Eutopia'. The piece is fluent and not ungraceful, concluding with a pretty compliment.
Mrs. Behn's Pindarick is reprinted in the Muses Mercury, October, 1707, with this note: 'The following Paper of Verses was written by Mrs. Behn, to a Poet, who being damn'd, declar'd he wou'd write no more: However out of Affection to his Brother Poets, he left Rules for them to write; which she seems to judge kinder of than they deserve; since both the Rules and the Critick are already entirely forgot. The Reader will perceive that Mrs. Behn had no Notion of a Pindarick Poem, any farther than it consisted of irregular Numbers, and sav'd the Writer the Trouble of even Measure; which indeed is all our common Pindarick Poets know of the Matter.'
Shee who late made the Amazons so Great refers to Howard's tragicomedy, The Women's Conquest (4to 1671), the scene of which lies in Scythia, where we meet with several pseudo-classical Amazons.
For a detailed account of Edward Howard vide the present editor's edition of The Rehearsal (pp. 76-9).
p. [207] the Musick-Meeting. cf. Southerne's The Wives Excuse; or, Cuckolds make Themselves (1692), Act i, i: 'the outward Room to the Musick-Meeting,' which gives a very lively picture of these fashionable assemblies. An Italian and then an English song—('which won't oblige a Man to tell you he has seen an Opera at Venice to understand')—are sung.