-- At Richmount the 28 of desember the ladie } Elsabeths berthnight & our day lost at our house } The northen las -- At Richmount on newyeares day } and our day lost at our house } beggers bush -- At Richmount the 7th of Janeuarye } and our day lost at our house } The spanish Cura[tt]] The check-marks at the left were probably made by the clerk in the Chamberlain's office to ascertain how many times the players "lost their day" at their house, and hence were entitled to L20 in payment. For the play given "at the blackfriars the 23 of Aprill for the queene" (presumably the general public was excluded) only the usual L10 was allowed. With the approach of the civil war, the Cockpit, like the public theatres, suffered an eclipse. Sir Henry Herbert writes: "On Twelfth Night, 1642, the Prince had a play called _The Scornful Lady_ at the Cockpit; but the King and Queen were not there, and it was the only play acted at court in the whole Christmas."[677] During the dark days that followed we hear nothing of plays in the Cockpit. Later Cromwell himself occupied this section of the palace, and naturally saw to it that no dramatic exhibitions were held there. But at the Restoration "the Prince," now become the King, could have his plays again; and he did not wait long. On November 20, 1660, Edward Gower wrote to Sir Richard Leveson: "Yesternight the King, Queen, Princess, etc., supped at the Duke d'Albemarle's, where they had _The Silent Woman_ acted in the Cockpit."[678] From this time on the theatre royal was in constant use for the entertainment of the Court. [Footnote 677: Herbert MS., Malone, _Variorum_, III, 241.] [Footnote 678: Historical Manuscripts Commission, Fifth Report, p. 200. Pepys, under the date November 20, 1660, gives an anecdote about the King's behavior on this occasion.] Samuel Pepys, as he rose in the world, became a frequent visitor there.[679] In the absence of other descriptions of the building, I subjoin a few of the entries from his _Diary_. Under the date of October 2, 1662, he writes: