p. 121 _Cataline._ Jonson’s tragedy was revived with great splendour at the King’s House, Friday, 18 December, 1668, and remained a stock play until the retirement of Hart (who excelled in Catiline) at the Union in 1682. Michael Mohun was famous in Cethegus, and Mrs. Corey in Sempronia. Pepys found the play itself rather dull as a whole ‘though most fine in clothes, and a fine Scene of the Senate, and of a fight, as ever I saw in my life.’ A year before its actual production his crony, Harry Harris, a member of the rival theatre had ‘talked of _Catiline_ which is to be suddenly acted at the King’s House; and there all agree that it cannot be well done at that house, there not being good actors enough; and Burt acts Cicero, which they all conclude he will not be able to do well. The King gives them £500 for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlet robes.’ (11 December, 1667.) In the first quarto (1672), of Buckingham’s _The Rehearsal_, Bayes refers to _Catiline_ saying that his design in a certain scene is ‘_Roman_ cloaths, guilded Truncheons, forc’d conceipt, smooth Verse, and a Rant.’ The words ‘Roman cloaths’ are omitted in all subsequent editions. p. 121 _the Comick Hat._ In 1670 there was produced at the Theatre Royal, Dryden’s _The Conquest of Granada_, Part I. The witty prologue was ‘spoken by Mrs. Ellen Gwyn’ (who acted Almahide) ‘in a Broad-Brimm’d Hat, and Waist Belt’. It commences thus:-- This jest was first of t’other house’s making, And five times tried, has never fail’d of taking; For ‘twere a shame a poet should be kill’d Under the shelter of so broad a shield. This is the hat, whose very sight did win ye To laugh and clap as tho’ the devil were in ye. As then, for Nokes, so now I hope you’ll be So dull, to laugh, once more, for love of me.