Page:The Story of Nell Gwyn.djvu/210

194 "18 Feb. 1661-2.—To the Opera and saw The Law against Lovers, a good play and well performed, especially the little girls (whom I never saw act before) dancing and singing; and were it not for her, the loss of Roxolana would spoil the house.

" 2 April, 1662.—To the Opera and there saw The Bondman most excellently acted . . . Ianthe acting Cleron's part very well now Roxolana is gone."

"19 May, 1662.—To the Opera, and there saw the second part of the Siege of Rhodes, but it is not so well done as when Roxolana was there, who, it is said, is now owned by my Lord of Oxford."

"27 Dec. 1662.—With my wife to the Duke's Theatre, and saw the second part of Rhodes done with the new Roxolana; which do it rather better in all respects for person, voice, and judgment, than the first Roxolana."

The new Roxolana was Mrs. Betterton; the old Roxolana, "Lord Oxford's misse," either Frances or Elizabeth Davenport; for there were two sisters of that name on the stage of the Duke's Theatre at this time. I suspect, however, that the old Roxolana was the younger sister, Betty. The elder was on the stage in 1668:—

"7 April, 1668.—The eldest Davenport is, it seems, gone to be kept by somebody, which I am glad of, she being a very bad actor."—.

Now it appears from Lilly's Nativities in the Ashmolean Museum, that the Earl of Oxford's son by Roxolana was born 17th April, 1664, and Roxolana herself 3rd March, 1642. Whenever a new edition of De Grammont is again required (and a