above all, Betterton did the prince's part beyond
imagination." It is satisfactory to find that in this case, at any
rate, the actor held his ground against the scene-painter. Under
another date, he refers to a representation of "The Faithful
Shepherdess" of Fletcher, "a most simple thing, and yet much thronged
after and often shown; but it is only for the scene's sake, which is
very fine." A few years later he describes a visit "to the King's
Playhouse all in dirt, they being altering of the stage, to make it
wider. But my business," he proceeds, "was to see the inside of the
stage, and all the 'tiring-rooms and machines; and, indeed, it was a
sight worth seeing. But to see their clothes, and the various sorts,
and what a mixture of things there was--here a wooden leg, there a
ruff, here a hobby-horse, there a crown, would make a man split
himself to see with laughing; and particularly Lacy's wardrobe and
Shotrell's. But then, again, to think how fine they show on the stage
by candlelight, and how poor things they are to look at too near at
hand, is not pleasant at all. The machines are fine, and," he
concludes, "the paintings very pretty." In October, 1667, he records
that he sat in the boxes for the first time in his life, and
discovered that from that point of view "the scenes do appear very
fine indeed, and much better than in the pit."

The names of the artists whose works won Mr. Pepys's applause have not
come down to us. Of Robert Streeter, sergeant-painter to King Charles
II., there is frequent mention made in the "Diary" of Evelyn, who
highly lauds the artist's "very glorious scenes and perspectives,"
which adorned Dryden's play of "The Conquest of Granada," on its
representation at Whitehall. Evelyn, not caring much for such
entertainments, seems, nevertheless, to have frequently attended the
plays and masques of the Court. In February, 1664, he saw acted "The
Indian Queen" of Sir Robert Howard and Dryden--"a tragedy well
written, so beautiful with rich scenes as the like had never been seen
here, or haply (except rarely) elsewhere on a mercenary theatre." At a
later date, one Robert Aggas, a painter of some fame, is known to have
executed scenes for the theatre in Dorset Garden. Among other
scene-painters of distinction, pertaining to a comparatively early
period of the art, may be noted Nicholas Thomas Dall, a Danish
landscape-painter, who established himself in London in 1760, was long
occupied as scene-p