" 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-painter at Covent Garden Theatre, and became an
Associate of the Royal Academy in 1771; Hogarth, who is reported to
have painted a camp scene for the private theatre of Dr.
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