*p1780 05 24 dl The Winter's Tale. ^As17791129^.*a1780 05 24 dl The Miniature Picture. Principal Characters by Palmer, Parsons, Brereton, Wrighten, Mrs Davies, Miss Farren, Miss Sherry, Mrs Robinson. [Cast from <i>Town and Country Magazine</i>, May 1780, p.228: Mr Belvil-Palmer; Lord Macgrinnon-Parsons; Mr Camply-Brereton; John-Wrighten; Susan-Mrs Davies; Miss Loveless-Miss Farren; Mrs Arabella Loveless-Miss Sherry; Eliza Camply-Mrs Robinson; <i>Prologue</i>-King; <i>Epilogue</i>-Mrs Abington. [Thses were spoken, as here assigned, at all subsequent performances.]*d1780 05 24 dl II: <i>New Dance</i>, ^as17791126^; End II afterpiece: <i>The Coopers</i>, ^as17800224^.*c1780 05 24 dl Afterpiece [1st time at a public theatre; C 3, by $Elizabeth Craven=, $Baroness Craven=, afterwards $Margravine of Anspach=, 1st acted privately at the $Town-Hall, Newbury=, 6 Apr. 1780. Text ($G. Riley=, 1781) assigns no parts. Prologue by $Richard Brinsley Sheridan=. Epilogue by $Joseph Jekyll= (see text)]: With new Dresses, &c. "The Prologue [the first 30 lines and the concluding couplet of which were used by Sheridan as the Prologue to <i>Pizarro</i> (see <i>dl</i>, 24 May 1799)] was so much admired that at the request of the $Duchess of Devonshire= and several other of the nobility it was respoken after the piece; but as $King= was absent from the theatre, it was delivered by $Palmer=" (<i>Town and Country Magazine</i>, May 1780, p. 23 ). "The chief singularity was that [$Lady Craven=] went to it herself the second night, in form; sat in the middle of the front row of the stage-box, much dressed, with a profusion of white bugles and plumes, to receive the public homage due to her sex and loveliness. The $Duchess of Richmond=, $Lady Harcourt=,...$Mrs Damer=, $Lord Craven=,...and I were with her. It was amazing to see so young a woman entirely possess herself-but there is such an integrity and frankness in her consciousness of her own beauty and talents, that she speaks of them with a naivete as if she had no property in them, but only wore them as gifts of the gods. Lord Craven on the contrary was quite agitated by his fondness for her and with impatience at the bad performance of the actors, which was wretched indeed, yet the address of the plot, which is the chief merit of the piece, and some lively pencilling carried it off very well, though $Parsons= murdered the <i>Scotch lord</i>r, and $Mrs Robinson= (who is supposed to be the favourite of the $Prince of Wales=) thought on nothing but her own charms, or him. There is a very good though endless prologue written by Sheridan and spoken in perfection by King, which was encored (an entire novelty) the first night: and an epilogue that I liked still better and which was full as well delivered by $Mrs Abington=, written by Mr. Jekyl. The audience, though very civil, missed a fair opportunity of being gallant, for in one of those ----logues, I forget which, the noble authoress was mentioned, and they did not applaud as they ought to have done, especially when she condescended to avow her pretty child and was there looking so very pretty...Yet Lady Craven's tranquillity had nothing displeasing;...and it was tempered by her infinite good nature, which made her make excuses for the actors instead of being provoked at them" ($Walpole= [28 May 1780], XI, 178-80). <i>Public Advertiser</i>, 14 July 1781: This Day at Noon will be published <i>The Miniature Picture</i> (price not listed). Receipts: #144 9s. (94.9; 48.3; 1.17).