But I have something to tell you about Edward that I think you will not be displeased at. He has just finished three stained Drawings in Miniature, Designs for Evilina — and most sweet things they are. The Design for the first vol is the scene at Ranelaugh after the Disaster of Madame Duval and Monsieur Du Bois. He has just caught the moment when Madame French is going to dash the candle out of the Captain’s hand; he says he was very much puzzled how to give Madame Duval the beau-reste but we think he has succeeded delightfully. But Monsieur Slippery is my favourite figure. I do think it is a most incomparable one indeed! so miserably triste! he has taken him shivering by the fire. Evilina is introduced in all three, and a most lovely creature he has made of her — but its whimsical enough that there must certainly be a likeness between Edward’s Evilina and Miss Streatfield, as seperately and apart (as Sir Anthony Branville says) Susan and I were both struck with the resemblance. The subject for the 2nd vol is the part where Evilina is sitting in that dejected way, leaning her arm on the table, and Mr. Villars is watching her at the door before she perceives him. — The design for the 3rd vol: is as affecting as that for the 2nd, it is the scene between Evilina and her father, when she is kneeling, and he in an agony is turning from her. — I think there can’t be a greater proof of Edward’s having read and felt every passage in the book than these drawings. My father is so pleased with them that he has shewn them to Sir Joshua Reynolds, and ask’d him whether there would be any impropriety in putting them into the Exhibition? Sir Joshua highly approved of the proposal, and sure enough into the Exhibition they are to go, and Mr. Barry, who is mightily struck with them, has promised of his own accord, to endeavour to procure a good place for them
— Sir Joshua was amased that he could do any thing original so well, as he had seen nothing but copies before of his doing — he said some very handsome things of them, and was much pleased with a picture (that Edward has introduced into Mr. Villars’s parlour,) of Dr. Johnson, as he says he thinks it very natural for so good a man as Mr. Villars, to have a value for Dr. Johnson. But pray my dear Fonny write me word what you think of all this? It is a very popular subject, and they are to be inserted in the catalogue “Designs for Evilina.” I am vastly glad to tell you, that Signor Pachierote is so well recoverd, that he performed his part in Quinto Fabio on Saturday. How do you and the great Mrs. Montague hit it off? vastly well I dare say, tho’ I warrant she thinks our friend a very powerful character. We were honoured with a visit the other day from the charming Mrs. Sleepe. She brought a letter from Mr. Sleepe to Charles, and as Captain Coussmaker was not here, I did not grudge her the great chair. Poor Mr. Sleepe is vastly well in every respect but Memory, but that begins to fail him. So no more at present from yours my dear Fanny, with great truth and affection CHURRLOTT.
Pray have you had an interview with Lord Peterborough?
Susans (sic) has this instant received your letter and says she will answer it very soon.
[As this letter contains the longest passage concerning Edward Burney that has been found among these papers, we append to it some slight notice of a most amiable man, who withdrew early from what may be called the public life of a painter; — the competition which is implied when pictures are exhibited. There is no notice of Edward Francis Burney in the early editions of “Bryan’s Dictionary of Painters”; none in the “National Biography,” none even in the obituary of “The Gentleman’s Magazine.” Mr. Redgrave says that he was born at Worcester, in September, 1760, that he went to London to study in 1776, that his drawings from “Evelina” were the first which he exhibited in the rooms of the Royal Academy, to which also he sent portraits and domestic subjects to the number of nineteen between 1780 and 1793; his last being illustrations of “Telemachus.”
“Devoting himself to book-illustration, he then became popular. His designs were clever and imaginative, made with the pen, and slightly tinted.”
Edward’s father seems to have demurred about allowing him to follow his bent. When Fanny, on her way to Bath with the Thrales, in 1780, stayed at the Bear Inn, at Devizes, she was struck with the son of her hostess, Mrs. Lawrence, “a most lovely boy of ten years of age, who seems to be not merely the wonder of [his] family, but of the times, for his astonishing skill in drawing. The future Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A., had never had any instruction [in drawing], but on his being taken to town... all the painters had been very kind to him, and Sir Joshua Reynolds had pronounced him, (the mother said,) the most promising genius he had ever met with.... [He has just such sweet, expressive, soft, intelligent eyes as his brother wonder, our Edward, and all his other features are infinitely handsome. Methinks I am half sorry. How I wish our Edward had had as early an introduction to those who have power to encourage and assist him!”] This was written on the 7th of April; on the 10th Charlotte wrote the foregoing letter. Edward was a pupil of the Royal Academy, with whose age his own ran almost parallel. Dr. Burney had taken him to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who highly commended his drawings as ‘being “finely drawn,” adding that he “did not believe any one in the Academy could do better;” Reynolds also lent him his own portraits of Dr. Johnson and Burke to copy, and said that Edward ought “by no means to leave London,” whereupon Dr. Burney wrote “a very long and charming letter” to his brother, “which if anything” (writes Susan) “can, I think must have weight with him.” It was to entreat him to suffer Edward to remain in London. The kind cousins waited for his answer “in trembling hope,” but it was all in vain, as Richard recalled his son to Worcester, fixing a day on which he must leave London. Later on, however, we find Edward again in London, following his “propensity to painting,” which was “so strong, that I believe” (said Sir Joshua to Dr. Burney) “we must call it genius.”
J. T. Smith ranks Edward Burney after Blake, Flaxman, Lawrence, and Stothard; but before Ryley, Howard, Hilton, Etty, Briggs, and Morton, “all” being (he writes) “faithful and constant delineators of form and muscular action.” He painted the portrait of Fanny which was engraved when her later diaries were published in 1843, and another, which is said to be “plainer”; three portraits of Mr. Crisp, and one of his sister, Mrs. Gast, and made the drawings for four full-page engravings in his uncle Dr. Burney’s quarto volume on the Handel Commemoration in Westminster Abbey, 1784 His designs for frontispieces and vignettes are very numerous. We have often seen old pocket-books preserved for the sake of his illustrations; — notably, some very pretty little books published for years under the title of “Le Souvenir, or Pocket Tablet.” Some of his designs for “The Lady’s Pocket Magazine” were reproduced in a volume published in 1799, entitled “The Cabinet of the Arts. A series of Engravings by English Artists, from Stothard, Burney, Harding, Corbould, Van Assen, Potter, Cosway, Paul Sandby, Mather Brown, Catton, &c.” Among the &c are Turner and Isaac Cruikshank. Family tradition ascribes to Edward an affectionate admiration for the ladies of his own family, which descended for three generations. He is said to have drawn Fanny’s likeness as seen with his heart’s eye, rather than as it “stood confess’d.” Next, one of her nieces was the lady of his admiration. She was succeeded in time, in his regard, by her daughter. No greater compliment could be paid to his own family than by finding in it, notout of it, all that he thought lovely and loveworthy in woman. Fanny never names him without speaking of his merit and his diffident distrust of it. In 1778, she says, “the kind Mrs. Thrale would give courage even to Edward, if she studied so to do.” In a letter to Hetty, written in 1820, she says, “how unfortunate that he never married, who is so made for domestic life.” Elsewhere she writes of this gentle, and diffident painter, as being “amiable, deserving, and almost faultless.” He lived to the great age of Dr. Burney and Fanny, dying at eighty-eight, in Wimpole Street, on the 16th of December, 1848.]
LETTER II.
[CHARLOTTE ANN BURNEY to Miss BURNEY, at Mrs.
Hamilton’s, Chessington, Kingston, Surrey.]
Monday [1781].
Dearest Fonni,
; Thanks for your comique letter — I would have written per baker, but had not time.
I call’d on Mrs. Reynolds last week, and had a curious conversation with her. Upon her enquiring very particularly where you were — I said with a friend in Surry. “Oh, then, [said she, with a significant nod] she has shut herself up to write.” In order to cure her of this suspision I said you were upon a visit to a favourite friend of us all, who you would wish to be a good deal with, and therefore would not find time for writing. “Why, who is it she is gone to see? What is the name?”
“Mr. Crisp, a very old friend”—” Well, but he’s married I suppose?”
“No”— “Bless me! what, then she is gone to a house with only a gentleman in it, and that gentleman a bachelor too!”
“Yes, but there are two ladies in the house that he lives with” — answered I—” Oh; two ladies, well — but I suppose one of them is his wife?”
“No; but he has known them a great many years — it is an old lady and her niece, that he lives with, and none of their acquaintance think there is any scandal in it I assure you”—” Well but,” cried she, with a wink, “how did they come to live together at first, these ladies and him? I never heard of such a thing! I wunder at it! pray are you sure he is really not married privately to one of them?”
“O, yes; he is not married to either of them,” answered I. But I had a great mind to have told her that he was to quiet her scruples. “Bless me,” cried this oddity, “it seems very odd to me! I dont understand it.” — Dear Fanny did you ever hear of anything so rediculous! I said a great deal to her to unscandalize her, but I don’t know whether I did at last.
Mazzanti has been setting a song to music; an English song; and written by an Englishman; but nobody would guess it I believe — as I know you have a taste for elegant writing I’ll give it you —
“SONG BY THE NYMPHS.
As the sun’s refulgent ray
Brightens in the natal day,
So will we our voices raise
To celebrate the Stranger’s praise.
“SONG BY THE LADIES.
Accept fair Thames our grateful lay
For this our happy festive day
To you sweet nymphs no less is due
How happy we to join with you.
“NYMPHS AND LADIES.
Sweet chorus come your melody combine
And with the sisters and the cousins join
Trumpets sound, let all be gay
And celebrate Sir Edward’s day.”
Pray what is your opinion of these lines? Heregoes insists upon it that there is nothing ridiculous in them, and moralized for half an hour because I laugh’d at them.
* * * * * *
Yours in furious haste,
CHARLOTTE ANN BURNEY.
Jem goes to Sheerness to-night.
FRAGMENT IV.
[Charlotte with the Hooles; at Dr. Percy’s; at the Dean of Winchester’s.]
[1781, or 1782.]
* * * * * *
heads now, and have the Grecian Stoop. On Sunday last I spent the day intirely with my friends the Hoole’s, and a very happy, comfortable, social day I had. I went to church with them and heard Dr. Franklin preach. They say he is a preacher that has had a great run, but I was not delighted with him. He has a hectoring manner — wants some new teeth, and has a bad voice. Mrs. Hoole and I walked in the Temple Gardens before dinner, which were varry dule. There we met Miss Owen, an acquaintance and crony of Mrs. Williams’s, and there we met Miss Hall, a conceited tail young woman.
In the afternoon Mr. Poor called in, on his way to a state visit He thought proper to address his conversation to me; and so I got into an argument with him, about Blue ladies. He set off, (and indeed concluded) with such insolent speeches about women, that I could not resist answering him, somehow he always begins upon that topic to me. He began with saying that, “He could not bear Mrs. Montague, on account of her disputing;” and in other words said, “that a woman ought to read nothing but novels and plays! and talk of nothing but caps.”
“Well, I never heard so insolent a speech!” exclaimed I. “I sat by a lady at the opera last night,” said he, “a very elegant woman that talked to me for above an hour, without ceasing, and I couldn’t listen to her enough to know a word she said; but I was very much pleased with her; her voice sounded so pretty and soft.”
“How excessively cheap you do hold ladies, Mr. Poor!” said I. “No, I don’t hold ladies cheap; there is no man has a greater predilection for ladies than I have! When I say I don’t like prescieuse, I mean it for a compliment — I do indeed; — you are not learned, — are you? — I’m sure you are not learned, — are you?” What an insolent wretch! He told a story of a lady, a great talker. She had had a visit from a most agreable man, who was so full of Bons Mots that she was quite delighted with him; — and the man was dumb!
Thursday, June 24th, Quarter day.
The Percys have been in town and I and my father and Fanny have been and spent an evening with them, where we met Dr. Lort, whose nose I am sure has never grown since he was six years old, — nipped in the bud; — but he’s a droll quiz, and I rather like him. There we met Sir Joshua Reynolds, who did me the favour to speak to me; — and Mrs. Rena? and Miss Johnson who looked handsomer than I ever saw her. Dr. Percy, I like, I thought he had been but a dry scholar, but I find he is an entertaining companion. Mrs. Percy is a vulgar, fussocking, proud woman; but very civil to us. Miss Percy is among the very well. My father and Mother and Jemm and I went one evening last week to the Dean of Winchesters, where we met Mrs. Chapone, who looked less forbidding than usual; but she is deadly ugly to be sure; — such [an] African nose and lips, and such a clunch figure! “Poor Chappy, she’s so ugly you know!” Mr. Seward says. There was Mr. Hartley there — He was Member of Parliament in Tickell’s “Anticipation”time. He seems a very agreable, sensible man; and some other folk.
When we were coming away, the Dean said, “Stop a few minutes, and you shall hear my girls sing a whimsical song.” Upon which both the girls exclaimed with the greatest vociferation, the eldest cried, “Papa, I can’t, indeed, I cannot sing such stuff, I can’t, and I won’t!”
“Pooh, pooh,” answered the Dean, “sing it. Such as it is, I desire you to sing it.”
“Papa, I wonder at you!” cried the youngest; as if she had been talking to a younger brother! Much more of this sort of stuff passed, ‘till at last the poor Dean was quite provoked, and stamping his foot, he cried, “I protest then, if you will not sing it you shall never have another master come into the house, and now I’ve said it!”
It was but reasonable in him to be sure when he pays Piozzi half a guinea a lesson, twice a week, for each of them!
This threat staggered them a little. “But such stuff!” cried the eldest daughter. “Never mind; let it be what it willy let’s sing it,” answered the other. As if it had been the greatest hardship in the world! It was really curious. They then condescended to begin, and a very pretty little old song it was,
“Drink to me only with thine eyes,”
and vastly well, and with a good deal of taste, the youngest has the sweetest voice; — but they stop’d in the middle of the song. “ Why don’t you go on?” cried Dr. Ogle. “ Why the rest is, nothing but about stinks” answered Miss Ogle. “Never mind; if it was the Black Joke and I desired you to sing it, you ought,” answered the Dean. Upon which they finished the Lay. The Dean came and sat down and talked to i, upon which i, grew I! — He is to my taste a charming creature, if he was a single man I could find it in my heart to fall in love with him, so comical, so sensible, and sweet-temper’d, eke handsome! — Susan thinks he looks at me as thof he liked me. I wish she may be right. — What pity it is he has suffered his daughters to get a head so, respecting the head of having their ane way! They neither mind him nor Mrs. Ogle any more than a rush — or a Rush light; if they should light of sharp husbands it will fall heavy on them!They are both very droll, and sensibl
e, and entertaining, but full saucy, as Kitty Cooke would say, to every body — not proud, but saucy, and so extravagant! They spent at one shopping £20 in Gauzes two or three years ago! I think they are very elegant figures both, and both rather pretty; in spight of Mr. Poor, who had the impudence to tell Susan that “He thought no one who was not handsomer than the Miss Ogles ought to come into company!”
I hope we shall get better acquainted with them next winter, for I like them both. It is possible that they are too unaffected. Merlin has taken to visiting us again, to my delight. If ever I am at all my own mistress, I’ll certainly always have my doors open to Merlin. He said that Sir Crostopher Wichcurt’s daughter had affront him. But that he knows a Turk who is very civil, and not at ail Barbarative.
Mem: I have this season seen the Vestris’s dance. They are French, father and son, and dance at the Opera. The father calls himself Le Dieu de la danse — and....
FRAGMENT V.
Complete Works of Frances Burney Page 508