“Oh, never mind that,” answered she with the most noble perseverance, “I have got another partner for Miss Kirwan, and I insist upon your dancing this one dance with me. — I say I insist upon it — I’ll never forgive you if you don’t!” — So she again carried her point. The partner she gave Miss Kirwan as a substitute for Mr. Frieri who was the best dancer in the room, was a German doctor, a thick, squob, square man of fifty, with a club as thick as my two hands, and two squinney curls, and a broad grin on his face, that set every one a grinning that lookd at him, and so bad a dancer that he only ran about among them all, and took his chance whether he was right or wrong! Poor Miss Kirwan was monstrously provoked, as well she might! — About one o’clock Mr. Friarey was missing. “Now” says Mrs. P. “I’ll be crucified if Mr. Frieri hasn’t made his escape! Miss P. go down and see if he is in the parlour with Mr. P., and bring him up again.” Miss P. would fain have avoided the task, but Mrs. P. said she insisted upon it, so away the poor girl went, and presently returned, followed by Mr. Frieri, who had got on his great coat to go, but that was a trifle, Mrs. P. insisted on his taking another dance, which she did him the favour to make him go down with Mrs. Den, an old harridan — so that the poor man was absolutely persecuted! The lookers on were General Paoli, to whom I was introduced for the second time, Dr. Blagden, who was too elegant to undergo the fatigue of dancing, the Venetian Resident, and two or three more; to my great joy Mr. Seward was not one, tho’ he was invited. We drew Twelfth Cake, but the names were very dull — we got home about two in the morning. I have made a new acquaintance within this fortnight, with a young Counsellor and his wife, Mr and Mrs. Shadwell, — agreable people — He is one of the most amiable looking men I ever saw, and she is a very pleasing cultivated woman A little [here a word has been torn away with the seal.] I met them at the Hoole’s, and dined, drank tea, and supped there last week, and met the delightful Greek Talamas, he and I are great friends. I met him again on Monday last, at the Hoole’s, and sat by him dinner and supper, and vastly entertaining he was! There was an immense party between dinner and supper, thirty five people, among them were Romney the painter, to whom I had the pleasure of being introduced, and a very pleasing man he seems to be! Dr. Kippis, Miss Williams the poetess, Captain Romney, Mr.
Romney’s brother, the Kirwans, and Captain Phillips, “ring the bell for some coals” — my father, Dr. Rose, Charles, Dick, Mr. G. Blunt, Mr and Mrs. Shadwell, Count Alfieri, Miss Howarth’s — and Mr. Paradice. I had a good flashey evening, for Talamas stood behind my chair talking part of the time, and as soon as he crossd over to speak to Mrs. Shadwell, Captain Romney took his place. Mr. Hoole’s brother asked Talamas “What the husbands did in his country when their wives behaved ill.”
“Why” replied he, “some ladies are very deceitful, and behave so charming to their sweethearts before the marriage, and do them sweet eyes, but after the marriage they forget to behave well, but in my country when that is the case the husband send her away, and take another, for if I marry, I want a sweet companion, I marry a wife, I do not marry a devil!” He was speaking of savages and barbarians, and he said that in Constantinople there were a great many barbars indeed!
Thursday night Fanny, to my utter amazement, has just told me that she has not had time to write a word to-day to you about Jemm or anything else. So in case you should not have seen the newspapers, which is all the intelligence we have, I just tell you, my dear girl, that there has been an engagement in Madras Roads, between the French and English fleets just before the news of the peace arrived, and Jemm’s ship was in it, but not one man killed in his ship. Love to Captain P. The bellman is waiting.
Yours most affectionately, C. B.
LETTER IV.
[MRS. FRANCIS TO MISS BURNEY.]
[Charlotte in her wedded state.]
[After 1785.]
The play, and farce were both decently perform’d, enough to give us a good deal of pleasure.
Monday, July 14th.
We ail went to the play again last Thursday. The New Peerage, and a Harliquin piece. The latter was as well as could be expected. The overture was composed, or rather patch’d, borrow’d, stolen and flagrantly crib’d by Mr. Rivet, one of the band. — It consisted of a set of old tunes, and ti tum ti of his own between each tune. The most execrable composition I ever had the honour of hearing. At the end of one of the tunes, Benjamin la Trobe gave the signal, tho’ it was in the middle of the overture, and set up a violent clap and encore! — The extreme absurd and ludicrous effect that this had, nothing but your having been of the party could testify. The performers went blundering on without seeming to heed it. “Keep never heeding.” — There was a very — company of a washing week when I can avoid it, for the maid’s sake. Mr and Mrs. Browne came yesterday, and stay ‘till Saturday. He is a minor-canon of Norwich Cathedral, and one of my prime favourites, — a very superior man indeed, — an excellent companion, and a fine singer.’ Sir William Jerningham call’d here last week and chatted with La T[robe] and me. Francis was gone to see a sick man. He is a very elegant tonish man. Sunday last Mr and Mrs. Garret dined here from London. He is a friend of Bro, a tea dealer, getting rich, and says “He shall never let his sons learn dancing, as it would spoil them for tradesmen.” Saturday La T[robe] and the rest gave us a ball with twenty couple, — a very merry one. I have seen Mr. Wyndham but once, and then by accident. He was very civil in his bow.
My New coloured linnen gown has been prodigiously admired. You have seen it my love. It has a green ground, and medallions.
Sunday, Aug 10th. I yesterday received a very clever and kind letter from the eldest La Trobe with my beloved Fanny’s direction. I shall therefore lose no time in forwarding this. Believe me my dearest girl, your, with the warmest affection, TATLANTHE.
P.S. — I shall not send you any more stchoff ‘till I hear from you of the receipt of this.
APPENDIX.
I.
[This letter is given to show the taste of the time. It is as good in its way as that curiosity among old guide-books, the catalogue (as it may be called) of the temples, and other decorative objects at Stowe. Horace Walpole wrote, in 1779, to Lady Ossory, “If our trade decays, we have new handycrafts at Tumham Green; I read on a large board, — Manufacture of Temples.” He himself was an amateur manufacturer of Gothic cloisters and oratories.]
[MRS. RISHTON TO MISS BURNEY.]
[Sir Richard Colt Hoare’s Grounds at Stourhead.]
Froome, April the 13th [1773].
My dear Fanny, I know not whether I owe you a letter or not but as I think I shoud be guilty of a great piece of rudeness in sending a frank directed to you, and no letter — so without anything to say or one grain of sense in my noddle I intend filling three sheets (read sides) of paper — so to begin and give a little account of my self — I have been near three weeks at Froome with my Bold Face — and have spent my time very agreably — we have bought a new Whiskey and horse and sold my Julia, and Martin has very often the complaisance to let me drive him, a thing I am remarkably fond of — We went yesterday to see Mr. Hoare’shouse and Garden at Storehead [Stourhead], a place I think the best worth seeing of any seat I ever beheld — it has every advantage Art or Nature Can bestow — Imagine to yourself the Most beautiful romantic Country there is in the West of England Commanding the most delightful prospects and where three Hundred Thousand pounds on the most moderate Calculation has been spent in the Improvements — The River Store [Stour] rises in one part of the gardens and is so beautifully Contrived as to come gushing out of an Urn on which Neptune is reclining in his grotto — Which is Composed of the most beautiful Spas and Fossils. There are several Apartments in this grotto, and Such a Cold Bath — with an Invocation to the Nymph of the place. There is a palladion [Palladian] Bridge over a most beautiful piece of Water — a temple of the Sun situated on a very great imminence and so Contrived that the top which is a Window looks like the rays of phoebus and seems to enlighten the Temple — there is
a pantheon filled with very Costly Statues of all the heathen gods and goddesses — on pedestals of Siena Marble — many of them Cost £112 — there is a temple of Flora — a beautiful Turkish Tent such as Sultans take out when they go to war — a Prodigious fine root-house with Several Cells intended as a hermitage a lamp Always Burning, hour glass, human bones, and several inscriptions, there are hundred others disposed about the gardens which are of such amazing Extent that they are not at all Crowded — there are mighty pretty inscriptions etc — the House is very well worth seeing many very Beautiful things and fine pictures — after dinner we had the most delightful ride on a terrace that surrounds all his Estates — to Alfred’s Tower — which is about 3 Miles and &c from the house — this tower is 152 feet high and is seen more than 50 miles off — there is this Inscription on it — on this Spot — King Alfred the Great Erected his Standard against Danish Invaders he formd — laws and raisd a Militia he is Justly Calld the Father of his Country as he laid the first basis for English Monarchy and Liberty (It was words to this Effect tho’ better Expressd) we mounted this beautiful building which forms three Angles — and three Towers up one of which runs a winding Staircase — and brings you up to a Stupendious height it is all built of New Brick and portland Stone and has not Cost so little as 20,000. After that we drove thro’ the most divine Winding Walks to the Convent — which is built exactly in the Monastic Stile — and pictures of Nuns of all the different Orders of France — I never saw anything prettier in my Life but to shew you how little the Owner of these things Enjoys them — the Gardiner told us Mr. Hoare had never been to the Top of Alfred’s Tower — or had been to the Convent. I spent a Most happy day.
[To complete this sketch, let us give some extracts from a letter written by Mrs. Boscawen to Mrs. Delany, ten years later, from an inn at Warminster. Mrs. Boscawen describes herself as “having been leading a wayfaring life.” She has gone from her daughter the Duchess of Beaufort’s seat at Badminton to see Lady Weymouth at Longleat (the very finest place she ever saw in her life); then to call on Dr. Ross, the Bishop of Exeter, at Frome. She spent all yesterday at Mr. Hoare’s, and was lucky in a fine day to sit, and tarry, at the different stations. It has many pretty opera-scenes in it, but is not in the style of Longleat. There is an immense high tower built at the extremity of his plantation, called Alfred’s Tower, on a very high ground which overlooks the whole country; 256 steps to the top of it. There is a convent in Mr. Hoare’s woods which Mrs. Delany would like very well. It has fine painted glass in the windows, and a picture which belonged to one of the Abbots of Glastonbury Abbey, which shuts up with doors, but perhaps, after all, it is only an imitation. To-day she has been, with her daughter, Mrs. Lewson to see Mr. Beckford’s Fonthill, where Mrs. Delany “woud have been provoked to see fine prints of Titian’s pell mell with drawings of Capali... The mixture of good and bad pictures was hideous.”]
II.
LADY HALES AND MISS COUSSMAKER.
A few letters from Lady Hales, and her daughter, Miss Coussmaker, to Susan and Fanny Burney, have been preserved, of which it may divert some people to read an abstract. In the first, which was written to Susan before the authorship of “Evelina” was known, Miss Coussmaker adjures her dearest Susy to read that novel, but hopes that it will not have such an effect on her, as it has on herself—” The last volume has almost distracted me. I have never been well since. Some part of the discovery is so tragical, that I declare it worked me as much as the death of Desdemona, or Belvidera.... And how mortifying it is to think that so few, nay, I hardly know any, Lord Orvilles, or Evelinas are to be found, and so many Sir Clement Willoughbys.” She prefers Evelina and Lord Orville to St. Preux and Julie, though the latter seem more natural. She would delight in bringing up her dear little sister, Caroline Hales, in “that same simplicity as Evelina.”
In the next, Lady Hales tells Susan “what a sly little thing you was to set me a-reading unaware,” but adds she was not surprised when she learnt the name of the author, as “there was something in the stile and manner that made me think of your family.” She had thought that “Evelina might be a child of the head of your house!” to whom she encloses a “paquet on a family matter, having a high opinion of his judgment, she means to profit by it,” but her daughter “Kitty is not to be told of this, as she is young.” Susan favours Lady Hales with her “amusing company” at Howletts, her seat in Kent. They drive to Deal, “a sad smuggling town,” where Lady Hales buys “run goods,” and writes to ask Fanny to “accept a very small part of her purchase,” namely, a piece of chintz. Fanny’s draught of her “elegant” answer to Lady Hales is preserved. She has tried her pen with the first line of the song, “When first I saw thy face.” She has also to answer a letter of compliment from Kitty Coussmaker, and a draught is made, in which Fanny writes thus of “Evelina”: “I thought her only admirers would be school-girls, and destined her to no nobler inhabitation than a circulating library.” Lady Hales had said to Susan, towards the end of the letter which we have quoted, that her sister Fanny could “bear fame with her usual gentleness and meekness.” With meekness and discretion Fanny answers the heartfelt praise of Lady Hales and her daughter; it is only to Susan, and herself, that she indulges in the most natural joy at her own success.
Letters from Lady Hales and Miss Coussmaker on “Cecilia” have also been kept. They are addressed to Susan (then Mrs. Phillips) from Howletts, on the 24th of July, 1782. As they give glimpses of life in Kent, a few details are copied from them. Lady Hales writes that the Archbishop’s visiting his diocese adds to her “round of engagements, as Mrs. Cornwallis always accompanies his Grace. To-morrow, Sir Horace Mannbegins his fêtes by a great cricket-match between his Grace of Dorset and himself, to which all this part of the world will be assembled.... Many out of compliment to Sir Horace, who is never so happy as when he has all the world about him, and, as he gives a very magnificent ball and supper on Friday, it would not be so polite to attend that, without paying a compliment to his favourite amusement.... Last night, I had a nice quiet little concertino in my dressing-room — Lady Bridges, Mrs and Miss Milles were, with others, of the party.... ‘ Cecilia’ sends us into people’s houses with our eyes swelled out of our heads with weeping. We take the book into the carriage, and read and weep.... During Cecilia’s delirium, anyone coming into the room would have been surprised.... The children wept and sobbed aloud; my heart was bursting with agony! and we all seemed in despair.” Miss Coussmaker encloses a letter in her mother’s franked cover. She tells Susan that they all kept their resolution of not reading “Cecilia” apart, — or dipping indeed they locked it up! They are longing to dispatch dinner, to finish it that night. They had not felt so much since their wise scheme of reading “Venice Preserved” [aloud]. Does not Susan recollect that? Lady Hales has said that she has “such a Mrs. Harrell in her neighbourhood,” and Miss Coussmaker thinks Lord Brudenell a little like Mr. Delville, and asks Susan if she “did not immediately find out the strongest likeness for the excellent Dr. Lyster? Sir Richard Jebb would have said word for word the same. I would give something to erase ‘ upon my honour!’ and put in ‘ faith,’ (which is Sir Richard’s characteristic expression,) in a speech which Dr. Lyster makes, in the copy Sir Richard will have, to make him know himself;” but she will tell him what she thinks, the next time she sees him.
III.
[MR. CRISP’S TRAGEDY, “ VIRGINIA.”]
[A portion of a Letter from Mrs. Gast to Miss Burney.]
My dear and amiable Fannikin,
Complete Works of Frances Burney Page 510