2*8 DIARY AND LETTERS OF MADAME D'ARBLAY (1778 TO JUNE 1781) flv Mm.Q drrUr^'Wa-tker 9>/vxSc c 7 (A DIARY ftf LETTERS OF MADAME D'ARBLAY (1778-1840) AS EDITED BY HER NIECE CHARLOTTE BARRETT WITH PREFACE AND NOTES BY AUSTIN DOBSON IN SIX VOLUMES VOL. I ILanlron MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited NEW YORK : THE MACMILLAN COMPANY I9O4 All rights reserved TO THE VENERABLE CHARLES BURNEY ARCHDEACON OF KINGSTON-ON-THAMES, AND VICAR OF ST, MARK'S, SURB1TON THIS EDITION OF THE DIARY AND LETTERS OF HIS RELATIVE MADAME D'ARBLAY is WITH HIS PERMISSION RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED "The spirit walks of every day deceased."—Young. [Mrs. Barrett's motto.] •' Ii she [Mme. D'Arblay] recorded with minute diligence all the compliment's, delicate and coarse, which she heard wherever she turned, she recorded them for the eyes of two or three persons who had loved her from infancy, who had loved her in obscurity, and to whom her fame gave the purest and most exquisite delight. Nothing can be more unjust than to confound these outpourings of a kind heart, sure of perfect sympathy, with the egotism of a blue-stocking, who prates to all who come near her about her own novel or her own volume of sonnets."—Macaulay (Edinburgh Review* January 1843, p. 539). PEEFACE This edition of the Diary and Letters, 1778- 1840, of Frances or Fanny Burney, afterwards Madame D'Arblay, is based on the seven volumes v issued by Henry Colburn in 1842-46, Of the first s two of these volumes, there are two impressions, one being fuller than the other. The title-pages give no indication of difference ; and the only thing in the nature of a reference to such differ- ence is a notification prefixed to the General o Index in the last volume, announcing disin- genuously that " the second impression of Vols. I. and II. differs from the first in the arrangement " of the pages " ; and further, that the Index is made in accordance with the first." In the present edition the first impression of these two volumes has been followed, and the passages omitted from the second impression have been placed between square brackets. There is nothing to suggest why they were left out; and as they are here restored, it is needless to put forward vii a 2 viii PREFACE any theory in order to account for their with- drawal. The other circumstances connected with the first appearance of the book are fully explained in the " Editors Introduction." The Appendices to the volumes—here arranged as six instead of seven—are new, and consist of unpublished letters, or extracts from other sources, which were too lengthy to be included in the Notes. The Notes, with rare exceptions, generally specified, have been written for this edition. The Editor of 1842-46, Mrs. Charlotte Francis Barrett, had appended to six of her volumes some three or four pages of "Biographical Notes," which, at the date of their publication, were doubtless adequate. But they are now more than fifty years old ; and it seemed expedient to substitute for them here Notes which should be at once more modern, more numerous, and not exclusively biographical. In those now offered to the public, conciseness has been attentively con- sidered. While such modest aids to identification as dates of birth and death have not been dis- dained, it has been held that to give some idea of the position or achievement of the persons named at the precise moment when they come under the pen of the Diarist, is more useful than to PREFACE ix recount their histories from the cradle to the grave. As to Notes which are not biographical, and which relate to places, books, quotations, occurrences, and so forth, it is hoped that the particulars supplied will sufficiently meet the requirements of the reader. The Illustrations, consisting of Portraits, Views, Autographs, and Plans, have been carefully chosen. In all cases an attempt has been made to secure those only which are either actually mentioned in the text, or are nearly contemporary with that text ; and full information respecting them will be found in the Lists of Illustrations, or at the foot of the illustrations themselves. An Index accompanies each volume, and this, in Volume VI., takes the form of a General Index. Thanks are due, and are hereby tendered, to the following persons :—to Archdeacon Burney, Vicar of St. Mark's, Surbiton, for information, autographs, and assistance generally; to Mr. F. Leverton Harris, M.P., of Camilla Lacey, Dorking, for information, autographs, and illus- trations; to Mr. William Bousfield, of Fairfield, Great Bookham, for information and permission to photograph the cottage in which Madame D'Arblay lived for four years; to Mr. Arthur C. Benson, ; x PREFACE for permission to photograph Mrs. Delany's house at Windsor; to Messrs. George Bell and Sons, for permission to make use of the Early Diary of Frances Burney, published by them in 1889 and lastly (though not for the first time), to Mr. Henry R. Tedder, the Secretary and Librarian of the Athenaeum Club, for valuable aid and sympa- thetic suggestion. Nor must acknowledgment be omitted to Mr. Emery Walker for the untiring interest he has taken in the procuring and pre- paring of the Illustrations ; and to Mr. R. J. Lister for kindly undertaking to compile the Indexes. Austin Dobson. 75 Eaton Rise, Ealing, W., October 1904. — CONTENTS PART I 1778 PAO The publication of Evelina—Its designs and objects—Secrecy of its Eublication—Letter from the publisher—Alarm of the writer at eing known—Awkward predicament—Critiques on Evelina— Mr. Crisp-—Evelina read by Dr. Burney—His discovery of its author—Dr. Johnson—Letters from Miss Burney to her father —Mrs. Thrale—Astonishing success of Evelina—Disclosure of its authorship to her mother—Mrs. Cholmondeley—Mrs. Thrale —Mr. Lowndes—Letters from Miss Burney to her sister—Dr. Johnson—Miss Burney's feelings on her unlooked-for success as an authoress—Guesses as to the writer of Evelina—Diary resumed—Dr. Burney acquaints Mrs. Thrale with the secret Singular position of the writer—Letter of Mrs. Thrale Madame Riccoboni—Dr. Johnson reads Evelina—His opinion of it—Anna Williams—Invitation to Streatham—The author's alarm at meeting the literary circle there—Great profits of the publisher—First visit to Streatham—Her reception by the Thrales—Mrs. Thrale's admiration of Evelina—She describes Dr. Johnson's imitating characters in Evelina—Mr. Seward First introduction to Dr. Johnson—His conversation—Garrick —His prologues and epilogues—Garrick and Wilkes—Wear and tear of the face—Sir John Hawkins—An «• unclubable " man —A mean couple—Sir Joshua Reynolds—He sits up all night to read Evelina — Miss Burney visits Mr. Lowndes His account of the author of Evelina—Secret history—Letters from Mr. Crisp—Anecdote of Quin the actor • • .21 PART II 1778 Streatham Journal resumed—Character of Mr. Thrale—Dr. John- son—Country neighbours—Bennet Langton—Character of Mrs. Thrale—Table-talk of Dr. Johnson—Eccentricities of the Cum- berland family—Dr. Johnson and Richard Cumberland—More table-talk of Dr. Johnson—Anecdotes of the Cumberland family—Mrs. Montagu and Bet Flint—The female wits—Mrs. xi — ———AA xii CONTENTS PAGE Pinkethman—Mrs. Rudd—Kitty Fisher—An election dinner— Dr. Johnson—Anecdote of his rudeness—His Lives of the Poets —Mrs. Charlotte Lennox—The author of Hermes—Learned ladies—Johnson's opinion of them—Richardson—Fielding Murphy—Mr. Lort—Cumberland—Seward—Chatterton—The perils of popularity—Hannah More—Dr. Johnson's harsh treat- ment of her ....... 65 PART III 1778 Anecdotes of Johnson — A dinner at Streatham — Sir Joshua Reynolds—Mystification—Dr. Calvert—Mrs. Cholmondeley— Edmund Burke — His opinion of Evelina — Mrs. Montagu Dr. Johnson's household—A collection of oddities—A poor scholar—The Lives of the Poets—Visit of Mrs. Montagu to Streatham—Johnson s opinion of her—Character of Johnson's conversation—His compliments and rebuffs—Table-talk of Johnson, Mrs. Montagu, and Mrs. Thrale The value of — " critical abuse—Dr. Johnson's severe speeches—" Civil for four —Dr. Johnson and Goldsmith—Dr. Jebb—Match-making Critics and authors—Letter from Mr. Crisp—Mr. Seward— grand dinner at Streatham — High heels — Table-talk—The distinctions of rank Irene—Hannah More—Her play—Letter from Mr. Crisp—How to write a comedy . .101 PART IV 1779 Diary resumed—Pacchierotti—Description of his singing—Bertoni —Giardini—Piozzi—An adventure — Dr. Francklin — Letters from Mrs. Thrale and Mr. Crisp—Remonstrance on false deli- cacy—Difficulties of dramatic writing—Dancing in fetters How to use advice—Miss Burney's views on comedy—Female authorship—Letter from Miss Burney to Mr. Crisp—The pains of publicity—Diary resumed—Sir Joshua Reynolds—Mason, the poeWvisit from Dr. Johnson—Mrs. Thrale—Visit to Sir Joshua Reynolds—Mrs. Horneck and Mrs. Bunbury—Lord Palmerston—Mrs. Cholmondeley—A scene—Cross-examination —A dialogue—The knight of Plympton—Visit to Streatham— Dr. Johnson—Mr. Seward—Dr. Burney—Fair and brown— dialogue with Dr. Johnson—Books and authors—Table-talk between Johnson, Mrs. Thrale, and Miss Burney—Evelina- Mrs. Montagu — Three classes of critics on books — Miss Burney's anxiety to avoid notice as an author — Mrs. Cholmondeley— Lord Palmerston— Visit to Dr. Johnson— Mr. Seward—Lady Miller's vase— Baretti— Visit to Mrs. Cholmondeley — A party of wits and fashionables — The beautiful Mrs. Sheridan— Mrs. Crewe— Pacchierotti's singing —The Duke of Dorset and Miss Cumberland—Hannah More —Her habit of flattering her friends—The Earl of Harcourt— — — CONTENTS xiii PAGE Mrs. Vesey—R. B. Sheridan—His personal appearance and manner—Dr.