ᏢᎪᎡᎢ X

1781

Correspondence between Miss Burney and Mrs. Thrale Merlin - His mill to grind old ladies young- Dr. Johnson-Bartolozzi-An Owhyhee dress-Conversazione -Characters-Mrs. Montagu-Dinner at Mrs. Thrale's -Lord Sheffield - Lord John Clinton - Two beauties and a fright-Mrs. Carter-Webber's South Sea drawings -Curious fans-The Duchess of Devonshire-Sir Joshua Reynolds-A dinner party-A character-Sudden death of Mr. Thrale-Correspondence between Mr. Crisp and Miss Burney-The Three Warnings-Diary resumed-Visitors— Misconceptions-A dinner party-A quarrel-Perseverance and obstinacy-Reconciliation-Sale of Mr. Thrale's brewery -Mr. Barclay, the rich Quaker-Dr. Johnson-Newspaper scandal-A poor artist-An odd adventure-Anecdote of Dr. Johnson-Sitting for one's portrait-Visit to Streatham -A subject for Harry Bunbury-The wits at war-Johnson's Life of Lord Lyttelton-Singular scene-Johnson in a savage fit-A peace-maker-Merlin, the mechanician.

MRS. THRALE TO MISS F. BURNEY

STREATHAM, Thursday, January 4.

I sent a

DON'T I pick up franks prettily? hundred miles for this, and the churl enclosed but one-" certain that Miss Burney could not live long enough away from me to need two." Ah, cruel Miss Burney! she will never come again, I think.

Well! but I did see Phillips written in that

young man's honest face, though nobody pronounced the word; and I boldly bid him "Good morrow, Captain," at the door, trusting to my own instinct when I came away. Your sweet father, however, this day trusted me with the whole secret, and from my heart do I wish every comfort and joy from the match.1

'Tis now high time to tell you that the pictures are come home, all but mine,-which my master don't like.2 He has ordered your father to sit to-morrow, in his peremptory way; and I shall have the dear Doctor every morning at breakfast. I took ridiculous pains to tutor him to-day, and to insist, in my peremptory way, on his forbearing to write or read late this evening, that my picture might not have blood-shot eyes.

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Merlin has been here to tune the fortepianos. He told Mrs. Davenant" and me that he had thoughts of inventing a particular mill to grind old ladies young, as he was so prodigiously fond

1 The approaching marriage of Susan Burney to Captain Molesworth Phillips of the Marines (one of James Burney's comrades on Cook's last voyage), which took place at the beginning of 1782 (see post, vol. ii. letter of March 19, 1782).

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The

No doubt the double picture of Mrs. Thrale and Queenie, which afterwards hung over the fireplace in the Library at Streatham. lady liked it no better than her husband. There is really no resemblance," she said, "and the character is less like my father's daughter than Pharaoh's."

3 For his portrait for the Thrale Gallery. It now belongs to Archdeacon Burney. It was bought at the Thrale sale of May 1816, by Dr. Burney's son, Dr. Charles Burney of Greenwich, for £84 (Piozziana, 1833, p. 51).

John Joseph Merlin, 1735-1803, a popular French mechanician and pianoforte maker, at this date the rage in London, where everything for à time was à la Merlin. He had come to England in 1760; and in 1768-73, he was Director of Cox's Museum in Spring Gardens. Afterwards he had an exhibition of automata etc. in Prince's Street, Hanover Square, which was known as "Merlin's Cave." Gainsborough painted him (see post, under June 16), and the portrait was among the artist's last exhibited works.

Pianofortes, i.e. harpsichords with hammers, had only recently appeared in England; and "Daddy" Crisp is credited with the receipt of the first which had been made by an English monk at Rome. Crisp sold it to Fulke Greville for 100 guineas (Early Diary, 1889, i. liv.).

Mrs. Davenant, of Red Lion Square, hereafter described as "one of the saucy women of the ton," was a Cotton, and Mrs. Thrale's cousin.

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of their company. I suppose he thought we should bring grist. Was that the way to put people in tune? I asked him.

Doctor Burney says your letters and mine are alike, and that it comes by writing so incessantly to each other. I feel proud and pleased, and find I shall slip pretty readily into the Susannuccia's place, when she goes to settle on her £700 a-year; of which God give her joy seven hundred times over, dear creature! I never knew how it was to love an incognita but Susan Burney: my personal acquaintance with her is actually nothing—is it?—and yet we always seem to understand one another. H. L. T.

MRS. THRALE TO MISS F. BURNEY

STREATHAM, Thursday, 11th.

I never was so glad of a letter from you before: the dear Doctor had been in the room just halfan-hour, and had frighted me with an account of your fever. Thank God there is no harm come to my sweet little friend; her spirits and her affection are as strong as ever, for all Dr. Johnson,-who says nobody loves each other much when they have been parted long. How well do you know him, and me, and all of us,—and talk of my penetration!

Your father sits for his picture in the Doctor of music's gown; and Bartolozzi makes an engraving from it to place at the head of the book. Sir Joshua delights in the portrait, and says 'twill be the best among them. I hope it will; and by this time, perhaps, you may have begun thinking of the miniature too; but it is not touched yet, I assure you. Sweet Susannuccia! I will slide into her place; I shall get more of your company, too, and

1 The second volume of the History of Music, which appeared in 1782.

more—is there any more to be had?-of your confidence. Yes, yes, there is a little, to be sure; but dear Mrs. Thrale shall have it all now. Oh, 'tis an excellent match! and he has £700 a-year-that is, he will have: it is entailed, and irrevocable.

I send this by your father, who will put it in the post; not a frank to-day for love or money. I did not intend to having written so soon. He and I shall meet at St. James's this day se'nnight. The Owhyhee1 is to be trimmed with grebeskins and gold to the tune of £65-the trimming only. What would I give to show it to you!-or show you anything, for that matter, that would show how affectionately I am yours!

Dr. Burney says you carry bird-lime in your brains, for everything that lights there sticks. I think you carry it in your heart, and that mine sticks very close to it. So adieu ! H. L. T.

MRS. THRALE TO MISS BURNEY

GROSVENOR SQUARE, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1781. This moment Dick Burney tells me how ill you are. My dear, how shall I keep from stepping into a post-chaise, and sousing through Gascoyne Lane to look after you? Complicated as my engagements are, between business and flash, I shall certainly serve you so, if you do not make haste and be well.

Yesterday I had a conversazione. Mrs. Montagu was brilliant in diamonds, solid in judgment, critical in talk. Sophy smiled, Piozzi sung,"

1 Mrs. Thrale had a court dress woven at Spitalfields, from a pattern of Owhyhee manufacture, brought thence by Captain Burney [Mrs. Barrett's note]. A letter from Susan Burney, dated January 19, 1781 (Early Diary, 1889, ii. 267), refers to this costume.

2 When Mrs. Thrale was at Brighton in 1780, Miss Burney had recommended Signor Piozzi to her by letter as "a man likely to lessen the burden of life to her" (Autobiography, etc. 1861, i. 147, and ii. 49).

Pepys panted with admiration, Johnson was goodhumoured, Lord John Clinton attentive, Dr. Bowdler lame, and my master not asleep. Mrs. Ord looked elegant, Lady Rothes dainty, Mrs. Davenant dapper, and Sir Philip's1 curls were all blown about by the wind. Mrs. Byron rejoices that her Admiral and I agree so well; the way to his heart is connoisseurship it seems, and for a background and contorno, who comes up to Mrs. Thrale, you know.

Captain Fuller flashes away among us. How that boy loves rough merriment! the people all seem to keep out of his way for fear.

Aunt Cotton died firmly persuaded that Mrs. Davenant was a natural, and that I wrote her letters for her-how odd!

Many people said she was the prettiest woman in the room last night,—and that is as odd; Augusta Byron, and Sophy Streatfield, and Mrs. Hinchliffe, being present.

Mrs. Montagu talked to me about you for an hour t'other day, and said she was amazed that so delicate a girl could write so boisterous a book.

Loveliest Burney, be as well as ever you can, pray do. do. When When you are with me, I think I love you from habit; when you are from me, I fancy distance endears you: be that as it may, your own father can alone love you better, or wish you better, or desire the sight of you more sincerely, than does your H. L. T.

Dr. Johnson is very good and very clubbable, but Sir R. Jebb is quite a scourge to me. Who now would believe that I cannot make a friend of that man, but am forced to fly to Dr. Pepys3

1 Sir Philip Jennings Clerke.

2 Perhaps the wife of the Bishop of Peterborough, née Elizabeth Crewe.

3 Sir Lucas Pepys, 1742-1830, was not created a baronet until 1784.