PART I. Charlotte Smith and her son-Mrs. Crewe's exertions in favour of the exiled French clergy seconded by Mr. Windham- M. d'Arblay an amateur gardener-Terrible state of France- M. d'Arblay desires to go to Toulon-Offers his services to Mr. Pitt-The French Clergy-State of Toulon-Hannah More- Subscription for the French clergy-Death of the Queen of France-M. d'Arblay's offer of service declined-Thoughts on marriage-The Royal Family felicitate Madame d'Arblay on her nuptials-Madame d'Arblay gives birth to a son-Letter from the Comte de Narbonne-Talleyrand commanded to quit England-Fox and Canning-Talleyrand takes leave of Madame d'Arblay - La Fayette-Gardening at Bookham-Mrs. Thrale-News from the Continent-Visit from Mr. Hoole- Work for the sabre-Death of Edmund Burke's son-M. de Lally Tolendal-Poems by M. d'Arblay-Madame d'Arblay's tragedy Cumberland-Acquittal of Warren Hastings-Lord and Lady Spencer-Metastasio-Erskine and reform of Par- liament English nuns - Publishing prospects - Prejudice DIARY AND LETTERS OF THE AUTHOR OF "EVELINA." PART I. 1793. Dr. Burney to Madame d'Arblay. September 12th, 1793. So DEAR FANNY,-In this season of leisure I am as fully occupied as ever your friend Mr. Delvile was. many people to attend, so many complaints to hear, and so many grievances to redress, that it has been impossible for me to write to you sooner. I have been out of town but one single day, I believe, since you were here-that was spent at Richmond with my sisters. But every day produces business for other people, which occupies me as much as ever I found myself in days of hurry about my own affairs. I have had a negotiation and correspondence to carry on for and with Charlotte Smith, of which I believe I told you the beginning, and I do not see the end myself. Her second son had his foot shot off before Dunkirk, and has undergone a very dangerous amputation, which, it is much feared, will be fatal. Mrs. Crewe, having seen at Eastbourne a great number of venerable and amiable French clergy suffering all the evils of banishment and beggary with silent resignation, has for some time had in meditation a plan for procuring some addition to the small allowance the committee at Freemasons' Hall is able to allow, from the residue of the subscriptions and briefs in their favour. Susan will show you the plan. Mr. Windham undertook to lay it while in MS. before the committee, to be sanctioned by their approbation, lest it should be regarded as a rival or hostile scheme to their establishment. I caught him just stepping into his chaise for Norfolk, when I carried him the plan from Mrs. Crewe. He wrote immediately to Mr. Wilmot, the president I believe, or, at least, a leading person in the Committee at the Freemasons' Tavern; but left me to find him and to carry on the business. This thas Delviled me not a little; for Mr. Wilmot is at Lymington, Hants, and all the rest of the Committee out of town so that the whole is transacted in that snail's pace with which business is done by letters between persons residing at a great distance from each other. Well, but you say that M. d'Arblay is not only his own architect, but intends being his own gardener. I suppose the ground allotted to the garden of your maisonette is marked out, and probably will be enclosed and broken up before the foundation of your mansion is laid; therefore, to encourage M. d'Arblay in the study of horticulture, I have the honour to send him Miller's Gardeners' Dictionary,'-an excellent book, at least for the rudiments of the art. 4 I send you, my dear Fanny, an edition of Milton, which I can well spare, and which you ought not to live |