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you. Mr. Lock was gratified, even affected, by my account of the happiness you had given me. He says, from the time of our inhabiting this maisonnette, one of his first wishes had been that you should see us in it; as no possible description or narration could so decidedly point out its competence. He, who knew the uncommon character which was to be its master, expected all that has followed of its sufficiency; but he can easily conceive the anxiety of all who had not had so near a view of it upon an experiment so great. How thankfully did I look back, the 28th of last month, upon a year that has not been blemished with one regretful moment!

How truly grieved was I to hear from Mr. Lock of the death of young Mr. Burke! What a dreadful blow upon his father and mother! to come at the instant of the son's highest and most honourable advancement, and of the father's retreat to the bosom of his family from public life! His brother, too, gone so lately! I am most sincerely sorry, indeed, and quite shocked, as there seemed so little suspicion of such an event's approach, by your account of the joy caused by Lord Fitzwilliam's kindness. Pray tell me if you hear how poor Mr. Burke and his most amiable wife endure this calamity, and how they are.

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I GRIEVE to return M. de Lally's incomparable book; I have been delighted and enlightened by the Letters to the Electors,' and the Pièces Justificatives;' I think

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never more by any writing I ever read: there is a nobleness of mind and of style, of thought and of expression, so strikingly combined, that eloquence has rarely seemed to me so natural, and never more penetrating. That any country can voluntarily throw away such a statesman, such an orator, such a citizen! You know how forcibly I was struck by M. de Lally Tolendal from the first: you will therefore not wonder I am now quite enthusiastic for him. Warmth and sensibility such as his, joined to a candour that seems above all prejudice on any side, or for any party, or purpose, or even wish, make me reverence now as before I admired him.

Always, when you can, remember me to him and to your beloved Princesse d'Henin. How I wish you could spend more time with such consolatory beings!

We are seeking everywhere, in the Dorking vicinity, a new dwelling; but the difficulty of finding anything is immoderate. Nevertheless, as this is the sole period in which we can hope to bear the expense of removing, we are ardent in the search; for the dearness of provisions, and the difficulty of obtaining the common comforts of the family board, milk, butter, &c., make us unwilling to establish ourselves here for life; and the sight of Mrs. Lock oftener is well worth a few guineas a-year.

F. D'A.

Lines to Madame d'Arblay on her Birthday.

Aimer sa femme est un travers,

La chanter est ur ridicule;

Et, de plus, ce monde pervers
Sur cet article est peu crédule.

Ton époux, libre dans tes fers,
Loin des bourreaux que la licence
Déchaîne contre l'univers,

Aime à consigner dans ces vers

Qu'il te doit son indépendance
Et son bonheur! Oui; tous les ans
Je promets aux mauvais plaisants,
Qu'en ce jour heureux ma constance

Les fera rire à mes dépens.

A cette douce jouissance

Puissent-ils se livrer long tems!

A. A.

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Inscription for the Portrait of his Wife, by A. d'Arblay.

La Raison, si souvent tranchante, atrabilaire,

Toujours dans ses écrits plait autant qu'elle éclaire;
L'Indulgence, l'Amour allument son flambeau:
C'est la Sagesse enfin, non l'Ennui peint en beau.
Westhamble.

1795.

Madame d'Arblay to Mrs..

Bookham, April 15, 1795. So dry a reproof from so dear a friend! And do you, then, measure my regard of heart by my remissness of hand? Let me give you the short history of my tragedy, fairly and frankly.

I wrote it not, as your acquaintance imagined, for the stage, nor yet for the press. I began it at Kew Palace, and, at odd moments, I finished it at Windsor; without the least idea of any species of publication.

Since I left the Royal household, I ventured to let it be read by my father, Mr. and Mrs. Lock, my sister Phillips, and, of course, M. d'Arblay, and not another human being. Their opinions led to what followed, and my brother, Dr. Charles, showed it to Mr. Kemble while I was on my visit to my father last October. He instantly and warmly pronounced for its acceptance, but I knew not when Mr. Sheridan would see it, and had not the smallest expectation of its appearing this year. However, just three days before my beloved little infant came into the world, an express arrived from my brother, that Mr. Kemble wanted the tragedy immediately, in order to show it to Mr. Sheridan, who had just heard of it, and had spoken in the most flattering terms of his good will for its reception.

Still, however, I was in doubt of its actual acceptance till three weeks after my confinement, when I had a visit from my brother, who told me he was, the next morning, to read the piece in the green-room.

This was a precipitance for which I was every way. unprepared, as I had never made but one copy of the play, and had intended divers corrections and alter--ations. Absorbed, however, by my new charge, and then growing ill, I had a sort of indifference about the matter, which, in fact, has lasted ever since.

The moment I was then able to hold a pen I wrote two short letters, to acknowledge the state of the affair to my sisters; and to one of these epistles I had an immediate laughing answer, informing me my confidence was somewhat of the latest, as the subject of it was already in all the newspapers! I was extremely chagrined at this intelligence; but, from that time, thought it all too late to be the herald of my own

VOL. VI.

D

designs. And this, added to my natural and incurable dislike to enter upon these egotistical details unasked, has caused my silence to my dear M, and to every friend I possess. Indeed, speedily after, I had an illness so severe and so dangerous, that for full seven weeks the tragedy was neither named nor thought of by M. d'Arblay or myself.

The piece was represented to the utmost disadvantage, save only Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Kemble; for it was not written with any idea of the stage, and my illness and weakness, and constant absorbment, at the time of its preparation, occasioned it to appear with so many undramatic effects, from my inexperience of theatrical requisites and demands, that, when I saw it, I myself perceived a thousand things I wished to change. The performers, too, were cruelly imperfect, and made blunders I blush to have pass for mine,added to what belong to me. The most important

character after the hero and heroine had but two lines of his part by heart! He made all the rest at random, and such nonsense as put all the other actors out as much as himself; so that a more wretched performance, except Mrs. Siddons, Mr. Kemble, and Mr. Bensley, could not be exhibited in a barn.

All this concurred to make it very desirable to withdraw the piece for alterations, which I have done. And now you have the whole history-and noware you appeased?

F. D'A.

Dr. Burney to Madame d'Arblay.

May 7, 1795.

MY DEAR FANNY,-What a while has our correspondence slept! Let me see-where shall I begin? Why,

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