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of 'Qaeen ' s Bench , ' \> y going bail for me . But week after week passed without my hearring further from him . I supposed him to be ill , but afterwards learned that he had followed the advice of a mutual acquaintance , to have nothing to do with a matter which must cost him trouble , and might cost money . I was again the plaything of a ruthless fate , and only got out of one scrape that I might fall into another . " I heard no more of friend Riickei " , and remained a member of the large and varied society of the Queen ' Bench ; among -which I found one old acquaintance , an Englishman , named Swaine , with , whom I had lecoino acquainted thirty years before in New York ; whom I had frequently seen during my visits "ft London , and whom , from his neatness of dress , I had supposed to be wealthy , although a hard drinker . " Tiere ought to be interest enough among my readers to accept here * a description of the Qaeen ' s Bench prison , of which I was an inmate for three months and a , half . After passing through three well-watched gates , you eater a large oblong court , girt by a wall 50 or 55 feet high . To the right , in a corner , is t \ well-built three-story house , which is let at a high rent to noble prisoners . One gentleman had inhabited one story for fourteen years ; another , the great William Cobbett ' s son , bad been eight years in the prison . Frotn the left corner to the outer wall of the place stretched a double ro-w of houses , the furthest
of which could be hired , furnished , by such as were able to pay ; the others were for those who lived on the allowance of their creditors . At the end of these houses is a small covered market , where one can buy at eight o'clock , a . m ., fresh fish , flesh , vegetables , eggs , butter , &c . You either buy for yourself or trust servants , who are not always very con- „ scientious . From the market you take your purchases to one of the cookshops in the neighbourhood , and get it prepared for your table . You get your breakfast from female attendants , who are here in plenty , and who are the wives of poor debtors . The large oblong place between the furthest row of houses and the wall is a ball-ground and promenade , where , wheii the weather permits , you can breathe the air , and , if you choose , imagiTiQ yourself at liberty . The space between the other row and the wall is much narrower . As soon as the doors are opened ia . the morning , in pours a torrent of outsiders , shop-keepers , visitors , newsmen , &c . To an Englishman , the newspaper is the first necessity ; the breakfast comes afterwards ; with poor prisoners as long after as possible . ' Time is money , ' is not true in prison ; there time is a burden ,-which grows day by day heavier , and must yet be borne with patience . A postman helps you to communicate with your friends , and a circulating library within the prison-bounds furnishes you -with intellectual pastime . "
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THE DIARY AND XETTERS OF MADAME D'AUBLAY , The Diary and Letters of Madame PArblay . Edited-by her Niece . Seven Volumes . Published for Henry Colbum by his Successors , Hurst arid Blackett . " A cheap reproduction , by Messrs . Hurst and Blackett , of the more expensive edition published b y their predecessor , Mr . Colbum , in 1842 . At less than a third of the price , we have seven handsomely got up volumes , though we could have wished that a little more care had been taken in the correction of" the dates am 3 references to suit the present time , and that the biographical notes at tha end of each , volume had been made somewhat fuller arid more general . In such an age of low-priced , literature as this , the public has a right to expect a new edition to be correct as well as cheap . Madame D'Ar > lay , better known "b y her maiden , name of Miss Fanny Burney , had the good fortune to live through a busy and interesting tinie , and to make herself famous at a comparatively early age . Her Diary , beginning with the success of her first novel , Evelina , in 1778 , is one of the
right sort , easy , pleasant , and gossipping , with much in it about the notabilities of the day , of whose sayings and doings the world is always glad to hear . ^ By her Diary Miss Barney would fain persuade us she was only "in her teens" when her first book was published . But , as the whole world knows , she was six-and-twenty at the time , her birth having taken place at Lynn , in Norfolk , in 1752 . Evelina is forgotten by the present generation , but in its day it made a wondrous sensation . The work was published anonymously , and many were the guesses at its authorship . Once known , Miss Burney became a celebrity of the day . She was taken up by Mrs . Thrale , petted and complimented by Dr . Johnson , domesticated at Streatham , and installed as one of the great lights of that once famous coterie . The Diary from 1780 to 1784 chronicles her life during this time , and if we have rather too much about Miss Burney and her book , and too many repetitions of the flattering things that were said to the one , and about the other , they may fairly enough be set down to the score of pardonable and allowable vanity . For after all , Miss Burney ' s heart was in the right place from first
to last . Witness her strong family affections , and her correspondence with her father ' s old friend and her own " second daddy , " Mr . Crisp . Nothing can be more cliarming than the letters of this literary recluse and " his Fannikin , " as he termed her . The fondest affection and respect on her side , the kindest consideration , the most sensible advice , the gentlest chidings upon Ms . Through Mrs . Thrale , Miss Barney made acquaintance with ° all the famous people of the day , including , of course , tlie " blue-stocking ladies " and their set . But it is the foolish , not the wise people , that make pleasant readmg ; " Sweet Sophy Streathfield " with her pretty face , and her tears at wil , is better far than Mrs . Montague , Mrs . Chapone , or Mrs . Crew . rhe old gentleman at Brighton , with the initial letters—small need surely forsuch mystery , seventy-five years after date—with his opinion of Johnson , "Not much <> t a fine gentleman indeed , but a clever fellow-a deal of knowledge , but a douccd good understanding , " is better reading than all the wise sayings of the Doctor himself .
Four years after Evelina , Miss Buvnoy brought out her second novel of Cecilia , with nearly equal success . The growth of her literary reputation in the time is shown by that best of all tests—the money one . As the unknown authoress of Evelina , she got twenty pounds , and was thankful for it—tor ( Jecilm she is said to have had two thousand . It was about this time , and when at the highest of hor reputation , that Miss Burnoy ost her earl y friend , Mrs . Thralo , who had estranged herself Irom most ot her old associates by her second marriage . Mias Burney and JL » r . Johnson were amongst the number . The latter was furious , he burnt their correspondence , and , in his wrath , passed sentence on his former tavounte . " I never speak of her , and I desire never to hear of her more . I drive her wholly from my mind . "
It says much for Miss Burney , that nil through her life , ns far as her JDmry makes it known , she had the good fortune to meet with kind , fast menus . Mrs . 1 hralo was gone , but her place whs more than supplied by one who waa m all respects , her superior . Mrs . Delnnoy , henceforth her principal adviser , was a lady of high birth and connexions , and still higher attractions . At this time she had taken up her obodo nt Windsor , at the request ot George the Third and the Queen , who honoured her and themselves much more by cultivating her acquaintance and special intimnoy . a UU 8 placed , Mrs . Doluney was in a situation to put in a good word for tier little favourite . The Queen wonted a keeper of tho robes at the time ,
and it was thought , no doubt , a good opportunity , for dispensing a little " literary patronage , to give the place to one who was just then it ' s female representative . The appointment was offered and accepted in 1786 . With it came five long years of a very dreary existence for poor Miss Burney . In these days one wonders what made her take it , for she was at this time the most successful novel writer of the day , and a brilliant literary prospect lay before her . She had small liking for the place herself , and had anticipated , what turned out to be true , that she ivas not suited for it . However , Mrs . Delaney advised , and her father , a courtier and a tuft-hunter to boot , warmly approved . So poor Bliss Barney accepted suit and service in a post that was almost menial . The consideration—a man and a maid , board and lodging , and two hundred a year—the offsets , constant and irksome
attendance on the royal person , the giving up of all old friends and occupations , and worst of all—a forced companionship with one Madame Schwellenberg , an old German she dragon , the first keeper of the robes , and therefore Miss Burney's immediate superior . This woman , too , was a very incarnation of " hatred , malice , and all uncharitablencss ; " and her treatment of her colleague literally infernal . The outer world knows that attendants on kings and queens must be crab-like , walk backwards rather than forwards , and neither be tired , hungry , nor thirsty in royal presence . But the world scarcely expects that acceptance of a court place requires the giving up of old friends or early habits . Yet so it was in the present case . The time was one of high party strife ; the king and the prince at daggers drawn , and the friends of the one perforce the foe of the other . Poor Miss Burney had friends on both sides , but she soon found that she must know
none but those of the Court , and she was given plainly to understand that all literary avocations were inconsistent with the discharge of the important duties of second keeper of the robes . Yet it is but fair to say that in the Diary lefore us , the queen and the royal family are almost always drawn in a pleasing and amiable light . The blunt , dull old king , with his ""What ! what 3 how was it , how came it ! " just as Peter rindar makes lira talk , and as his sons talked after him . The queen , as considerate as it was in her nature to be , and the princess al ijvays smooth and gentle . Yet it gives a strange idea of the strength of court trammels and the bad effect of royal etiquette , that this family , so observant , should be apparently quite unconscious of the many discomforts the observance of such rules entailed on all about them . Even
when after five years of a dreary , monotonous court life , Miss Burney ' s health entirely gave way , under the effects of uncongenial duties , constant confinement , arid the annoyances of an existence spent with Madame Schwelleaberg , it was the queen alone who did not notice the change or its cause . Indeed , when Miss Burney at last mustered up courage enough to resign , the queen was more annoyed at her for retiring , than at herself for having obliged her to go . - During Miss Burney ' s court life the king ' s first attack of insanity occurred , and she was at Kew and Windsor at the time of his strange medical treatment and final recovery . It was on tlie latter event that the king , being at Weymouth , was saluted , as the royal head emerged from the waves , after its first plunge , by loyal strains from a loyalist in an adjoining bathingmachine . It was here , too , that the one-legged , mayor , on presentation to the queen , shocked an indignant equerry by taking the royal hand . " Vou must kneel , sir , " says the offended official . " Alas ! sir , " replies the crestfallen functionary , " I cannot kneel , I have a wooden leg ! ' "
In 1791 Miss Burney proved herself once more a free woman . Naturally enough she took advantage of the situation , and , within little more than two years , married General D'Arblay . lie was a French refugee who had come over from France in 1792 , in company with that more prudent section of the Royalist party , who had vainly tried to stem the torrent of the coming revolution by temperate counsels and attempts at constitutional government . It may have been the romance of her disposition , or possibly because she was on what we may venture to call the wrong side of forty , and not likely to have another offer ; but Miss Burney certainly made , what the world calls , a bad match , though , like many such , it turned out a happy one in the main . They had nothing to live on but her literary court allowance of 100 / . a year , and what her writings might bring- in . But on this they got along in a humble , scrambling , yet pleasant , free-and-easy way enough .
Her husband was a very Monsieur de v ertpre in his love and ignorance of horticulture . He dug up the asparagus , taking it pour ks mauvaises herles ; he planted in the autumn what he should have sown in the spring , and vice ve ? 'sd ; he carefully cut tho young -wood out of lus fruit trees ; in a word , in all " common things , " he was remarkable for a zeal without knowledge . During this early part of her married life , TSladamo D'Arblay wrote her third and last novel , Camilla , but with a success far inferior to that of Evelina or Cecilia . In fact her day was gone by , and from this time the world ccasea to hear of her as an authoress . In 1799 . her husband was permitted to return to France , whore , later , ho obtained a civil appointment . His native country from this time , till nearly tlio close of tho war , became that of Madame D'Axblay ' s , who returned to England more French than English in tastes , habits , and ideas . But , as with other ladies , the reader ' s interest in her cooscb when she changes her name . Before her court service
the ^ Diary is amusing , because her early fame brought her in contact with a society worthy of being chronicled . The account of tho next five years of her life , as Keeper of the Robes to Quoen Charlotte , is also interesting as a picture of court life and court discomforts . But when Miss Burney becomes Madnmo D'Arblay she ceases to be anything more than any other middleaged married lady . On this account , indeed , the later volumes arc rather painful than amusing . Tho record of the ucsitha of early friends and associates grows more and more frequent , and between tho earlier and tho later volumes almost nil the well-known names of Miss Burney ' a early time have disappeared . A new generation has grown up—tlic French Revolution and its consequences have given tlio world new notions and wider ideas . Madame D'Arblay , though still interesting as ^ connecting link between a past and the next generation , has censed to intoroHfcus in hornolf or her concerns .
But as a pleasant and gossiping record of a former day , the book will always bo valuable , and wo lmvo little doubt that tho present cheap edition will command , us it deserves , a wide-spread circulation .
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? 64 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 12, 1854, page 764, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2051/page/20/
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