Evelina, Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World
Oh, Author of my being!-far more dear To me than light, than nourishment, or rest, Hygeia’s blessings, Rapture’s burning tear, Or the life-blood that mantles in my breast! If in my heart the love of Virtue glows, ’T was planted there by an unerring rule; From thy example the pure flame arose, Thy life, my precept,-thy good works, my school. Could my weak pow’rs thy num’rous virtues trace, By filial love each fear should be repress’d, The blush of Incapacity I’d chace, And stand, Recorder of thy worth, confess’d: But since my niggard stars that gift refuse, Concealment is the only boon I claim; Obscure be still the unsuccessful Muse, Who cannot raise, but would not sink, thy fame. Oh! of my life at once the source and joy! If e’er thy eyes these feeble lines survey, Let not their folly their intent destroy; Accept the tribute-but forget the lay.
CONTENTS
GENTLEMEN, The liberty which I take in addressing to you the trifling production of a few idle hours, will doubtless move your wonder, and probably your contempt. I will not, however, with the futility of apologies, intrude upon your time, but briefly acknowledge the motives of my temerity; lest, by a premature exercise of that patience which I hope will befriend me, I should lessen its benevolence, and be accessary to my own condemnation.
Without name, without recommendation, and unknown alike to success and disgrace, to whom can I so properly apply for patronage, as to those who publicly profess themselves Inspectors of all literary performances?
The extensive plan of your critical observations,-which, not confined to works of utility or ingenuity, is equally open to those of frivolous amusement,-and, yet worse than frivolous, dullness,-encourages me to seek for your protection, since,-perhaps for my sins!-it intitles me to your annotations. To resent, therefore, this offering, however insignificant, would ill become the universality of your undertaking; though not to despise it may, alas! be out of your power.
Fanny Burney
EVELINA
or
THE HISTORY OF A YOUNG LADY’S ENTRANCE INTO THE WORLD
1778
ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION: TO DR. BURNEY
ORIGINAL PREFACE.
LETTER I - LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, Kent.
LETTER II - MR. VILLARS TO LADY HOWARD Berry Hill, Dorsetshire.
LETTER III [Written some months after the last]
LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, March 8.
LETTER IV - MR. VILLARS TO LADY HOWARD Berry Hill, March 12.
LETTER V - MR. VILLARS TO LADY HOWARD March 18. Dear Madam,
LETTER VI - LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove.
LETTER IX - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, March 28.
LETTER XII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Tuesday, April 5.
LETTER XIV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Queen Ann Street, April 13.
LETTER XV - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, April 16.
LETTER XVII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Friday Morning, April 15.
LETTER XVIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION
LETTER XIX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Saturday Morning, April 16.
LETTER XX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION
LETTER XXI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION
LETTER XXII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Monday Morning, April 18.
LETTER XXIV - MR VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, April 22.
LETTER XXV - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, April 25.
LETTER XXVII - LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove.
LETTER XXVIII - MR VILLARS TO LADY HOWARD Berry Hill, May 2.
LETTER XXIX - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, May 2.
LETTER XXX - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, May 6.
LETTER XXXIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION May 13th.
LETTER XXXV - SIR JOHN BELMONT TO LADY HOWARD Paris, May 11.
LETTER XXXVI - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, May 18.
LETTER XXXVII - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, May 21.
LETTER XXXVIII - MR. VILLARS TO LADY HOWARD Berry Hill, May 27.
LETTER XXXIX - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, May 28.
LETTER XLI - EVELINA TO MISS MIRVAN June 7th
LETTER XLII - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Holborn, June 9.
LETTER XLIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION
LETTER XLIV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Holborn, June 13th.
LETTER XLV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION June 15th.
LETTER XLVI - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Holborn, June 17th.
LETTER XLVII - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS. Holborn, June 18th.
LETTER XLVIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. June 21st.
LETTER XLIX - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA. Berry Hill.
LETTER L -- EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS. Holborn, June 27th.
LETTER LI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION.
LETTER LIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Holborn, July 1st.
LETTER LIV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. July 3rd.
LETTER LV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. July 4th.
LETTER LVI - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA. Berry Hill, July 7th.
LETTER LVII - EVELINA TO MISS MIRVAN. Berry Hill, July 14th.
LETTER LVIII - EVELINA TO MISS MIRVAN. Berry Hill, July 21st.
LETTER LIX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Berry Hill, July 29th.
LETTER LX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Berry Hill, August 10th.
LETTER LXI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Bristol Hotwells, August 28th.
LETTER LXIV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Bristol Hotwells, Sept. 19th.
LETTER LXV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Sept. 20th.
LETTER LXVI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Sept. 24th.
LETTER LXVII - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA. Berry Hill, Sept. 28th.
LETTER LXIX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Sept. 30th.
LETTER LXX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Oct. 1st.
LETTER LXXI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, October 1st.
LETTER LXXII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. October 2nd.
LETTER LXXIII - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA. Berry Hill, Oct. 3rd.
LETTER LXXIV. [Inclosed in the preceding Letter.]
LADY BELMONT TO SIR JOHN BELMONT.
LETTER LXXV - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS. Clifton, Oct. 3rd.
LETTER LXXVI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Oct. 6th.
LETTER LXXVII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Oct. 7th.
LETTER LXXVIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Oct. 9th.
LETTER LXXIX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. October 9th.
LETTER LXXX - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Oct. 11th.
LETTER LXXXI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Oct. 12th.
LETTER LXXXII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Oct. 13th.
LETTER LXXXIII - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA.
LETTER LXXXIV - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS.