ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION: TO DR. BURNEY
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
[ ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION: TO DR. BURNEY ]
[ 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] ]
[ 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 VII - LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, March 26. ]
[ LETTER VIII - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, March 26. ]
[ LETTER IX - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, March 28. ]
[ LETTER X - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Queen Ann Street, London, Saturday, ]
[ LETTER XI - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Queen Ann Street, April 5, Tuesday Morning. ]
[ LETTER XII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Tuesday, April 5. ]
[ LETTER XIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Tuesday, April 12. My dear Sir, ]
[ LETTER XIV - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Queen Ann Street, April 13. ]
[ LETTER XV - MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, April 16. ]
[ LETTER XVI - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Queen Ann Street, Thursday morning, ]
[ 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 XXIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION Queen Ann Street, Tuesday, April 19. ]
[ LETTER XXIV - MR VILLARS TO EVELINA Berry Hill, April 22. ]
[ LETTER XXV - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, April 25. ]
[ LETTER XXVI - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, April 27. ]
[ 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 XXXI - LADY HOWARD TO SIR JOHN BELMONT, BART Howard Grove, May 5. ]
[ LETTER XXXII - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS Howard Grove, Kent, May 10. ]
[ 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 LII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Holborn, July 1.-5 o’clock in the morning. ]
[ 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 LXII - EVELINA TO THE REV. MR. VILLARS. Bristol Hotwells, Sept. 12th. ]
[ LETTER LXIII - EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Bristol Hotwells, Sept. 16th. ]
[ 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.] ]
[ 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. ]
ORIGINAL DEDICATION.
TO THE AUTHORS OF THE MONTHLY AND CRITICAL REVIEWS.
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.
The language of adulation, and the incense of flattery, though the natural inheritance, and constant resource, from time immemorial, of the Dedicator, to me offer nothing but the wistful regret that I dare not invoke their aid. Sinister views would be imputed to all I could say; since, thus situated, to extol your judgment, would seem the effect of art, and to celebrate your impartiality, be attributing to suspecting it.
As magistrates of the press, and Censors for the public,-to which you are bound by the sacred ties of integrity to exert the most spirited impartiality, and to which your suffrages should carry the marks of pure, dauntless, irrefragable truth-to appeal to your MERCY, were to solicit your dishonour; and therefore,-though ’tis sweeter than frankincense,-more grateful to the senses than all the odorous perfumes of Arabia,-and though
It droppeth like the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place
beneath,-
I court it not! to your justice alone I am intitled, and by that I must abide. Your engagements are not to the supplicating authors; but to the candid public, which will not fail to crave
The penalty and forfeit of your bond.
No hackneyed writer, inured to abuse, and callous to criticism, here braves your severity;-neither does a half-starved garretteer,
Oblig’d by hunger-and request of friends,-
implore your lenity: your examination will be alike unbiassed by partiality and prejudice;-no refractory murmuring will follow your censure, no private interest will be gratified by your praise.
Let not the anxious solicitude with which I recommend myself to your notice, expose me to your derision. Remember, Gentlemen, you were all young writers once, and the most experienced veteran of your corps may, by recollecting his first publication, renovate his first terrors, and learn to allow for mine. For though Courage is one of the noblest virtues of this nether sphere; and though scarcely more requisite in the field of battle, to guard the fighting hero from disgrace, than in the private commerce of the world, to ward off that littleness of soul which leads, by steps imperceptible, to all the base train of the inferior passions, and by which the too timid mind is betrayed into a servility derogatory to the dignity of human nature! yet is it a virtue of no necessity in a situation such as mine; a situation which removes, even from cowardice itself, the sting of ignominy;-for surely that courage may easily be dispensed with, which would rather excite disgust than admiration! Indeed, it is the peculiar privilege of an author, to rob terror of contempt, and pusillanimity of reproach.
Here let me rest- and snatch myself, while I yet am able, from the fascination of EGOTISM:-a monster who has more votaries than ever did homage to the most popular deity of antiquity; and whose singular quality is, that while he excites a blind and involuntary adoration in almost every individual, his influence is universally disallowed, his power universally contemned, and his worship, even by his followers, never mentioned but with abhorence.
In addressing you jointly, I mean but to mark the generous sentiments by which liberal criticism, to the utter annihilation of envy, jealousy, and all selfish views, ought to be distinguished.
I have the honour to be,
GENTLEMEN,
Your most obedient
Humble Servant,
*** ****