“She has fine eyes,” says a tragic poet to an eminent painter.
Vanessa now came up, and, desiring leave to introduce a young muse to Melpomene, presented a girl in a white frock, with a fillet of flowers tied round her hair, which hung down her back in flowing curls. The young muse made a low obeisance, and, with the most unembarrassed voice and countenance, whilst the poor actress was covered in blushes, and suffering torture from the eyes of all in the room, broke forth as follows:—
“O thou, whom Nature calls her own,
Pride of the stage and favourite of the town!”
Miss Burney, who was present, also contributes her account of what took place:—
My father and I were both engaged to Miss Monckton’s; so was Sir Joshua, who accompanied us. We found Mrs. Siddons, the actress, there. She is a woman of excellent character, and, therefore, I am very glad she is thus patronised, since Mrs. Abington, and so many frail fair ones, have been thus noticed by the great. She behaved with great propriety, very calm, modest, quiet, and unaffected. She has a very fine countenance, and her eyes look both intelligent and soft. She has, however, a steadiness in her manner and deportment by no means engaging. Mrs. Thrale, who was there, said:
“Why, this is a leaden goddess we are all worshipping; however, we shall soon gild it.”
A lady who sat near me then began a dialogue with Mr. Erskine, who had placed himself exactly opposite to Mrs. Siddons, and they debated together upon her manner of studying her parts, disputing upon the point with great warmth, yet not only forbearing to ask Mrs. Siddons herself which was right, but quite overpowering her with their loquacity when she attempted, unasked, to explain the matter. Most vehement praise of all she did followed, and the lady turned to me and said:
“What invitation, Miss Burney, is here for genius to display itself? Everybody, I hear, is at work for Mrs. Siddons; but if you would work for her, what an inducement to excel you would both of you have. Dr. Burney⸺”