It is with great self-denial that I refrain from giving way to panegyric in speaking of the pleasure and instruction I have received from your admirable writings; but knowing that transcendent merit shrinks more at praise, than either vice or dulness at censure, I shall compress my encomiums into a short compass, and only tell you that I revere your principles and integrity, in not prostituting your genius, learning, and knowledge of the human heart, in ornamenting vice or folly with those beautiful flowers of language due only to wisdom and virtue. I must add, that your periodical productions seem to me models of true genius, useful learning, and elegant diction, employed in the service of the purest precepts of religion, and the most inviting morality.
I shall waive any further gratification of my wish to tell you, Sir, how much I have been delighted by your productions, and proceed to the business of this letter; which is no other than to beg the favour of you to inform me, by the way that will give you the least trouble, when, and in what manner, your admirably planned, and long wished-for Dictionary will be published? If it should be by subscription, or you should have any books at your own disposal, I shall beg of you to favour me with six copies for myself and friends, for which I will send you a draft.
I ought to beg pardon of the public as well as yourself, Sir, for detaining you thus long from your useful labours; but it is the fate of men of eminence to be persecuted by insignificant friends as well as enemies; and the simple cur who barks through fondness and affection, is no less troublesome than if stimulated by anger and aversion.
I hope, however, that your philosophy will incline you to forgive the intemperance of my zeal and impatience in making these inquiries; as well as my ambition to subscribe myself, with very great regard,
Sir, your sincere admirer, and most humble servant,
CHARLES BURNEY.
Lynn Regis, 16th Feb., 1755.
In 1760, Mr. Burney returned to London, and fixed his residence in Poland-street, soon collecting round him a circle of pupils, in the highest degree encouraging to his prospects. The anxiety displayed in this part of the Memoir to satisfy the reader that Poland-street was not then the vulgar despised thoroughfare that it is now, but that even dukes and right honourable ladies shared it with Dr. Burney and his family, is rather amusing; but we are too speedily called to a much more serious subject, the death of the first Mrs. Burney, who appears to have been most tenderly loved, and most deeply regretted by her husband. After a widowhood of six years’ duration, however, Mr. Burney entered a second time into the pale of matrimony with a Mrs. Stephen Allen, a lady who was at the head of society in Lynn, while the Burneys resided there, and had been the intimate friend of the first Mrs. Burney.
The next musical record of the doctor’s life, while it obliges us to correct a passage in our own Memoir, awakens something like a painful feeling. We have stated what has hitherto been the received account, that the idea of the General History of Music suggested itself to Dr. Burney, and that the foundation of his collections for that task were laid, during his residence at Lynn. From these Memoirs it appears that it was not till 1769 that Dr. Burney had any idea of undertaking such a work. Now this revives, and seems to give some countenance to the complaint of Sir John Hawkins’s friends, that it was undertaken in direct rivalry to the learned knight’s work, which, though not published till some years after, the literary world well knew that he had long been employed on it. The immediate result of this plan was the two Musical Tours to Italy and Germany. And here we must express our regret and disappointment at not finding one word in the Memoirs relative to these journies, except a story, in which we own we can see no joke, that on his return from one of them the Doctor was so exhausted with sea-sickness, that when the packet reached Dover, instead of going ashore, he went to sleep, and awoke just in time to find himself half way over to Calais again. The reason given for this omission; viz. that the Doctor published detailed accounts of them during his lifetime, we venture to submit, is no reason at all; to say nothing of the books referred to being out of print, and consequently out of the reach of a majority of readers, these tours form important eras in his literary and professional life, and an abstract of them at least should surely have found a place in his Memoirs, except the work now before as is intended only as a contribution towards the labours of some person who shall hereafter compile a complete life of Dr. Burney.
He had been so pleased with the Conservatorios or Musical Schools of the Continent, that very soon after his return he made strenuous efforts to establish a similar foundation in London. He proposed to the directors of the Foundling Hospital to engraft his plan on their institution and select the pupils from the objects of that charity; but notwithstanding the friendly assistance of Sir Charles Whitworth, the president, it was eventually negatived by the general body, and the Doctor gave up the attempt.