The Complete Edition of Fanny Burney's Cecilia

Fanny Burney

Description

Cecilia is Fanny Burney’s captivating novel of manners, exploring the social complexities of eighteenth-century England as Cecilia Beverly navigates London’s high society in search of love and happiness.

Young Cecilia is a beautiful and charming heiress who’s set to inherit a large fortune from her uncle under one, quite peculiar, condition, whomever she marries must agree to take her surname. Arriving in London, she attempts to find her way through this new, glittering high-society world. Encountering a diverse cast of characters, she must negotiate the treacherous waters of social politics and grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and morality.

Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this volume, written by Queen Charlotte’s Keeper of the Robes, Fanny Burney. This new edition features an author biography by Henry Gardiner Adams.

Sujets

• Romance
• Romance contemporaine

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 05 février 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528798792
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE COMPLE TE EDITION of FANN Y BURNEY'S CECILIA
OR, MEMOIRS OF AN HEIRESS

First published in 1782





Copyright © 2023 Read & Co. Classics
This edition is published by Read & Co. Classics, an imprint of Read & Co.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Read & Co. is part of Read Books Ltd. For more information visit www.readandcobooks.co.uk


Contents
MADAM E D'ARBLAY
PREFACE
THE RIGHTHON. EDMUND BURKE TO MISS F. BURNEY(AFTER READIN G CECILIA)
ADV ERTISEMENT
VOLUME I
BOOK I
CHAPTER I A JOURNEY
CHAPTER II A N ARGUMENT
CHAPTER III AN ARRIVAL
CHAPTER IV A SKETCH OF HIGH LIFE
CHAPTER V A N ASSEMBLY
CHAPTER VI A BREAKFAST
CHAPTER VII A PROJECT
CHAPTER VIII AN OPERA REHEARSAL
CHAPTER IX A SU PPLICATION
CHAPTER X A P ROVOCATION
CHAPTER XI A NARRATION
BOOK II
CHAPTER I A MAN OF WEALTH
CHAPTER II A MAN OF FAMILY
CHAPTER III A MASQUERADE
CHAPTER IV AN AFFRAY
CHAPTER V A FASHIONA BLE FRIEND
CHAPTER VI A FA MILY PARTY
CHAPTER VII AN E XAMINATION
CHAPTER VIII A T ETE A TETE
BOOK III
CHAPTER I AN A PPLICATION
CHAPTER II A PERPLEXITY
CHAPTER III AN ADMONITION
CHAPTER IV AN EVASION
CHAPTER V AN ADVENTURE
CHAPTER VI A MAN OF GENIUS
CHAPTER VII AN EXPEDIENT
CHAPTER VIII A RE MONSTRANCE
CHAPTER IX A VICTORY
BOOK IV
CHAPTER I A COMPLAINT
CHAPTER II A SYMPATHY
CHAPTER III A CONFLICT
CHAPTER IV AN E XPECTATION
CHAPTER V AN AGITATION
CHAPTER VI A MAN OF THE TON
CHAPTER VII A REPROOF
CHAPTER VIII A MISTAKE
CHAPTER IX AN E XPLANATION
CHAPTER X MURMURING
VOLUME II
BOOK V
CHAPTE R I A ROUT
CHAPTER II A BROAD HINT
CHAPTER III AN ACC OMMODATION
CHAPTER IV A DETECTION
CHAPTER V A SARCASM
CHAPTER VI A SURMISE
CHAPTER VII A B OLD STROKE
CHAPTER VIII A MISER 'S MANSION
CHAPTER IX A D ECLARATION
CHAPTER X A GAMESTER'S CONSCIENCE
CHAPTER XI A P ERSECUTION
CHAPTER XII A MAN O F BUSINESS
CHAPTER XIII A SOLUTION
BOOK VI
CHAPTER I A DEBATE
CHAPTER II A RAILING
CHAPTER III AN ANTIQ UE MANSION
CHAPTER I V A RATTLE
CHAPTER V A STORM
CHAPTER VI A MYSTERY
CHAPTER VII A N ANECDOTE
CHAPTER VIII A CONFERENCE
CHAPTER IX AN ATTACK
CHAPTER X A RETREAT
CHAPTER XI A WORRY
BOOK VII
CHAPTER I A RENOVATION
CHAPTER II A VISIT
CHAPTER III A N INCIDENT
CHAPTER IV A P ROPOSITION
CHAPTER V A LETTER
CHAPTER VI A DISCUSSION
CHAPTER VII A RET ROSPECTION
CHAPTER VIII AN EMB ARRASSMENT
CHAPTER IX A TORMENT
BOOK VIII
CHAPTER I AN IN TERRUPTION
CHAPTER I I AN EVENT
VOLUME III
CHAPTER III A CON STERNATION
CHAPTER IV A PE RTURBATION
CHAPTER V A COTTAGE
CHAPTER VI A CONTEST
CHAPTER VII A MESSAGE
CHAPTER VII A PARTING
CHAPTER V III A TALE
CHAPTER IX A SHOCK
BOOK IX
CHAPTER I A COGITATION
CHAPTER II A SURPRIZE
CHAPTER III A CON FABULATION
CHAPTER IV A WRANGLING
CHAPTER V A SUSPICION
CHAPTER VI A D ISTURBANCE
CHAPTER VII A CALM
CHAPTER VII I AN ALARM
CHAPTER IX A SUSPENSE
CHAPTER X A RELATION
CHAPTER XI AN ENTERPRISE
BOOK X
CHAPTER I A DISCOVERY
CHAPTER II AN INTERVIEW
CHAPTER III A SUMMONS.
CHAPTER IV A DE LIBERATION
CHAPTER V A DECISION
CHAPTER VI A PRATING
CHAPTER VII A PURSUIT
CHAPTER VII AN ENCOUNTER
CHAPTER IX A TRIBUTE
CHAPTER X A T ERMINATION


MADAM E D'ARBLAY
Better known to the world as Frances Burney, was the second daughter of Dr. Burney, author of a History of Music . She was born at Lyme Regis, in the county of Norfolk, on the 13th June, 1762. Her father was organist at Lynn, but in 1760 he removed to London, his former residence; where he numbered among his familiar friends Garrick, Barry the artist, the poets Mason and Armstrong, and other celebrated c haracters.
Fanny, though at the age of eight she did not know her letters, yet was shrewd and observant; and as soon as she could read, commenced to scribble. At fifteen she had written several tales, unknown to any one but h er sister.
The only regular instruction she ever received, was when she was, together with her sister Susanna, placed for a short period at a boarding-school in Queen Square, that they might be out of the way daring their mother's last illness; and when the melancholy tidings of this lady's death were communicated to them, the agony of Frances, though then but nine years of age, was so great that the governess declared she had never met with a child of such intense feelings.
But though she received little regular education, there was no want of industry and application on her part; for, at an early age, she became acquainted with the best authors in her father's library, of which she had the uncontrolled range; and she was accustomed to write extracts from, and remarks upon, the books she read, some of which, it is said, would not have disgraced her maturer judgment.
She had also the advantage of the example of her father's own industry and perseverance, to stimulate her to exertion; for Dr. Burney, notwithstanding his numerous professional engagements as a teacher of music, studied and acquired the French and Italian languages on horseback, from pocket grammars and vocabularies he had written out for th e purpose.
In the French language his daughter Frances received some instructions from her sister Susanna, who was educated in France; and in Latin, at a later period, she had some lessons from Dr. Johnson himself, though it must be confessed, she does not seem to have taken much delight in this study—applying to that learned language rather to please her tutor than herself. Dr. Burney had, at the period of her youth, a large circle of intellectual and even literary acquaintance, and at his house often congregated an agreeable but miscellaneous society, including, besides many eminent for literature, several accomplished foreigners, together with native artists and scientific men; and his children, emancipated from the restraints of a school-room, were allowed to be present at, and often to take a share in the conversation of their father's guests; by which their minds were opened, their judgments enlightened, and their attention turned to intellectual pursuits; perhaps in a far greater degree than if they had regularly undergone all the drudgery of the usual routine of what is termed "e ducation."
Dr. Burney was at this period accustomed to employ his daughters in copying out his manuscripts for the press, tracing over and over again the same page, with the endless alterations his critical judgment suggested. Upon these occasions Frances was his principal amanuensis, and thus she became early initiated in all the mysteries of publication, which was of much advantage to her when she began to write for the press.
At seventeen. Miss Burney wrote Evelina , her first published novel, and now considered by good judges her best work; though Cecilia is the more highly finished. Evelina was published in 1778, and soon became popular in London. Its author did not long remain unknown, and Miss Burney attained a celebrity few young novel-writers have ever enjoyed. She was introduced to Dr. Johnson, and speedily gained an enviable place in his favour. He appreciated very justly, both her abilities and moral e xcellence.
Miss Burney's next publication was Cecilia , which work called forth an eulogium from the celebrated Mr. Burke.
In a few years after this, Miss Burney, through the favourable representations made concerning her by her venerable friend Mrs. Delany, was invited to accept a place 'in the household of queen Charlotte. A popular writer thus sketches the result, and the subsequent events of her cheque red life:—
"The result was, that in 1786 our authoress was appointed second keeper of the robes to queen Charlotte, with a salary of £200 a-year, a footman, apartments in the palace, and a coach between her and her colleague. The situation was only a sort of splendid slavery. 'I was averse to the union,' said Miss Burney, 'and I endeavoured to escape it; but my friends interfered—they prevailed—and the knot is tied.' The queen appears to have been a kind and considerate mistress; but the stiff etiquette and formality of the court, and the unremitting attention which its irksome duties required, rendered the situation peculiarly disagreeable to one who had been so long flattered and courted by the brilliant society of her day. Her colleague, Mrs. Schwellenberg, a coarse-minded, jealous, disagreeable German favorite, was also a perpetual source of annoyance to her; and poor Fanny at court was worse off than her heroine Cecilia was in choosing among her guardians. Her first official duty was to mix the queen's snuff, and keep her box always replenished, after which she was promoted to the great business of the toilet, helping her majesty off and on with her dresses, and being in strict attendance from six or seven in the morning till twelve at night! From this grinding and intolerable destiny Miss Burney was emancipated by her marriage, in 1793, with a French refugee officer, the Count D'Arblay. She then resumed her pen, and in 1795 produced a tragedy, entitled 'Edwin and Elgitha,' which was brought' out at Dmry Lane, and possessed at least one novelty—there were three bishops among the dramatis personæ . Mrs Siddons personated the heroine, but in the dying scene, where the lady is brought