The Complete Edition of Fanny Burney's Evelina

Fanny Burney

Description

Fanny Burney’s renowned epistolary novel is a satirical tale detailing a young woman’s journey through eighteenth-century London’s fashionable society. Evelina is an early example of romanticism, sensibility, and the novel of manners.

Evelina Anville is a beautiful young woman who falls into the wrong circles after leaving her secluded home for the first time. The story takes place in both London and Hot Wells, Bristol, in a series of letters. Evelina encounters a host of memorable characters and is whisked away by romance, yet until her aristocratic father acknowledges her as his legitimate daughter, she will never be able to marry the man she truly loves. This sharp satire of high-society London captures the complexities of Georgian society, offering a vivid and entertaining portrait of eighteenth-century England life.

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.

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 05 février 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528798808
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE COMPLET E EDITION of FANN Y BURNEY'S EVELINA
OR, THE HISTORY OF A YOUNG LADY’S ENTRANCE INTO THE WORLD

First published in 1778




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
EVELINA
ORIGINAL I NSCRIPTION
ORIGINAL DEDICATION
ORIGIN AL PREFACE
LETTER I LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER II MR. VILLARS TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER III LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER IV MR. VILLARS TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER V MR. VILLARS TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER VI LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER VII LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER VIII EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER IX MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER X EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XI EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XIII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XIV EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XV MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER XVI EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XVII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XVIII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XIX EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XXI EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XXII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XXIII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XXIV MR VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER XXV EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXVI EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXVII LADY HOWARD TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXVIII MR VILLARS TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER XXIX MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER XXX EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXXI LADY HOWARD TO SIR JOHN BELM ONT, BART
LETTER XXXII EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXXIII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XXXIV EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XXXV SIR JOHN BELMONT TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER XXXVI EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XXXVII MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER XXXVIII MR. VILLARS TO LA DY HOWARD
LETTER XXXIX MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA
LETTER XL EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XLI EVELINA TO MI SS MIRVAN
LETTER XLII EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XLIII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XLIV EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XLV EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER XLVI EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XLVII EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER XLVIII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER XLIX MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER L R. VILLARS
LETTER LI EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LIII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LIV EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LV EVELINA IN CONT INUATION.
LETTER LVI MR. VILLARS T O EVELINA
LETTER LVII EVELINA TO MI SS MIRVAN
LETTER LVIII EVELINA TO MI SS MIRVAN
LETTER LIX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXI EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXII EVELINA TO THE REV. M R. VILLARS
LETTER LXIII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXIV EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXV EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXVI EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXVII MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA
LETTER LXVIII EVELINA TO THE REV. M R. VILLARS
LETTER LXIX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXXI EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXXII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXXIII MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA
LETTER LXXIV LADY BELMONT TO SIR JO HN BELMONT
LETTER LXXV EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS
LETTER LXXVI EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXXVII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXXVIII EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXXIX EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXXX EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXXXI EVELINA IN CON TINUATION
LETTER LXXXII EVELINA IN CO NTINUATION
LETTER LXXXIII MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA
LETTER LXXXIV EVELINA TO THE REV. MR . VILLARS.


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 toi