A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Arblay, Madame D'
ARBLAY, MADAME D',
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. of 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 characters.
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 her 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 the 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 "education."
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 excellence.
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 chequered 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 from behind a hedge to expire before the audience, and is afterwards carried once more to the back of the hedge, the house was convulsed with laughter! Her next effort was her novel of 'Camilla,' which she published by subscription, and realized by it no less than three thousand guineas. In 1802 Madame D'Arblay accompanied her husband to Paris. The count joined the army of Napoleon, and his wife was forced to remain in France till 1812, when she returned and purchased, from the proceeds of her novel, a small but handsome villa, named Camilla Cottage. Her success in prose fiction urged her to another trial, and in 1814 she produced 'The Wanderer,' a tedious tale in five volumes, which had no other merit than that of bringing the authoress the large sum of £1500. The only other literary labour of Madame D'Arblay was a memoir of her father. Dr. Burney, published in 1832. Her husband and her son, (the Rev. A. D'Arblay, of Camden Town chapel, near London,) both died before her—the former in 1818, and the latter in 1837. Three years after this last melancholy bereavement, Madame D'Arblay herself paid the debt of nature, dying at Bath, in January, 1840, at the great age of eighty-eight. Her 'Diary of Letters' edited by her niece, were published in 1842, in five volumes. If judiciously condensed, this work would have been both entertaining and valuable; but at least one half of it is filled up with small unimportant details of private gossip, and the self-admiring weakness of the authoress shines out in almost every page. The early novels of Miss Burney form the most pleasing memorials of her name and history. In them we see her quick in discernment, lively in invention, and inimitable, in her own way, in portraying the humours and oddities of English society. Her good sense and correct feeling are more remarkable than her passion. Her love scenes are prosaic enough, but in 'showing up' a party of 'vulgarly genteel' persons, painting the characters in a drawing-room, or catching the follies and absurdities that float on the surface of fashionable society, she has rarely been equalled. She deals with the palpable and familiar; and though society has changed since the time of 'Evelina,' and the glory of Ranelagh and Mary-le-bone Gardens has departed, there is enough of real life in her personages, and real morality in her lessons, to interest, amuse, and instruct. Her sarcasm, drollery and broad humour, must always be relished."