_June._--Among the many I have been obliged to shirk this year, for the
sake of living almost solely with “Cecilia,” none have had less patience
with my retirement than Miss Palmer, who, bitterly believing I intended
never to visit her again, has forborne sending me any invitations: but,
about three weeks ago, my father had a note from Sir Joshua Reynolds, to
ask him to dine at Richmond, and meet the Bishop of St. Asaph,[148] and,
therefore, to make my peace, I scribbled a note to Miss Palmer to this
purpose,--
“After the many kind invitations I have been obliged to refuse,
will you, my dear Miss Palmer, should I offer to accompany my father
to-morrow, bid me remember the old proverb,
'Those who will not when they may,
When they will, they shall have nay?'--F.B.”
This was graciously received; and the next morning Sir Joshua and Miss
Palmer called for my father and me, accompanied by Lord Cork. We had a
mighty pleasant ride, Miss Palmer and I “made up,” though she scolded
most violently about my long absence, and attacked me about the book
without mercy. The book, in short, to my great consternation, I find is
talked of and expected all the town over. My dear father himself, I
do verily believe, mentions it to everybody; he is fond of it to
enthusiasm, and does not foresee the danger of raising such general
expectation, which fills me with the horrors every time I am tormented
with the thought.
Sir Joshua's house is delightfully situated, almost at the top of
Richmond Hill. We walked till near dinner-time upon the terrace, and
there met Mr. Richard Burke, the brother of the orator. Miss Palmer,
stopping him, said,--
“Are you coming to dine with us?”
“No,” he answered; “I shall dine at the Star and Garter.”
“How did you come--with Mrs. Burke, or alone?”
“Alone.”
“What, on horseback?”
“Ay, sure!” cried he, laughing; “up and ride! Now's the time.”
And he made a fine flourish with his hand, and passed us. He is just
made under-secretary at the Treasury. He is a tall and handsome man, and
seems to have much dry drollery; but we saw no more of him.
After our return to the house, and while Sir Joshua and I were
tete-a-tete, Lord Cork and my father being still walking, and Miss
Palmer having, I suppose, some orders to give about the dinner, the
“knight of Plympton” was desiring my opinion of the prospect from his
window, and comparing it with Mr. Burke's, as he told me after I
had spoken it,--when the Bishop of St. Asaph and his daughter, Miss
Georgiana Shipley, were announced. Sir Joshua, to divert himself, in
introducing me to the bishop, said, “Miss Burney, my lord; otherwise
'Evelina.'”
The bishop is a well-looking man, and seemed grave, quiet, and
sensible. I have heard much more of him, but nothing more appeared. Miss
Georgiana, however, was showy enough for two. She is a very tall
and rather handsome girl; but the expression of her face is, to me,
disagreeable. She has almost a constant smile, not of softness, nor of
insipidity, but of self-sufficiency and internal satisfaction. She is
very much accomplished, and her fame for painting and for scholarship, I
know you are well acquainted with. I believe her to have very good parts
and much quickness, but she is so full of herself, so earnest to obtain
notice, and so happy in her confidence of deserving it, that I have been
not less charmed with any young lady I have seen for many a day. I have
met with her before, at Mrs. Pepys', but never before was introduced to
her.
Miss Palmer soon joined us; and, in a short time, entered more
company,--three gentlemen and one lady; but there was no more ceremony
used of introductions. The lady, I concluded was Mrs. Burke, wife of the
Mr. Burke, and was not mistaken.
One of the gentlemen I recollected to be young Burke, her son, whom I
once met at Sir Joshua's in town, and another of them I knew for Mr.
Gibbon: but the third I had never seen before. I had been told that
the Burke was not expected yet I could conclude this gentleman to be no
other; he had just the air, the manner, the appearance, I had prepared
myself to look for in him, and there was an evident, a striking
superiority in his demeanour, his eye, his motions, that announced him
no common man.
I could not get at Miss Palmer to satisfy my doubts, and we were soon
called downstairs to dinner. Sir Joshua and the “unknown” stopped to
speak with one another upon the stairs; and, when they followed us, Sir
Joshua, in taking his place at the table, asked me to sit next to him;
I willingly complied. “And then,” he added, “Mr. Burke shall sit on the
other side of you.”
“Oh, no, indeed!” cried Miss Georgiana, who also had placed herself next
Sir Joshua; “I won't consent to that; Mr. Burke must sit next me; I
won't agree to part with him. Pray, come and sit down quiet, Mr. Burke.”
Mr. Burke,--for him it was,--smiled and obeyed.
“I only meant,” said Sir Joshua, “to have made my peace with Mr. Burke,
by giving him that place, because he has been scolding me for not
introducing him to Miss Burney. However, I must do it now;--Mr.
Burke!--Miss Burney!”