Mrs. Brookes, authoress of “Lady Julia Mandeville,” &c., having
become a joint proprietor of the Opera House with Mr. and Mrs. Yates,
earnestly coveted the acquaintance of Dr. Burney; in which, of course,
was included the benefit of his musical opinions, his skill, and his
counsel.
Mrs. Brookes had much to combat in order to receive the justice due to
her from the world; for nature had not been more kind in her mental,
than hard in her corporeal gifts. She was short, broad, crooked,
ill-featured, and ill-favoured; and she had a cast of the eye that
made it seem looking every way rather than that which she meant
for its direction. Nevertheless, she always ultimately obtained the
consideration that she merited. She was free from pretension, and
extremely good-natured. All of assumption, by which she might have
claimed literary rank, from the higher and graver part of her works,
was wholly set aside in conversation; where, however different in grace
and appearance, she was as flowing, as cheerful, and as natural in
dialogue, as her own popular and pleasing “Rosina.”[51]