with dr. hawkesworth mr. burney renewed an acquaintance that he had begun at wilbury house, where he who could write the adventurer, was not

[pg 202]

likely to have wanted the public voice to awaken his attention to a youth of such striking merit. long before that voice had sounded, dr. hawkesworth had formed the most liberal and impartial opinion of the young favourite of mr. greville. and when, upon the occasion of the doctor’s writing a hymn for the children of the foundling hospital, mr. burney, through the medium of mr. greville, was applied to for setting it to music, the expressions, incidentally dropt, of genius and judgment, in a letter of thanks from dr. hawkesworth, would have been in perfect accord with the attributes of the composer, had they been bestowed after the history of music had stamped them as his due.

no opportunity was omitted by mr. burney for cultivating the already established kindness of mr. mason and of dr. armstrong.

mr. burney had frequent relations also, with that scientific diver into natural history, and whatever was ingenious, quaint, and little known, the hon. daines barrington.

arthur young, the afterwards famous agriculturist, who had married a younger sister of mr. burney, was, when in london, all but an inmate of the poland-street family; and the high, nay, at that

[pg 203]

time, volatile spirits of arthur young, though always kept within certain bounds by natively well-bred manners, and instinctive powers of pleasing, made him, to the younger group especially, the most entertaining guest that enlivened the fire side.

amongst those whom neither literature nor science, but taste and choice, taught to signalise mr. burney, foremost in the list of youthful beauty, native talents, and animated softness, appeared mrs. pleydell, daughter of governor holwell; so highly celebrated for the dreadful sufferings, which he almost miraculously survived to record, of incarceration, in what was denominated the black hole of calcutta.

mrs. pleydell, like the first, or mrs. linley sheridan, was encircled with charms that, but for comparison with mrs. sheridan, might, at that time, have been called unrivalled; charms at once so personal, yet so mental, that they seemed entwined together by a texture so fine of beauty and sensibility, that her first glance was attraction, and her first speech was captivation.

nothing could surpass the sweetness with which this lovely east indian attached herself to mr. burney; nor the delicacy of her arrangements for appearing to receive favours in conferring them upon

[pg 204]

his daughters; who were enamoured of her with an ardour that, happily, he escaped; though his admiration was lively and sincere.

this lady, in taking leave of mr. burney, upon her return to india, presented to him a chinese painting on ivory, which she had inherited from her father; and which he, governor holwell, estimated as a sort of treasure. the following is the description of it, drawn up by mr. burney, from the account of mrs. pleydell.

“it is the representation of a music gallery over a triumphal arch, through which the great mogul passed at agra, or delhi, before his fall. the procession consists of the emperor, mounted on an elephant, and accompanied by his wives, concubines, and attendants; great officers of state, &c., all exquisitely painted. the heads of the females, sir joshua reynolds and sir robert strange, to whom this painting was shewn, thought sufficiently highly finished to be set in rings.”