Chapter I: Preface

The letters included in this volume have been printed without alteration, except that some of Mrs. Piozzi's redundant initial capitals have been suppressed, and that her somewhat erratic punctuation has been, to a certain extent, systematised. Her spelling, save for the correction of obvious slips, which are very rare, has not been altered. The omitted passages, which have been indicated wherever they occur, mainly consist of formal "compliments" at the beginning or end of letters, to which she was much addicted, unsavoury medical details, or casual allusions to insignificant persons and trivial events of no interest in themselves, and having no direct bearing on the story of her life.

For the outline of her career before her second marriage I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to previous writers, particularly Hayward and Mangin, and the more recent works of Mr. Seeley and Messrs. Broadley and Seccombe; not forgetting the indispensable _Dictionary of National Biography_, for the identification of many persons incidentally mentioned. I have also to express my thanks to Miss Thrale of Croydon for interesting information respecting her family; and above all to Mr. A. M. Broadley, not only for his generous permission to make use of Mrs. Piozzi's unpublished Commonplace Book, now in his possession, but also for allowing me to draw freely upon his unrivalled collection of prints, &c., relating to this period, from which the greater part of the illustrations has been taken.

INWOOD, PARKSTONE,
_July 1913_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

Introductory--Mrs. Piozzi and the blue-stockings--Penelope
Weston--The Salusbury family--Early years and
education--Marriage to Thrale, 1763--Widowhood--Marriage to
Piozzi, 1784--Foreign travel--Return to England, 1788 1

CHAPTER II

The Piozzis in Hanover Square--Scotch tour, 1789--Visit to
Wales--Return to Streatham Park, 1790--Harriet Lee's
romance--Nuneham and Mrs. Siddons, 1791--French
Revolution--Cecilia's admirers--Apprehensions for Cecilia--The
September massacres--Miss Weston's engagement 18

CHAPTER III

Miss Weston marries Wm. Pennington, 1792--Execution of
Louis XVI--Reconciliation of Mrs. Piozzi and her daughters,
1793--Irish Rebellion--_British Synonymy_--Fleming's
prophecies--Cecilia's flirtations--Residence at Denbigh,
1794--Building of Brynbella 73

CHAPTER IV

Cecilia's engagement and marriage to Mostyn, 1795--Her
dangerous illness--Friction with the Mostyns--Disturbances
in Italy and Ireland--Death of Maria Siddons--Visit
to Bath, 1798 121

CHAPTER V

Adoption of John Salusbury Piozzi--The _Canterbury Tales_--Bath
Riots, 1800--Chancery suit with Miss Thrale--Bach-y-graig
restored--_Retrospection_ published, 1801--The Blagdon
controversy--Political epigram 169

CHAPTER VI

Attacks by reviewers--The Peace, 1801--Visit to London--South
Wales--Mrs. Pennington's troubles--Bath again--Breach
with Mrs. Pennington, 1804 218