It was the intention of the Biographer of Doctor Burney, to have printed the Doctor’s Correspondence, in a fourth volume, at the same time with the Memoir; but upon examining the collection, there appears such a dearth of the Doctor’s own Letters, of which he very rarely kept copies, that it seems to be expedient to postpone their publication, till it can be rendered more complete; to which end, the Biographer ventures earnestly to entreat, that all who possess any original Letters of Doctor Burney, whether addressed to themselves, or retained by inheritance, will have the goodness—where there seems no objection to their meeting the public eye—to forward them to Mr. Moxon, who will carefully transmit them to the Biographer, by whom they will afterwards be restored to their owners, with the most grateful acknowledgments.
Memoirs of Doctor Burney (Vol. 1 of 3) / Arranged from his own manuscripts, from family papers, and from personal recollections by his daughter, Madame d'Arblay
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About This Book
A daughter assembles her father's memoirs from his manuscripts, family papers, and personal recollections, combining documentary extracts, letters, and anecdotal reminiscences to trace his upbringing, professional rise in music and letters, travels, and social life. The volumes interleave edited documents with editorial commentary and a prefatory apology explaining editorial choices and gaps, while presenting scenes from salons, public life, and private correspondence that illuminate character, methods, and relationships with prominent contemporaries. The narrative emphasizes factual recordkeeping and familial memory rather than literary flourish, offering a measured portrait grounded in papers and recollection.