Record Number: 8581

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Well,? at the Lower Rooms we saw this Woman, ? whose Face carries an affirmation of all this account, ? it is bold, hardened, painted, snuft, leering & impudent! Just such a face as I should Draw for Mrs. Sinclear ? Her Dress, too, was of the same cast, a thin muslin short sacque & Coat lined throughout with Pink, ? a [ital] modesty bit [close ital.] [xxxxx 2 words] ? & something of a [ital.] very [ital.] short cloak half concealed about half of her old wrinkled Neck? the rest was visible to disgust the beholders, ? red Bows and Ribbons in abundance, a Gauze Bonnet tipt on to the top of her Head, & a pair of Mittens! ? We were all curious to see this Queen of Bath, as she is called, on account of the expensive Entertainments she makes, & therefore we got very near to her. . . . a Wretch notorious for all manner of evil: a wretch who, Miss Bowdler has told me, endeavours as much , by dispersing obscene Books, to corrupt youth, as to assist already corrupted maturity in the prosecution of vice!'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

unknown

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Frances Burney

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

13 Jun 1752

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Samuel Richardson

Title:

Clarissa

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

London, 1747

Provenance

owned

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

8581

Source:

Print

Author:

Fanny Burney

Editor:

Betty Rizzo

Title:

The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney

Place of Publication:

Oxford: Clarendon Press

Date of Publication:

2003

Vol:

IV

Page:

45-46

Additional Comments:

Letter from Fanny Burney to Susanna Elizabeth Burney dated 9-20 April [1780], from Bath.

Citation:

Fanny Burney, Betty Rizzo (ed.), The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003), IV, p. 45-46, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=8581, accessed: 19 April 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Burney refers to Mrs Sinclair, the brothel keeper in Richardson's 'Clarissa'. Her familiar allusion suggests familiarity with Richardson's text.