OWN HAND-WRITING.
If the life of a humble2 individual, on whom neither splendid appointments, important transactions, nor atrocious crimes have called the attention of the public, can afford amusement to the friends he leaves behind, without being offered either as a model to follow, or a precipice3 to shun4, the intention of the writer of these Memoirs5 will be fully6 accomplished7. But there is no member of society who, by diligence, talents, or conduct, leaves his name and his race a little better than those from which he sprung, who is totally without some claim to attention on the means by which such advantages were achieved.
My life, though it has been frequently a tissue of toil8, sickness, and sorrow, has yet been, upon the
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whole, so much more pleasant and prosperous than I had a title to expect, or than many others with higher claims have enjoyed, that its incidents, when related, may, perhaps, help to put mediocrity in good-humour, and to repress the pride and overrated worth and expectations of indolence.
Perhaps few have been better enabled to describe, from an actual survey, the manners and customs of the age in which he lived than myself; ascending9 from those of the most humble cottagers, and lowest mechanics, to the first nobility, and most elevated personages, with whom circumstances, situation, and accident, at different periods of my life, have rendered me familiar. Oppressed and laborious10 husbandmen; insolent11 and illiberal12 yeomanry; overgrown farmers; generous and hospitable13 merchants; men of business and men of pleasure; men of letters; men of science; artists; sportsmen and country ’squires; dissipated and extravagant14 voluptuaries; gamesters; ambassadors; statesmen; and even sovereign princes, I have had opportunities of examining in almost every point of view: all these it is my intention to display in their respective situations; and to delineate their virtues15, vices16, and apparent degrees of happiness and misery17.
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A book of this kind, though it may mortify18 and offend a few persons of the present age, may be read with avidity at the distance of some centuries, by antiquaries and lovers of anecdotes19; though it will have lost the poignancy20 of personality.
My grandfather, James Macburney, who, by letters which I have seen of his writing, and circumstances concerning him which I remember to have heard from my father and mother, was a gentleman of a considerable patrimony21 at Great Hanwood, a village in Shropshire, had received a very good education; but, from what cause does not appear, in the latter years of his life, was appointed land steward23 to the Earl of Ashburnham. He had a house in Privy24 Garden, Whitehall. In the year 1727, he walked as esquire to one of the knights25, at the coronation of King George the Second.
My father, James, born likewise at Hanwood, was well educated also, both in school learning and accomplishments26. He was a day scholar at Westminster School, under the celebrated27 Dr. Busby, while my grandfather resided at Whitehall.
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I remember his telling a story of the severe chastisement28 he received from that terrific disciplinarian, Dr. Busby, for playing truant29 after school hours, instead of returning home. My grandfather, who had frequently admonished30 him not to loiter in the street, lest he should make improper31 and mischievous32 acquaintance, finding no attention was paid to his injunctions, gave him a letter addressed to the Reverend Dr. Busby; which he did not fail to deliver, with ignorant cheerfulness, on his entrance into the school. The Doctor, when he had perused33 it, called my father to him, and, in a very mild, and seemingly good-humoured voice, said, “Burney, can you read writing?” “Yes, Sir,” answered my father, with great courage and flippancy34. “Then read this letter aloud,” says the Doctor; when my father, with an audible voice, began: “Sir, My son, the bearer of this letter, having long disregarded my admonitions against stopping to play with idle boys in his way home from school—” Here my father’s voice faltered35. “Go on,” says his master; “you read very well.” “I am sorry to be under the necessity of entreating36 you to—to—to—to cor—” Here he threw down the letter, and fell on his knees, crying out: “Indeed, Sir, I’ll never do so again!—Pray forgive me!” “O, you read perfectly37 well,” the
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Doctor again tells him, “pray finish the Letter:” And making him pronounce aloud the words, “correct him;” complied with my grandfather’s request in a very liberal manner.
Whether my father was intended for any particular profession, I know not, but, during his youth, besides his school learning, he acquired several talents and accomplishments, which, in the course of his life, he was obliged professionally to turn to account. He danced remarkably38 well; performed well on the violin, and was a portrait painter of no mean talents.
Notwithstanding the Mac which was prefixed to my grandfather’s name, and which my father retained for some time, I never could find at what period any of my ancestors lived in Scotland or in Ireland, from one of which it must have been derived39. My father and grandfather were both born in Shropshire, and never even visited either of those countries.
Early in his life, my father lost the favour of his sire, by eloping from home, to marry a young actress of Goodman’s-fields’ theatre, by whom he had a very large family. My grandfather’s affection was completely alienated40 by this marriage;
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joined to disapproving41 his son’s conduct in other respects. To the usual obduracy42 of old age, he afterwards added a far more than similar indiscretion himself, by marrying a female domestic, to whom, and to a son, the consequence of that marriage, he bequeathed all his possessions, which were very considerable. Joseph, this son, was not more prudent43 than my father; for he contrived44, early in life, to dissipate his patrimony; and he subsisted45 for many years in Norfolk, by teaching to dance. I visited him in 1756, in a tour I made to Yarmouth. He lived then at Ormsby, a beautiful village near that town, with an amiable46 wife, and a large family of beautiful children, in an elegant villa22, with a considerable garden; and he appeared, at that time, in perfectly restored and easy circumstances.
N. B.—The fragment whence this is taken here stops.
This Introduction, which is copied literally47 from the hand-writing of Dr. Burney, was both begun and dropped, as appears by a marginal note, in the year
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1782; but, from what cause is unknown, was neither continued, nor resumed, save by occasional memorandums, till the year 1807, when the Doctor had reached the age of eighty-one, and was under the dejecting apprehension48 of a paralytic49 seizure50. From that time, nevertheless, he composed sundry51 manuscript volumes, of various sizes, containing the history of his life, from his cradle nearly to his grave.
Out of the minute amplitude52 of this vast mass of matter, it has seemed the duty of his Editor and Memorialist, to collect all that seemed to offer any interest for the general reader; but to commit nothing to the public eye that there is reason to believe the author himself would have withheld53 from it at an earlier period; or would have obliterated54, even at a much later, had he revised his writings after the recovery of his health and spirits.
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memoir
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| n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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illiberal
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| adj.气量狭小的，吝啬的 | |
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13
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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15
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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18
mortify
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| v.克制，禁欲，使受辱 | |
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anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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poignancy
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| n.辛酸事，尖锐 | |
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21
patrimony
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| n.世袭财产，继承物 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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23
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 | |
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25
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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truant
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| n.懒惰鬼，旷课者；adj.偷懒的，旷课的，游荡的；v.偷懒，旷课 | |
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30
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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34
flippancy
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| n.轻率；浮躁；无礼的行动 | |
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35
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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36
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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39
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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40
alienated
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| adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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41
disapproving
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| adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 ) | |
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42
obduracy
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| n.冷酷无情，顽固，执拗 | |
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43
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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44
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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45
subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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48
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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49
paralytic
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| adj. 瘫痪的 n. 瘫痪病人 | |
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50
seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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51
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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52
amplitude
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| n.广大；充足；振幅 | |
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53
withheld
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| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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54
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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