Letter to B.R. Haydon, 9 February 1821.

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            <title>Letter to <persName ref="#Haydon">B.R. Haydon</persName>, 9 February 1821.</title>
            <author ref="#MRM">Mary Russell Mitford</author>
            <editor ref="#kab">Karen Bourrier</editor>
            <sponsor><orgName>Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford
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            <sponsor>University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg</sponsor>
            <principal>Elisa Beshero-Bondar</principal>
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            <respStmt>
               <resp>Proofing and corrections by</resp>
               <persName>No one yet!</persName><!--ebb: 1 July 2014: Letter needs to be proofed against the ms images. I have checked the tagging and added editorial notes on Haydon's paintings.-->  
              
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            <edition>First digital edition in TEI, date: 4 June 2014. P5.</edition>
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               <head>Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to B. R. Haydon, <date>9 February 1821</date>. </head>
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                           <p><!-- Appears to be a sheet of paper folded in half, with another  --></p>
                           <p>Address leaf bearing the following postmarks: 1) A black circular stamp reads <date when="1821-02-12">12 <unclear>February</unclear> 1821.</date>
                              2) Another brown stamp is unclear to me </p>
                           <!-- I have done all of this to the best of my ability, but am quite uncertain about reading the postmarks and would appreciate help! -->
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                        <condition>
                         <p>A portion of page 3 has been torn away under the seal.</p>
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                  <sealDesc>
                      <p>Red wax seal, only partially visible in image 9Feb1821BRHaydon4a.JPG<!--Elisa, I don't know what year this photograph was taken? 2007?--></p>
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            <handNote xml:id="rc" medium="red_crayon"> Red crayon or thick red pencil. Probably a
               different hand from Mitford's drawing a diagonal line across pages 2-3.</handNote>
            <handNote xml:id="black_ink" medium="black_ink"> Someone cataloging the letters,
               apparently other than Mitford, wrote B R. Haydon Esq at the top of page 1.</handNote>
            <handNote corresp="#pencil" medium="pencil">Someone cataloging the letters, apparently
               other than Mitford, numbered each on page 1.  In this case there is a letter "25" at the top lefthand corner</handNote>
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            <p>Mitford’s spelling and punctuation are retained, except where a word is split at the
               end of a line and the beginning of the next in the manuscript. Where Mitford’s
               spelling and hyphenation of words deviates from the standard, in order to facilitate
               searching we are using the TEI elements “choice," “sic," and “reg" to encode both
               Mitford’s spelling and the regular international standard of Oxford English spelling,
               following the first listed spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary. The long s and
               ligatured forms are not encoded.</p>
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      <front>
         <div type="witness">
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               <witness xml:id="ebb">Elisa Beshero-Bondar</witness>
               <witness xml:id="LEst1870">
                  <bibl><title>The Life of Mary Russell Mitford Related in a Selection from Her
                        Letters to Her Friends, Second and Revised edition</title>, 3 vols., Ed.
                        <author>Alfred Guy Kingan L’Estrange</author>. <pubPlace>London</pubPlace>:
                        <publisher>Richard Bentley</publisher>, <date>1870</date>. </bibl>
                  <!-- Not sure if this letter is in L'Estrange -->
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      <body>
         <div type="letter">
            <opener>
               <dateline>
                  <date when="1821-02-09">February 9<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> 1821.</date>
                  <placeName ref="#ThreeMileCross">Three Mile Cross</placeName>
               </dateline>
               <salute>My dear Sir</salute>
            </opener>
            <p>I am quite ashamed when I look at the date of your last letter, but I generally transgress <del>the</del> against the etiquette of correspondence by writing too soon--so you must balance one <choice><sic>offence</sic><reg>offense</reg></choice> with the other &amp; forgive me for both--you are so good that I am sure of your pardon. I have been very busy--audaciously busy--writing a tragedy. We are poor you know--When I was in town I saw an indifferent Tragedy of which the indifferent success produced for the author <measure type="currency">three or four hundred pounds</measure>. This raised my emulation, which splendid <del rend="squiggles"><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> reception of <title ref="#Virginius_play">Virginius</title> or <title>Mirandola</title> would never have excited &amp; I began to write on the subject of <persName>Fiesco</persName> whose conspiracy against <persName>Doria</persName> is so beautifully done in <persName ref="#Robertson_William">Robertson's</persName> <title ref="#CharlesV">Charles the Fifth</title>.  There is a <bibl corresp="#Fiesco_play">German Tragedy</bibl> of the same name, I believe, by <persName ref="#Schiller_F">Schiller</persName> but I have neither seen nor sought for it probably on the same principle on which <persName ref="#Fuseli_Sophia">Mrs. Fuseli</persName> avoids nature for fear that <persName ref="#Schiller_F">Schiller</persName> should <quote>"find me out."</quote>--It is finished--that is it was finished--but as I had unluckily slid my hero off the same like a ghost, I am advised to write the Fifth act over again, which I shall do next week. It is terribly feeble &amp; womanish of course--wants breadth--wants papism--&amp; has nothing to redeem its faults but a little poetry &amp; some merit they say in the dialogue. I am afraid that it will not be accepted &amp; that you will never hear of it again. But I could not bear to make an attempt of the sort without confiding my fears &amp; my few hopes to one who will I am sure <choice><sic>sympathise</sic><reg>sympathize</reg></choice> with both--my anxiety on the subject is not of vanity--It is not fame or praise that I want but the power of assisting my dearest &amp; kindest <persName ref="#Mitford_Geo">Father</persName>.--I am in very kind &amp; skillful hands. <title>Fiesco</title> is now with <persName ref="#Talfourd_Thos">M<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> Talfourd</persName> our highly gifted Townsman--who gives me that which is most precious, Time &amp; advice &amp; <unclear>enthusiasm</unclear> almost as good as yours or <title ref="#Mirandola_play">Mirandola</title> I suppose it is the etiquette not to mention these things till they <gap/> <unclear>are</unclear> actually accepted--so you will have the goodness not to speak of it.---</p> <!--I consider this long dash to be a paragraph break the same as the squiggle.  There is a reference in this paragraph to Mast? and Daphne that it would be great if someone could figure out, I'm stuck. ebb: Daphne is a pet dog (and we've decided to code named animals as persName and include with our list of historical persons!) We'll check the other bit when someone reviews this against the manuscript.-->
            <p><persName ref="#James_Miss">Miss James</persName> was called was called home so suddenly that I lost the happiness I had promised myself in seeing her. Her sister has been indisposed &amp; they are now much occupied with four pupils. You will probably see her long before I shall, for certainly she will make haste to go to <placeName ref="#London_city">Town</placeName> &amp; look at your new picture<note resp="#ebb">Most likely, this is <bibl corresp="#Lazarus_Haydon">Haydon's Raising of Lazarus</bibl>, on which he was working at this time, completed in <date when="1823-02">February 1823</date>.</note>. Is the S<hi rend="superscript">t.</hi> John equal to the Christ? Is that possible?<note resp="#ebb">Mitford may be referring to appearance of <persName ref="#John_Apostle">St. John</persName> in relation to the image of <persName ref="#Jesus">Christ</persName> in the new painting. An <bibl>article entitled <title level="a">"Mr. Haydon's Raising of Lazarus"</title> in the <date when="1823-04-01">April 1, 1823</date> issue of <title level="s">The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, &amp; Manufactures</title> comments that <bibl corresp="#Lazarus_Haydon">Haydon's painting</bibl>, taken from the account of <persName ref="#Jesus">Christ</persName>'s raising of <persName ref="#Lazarus">Lazarus</persName> from <bibl corresp="#JohnGospel_NewTest">the Gospel of St. John the Evangelist</bibl>, depicted <persName ref="#John_Apostle">St. John</persName> prominently "with an expression of fervent piety at this fresh proof of <persName ref="#Jesus">his divine master</persName>'s omnnipotence."<biblScope unit="page">239</biblScope></bibl></note> I am very anxious to look once more on <bibl corresp="#ChrstEJrslm_Haydon">the divine Head</bibl> which hangs on my memory like some beautiful dream.<note resp="#ebb">Mitford is most likely recalling <persName ref="#Haydon">Haydon</persName>'s famous painting, <title ref="#ChrstEJrslm_Haydon">Christ's Entry into Jerusalem</title>.</note> --Your health &amp; eyes continue I hope to mend.--I can give you an excellent account of <unclear><supplied>Mast</supplied></unclear> &amp; <persName ref="#Daphne">Daphne</persName>.-- If you should meet with any high &amp; simple story for a Traged <gap/><unclear><supplied>y</supplied></unclear> will you think of me &amp; send it me--I <gap/> to try some grander subject.--Have you heard lately of M<hi rend="superscript">r.</hi> <persName ref="#Keats">Keats</persName>?--Pray forgive this bad disjointed note.--I could not bear to appear longer unmindful of your kind letter--&amp; yet am hurried &amp; with visitors that I have not time to write decently.--Adieu my dear Sir--my <persName ref="#Mitford_Geo">Father</persName> &amp; <persName ref="#Russell_M">Mother</persName> join in kindest regards to you--</p>
            <closer>
               <lb/>Ever most sincerely <choice><sic>your's</sic><reg>yours</reg></choice>
               <lb/><signed><persName ref="#MRM">M. R. Mitford</persName>.</signed>
               </closer>
            <closer>
               <address><addrLine><persName ref="#Haydon">B. R. Haydon</persName> Esq<hi rend="superscript">re</hi></addrLine>
                     <addrLine><placeName><district ref="#StJohns_Place">St. John's
                        Place</district></placeName></addrLine>
                     <addrLine><placeName><district ref="#Lisson_Grove">Lisson Grove
                        North</district></placeName></addrLine>
                    <addrLine><placeName><district ref="#Regents_Park">Regent's Park</district></placeName></addrLine>
                 <addrLine><placeName ref="#London_city">London</placeName></addrLine></address>
            </closer>
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         <!--kab: I have added new prosopography entries to the site index and uploaded my version of the site index, 17 June 2014, KAB.  MRM seems to refer to and ask after two paintings by Haydon, one of St John the Baptist and one of Christ: perhaps for someone who knows more to look into?-->
         <!--ebb: 1 July 2014: I have added references and editorial notes on Haydon's paintings.-->
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Letter to B.R. Haydon, 9 February 1821. Mary Russell Mitford Karen Bourrier Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Elisa Beshero-Bondar Transcription and coding by Karen Bourrier Proofing and corrections by No one yet! First digital edition in TEI, date: 4 June 2014. P5. Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Greensburg, PA, USA 2014

Reproduced by courtesy of the Reading Central Library.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Reading Central Library The letters of Mary Russell Mitford, vol. 4, 1819-1823 qB/TU/MIT Vol. 4 ff.441 Horizon No.: 1361550 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to B. R. Haydon, 9 February 1821.

Address leaf bearing the following postmarks: 1) A black circular stamp reads 12 February 1821. 2) Another brown stamp is unclear to me

A portion of page 3 has been torn away under the seal.

Red wax seal, only partially visible in image 9Feb1821BRHaydon4a.JPG

 Red crayon or thick red pencil. Probably a different hand from Mitford's drawing a diagonal line across pages 2-3. Someone cataloging the letters, apparently other than Mitford, wrote B R. Haydon Esq at the top of page 1. Someone cataloging the letters, apparently other than Mitford, numbered each on page 1. In this case there is a letter "25" at the top lefthand corner

Mitford’s spelling and punctuation are retained, except where a word is split at the end of a line and the beginning of the next in the manuscript. Where Mitford’s spelling and hyphenation of words deviates from the standard, in order to facilitate searching we are using the TEI elements “choice," “sic," and “reg" to encode both Mitford’s spelling and the regular international standard of Oxford English spelling, following the first listed spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary. The long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.
Elisa Beshero-Bondar The Life of Mary Russell Mitford Related in a Selection from Her Letters to Her Friends, Second and Revised edition, 3 vols., Ed. Alfred Guy Kingan L’Estrange. London: Richard Bentley, 1870.
February 9th 1821. Three Mile Cross My dear Sir

I am quite ashamed when I look at the date of your last letter, but I generally transgress the against the etiquette of correspondence by writing too soon--so you must balance one offence offense with the other & forgive me for both--you are so good that I am sure of your pardon. I have been very busy--audaciously busy--writing a tragedy. We are poor you know--When I was in town I saw an indifferent Tragedy of which the indifferent success produced for the author three or four hundred pounds. This raised my emulation, which splendid reception of Virginius or Mirandola would never have excited & I began to write on the subject of Fiesco whose conspiracy against Doria is so beautifully done in Robertson's Charles the Fifth. There is a German Tragedy of the same name, I believe, by Schiller but I have neither seen nor sought for it probably on the same principle on which Mrs. Fuseli avoids nature for fear that Schiller should "find me out."--It is finished--that is it was finished--but as I had unluckily slid my hero off the same like a ghost, I am advised to write the Fifth act over again, which I shall do next week. It is terribly feeble & womanish of course--wants breadth--wants papism--& has nothing to redeem its faults but a little poetry & some merit they say in the dialogue. I am afraid that it will not be accepted & that you will never hear of it again. But I could not bear to make an attempt of the sort without confiding my fears & my few hopes to one who will I am sure sympathise sympathize with both--my anxiety on the subject is not of vanity--It is not fame or praise that I want but the power of assisting my dearest & kindest Father.--I am in very kind & skillful hands. Fiesco is now with Mr Talfourd our highly gifted Townsman--who gives me that which is most precious, Time & advice & enthusiasm almost as good as yours or Mirandola I suppose it is the etiquette not to mention these things till they are actually accepted--so you will have the goodness not to speak of it.---

Miss James was called was called home so suddenly that I lost the happiness I had promised myself in seeing her. Her sister has been indisposed & they are now much occupied with four pupils. You will probably see her long before I shall, for certainly she will make haste to go to Town & look at your new picture1 Most likely, this is Haydon's Raising of Lazarus, on which he was working at this time, completed in February 1823.. Is the St. John equal to the Christ? Is that possible?2 Mitford may be referring to appearance of St. John in relation to the image of Christ in the new painting. An article entitled "Mr. Haydon's Raising of Lazarus" in the April 1, 1823 issue of The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, & Manufactures comments that Haydon's painting, taken from the account of Christ's raising of Lazarus from the Gospel of St. John the Evangelist, depicted St. John prominently "with an expression of fervent piety at this fresh proof of his divine master's omnnipotence."239 I am very anxious to look once more on the divine Head which hangs on my memory like some beautiful dream.3 Mitford is most likely recalling Haydon's famous painting, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem. --Your health & eyes continue I hope to mend.--I can give you an excellent account of Mast & Daphne.-- If you should meet with any high & simple story for a Traged y will you think of me & send it me--I to try some grander subject.--Have you heard lately of Mr. Keats?--Pray forgive this bad disjointed note.--I could not bear to appear longer unmindful of your kind letter--& yet am hurried & with visitors that I have not time to write decently.--Adieu my dear Sir--my Father & Mother join in kindest regards to you--

Ever most sincerely your's yours M. R. Mitford.
B. R. Haydon Esqre St. John's Place Lisson Grove North Regent's Park London

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Letter to B.R. Haydon, 9 February 1821. Mary Russell Mitford Karen Bourrier Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Elisa Beshero-Bondar Transcription and coding by Karen Bourrier Proofing and corrections by No one yet! First digital edition in TEI, date: 4 June 2014. P5. Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Greensburg, PA, USA 2014

Reproduced by courtesy of the Reading Central Library.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Reading Central Library The letters of Mary Russell Mitford, vol. 4, 1819-1823 qB/TU/MIT Vol. 4 ff.441 Horizon No.: 1361550 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to B. R. Haydon, 9 February 1821.

Address leaf bearing the following postmarks: 1) A black circular stamp reads 12 February 1821. 2) Another brown stamp is unclear to me

A portion of page 3 has been torn away under the seal.

Red wax seal, only partially visible in image 9Feb1821BRHaydon4a.JPG

 Red crayon or thick red pencil. Probably a different hand from Mitford's drawing a diagonal line across pages 2-3. Someone cataloging the letters, apparently other than Mitford, wrote B R. Haydon Esq at the top of page 1. Someone cataloging the letters, apparently other than Mitford, numbered each on page 1. In this case there is a letter "25" at the top lefthand corner

Mitford’s spelling and punctuation are retained, except where a word is split at the end of a line and the beginning of the next in the manuscript. Where Mitford’s spelling and hyphenation of words deviates from the standard, in order to facilitate searching we are using the TEI elements “choice," “sic," and “reg" to encode both Mitford’s spelling and the regular international standard of Oxford English spelling, following the first listed spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary. The long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.
Elisa Beshero-Bondar The Life of Mary Russell Mitford Related in a Selection from Her Letters to Her Friends, Second and Revised edition, 3 vols., Ed. Alfred Guy Kingan L’Estrange. London: Richard Bentley, 1870.
February 9th 1821. Three Mile Cross My dear Sir

I am quite ashamed when I look at the date of your last letter, but I generally transgress the against the etiquette of correspondence by writing too soon--so you must balance one offence offense with the other & forgive me for both--you are so good that I am sure of your pardon. I have been very busy--audaciously busy--writing a tragedy. We are poor you know--When I was in town I saw an indifferent Tragedy of which the indifferent success produced for the author three or four hundred pounds. This raised my emulation, which splendid reception of Virginius or Mirandola would never have excited & I began to write on the subject of Fiesco whose conspiracy against Doria is so beautifully done in Robertson's Charles the Fifth. There is a German Tragedy of the same name, I believe, by Schiller but I have neither seen nor sought for it probably on the same principle on which Mrs. Fuseli avoids nature for fear that Schiller should "find me out."--It is finished--that is it was finished--but as I had unluckily slid my hero off the same like a ghost, I am advised to write the Fifth act over again, which I shall do next week. It is terribly feeble & womanish of course--wants breadth--wants papism--& has nothing to redeem its faults but a little poetry & some merit they say in the dialogue. I am afraid that it will not be accepted & that you will never hear of it again. But I could not bear to make an attempt of the sort without confiding my fears & my few hopes to one who will I am sure sympathise sympathize with both--my anxiety on the subject is not of vanity--It is not fame or praise that I want but the power of assisting my dearest & kindest Father.--I am in very kind & skillful hands. Fiesco is now with Mr Talfourd our highly gifted Townsman--who gives me that which is most precious, Time & advice & enthusiasm almost as good as yours or Mirandola I suppose it is the etiquette not to mention these things till they are actually accepted--so you will have the goodness not to speak of it.---

Miss James was called was called home so suddenly that I lost the happiness I had promised myself in seeing her. Her sister has been indisposed & they are now much occupied with four pupils. You will probably see her long before I shall, for certainly she will make haste to go to Town & look at your new pictureMost likely, this is Haydon's Raising of Lazarus, on which he was working at this time, completed in February 1823.. Is the St. John equal to the Christ? Is that possible?Mitford may be referring to appearance of St. John in relation to the image of Christ in the new painting. An article entitled "Mr. Haydon's Raising of Lazarus" in the April 1, 1823 issue of The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, & Manufactures comments that Haydon's painting, taken from the account of Christ's raising of Lazarus from the Gospel of St. John the Evangelist, depicted St. John prominently "with an expression of fervent piety at this fresh proof of his divine master's omnnipotence."239 I am very anxious to look once more on the divine Head which hangs on my memory like some beautiful dream.Mitford is most likely recalling Haydon's famous painting, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem. --Your health & eyes continue I hope to mend.--I can give you an excellent account of Mast & Daphne.-- If you should meet with any high & simple story for a Traged y will you think of me & send it me--I to try some grander subject.--Have you heard lately of Mr. Keats?--Pray forgive this bad disjointed note.--I could not bear to appear longer unmindful of your kind letter--& yet am hurried & with visitors that I have not time to write decently.--Adieu my dear Sir--my Father & Mother join in kindest regards to you--

Ever most sincerely your's yours M. R. Mitford.
B. R. Haydon Esqre St. John's Place Lisson Grove North Regent's Park London