Letter from Sarah Burney to Mrs. Paris

Letter from Sarah Burney to Mrs. Paris (p. 1)

Diplomatic Transcription

Dear Sir

Mrs. Gregor has informed me

of her kindness in making so ill a

report of my beautiful looks to you —

and of your goodness in saying you

would call any day and hour I appointed,

& endeavor to repair my damaged

charms. Now the fact is I have had

a severe feverish cold, & great inter-

nal discomfort from, I believe, in-

digestion; so, I have starved &

physicked myself into a fright of

the first water: but I feel better — and sleep better

— and, to say truth,

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Letter from Sarah Burney to Mrs. Paris (p. 2)

never am so near well as when looking

fit for a sick bed. I always plump

up a little just before I have an

attack, on purpose, to give fever a

better feast — and while any thing

remains upon my bones to pick,

Fever never leaves the pleasing banquet.

We go in about a week or ten

days to a lodging at 24 Green Street

but meanwhile, I shall be most happy

to see you even here, tho, I own,

I shall enjoy a visit from you much

Analysis

This letter from Sarah Burney was written March 20th, some time between 1822 and 1829, to Dr. John Ayerton. The letter speaks chiefly of her ill health, despite the dismissive tone with which she speaks of it. She paints quite a downtrodden and ill portrait of herself in the letter, at once describing her physical condition as “starved & physicked… into a fright,” and her living situation as “perpetually liable to interruptions”, complaining that her lodgings are so small that she has “but one room” for activity.

Though she is somewhat dismissive of her condition, she nevertheless acknowledges that her state was alarming enough that a “Mrs. Gregor” felt the need to report her to a doctor — the addressee of the letter, one Dr. John Ayrton Paris. Though only known from the address — “Dr. Paris, Dover Street, Piccadilly” — we can confidently assume his identity. We know that Dr. Paris was a physician of some renown who worked at Dover Street from 1818 until his death in 1856.

Burney sent her letter from 18 Grosvenor Street, which was only a short walk from Dr. Paris’ office in Piccadilly. She mentions also that “we go in about a week or ten days to a lodging at 24 Green Street,” which is also in London. The “we” she refers to is not clear. As the letter is undated, we cannot be sure of whom she is living with at the time she wrote it. However, we know that after 1829 Burney never returns to London, which leaves a window of eleven years when she could have sent the letter. Since both the addresses she mentions are in London, we can assume that she most likely sent this letter while she worked as an assistant to the daughters of Lord Crewe, since that was the only time during the eleven-year period that she lived in London. She began the position in 1822.

I think this letter reveals a complexity to Burney’s character at this stage in her life. There is an anxious balance that she projects between desperation and self-respect, at once light-heartedly joking about her ill condition, while also nearly begging that the doctor come see her. It is suggested that she has seen Dr. Paris before, as well, since she wishes to pay her “devoirs” to his wife. Furthermore, at this time Burney had become influenced by the Crewe's aunt, who instilled in her an interest in classical Rome and a desire to travel to Italy, which she eventually did. If her condition is so bad that acquaintances are recommending her to doctors on her behalf, I suspect she is nearing the end of her time in England.