Do not fancy yourself engaged in another "Mirandola" office, when I take the great liberty—too great perhaps!—of requesting you to send over the enclosed scheme of a Play on the story of Garzia Garzia de' Medici & to tell me if you think it be worth attempting in one word yes or no. The subject first struck me in the Life of Benvenuto Cellini, & on reperusing whilst in Town the intense but terrible Tragedy of Alfieri, I was still more caught by the contrast of character which it offers & the dreadful truth of the catastrophe—I have somewhat injured the collision of various characters in one family, which is so striking in his play, by the omission of one of the brothers, which seemed necessary to disencumber the plot—but he could be restored if necessary. Altogether I do not like the subject so well as not to be very ready to abandon it if I could find a better. Procida is a better—but then—would that be quite right?—Well you tell me what their Procida is—& perhaps we may find out the real Author—if it be by a woman—really a woman, & writing for money—Heaven forbid that I should jostle with [del: .]her!—If it be Mr. MilmanHenry Hart Milman, Very Reverend, or: Very Reverend | Born: 1791-02-10 in London, England. Died: 1868-09-24 in London, England.
After a brilliant career at Brasenose College, Oxford, Milman was ordained into the Church of England in 1816 and became parish priest of St Mary's, Reading, in 1818, where he became acquainted with Mary Russell Mitford. Mitford mentions Milman's literary, critical, and editing work in her correspondence and indicates that he made written suggestions on the manuscript of Foscari in 1821. Milman was elected professor of poetry at Oxford in 1821; Sir Robert Peel made him Rector of St Margaret's, Westminster, and Canon of Westminster in 1835, and in 1849 he became Dean of St Paul's. He published poetry, several tragedies, and hymns, as well as translations of Euripides, and an edition of Horace. He also wrote several important histories, including History of the Jews (1829), History of Christianity to the Abolition of Paganism in the Roman Empire (1840), and History of Latin Christianity (1855); he also edited Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and published a Life of Gibbon (1838, 1839). Milman was buried in St Paul's Cathedral.—lmw
I should not mind taking the field.—Francesca da Rimini beginning with the scene of Phadre from EuripidesEuripides | Born: -0480 in Salamís. Died: -0406 in Macedonia.
Ancient world playwright, considered together with Aeschylus and Sophocles as establishing the classical foundation of Western tragedy. Author of Ion , on which Thomas Noon Talfourd later based his own play of the same title, as well as Orestes , and Cyclops , the only known complete example of a burlesque satyr play, translated into a satiric poem in 1819 by Percy Shelley . —ebb, lmw
, & making the brother—I forget his name—Paolo quite unconscious of his love till it bursts on him suddenly in reading with her the old romance—that would be very fine if we had a great page 2
Actress—but Miss LacyMiss Lacy Lacy Miss
Actor who appeared in Rienzi at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1828. Acted under Miss Lacy. Forename unknown. Dates unknown. —lmw—Oh!—RienziRienzi; a Tragedy, in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London : J. Cumberland . 1828.
There appears to be no printed edition of Rienzi authorized by Mitford upon its first performance in 1828. The first printed edition of the play appears in the J. Cumberland series Cumberland's British Theatre.—lmw—I don't think you like RienziRienzi; a Tragedy, in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London : J. Cumberland . 1828.
There appears to be no printed edition of Rienzi authorized by Mitford upon its first performance in 1828. The first printed edition of the play appears in the J. Cumberland series Cumberland's British Theatre.—lmw, & perhaps GibbonEdward Gibbon, Member of Parliament, or: Member of Parliament | Born: 1737-05-08 in Putney, Surrey, England. Died: 1794-01-16 in Fletching, Sussex, England.
Best known for writing The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which was originally published in three volumes.
—lmw
has done too much for the story, & it would transgress too violently against the rule of time, & be too political—the temptation is, that there exists, or that I have fancied, some slight resemblance of character & history between him & NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, Emperor of the French, President of the Italian Republic, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, or: First Consul of France Emperor of the French President of the Italian Republic King of Italy Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine | Born: 1769-08-15 in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. Died: 1821-05-05 in Longwood, St. Helena, United Kingdom.
Military commander and political leader. During the French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars, Napoleon rose to prominence as a military leader. He engineered a coup in 1799 that brought him to power as First Consul of France and then as Napoleon I, Emperor of the French (from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815). As Emperor, he led France against a series of European military coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars, building an empire that extended over most of continental Europe until its collapse in 1815. In spring 1814, the Allies captured Paris and forced Napoleon to abdicate, exiling him to the island of Elba and restoring the Bourbons to power. Less than a year later, Napoleon escaped from Elba and retook control of France, only to suffer defeat by the Allies at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815. The British then exiled him to the island Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he remained until his death in 1821. He is celebrated as one of Europe's greatest military commanders and as the disseminator of the system of laws known as the Napoleonic Code.—lmw
; both of obscure birth, both governing by force of mind, both driven headlong to ruin by an indomitable self will, rising by liberty & falling by ambition—surely there is enough resemblance to justify an attempt to portray the man who, with all his faults has possessed my imagination all my life long. But I am afraid of the attempt—It would be^ an over excitement—I should get nervous & fail.—Masaniello the Fisherman of Naples—is he promising?—Am I likely to find any thing to the purpose in Froissart?—I have not seen that delightful book for many years—but I remember a romantic story of the Count of Orthes & his son—I don't however think it would do for Tragedy—though the old Chronicler is full of high & chivalrous incident—I must read him for that. I am half afraid of attacking Greek or Roman story, because women from mere want of learning, from the absence of real depth are always pedantic & spread their thin gold leaf over an immense quantity of surface—And yet History is best for a thousand reasons. Well, if I were wise I should form a strong resolution to conquer my besetting sin of idleness, to renounce "le delicieux far' niente" as RousseauJean-Jacques Rousseau | Born: 1712-06-28 in Geneva, Switzerland. Died: 1778-02-07 in Ermenonville, France.
18th-century French philosopher, novelist, and memoirist, whose political philosophy regarding the social contract, inequality, and individual human rights were influential throughout Europe and shaped the French Revolution. His fiction and autobiographical writings influenced the literature of sensibility and the development of Romanticism.—lmw
calls it, & work hard this summer so as to produce two or three Tragedies from which you might choose, if any were worthy of your choice, & throw the others into the fire—in that case, the immediate selection of a subject would bepage 3
of less consequence & I might leave to Chance—who has a great deal to do on these occasions—the suggestion of a good Tragedy—I mean a good subject whilst I was writing on a bad one.—But I don't know that I could write two or three Plays in 7 or 8 months—besides being incorrigibly idle I am really lamentably & inconquerably slow—I have an almost insurmountable difficulty in procuring a fixity of attention—I never could learn chess.—Tell me shall I try Garzia?

My FatherGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw, who would go to Town, tells me as your dear sister does, that JulianJulian; a Tragedy in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London New York: G. B. Whittaker W. B. Gilley . 1823. went splendidly on Wednesday and not amiss considering the wet night on Friday & that you think it rising—but you must not perform that fatiguing part again when you are not well—no—not for all the JulianJulian; a Tragedy in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London New York: G. B. Whittaker W. B. Gilley . 1823. s in the world—I have implored your sister not to let you. Are you amenable to this sort of management? By the way if the Play do not reach the ninth night, it will be a very complete refutation of Mr. KembleCharles Kemble | Born: 1775-11-25 in Brecon, South Wales. Died: 1854-11-12 in England.
British actor, the younger brother of John Phillip Kemble and Sarah Siddons. Although he was considered by some to be as fine an actor as his sister and brother, he mostly appeared in secondary rather than leading roles. Father of Frances Kemble. One of the co-proprietors of Covent Garden Theatre . He served as Examiner of Plays in the early nineteenth-century, reviewing plays for licensing by the Lord Chamberlain.—lmw
's axiom that no single performer can fill the Theatre—for  who, except our pretty AlphonsoAlfonso
Character of the king of Naples, disguised as Theodore, in Julian.—ebb,[1] Miss Foote—penAnnot_RCL[del: .] there is in JulianJulian; a Tragedy in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London New York: G. B. Whittaker W. B. Gilley . 1823. one & only one—let him imagine how deeply we feel his exertions & his kindness.—Have you seen the attack upon us in the LondonThe London Magazine. 1820-1829.
An 18th-century periodical of this title (The London Magazine, or Gentleman’s Monthly Intelligencer) ran from 1732 to 1785 . In 1820, John Scott launched a new series of The London Magazine emulating the style of Blackwood’s Magazine, though the two magazines soon came into heated contention. This series ran until 1829, and this is the series to which Mitford and her correspondents frequently refer in their letters. Scott’s editorship lasted until his death by duel on 27 February 1821 resulting form bitter personal conflict with the editors of Blackwood’s Magazine connected with their insulting characterization of a London Cockney School. After Scott’s death, William Hazlitt took up editing the magazine with the April 1821 issue.—ebb, lmw? Can you guess the Author? It is evidently one who does not understand [del: .] who has never felt the pleasure of gratitude, the delight of being thankful—but I hope that it is not, that it cannot be—no, though I know from a part of Mrs. Kemble's tirade that he has joined the opposite party, I will not suspect that a man of genius could write that sneering and hateful article. I had hoped that Mr. TalfourdThomas Noon Talfourd | Born: 1795-05-26 in Reading, Berkshire, England. Died: 1854-03-13 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England.
Close friend, literary mentor, and frequent correspondent of Mary Russell Mitford. A native of Reading, Talfourd was educated at the Reading’s newly-established Mill Hill school, a dissenting academy, from 1808 to 1810. He attended Dr. Richard Valpy’s Reading School from 1810 to 1812. His career in law began with a legal apprenticeship with Joseph Christy, special pleader, in 1817. He was called to the bar in London in 1821 and ultimately earned a D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Laws) from Oxford on June 20, 1844. While establishing his practice as a barrister and special pleader, he worked as legal correspondent for The Times, reporting on the Oxford Circuit, and also continued his literary interests. After 1833, he was appointed Serjeant at Law, as well as a King’s and Queen’s Counsel. He was elected and served as Member of Parliament for Reading from 1835 to 1841 and from 1847 to 1849 ; he served with Charles Fyshe Palmer, Charles Russell, and Francis Piggott. Highlights of his political and legal career included introducing the first copyright bill into Parliament in 1837 (for which action Charles Dickens dedicated Pickwick Papers to him) and defending Edward Moxon’s publication of Percy Shelley’s Queen Mab in 1841 . He was appointed Queen’s Serjeant in 1846 and Judge of Common Pleas in 1849 , at which post he served until his death in 1854. He was knighted in 1850 .
Talfourd’s literary works include his plays Ion (1835), The Athenian Captive (1837) and Glencoe, or the Fate of the MacDonalds(1839).
—lmw, cmm, ebb
would through Mr. Charles LambCharles Lamb | Born: 1775-02-10 in Inner Temple, London, England. Died: 1834-12-27 in Edmonton, Middlesex, London, England.
British author, best known for his Essays of Elia (1823-1833), many of which originally appeared in the London Magazine, and Tales from Shakespeare, written with his sister Mary Lamb. Friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge.—lmw, cmm
have guarded against any thing so unfavorable as that—but this Circuit [2] which Talfourd from Town.—penAnnot_RCL has been as page 4
far as the Press is concerned a great loss to both of us—There is nothing that can vex me so much as to be made the instrument, the plea for attacking such a friend—& our discourteous critics, in whose eyes to be a woman is a , seem to have found that out. To make amends Mr. HaydonBenjamin Robert Haydon | Born: 1786-01-26 in Plymouth, England. Died: 1846-06-22 in London.
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a painter educated at the Royal Academy, who was famous for contemporary, historical, classical, biblical, and mythological scenes, though tormented by financial difficulties and incarceration. He painted William Wordsworth's portrait in 1842 and painted a cameo of Keats in his epic canvas Christ's Entry into Jerusalem(1814-20). MRM was introduced to him at his London studio in the spring of 1817, and Sir William Elford was a mutual friend, and Haydon’s own acquaintances included several prominent British Romantic literary figures. He completed The Raising of Lazarus in 1823 . He wrote a diary and an autobiography, both of which were published only posthumously, and he committed suicide in 1846. George Paston's Little Memoirs of the Nineteenth Century (1893) contends that Mitford was asked to edit Haydon's memoir, but declined.—rnes, ebb writes the word, that Mr. HazlittWilliam Hazlitt | Born: 1778-04-10 in Maidstone, Kent, England. Died: 1830-09-18 in Soho, London, England.
Essayist and critic, acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford. Author of Table Talk (1821) and The Spirit of the Age (1825). Also authored collections of critical essays such as Characters of Shakespeare (1817), A View of the English Stage (1818), and English Comic Writers (1819). In a letter of 2 October 1820 , Mary Russell Mitford writes of Hazlitt to their mutual friend Haydon, He is the most delightful critic in the [world]— puts all his taste, his wit, his deep thinking, his matchless acuteness into his subject, but he does not put his whole heart & soul into it [. . . ] What charms me most in Mr. Haslitt is the beautiful candour which he bursts forth sometimes from his own prejudices [ . . . ] I admire him so ardently that when I begin to talk of him I never know how to stop. I could talk on for an hour in a see saw of praise and blame as he himself does of Beaumont & Fletcher & some of his old [favourites]. —lmw, cmm
has applied to Mr. Jeffrey for his sanction to review JulianJulian; a Tragedy in Five Acts. Mary Russell Mitford. London New York: G. B. Whittaker W. B. Gilley . 1823. in the EdinburghEdinburgh Review, second series. Edinburgh: Constable.
Quarterly political and literary review founded by Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, Henry Brougham, and Francis Horner in 1802 and published by Archibald Constable in Edinburgh. It supported Whig and reformist politics and opposed its Tory and conservative rival, The Quarterly Review. Ceased publication in 1929.—lmw—This is a great Compliment, & will be, if the request be granted, a great advantage—he will do it so well. Of course this is quite in confidence.—Did my FatherGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw tell you that Mrs. Randolph heard from some one (probably Mrs. Horace Twiss) that the Kembles are exceedingly angry (I don't very well know at what) & that the Mrs. KMaria Theresa de Camp Kemble, or: Mrs. Charles Kemble, Miss deCamp | Born: 1777-01-17 in Vienna, Austria. Died: 1838-09-03 in Addlestone, Surrey, England.
Actor, later Mrs. Charles Kemble. Likely born Marie Thérèse de Camp or du Fleury. Acted under Miss deCamp. (sometimes spelled duCamp.) Married actor Charles Kemble 2 July 1806. Starred in a travestied version of The Beggar’s Opera in 1792 and went on to star in Miss in her Teens, The Recruiting Officer and The Iron Chest. After her marriage, she appeared at Covent Garden, assisted Charles Kemble with productions, and authored several comedies. Mother of Frances Kemble and Adelaide Kemble. —lmw, cmm
, believed they had sent back FoscariFoscari: A Tragedy. Mary Russell Mitford. London : G. B. Whittaker . 1826. ? That has not happened—& the information was I think before Mr. KembleCharles Kemble | Born: 1775-11-25 in Brecon, South Wales. Died: 1854-11-12 in England.
British actor, the younger brother of John Phillip Kemble and Sarah Siddons. Although he was considered by some to be as fine an actor as his sister and brother, he mostly appeared in secondary rather than leading roles. Father of Frances Kemble. One of the co-proprietors of Covent Garden Theatre . He served as Examiner of Plays in the early nineteenth-century, reviewing plays for licensing by the Lord Chamberlain.—lmw
's return.—It is right that I should tell you that Mr. HamiltonSamuel Hamilton, or:
Publisher and editor of the Lady’s Magazine. He took over the publishing business of his father and grandfather, both named Archibald, alongside his brother, also named Archibald. He first appeared as the printer of the magazine in August 1799. Mitford had contributed articles to the magazine, for which Hamilton may have neglected to pay her the total amount due, sometime in 1823.—bas
says I mistook Mr. EllistonRobert William Elliston, or: Mr. Elliston | Born: 1774 in London, England. Died: 1831.
English actor and theater manager. Managed Drury Lane and and other theaters. Mentioned in the writings of Leigh Hunt, Byron, and Macready. —lmw's message—It was only that he had no objection to read [del: .]FoscariFoscari: A Tragedy. Mary Russell Mitford. London : G. B. Whittaker . 1826. against the next season, & was not a direct message, only a passage in conversation. You will not I am sure suspect me of intentional mistake in this affair—Mr. TalfourdThomas Noon Talfourd | Born: 1795-05-26 in Reading, Berkshire, England. Died: 1854-03-13 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England.
Close friend, literary mentor, and frequent correspondent of Mary Russell Mitford. A native of Reading, Talfourd was educated at the Reading’s newly-established Mill Hill school, a dissenting academy, from 1808 to 1810. He attended Dr. Richard Valpy’s Reading School from 1810 to 1812. His career in law began with a legal apprenticeship with Joseph Christy, special pleader, in 1817. He was called to the bar in London in 1821 and ultimately earned a D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Laws) from Oxford on June 20, 1844. While establishing his practice as a barrister and special pleader, he worked as legal correspondent for The Times, reporting on the Oxford Circuit, and also continued his literary interests. After 1833, he was appointed Serjeant at Law, as well as a King’s and Queen’s Counsel. He was elected and served as Member of Parliament for Reading from 1835 to 1841 and from 1847 to 1849 ; he served with Charles Fyshe Palmer, Charles Russell, and Francis Piggott. Highlights of his political and legal career included introducing the first copyright bill into Parliament in 1837 (for which action Charles Dickens dedicated Pickwick Papers to him) and defending Edward Moxon’s publication of Percy Shelley’s Queen Mab in 1841 . He was appointed Queen’s Serjeant in 1846 and Judge of Common Pleas in 1849 , at which post he served until his death in 1854. He was knighted in 1850 .
Talfourd’s literary works include his plays Ion (1835), The Athenian Captive (1837) and Glencoe, or the Fate of the MacDonalds(1839).
—lmw, cmm, ebb
says that I cannot possibly without honour take [del: .]^ the Play from one house to give it to the other—& advises me not to be in a hurry to withdraw it—so I shall not. You will rely on my assurance that it shall never be acted there to your Annoyance—You believe me—do you not?—& for the rest I rejoice to be spared the prospect of immediate contention & quarrel—Now that I am here in the quiet Country I would fain have none but calm & peaceful feeling & would be thankful even to the Managers for the use of their Theatre—will be thankful if they will let me—How thankful I am to a very different one, I can never say—never! I am frightened to look at the length of this letter—I may say with AnacreonAnacreon Anacreon | Born: -0560 in Teos, Ionia. Died: -0478.
Ionian lyric poet of the ancient world, later considered one of nine canonical Greek poets; known for composing bacchanalian and amatory lyrics and hymns. Associated with the poetic genre known as the Anacreontic Ode; many examples are drinking songs.—lmw, rnes
's dove, "I have chattered like a jay"—Pray forgive it, & believe me always, my dear Sir