stairs when she encountered Princess Amelia and Mrs. Cheveley, who told her that the queen had been sending for her. Filled with consternation, she rushed to her Majesty, and found her under the hairdressers, her daughters and several noble dames attending. The foolish young woman “stood in the door confused," as well she might be, for the queen said, not a little dryly, "Where have you been, Miss Burney?" She told her story-the good-humoured lady once more passed it over, and good-naturedly bade her look at some dress, and say if it were not pretty.

Once she was called upon to read aloud to the queen and court :

"The moment coffee was over, the Princess Elizabeth came for me. I found her Majesty knotting, the Princess Royal drawing, Princess Augusta spinning, and Lady Courtown, I believe, in the same employment, but I saw none of them perfectly well.

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'how are

Come, Miss Burney,' cried the queen, your spirits?-How is your voice ? '—' She says,

ma'am,' cried the kind Princess Elizabeth,' she shall do her best.' This had been said in attending her Royal Highness back. I could only confirm it, and that cheerfully-to hide fearfully.

"I had not the advantage of choosing my play, nor do I know what would have been my decision had it fallen to my lot. Her Majesty had just begun Colman's works, and Polly Honeycomb' was to open my campaign. 'I think,' cried the queen most graciously, 'Miss

Burney will read the better for drawing a chair and sitting down.'—'O yes, mamma! I dare say so!' cried Princess Augusta and Princess Elizabeth, both in a

moment.

"The queen then told me to draw my chair close to her side. I made no scruples. Heaven knows I needed not the addition of standing! but most glad I felt in being placed thus near, as it saved a constant painful effort of loud reading.

"Lady Courtown,' cried the queen, 'you had better draw nearer, for Miss Burney has the misfortune of reading rather low at first.'

"Nothing could be more amiable than this opening. Accordingly, I did, as I had promised, my best; and indifferent as that was, it would rather have surprised you, all things considered, that it was not yet worse. But I exerted all the courage I possess, and, having often read to the queen, I felt how much it behoved me not to let her surmise I had any greater awe to surmount. It is but a vulgar performance; and I was obliged to omit, as well as I could at sight, several circumstances very unpleasant for reading, and ill enough fitted for such. hearers. It went off pretty flat.

Nobody is to comment,

nobody is to interrupt; and even between one act and another not a moment's pause is expected to be made. I had been already informed of this etiquette by Mr. Turbulent and Miss Planta; nevertheless, it is not only oppressive to the reader, but loses to the hearers so much spirit and satisfaction, that I determined to endeavour,

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should I again be called upon, to introduce a little break into this tiresome and unnatural profundity of respectful solemnity. My own embarrassment, however, made it agree with me, for the present, uncommonly well. Lady Courtown never uttered one single word the whole time; yet is she one of the most loquacious of our establishment. But such is the settled etiquette.

"The queen has a taste for conversation, and the princesses a good-humoured love for it, that doubles the regret of such an annihilation of all nature and all pleasantry. But what will not prejudice and education inculcate? They have been brought up to annex silence to respect and decorum: to talk, therefore, unbid, or to differ from any given opinion, even when called upon, are regarded as high improprieties, if not presumptions. They none of them do justice to their own minds, while they enforce this subjection upon the minds of others. I had not experienced it before; for when reading alone with the queen, or listening to her reading to me, I have always frankly spoken almost whatever has occurred to me. But there I had no other examples before me, and therefore I might inoffensively be guided by myself; and her Majesty's continuance of the same honour has shown no disapprobation of my proceeding. But here it was not easy to make any decision for myself; to have done what Lady Courtown forbore doing would have been undoubtedly a liberty.

"So we all behaved alike; and easily can I now conceive the disappointment and mortification of poor Mr.

Garrick when he read 'Lethe' to a royal audience. Its tameness must have tamed him, and I doubt not he never acquitted himself so ill."

The volatile Burney found it hard to fall in with the almost conventual rules of the establishment, and almost at once began to try the patience of her tolerant mistress. It was extraordinary what freedoms she indulged herself in. Once the queen bade her go and take a walk for her health's sake. She went off to see Madame Lafitte, who detained her with gossips, &c., until she was too late for her noon attendance. She had not time to dress properly, and slipped on a morning gown and large cap. The queen was preparing to have her hair dressed, and was left without an attendant. But the good-natured lady only said with a smile, "Now, Miss Burney, you may go back and finish your dressing." This hairdressing, powdering, &c., which was indispensable, must have been an intolerable burden; it was a serious, elaborate business, required the services of a hairdresser, and took an immense time. The ladies naturally found it difficult to secure the services of a friseur. There was a bell which was rung in the queen's room when Fanny's services were required a method of summons which the young lady resented, as suggesting ringing for a servant.

The ceremonial on the queen's retiring for the night was always formal, and strictly regulated. Her Majesty was "handed into her dressing-room" by the king, Mrs. Schwellenberg being in attendance, the two princesses following whose quarters were at the queen's lodge;

the "lower lodge" being for the younger princesses. Then the king kissed his daughters, who with due respect kissed their mother's hand, wished her good-night, and withdrew. The admirable royal lady was always up before seven, and her ladies had to rise at six ; she then put on her hat and a simple morning gown and cloak and took her way to the chapel for morning prayers.

Among her attendants were the two Ladies Waldegrave, who having been left orphans, were considerately given places and taken under her Majesty's care. Lady Elizabeth was lady of the bedchamber to the Princess Royal. Lady Charlotte Finch, an old and well-tried servant, did very well for her family, having her three. daughters, including a married one, Mrs. Fielding, established at court. Miss Goldsworthy, the sub-governess known as "Gooley," Miss Planta, and a whole cohort of readers, were useful assistants: indeed her royal daughters required a large number of lady attendants.

On court days, the queen dressed her head at Kew and drove into London; but on the more important drawing-room days this was done at St. James's Palace. There was a regular etiquette here in her dressing. One of her bedchamber women helped the queen to dress; Mrs. Fielding attached her necklace, handed her fan and gloves; the others held up her train.

The queen's indulgence to Fanny was particularly shown in the matters of the numerous petitions which the injudicious young lady insisted in presenting directly to her Majesty in behalf of friends and relations. This