Bristol October 30
                                                         1782

      Thank you, my dear Madam
for your gentle dun: You are the most
agreeable Creditor I ever knew, for you never bestow
more pleasure than when you remind people
of their debts, and it is in vain to plead
want of ability to pay, when you are generous
enough to accept of whatever composition
the mental circumstances of the poor debtor
enable him to make. -- But -- to speak without
a figure I really feel myself extremely obliged
to your friendly interest and mediation in
the affair of poor Louisa. I thankfully restore
the German narrative, which I should have rejoiced
to be able to read; but the German language
is among the many things I have the misfortune
not to understand. -- Poor Louisa! the same
dark cloud still seems to hang over her fate;

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and her intellects. I think she is more stupid
and less wild. I am afraid that is a bad
sign; Yet she has intervals of vivacity. I
wish you could have seen the look She gave
me the other day when I tied some white
ribbons round her arms by way of bracelets, the
only piece of finery she seems to have any
relish for. It was such a look of wild delight
as the best Actress may in vain endeavour
to copy.
      I was glad to get Mrs. Sheridan's
Verses; I had heard them spoken of, and in a
strain of high commendation. I think
them very pretty, and (what is a still better
thing in elegiac verses) very tender.
      You mention Lord Stormont as possessing an
high degree of taste. I never was more inclined
to be of your opinion; our friend Lord Monboddo
has assured me that he is the politest scholar

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among the Nobility; and from the little I have
seen of him I think him the most agreeable
Man among them; at least his sort of wit
humour and literature are particularly to
my taste, and embellished with a delightful gaiety.
      I am not a little proud at having made
the same remark with the Queen (you may be
assured I do not mean to include that part
of the remark which does me so much honour).
Miss Burney's heroines would certainly be
much better women, and brighter patterns, if
their pure morals were perfected by piety,
and if in their distresses they looked for help
where only it is to be found. This idea
constantly occurring to me as I went along,
diminished the pleasure I received, though I never
allowed myself to express this opinion before, as
it might have an invidious appearance.
      I was vastly surprised at your intelligence
respecting dear Mrs. Carter. Methinks I am

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glad she was absent at the time of a
certain preposterous solemnization. I hope
the change of scene, and novelty of Objects
will be of service to her spirits. -- The
little girl you inquire after has a solid
understanding and many good qualities, and
I doubt not will make a sensible and
accomplished woman. her temper has been
a little hurt, but on the whole she is very
good. --
      I think with you that Theobald's is
perhaps the most readable, though not the
most critical Edition of Shakespeare; but if
I might venture to suggest a hint, I would
observe that the pleasantest way of reading
the Historical Plays, is to get them in
single Plays, as Mr. Garrick acted them,
particularly Richard the third, which, with
all my blind Idolatry for Shakespeare, I
must say is replete with the grossest vulgarity

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and nonsense, which are entirely expunged
in that copy, and the Scenes reduced into
better order. --
      I grieve for my poor friends the Wilmot;
but though justly incensed I hope they will
relent, as resentment cannot undo the deed.
All their friends have interceded for the
poor offending girl; as Lord Bathurst and
Lord Mansfield have condescended to be among
the number of Mediators, I hope they will
not plead in vain. --
      I have at last finished Adele et Theodore.
You ask my opinion of it; I am but an incompetent
Critic, but methinks I should be glad to talk over
this work in detail with you, as it is too
complicated to admit of general strictures.
In point of composition, I think it extremely well
written. There is a fire and a spirit which
cannot fail to interest and engage the affections.
I think her plan more practicable than Rousseau's
on whose excellent Canvas however she has

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laid some of her best colours; and however
she May affect to deny him I am convinced
she would not have written near so well if
he had not written before her. You will believe
that I detest Rousseau's principles, but the energy
the spirit and the graces of his composition, I
never expect to see equalled. -- As to Madame
Genlis her book has surely great merit, and I
think she has attended more to cultivate the
heart and rectify the temper than most writers
on the subject. Her principles in general are
sound, but now and then they are frightfully false
and hollow; She does not scruple to affirm, and
that in a grave systematical way that a Lie may be told on great
occasions, and to serve a friend; a dangerous
doctrine surely! -- Then the false confidence
that Miss Bridget makes to Adele of her pretended
marriage with Dainville offends me exceedingly. Her
discretion and secrecy might be put to the
severest proof without such a gross violation of
truth. Indeed I am sometimes inclined to suspect

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that the Author thinks Truth and Religion
rather creditable, than necessary for their own
sakes; witness the pomp and ceremony of Adele's
first communion, which is represented as a
human convention to make her a womanly
and respectable character rather than as a religious
duty. I don't like Miss Bridget, a stiff ill humoured
thing! I suppose Madame Genlis thought that
to have the spleen, to wear light stays, and to be
very proud and morose was to make her a
complete English woman. -- Little Miss Adele
is quite the prominent figure, Master Theodore
seems quite a subordinate little Gentleman, nor
do I remember his ever figuring away, but
when he repeats some Verses out of Milton
at the Ambassadors. The little importance
given to the learned languages in his Education
revolts me. Without this foundation of ancient
literature, the superstructure of true taste, will
not in my poor judgement be complete.
                                                         But

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the part of her System I best like is what
relates to the Prince, there is something
extremely noble, in the sentiments and
mode of Education of Baron Roseville. But
I do not like so much intrigue and tracasserie
in a book of Education. All that relates to
Madame de Valée and her Amours is surely
not in its place; in a professed novel I should
allow it to be extremely well written; but on
the whole I should have some objections to putting
this book into the hands of young Girls.
      I am not mightily delighted with the expedient
of singing duets to counteract sea sickness, an affectation
which never can subdue real intense suffering.
      There is something so honourable in the Author's
activity and industry in compiling so many
books for the Use of her pupils that it is
almost ill-natured to object to that which has
so much merit in it: But if they are
continually obliged to read only her compositions,
(and it does not appear that they read any

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thing else, how are they to acquire a knowledge
of the style of other writers or to form their
own. I confess I should be alarmed at so
dangerous an experiment as putting all the
best written works on the side of Infidelity
into the hands of a Girl of fourteen; but to
expect that a Girl of that Age should confute
all the plausible Arguments of those Specious
Sophists I own confounds all my notions of reason
and probability. To give a Girl poison at
fourteen, because it may possibly fall in
her way at thirty is the worst sort of inoculation
for mischief I ever heard of. --
      Then the training up the little Masters and
Misses for future little husbands and Wives
makes me sick and nothing can be so fade and insipid
as their loves and marriages when they do
take place.
      I am afraid I have written a little à la Miss
Bridget, splenetic and hyper-critical; but you
insisted, and would be obeyed. After all I know it

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is easier to make an hundred ill natured
remarks than to write the worst letter in
that book. The history of the Duchess is it not
incomparably well written throughout? I do
not know the moment when terror and pity
have reigned in my heart with all their power
so forcibly as when I read that story. It is
a long while since my imagination has been so
powerfully impressed. She paints with a strong
pencil, and vivid colouring. --
      You must be terribly at leisure to read
such a volume as this; it is almost a crime,
as all your moments are consecrated to employment
so honourable and so important: but the length
of my letter is meant to atone for the length
of my Silence.
      You will soon be going to Town, but I hope
to get a letter from you first.
      Mrs. Garrick loves you always. She is a good
friend but a bad correspondent, for she hates
writing, yet she writes well.
      Believe me dear Madam Your
                             faithful & obliged
                                                         Hannah More