"A drudge amid the smiles of Wealth and Power": the Burneys and their Montagu Patrons
Joy Hudson
Abstract
For the Burneys, the Montagu family represented an important source of social and professional influence. John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and (to a lesser degree) Captain John Montagu supported Charles Burney鈥檚 musical career and James Burney鈥檚 advancement in the Royal Navy. The cost of patronage, however, is revealed in Charles鈥檚 correspondence and, in particular, the circumstances surrounding the suppression of Frances Burney鈥檚 first play, The Witlings (1779). Although Frances had little direct connection to the earl, I argue that his famous episodes with monkeys may have served as the model for Captain Mirvan and the notorious monkey incident in her novel Evelina (1778). While Frances was better acquainted with the Bluestocking Elizabeth Montagu, she nonetheless satirized Montagu鈥檚 support of women writers as the foolish Lady Smatter in The Witlings, which served as her indictment of a system of patronage and dependence that she was ultimately able to escape.
Keywords
Burney, Charles, 1726-1814; Burney, James, 1750-1821; Burney, Frances, 1752-1840; Montagu, John, 1719-1795; Montagu, John, Earl of Sandwich, 1718-1792; Montagu, Elizabeth, 1718-1800; Patronage; Navy, music history, The Witlings; Evelina.
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