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Cecilia

English BooksWhale Edition by Fanny Burney

A social novel of inheritance, guardianship, manners, marriage, money, and Cecilia Beverley’s independence.

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Cecilia

Cecilia follows Cecilia Beverley into London society, where fortune, guardians, courtship, debt, pride, and family expectations complicate her choices. Fanny Burney combines satire, sentiment, and social observation to examine women’s property, marriage markets, public reputation, fashionable manners, and the strain between feeling and financial control.

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Why this edition can be shared

Fanny Burney died in 1840, and Cecilia was first published in 1782. These dates support the public-domain basis for this original-language edition.

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Cecilia

or

Preview chapterMEMOIRS OF AN HEIRESSPreview

By Frances Burney

Preview chapterPREFACEPreview

“Fanny's Cecilia came out last summer, and is as much liked and read, I believe, as any book ever was,” wrote Charlotte Burney in Jan. 1783. “She had 250 pounds for it from Payne and Cadell. Most people say she ought to have had a thousand. It is now going into the third edition, though Payne owns that they printed two thousand at the first edition, and Lowndes told me five hundred was the common number for a novel.” [Footnote: The Early Diary of Frances Burney, with a selection from her correspondence, and from the journals of her sisters Susan and Charlotte Burney. Edited by Annie Raine Ellis. 1889. Vol. II. p. 307.]

The manuscript of Cecilia was submitted to Dr Burney and Mr Crisp during its composition, and their suggestions were in some cases adopted, as we learn from the Diary. Dr Johnson was not consulted, but a desire at once to imitate and to please him evidently controlled the work.

Under these circumstances it is naturally less fresh and spontaneous than Evelina, but it is more mature. The touch is surer and the plot more elaborate. We cannot to-day fully appreciate the “conflict scene between mother and son,” for which, Miss Burney tells us, the book was written; but the pictures of eighteenth century affectations are all alive, and the story is thoroughly absorbing, except, perhaps, in the last book.

Miss Burney often took the name of her characters from her acquaintances, and it seems probable that some of the “types” in Cecilia are also drawn from real life. The title of Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice was borrowed from Cecilia, and some points of resemblance may be traced between the two novels.

The present edition is reprinted from:--

CECILIA, or, Memoirs of an Heiress. By the author of Evelina. In five volumes. London: Printed for T. Payne and Son, at the Newsgate, and T. Cadell in the Strand. MDCCLXXXII. R. B. J.

Table of contents

Inside this edition

  1. 01Full text
  2. 02MEMOIRS OF AN HEIRESS
  3. 03PREFACE
  4. 04THE RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE TO MISS F. BURNEY. (AFTER READING CECILIA.)
  5. 05I have the honour to be, with great gratitude, respect, and esteem, madam, your most obedient and most humble servant,
  6. 06EDM. BURKE
  7. 07ADVERTISEMENT.
  8. 08CHAPTER i
  9. 09A JOURNEY.
  10. 10CHAPTER ii
  11. 11AN ARGUMENT.
  12. 12CHAPTER iii
  13. 13AN ARRIVAL.
  14. 14CHAPTER iv
  15. 15A SKETCH OF HIGH LIFE.
  16. 16CHAPTER v
  17. 17AN ASSEMBLY.
  18. 18CHAPTER vi
  19. 19A BREAKFAST.
  20. 20CHAPTER vii
  21. 21A PROJECT.
  22. 22CHAPTER viii
  23. 23AN OPERA REHEARSAL.
  24. 24CHAPTER ix
  25. 25A SUPPLICATION.
  26. 26CHAPTER x
  27. 27A PROVOCATION.
  28. 28CHAPTER xi
  29. 29A NARRATION.
  30. 30BOOK II
  31. 31CHAPTER i
  32. 32A MAN OF WEALTH
  33. 33CHAPTER ii
  34. 34A MAN OF FAMILY.
  35. 35CHAPTER iii
  36. 36A MASQUERADE.
  37. 37CHAPTER iv
  38. 38AN AFFRAY.
  39. 39CHAPTER v
  40. 40A FASHIONABLE FRIEND.
  41. 41CHAPTER vi
  42. 42A FAMILY PARTY.
  43. 43CHAPTER vii
  44. 44AN EXAMINATION.
  45. 45CHAPTER viii
  46. 46A TETE A TETE.
  47. 47BOOK THREE
  48. 48CHAPTER i
  49. 49AN APPLICATION.
  50. 50CHAPTER ii
  51. 51A PERPLEXITY.
  52. 52CHAPTER iii
  53. 53AN ADMONITION.
  54. 54CHAPTER iv
  55. 55AN EVASION.
  56. 56CHAPTER v
  57. 57AN ADVENTURE.
  58. 58CHAPTER vi
  59. 59A MAN OF GENIUS.
  60. 60CHAPTER vii
  61. 61AN EXPEDIENT.
  62. 62CHAPTER viii
  63. 63A REMONSTRANCE.
  64. 64CHAPTER ix
  65. 65A VICTORY.
  66. 66BOOK IV.
  67. 67CHAPTER i
  68. 68A COMPLAINT.
  69. 69CHAPTER ii
  70. 70A SYMPATHY.
  71. 71CHAPTER iii
  72. 72A CONFLICT.
  73. 73CHAPTER iv
  74. 74AN EXPECTATION.
  75. 75CHAPTER v
  76. 76AN AGITATION.
  77. 77CHAPTER vi
  78. 78A MAN OF THE TON.
  79. 79CHAPTER vii
  80. 80A REPROOF.
  81. 81CHAPTER viii
  82. 82A MISTAKE.
  83. 83CHAPTER ix
  84. 84AN EXPLANATION.
  85. 85MEMOIRS OF AN HEIRESS
  86. 86VOLUME II (of III)
  87. 87BOOK IV. Continued.
  88. 88CHAPTER x. -- A MURMURING.
  89. 89BOOK V.
  90. 90CHAPTER i. -- A ROUT.
  91. 91CHAPTER ii. -- A BROAD HINT.
  92. 92CHAPTER iii. -- AN ACCOMMODATION.
  93. 93CHAPTER iv. -- A DETECTION.
  94. 94CHAPTER v. -- A SARCASM.
  95. 95CHAPTER vi. -- A SURMISE.
  96. 96CHAPTER vii. -- A BOLD STROKE.
  97. 97CHAPTER viii. -- A MISER'S MANSION.
  98. 98CHAPTER ix. -- A DECLARATION.
  99. 99CHAPTER x. -- A GAMESTER'S CONSCIENCE.
  100. 100CHAPTER xi. -- A PERSECUTION.
  101. 101CHAPTER xii. -- A MAN OF BUSINESS.
  102. 102CHAPTER xiii. -- A SOLUTION.
  103. 103BOOK VI
  104. 104CHAPTER i. -- A DEBATE.
  105. 105CHAPTER ii. -- A RAILING.
  106. 106CHAPTER iii. -- AN ANTIQUE MANSION.
  107. 107CHAPTER iv. -- A RATTLE.
  108. 108CHAPTER v. -- A STORM.
  109. 109CHAPTER vi. -- A MYSTERY.
  110. 110CHAPTER vii. -- AN ANECDOTE.
  111. 111CHAPTER viii. -- A CONFERENCE.
  112. 112CHAPTER ix. -- AN ATTACK.
  113. 113CHAPTER x. -- A RETREAT.
  114. 114CHAPTER xi. -- A WORRY.
  115. 115BOOK VII.
  116. 116CHAPTER i. -- A RENOVATION.
  117. 117CHAPTER ii. -- A VISIT.
  118. 118CHAPTER iii. -- AN INCIDENT.
  119. 119CHAPTER iv. -- A PROPOSITION.
  120. 120CHAPTER v. -- A LETTER.
  121. 121CHAPTER vi. -- A DISCUSSION.
  122. 122CHAPTER vii. -- A RETROSPECTION.
  123. 123CHAPTER viii. -- AN EMBARRASSMENT.
  124. 124CHAPTER ix. -- A TORMENT.
  125. 125BOOK VIII.
  126. 126CHAPTER i
  127. 127BOOK IV. Continued.
  128. 128CHAPTER x. -- A MURMURING.
  129. 129BOOK V.
  130. 130CHAPTER i. -- A ROUT.
  131. 131CHAPTER ii. -- A BROAD HINT.
  132. 132CHAPTER iii. -- AN ACCOMMODATION.
  133. 133CHAPTER iv. -- A DETECTION.
  134. 134CHAPTER v. -- A SARCASM.
  135. 135CHAPTER vi. -- A SURMISE.
  136. 136CHAPTER vii. -- A BOLD STROKE.
  137. 137CHAPTER viii. -- A MISER'S MANSION.
  138. 138CHAPTER ix. -- A DECLARATION.
  139. 139CHAPTER x. -- A GAMESTER'S CONSCIENCE.
  140. 140CHAPTER xi. -- A PERSECUTION.
  141. 141CHAPTER xii. -- A MAN OF BUSINESS.
  142. 142CHAPTER xiii. -- A SOLUTION.
  143. 143I would not lead such a life again, if the slave who works hardest at the oar would change with me.
  144. 144BOOK VI
  145. 145CHAPTER i. -- A DEBATE.
  146. 146CHAPTER ii. -- A RAILING.
  147. 147CHAPTER iii. -- AN ANTIQUE MANSION.
  148. 148CHAPTER iv. -- A RATTLE.
  149. 149CHAPTER v. -- A STORM.
  150. 150CHAPTER vi. -- A MYSTERY.
  151. 151CHAPTER vii. -- AN ANECDOTE.
  152. 152CHAPTER viii. -- A CONFERENCE.
  153. 153CHAPTER ix. -- AN ATTACK.
  154. 154CHAPTER x. -- A RETREAT.
  155. 155CHAPTER xi. -- A WORRY.
  156. 156BOOK VII.
  157. 157CHAPTER i. -- A RENOVATION.
  158. 158CHAPTER ii. -- A VISIT.
  159. 159CHAPTER iii. -- AN INCIDENT.
  160. 160CHAPTER iv. -- A PROPOSITION.
  161. 161CHAPTER v. -- A LETTER.
  162. 162CHAPTER vi. -- A DISCUSSION.
  163. 163CHAPTER vii. -- A RETROSPECTION.
  164. 164CHAPTER viii. -- AN EMBARRASSMENT.
  165. 165CHAPTER ix. -- A TORMENT.
  166. 166BOOK VIII.
  167. 167CHAPTER i
  168. 168AN INTERRUPTION.
  169. 169FRANCES BURNEY
  170. 170VOL. III.
  171. 171BOOK VIII. Continued.
  172. 172CHAPTER ii.
  173. 173AN EVENT.
  174. 174CHAPTER iii.
  175. 175A CONSTERNATION.
  176. 176CHAPTER iv.
  177. 177A PERTURBATION.
  178. 178CHAPTER v.
  179. 179A COTTAGE.
  180. 180CHAPTER vi.
  181. 181A CONTEST.
  182. 182CHAPTER vii.
  183. 183A MESSAGE.
  184. 184M.D.
  185. 185CHAPTER vii.
  186. 186A PARTING.
  187. 187CHAPTER viii.
  188. 188A TALE.
  189. 189CHAPTER ix.
  190. 190A SHOCK.
  191. 191BOOK IX.
  192. 192CHAPTER i.
  193. 193A COGITATION.
  194. 194CHAPTER ii.
  195. 195A SURPRIZE.
  196. 196CHAPTER iii.
  197. 197A CONFABULATION.
  198. 198CHAPTER iv.
  199. 199A WRANGLING.
  200. 200CHAPTER v.
  201. 201A SUSPICION.
  202. 202CHAPTER vi.
  203. 203A DISTURBANCE.
  204. 204HENRIETTA BELFIELD.
  205. 205CHAPTER vii.
  206. 206A CALM.
  207. 207CHAPTER viii.
  208. 208AN ALARM.
  209. 209CHAPTER ix.
  210. 210A SUSPENSE.
  211. 211I have lived a life of tumult since last compelled to leave you, and when it may subside, I am still in utter ignorance.
  212. 212CHAPTER x.
  213. 213A RELATION.
  214. 214AUGUSTA DELVILE.
  215. 215CHAPTER xi.
  216. 216AN ENTERPRISE.
  217. 217BOOK X.
  218. 218CHAPTER i
  219. 219A DISCOVERY.
  220. 220CHAPTER ii.
  221. 221AN INTERVIEW.
  222. 222CHAPTER iii.
  223. 223A SUMMONS.
  224. 224CHAPTER iv.
  225. 225A DELIBERATION.
  226. 226CHAPTER v.
  227. 227A DECISION.
  228. 228COMPTON DELVILE.
  229. 229CHAPTER vi.
  230. 230A PRATING.
  231. 231CHAPTER vii.
  232. 232A PURSUIT.
  233. 233CHAPTER vii.
  234. 234AN ENCOUNTER.
  235. 235MADNESS.
  236. 236CHAPTER ix.
  237. 237A TRIBUTE.
  238. 238CHAPTER x.
  239. 239A TERMINATION.
  240. 240CECILIA DELVILE.

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