Frances Burney’s 1779 play
The Witlings is a classic comedy of manners coupled with a
satiric take on London literary society. Wealthy Lady Smatter is the
president of the Esprit Party, a small and select group of literary
aficionados, dedicated to the study and spirit of poetry. She and friend
Mrs. Sapient spend most of their time fawning over the verse of Mr.
Dabler--even though his poetry is absolutely terrible,
“the most fantastic absurdity under heaven.” Lady Smatter is
also in charge of a wealthy orphan, Cecilia Stanley, whose fortune is
secured within a London bank. And she controls the inheritance of her
nephew, Beaufort, who is engaged to marry Cecilia. The match is all set,
the workers in Mrs. Wheedle’s milliner shop are almost finished with the
bridal caps … until Cecilia is suddenly broke. To maintain decorum and
society, Lady Smatter forbids the marriage between her nephew and a
penniless young woman, leading to hysterics and hijinks. But all is
resolved by Beaufort’s sensible friend Censor, who steps in to save the
day.
The novelist suppressed this satirical play in deference to the two father
figures in her life. Worried that it would offend powerful society
figures, her father recommended withholding it, and the now forgotten
author and family friend Samuel Crisp suggested that she
“write no more.” Filial duty and notions of proper feminine
conduct spurred Burney to this and other acts of self-censorship. She
wrote:
“I would a thousand times rather forfeit my character as a writer, than
risk ridicule or censure as a female.”
📖 The Witlings
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