Still shall the muse of History proclaim
To future ages thy immortal name!'

There are many references to the celebrities of the time in her
letters home,--every one agrees as to the extreme folly of
Sheridan's entertainments, Mrs. Opie is spoken of as a rising
authoress, etc. etc. etc.

Miss Austen used to go to 23 Hans Place, and Miss Mitford used to
stay at No. 22, but not at the same time. Mrs. Mitford had known
Miss Austen as a child. She may perhaps be forgiven for some
prejudice and maternal jealousy, in her later impressions, but Mary
Mitford admired Jane Austen always with warmest enthusiasm. She
writes to her mother at length from London, describing everything,
all the people and books and experiences that she comes across,--the
elegant suppers at Brompton, the Grecian lamps, Mr. Barker's beauty,
Mr. Plummer's plainness, and the destruction of her purple gown.

Mrs. Mitford writes back in return describing Reading festivities,
'an agreeable dinner at Doctor Valpy's, where Mrs. Women and Miss
Peacock are present and Mr. J. Simpson, M.P.; the dinner very good,
two full courses and one remove, the soup giving place to one
quarter of lamb.' Mrs. Mitford sends a menu of every dinner she
goes to.

In 1806 Dr. Mitford takes his daughter, who was then about nineteen,
to the North to visit his relations; they are entertained by the
grandparents of the Trevelyans and the Swinburnes, the Ogles and the
Mitfords of the present day. They fish in Sir John Swinburne's
lake, they visit at Alnwick Castle. Miss Mitford kept her front