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<!--ebb 2 July 2014: SCHEMA LINES: Please leave ALL the above TEI schema lines in place (and be sure your students know to look for them, too). The lines are NOT duplicates of each other, and if you delete either one, the TEI rules won't fire when there are coding errors in the document. If you DO delete one or both by accident, just go to open a new document, and under Framework Templates, choose TEI P5, and TEI All [P5], and the TEI rules will be back! On the last two or three files I've reviewed from you, I've noticed one of the schema lines is missing, after noting errors that <oXygen/> should have been catching!
Basically, if you're missing one of the TEI ALL schema lines, you're missing the warnings that fire when you mistype or misplace a TEI element: (For example, it's supposed to be listPerson, listPlace, listEvent, listBibl, for example, NOT ListPerson, ListBibl, etc...but oXygen wasn't able to catch that.)
CODING NOTES: As you're working on backlists, you want to be careful with how each entry is shaped:
<person xml:id="whateverID">
<persName>. . . . </persName>
<note> . . . </note>
</person>
The outermost element takes the xml:id and wraps all the info, INCLUDING the note, inside. Same thing applies for the other list entries. If you've got the Schema rules all on, they should be catching this stuff. Hope this helps!-->
<!--ebb: I've associated and dissociated the local schema MRMValidate.sch. That schema rule should sit below the others, and should run along with them. I've basically just checked and corrected some coding on this file this morning, and haven't yet updated the site index or tried to proof this one. Putting it back in Box for the moment as a Clean, Green copy, as it was not when I associated the full TEI schema this morning. -->
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<title>Letter to <persName ref="#Elford_SirWm">Sir William Elford</persName>, <date when="1820-09-30">30 September 1820</date></title>
<author ref="#MRM">Mary Russell Mitford</author>
<editor ref="#lmw">Lisa M. Wilson</editor>
<sponsor><orgName>Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project</orgName></sponsor>
<sponsor>University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg</sponsor>
<principal>Elisa Beshero-Bondar</principal>
<respStmt>
<resp>Transcription and coding by</resp>
<persName ref="#lmw">Lisa M. Wilson</persName>
</respStmt>
<respStmt>
<resp>Proofing and corrections by</resp>
<persName>who?</persName> <!-- fix when done. LMW -->
</respStmt>
</titleStmt>
<editionStmt>
<edition>First digital edition in TEI, date: 06 June 2014. P5.</edition>
</editionStmt>
<publicationStmt>
<authority>Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive</authority>
<pubPlace>Greensburg, PA, USA</pubPlace>
<date>2013</date>
<availability>
<p>Reproduced by courtesy of the <placeName >The John Rylands University Library</placeName>.</p>
<licence>Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
License</licence>
</availability>
</publicationStmt>
<seriesStmt>
<title>Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive</title>
</seriesStmt>
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<msDesc>
<msIdentifier><repository>Reading Central Library</repository>
<idno>MS number</idno></msIdentifier>
<head>Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to Sir William Elford, <date>30 September 1820</date>.</head>
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<p>Mitford’s spelling and punctuation are retained, except where a word is split at the
end of a line and the beginning of the next in the manuscript. Where Mitford’s
spelling and hyphenation of words deviates from the standard, in order to facilitate
searching we are using the TEI elements “choice," “sic," and “reg" to encode both
Mitford’s spelling and the regular international standard of Oxford English spelling,
following the first listed spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary. The long s and
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<div type="letter">
<opener>
<dateline>
<name type="place">Three Mile Cross</name>
<date when="1820-09">Sept. -- I don't know What--
In the <emph rend="underline">last</emph>--How many days has September?</date>
</dateline>
</opener>
<p>You delight me, my dear <persName ref="#Elford_SirWm">Friend</persName> by what you say about the <persName ref="#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>--It is just what I knew you would say--just what I think--only your Toryism takes some <del rend="squiggles" unit="charas" n="5">thing</del> <add place="above">what</add> of a party view of the question which my Whiggism <unclear></unclear> not. She is & must be guilty of a fatal want of all modesty all decency all the outworks to Virtue--And what is a woman without them! And what a terrible thing is party Spirit when such a woman is set up as an idol! If she were acquitted a thousand times it would never alter my opinion--& acquitted I hope she will be for the quiet of the nation--A mob in a good humour is a much more peaceable thing than a mob in an ill one--And as you say every body <del rend="squiggles" unit="chars" n="1"></del> knows what she is--they they talk so grandly about innocence and frailty & whatnot!--<quote>"Springes to catch woodcocks"</quote>--I liked your note to <persName ref="#Palmer_Mad">Lady Madalina</persName> exceedingly--Oh if she begins to write to you she will quite put my nose <metamark rend="caret" place="below" function="insertion"/><add place="above">out</add> of Joint--My only chance for favour was her going away--but if she begins to write--that charming person--& if she writes only half as delightfully as she talks--it is all over with <persName ref="#MRM">your poor little Correspondent</persName>--She will be thrown aside like an old glove--poor luckless castaway--not worth the stooping for--poor unhappy thing! Won't she?--The only comfort is that my charming rival cannot put her Scotch voice upon paper--that sweet Scotch voice--she cannot write that <pb n="2"/> can she?--There is my only chance. Oh I see that I am sinking in your good graces already--you accuse me of talking politics--& I avow to you my dear friend they talk politics less than any body of my acquaintance--never when any one will talk to me of flowers or greyhounds or pictures or books--Never, unless I meet with a person who is utterly ignorant of all better subjects & then when we have done with the weather & the Scotch novels--why there is nothing else to turn to--And then the Scotch novels--you accuse me of over-rating them--when I will be <del rend="squiggles" unit="chars" n="2"></del>bound to say that there is amongst all the nonsense that I have written to you full twenty sheets of sheer fault-finding & impertinence & sauciness about these same works. And then you accuse me of under-rating <persName ref="#Edgeworth_Maria">Miss Edgeworth</persName> & <persName ref="#Austen_Jane">Austen</persName>--when amongst the aforementioned bundle of trash might be found at least the same quantity of admiring praises of these worthies. The fact is my dear <persName ref="#Elford_SirWm">Sir Wiliam</persName> that our taste in novels, particularly these novels, is remarkably similar--I am more headlong & ardent than you, & I have not half of your clearness & soundness of judgment & therefore may be sometimes carried away by my admiration of the beauties to overlook the faults that accompany them--but the parts that I particularly admire are precisely those which you yourself would select as nearest to Common nature--to real existing life--<persName ref="#Oldbuck_Jonathan">Oldbuck</persName> and <persName ref="#Edie_Ochiltree">Edie Ochiltree</persName>--<persName ref="#Pleydell">Pleydell</persName> & <persName ref="#Dandie_Dinmont">Dandie Dinmont</persName>--<persName ref="#Denison_JennyWS">Jenny Dennison</persName><note resp="#lmw">Character in Walter Scott's Old Mortality. More usually spelled "Denison."></note>--<persName ref="#Deans_Jeanie">Jeanie Deans</persName>--the <persName ref="#Baron_Bradwardine">Baron of Bradwardine</persName>--these are my heroes--these I hold by--& utterly reject & abominate the <persName ref="#Meg_Merrilies">Meg Merrilies</persName>--& <persName ref="#BalfoursWS">Balfours of Burleys</persName>--&<persName ref="#Elspeth">old Elspeths</persName>--& <persName ref="#White_SpiritWS">white Spirits</persName> of all sorts<pb n="3"/> How is this not your Creed? Moreover I hold the wit & the admirable delineation of character & of manners in the Mesdemoiselles <persName ref="#Edgeworth_Maria">Edgeworth</persName> & <persName ref="#Austen_Jane">Austen</persName> to be fifty times more valuable and less imitable than the romantic & historical & poetical parts of the Scotch novels--preferring <persName ref="#Austen_Jane"> Miss Austen</persName> to <persName ref="#Edgeworth_Maria">Miss Edgeworth</persName> inasmuch as she has more heart & never deviates into the slang and vulgarity of high life as <persName ref="#Edgeworth_Maria">Miss Edgeworth</persName> sometimes condescends to do--Is not this your Creed also? And will you rank me any longer with your <persName>Mr. Marshams</persName>? or such unwise scorners & scoffers you dear faithless Correspondent? Oh?--After all I believe you knew my opinion as well as I did myself & only threw out the reproach which has occasioned this tirade <del rend="squiggles" unit="chars" n="1"></del> just as one struts up to a Bantam Hen sometimes to have the pleasure of <del rend="squiggles" unit="word" n="1">visiting</del>putting the little fool in a pet & making her ruffle up her feathers--If so you deserve to be published by this tedious explanation--Oh you little knew what a shower bath was coming when you pulled the string--or you would have <del rend="squiggles" unit="word" n="1"></del>jumped out first--as the gentleman did in a story you once told me--Would not you?--Perhaps I may like <persName ref="#Scott_Wal">Walter Scott</persName> better than you did first from having more enthusiasm of that particular sort--& feeling therefore somewhat more strongly the gratitude due to the Author of fine books--Secondly from not having <del rend="squiggles" unit="word" n="1"><supplied resp="#lmw">the</supplied></del> <add place="above">your</add> variety of resources in conversation & being most thankful to any one who spares <del rend="scribble" unit="word"><supplied resp="#lmw">one</supplied></del><add place="above">me</add> the trouble of hunting for a subject to talk of to strangers or the stupid. Oh what an inexpressible comfort it is when perched on a sofa next to some pretty bland Miss whom one is expected to entertain to have the power of <pb n="4"/> of breaking the Ice & making her <del rend="scribble" unit="word"><supplied resp="#lmw">tongue</supplied></del><add place="above">speech</add> flow by the simple question. <q>"Have you read <title ref="#Abbott_WS">the Abbott</title>?"</q> or <q>"Do you like <title ref="#Monastery">the Monastery</title>?"</q> All the world can talk of the Scotch novels & half the world can talk of nothing else.--Before we entirely leave the subject of Novels, Have you read or heard of <title ref="#Sir_Fr_Darrell">Sir Francis Darrell</title>? A new novel by <persName ref="#Dallas_RC">Mr. Dallas</persName>. <persName ref="#Dallas_RC">Dallas</persName> is a bad writer & this can hardly be called a good work, bad the plan, & the character of the heroine very fine indeed. Nothing of this appears in the first Volume which is so dull as almost to have tempted me to throw down the book--but as the character opens one becomes interested--It is founded on the grand sublime, elevating virtue of Repentance & the hero is more exalted by his humility & self-abasement than can be imagined--All the best of the book is very bad--quite below <unclear></unclear>--but this fine conception makes it worth reading. <persName ref="#Dallas_RC">Mr. Dallas</persName> is the person to whom <persName ref="#Byron">Lord Byron</persName> gave the profits of the first Canto of <title ref="#Childe_Harold">Childe Harold</title>--he being ruined I believe by an expensive wife--(indeed I have heard that she will not dine without being serenaded by musicians, & I cannot help thinking--though there is no visible allusion that in the character though not in the story there is an ocassional hint at <persName ref="#Byron">Lord Byron</persName>--At least that the <persName ref="#Dallas_RC">Author</persName> means to suggest him & of him--that lost fame and lost virtue & lost happiness may be recovered & redressed. <metamark rend="jerk"/> How are you off for Summer in <placeName ref="#Devonshire_county">Devonshire</placeName>? The two last days have brought ours back again--I am writing out of doors in our little Arbour <!-- handshift here, parens in red crayon LMW-->with my attention somewhat distracted by a superb butterfly close by who is fluttering around & around in the sun <del rend="squiggles" unit="word" n="1"></del> swinging in the rich blossom of a <rs type="plant" ref="#China_Aster">China Aster</rs>--how fond they are of China Asters! So am I--They come when flowers<pb n="5"/> begin to be most precious & rare--I have never had so many before--or so fine--& they are always beautiful with their rich colours like so many patterns for winter gowns--or with the pure delicate white stripes mingled with purple like violets of both hues--And they are so hardy too--they hold up their gay heads & <emph rend="underline">will</emph> live and let the weather be what it may--I dearly love China Asters & so do the butterflies. But indeed <!-- handshift here, parens in red crayon LMW-->in this little garden I have had a great crop of flowers of all sorts--Its quite astonishing how little room they will do with, & I like that crowd of bright blossoms mingling <del rend="squiggles" unit="word" n="1"><supplied resp="#lmw">the</supplied></del> one with the other like flowers in a basket or the mimic qaiety of a <gap reason="torn"/><add place="above">carpet</add><!--It looks to me like the paper was torn, MRM crossed out the -pet of carpet and wrote in carpet above; Unless it is added in another hand? LMW --> I have been <gap reason="torn" unit="chars" n="2"/><supplied resp="#lmw">ge</supplied>tting in my harvest of sweet peas to day.--What <gap reason="torn" unit="chars" n="1"/><supplied resp="#lmw">s</supplied>tuff I write to you my dear Friend--full of confidence in your kindness--& presuming upon it almost past bearing--But these trifles are my pleasures--a port even of my happiness & why should I not talk about them! <metamark rend="jerk"/> <persName ref="#Mitford_Geo">Papa</persName> has seen <persName ref="#Palmer_CF">Mr. Palmer</persName> today. who gives an excellent account of <persName ref="#Palmer_Mad">Lady Madalina</persName><!-- I can't tell if MRM writes this name Madalina or Madelina. In the reference sources we found it was spelled with two A's. But the more I look at examples the more I think MRM spells it with an e. LMW -->--perhaps I may see him tomorrow--If I do I will let you know any news I may hear of her--Am I not a generous rival?-- Adieu my dear Friend--Pray write soon. Kindest regards from all here--Ever most affectionately,</p>
<closer>
<persName ref="#MRM">M.R. Mitford</persName> <lb/>
</closer>
<postscript><p>Have you seen a <title ref="#Letter_to_HM_1820">letter to <persName ref="#More_Hannah">Hannah More</persName> from an English woman on the present Crisis</title>? It is by my friend <persName ref="#Hofland_B">Mrs. Hofland</persName>--Exceedingly well & even elegantly written.</p><pb n="1"/> <!-- MRM returns to write on first leaf here. How did we decide to code? LMW --><p>I had half a mind not to let this scrawl go--it is so stupid--but I will send it--you will be entertained with my jealousy--& I love to make you laugh whether with me or at me. Good bye my dear Friend--</p>
<p>Don't you think the Whigs are much to blame to encourage the <persName ref="#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>? Why do they I wonder. Once more Goodbye--</p></postscript>
</div>
</body>
<back>
<div>
<listPerson type="hist">
<person xml:id="More_Hannah"><persName>Hannah More</persName>
<note>(2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) author & philanthropist</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="Dallas_RC"><persName><forename>Robert</forename> <forename>Charles</forename> <surname>Dallas</surname></persName>
<note>Robert Charles (R.C.) Dallas "NAME AUTHORITIES:
LOC: Dallas, Robert Charles, 1754-1824
DNB: Dallas, Robert Charles (1754-1824), writer
LBT ID: RoDalla1824 VIAF ID: 25774123 LOC ID: n79089792 B/BAP: 1754
DIED: 1824
SOURCES: DNB; Virtual International Authority File; thePeerage.com; LOC Name Authority File
English poet, novelist, and translator who corresponded with Byron. His sister Charlotte Henrietta Dallas (d. 1793) married Captain George Anson Byron (1758-1793); their son George Anson Byron (1789-1868) inherited Byron's title in 1824." (Lord Byron and his times)</note></person></listPerson>
<listPerson type="fict">
<person xml:id="Denison_Jenny_WS"><persName>Jenny Denison</persName>
<note resp="#lmw">character in Old Mortality by Walter Scott, spelled there Denison. Edith Bellenden's maid. Mitford spells "Dennison" in 1820-09-30 letter to Elford.</note></person>
<person xml:id="Deans_Jeanie_WS"><persName>Jeanie Deans</persName>
<note resp="#lmw">character in the Heart of Midlothian by Walter Scott, heroine and sister of Effie Deans. She walks to London to secure a pardon for her sister on a charge of infanticide.</note></person>
<person xml:id="Bradwardine_Baron_WS"><persName>Baron of Bradwardine</persName>
<note resp="#lmw">Jacobite character in Waverley, lives at Tully-Veolan, friend of Edward Waverley's uncle.</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="Balfours_WS"><persName>Balfours of Burleys</persName>
<note resp="#lmw">The Balfours of Burley are a family in Walter Scott's Old Mortality.</note></person>
<person xml:id="Elspeth"><persName>Elspeth</persName>
<note resp="#mw">The character of Elspeth is Steenie's grandmother in Walter Scott's The Antiquary. Mitford refers to her as "old Elspeth" in her 1820-09-30 letter to Elford.</note></person>
<person xml:id="White_Spirit_WS"><persName>the White Spirit</persName>
<note resp="lmw">the White Spirit is a supernatural guardian spirit character in Walter Scott's The Monastery.</note>
</person>
<!-- www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk is a good source for checking references to Walter Scott works and character names. LMW -->
</listPerson>
<listBibl>
<bibl><title xml:id="Letter_to_HM_1820">letter to <persName ref="#More_Hannah">Hannah More</persName> from an English woman on the present Crisis</title>
<note>2nd ed. questionably attributed to Jane Alice Sargant (which library?) MRM says Hofland. 18 page pamphlet. An Englishwoman's Letter to Mrs. Hannah More on the Present Crisis. London: Hatchard & Sons, 1820. 8vo.</note>
</bibl>
<bibl><title xml:id="Childe_Harold">Childe Harold</title></bibl> <!-- Are we referring to separately by cantos as published or as whole? LMW --><!--ebb: We can do both if the need arises. There's good reason to to have a single entry for the whole thing. We can do separate ones for specific cantos as she mentions them.-->
<bibl><title xml:id="Sir_Fr_Darrell">Sir Francis Darrell</title><note>Sir Francis Darrell; or, the Vortex. A Novel. by R.C. Dallas 4 vols. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, 1820. vols. 1 and 2 in Google Books.</note></bibl>
</listBibl>
</div>
</back>
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