1592997948000 1561032281000 Standard Record object-110005633 1747159852033 1681744287000 1747159409017 adlib fitz-online adlib-object-110005633 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005633 21423c61-939b-3f62-b808-afcdb7862b35 5 person reference agent-192551 adlib-agent-192551 b494e74a-20ec-3ce9-be5f-3267eaba4253 Seward, Anna person reference agent-192537 adlib-agent-192537 d5687729-51f9-3b8b-a80c-fcaefd5b4dfe Darwin, Erasmus person reference agent-116992 adlib-agent-116992 ef3205d8-6794-3a6e-aae6-922ee555a7fb Romney, George person reference agent-45771 adlib-agent-45771 b9e1e92c-edf1-3a4c-a4eb-f5fbaae070a3 Flaxman, John person reference agent-198683 adlib-agent-198683 7e8947bd-8aa7-3fbc-8d50-d176e429f260 Long, William FRS, FSA person reference agent-60281 adlib-agent-60281 eb950ea2-c7cf-31ca-86c5-6e18f0e39f92 Hayley, Thomas Alphonso person reference agent-198502 adlib-agent-198502 b67bd5fa-4f2a-302b-afaa-81f4c4f45ec8 Hayley, Eliza person reference agent-198991 adlib-agent-198991 6704da4c-9ab6-3716-8ebd-8a5d62c1c5ab Saville, John person reference agent-198972 adlib-agent-198972 920da6ce-e8e0-3b0e-94df-aef3bd9411e9 Seward, Thomas person reference agent-199450 adlib-agent-199450 b74fafd8-72d7-3b51-8565-77f1e14c9ba2 Farren, Elizabeth content description Hayley writes: "Instead of condoling with you on the illiberal Treatment yr Muse has lately received, I am disposed to congratulate you on so striking tho un-wish'd for a proof of your literary Excellence. Had yr Talents been of the moderate kind, the Sanctity of your Sex would certainly have secured you against the gross Insults of those abusive & skulking Banditti who infest the province of Literature.-- But as you have boldly dared to excell [sic] those who write in Breeches, you must not expect the Free-booters of Criticism to shew you any Mercy on the pretensions of your Petticoat.--- To speak a little more seriously let me advise you, my dr Friend, never to waste a Thought on the Wretches, who may attempt to lessen yr literary Fame." He thanks Seward for the sonnet to Darwin that she has sent him, and writes that he is glad that "the friendly Intercourse, which I wished to preserve between you is again reviving" [see Hayley/XII/13]. Hayley relates that George Romney and John Flaxman have visited recently, while William Long "comes only like a flying Balloon of Fire, gazed at with Surprise & pleasure for a few moments, & then seen no more". Romney stayed "but a Fortnight", during which he "contrived ... as usual to delight us with some enchanting Productions, the most valuable is an admirable Portrait of Himself as full of Fire & Spirit as a Countenance ought to be, that is to have the Honor of looking perpetually at yr Ladyship." Flaxman has "superintended the putting up of our new chimney piece, the most exquisite little production in Marble that I ever held! [this probably refers to the mantelpiece in the library of Eartham House: still extant] He also called forth from a Lump of black Clay a very striking resemblance of yr humble servant - we are no judges of our own Likeness, but the Bust appears to me a marvellous Imitation of Life & Romney, for whom it is modelled, has pronounced a very high & decisive Encomium on the Success of the Artist." Hayley continues with an anecdote of how his son Thomas Alphonso (aged not quite four) had attempted to soothe one of Hayley's headaches by reading "the speech of Satan to the Sun" from Milton's "Paradise Lost". "I wish you could hear the little Creature spout Shakespeare - His present favourite is a Speech of King Lear 'The King would speak with Cornwall &c', which he rehearses with infinite Spirit". He writes that he has "got a song newly set by a musical Friend of Eliza's [Hayley's first wife] - & will send it to Giovanni [John Saville]", and concludes by writing that he has "nothing to tell" Seward concerning "the exhibition on our plays ... as I only heard from Rmney & Longinus [William Long], that they were in general admirably performed - particularly the Comedy [The Two Connoisseurs], in which Miss Farren played Lady Harriot with enchanting elegance & vivacity". Hayley/XII/43 1 accession number Hayley/XII/43 110005633 priref 110005633 uri https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005633 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005633 reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum 1784 1784 1784-10-03 reference agent-198487 adlib-agent-198487 4dbae6db-a725-3bfd-b34e-5d215b1a85e6 Hayley, William 1 sheet, folded. William Hayley to Anna Seward: letter object OBJECT