Title details for Mourtray Family, The:
Year: 1800.
Author(s): Elizabeth HERVEY
Gender: Female.
Title: THE MOURTRAY FAMILY. A NOVEL. IN FOUR VOLUMES.
Publication: London: Printed by Millar Ritchie, Middle Street, Cloth Fair, for R. Faulder, New Bond Street, 1800.
Format: 4 vols (I 299p; II 281p; III 276p; IV 276p). 12°.
Cat. nos: Corvey; CME 3-628-48388-3; EM 2504: 1; EN2 1800: 42; ESTC n005765; OCLC 6793209.
Notes: ECB 266 lists Colburn edn, 1810.
Further edns: 2nd edn 1810 (NSTC); 3rd edn 1814 (NSTC); French trans., 1802.
DBF record no: 1800A041.
Newspaper Advertisements
Morning Chronicle
Sat, 9 Aug 1800. (2.1.6).
‘This day is published’. 4v 16s. Boards.
Thu, 14 Aug 1800. (1.3.4).
‘This day is published’. 4v 16s. Boards.
Thu, 6 Dec 1810. (2.1.8).
‘[Books published this day]’. 4v 12s. Boards.
Notes: 2nd edn.
Sat, 8 Dec 1810. (2.3.11).
‘[Books published this day]’. 4v 12s. Boards.
Notes: 2nd edn.
Wed, 12 Dec 1810. (2.3.12).
‘[Books published this day]’. 4v 12s. Boards.
Notes: 2nd edn.
Tue, 12 Mar 1811. (2.4.2).
‘[Books published this day]’. 4v 12s. Boards.
Notes: 2nd edn.
Thu, 14 Mar 1811. (2.3.18).
‘[Books published this day]’. 4v 12s. Boards.
Notes: 2nd edn.
Reviews
Contemporary Reviews
Critical Review, 3rd ser. 22 (Mar 1811): 300–06.
The lovers of the marvelous will not find entertainment in the perusal of the four volumes now before us, for here is nothing wonderful to charm their attention, put their brain in a whirl, and make their hair stand on end. Mrs. Hervey has evinced some knowledge of character, but there is nothing at all new in her plot. The incidents, which are such as occur in familiar and fashionable life are natural enough, thrown together well enough, and told well enough. Though Mrs. Hervey has not made any cogent demands on her readers’ sympathy and tears by the hard fate of an imprisoned or persecuted damsel, she has very considerately and good humouredly indulged us with [300⁄301]an elopement in the usual manner, viz, that of eluding a French governess and a suspicious and watchful papa. Mrs. Hervey’s lovers are a rational kind of beings, who are willing to marry the object of their choice according to l’usage du monde, in a quiet manner, without having recourse to scaling ladders, or endangering their lives by hair-breadth ’scapes. But, fearing our fair readers may be impressed with the idea that Mrs. Hervey is dull and sombre, we beg to assure them, that her lovers are fashionable young men, and sufficiently ardent, independently of the elopement we mentioned, which must always be interesting to young ladies. By way of a fillip, we are regaled with a raging fever which terminates happily, and a duel, which ends as fatally as heart can wish, or any reasonable young lady can desire. And furthermore we do say, that as much entertainment may be derived by the perusal of the ‘Mourtray Family,’ as can well be found in the description of a ruined castle with unfrequented chambers and long passages, with accommodating footsteps; heard at the dismal hour of midnight, &c.
Mr. Mourtray, the head of this family, lives on his estate called Downton Hall, in one of the western counties. This said estate had, once on a time, been so considerable as to attach great consequence to its possessors, but, by giving support to the royal cause during the civil wars, it had been greatly reduced, and part of it sold. It still, however, retained much distinction among the neighbouring gentry; and though the estate brought in but barely sufficient to keep up the appearance of gentility, yet from the antiquity of the family, as much as from the goodness of its present owners, the Mourtray family were looked up to with respect and deference.
Mr. and Mrs. Mourtray have a son and daughter, the only remaining children of a large family. The son is a wild and volatile youth, who reforms, in good time, after some wholesome discipline in the school of adversity. The daughter is a very beautiful, accomplished, and amiable girl, well educated by her father, and deservedly the darling of this good man. She remains in seclusion with much serenity and happiness, till she becomes on a familiar visiting footing with their near neighbours, the Earl of Wilmington’s family, whose haughty countess and two fashionable daughters find Emma Mourtray an acquisition in the country, and consequently notice her for their own convenience, not forgetting, at the same time, to impress her with a just notion of the honour they confer by permit-[301⁄302]ting her to be domesticated with them. The elegant and easy style of’ living, which she enjoys during these visits, makes her return with regret to the dull sameness of Downton Hall. She had also inconsiderately imbibed notions of grandeur and ambition, which would not have been indulged had she not gone out of her sphere to be thus domesticated with this noble family. These notions, mixed with a certain quantity of vanity, which had gained strength by the great attention shown her on account of her beauty, intelligence, and pleasing manners, made her think the gloomy months of a severe winter, in which she was employed in plain work and other useful occupations, almost insupportable. She sighs for the enjoyment of those gay scenes of which her noble friends, Lady Belle and Lady Elizabeth are partaking in London. When lo! as she is copying some music while her mother is at her needle, and her father is employed over the silent and scientific game of chess, with an old French emigrant, the village post-man brings letters, one of which contains information of the death of a relation who has left Mr. Mourtray thirty thousand pounds, and his estate in Antigua. This estate had been forcibly detained by a third person, and a suit was commenced to regain it, just at the time this relation is so obliging as to make his exit, and leave Mr. Mourtray to finish the law-proceedings and enjoy the fortune. The family soon quit the forlorn seat of Downton for a house in Upper Wimpole-street. A carriage is purchased, and whilst Mr. Mourtray is occupied in securing his good fortune, his wife and daughter are employed in making themselves fashionable figures and visiting, &c. &c. Emma is again noticed by the great family, much in the same way as she was in the country. She accompanies the countess to an auction, and is admitted into her opera box. In this brilliant society, she meets with a dashing marquis, a nephew of the Earl of Wilmington, who falls in love with her, and Emma of course with him; but this gay spark has a fashionable entanglement with a married lady, which it is difficult to break off; and as Mr. Mourtray is obliged to go to Antigua, Emma is left without the aid of his good counsel, and gives herself up to the indulgence of a passion which she has little hope of terminating happily. However, the marquis bethinks him of the old adage ‘a faint heart never wins a fair lady;’ he accordingly snaps asunder the chains with which the Lady Fredville had fettered his liberty, and marries Emma. And here our readers may fancy that all is over; but no such thing; for [302⁄303] Mrs. Hervey has given us a little insight into the style of living and manners of a married couple in the haut ton; and we must do Mrs. H. the justice to say, that she has extremely well pourtrayed a fashionable husband and fashionable life. Lord Miramont, the husband of Emma is passionately in love long after marriage, and every thing goes on very smoothly, and prettily, when he is introduce to a beautiful Mrs. Lenmer, who comes from Ireland on a visit to her brother, who had married Emma’s friend, Lady Belle, the daughter of Lord Wilmington, and who, by her arts and witcheries, seduces the affections of the marquis from his wife.
A duel with the husband of the lady is the consequence, and the marquis is mortally wounded. Here we have a very good death-bed penitent scene; the marquis wonders how he could be such a fool as to risk his life for another man's wife, whilst he had so good a one of his own. He accordingly asks pardon for his offences in a very becoming manner, which pardon is granted with all possible sweetness by his afflicted marchioness, and so he departs this mortal life, pronouncing the name of Emma, as a good husband should do.
Emma, now left a widow, retires to a house situated on the banks of one of the lakes of Cumberland, where, after a proper time, she regains some degree of cheerfulness and comfort; for be it understood that Emma really and truly loved her husband, and was a most amiable and worthy lady. As she is left a widow in the bloom of youth, she finds plenty of suitors when she again enters the world; and, two years after the death of the marquis, she marries a Lord Clannarmon, who exhibits a perfect example of what husbands ought to be; and Emma, though she had not the opportunities of displaying her patience and forbearance, as during her former marriage, found that an habitual intercourse with worth and good sense is a much happier state, and stands a better chance of felicity in a nuptial union of which friendship and esteem are the basis, than where violent passion only is the motive.
The moral which Mrs. Hervey wishes to impress on her readers in the history of the Mourtray family is that, on the proper regulation of the passions, our fate chiefly depends. Emma’s disappointment in her first marriage may be ascribed to her vanity in choosing an illustrious libertine, whose mind accorded so little with her own. In her second choice (having discarded vanity, and been chastened by affliction), she becomes a happy wife, dis-[303⁄304]pensing good around her, which heartily wishing that all our fair young countrywomen may do, we conclude the account of the Mourtray family. As a specimen, however, of the talents of Mrs. Hervey we will extract that part of the work where the good news arrives of the thirty thousand pounds. Whilst Mr. Mourtray is playing chest with Du Masson, the emigrant,
‘not one syllable had been heard in the parlour for above an hour and a half, excepting check; when the stillness was suddenly broken, by Peter’s voice pacifying the house-dog as he entered the hall..—This sound roused Mrs. Mourtray out of a slumber into which she had fallen: “Bless me!” cried she, starting up, “ here’s the post at last!”—To this exclamation her husband, who happened at that moment to be under no small anxiety for the fate of his queen, contented himself by answering with a nod.—But Emma, whose motions were like lightning, had already anticipated the entrance of Peter into the parlour, whom she had flown to meet in the hall, and appeared with the much wished-for packet in her hand.—“Andrew is safe and well, papa,” cried she; “ but the snow is so deep, the poor man could not find his way; and he would probably have remained on the downs all night, if Peter had not luckily found him and brought him here with him.”—A second nod from Mr. Mourtray.—” Shall I go and order something warm to be given to the poor creature?” asked Emma of her mother, no longer thinking of any thing but old Andrew; “for, indeed, he seems half frozen.”—“Ring the bell; but first hold the paper to the fire, child; and as I hope this game of chess is almost over, you will have time to read it to us before supper.”—“Peter does not hear the bell, mamma: had I not better go myself?”—“Why in such a hurry? Let me first skim over the paper.”—While she was doing this, Emma flew to give directions that great care might be taken of Andrew; and when she returned, she reminded her mother that there were two letters: “ they are both,” said she, “ for my father, and one of them has a great black seal: what can that mean?—“A black seal! oh, mercy! it certainly is some bad news about Henry. Do for God’s sake, Mr. Mourtray, let your game alone, and open your letters.”—Again Mr. Mourtray nodded, but quite mechanically: he had saved his queen by the loss of a bishop; and meditating a capital stroke, he neither heard nor saw any thing but the board before him.— Mrs. Mourtray, quite out of patience, and full of anxiety about her son, exclaimed, “You are really enough to provoke a saint; if you won’t open the letters let me at least do it.”—“Do, do; any thing, whatever you please, my dear.”— In consequence of this permission, the letter was hastily torn open. Mrs. Mourtray, eagerly glancing her eye over it—“I don’t believe,” said she, “it is about Henry; but it is such a crabbed hand, I can’t read [304⁄305] half of it: do, Emma come and assist me.”—The ladies now tried to construe this letter. Emma made out these few words; “he has bequeathed to you…..consisting of…..the amount of thirty thousand pounds…..”—“Good God! am I awake, or do I dream?” exclaimed the mother, snatching the letter from her hand; “surely you mistake, child: no, positively here are the very words!”—“Papa! O papa! such news—such joyful news!”—“Now, do, pray, mind your papa!— There he sits immoveable!—I firmly believe an earthquake would not rouse him!—.Mr. Mourtray; why, Mr. Mourtray, I say.”—“Dear, dear papa! pray listen.—“Check-mate, Sir!” cried Mourtray, triumphantly rising from the table, and pushing back his chair,—“Assurément je ne m’y attendais pas! said Du Masson, shrugging up his shoulders.—“No, to be sure, how should you?” cried Mrs. Mourtray, thinking only of the legacy: “I believe nobody expected it.”—“Well, my dear, what is it you have been saying?” quietly asked Mourtray, as he stirred the fire: “I suppose there is some good news, by Emma capering about so.”—“News, indeed !” answered Mrs. Mourtray, half sullenly; “God bless my heart! have not I been screaming to you this half hour, to tell you very great news; but you would not attend to me?”—“Well, speak, I am all attention.”— “Thirty thousand . . .”—“Trente mille des patriots pris et tues!” interrupting her, “vraiment c’est une grande nouvelle!” cried Du Masson, rubbing his hands.”—“Lord bless me! why, Monsieur, the French are quite out of the question. I want if possible, to make Mr. Mourtray understand, that he has got a legacy of thirty thousand pounds! and God knows what besides.”—“Indeed !” cried Mourtray, coolly, whilst, with an air of incredulity, he took the letter to read.—“Let him convince himself, my love,” said Mrs. Mourtray to Emma who had clung hold of her father’s hand, eagerly assuring him of the truth of the legacy.—Du Masson, who understood English very imperfectly, could not, in the least, comprehend what had happened; but sat with his mouth open, his eyes fixed, and twirling his thumbs, waiting an explanation.—Meanwhile, Mourtray convinced himself of the reality of his good fortune; and as he finished the letter, he said, “Upon my word, my dear, this is extraordinary news!”—“Charming! delightful!” exclaimed both ladies: “and now, papa,” said Emma, pressing his hand between hers—“and now, papa, we can go to London!”—To be sure, my dear, or any where else,” said Mrs. Mourtrav, answering for her husband; “what may not be done with such a vast sum of money!”—“I hope,” replied Mourtray, “things really are as stated in this letter; but we must not be too sanguine before we are absolutely in possession of this money.—But here is an other letter to read.”—This contained nothing material. Whilst he was reading it, Mrs. Mourtrav, after muttering something about damping people's joy, suddenly recollected what transports [305⁄306] her dear Henry would feel on this occasion; and had almost a mind to send off an express instantly, to impart to him the glad tidings. Emma was explaining them to Du Masson, who, with his pencil, on a corner of the neglected newspaper, was reducing the thirty thousand pounds into French livres; which operation being done, he exclaimed, lifting up his hands and eyes, “Ah! quelle somme! quelle fortune immense!”—“It is indeed,” echoed Emma, “an immense sum;” who, never having possessed more than a few shillings in her purse, considered this legacy as boundless.’
Notes: Format: 4 vols; no price. Publisher: Faulder.
Contemporary Libraries
Please click here for a list of abbreviations used for the Circulating Libraries pages.
Circulating Libraries:
Aberdeen Public Library, Broad Street, Aberdeen. (Catalogue: 1821)
Godwin’s Circulating Library, Upper Corner of Milsom Street, Bath. (Catalogue: 1819)
Robert Kinnear’s Circulating Library, 29 Frederick Street, Edinburgh. (Catalogue: 1808)
Mackay’s Edinburgh Circulating Library, 154 High Street, Edinburgh. (Catalogue: 1810)
Marshall’s Circulating Library, Upper Corner of Milsom Street, Bath. (Catalogue: 1808)
Richards’s Library, Queen Street, Cheapside, London. (Catalogue: 1807)
A. K. Newman and Co’s Circulating Library, Minerva Office, 32 & 33 Leadenhall Street, London. (Catalogue: 1814)
(au) [2x]
Gerrard Tyrrell Circulating Library, 11 Lower Sackville Street, Dublin. (Catalogue: 1834)
Subscription Libraries:
Liverpool Subscription Library, at the Lyceum, Bold Street, Liverpool. (Catalogue: 1814)
Summary: 8 out of 19 possible Circulating Libraries; 1 out of 5 possible Subscription Libraries.
Overall: 9 out of 24 possible Libraries.
[Columbia ebook record]
Author: Hervey, Elizabeth, ca. 1748-ca. 1820.
Title: The Mourtray family. A novel [electronic resource]. In four volumes. ...
In : Eighteenth century collections online
Physical Description: 4v. ; 12^(0).
Publisher⁄ Date: London : printed by Millar Ritchie, for R. Faulder, 1800.
Full text online
Material Type: Book
Location (guide): LibraryWeb
Call Number: EBOOKS
Status: No information available