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More Fanny Burney. This time it's specifically for Donna, because she is fatally addcited to movies of Jane Austen books and her legs go wobbly when someone talks about Bath. The date is December 1817 and the place (naturally) the Pump Room, Bath.

"[The General] had always purposed being presented to Her Majesty in the Pump Room, where almost all Bath paid her their duty. But after this visit, the Queen herself deigned to say to me she should be very glad to see the General: - & I heard from my dear & condescending Princess Elizabeth that Madame and Mademoiselle Bekerdorf had been quite enchanted with General d'Arblay, and could talk of nobody else.-

Ill he was! suffering, emaciate, enfeebled - - but he had always spirit & love of obliging awake to every call, & just before Christmas, 1817, we went together, between 7 & 8 o'clock in the morning, in Chairs, to the Pump Room.-

Arrived, he found himself indisposed almost to torture. He could not stand - nor move - nor speak! - some ladies gave up their seats to us - but he could scarcely avail himself of their kindness - - Alas! it was his last attempt at appearing in any public place! - Yet, when a little recovered, I thought I had never seen him look to such advantage! his fine brow so open! his noble Countenance so expressive! his features so formed for a Painter's Pencil! - & all around him, whether the people of Bath, the court of aldermen, or the Court itself, looking manifestly his inferiours, in Air, demeanour, manners, & physiognomy. This too was the last time he ever wore his military honours, his three orders, of St. Louis, the Legion d'Honneur, & du Lys ou de la Fidelite - decorations which singularly became him, from his striking martial port and character."

I'm sorry I can't find a way to do French accents, and I'm sorry that I stopped before d'Arblay met the King. No, I'm not sorry. I am responsive to requests for more, after all.

My favourite bit is the dear and condescending Princess. A fairy tale ought to be written about her.

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Fanny Burney will have to do you till Sunday, I'm afraid. If I have time to blog I shall, but - having carefully tallied what I needed to do by Monday with the time and energy I had to do it - I found that the ANU wants all the information for all of next year's courses (not just the evening ones) during the New Year period and wants it all given again (ie no "same as last year" with new dates).

It looks as if I've been given heaps of time - but in reality I have just til Monday morning. My first port of call is a calendar, since I'll need school terms, public holidays and the Jewish calendar for this little exercise.

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My 2008 is safely on my computer, with all its various bits and pieces. Good news and bad news. It's a leap year next year and so Swancon and Passover don't conflict. The bad news is that I don't have the money to get there.