Full Description
In 1761, Frances Sheridan published her novel The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph, which became a popular and widely praised example of the sentimental novel. The Conclusion, that novel's sequel, is set eight years later, after Sidney Bidulph's marriage and motherhood. Psychologically subtle and emotionally immediate, the novel is told almost entirely in the form of letters. Many of the letters are between the scheming Sophy and Edward Audley, who are trying to trick Sidney's daughter into marriage with Edward; these letters provide a startlingly realistic portrayal of villainy, anticipating such later works as Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
The historical appendices include documents on the education of young adults in the eighteenth century and contemporary reviews of the novel.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Frances Chamberlaine Sheridan: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text
Conclusion of The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph
Appendix A: Essays on the Education, Responsibilities, and Friendships of Young Adults
From John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693)
From Anonymous, The Common Errors in the Education of Children and Their Consequences; With The Methodsto Remedy Them Consider'd (1744)
From Samuel Richardson, Familiar Letters Written to and for Particular Friends on the Most Important Occasions (1741)
From John Gregory, A Father's Legacy to His Daughters (1774)
Appendix B: Reviews of Conclusion of the Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph
The Monthly Review 37 (1767)
From Alicia Lefanu, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mrs. Frances Sheridan: With Remarks Upon a Late Life of the Right Hon. R.B. Sheridan (1824)
Select Bibliography and Works Cited
