The Piozzi Letters: Correspondence of Hester Lynch Piozzi, 1784-1821, vol. 5, 1811-1816

Contemporary Review, Nov, 1999

(Formerly Mrs Thrale). Volume 5: 18111816. Edward A. Bloom and Lillian D. Bloom, editors. Associated University Presses. [pounds]55.00/US$69.50. 603 pages. ISBN 0-87413-394-7. The one adjective that best describes Mrs Piozzi is 'indomitable.' Born into a Welsh family, married to a London Brewer (Thrale), friend of Dr Johnson and rival with Boswell to be the great man's biographer, then widowed only to marry the Italian, Piozzi to the horror of her friends, then widowed again.

She was opinionated, erratic and highly biased but she was also very observant, witty and not unintelligent. The University of Delaware has undertaken a six-volume edition of her correspondence, both of her letters and of letters to her, to add to the growing number of eighteenth century 'complete letters' being brought out by American universities. This penultimate volume by the husband-and-wife team of Edward and Lillian Bloom reaches the same high standard as their earlier volumes and is another valuable contribution to our understanding of eighteenth and early nineteenth century life.