1 JANUARY 1927, Page 25

FANNY BURNEY AND THE BURNEYS. Edited by R. Brimley Johnson.

(Stanley Paul. 16s.).—" Dear Little Burney," as Dr. Johnson affectionately called the young darling of the literary 1770's, had an unfailing memory in which to enshrine her charms. The famous diary was not published until her extreme old age, and it brought her a second meed of fame. Mr. Brimley Johnson has now made an attempt to make that fame still further repeat itself. He has ferreted out shreds and patches of the diary which were not originally printed, and is able to give us here some additional 80,000 words. They read to-day like an old sampler—so quaint and arch, and not a little priggish. For the unpleasant truth is that the ingenuous and inspired authoress of Evelina developed a trait of snobbishness as she grew older.