Piano-forté

You know, I ſuppoſe, that ſpeaking bad French, drawing hideouſly, and thrumming a few Italian airs on the piano-forté, are each of them called an accompliſhment; and ſhe who engroſſes all the three is thought a moſt accompliſhed woman indeed. I have known ſome of theſe accompliſhed ladies, however, to any one of whom if I were married, I ſhould willingly relinquiſh half her fortune, on condition that ſhe would renounce her painting, and never attempt to ſpeak French, nor to play on the piano-forté, in my hearing.

“Marianne can never keep long from that instrument you know, ma’am,” said Elinor, endeavouring to smooth away the offence; “and I do not much wonder at it; for it is the very best toned piano-forté I ever heard.”

To Henry Smart, of Berner’s-street, in the parish of St. Mary-le-bonne, in the county of Middlesex, piano-forté manufacturer, for his invention of certain improvements in the constructions of piano-fortés.

Among much that was curious, there were tables with raised edges of delicate workmanship, holding some fine old china; there was a small oak spinning-wheel, on which my grandmother spun; and standing alone, too modern for its surroundings, was a piano-forté, on which Miss Green played.

“I will see to it there is a piano-forté in the music room when she comes home for the summer.”