Part 42 (1/2)

[304] _A narrative of the events which have lately taken place in France_, by Helen Maria Williaeworth (_Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth_, edited by A J C Hare (1894), vol i p 235), and another to Lady Morley, a clever woman, to whom _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and Prejudice_ had at one time been ascribed (_Life of M R

Mitford_, by the Rev A G L'Estrange, vol i p 241)

[306] Unfortunately, most of the worst misprints remained in the new edition, while certain new ones were added

[307] _Me James II, from the Stuart MSS in Carlton House_, published 1816

[309] At Brighton

[310] Published, 1804

CHAPTER XVIII

_PERSUASION_

1815-1816

So far as we know, Jane went to London in 1815 perfectly sound in health Her rey, unwholesome weather is written with the security of a person accusto that condition of things to continue But, alas! we hest point in her e in her career as regards both prosperity and health Perhaps the excitement of the publication of _Emma_, and probably the close attention on the sick-bed of her brother which coincided with it--possibly even the hly--coour, and to sow the seeds of a disease, the exact nature of which no one seems ever to have been able to deter circu March her favourite brother, Henry, was declared a bankrupt; and there are one or two indications of her being aware that all was not ith the firm in the autumn Theto one already weakened by all that she had gone through More agreeable associations, however, arose from the success of _Ee of letters with the Countess of Morley, a lady of some literary capacity, to whom Jane had sent a copy of _Emma_, and who expressed her thanks and ad of Lady Morley's approval, says: 'It encourages ood opinion which _Emma's_ predecessors have experienced, and to believe that I have not yet, as almost every writer of fancy does sooner or later, overwritten ht a stillfame, in the shape of an article on _Eh dated October 1815, did not appear till March of the following year,[311] and the writer of the article was none other than Sir Walter Scott[312]

The honour of an article in the _Quarterly_ was no doubt mainly due to the fact that Jane had published her latest book with Mr Murray, its owner Though the praise contained in the article would scarcely satisfy an enthusiastic admirer of her works,[313] Miss Austen felt she had no cause to co her a copy of the _Review_, she writes:--

The authoress of _Emma_ has no reason, I think, to complain of her treatment in it, except in the total omission of _Mansfield Park_ I cannot but be sorry that so clever a man as the Reviewer of _E noticed You will be pleased to hear that I have received the Prince's thanks for the _handsome_ copy I sent him of _Emma_ Whatever he may think of _ht

The fact that she was honoured with a notice in the _Quarterly_ did not prevent the author fro on record the more domestic criticisms of her family and friends

OPINIONS OF _E that though there her ether, on account of its peculiar air of Nature throughout, he preferred it to either

_Mrs Frank Austen_ liked and admired it very much indeed, but es_ preferred it to all the others

_Miss Sharp_--Better than _M P_, but not so well as _P and P_ Pleased with the heroine for her originality, delighted with Mr K, and called Mrs Elton beyond praise--dissatisfied with Jane Fairfax

_Cassandra_--Better than _P and P_ but not so well as _M P_

_fanny K_--Not so well as either _P and P_ or _M P_ Could not bear Ehtful Should like J F if she knew more of her

_Mr and Mrs James Austen_ did not like it so well as either of the three others Language different from the others; not so easily read

_Edward_ preferred it to _M P_ only Mr K

liked by everybody

_Miss Bigg_--Not equal to either _P and P_ or _M P_ Objected to the sah Too e superior to the others