Part 46 (1/2)

_Wednesday 17_--We have now just finished the first of the three books I had the pleasure of receiving yesterday I read it aloud and we are all very much aetting through another book before dinner, but there is really a good deal of respectable reading in your forty-eight pages I have no doubt six will ood-sized volume You must be quite pleased to have accomplished so much I like Lord Portman[338] and his brother very ood nature will make most people like hiood, and Lady Anne, as your great dread, you have succeeded particularly ith Bell Griffin is just what she should be My corrections have not been ht the sense could be expressed in feords, and I have scratched out Sir Thos fro with the otherhis arh I find your papa did walk out immediately after _his_ arm was set, I think it can be so little usual as to appear unnatural in a book

Lyme will not do Lyme is towards forty miles'

distance from Dawlish and would not be talked of there I have put Starcross instead If you prefer Exeter that must be always safe

I have also scratched out the introduction between Lord Porteon (don't tell Mr C Lyford) would not be introduced to men of their rank

I _do_ think you had better omit Lady Helena's postscript To those that are acquainted with _Pride and Prejudice_ it will see the last book Theyfrom Dawlish to Bath They are nearly 100 ht after our return fro tea at the Great House The last chapter does not please us quite so well; we do not thoroughly like the play, perhaps fro had too much of plays in that way lately,[339] and we think you had better not leave England Let the Port of the o with the false representations Stick to Bath and the Foresters There you will be quite at home

Your Aunt C does not like desultory novels, and is rather afraid yours will be too e from one set of people to another, and that circumstances will be sometimes introduced of apparent consequence which will lead to nothing It will not be so great an objection to _me_ if it does I allow much more latitude than she does, and think nature and spirit cover eneral do not care so much about it for your comfort

I should like to have had h acquainted with hi with him, I dare say I like your sketch of Lord Clanirls' enjoyood I have not yet noticed St Julian's serious conversation with Cecilia, but I like it exceedingly What he says about the madness of otherwise sensible wo out is worth its weight in gold

I do not see that the language sinks Pray go on

[September 9, 1814]

We have been very ood many criticisms to make, more than you will like We are not satisfied with Mrs

Forester's settling herself as tenant and near neighbour to such a o there She ought to have so with two girls just growing up into a neighbourhood where she knows nobody but one ood character, is an aardness which so prudent a woman as Mrs F

would not be likely to fall into Remember she is very prudent You must not let her act inconsistently Give her a friend, and let that friend be invited to meet her at the Priory, and we shall have no objection to her dining there as she does; but otherwise a woo there before she had been visited by other families I like the scene itself, the Miss Lesleys, Lady Anne, and the music very muchSir Thomas H you always do very well I have only taken the liberty of expunging one phrase of his which would not be allowable--'Bless rand the Egertons' visit sooner than by anything else They ought to have called at the Parsonage before Sunday You describe a sweet place, but your descriptions are often ive too ht hand and left Mrs Forester is not careful enough of Susan's health Susan ought not to be walking out so soon after heavy rains, taking long walks in the dirt An anxious mother would not suffer it I like your Susan very much indeed, she is a sweet creature, her playfulness of fancy is very delightful I like her as she is now exceedingly, but I ae R At first she see, and afterwards to have none at all; she is so extremely composed at the ball and so well satisfied apparently with Mr Morgan She see your people delightfully, getting theht of e is the very thing to work on, and I hope you rite a great deal more, and ed

You are but _now_ corows up the fun reat deal of entertainment from the next three or four books, and I hope you will not resent these re me no more

They are not so much like the Papillons as I expected Your last chapter is very entertaining, the conversation on genius, &c; Mr St Julian and Susan both talk in character, and very well

In soood, but upon the whole her disposition is very well opposed to Susan's, her want of iination is very natural I wish you could make Mrs Forester talk e and ood co can be made very _broad_ Her econo The papers left by Mrs Fisher are very good Of course one guesses soreat dealout some of the past The scene with Mrs Mellish I should conde to the purpose; and indeed the more you can find in your heart to curtail between Dawlish and Newton Priors, the better I think it will be--one does not care for girls till they are grown up Your Aunt C quite enters into the exquisiteness of that naiven his eyes to have thought of it Is not the cottage taken from Tollard Royal?

[Septe your book again irandmama may hear it, for it has not been possible yet to have any public reading I have read it to your Aunt Cassandra, however, in our own rooreat deal of pleasure We like the first chapter extremely, with only a little doubt whether Lady Helena is not alood certainly I like Susan as well as ever, and begin now not to care at all about Cecilia; sheas she likes Henry Mellish, I am afraid, will be too much in the co man (such as do not much abound in real life), desperately in love and all in vain But I have no business to judge hied to you for introducing a Lady Kenrick; it will reive you credit for considerable forbearance as an author in adopting so h fun about Mrs Fisher and Sir Tho ruined by his vanity is extree into a 'vortex of dissipation' I do not object to the thing, but I cannot bear the expression; it is such thorough novel slang, and so old that I dare say Adam met with it in the first novel he opened

Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones It is not fair He has fa the bread out of other people's mouths

I do not like him, and do not mean to like _Waverley_[340] if I can help it, but fear I must