Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters Part 40

Even in illness, the interests of _Emma_ were not neglected; and a day or two later Henry was able to dictate the following letter to Mr.

Murray:--

DEAR SIR,--Severe illness has confined me to my bed ever since I received yours of y^{e} 15th. I cannot yet hold a pen, and employ an amanuensis.

The politeness and perspicuity of your letter equally claim my earliest exertion. Your official opinion of the merits of _Emma_ is very valuable and satisfactory.[299] Though I venture to differ occasionally from your critique, yet I a.s.sure you the quantum of your commendation rather exceeds than falls short of the author's expectation and my own. The terms you offer are so very inferior to what we had expected that I am apprehensive of having made some great error in my arithmetical calculation. On the subject of the expence and profit of publishing you must be much better informed than I am, but doc.u.ments in my possession appear to prove that the sum offered by you for the copyright of _Sense and Sensibility_, _Mansfield Park_, and _Emma_ is not equal to the money which my sister has actually cleared by one very moderate edition of _Mansfield Park_;--(you yourself expressed astonishment that so small an edition of such a work should have been sent into the world)--and a still smaller one of _Sense and Sensibility_.[300]

Henry, however, became so alarmingly ill that on October 22 Jane dispatched expresses to her brothers and sister, summoning them to London. Mr. Knight left G.o.dmersham for town on the 23rd, but owing to a delay in the delivery of the letter, James Austen did not receive his till the 24th. He rode to Chawton that evening, and the next day he and Ca.s.sandra arrived in London. For a time Henry's life was in imminent danger, but after a week's anxiety he was so far on the road to recovery that his two brothers were able to return home, leaving Jane and Ca.s.sandra in charge.

It was owing to Jane's untiring exertions at this time that her health began to suffer. One other consequence too, but of a less tragical kind, was due to Henry's illness. The physician that attended him--supplementing, no doubt, Mr. Haden--was one of the Prince Regent's physicians, and he, either knowing or hearing (for it was now an open secret) that Jane Austen was the author of _Pride and Prejudice_, informed her that the Prince greatly admired her novels, 'that he read them often, and kept a set in every one of his residences; that he himself had thought it right to inform His Royal Highness that Miss Austen was staying in London.' The Prince did not so far condescend as to desire to see Miss Austen in person, but he instructed his librarian, Mr. Clarke, to wait upon her and show her any civility in his power. The result was that on November 13 Jane was shown over the library and other apartments at Carlton House, and in the course of the visit Mr. Clarke announced that if Miss Austen had any other novel forthcoming, she was at liberty to dedicate it to the Prince. We cannot tell what may have been the exact amount of pleasure given to Jane by this piece of information, as Ca.s.sandra was at that time also in Hans Place, and there is therefore no letter of Jane to her on the subject.

But, at any rate, Jane was loyal enough to wish to do what was right and proper in the circ.u.mstances. Consequently, on November 15, we find her writing to Mr. Clarke as follows:--

SIR,--I must take the liberty of asking you a question. Among the many flattering attentions which I received from you at Carlton House on Monday last, was the information of my being at liberty to dedicate any future work to His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, without the necessity of any solicitation on my part. Such, at least, I believed to be your words; but as I am very anxious to be quite certain of what was intended, I entreat you to have the goodness to inform me how such a permission is to be understood, and whether it is inc.u.mbent on me to show my sense of the honour by inscribing the work now in the press to His Royal Highness; I should be equally concerned to appear either presumptuous or ungrateful.

To which Mr. Clarke replied:--

Carlton House: November 16, 1815.

DEAR MADAM,--It is certainly not _inc.u.mbent_ on you to dedicate your work now in the press to His Royal Highness; but if you wish to do the Regent that honour either now or at any future period, I am happy to send you that permission, which need not require any more trouble or solicitation on your part.

Your late works, Madam, and in particular _Mansfield Park_, reflect the highest honour on your genius and your principles. In every new work your mind seems to increase its energy and power of discrimination. The Regent has read and admired all your publications.

Accept my sincere thanks for the pleasure your volumes have given me: in the perusal of them I felt a great inclination to write and say so. And I also, dear Madam, wished to be allowed to ask you to delineate in some future work the habits of life, and character, and enthusiasm of a clergyman, who should pa.s.s his time between the metropolis and the country, who should be something like Beattie's Minstrel:--

Silent when glad, affectionate tho' shy, And now his look was most demurely sad; And now he laughed aloud, yet none knew why.

Neither Goldsmith, nor La Fontaine in his _Tableau de Famille_, have in my mind quite delineated an English clergyman, at least of the present day, fond of and entirely engaged in literature, no man's enemy but his own. Pray, dear Madam, think of these things.

Believe me at all times with sincerity and respect, Your faithful and obliged servant, J. S. CLARKE, _Librarian_.

P.S.--I am going for about three weeks to Mr.

Henry Streatfeild, Chiddingstone, Sevenoaks, but hope on my return to town to have the honour of seeing you again.

On November 17 Henry was sufficiently recovered to address a letter to Mr. John Murray on his sister's behalf. This was followed by a letter from herself on November 23.

Hans Place: Thursday [November 23, 1815].

SIR,--My brother's note last Monday has been so fruitless, that I am afraid there can be but little chance of my writing to any good effect; but yet I am so very much disappointed and vexed by the delays of the printers, that I cannot help begging to know whether there is no hope of their being quickened. Instead of the work being ready by the end of the present month, it will hardly, at the rate we now proceed, be finished by the end of the next; and as I expect to leave London early in December, it is of consequence that no more time should be lost. Is it likely that the printers will be influenced to greater dispatch and punctuality by knowing that the work is to be dedicated, by permission, to the Prince Regent? If you can make that circ.u.mstance operate, I shall be very glad. My brother returns _Waterloo_[301] with many thanks for the loan of it. We have heard much of Scott's account of Paris.[302] If it be not incompatible with other arrangements, would you favour us with it, supposing you have any set already opened? You may depend upon its being in careful hands.

I remain, Sir, your ob^{t.} humble Se^{t.,} J. AUSTEN.

Meanwhile, as Henry was mending, his brother Edward, who had brought his daughter f.a.n.n.y up to town, left her as a companion to her Aunt Jane, and escorted Ca.s.sandra to Chawton.

Hans Place: Friday [November 24, 1815].

MY DEAREST Ca.s.sANDRA,--I have the pleasure of sending you a much better account of _my affairs_, which I know will be a great delight to you.

I wrote to Mr. Murray yesterday myself, and Henry wrote at the same time to Roworth.[303] Before the notes were out of the house, I received three sheets and an apology from R. We sent the notes, however, and I had a most civil one in reply from Mr. M. He is so very polite, indeed, that it is quite overcoming. The printers have been waiting for paper--the blame is thrown upon the stationer; but he gives his word that I shall have no farther cause for dissatisfaction. He has lent us _Miss Williams_[304] and _Scott_, and says that any book of his will always be at _my_ service. In short, I am soothed and complimented into tolerable comfort.

To-morrow Mr. Haden is to dine with us. There is happiness! We really grow so fond of Mr. Haden that I do not know what to expect. He, and Mr.

Tilson, and Mr. Philips made up our circle of wits last night; f.a.n.n.y played, and he sat and listened and suggested improvements, till Richard came in to tell him that 'the doctor was waiting for him at Captn. Blake's'; and then he was off with a speed that you can imagine. He never does appear in the least above his profession, or out of humour with it, or I should think poor Captn.

Blake, whoever he is, in a very bad way.

Yours very affectionately, J. AUSTEN.

I have been listening to dreadful insanity. It is Mr. Haden's firm belief that a person _not_ musical is fit for every sort of wickedness. I ventured to a.s.sert a little on the other side, but wished the cause in abler hands.

Hans Place: Sunday [November 26, 1815].

I _did_ mention the P. R. in my note to Mr.

Murray; it brought me a fine compliment in return.

Whether it has done any other good I do not know, but Henry thought it worth trying.

The printers continue to supply me very well. I am advanced in Vol. III. to my _arra_-root, upon which peculiar style of spelling there is a modest query in the margin. I will not forget Anna's arrowroot. I hope you have told Martha of my first resolution of letting n.o.body know that I _might_ dedicate, &c., for fear of being obliged to do it, and that she is thoroughly convinced of my being influenced now by nothing but the most mercenary motives.

Then came dinner and Mr. Haden, who brought good manners and clever conversation. From 7 to 8 the harp; at 8 Mrs. L. and Miss E. arrived, and for the rest of the evening the drawing-room was thus arranged: on the sofa side the two ladies, Henry, and myself, making the best of it; on the opposite side f.a.n.n.y and Mr. Haden, in two chairs (I _believe_, at least, they had _two_ chairs), talking together uninterruptedly. Fancy the scene!

And what is to be fancied next? Why, that Mr. H.

dines here again to-morrow. To-day we are to have Mr. Barlow. Mr. H. is reading _Mansfield Park_ for the first time, and prefers it to _P. and P._

f.a.n.n.y has heard all that I have said to you about herself and Mr. H. Thank you very much for the sight of dearest Charles's letter to yourself. How pleasantly and how naturally he writes! and how perfect a picture of his disposition and feelings his style conveys! Poor dear fellow! Not a present! I have a great mind to send him all the twelve copies which were to have been dispersed among my near connections, beginning with the P.

R. and ending with Countess Morley. Adieu.

Yours affectionately, J. AUSTEN.

Miss Austen.

Sat.u.r.day [December 2, 1815].

MY DEAR Ca.s.sANDRA,--Henry came back yesterday, and might have returned the day before if he had known as much in time.

I had the comfort of a few lines on Wednesday morning from Henry himself, just after your letter was gone, giving so good an account of his feelings as made me perfectly easy. He met with the utmost care and attention at Hanwell, spent his two days there very quietly and pleasantly, and, being certainly in no respect the worse for going, we may believe that he must be better, as he is quite sure of being himself. To make his return a complete gala Mr. Haden was secured for dinner. I need not say that our evening was agreeable.

But you seem to be under a mistake as to Mr. H.

You call him an apothecary. He is no apothecary; he has never been an apothecary; there is not an apothecary in this neighbourhood--the only inconvenience of the situation perhaps--but so it is; we have not a medical man within reach. He is a Haden, nothing but a Haden, a sort of wonderful nondescript creature on two legs, something between a man and an angel, but without the least spice of an apothecary. He is, perhaps, the only person _not_ an apothecary hereabouts. He has never sung to us. He will not sing without a pianoforte accompaniment.

I am sorry my mother has been suffering, and am afraid this exquisite weather is too good to agree with her. _I_ enjoy it all over me, from top to toe, from right to left, longitudinally, perpendicularly, diagonally; and I cannot but selfishly hope we are to have it last till Christmas--nice, unwholesome, unseasonable, relaxing, close, muggy weather.

Yours affectionately, J. A.

It strikes me that I have no business to give the P. R. a binding, but we will take counsel upon the question.