owing gracious answer was returned by Mr. Clarke, together with a
suggestion which must have been received with some surprise:--

'Carlton House, Nov. 16, 1815.

'DEAR MADAM,--It is certainly not _incumbent_ 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 best 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 pass his time between the metropolis and
the country, who should be something like Beattie's Minstrel--

Silent when glad, affectionate tho' shy,
And in his looks 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.'

The following letter, written in reply, will show how unequal the author
of 'Pride and Prejudice' felt herself to delineating an enthusiastic
clergyman of the present day, who should resemble Beattie's Minstrel:--

'Dec. 11.

'DEAR SIR,--My "Emma" is now so near publication that I feel it right
to assure you of my not having forgotten your kind recommendation of
an early copy for Carlton House, and that I have Mr. Murray's promise
of its being sent to His Royal Highness, under cover to you, three
days previous to the work being really out. I must make use of this
opportunity to thank you, dear Sir, for the very high praise you
bestow on my other novels. I am too vain to wish to c