onvince you that
you have praised them beyond their merits. My greatest anxiety at
present is that this fourth work should not disgrace what was good in
the others. But on this point I will do myself the justice to declare
that, whatever may be my wishes for its success, I am strongly haunted
with the idea that to those readers who have preferred "Pride and
Prejudice" it will appear inferior in wit, and to those who have
preferred "Mansfield Park" inferior in good sense. Such as it is,
however, I hope you will do me the favour of accepting a copy. Mr.
Murray will have directions for sending one. I am quite honoured by
your thinking me capable of drawing such a clergyman as you gave the
sketch of in your note of Nov. 16th. But I assure you I am _not_. The
comic part of the character I might be equal to, but not the good, the
enthusiastic, the literary. Such a man's conversation must at times
be on subjects of science and philosophy, of which I know nothing; or
at least be occasionally abundant in quotations and allusions which a
woman who, like me, knows only her own mother tongue, and has read
little in that, would be totally without the power of giving. A
classical education, or at any rate a very extensive acquaintance with
English literature, ancient and modern, appears to me quite
indispensable for the person who would do any justice to your
clergyman; and I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible
vanity, the most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be
an authoress.

'Believe me, dear Sir,
'Your obliged and faithful humbl Sert.
'JANE AUSTEN.' {122}

Mr. Clarke, however, was not to be discouraged from proposing another
subject. He had recently been appointed chaplain and private English
secretary to Prince Leopold, who was then about to be united to the
Princess Charlotte; and when he again wrote to express the gracious
thanks of the Prince Regent for the copy of 'Emma' which had been
presented, he suggests that 'an historical romance illustrative of the
august House of Cobourg would just now be very interesting,' and might
very properly be dedicated to Prince Leopold. This was much as if Sir
William Ross had been set to paint a great battle-piece; and it is
amusing to see with what grave civility she declined a proposal which
must have struck her as ludicrous, in the following letter:--

'MY DEAR S