_Opinions expressed by eminent persons--Opinions of others of less
eminence--Opinion of American readers_.
Into this list of the admirers of my Aunt's works, I admit those only
whose eminence will be universally acknowledged. No doubt the number
might have been increased.
Southey, in a letter to Sir Egerton Brydges, says: 'You mention Miss
Austen. Her novels are more true to nature, and have, for my sympathies,
passages of finer feeling than any others of this age. She was a person
of whom I have heard so well and think so highly, that I regret not
having had an opportunity of testifying to her the respect which I felt
for her.'
It may be observed that Southey had probably heard from his own family
connections of the charm of her private character. A friend of hers, the
daughter of Mr. Bigge Wither, of Manydown Park near Basingstoke, was
married to Southey's uncle, the Rev. Herbert Hill, who had been useful to
his nephew in many ways, and especially in supplying him with the means
of attaining his extensive knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese
literature. Mr. Hill had been Chaplain to the British Factory at Lisbon,
where Southey visited him and had the use of a library in those languages
which his uncle had collected. Southey himself continually mentions his
uncle Hill in terms of respect and gratitude.
S. T. Coleridge would sometimes burst out into high encomiums of Miss
Austen's novels as being, 'in their way, perfectly genuine and individual
productions.'
I remember Miss Mitford's saying to me: 'I would almost cut off one of my
hands, if it would enable me to write like your aunt with the other.'
The biographer of Sir J. Mackintosh says: 'Something recalled to his mind
the traits of character which are so delicately touched in Miss Austen's
novels . . . He said that there was genius in sketching out that new
kind of novel . . . He was vexed for the credit of the "Edinburgh
Review" that it had left her unnoticed .{145} . . The "Quarterly" had
done her more justice . . . It was impossible for a foreigner to
understand fully the merit of her works. Madame de Stael, to whom he had
recommended one of her novels, found no interest in it; and in her note
to him in reply said it was "vulgaire": and yet, he said, nothing could
be more true than what he wrote in answer: "There is no book which that
word would so little suit." . . . Every village could furnish matter for
a novel to Miss Austen. She did not need the common materials for a
novel, strong emotions, or strong incidents.' {146}
It was not, however, quite impossible for a foreigner to appreciate these
works; for Mons. Guizot writes thus: 'I am a great novel reader, but I
seldom read German or French novels. The characters are too artificial.
My delight is to read English novels, particularly those written by
women. "C'est toute une ecole de morale." Miss Austen, Miss Ferrier,
&c., form a school which in the excellence and profusion of its
productions resembles the cloud of dramatic poets of the great Athenian
age.'
In the 'Keepsake' of 1825 the following lines appeared, written by Lord
Morpeth, afterwards seventh Earl of Carlisle, and Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland, accompanying an illustration of a lady reading a novel.
Beats thy quick pulse o'er Inchbald's thrilling leaf,
Brunton's high moral, Opie's deep wrought grief?
Has the mild chaperon claimed thy yielding heart,
Carroll's dark page, Trevelyan's gentle art?
Or is it thou, all perfect Austen? Here
Let one poor wreath adorn thy early bier,
That scarce allowed thy modest youth to claim
Its living portion of thy certain fame!
Oh! Mrs. Bennet! Mrs. Norris too!
While memory survives we'll dream of you.
And Mr. Woodhouse, whose abstemious lip
Must thin, but not too thin, his gruel sip.
Miss Bates, our idol, though the village bore;
And Mrs. Elton, ardent to explore.
While the clear style flows on without pretence,
With unstained purity, and unmatched sense:
Or, if a sister e'er approached the throne,
She called the rich 'inheritance' her own.
The admiration felt by Lord Macaulay would probably have taken a very
practical form, if his life had been prolonged. I have the authority of
his sister, Lady Trevelyan, for stating that he had intended to undertake
the task upon which I have ventured. He purposed to write a memoir of
Miss Austen, with criticisms on her works, to prefix it to a new edition
of her novels, and from the proceeds of the sale to erect a monument to
her memory in Winchester Cathedral. Oh! that such an idea had been
realised! That portion of the plan in which Lord Macaulay's success
would have been most certain might have been almost sufficient for his
object. A memoir written by him would have been a monument.
I am kindly permitted by Sir Henry Holland to give the following
quotation from his printed but unpublished recollections of his past
life:--
'I have the picture still before me of Lord Holland lying on his bed,
when attacked with gout, his admirable sister, Miss Fox, beside him
reading aloud, as she always did on these occasions, some one of Miss
Austen's novels, of which he was never wearied. I well recollect the
time when these charming novels, almost unique in their style of
humour, burst suddenly on the world. It was sad that their writer did
not live to witness the growth of her fame.'
My brother-in-law, Sir Denis Le Marchant, has supplied me with the
following anecdotes from his own recollections:--
'When I was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Mr. Whewell, then
a Fellow and afterwards Master of the College, often spoke to me with
admiration of Miss Austen's novels. On one occasion I said that I had
found "Persuasion" rather dull. He quite fired up in defence of it,
insisting that it was the most beautiful of her works. This
accomplished philosopher was deeply versed in works of fiction. I
recollect his writing to me from Caernarvon, where he had the charge
of some pupils, that he was weary of _his_ stay, for he had read the
circulating library twice through.
'During a visit I paid to Lord Lansdowne, at Bowood, in 1846, one of
Miss Austen's novels became the subject of conversation and of praise,
especially from Lord Lansdowne, who observed that one of the
circumstances of his life which he looked back upon with vexation was
that Miss Austen should once have been living some weeks in his
neighbourhood without his knowing it.
'I have heard Sydney Smith, more than once, dwell with eloquence on
the merits of Miss Austen's novels. He told me he should have enjoyed
giving her the pleasure of reading her praises in the "Edinburgh
Review." "Fanny Price" was one of his prime favourites.'
I close this list of testimonies, this long 'Catena Patrum,' with the
remarkable words of Sir Walter Scott, taken from his diary for March 14,
1826: {149} 'Read again, for the third time at least, Miss Austen's
finely written novel of "Pride and Prejudice." That young lady had a
talent for describing the involvements and feelings and characters of
ordinary life, which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. The
big Bow-Wow strain I can do myself like any now going; but the exquisite
touch which renders ordinary common-place things and characters
interesting from the truth of the description and the sentiment is denied
to me. What a pity such a gifted creature died so early!' The well-worn
condition of Scott's own copy of these works attests that they were much
read in his family. When I visited Abbotsford, a few years after Scott's
death, I was permitted, as an unusual favour, to take one of these
volumes in my hands. One cannot suppress the wish that she had lived to
know what such men thought of her powers, and how gladly they would have
cultivated a personal acquaintance with her. I do not think that it
would at all have impaired the modest simplicity of her character; or
that we should have lost our own dear 'Aunt Jane' in the blaze of
literary fame.
It may be amusing to contrast with these testimonies from the great, the
opinions expressed by other readers of more ordinary intellect. The
author herself has left a list of criticisms which it had been her
amusement to collect, through means of her friends. This list contains
much of warm-hearted sympathising praise, interspersed with some opinions
which may be considered surprising.
One lady could say nothing better of 'Mansfield Park,' than that it was
'a mere novel.'
Another owned that she thought 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and
Prejudice' downright nonsense; but expected to like 'Mansfield Park'
better, and having finished the first volume, hoped that she had got
through the worst.
Another did not like 'Mansfield Park.' Nothing interesting in the
characters. Language poor.
One gentleman read the first and last chapters of 'Emma,' but did not
look at the rest because he had been told that it was not interesting.
The opinions of another gentleman about 'Emma' were so bad that they
could not be reported to the author.
'Quot homines, tot sententiae.'
Thirty-five years after her death there came also a voice of praise from
across the Atlantic. In 1852 the following letter was received by her
brother Sir Francis Austen:--
'Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
6th Jan. 1852.
'Since high critical authority has pronounced the delineations of
character in the works of Jane Austen second only to those of
Shakspeare, transatlantic admiration appears superfluous; yet it may
not be uninteresting to her family to receive an assurance that the
influence of her genius is extensively recognised in the American
Republic, even by the highest judicial authorities. The late Mr.
Chief Justice Marshall, of the supreme Court of the United States, and
his associate Mr. Justice Story, highly estimated and admired Miss
Austen, and to them we owe our introduction to her society. For many
years her talents have brightened our daily path, and her name and
those of her characters are familiar to us as "household words." We
have long wished to express to some of her family the sentiments of
gratitude and affection she has inspired, and request more information
relative to her life than is given in the brief memoir prefixed to her
works.
'Having accidentally heard that a brother of Jane Austen held a high
rank in the British Navy, we have obtained his address from our friend
Admiral Wormley, now resident in Boston, and we trust this expression
of our feeling will be received by her relations with the kindness and
urbanity characteristic of Admirals of _her creation_. Sir Francis
Austen, or one of his family, would confer a great favour by complying
with our request. The autograph of his sister, or a few lines in her
handwriting, would be placed among our chief treasures.
'The family who delight in the companionship of Jane Austen, and who
present this petition, are of English origin. Their ancestor held a
high rank among the first emigrants to New England, and his name and
character have been ably represented by his descendants in various
public stations of trust and responsibility to the present time in the
colony and state of Massachusetts. A letter addressed to Miss
Quincey, care of the Honble Josiah Quincey, Boston, Massachusetts,
would reach its destination.'
Sir Francis Austen returned a suitable reply to this application; and
sent a long letter of his sister's, which, no doubt, still occupies the
place of honour promised by the Quincey family.