eing more every-day
ones, the more entertaining. Did not like the
heroine so well as any of the others. Miss Bates
excellent, but rather too much of her. Mr. and
Mrs. Elton admirable and John Knightley a sensible
man.

_Mrs. B. Lefroy_ ranked _Emma_ as a composition
with _S. and S._ Not so _brilliant_ as _P. and P._
nor so _equal_ as _M. P._ Preferred Emma herself
to all the heroines. The characters, like all the
others, admirably well drawn and
supported--perhaps rather less strongly marked
than some, but only the more natural for that
reason. Mr. Knightley, Mrs. Elton, and Miss Bates
her favourites. Thought one or two of the
conversations too long.

_Mrs. Lefroy_ preferred it to _M. P._, but liked
_M. P._ the least of all.

_Mr. Fowle_ read only the first and last chapters,
because he had heard it was not interesting.

_Mrs. Lutley Sclater_ liked it very much, better
than _M. P._, and thought I had 'brought it all
about very cleverly in the last volume.'

_Mrs. C. Cage_ wrote thus to Fanny: 'A great many
thanks for the loan of _Emma_, which I am
delighted with. I like it better than any. Every
character is thoroughly kept up. I must enjoy
reading it again with Charles. Miss Bates is
incomparable, but I was nearly killed with those
precious treasures. They are unique, and really
with more fun than I can express. I am at Highbury
all day, and I can't help feeling I have just got
into a new set of acquaintance. No one writes such
good sense, and so very comfortable.'

_Mrs. Wroughton_ did not like it so well as _P.
and P._ Thought the authoress wrong, in such times
as these, to draw such clergymen as Mr. Collins
and Mr. Elton.

_Sir J. Langham_ thought it much inferior to the
others.

_Mr. Jeffrey_ (of the _Edinburgh Review_) was kept
up by it three nights.

_Miss Murden._--Certainly inferior to all the
others.

_Captain C. Austen_ wrote: '_Emma_ arrived in time
to a moment. I am delighted with her, more so I
think than even with my favourite, _Pride