articularly gratifying to me to
receive so early an assurance of your Ladyship's approbation. It
encourages me to depend on the same share of general good opinion
which "Emma's" predecessors have experienced, and to believe that I
have not yet, as almost every writer of fancy does sooner or later,
overwritten myself.

'I am, Madam,

'Your obliged and faithful Servt.
'J. AUSTEN.'

'December 31, 1815.'

CHAPTER VIII.

_Slow growth of her fame--Ill success of first attempts at
publication--Two Reviews of her works contrasted_.

Seldom has any literary reputation been of such slow growth as that of
Jane Austen. Readers of the present day know the rank that is generally
assigned to her. They have been told by Archbishop Whately, in his
review of her works, and by Lord Macaulay, in his review of Madame
D'Arblay's, the reason why the highest place is to be awarded to Jane
Austen, as a truthful drawer of character, and why she is to be classed
with those who have approached nearest, in that respect, to the great
master Shakspeare. They see her safely placed, by such authorities, in
her niche, not indeed amongst the highest orders of genius, but in one
confessedly her own, in our British temple of literary fame; and it may
be difficult to make them believe how coldly her works were at first
received, and how few readers had any appreciation of their peculiar
merits. Sometimes a friend or neighbour, who chanced to know of our
connection with the author, would condescend to speak with moderate
approbation of 'Sense and Sensibility,' or 'Pride and Prejudice'; but if
they had known that we, in our secret thoughts, classed her with Madame
D'Arblay or Miss Edgeworth, or even with some other novel writers of the
day whose names are now scarcely remembered, they would have considered
it an amusing instance of family conceit. To the multitude her works
appeared tame and commonplace, {136a} poor in colouring, and sadly
deficient in incident and interest. It is true that we were sometimes
cheered by hearing that a different verdict had been pronounced by more
competent judges: we were told how some great statesman or distinguished
poet held these works in high estimation; we had the satisfaction of
believing that they were most admired by the best judges, and comforted
ourselves with Horace's 'satis est Equitem mihi plaudere.' So much was
this the case, that one of the ablest men of my acq