refinement of taste, a more nice sense of propriety, and
a deeper insight into the delicate anatomy of the human heart, marking
the difference between the brilliant girl and the mature woman. Far from
being one of those who have over-written themselves, it may be affirmed
that her fame would have stood on a narrower and less firm basis, if she
had not lived to resume her pen at Chawton.

Some persons have surmised that she took her characters from individuals
with whom she had been acquainted. They were so life-like that it was
assumed that they must once have lived, and have been transferred bodily,
as it were, into her pages. But surely such a supposition betrays an
ignorance of the high prerogative of genius to create out of its own
resources imaginary characters, who shall be true to nature and
consistent in themselves. Perhaps, however, the distinction between
keeping true to nature and servilely copying any one specimen of it is
not always clearly apprehended. It is indeed true, both of the writer
and of the painter, that he can use only such lineaments as exist, and as
he has observed to exist, in living objects; otherwise he would produce
monsters instead of human beings; but in both it is the office of high
art to mould these features into new combinations, and to place them in
the attitudes, and impart to them the expressions which may suit the
purposes of the artist; so that they are nature, but not exactly the same
nature which had come before his eyes; just as honey can be obtained only
from the natural flowers which the bee has sucked; yet it is not a
reproduction of the odour or flavour of any particular flower, but
becomes something different when it has gone through the process of
transformation which that little insect is able to effect. Hence, in the
case of painters, arises the superiority of original compositions over
portrait painting. Reynolds was exercising a higher faculty when he
designed Comedy and Tragedy contending for Garrick, than when he merely
took a likeness of that actor. The same difference exists in writings
between the original conceptions of Shakspeare and some other creative
geniuses, and such full-length likenesses of individual persons, 'The
Talking Gentleman' for instance, as are admirably drawn by Miss Mitford.
Jane Austen's powers, whatever may be the degree in which she possessed
them, were certainly of that higher order. She did not copy individuals,
but she investe