A Memoir of Jane Austen

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Explanatory Notes 243
95 Prince Leopold . . . Princess Charlotte: Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg
(1790–1865) married the Prince Regent’s daughter, the Princess Charlotte
of Wales (1796–1817), in 1816.
‘an historical romance . . . just now be very interesting’: a loose extract from
no. 138 in Letters.
Sir William Ross: (1794–1860), miniature-painter.
‘My Dear Sir . . . honoured . . . ’: no. 138(D) (JA’s own draft) in Letters,
where it is dated Monday 1 April 1816.
96 But when his free course . . . With willing sport: Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen
of Verona, II. vii. 27–32, slightly misquoted (‘free course’ should be
‘fair course’).
97 ‘should hardly like to live . . . confined houses’: from Charlotte Brontë’s
correspondence with George Henry Lewes, an extract from a letter of 12
January 1848, quoted by Gaskell, Life of Charlotte Brontë, ch. 16.
‘Plan of a novel . . . from various quarters’: the manuscript, in JA’s hand, is
now in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. It clearly dates from the
period of the Clarke correspondence (Nov. 1815–Apr. 1816). But to
appreciate the full flavour and sharpness of JA’s comedy, the ‘Plan’ needs
to be read with the complete text of Clarke’s letters. JEAL’s selective
extracting of both almost perversely obscures their interconnection, by
omitting from the edited correspondence most of the points which
appear in the ‘Plan’, and from the ‘Plan’ most of the suggestions
incorporated verbatim from Clarke’s hilariously self-preening letters.
The ‘Plan’ along with Clarke’s correspondence was in Cassy Esten’s
possession at this time and available to JEAL. Writing to her brother after
the Memoir’s publication, Caroline Austen comments on his handling of
these materials: ‘I see you have been very merciful to Mr. Clarke in
omitting the most ridiculous parts of his letter’ (see the Appendix, p.
192). Clarke’s letter, no. 132 in Letters, is the vital missing link and is
itself as funny (in its complete misunderstanding of JA’s novelistic talents)
as anything in the ‘Plan’. He advises her thus: ‘Pray continue to
write, & make all your friends send Sketches to help you–– and Memoires
pour servir–– as the French term it. Do let us have an English Clergyman
after your fancy–– much novelty may be introduced–– shew dear Madam
what good would be done if Tythes were taken away entirely, and
describe him burying his own mother–– as I did–– because the High
Priest of the Parish in which she died–– did not pay her remains the
respect he ought to do. I have never recovered the Shock. Carry your
Clergyman to Sea as the Friend of some distinguished Naval Character
about a Court–– you can then bring foreward like Le Sage many interesting
Scenes of Character & Interest’ (Letters, 307).
names of some of those advisers: see Minor Works, 428–30, for a complete
text of the ‘Plan’, including JA’s original marginal notes (there printed as
footnotes), indicating the source of each suggestion.
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