To Cassandra, Southampton, 7 October 1808
Headnote
Letter XLIV in Lord Brabourne’s 1884 numbering, to Cassandra Austen from Southampton, 7 October 1808. Reproduced from the Brabourne edition of Austen’s correspondence (Internet Archive rec. 000017); Brabourne’s frame is omitted, and unambiguous scanner errors are corrected and logged.
Castle Square: Friday (October 7)
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,
Your letter on Tuesday gave us great pleasure, and we congratulate you all upon Elizabeth’s hitherto happy recovery; to-morrow, or Sunday, I hope to hear of its advancing in the same style. We are also very glad to know that you are so well yourself, and pray you to continue so.
I was rather surprised on Monday by the arrival of a letter for you, from your Winchester correspondent, who seemed perfectly unsuspicious of your being likely to be at Godmersham. I took complete possession of the letter by reading, paying for, and answering it; and he will have the biscuits to-day — a very proper day for the purpose, though I did not’ think of it at the time.
I wish my brother joy of completing his thirtieth year, and hope the day will be remembered better than it was six years ago.
The masons are now repairing the chimney, which they found in such a state as to make it wonderful that it should have stood so long, and next to impossible that another violent wind should not blow it down. We may, therefore, thank you
perhaps for saving us from being thumped old bricks. You are also to be thanked by Eliza’s desire for your present to her of dyed satin, which is made into a bonnet, and I fancy surprises her by its good appearance.
My mother is preparing mourning for Mrs. E. K.; she has picked her old silk pelisse to pieces, and means to have it dyed black for a gown — a very interesting scheme, though just now a little injured by finding that it must be placed in Mr. Wren’s hands, for Mr. Chambers is gone. As for Mr. Floor, he is at present rather low in our estimation. How is your blue gown? Mine is all to pieces. I think there must have been something wrong in the dye, for in places it divided with a touch. There was four shillings thrown away, to be added to my subjects of never-failing regret.
We found ourselves tricked into a thorough party at Mrs. Maitland’s, a quadrille and a commerce table, and music in the other room. There were two pools at commerce, but I would not play more than one, for the stake was three shillings, and I cannot afford to lose that twice in an evening. The Miss M.’s were as civil and as silly as usual.
You know of course that Martha comes to-day,
yesterday brought us notice of it, and the spruce beer is brewed in consequence.
On Wednesday I had a letter from Yarmouth, to desire me to send Mary’s flannels and furs, &c.; and, as there was a packing case at hand, I could do it without any trouble.
On Tuesday evening Southampton was in a good deal of alarm for about an hour: a fire broke out soon after nine at Webb’s, the pastry cook, and burnt for some time with great fury. I cannot learn exactly how it originated; at the time it was said to be their bake house, but now I hear it was in the back of their dwelling-house, and that one room was consumed.
The flames were considerable: they seemed about as near to us as those at Lyme, and to reach higher. One could not but feel uncomfortable, and I began to think of what I should do if it came to the worst; happily, however, the night was perfectly still, the engines were immediately in use, and before ten the fire was nearly extinguished, though it was twelve before everything was considered safe, and a guard was kept the whole night. Our friends the Duers were alarmed, but not out of their good sense or benevolence.
I am afraid the Webbes have lost a great deal,
14 UTTERS OF JANE AUSTKV l>us
more perhaps from ignorance or plunder than the fire; they had a large stock of valuable china, and, in order to save it, it was taken from the house and thrown down anywhere.
The adjoining house, a toys hop, was almost equally injured, and Hibbs, whose house comes next, was so scared from his senses that he was giving away all his goods, valuable laces, &c., to anybody who would take them.
The crowd in the High Street, I understand, was immense; Mrs. Harrison, who was drinking tea with a lady at Millar’s, could not leave at twelve o’clock. Such are the prominent features of our fire. Thank God they were ndt worse!
Saturday. — Thank you for your letter, which found me at the breakfast table with my two corn panions.
I am greatly pleased with your account of Fanny; I found her in the summer just what you describe, almost another sister; and could not have supposed that a niece would ever have been so much tome. She is quite after one’s own heart; give her my best love, and tell her’ that I always think of her with pleasure.
I am much obliged to you for inquiring about my ear, and am happy to say that Mr. Lyford’s
prescription has entirely cured me. I feel it a great blessing to hear again.
Your gown shall be unpicked, but I do not remember its being settled so before.
Martha was here by half-past six, attended by Lyddy; they had some rain at last, but a very good journey on the whole; and if looks and words may be trusted Martha is very happy to be returned. We receive her with Castle Square weather; it has blown a gale from the N.W. ever since she came, and we feel ourselves in luck that the chimney was mended yesterday.
She brings several good things for the larder, which is now very rich: we had a pheasant and hare the other day from the Mr. Grays of Alton. Is this to entice us to Alton, or to keep us away? Henry had probably some share in the two last baskets from.that neighbourhood, but we have not seen so much of his hand-writing, even as a direction to either.
Martha was an hour and a-half in Winchester, walking about with the three boys and at the pastrycook’s. She thought Edward grown, and speaks with the same admiration as before of his manners; she saw in George a little likeness to his uncle Henry.
Do you recollect whether the Manydown family sent about their wedding cake? Mrs. Dundas has set her heart upon having a piece from her friend Catherine, and Martha, who knows what importance she attach es to this sort of thing, is anxious for the sake of both that there should not be a disappointment,
Our weather, I fancy, has been just like yours; we have had.*»///*’ very delightful days, our 5th and 6th were whnt the ">th and 6th of October should always be, but we have always wanted afire irithin doors, at least except for just the middle of the day.
Martha does not find the key which you left in my charge for her suit the key hole, and wants to know whether you think you can have mistaken it. It should open the interior of her high drawers, but she is in no hurry about it.
SuiH/‹iy. — It is cold enough m›w for us to prefer dining u]»tairs to dining below without a fire, and being only three we manage it very well, and to-day with two more we shall do just
as well, I dare say. Miss Foote and Miss Wethered are coming.
My mother is much pleased with Elizabeth’s.admiration of the rug; and pray tell Elizabeth that the new mourning gown is to be made double only in the body and sleeves.
Martha thanks you for your message, and desires you may be told, with her best love, that your wishes are answered, and that she is full of peace.and comfort here. I do not think, however, that here she will remain a great while; she does not herself expect that Mrs. Dundas will be able to do with her long. She wishes to stay with us till •Christmas, if possible. Lyddy goes home tomorrow: she seems well, but does not mean to go to service at present.
The Wallops are returned. Mr. John Harrison has paid his visit of duty and is gone. We have got a new physician, a Dr. Percival, the son of a famous Dr. Percival, of Manchester, who wrote moral tales for Edward to give to me.
When you write again to Catherine, thank her on my part for her very kind and welcome mark of friendship; I shall value such a brooch very much.
Good-bye, my dearest Cassandra.
Yours very affectionately, J. A.
Have you written to Mrs. E. Leigh? Martha will be glad to find Anne in work at present, and I am as glad to have her so found. We must turn our black pelisses into new, for velvet is to be very much worn this winter.
Miss Austen, Edward Austen’s, Esq. Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.