To Cassandra, Godmersham, 23 September 1813

Godmersham Park: Thursday (Sept.

MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,

Thank you five hundred and forty times for the exquisite piece of workmanship which was brought into the room this morning, while we were at breakfast, with some very inferior works of art in the same way, and which I read with high glee, much delighted with everything it told, whether good or bad. It is so rich in striking intelligence that I hardly know what to reply to first. I believe finery must have it.

I am extremely glad that you like the poplin. I thought it would have my mother’s approbation, but was not so confident of yours. Remember that it is a present. Do not refuse me. I am very rich.

Mrs. Clement is very welcome to her little boy, and to my congratulations into the bargain, if ever you think of giving them. I hope she will do well. Her sister in Lucina, Mrs. H. Gipps, does too well, we think. Mary P. wrote on Sunday that she had been three days on the sofa. Sackree does not approve it.

Well, there is some comfort in the Mrs. Hulbart’s not coming to you, and I am happy to hear of the honey. I was thinking of it the other day. Let me know when you begin the new tea, and the new white wine. My present elegancies have not yet made me indifferent to such matters. I am still a cat if I see a mouse.

I am glad you like our caps, but Fanny is out of conceit with hers already; she finds that she has been buying a new cap without having a new pattern, which is true enough. She is rather out of luck to like neither her gown nor her cap, but I do not much mind it, because besides that I like them both myself, I consider it as a thing of course at her time of life— one of the sweet taxes of youth to choose in a hurry ana make bad bargains.

I wrote to Charles yesterday, and Fanny has had a letter from him to-day, principally to make inquiries about the time of their visit here, to

which mine was an answer beforehand; so he will probably write again soon to fix his week. I am best pleased that Gassy does not go to you.

Now, what have we been doing since I wrote last? The Mr. K.’s 1 came a little before dinner on Monday, and Edward went to the church with the two seniors, but there* is no inscription yet drawn up. They are very good-natured you know, and civil, and all that, but are not particularly superfine; however, they ate their dinner and drank their tea, and went away, leaving their lovely Wadham in our arms, and I wish you had seen Fanny and me running backwards and forwards with his breeches from the little chintz to the white room before we went to bed, in the greatest of frights lest he should come upon us before we had done it all. There had been a mistake in the housemaids’ preparation,- and they were gone to bed.

He seems a very harmless sort of young man, nothing to like or dislike in him — goes out shooting or hunting with the two others all the morning, and plays at whist and makes queer faces in the evening.

On Tuesday the carriage was taken to the

painter’s; at one time Fanny and I were to have gone in it, chiefly to call on Mrs. C. — Milles and Moy l — but we found that they were going for a few days to Sandling, and would not be at home; therefore my brother and Fanny went to Eastwell in the chair instead. While they were gone the Nackington Milles’s called and left their cards. Nobody at home at Eastwell.

We hear a great deal of Geo. H.’s wretchedness. I suppose he has quick feelings, but I dare say they will not kill him. lie is so much out of spirits, however, that his friend John Flumptre is gone over to comfort him, at Mr. Hatton’s desire. He called here this morning in his way. A handsome young man certainly, with quiet, gentlemanlike manners. I set him down as sensible rather than brilliant. There is nobody brilliant nowadays. He talks of staying a week at Eastwell, and then comes to Chilham Castle for a day or two, and my brother invited him to come here afterwards, which he seemed very agreeable to.

* Tis night, and the landscape is lovely no

more,’ but to make amends for that, our visit to the Tyldens is over. My brother, Fanny, Edwd., and I went; Geo. stayed at home with W. K. There was nothing entertaining, or out of the common way. We met only Tyldens and double Tyldens. A whist-table for the gentlemen, a grown up musical young lady to play backgammon with Fanny, and engravings of the Colleges at Cambridge for me. In the morning we returned Mrs. Sherer’s visit. I like Mr. S. very much.

Well, I have not half done yet, I am not come up with myself. My brother drove Fanny to JSTackington and Canty, yesterday, and while they were gone the Faggs paid their duty. Mary Oxenden is staying at Canty, with the Blairs, and Fanny’s object was to see her.

The Deedes want us to come to Sandling for a few days, or at. least a day and night. At present Edwd. does not seem well affected — he would rather not be asked to go anywhere — but I rather expect he will be persuaded to go for the one day and night.

I read him the chief of your letter; he was interested and pleased, as he ought, and will be happy to hear from you himself. Your finding so much comfort from his cows gave him evident IT. I LETTERS OF JANE AUSTEN*. M-".

pleasure. I wonder Henry did not go down on Saturday: lie does not in general fall

•/>////•/ a doubtful intention.

My face is very much as it was before I came away; for the first two or three days it was rather worse. I caught a small cold in my way down, and had some pain every evening, not to last long, but rather severer than it had been lately. This has worn off, however, and I have scarcely felt anything for the last two days.

Sackree is pretty well again, only weak. Much obliged to you for your message, &c.; it was very true that she blessed herself the whole time that the pain was not in her stomach. I read all the scraps I could of your letter to her. She seemed to like it, and says she shall always like to hear anything of Chawton now, and I am to make you Miss Clewes’s assurance to the same effect, with thanks and best respects, A..-.

The girls are much disturbed at Mary Stacey’s not admitting Dame L. Miss C. and I are sorry. but not angry; we acknowledge Mary Stacey’s right, and can suppose her to have reason.

Oh! the church must have looked very forlorn. We all thought of the empty pew. How Bentigh is grown! and the Canty. Hill Plantation! And

the improvements within are very great. I admire the chintz room very much. We live in the library except at meals, and have a fire every evening. The weather is set about changing; we shall have a settled wet season soon. I must go to bed.

Friday. — I am sorry to find that one of the nightcaps here belongs to you — sorry, because it must be in constant wear.

Great doings again to-day. Fanny, Lizzy, and Marnne are going to Goodnestone for the fair, which is to-morrow, and stay till Monday, and the gentlemen are all to dine at Evington. Edwd. has been repenting ever since he promised to go, and was hoping last night for a wet day, but th

It is hoped that the portfolio may be in Canty, this morning. Sackree’s sister found it at Croydon and took it to town with her, but unluckily did

not send it down till she had diivctions. Fanny ( "-. si-ivrus can be done nothing with, but there are parts of workbags in the parcel, very important in their way. Three of the Deedes girls are to!H- at Goodnestone.

We shall not be much settled till this visit iover, settled as to employment I mean. Fanny and I are to go on with Modern Europe together, but hitherto have advanced only twenty-five pages. Something or other has always happened to delay or curtail the reading hour.

I ought to have told you before of a purchase of Edward’s in town; he desired you might hear of it — a tkinij for measuring timber with, so that you need not have the trouble of finding him in tap es any longer. He treated himself with this -r en-shilling purchase, and bought a new watch and new gun for George. The new gun shoot > very well.

Apples are scarce in this country — I/. 5*. a sack. Miss Hinton should take Hannah Knight. Mrs. Driver has not yet appeared. J. Littleworth and the grey pony reached Bath safely.

A letter from Mrs. Cooke: they have been at Brighton a fortnight; stay at least another, and Mary is already much better.

Poor Dr. Isham is obliged to admire P. and P.,1 and to send me word that he is sure he shall not like Madame D’Arblay’s new novel half so well. Mrs. C. invented it all, of course. He desires his compliments to you and my mother.

Of the Adlestrop living business, Mrs. C. says: * It can be now no secret, as the papers for the necessary dispensations are going up to the Archbishop’s Secretary. However, be it known that we all wish to have it understood that George takes this trust entirely to oblige Mr. Leigh, and never will be a shilling benefited by it. Had my consent been necessary, believe me I should have withheld it, for I do think it on the part of the patron a very shabby piece of business. All these and other Scrapings from dear Mrs. E. L. are to accumulate no doubt to help Mr. Twisleton to a secure admission again ’into England.’ I would wish you, therefore, to make it known to my mother as if this were the first time of Mrs. Cooke’s

mentioning it to me.

I told Mrs. C. of my mother’s late oppressions in her head. She says on that subject: ’ Dear Mrs. Austen’s is, I believe, an attack frequent at her age and mine. Last year I had for some time

the sensation of a peck loaf resting on my head, and they talked of cupping me, but I came off with a dose or two of calomel, and have never heard of it since.’

The three Miss Knights and Mrs. Sayce are just off; the weather has got worse since the early morning, and whether Mrs. Clewes and I are to be tete-a-tete, or to have four gentlemen to admire us, is uncertain.

I am now alone in the library, mistress of all I survey; at least I may say so, and repeat the whole poem if I like it, without offence to anybody.

Martha will have wet races and catch a bad cold; in other respects I hope she will have much pleasure at them, and that she is free from ear-ache now. I am glad she likes my cap so well. I assure you my old one looked so smart yesterday that I was asked two or three times before I set off whether it was not my new one.

I have this moment seen Mrs. Driver driven up to the kitchen door. I cannot close with a grander circumstance or greater wit.

Yours affectionately, J. A.

I am going to write to Steventon, so you need not send any news of me there.

Louisa’s best love and a hundred thousand million kisses.

Miss Austen, Chawton, Alton, Hants.