places to be got in Drury Lane for the next fortnight, but Henry means
to secure some for Saturday fortnight, when you are reckoned upon.
Give my love to little Cass. I hope she found my bed comfortable last
night. I have seen nobody in London yet with such a long chin as Dr.
Syntax, nor anybody quite so large as Gogmagolicus.

'Yours affly.,
'J. AUSTEN.'



CHAPTER VII.


_Seclusion from the literary world--Notice from the Prince
Regent--Correspondence with Mr. Clarke--Suggestions to alter her style of
writing_.

Jane Austen lived in entire seclusion from the literary world: neither by
correspondence, nor by personal intercourse was she known to any
contemporary authors. It is probable that she never was in company with
any person whose talents or whose celebrity equalled her own; so that her
powers never could have been sharpened by collision with superior
intellects, nor her imagination aided by their casual suggestions.
Whatever she produced was a genuine home-made article. Even during the
last two or three years of her life, when her works were rising in the
estimation of the public, they did not enlarge the circle of her
acquaintance. Few of her readers knew even her name, and none knew more
of her than her name. I doubt whether it would be possible to mention
any other author of note, whose personal obscurity was so complete. I