attention. The invitation was of course accepted, and during the visit
to Carlton House Mr. Clarke declared himself commissioned to say that if
Miss Austen had any other novel forthcoming she was at liberty to
dedicate it to the Prince. Accordingly such a dedication was immediately
prefixed to 'Emma,' which was at that time in the press.

Mr. Clarke was the brother of Dr. Clarke, the traveller and mineralogist,
whose life has been written by Bishop Otter. Jane found in him not only
a very courteous gentleman, but also a warm admirer of her talents;
though it will be seen by his letters that he did not clearly apprehend
the limits of her powers, or the proper field for their exercise. The
following correspondence took place between them.

Feeling some apprehension lest she should make a mistake in acting on the
verbal permission which she had received from the Prince, Jane addressed
the following letter to Mr. Clarke:--

'Nov. 15, 1815.

'SIR,--I must take the liberty of asking you a question. Among the
many flattering attentions which I received from you at Carlton House
on Monday last was the information of my being at liberty to dedicate
any future work to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, without the
necessity of any solicitation on my part. Such, at least, I believed
to be your words; but as I am very anxious to be quite certain of what
was intended, I entreat you to have the goodness to inform me how such
a permission is to be understood, and whether it is incumbent on me to
show my sense of the honour, by inscribing the work now in the press
to His Royal Highness; I should be equally concerned to appear either
presumptuous or ungrateful.'