He purposed to write a memoir of
Miss Austen, with criticisms on her works, to prefix it to a new edition
of her novels, and from the proceeds of the sale to erect a monument to
her memory in Winchester Cathedral. Oh! that such an idea had been
realised! That portion of the plan in which Lord Macaulay's success
would have been most certain might have been almost sufficient for his
object. A memoir written by him would have been a monument.
I am kindly permitted by Sir Henry Holland to give the following
quotation from his printed but unpublished recollections of his past
life:--
'I have the picture still before me of Lord Holland lying on his bed,
when attacked with gout, his admirable sister, Miss Fox, beside him
reading aloud, as she always did on these occasions, some one of Miss
Austen's novels, of which he was never wearied. I well recollect the
time when these charming novels, almost unique in their style of
humour, burst suddenly on the world. It was sad that their writer did
not live to witness the growth of her fame.'
My brother-in-law, Sir Denis Le Marchant, has supplied me with the
following anecdotes from his own recollections:--
'When I was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Mr.
Pages:
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183