1819-1823] Miss Edgeworth in London 143 



at the E. Review and at all the authors with a malignity that 

 I don't know how to account for. A number is regularly 

 sent to Mackintosh at Brooks', he does not know from 

 whom, and it generally contains some abuse of himself. It 

 is astonishing the ill-will he excites, and I do believe it is 

 nothing but his ill manners, for as to political animosity, he 

 cannot excite that, one would think, being the most moderate 

 of the whole set. ... 



I think you used Fanny [Allen] very ill, not to let her see 

 her lover. I see you keep up your old ways of managing 

 her and Emma. Was there ever such a saucy way of 

 rejecting a poor lovier ? . . . 



I beg, my Jessie, you will not say anything to take off 

 from the pleasure I have in being Scott purveyor to your 

 highness. I think Mr Sharp undervalues Scott. The five 

 ladies he ventured to compare to him were, Mrs Radcliffe, 

 Madame d'Arblay, Miss Edgeworth, Miss Austen, and Mrs 

 Brunton, the latter surely very inferior. It is very odd 

 if true, but I am assured Miss Austen's works do not sell 

 well, and Mackintosh rates her above them all, even Scott 

 himself I think. Miss Edgeworth is now in lodgings in 

 London, shewing the world her sisters, and her sisters to the 

 world. She has been spinning out visits to all her acquaint- 

 ance, and she has the credit of wanting to marry up the 

 young ones; but Fanny is delicate, and I should think it 

 very likely she might go off as so many of her family have 

 done. Eliza [Wedgwood] met them at a dinner Mrs Holland 1 

 gave them in Russell Square the other day ; but it was alto- 

 gether a great mess, they came three-quarters of an hour 

 after the dinner-hour, and went off before tea to two other 

 parties. Her chief topic was dress, and the true Parisian 

 cut of a gown. Surely this is affectation. 



Jos has ordered me a little one-horse phaeton, instead of 

 the char-a-banc that I was thinking of, and that gave you 

 so much trouble. I think I shall not ride much any more; 2 



1 The Swinton Holland family, whom the Wedgwoods visited 

 frequently in London, were related to them in the same way as the 

 Peter Hollands. 



2 She had had a bad fall from her horse shortly before. 



