,^f ^^nrj^i' f SELECT LIBRARY OF FICTION- t PRICE ffFO SHILLINGS PER VOLUME. ' The best, cheapest, and most POPULAR NOVELS published, well printed in clear, reid.^.ble type, on good paper, and strongly bound. Containing the avritings of the most j-)paler Authors of the day. Cf the many cheap editions and reprints of worlrs of iiction, there is n:ine which better deserve the extensive svipport which they receive at the hands of the public than the series in course of issue under the title of " The Select M'l • rv' of Fiction." In addition to the literary merits which the works possess in tin.iT^^ •' vcs, th.e'y present to the reader the important advantage of bei'ng printed in ckar ;!nd excclint type on good paper, differing in this respect very materially from some of the cl;e;lnLr reprints, which fall to pieces in the process of rea'ding, and which so sorely try the eyesight, especially of those who are accustomed to read in r.iiiviay carriages.—The Observer. When ordering, the Numbers only need be gi'ven. VOL. 1 Agatha's Husband 23 Knight ofGwynne, 630pp., 3s. Author of " John Halifax." Charles Lc7':r. 2 Head of the Family 25 DoddFamIIyAbroad',672pp., 3s. Auth-jr of "John Halifax." C/u^r!rs Lci^r. 4 The Wliiteboy : an Irish Tale 27 The O'Donoghue Charles Lever. Mrs. S. C. Hall. 2S Tom Burke, 704 pp., 3s. 5 The Ogilvies Chr.rU^ Lc-vc>'. \ Author of " John Halifax." 30 Davenport Dunn, 772 pp., 3s. 6 My Uncle the Curate Ctarlci Lcvsr. I M. W. Savage. 32 Fortunes of Glencore *?* 7 Olive : a Novel C/uirUi Lever. Author of "John Halifax." 33 Roland Cashel, 618 pp. i 10 Mary Barton Mrs. Gaskell, Charles Lever. 35 One of Them Ck^rlel l:z-r. I 11 The Half Sisters Gcraldine Jelvshury. 36 The Orphans and Caleb Fid 1 X 12 Bachelor of the Albany . Jlirs. G'-j!,:rf. M. W. S.:-::~r. 3? Mary Seaham jllis. C'ley. t 15 Ruth: a Novel MIn. Ga:kc'!. 39 Advcnt.'rcs of a Clever V/om m /llrs. It:. ' l:c. 17 Jack Hinton, the Guardsman Charles Lever. 42 r'.r.ivtins of Cro' A'^.-.rtin, 704 pp., 3s. Ckirla Lever. iS Charles O'Malley, 750 pp., 3s. 46 Jacob Eendixen llL.ry L.7v::t. I Charles Lever. 48 Sir Jasper Carewi Charles Lever. 20 The D.iltons, 708 pp., js. Chirks Lcfcr. •49 Mrs. Mathews Airs. Tr:ll:[:e. 22 Harry Lorrequer's Confessions 50 Marian Withers Charles Lever. Geraldine y'evjrk^iy. ]!,'['— '\ "T" '\* "x— 0.1 i^ii— ^j. i''tr~' 'til i^ii— ^^LI "^— % ["t—I '^ iir*n~ ' tf;.iLrti|C«ti i»»>l»fl^i •Mfl^'b nn>W*l •fc>iiM'**j mib'K»W5-i»«'Kr%-—>y%'^^g'^''^^'^ THE SELECT LIBRARY OF FICTION. 116 Orley Farm, 3s. A.TrolUjit, 139 Which is the Winner Charles Clarke. 117 Flying Scud Chsrles Clarke. 140 Archie Lovell Mrs, Edwardes, 118 Denis Donne Annie Thomas. 119 Forlorn Hope Edmund Yates. 141 Lizzie Lorton E. Lynn Linton. 120 Can you Forgive Her ? 3?. 142 Milly's Hero F. TV. Robinson. Anthony Trolhfe. 143 Leo Button Cook. 121 Ned Locksley, the Etonian 144 Uncle Silas jf. S. Lefanu. A'iciyfi:::/!. 145 Bar Sinister Charles A. Collins. ^22 Miss Mackenzie Anthony Trollope. 146 Rose Douglas 123 Carry's Confession By a Popular Writer, I 147 Cousin Stella; or, Conflict By Author of"Mattie: a Stray." Mrs, C. Jenkin. 125 Belton Estate Anthony Trollope. 148 Highland Lassies 126 Land at Last Edmund Tatcs. Erick Mackenzie. 127 Dumbleton Common 149 Young Singleton Hon. Eleanor Eden. Talbot Gtvynne. 128 Crumbs from a Sportsman 150 The Eve of St. Mark Table Charles Clarke. Thomas Doubleday. 129 Bella Donna Percy Fitzgerald. I 151 Young Scapegrace 130 Captain Jack y. A. Maitland. fames Payne. 131 Christie's Faith 152 Mirk Abbey By Author of "Mattie ; a Stray." Author of " Married Beneath Him." 132 Polly: a Village Portrait By a Popular PVriter. 153 FairCarew: or, Husbands and ( Wives Catherine Bigger. 533 75 Brooke Street Percy Filzgcrahi. 154 Riverston 134 Called to Account Georgiana M. Craik. I ( Annie Thomas. 155 Sablna Lady Wood. 13s A Golden Heart Tom Hood. 156 Pique i Author of "Agatha Beaufort" 136 Second Mrs. Tillotson 157 Lord Falconberg's Heir Percy Fitzgerald. Charles Clarke. 137 Never Forgotten Percy Fitzgerald. 158 A Fatal Error fonas Serman. \ 138 Clyffards of Clyfle 159 Secret Dispatch James Grant, Author of " Married Beneath Him." Author oj "Romance of War." 1 OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION. London: CHAPMAN & HALL, 193, Piccadilly. VOL. I. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, LOITDOK: PEIJTTID BT BPOTHIWOODB AXJ) CO., IFEW-STBIET B4TJA«A SENSE AND SENSIBILIT % iafol. BY JANE AUSTEN, Author of " PRIDE AND PREJUDICE," " NORTHANGER ABBEY," " MANSFIELD PARK," " PBRSITASION," "EMMA." TSTE-W EI3XTI02Sr. LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193 PICCADILLY. 1870. MEMOIR OP MISS AUSTEN. .IANE AUSTEN was born on the 16th of December, 1775, at Steventon, in the county of Hants. Her father was rector of that parish upwards of forty years. There he resided in the conscientious and un­ assisted discharge of his ministerial duties until he Mas turned of seventy years. Then he retired with his wife, our authoress, and her sister, to Bath, for the remainder of his life, a period of about four years. Being not only a profound scholar, but possessing a most exquisite taste in every species of literature, it is not wonderful that his daughter Jane should, at a very early age, have become sensible to the charms of style, and enthusiastic in the cultivation of her own language. On the death of her father, she removed, with her mother and sister, for a short time, to Southampton; and finally. In 1809, to the pleasant village of Chawton in the same county. From this place she sent her novels into the world. Some of them had been the gradual performances of her previous life; for though in composition she was equally rapid and correct, yet A 3 VI MEMOIR OF MISS AUSTEN. an invincible distrust of her own judgment induced her to withhold her works from the public, till time and many perusals had satisfied her that the charm of recent composition was dissolved. The natural con­ stitution, the regular habits, the quiet and happy occu­ pations of our authoress, seemed to promise a long succession of amusement to the public, and a gradual increase of reputation to herself. But the symp­ toms of a decay, deep and incurable, began to show themselves in the commencement of 1816. Her decline was at first deceitfully slow; but in the month of May, 1817, it was found advisable that she should be removed to Winchester for the benefit of constant medical aid, which none, even then, dared to hope would be permanently beneficial. She supported, dur­ ing two months, all the varying pain, irksomeness, and tedium, attendant on decaying nature, with more than resignation — with a truly elastic cheerfulness. She retained her faculties, her memory, her fancy, her temper, and her affections, warm, clear, and unim­ paired, to the last. Her last voluntary speech con­ veyed thanks to her medical attendant; and to the final question asked of her, purporting to know her wants, she replied, " I want nothing but death." She expired shortly after, on Friday, the 18th of July, 1817, in the arms of her sister; and was buried, on the 24th of the same month, in the cathedral church of Win­ chester. Of personal attractions she possessed a consider­ able share ; her stature rather exceeded the middle height; her carriage and deportment were quiet, but graceful; her features were separately good ; their as­ semblage produced an unrivalled expression of that MEMOIR OF MISS AUSTEK. VU cheerfulness, sensibility, and benevolence, which were her real characteristics; her complexion was of the finest texture — it might with truth be said, that her eloquent blood spoke through her modest cheek; her voice was sweet; she delivered herself with fluency and precision; indeed, she was formed for elegant and ra­ tional society, excelling in conversation as much as in composition. In the present age it is hazardous to mention accomplishments; our authoress would pro­ bably have been inferior to few in such acquire­ ments, had she not been so superior to most, in higher things. It remains to make a few observations on that which Iier friends deemed more important, on those en­ dowments which sweetened every hour of their lives. If there be an opinion current in the world that a per­ fectly amiable temper is not reconcilable to a lively imagination, and a keen relish for wit, such an opinion will be rejected for ever by those who had the happi­ ness of knowing the authoress] of the following work. Though the frailties, foibles, and follies of others, could not escape her immediate detection, yet even on their vices did she never trust herself to comment with unkindness. The affectation of candour is not un­ common, but she had no affectation. Faultless herself, as nearly as human nature can be, she always sought^ in the faults of others, something to excuse, to forgive, or forget. Wliere extenuation was impossible, she had a sure refuge in silence. She never uttered either a hasty, a silly, or a severe expression. In short, her temper was as polished as her wit; and no one could be often in her company without feeling a strong desire of obtaining her friendship, and cherishing a hope of A 4 viii .MEMOIR or MISS AUSTEN.