9 November 1800 – continuation from previous day

[This letter continues from one begun the day previous, 8th November…]

I have finished this on Sunday morning

& am Yrs Ever  JA.

[Two paragraphs upside down at the top of p1]

I hope it is true that Edward Taylor is to marry his cousin Charlotte.  Those beautiful dark Eyes will then adorn another Generation at least in all their purity.–

Mr Holder’s paper tells us that sometime in last August, Capt: Austen & the Petterell were very active in securing a Turkish Ship (driven into a Port in Cyprus by bad weather) from the French.– He was forced to burn her however.– You will see the account in the Sun I dare say.–

[Final paragraph upside down between the lines of p1]

Sunday Evening.
We have had a dreadful storm of wind in the forepart of this day, which has done a great dela of mischeif among our trees.– I was sitting alone in the dining room, when an odd kind of crash startled me–in a moment afterwards it was repeated; I then went to the window, which I reached just in time to see the last of our two highly valued Elms descend into the Sweep!!!!!  The other, which had fallen I suppose in the first crash, & which was the nearest to the pond, taking a more easterly direction sunk amongst our screen of Chesnuts & firs, knocking down one spruce fir, beating off the head of another, & stripping the two corner chesnuts of several branches, in its fall.– This is not all–.  One large Elm out of two on the left hand side, as you enter what I call the Elm walk, was likewise blown down, the Maypole bearing the weathercock was broke in two, & what I regret more than all the rest, is that all the three Elms which grew in Hall’s meadow & gave such ornament to it, are gone.– Two were blown down, & the other so much injured that it cannot stand.– I am happy to add however that no greater Evil than the loss of Trees has been the consequence of the Storm in this place, or in our immediate neighbourhood.– We greive therefore in some comfort.–

[Postscript below address panel]

You spend your time just as quietly & comfortably as I supposed you would.– We have all seen & admired Fanny’s letter to her Aunt.– The Endymion sailed on a cruize last friday.

Miss Austen
Godmersham Park
Faversham
Kent