[This letter consists of a short transmittal to Cassandra from Jane Austen, of another letter which her brother Henry had written the day before to her publisher]
A Letter to Mr Murray which Henry dictated a few days after his Illness began, & just before the severe Relapse which threw him into such Danger.–
Dear Sir
Severe Illness has confined me to my Bed ever since I received Yours of ye 15th— I cannot yet hold a pen, & employ an Amuensis [sic].– The Politeness & Perspicuity of your Letter equally claim my earliest Exertion.– our official opinion of the Merits of Emma, is very valuable & satisfactory.– Though I venture to differ occasionally from your Critique, yet I assure you the Quantum of your commendation rather exceeds than falls short of the Author’s expectation & my own.– The Terms you offer are so very inferior to what we had expected, that I am apprehensive of having made some great error in my Arithmetical Calculation.– On the subject of the expence & profit of publishing, you must be much better informed than I am;– but Documents in my possession appear to prove that the Sum offered by you for the Copyright of Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park & Emma, is not equal to the Money which my Sister has actually cleared by one very moderate Edition of Mansfield Park– (You Yourself expressed astonishment that so small an Edit: of such a work should have been sent into the World) & a still smaller one of Sense & Sensibility.– . . .
QuinnTessence 
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