him and had the use of a library in those languages which his uncle had collected. Southey himself con- tinually mentions his uncle Hill in terms of respect and gratitude.
S.T. Coleridge would sometimes burst out into high encomiums of Miss Austen's novels as being, 'in their way, perfectly genuine and individual productions.'
I remember Miss Mitford's saying to me: 'I would almost cut off one of my hands, if it would enable me to write like your aunt with the other.'
The biographer of Sir J. Mackintosh says: 'Something recalled to his mind the traits of character which are so delicately touched in Miss Austen's novels. . . He said that there was genius in sketching out that new kind of novel. . . He was vexed for the credit of the "Edinburgh Review" that it had left her unnoticed.[1] . . The "Quarterly" had done her more justice... It was impossible for a foreigner to understand fully the merit of her works. Madame de Staël, to whom he had recommended one of her novels, found no interest in it; and in her note to him in reply said it was "vulgaire": and yet, he said, nothing could be more true than what he wrote in answer: "There is no book which that word would so little suit.” .. Every village could furnish matter for a novel to Miss Austen. She did not need the common materials for a novel, strong emotions, or strong incidents.' [2]
It was not, however, quite impossible for a foreigner
