Letter from Jane Austen to her brother Frank, 3 July 1813 (pen & ink on...

Shelfmark: Add MS 42180. This letter was written by Jane Austen to her brother Francis William Austen (Frank) in July 1813 while he was serving on board HMS Elephant. In the letter Austen relays news about the family, while also mentioning her latest novels. Frank was stationed in the Baltic, and Austen writes about her interest in Sweden, expressing hope that her brother is enjoying his time in a country which she considers ‘so distinguished’. Austen writes about the success of Sense and Sensibility (1811), every copy of which had been sold. She explains that ‘I have something in hand – which I hope on the credit of P.&P. [Pride and Prejudice] will sell well, tho’ not half so entertaining’. The ’something’ to which she is referring is Mansfield Park, which was published in 1814.