III. WARREN HASTINGS AND THE HANCOCKS, 1752-1794 31 IV. FAMILY LIFE, 1779-1792 46 V. GROWTH AND CHANGE, 1792-1796 67 VI. ROMANCE, 1795-1802 84 VII. AUTHORSHIP AND CORRESPONDENCE, 1796-1798 95 VIII. GODMERSHAM AND STEVENTON, 1798-1799 109 IX. THE LEIGH PERROTS AND BATH, 1799-1800 126 X. CHANGE OF HOME, 1800-1801 141 XI. BATH AGAIN, 1801-1805 165 XII. FROM BATH TO SOUTHAMPTON, 1805-1808 189 XIII. FROM SOUTHAMPTON TO CHAWTON, 1808-1809 209 XIV. _SENSE AND SENSIBILITY_, 1809-1811 235 XV. _PRIDE AND PREJUDICE_, 1812-1814 255 XVI. _MANSFIELD PARK_, 1812-1814 273 XVII. _EMMA_, 1814-1815 299 XVIII. _PERSUASION_, 1815-1816 325 XIX. AUNT JANE, 1814-1817 341 XX. FAILING HEALTH, 1816-1817 369 XXI. WINCHESTER, 1817 388 APPENDIX: THE TEXT OF JANE AUSTEN'S NOVELS 405 BIBLIOGRAPHY 421 PEDIGREES _to face page_ 428 I. Austen II. Leigh III. Craven, Fowle, and Lloyd Families INDEX 429 * * * * * PORTRAIT OF JANE AUSTEN _Frontispiece_ CHRONOLOGY OF JANE AUSTEN'S LIFE 1775, Dec. 16 Birth, at Steventon. 1779, June Charles John Austen born. 1780, July James Austen matriculated at Oxford (St. John's). 1782 Jane and Cassandra at Oxford under care of Mrs. Cawley (sister of Dr. Cooper). 1783 Mrs. Cawley having moved to Southampton, Jane nearly died there of a fever. Mrs. Cooper (her aunt) took the infection and died (October). 1784 _The Rivals_ acted at Steventon. 1784 or 1785 Jane and Cassandra left Mrs. Latournelle's school at Reading, and returned home. 1786 Eliza Comtesse de Feuillide came to England. Birth of her son. 1787 James Austen in France. 1788, July Henry Austen matriculated at Oxford (St. John's). Francis Austen went to sea. 1791 Edward Austen married Elizabeth Bridges. 1792, March James Austen married Anne Mathew. 1794, Feb. Comte de Feuillide guillotined. 1795 (?) Cassandra engaged to Thomas Fowle. May Mrs. James Austen died. 1795-6 Mr. Tom Lefroy at Ashe. 1796 _First Impressions_ (_Pride and Prejudice_) begun. Jane subscribed to _Camilla_. 1797, Jan. James Austen married Mary Lloyd.