James Stanier Clarke

The entire affair of the dedication seems to have been a matter of chance. Here’s how the episode unfolded: According to her sister, Cassandra, Austen began writing Emma 21 January 1814 and completed it 29 March 1815. In August or September 1815 she turned the manuscript in to her publisher, John Murray of London. Revisions (apparently minor) were made in the ensuing months, and the novel was published in December. Prior to this date, in early October, Austen arrived in London to stay with her brother Henry at his residence in Hans Place. In mid-October he fell ill, and a doctor was consulted. Henry’s condition was serious enough to require a second opinion, and another physician, Dr. Baillie, who just happened to be the Prince Regent’s physician, was called in. During his visit at Hans Place, Dr. Baillie mentioned to Jane Austen that the Prince was a great admirer of her novels and that he had a set of them in each of his lodgings. The Prince’s librarian, James Stanier Clarke, would call upon her, he said. Shortly thereafter Clarke invited Jane Austen to the Prince’s august residence at Carlton House. She paid the visit on 13 November 1815, at which time Clarke told her that she was at liberty to dedicate her next novel to the Prince Regent. After much apparent hand-wringing and reluctance, Austen decided to dedicate Emma to the Prince Regent. Since the novel was already in press at this time, she wrote her publisher and added the perfectly proper dedication (Austen-Leigh 118). Henry recovered. There seems to have been no more to the episode than this.