Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Brass plaque on John Murray's front door.
Continue along Piccadilly and turn left into Albemarle Street, the home of publisher John
Murray, whose premises have been at No. 50 since 1812. He published many of the great
names of the era, notably Byron.
Throughout the autumn of 1815 Henry Austen negotiated with Murray on his sister's be-
half. On 21 October he wrote from his sickbed:
The Politeness & Perspicuity of your Letter equally claim my earliest Exertion. Your 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 … 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 ...
