Bishop’s Palace, Winchester

16th August 1827

Dear Thomas Knox

 

Thank you for the box received yesterday with the book enclosed. I am greatly relieved by its discovery and shall acquaint myself with its contents so that I may fulfil your father’s wishes and perform the necessary ritual in the cathedral crypt next St Swithun’s Day. Miss Austen’s four possessions I shall leave hidden in the desk where the Green Man carvings may watch over them until they are needed. I have deemed it prudent to conceal the book of dark magic in a place familiar but least expected and have marked it with an ancient Latin inscription which only the Bishop of Winchester would see and understand.

 

I shall consider it an honour to perform the ritual for a writer of such remarkable perspicacity as Miss Jane Austen. It was my dear wife Elizabeth’s dying wish that I should read those novels which had so greatly succoured her in her final months of life. Would that I had read them sooner for, as usual, my wife’s taste did not err. Those six books are such as will never be emulated nor exceeded in their genius, for there are few in this world with the wit, the wisdom – nay, the sagacity – with which Miss Austen was endowed; her understanding of human nature was sublime.

 

If I had only been acquainted with her novels when I received your father’s first letter. I do not doubt that I should have done all within my power to free the poor lady from the wretched fate to which Clarke has doomed her. However, all will be well once the ritual is complete and the spell enacted. When this is done I shall consign the evil volume to the fire. I entreat you not to speak of this to a living soul.

 

Yrs., cordially,

 

George Pretyman Tomline

Bishop of Winchester