The Goddess of Botany

The production of Elegiac Sonnets was intensely important to her, partly because it might be her last collection of poetry, partly because she always needed a focus for her enormous intellectual energy. For more than a year the volume engaged her as art critic as well as poet. After much discussion of various possibilities with Cadell and Davies, four drawings were included, three by Richard Corbould, who had contributed to Elegiac Sonnets I, and one, the illustration for ‘The Female Exile’, by Harriet, Countess of Bessborough, the Duchess of Devonshire’s sister. The drawings were engraved by Heath and Neagle. On 20 November 1796 Charlotte wrote to Cadell and Davies that she was concerned about the high cost of producing the book, as artists and engravers were expensive, but

all that can be said is, that if the price of Artists is rais’d in proportion to the prices of almost every thing else, there is nothing to be done but for the writer to have less profit. There are no set of Men to whom I would so willingly pay money if I had it as Artists of merit; therefore, if you think Mr Neagle more likely to do justice to the drawing, I beg you will put it into his hands … As the whole Subscription money does not amount to above a hundred & fifty pounds, this will be but a losing game for me. I mean if the expence of plates amount to ten Guineas each besides the drawing I am to pay for. However circumstances may arise which may make this no object to me, & if it be, I had rather gain less from a subscription I was never very anxious about than have the last book of the kind I shall ever publish appear shabbily done and in a bad taste.