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Title: Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters
A Family Record
Author: William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh
Release Date: September 7, 2007 [eBook #22536]
Language: English
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Transcriber's note:
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omits the hyphen. This was retained.
Text that was superscripted in the original is enclosed within
curly brackets preceded by a carat character. Example: Ser^{t,}
In the interests of maintaining the integrity of the Austen
letters, archaic or unusual spellings were retained as was
inconsistent capitalization. For example: expence,
acknowlegement; d'Arblay, D'Arblay.
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More detailed notes, including a list of corrections, will be
found at the end of the text.
JANE AUSTEN
HER LIFE AND LETTERS
A Family Record
by
WILLIAM AUSTEN-LEIGH
and
RICHARD ARTHUR AUSTEN-LEIGH
With a Portrait
London
Smith, Elder & Co., 15 Waterloo Place
1913
[_All rights reserved_]
[Illustration: J. Zoffany R. A. pinxit Emery Walker Ph. sc.
Jane Austen
see p. 62]
PREFACE
Since 1870-1, when J. E. Austen Leigh[1] published his _Memoir of Jane
Austen_, considerable additions have been made to the stock of
information available for her biographers. Of these fresh sources of
knowledge the set of letters from Jane to Cassandra, edited by Lord
Brabourne, has been by far the most important. These letters are
invaluable as _mémoires pour servir_; although they cover only the
comparatively rare periods when the two sisters were separated, and
although Cassandra purposely destroyed many of the letters likely to
prove the most interesting, from a distaste for publicity.
Some further correspondence, and many incidents in the careers of two of
her brothers, may be read in _Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers_, by J. H.
Hubback and Edith C. Hubback; while Miss Constance Hill has been able to
add several family traditions to the interesting topographical
information embodied in her _Jane Austen: Her Homes and Her Friends_.
Nor ought we to forget the careful research shown in other biographies
of the author, especially that by Mr. Oscar Fay Adams.
During the last few years, we have been fortunate enough to be able to
add to this store; and every existing MS. or tradition preserved by the
family, of which we have any knowledge, has been placed at our disposal.
It seemed, therefore, to us that the time had come when a more complete
chronological account of the novelist's life might be laid before the
public, whose interest in Jane Austen (as we readily acknowledge) has
shown no signs of diminishing, either in England or in America.
The _Memoir_ must always remain the one firsthand account of her,
resting on the authority of a nephew who knew her intimately and that of
his two sisters. We could not compete with its vivid personal
recollections; and the last thing we should wish to do, even were it
possible, would be to supersede it. We believe, however, that it needs
to be supplemented, not only because so much additional material has
been brought to light since its publication, but also because the
account given of their aunt by her nephew and nieces could be given only
from their own point of view, while the incidents and characters fall
into a somewhat different perspective if the whole is seen from a
greater distance. Their knowledge of their aunt was during the last
portion of her life, and they knew her best of all in her last year,
when her health was failing and she was living in much seclusion; and
they were not likely to be the recipients of her inmost confidences on
the events and sentiments of her youth.
Hence the emotional and romantic side of her nature--a very real
one--has not been dwelt upon. No doubt the Austens were, as a family,
unwilling to show their deeper feelings, and the sad end of Jane's one
romance would naturally tend to intensify this dislike of expression;
but the feeling was there, and it finally found utterance in her latest
work, when, through Anne Elliot, she claimed for women the right of
'loving longest when existence or when hope is gone.'
Then, again, her nephew and nieces hardly knew how much she had gone
into society, or how much, with a certain characteristic aloofness, she
had enjoyed it. Bath, either when she was the guest of her uncle and
aunt or when she was a resident; London, with her brother Henry and his
wife, and the rather miscellaneous society which they enjoyed;
Godmersham, with her brother Edward and his county neighbours in East
Kent;--these had all given her many opportunities of studying the
particular types which she blended into her own creations.
A third point is the uneventful nature of the author's life, which, as
we think, has been a good deal exaggerated. Quiet it certainly was; but
the quiet life of a member of a large family in the England of that date
was compatible with a good deal of stirring incident, happening, if not
to herself, at all events to those who were nearest to her, and who
commanded her deepest sympathies.
We hope therefore that our narrative, with all its imperfections and its
inevitable repetition of much that has already been published, will at
least be of use in removing misconceptions, in laying some new facts
before the reader, and in placing others in a fresh light. It is
intended as a narrative, and not as a piece of literary criticism; for
we should not care to embark upon the latter in competition with
biographers and essayists who have a better claim to be heard.
Both in the plan and in the execution of our work we have received much
valuable help from another member of the family, Mary A. Austen
Leigh.[2]
An arrangement courteously made by the owners of the copyright has
procured for us a free and ample use of the Letters as edited by Lord
Brabourne[3]; while the kindness of Mr. J. G. Nicholson of Castlefield
House, Sturton-by-Scawby, Lincolnshire, has opened a completely new
source of information in the letters which passed between the Austens
and their kinsmen of the half-blood--Walters of Kent and afterwards of
Lincolnshire. Miss Jane Austen, granddaughter of Admiral Charles Austen,
and Miss Margaret Bellas, great-granddaughter of James Austen, are so
good as to allow us to make a fuller use of their family documents than
was found possible by the author of the _Memoir_; while Mr. J. H.
Hubback permits us to draw freely upon the _Sailor Brothers_, and
Captain E. L. Austen, R.N., upon his MSS. Finally, we owe to Admiral
Ernest Rice kind permission to have the photograph taken, from which the
reproduction of his Zoffany portrait is made into a frontispiece for
this volume. We hope that any other friends who have helped us will
accept this general expression of our gratitude.
W. A. L.
R. A. A. L.
_April 1913._
In the notes to the text, the following works are referred to under the
shortened forms here given:--
_Memoir of Jane Austen_, by her nephew, J. E.
Austen Leigh: quoted from second edition, 1871. As
_Memoir_.
_Letters of Jane Austen_, edited by Edward Lord
Brabourne, 1884. As _Brabourne_.
_Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers_, by J. H. Hubback
and Edith C. Hubback, 1906. As _Sailor Brothers_.
_Jane Austen: Her Homes and her Friends_ Constance
Hill, 1902. As _Miss Hill_.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Father of one of the present writers, and grandfather of the other.
[2] Daughter of the author of the _Memoir_.
[3] It has not, however, been possible to consult the originals except
in the instance of the letters from Jane to Anna Lefroy.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
PREFACE v
CHRONOLOGY xiii
I. AUSTENS AND LEIGHS, 1600-1764 1
II. STEVENTON, 1764-1785 11
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.
Feb. Thomas Fowle died of fever in the W. Indies.
Nov. Jane, with mother and sister, went to Bath.
_First Impressions_ refused by Cadell.
_Sense and Sensibility_ (already sketched in _Elinor and
Marianne_) begun.
Dec. enry Austen married Eliza de Feuillide.
1798, Aug. Lady Williams (Jane Cooper) killed in a carriage accident.
Mrs. Knight gave up Godmersham to the Edward Austens.
Jane's first visit there.
1798, Aug. First draft of _Northanger Abbey_ begun.
1799, May Jane at Bath with the Edward Austens.
Aug. Mrs. Leigh Perrot's trouble at Bath.
1801, May Family move from Steventon to Bath. Visit to Sidmouth.
Possible date of Jane's romance in the west of England.
1802 Austens at Dawlish and Teignmouth.
Visit of sisters to Steventon and Manydown.
Jane received an offer of marriage from an old friend.
1803 _Northanger Abbey_ (called _Susan_) revised, and sold to
Crosby of London.
1804 Probable date of _The Watsons_.
Sept. Austens at Lyme.
Dec. Mrs. Lefroy of Ashe killed by a fall from her horse.
1805, Jan. Death of Jane's father at Bath.
1806, July Austens left Bath for Clifton, Adlestrop, and Stoneleigh.
1806-7 Austens settled at Southampton.
1807, March Took possession of house in Castle Square.
1808, Sept. Cassandra at Godmersham.
Oct. Mrs. Edward Austen died there after the birth of her
eleventh child (John).
1809, April Jane attempted to secure publication of _Susan_
(_Northanger Abbey_).
Austens left Southampton.
July Austens took possession of Chawton (having been at
Godmersham). Jane's authorship resumed.
1811, April Jane with Henry in London (Sloane Street) bringing out
_Sense and Sensibility_.
Oct. _Sense and Sensibility_ published.
1812 Death of Mrs. T. Knight. Edward Austen took the name of
'Knight.'
1813, Jan. Publication of _Pride and Prejudice_.
April Death of Mrs. Henry Austen (Eliza).
Sept. Jane's last visit to Godmersham.
Second edition of _Sense and Sensibility_.
1814, Jan. _Emma_ begun.
March Jane went to London with Henry (reading _Mansfield Park_
by the way).
May _Mansfield Park_ published.
Threat of lawsuit for Chawton.
Nov. Marriage of Anna Austen to Ben Lefroy.
1815, March _Emma_ finished.
Oct. Illness of Henry.
Nov. Jane shown over Carlton House by Dr. Clarke.
Dec. Publication of _Emma_.
1816, March Bankruptcy of Henry Austen (Jane's health began to break
about this time).
May Jane and Cassandra at Kintbury and Cheltenham.
July _Persuasion_ finished.
Aug End of _Persuasion_ re-written.
Henry took Orders.
1817, Jan. Jane began new work.
March Ceased to write.
Death of Mr. Leigh Perrot.
Jane made her will.
May 24 Jane moved to Winchester, and revived somewhat.
June 16 Cassandra sent a hopeless account to Fanny Knight.
July 18 Death.
July 24 Burial in Winchester Cathedral.
JANE AUSTEN
CHAPTER I
AUSTENS AND LEIGHS
1600-1764
At the end of the sixteenth century there was living at Horsmonden--a
small village in the Weald of Kent--a certain John Austen. From his will
it is evident that he was a man of considerable means, owning property
in Kent and Sussex and elsewhere; he also held a lease of certain lands
from Sir Henry Whetenhall, including in all probability the manor house
of Broadford in Horsmonden. What wealth he had was doubtless derived
from the clothing trade; for Hasted[4] instances the Austens, together
with the Bathursts, Courthopes, and others, as some of the ancient
families of that part 'now of large estate and genteel rank in life,'
but sprung from ancestors who had used the great staple manufacture of
clothing. He adds that these clothiers 'were usually called the Gray
Coats of Kent, and were a body so numerous that at County Elections
whoever had their vote and interest was almost certain of being
elected.'
John Austen died in 1620, leaving a large family.[5] Of these, the
fifth son, Francis, who died in 1687, describes himself in his will as a
clothier, of Grovehurst; this place being, like Broadford, a pretty
timbered house of moderate size near the picturesque old village of
Horsmonden. Both houses still belong to the Austen family. Francis left
a son, John, whose son was another John. This last John settled at
Broadford (while his father remained at Grovehurst), and, when quite
young, married Elizabeth Weller. He seems to have been a careless,
easy-going man, who thought frugality unnecessary, as he would succeed
to the estate on his father's death; but he died of consumption in 1704,
a year before that event took place. One of his sisters married into the
family of the Stringers (neighbours engaged in the same trade as the
Austens), and numbered among her descendants the Knights of
Godmersham--a circumstance which exercised an important influence over
the subsequent fortunes of the Austen family.
Elizabeth Weller, a woman happily cast in a different mould from her
husband, was an ancestress of Jane Austen who deserves commemoration.
Thrifty, energetic, a careful mother, and a prudent housewife, she
managed, though receiving only grudging assistance from the Austen
family, to pay off her husband's debts, and to give to all her younger
children a decent education at a school at Sevenoaks; the eldest boy
(the future squire) being taken off her hands by his grandfather.[6]
Elizabeth left behind her not only elaborately kept accounts but also a
minute description of her actions through many years and of the motives
which governed them. It may be interesting to quote one sentence
relating to her move from Horsmonden to Sevenoaks for the sake of her
children's education. 'These considerations with y^{e} tho'ts of having
my own boys in y^{e} house, with a good master (as all represented him
to be) were y^{e} inducements that brought me to Sen'nock, for it seemed
to me as if I cou'd not do a better thing for my children's good, their
education being my great care, and indeed all I think I was capable of
doing for 'em, for I always tho't if they had learning, they might get
better shift in y^{e} world, with w^{t} small fortune was alloted 'em.'
When the good mother died in 1721, her work was done. Schooldays were
over, the daughter married, and the boys already making their way in the
world.
The young squire and his son held gentle sway at Broadford through the
eighteenth century; but much more stirring and able was the next
brother, Francis. He became a solicitor. Setting up at Sevenoaks 'with
eight hundred pounds and a bundle of pens,' he contrived to amass a very
large fortune, living most hospitably, and yet buying up all the
valuable land round the town which he could secure, and enlarging his
means by marrying two wealthy wives. But his first marriage did not take
place till he was nearer fifty than forty; and he had as a bachelor been
a most generous benefactor to the sons of his two next brothers, Thomas
and William.
His second wife, who became in due course of time godmother to her
great-niece, Jane Austen, was the widow of Samuel Lennard, of West
Wickham, who left her his estate. Legal proceedings ensued over the
will, and Mrs. Lennard took counsel of Francis Austen, who ended by
winning both the case and her hand. Francis's son by his first wife
(known as Motley Austen) rounded off the family estate at Sevenoaks by
purchasing the Kippington property. Motley's third son, John, eventually
inherited the Broadford estate. Francis's two most distinguished
descendants were Colonel Thomas Austen of Kippington, well known as M.P.
for Kent, and the Rev. John Thomas Austen, senior wrangler in 1817.
Both the two next brothers of Francis Austen adopted the medical
profession. Thomas, an apothecary at Tonbridge, had an only son, Henry,
who graduated at Cambridge, and, through his uncle's interest, held the
living of West Wickham for twenty years. His descendants on the female
side are still flourishing.
William, the surgeon, Jane Austen's grandfather, is more immediately
interesting to us. He married Rebecca, daughter of Sir George Hampson, a
physician of Gloucester, and widow of another medical man, James Walter.
By her first husband she had a son, William Hampson Walter, born in
1721; by her second she had three daughters, and one son, George, born
in 1731. Philadelphia--the only daughter who grew up and married--we
shall meet with later. Rebecca Austen died in 1733, and three years
later William married Susanna Holk, of whom nothing is known except that
she died at an advanced age, and did not mention any of the Austens in
her will; neither is there any trace of her in any of the family records
with which we are acquainted; so it is hardly probable that little
George Austen (Jane's father), who had lost both his parents when he was
six years old, continued under the care of his stepmother. However, all
that we know of his childhood is that his uncle Francis befriended him,
and sent him to Tonbridge School, and that from Tonbridge he obtained a
Scholarship (and subsequently a Fellowship) at St. John's College,
Oxford--the College at which, later on, through George's own marriage,
his descendants were to be 'founder's kin.' He returned to teach at his
old school, occupying the post of second master there in 1758, and in
the next year he was again in residence at Oxford, where his good looks
gained for him the name of 'the handsome proctor.' In 1760 he took
Orders, and in 1761 was presented by Mr. Knight of Godmersham--who had
married a descendant of his great-aunt, Jane Stringer--to the living of
Steventon, near Overton in Hampshire. It was a time of laxity in the
Church, and George Austen (though he afterwards became an excellent
parish-priest) does not seem to have resided or done duty at Steventon
before the year 1764, when his marriage to Cassandra Leigh must have
made the rectory appear a desirable home to which to bring his bride.
Before we say anything of the Leighs, a few sentences must be devoted to
George Austen's relations of the half-blood--the Walters. With his
mother's son by her first husband, William Hampson Walter, he remained
on intimate terms. A good many letters are extant which passed between
the Austens and the Walters during the early married life of the former,
the last of them containing the news of the birth of Jane. Besides this,
William Walter's daughter, 'Phila,' was a constant correspondent of
George Austen's niece Eliza.
The Walter family settled in Lincolnshire, where they have held Church
preferment, and have also been well known in the world of sport. Phila's
brother James seems to have been at the same time an exemplary parson,
beloved by his flock, and also a sort of 'Jack Russell,' and is said to
have met his death in the hunting-field, by falling into a snow-drift,
at the age of eighty-four. His son Henry distinguished himself in a more
academical manner. He was second wrangler in 1806, and a Fellow of St.
John's. Nor was he only a mathematician; for in June 1813 Jane Austen
met a young man named Wilkes, an undergraduate of St. John's, who spoke
very highly of Walter as a scholar; he said he was considered the best
classic at Cambridge. She adds: 'How such a report would have interested
my father!' Henry Walter was at one time tutor at Haileybury, and was
also a beneficed clergyman. He was known at Court; indeed, it is said
that, while he declined higher preferment for himself, he was consulted
by George IV and William IV on the selection of bishops.
The wife that George Austen chose belonged to the somewhat large clan of
the Leighs of Adlestrop in Gloucestershire, of which family the
Leighs[7] of Stoneleigh were a younger branch. Her father was the Rev.
Thomas Leigh, elected Fellow of All Souls at so early an age that he was
ever after called 'Chick Leigh,' and afterwards Rector of Harpsden, near
Henley.
Both these branches of the Leigh family descended from Sir Thomas Leigh,
Lord Mayor of London, behind whom Queen Elizabeth rode to be proclaimed
at Paul's Cross. He was rich enough and great enough to endow more than
one son with estates; but while the elder line at Adlestrop remained
simple squires, the younger at Stoneleigh rose to a peerage. The latter
branch, however, were now rapidly approaching extinction, while the
former had many vigorous scions. The family records have much to say of
one of the squires--Theophilus (who died in 1724), the husband of Mary
Brydges and the father of twelve children, a strong character, and one
who lived up to fixed, if rather narrow, ideas of duty. We hear of his
old-fashioned dress and elaborate bows and postures, of his affability
to his neighbours, and his just, though somewhat strict, government of
his sons. It is difficult to picture to oneself a set of modern Oxford
men standing patiently after dinner, in the dining-parlour, as
Theophilus's sons did, 'till desired to sit down and drink Church and
King.' Meanwhile, his brother-in-law, the Duke of Chandos (the patron of
Handel), used to send for the daughters to be educated in the splendour
of Canons (his place in Middlesex), and to make such matches as he chose
for them with dowries of £3000 a-piece.
Cassandra's father, Thomas, was the fourth son of Theophilus Leigh. An
older and better known brother was another Theophilus, Master of Balliol
for more than half a century.
The story of his election, in 1727, is remarkable. The Fellows of
Balliol could not agree in the choice of any one of their own body; and
one set, thinking it would be no disadvantage to have a duke's brother
as master, invited their visitor, Dr. Brydges[8], to stand. On his
declining, they brought forward his nephew, Theophilus Leigh, then a
young Fellow of Corpus. The election resulted in a tie, and the visitor
had no qualms of conscience in giving his casting vote to his nephew.
Theophilus proved to be a man 'more[9] famous for his sayings than his
doings, overflowing with puns and witticisms and sharp retorts; but his
most serious joke was his practical one of living much longer than had
been expected or intended.' He no doubt became a most dignified Head,
and inspired the young men with fear and respect; but he must have
sometimes remembered the awful day when he first preached before his
father, who immediately turned his back on the divine, saying
afterwards: 'I thank you, Theo, for your discourse; let us hereafter
have less rhetoric and more divinity; I turned my back lest my presence
might daunt you.' When Theo in turn was an old man, and when Jane
Austen's eldest brother went to Oxford, he was asked to dine with this
dignified kinsman. Being a raw freshman, he was about to take off his
gown, when the old man of eighty said with a grim smile: 'Young man, you
need not strip; we are not going to fight.'[10]
Cassandra Leigh's youth was spent in the quiet rectory of Harpsden, for
her father was one of the more conscientious of the gently born clergy
of that day, living entirely on his benefice, and greatly beloved in his
neighbourhood as an exemplary parish-priest. 'He was one of the most
contented, quiet, sweet-tempered, generous, cheerful men I ever knew,'
so says the chronicler of the Leigh family, 'and his wife was his
counterpart. The spirit of the pugnacious Theophilus dwelt not in him;
nor that eternal love of company which distinguished the other brothers,
yet he was by no means unsocial.' Towards the end of his life he removed
to Bath, being severely afflicted with the gout, and here he died in
1763. His peaceful wife, Jane Walker, was descended on her mother's
side from a sufficiently warlike family; she was the daughter of an
Oxford physician, who had married a Miss Perrot, one of the last of a
very old stock, long settled in Oxfordshire, but also known in
Pembrokeshire at least as early as the fourteenth century. They were
probably among the settlers planted there to overawe the Welsh, and it
is recorded of one of them that he slew 'twenty-six men of Kemaes and
one wolf.' A contrast to these uncompromising ancestors was found in
Mrs. Leigh's aunt, Ann Perrot, one of the family circle at Harpsden,
whom tradition states to have been a very pious, good woman. Unselfish
she certainly was, for she earnestly begged her brother, Mr. Thomas
Perrot, to alter his will by which he had bequeathed to her his estates
at Northleigh in Oxfordshire, and to leave her instead an annuity of one
hundred pounds. Her brother complied with her request, and by a codicil
devised the estates to his great-nephew, James, son of the Rev. Thomas
Leigh, on condition that he took the surname and arms of Perrot.[11]
Accordingly, on the death of Mr. Thomas Perrot at the beginning of 1751,
James Leigh became James Leigh Perrot of Northleigh. His two sisters,
Jane and Cassandra, also profited by the kindness of their great-aunt,
who left two hundred pounds to each. Another legacy which filtered
through the Walkers from the Perrots to the Austens was the advantage of
being 'kin' to the Founder of St. John's College, Oxford--Sir Thomas
White--an advantage of which several members of the family availed
themselves.
Northleigh, for some reason or other, did not suit its new owner. He
pulled down the mansion and sold the estate to the Duke of Marlborough,
buying for himself a property at Hare Hatch on the Bath Road, midway
between Maidenhead and Reading. We shall meet him again, and his devoted
wife, Jane Cholmeley; and we shall see a remarkable instance of his
steadfast love for her.
George Austen perhaps met his future wife at the house of her uncle, the
Master of Balliol, but no particulars of the courtship have survived.
The marriage took place at Walcot Church, Bath, on April 26, 1764, the
bride's father having died at Bath only a short time before. Two
circumstances connected with their brief honeymoon--which consisted only
of a journey from Bath to Steventon, broken by one day's halt at
Andover--may be mentioned. The bride's 'going-away' dress seems to have
been a scarlet riding-habit, whose future adventures were not
uninteresting; and the pair are believed to have had an unusual
companion for such an occasion--namely, a small boy, six years old, the
only son of Warren Hastings by his first wife. We are told that he was
committed to the charge of Mr. Austen when he was sent over to England
in 1761, and we shall see later that there was a reason for this
connexion; but a three-year-old boy is a curious charge for a bachelor,
and poor little George must have wanted a nurse rather than a tutor. In
any case, he came under Mrs. Austen's maternal care, who afterwards
mourned for his early death 'as if he had been a child of her own.'[12]
FOOTNOTES:
[4] _History of Kent._
[5] For further particulars respecting the earlier Austens, we venture
to refer our readers to _Chawton Manor and its Owners_, chap. vii.
[6] This almost exclusive care of the old man for his eldest grandson
may possibly have been the model for the action of old Mr. Dashwood at
the beginning of _Sense and Sensibility_.
[7] We are allowed to quote freely from a manuscript _History of the
Leigh Family of Adlestrop_, written in 1788; some part of which appeared
in an article written by the Hon. Agnes Leigh and published in the
_National Review_ for April 1907.
[8] Brother both of the Duke of Chandos and of Mrs. Leigh.
[9] _Memoir_, p. 5.
[10] The author of the _Memoir_ remarks on the fact that the Leigh arms
were placed on the front of Balliol towards Broad Street, now pulled
down. He did not live to see the same arms occupy a similar place on the
new buildings at King's College, Cambridge, erected when his son
Augustus was Provost.
[11] The Perrots seem to have set great store by their armorial
bearings: at least we are told that two branches of them lived at
Northleigh at the same time in the eighteenth century, hardly on
speaking terms with each other, and that one cause of quarrel was a
difference of opinion as to whether the three 'pears'--which, in punning
heraldry, formed a part of their coat of arms--were to be silver or
gold.
[12] In the absence of any information as to where George Hastings died
or was buried, it is at present impossible to be sure about the details
of this interesting tradition.
CHAPTER II
STEVENTON
1764-1785
Steventon is a small village tucked away among the Hampshire Downs,
about seven miles south of Basingstoke. It is now looked down upon at
close quarters by the South-Western Railway, but, at the time of which
we are writing, it was almost equidistant from two main roads: one
running from Basingstoke to Andover, which would be joined at Deane
Gate, the other from Basingstoke to Winchester, joined at Popham Lane.
Communication with London was maintained--at any rate, in 1800--by two
coaches that ran each night through Deane Gate. It does not appear,
however, to have been by any means certain that an unexpected traveller
would get a place in either of them.[13]
The surrounding country is certainly not picturesque; it presents no
grand or extensive views: the features, however, being small rather than
plain.[14] It is, in fact, an undulating district whose hills have no
marked character, and the poverty of whose soil prevents the timber from
attaining a great size. We need not therefore be surprised to hear that
when Cassandra Leigh saw the place for the first time, just before her
marriage, she should think it very inferior to the valley of the Thames
at Henley. Yet the neighbourhood had its beauties of rustic lanes and
hidden nooks; and Steventon, from the fall of the ground and the
abundance of its timber, was one of the prettiest spots in it. The
Rectory had been of the most miserable description, but George Austen
improved it until it became a tolerably roomy and convenient habitation.
It stood 'in a shallow valley, surrounded by sloping meadows, well
sprinkled with elm-trees, at the end of a small village of cottages,
each well provided with a garden, scattered about prettily on either
side of the road. . . . North of the house, the road from Deane to Popham
Lane ran at a sufficient distance from the front to allow a carriage
drive, through turf and trees. On the south side, the ground rose gently
and was occupied by one of those old-fashioned[15] gardens in which
vegetables and flowers are combined, flanked and protected on the east
by one of the thatched mud walls common in that country, and
overshadowed by fine elms. Along the upper or southern side of the
garden ran a terrace of the finest turf, which must have been in the
writer's thoughts when she described Catherine Morland's childish
delight in "rolling down the green slope at the back of the house."
'But the chief beauty of Steventon consisted in its hedgerows. A
hedgerow in that country does not mean a thin formal line of quickset,
but an irregular border of copse-wood and timber, often wide enough to
contain within it a winding footpath, or a rough cart-track. Under its
shelter the earliest primroses, anemones, and wild hyacinths were to be
found; sometimes the first bird's nest; and, now and then, the unwelcome
adder. Two such hedgerows radiated, as it were, from the parsonage
garden. One, a continuation of the turf terrace, proceeded westward,
forming the southern boundary of the home meadows; and was formed into a
rustic shrubbery, with occasional seats, entitled "The Wood Walk." The
other ran straight up the hill, under the name of "The Church Walk,"
because it led to the parish church, as well as to a fine old
manor-house of Henry VIII's time, occupied by a family named Digweed,
who for more than a century rented it, together with the chief farm in
the parish.'
The usefulness of a hedgerow as a place where a heroine might remain
unseen and overhear what was not intended to reach her ears must have
impressed itself early on the mind of our author; and readers of
_Persuasion_ will remember the scene in the fields near Uppercross where
Anne hears a conversation about herself carried on by Captain Wentworth
and Louisa Musgrove. The writer had possibly intended to introduce a
similar scene into _Mansfield Park_, for, in a letter to her sister, of
January 29, 1813, when turning from _Pride and Prejudice_ to a new
subject, she says: 'If you could discover whether Northamptonshire is a
country of hedgerows I should be glad again.' Presumably, her question
was answered in the negative, and her scrupulous desire for accuracy did
not allow of her making use of the intended device.
Steventon Church 'might have appeared mean and uninteresting to an
ordinary observer; but the adept in church architecture would have
known that it must have stood there some seven centuries, and would
have found beauty in the very narrow Early English windows, as well as
in the general proportions of its little chancel; while its solitary
position, far from the hum of the village, and within sight of no
habitation, except a glimpse of the grey manor-house through its
circling green of sycamores, has in it something solemn and appropriate
to the last resting-place of the silent dead. Sweet violets, both purple
and white, grow in abundance beneath its south wall. One may imagine for
how many centuries the ancestors of those little flowers have occupied
that undisturbed sunny nook, and may think how few living families can
boast of as ancient a tenure of their land. Large elms protrude their
rough branches; old hawthorns shed their annual blossoms over the
graves; and the hollow yew-tree must be at least coeval with the church.
But whatever may be the beauties or defects of the surrounding scenery,
this was the residence of Jane Austen for twenty-four years. This was
the cradle of her genius. These were the first objects which inspired
her young heart with a sense of the beauties of nature. In strolls along
these wood-walks, thick-coming fancies rose to her mind, and gradually
assumed the forms in which they came forth to the world. In that simple
church she brought them all into subjection to the piety which ruled her
in life and supported her in death.'
To this description of the surroundings of the home, given by the author
of the _Memoir_, whose own home it was through childhood and boyhood, we
may add a few sentences respecting its interior as it appeared to his
sister, Mrs. Lefroy. She speaks of her grandfather's study looking
cheerfully into the sunny garden, 'his own exclusive property, safe
from the bustle of all household cares,' and adds:
'The dining-or common sitting-room looked to the front and was lighted
by two casement windows. On the same side the front door opened into a
smaller parlour, and visitors, who were few and rare, were not a bit the
less welcome to my grandmother because they found her sitting there
busily engaged with her needle,[16] making and mending. In later
times--but not probably until my two aunts had completed their short
course at Mrs. Latournelle's at Reading Abbey, and were living at
home--a sitting-room was made upstairs: "the dressing-room," as they
were pleased to call it, perhaps because it opened into a smaller
chamber in which my two aunts slept. I remember the common-looking
carpet with its chocolate ground, and painted press with shelves above
for books, and Jane's piano, and an oval looking-glass that hung between
the windows; but the charm of the room with its scanty furniture and
cheaply painted walls must have been, for those old enough to understand
it, the flow of native wit, with all the fun and nonsense of a large and
clever family.' Such was the room in which the first versions of _Sense
and Sensibility_ and _Pride and Prejudice_ were composed.
We have anticipated somewhat in describing the Rectory as it appeared
after George Austen's reforms, and when his children were growing up in
it. As it appeared to him and his wife on their arrival, it must have
left much to be desired.
The young couple who now entered upon a home which was to be theirs for
thirty-seven years had many excellent and attractive qualities. George
Austen's handsome, placid, dignified features were an index to his mind.
Serene in temper, devoted to his religion and his family, a good father
and a good scholar, he deserved the love and respect which every
evidence that we have shows him to have gained from his family and his
neighbours. His wife's was a somewhat more positive nature: shrewd and
acute, high-minded and determined, with a strong sense of humour, and
with an energy capable of triumphing over years of indifferent health,
she was ardently attached to her children, and perhaps somewhat proud of
her ancestors. We are told that she was very particular about the shape
of people's noses, having a very aristocratic one herself; but we ought
perhaps to add that she admitted she had never been a beauty, at all
events in comparison with her own elder sister.
If one may divide qualities which often overlap, one would be inclined
to surmise that Jane Austen inherited from her father her serenity of
mind, the refinement of her intellect, and her delicate appreciation of
style, while her mother supplied the acute observation of character, and
the wit and humour, for which she was equally distinguished.
Steventon was not the only preferment in the neighbourhood that George
Austen was to hold. His kind uncle Francis, who had helped him in his
schooling, was anxious to do something more for him. He would have
liked, it is said, to have put him into the comfortable living of West
Wickham in Kent, which was in the gift of his wife; but he considered
that another nephew, the son of a brother older than George's father,
had a prior claim. Francis, however, did the best thing he could by
buying the next presentations of two parishes near Steventon--namely,
Ashe and Deane--that his nephew might have whichever fell vacant first.
The chances of an early vacancy at Ashe, where Dr. Russell--the
grandfather of Mary Russell Mitford--had been established since 1729,
must have seemed the greater; but fate decided otherwise. Dr. Russell
lived till 1783, and it was Deane that first fell vacant, in 1773.
The writer of the _Memoir_, who was under the impression that George
Austen became Rector of both Steventon and Deane in 1764, states that
the Austens began their married life in the parsonage at Deane, and did
not move to Steventon till 1771, seven years later. This cannot be quite
correct, because we have letters of George Austen dated from Steventon
in 1770; nor is it quite easy to understand why Mr. Austen should have
lived in some one else's Rectory in preference to his own, unless we
conceive that the Rector of Deane was non-resident, and that George
Austen did duty at Deane and rented the parsonage while his own was
under repair. It seems impossible now to unravel this skein. The story
of the move to Steventon, in 1771, is connected with a statement that
the road was then a mere cart-track, so cut up by deep ruts as to be
impassable for a light carriage, and that Mrs. Austen (who was not then
in good health) performed the short journey on a feather-bed, placed
upon some soft articles of furniture in the waggon which held their
household goods. This story is too circumstantial to be without
foundation, nor is there any reason to doubt the badness of a country
lane; but the particular family-flitting referred to must be left
uncertain.
George Austen was thirty-three years old when he settled down at his
Hampshire living. His wife was some eight years younger. Their means
were not large, but George was able to supplement his income both by
farming and by taking pupils. Life too was simpler in those days; and we
read of Mrs. Austen being without a new gown for two years, and spending
much of the time in a red riding-habit, which even then had not finished
its usefulness, for it was cut up some years later into a suit for one
of her boys. Her time, indeed, was soon busily employed; her eldest boy,
James, was born on February 13, 1765; the second, George, on August 26,
1766; and the third, Edward, on October 7, 1767. The Austens followed
what was a common custom in those days--namely, that of putting out
their children to nurse. An honest woman in Deane had charge of them all
in turn, and we are told that one or both of their parents visited them
every day.
The only excitements to vary the tranquil life at Steventon were
occasional visits to or from their near relations. Cassandra's brother
was now living on his property called Scarlets, at Hare Hatch, in the
parish of Wargrave, and was thus within a day's journey from Steventon.
He had married a Miss Cholmeley, of Easton in Lincolnshire, but they had
no children. Cassandra's only sister, Jane (the beauty of the family),
was married at the end of 1768 to Dr. Cooper, Rector of Whaddon, near
Bath. Edward Cooper was the son of Gislingham Cooper, a banker in the
Strand, by Ann Whitelock, heiress of Phyllis Court and Henley Manor. Dr.
and Mrs. Cooper divided their time between his house at Southcote, near
Reading, and Bath--from which latter place no doubt he could keep an
eye on his neighbouring parish. The Coopers had two children, Edward and
Jane. They and the Austens were on very intimate terms, and it is
probable that Jane Austen's early knowledge of Bath was to a great
extent owing to the visits paid to them in that place. Another family
with whom the Austens were on cousinly terms were the Cookes. Samuel
Cooke, Rector of Little Bookham in Surrey and godfather to Jane, had
married a daughter of the Master of Balliol (Theophilus Leigh), and
their three children, Theophilus, Mary, and George, belonged, like the
Coopers, to an inner circle of relations on both sides (Leigh Perrots,
Coopers, Cookes, Walters, and Hancocks), who made up--in addition to the
outer-circle of country neighbours--the world in which the Austens
moved.
A few letters addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Walter (extracts from which we
shall venture to quote) will give the best idea of the happy, peaceful
life passed at Steventon Rectory during these early years. On July 8,
1770, George writes from Steventon of his wife's journey to London to be
present at the birth of her sister's child, and adds:--
[17] . . . My James . . . and his brother are both
well, and what will surprise you, bear their
mother's absence with great philosophy, as I doubt
not they would mine, and turn all their little
affections towards those who were about them and
good to them; this may not be a pleasing
reflection to a fond parent, but is certainly
wisely designed by Providence for the happiness of
the child.
A month or so later Cassandra is back again, and writing:--
I was not so happy as to see my nephew
Weaver[18]--suppose he was hurried in time, as I
think everyone is in town; 'tis a sad place, I
would not live in it on any account, one has not
time to do one's duty either to God or man. . . .
What luck we shall have with those sort of cows I
can't say. My little Alderney one turns out
tolerably well, and makes more butter than we use,
and I have just bought another of the same sort,
but as her calf is but just gone, cannot say what
she will be good for yet.
_December 9, 1770._--My poor little George is come
to see me to-day, he seems pretty well, tho' he
had a fit lately; it was near a twelve-month since
he had one before, so was in hopes they had left
him, but must not flatter myself so now.
In June 1771, the Austens' fourth child, Henry, was born, and Mrs.
Austen writes on November 8, 1772:--
My little boy is come home from nurse, and a fine,
stout little fellow he is, and can run anywhere,
so now I have all four at home, and some time in
January I expect a fifth, so you see it will not
be in my power to take any journeys for one
while. . . . I believe my sister Hancock will be so
good as to come and nurse me again.
Unfortunately, poor little George never recovered sufficiently to take
his place in the family, and we hear no more of him, though he lived on
as late as 1827.
The fifth child, Cassandra, was born in January 1773, and on June 6,
1773, Mrs. Austen writes:--
We will not give up the hopes of seeing you both
(and as many of your young people as you can
conveniently bring) at Steventon before the summer
is over. Mr. Austen wants to show his brother his
lands and his cattle and many other matters; and I
want to show you my Henry and my Cassy, who are
both reckoned fine children. Jemmy and Neddy are
very happy in a new playfellow, Lord Lymington,
whom Mr. Austen has lately taken the charge of; he
is between five and six years old, very backward
of his age, but good-tempered and orderly. He is
the eldest son of Lord Portsmouth, who lives about
ten miles from hence. . . . I have got a nice dairy
fitted up, and am now worth a bull and six cows,
and you would laugh to see them; for they are not
much bigger than Jack-asses--and here I have got
duckies and ducks and chickens for Phyllis's
amusement. In short you must come, and, like
Hezekiah, I will show you all my riches.
_December 12, 1773._--I thank God we are all quite
well and my little girl is almost ready to run
away. Our new pupil, Master Vanderstegen, has been
with us about a month, he is near fourteen years
old, and is very good tempered and well disposed.
Lord Lymington has left us, his mamma began to be
alarmed at the hesitation in his speech, which
certainly grew worse, and is going to take him to
London in hopes a Mr. Angier (who undertakes to
cure that disorder) may be of service to him.
A sixth child, Francis William, was born in April 1774.
_August 20, 1775._--We are all, I thank God, in
good health, and I am more nimble and active than
I was last time, expect to be confined some time
in November. My last boy is very stout, and has
run alone these two months, and is not yet sixteen
months old. My little girl talks all day long, and
in my opinion is a very entertaining companion.
Henry has been in breeches some months, and
thinks himself near as good a man as his brother
Neddy. Indeed no one would judge by their looks
that there was above three years and a half
difference in their ages, one is so little and the
other so great. Master Van. is got very well
again, and has been with us again these three
months; he is gone home this morning for a few
holidays.
The new infant, however, did not appear quite so soon as was expected,
and the last letter of the series is written by George Austen on
December 17, 1775.
Steventon: December 17, 1775.
DEAR SISTER,--You have doubtless been for some
time in expectation of hearing from Hampshire, and
perhaps wondered a little we were in our old age
grown such bad reckoners, but so it was, for Cassy
certainly expected to have been brought to bed a
month ago; however, last night the time came, and
without a great deal of warning, everything was
soon happily over. We have now another girl, a
present plaything for her sister Cassy, and a
future companion. She is to be Jenny, and seems to
me as if she would be as like Harry as Cassy is to
Neddy. Your sister, thank God, is pure well after
it.
George Austen's prediction was fully justified. Never were sisters more
to each other than Cassandra and Jane; while in a particularly
affectionate family there seems to have been a special link between
Cassandra and Edward on the one hand, and between Jane and Henry on the
other.
Jane's godparents were Mrs. Musgrave (a connexion of her mother's), Mrs.
Francis Austen (another Jane), wife of George's kind uncle, and Samuel
Cooke, Rector of Little Bookham. We may suppose that, like the rest of
her family, she spent a considerable part of the first eighteen months
of her existence at the good woman's at Deane.
We have, indeed, but little information about the household at Steventon
for the next few years. Another child--the last--Charles, was born in
June 1779. There must, as the children grew older, have been a bright
and lively family party to fill the Rectory, all the more so because the
boys were educated at home instead of being sent to any school. One of
George Austen's sons has described him as being 'not only a profound
scholar, but possessed of a most exquisite taste in every species of
literature'; and, even if we allow for some filial exaggeration, there
can be no doubt that it was a home where good teaching--in every sense
of the word--good taste, and a general love of reading prevailed. To
balance this characteristic the Austen nature possessed yet
another--spread over many members of the family--namely, an enthusiastic
love of sport. The boys hunted from an early age, in a scrambling sort
of way, upon any pony or donkey that they could procure, or, in default
of such luxuries, on foot; perhaps beginning the day with an early
breakfast in the kitchen. A wonderful story is told, on good authority,
of a piece of amateur horse-dealing accomplished by the youngest son but
one, Francis, at the mature age of seven: how he bought on his own
account (it must be supposed with his father's permission) a pony for £1
11_s._ 6_d._; hunted it, jumping everything that the pony could get its
nose over; and at the end of two years sold it again for £2 12_s._ 6_d._
It was a bright chestnut, and he called it 'Squirrel'; though his elder
brothers, to plague him, called it 'Scug.' This was the boy for whose
benefit his mother converted into a jacket and trousers the scarlet
riding-habit which played so important a part in her early married life.
If he mounted 'Squirrel' in this costume, the future Admiral of the
Fleet was hunting 'in pink' with a vengeance, and must have contributed
not a little to the gaiety of the field.
It is evident that part of the good training at Steventon consisted in
making the boys, while quite young, manly, active, and self-reliant.
When the time came for their leaving home they would not be found
unprepared.
Mr. Austen found it a pleasant task to educate his own sons with his
other pupils, and thereby to dispense with the cost of public schools.
We get a glimpse of him as a teacher in a letter of his son Henry,
written many years later to Warren Hastings. Henry, by the way, made use
of a style that one is thankful Jane did not adopt.
Suffer me to say that among the earliest lessons
of my infancy I was taught by precept and example
to love and venerate your name. I cannot remember
the time when I did not associate with your
character the idea of everything great, amiable,
and good. Your benevolence was a theme on which my
young attention hung with truer worship than
courtiers ever pay the throne. Your works of
taste, both of the pencil and the pen, were
continually offered to my notice as objects of
imitation and spurs to exertion. I shall never
forget the delight which I experienced when, on
producing a translation of a well-known Ode of
Horace to my father's criticism, he favoured me
with a perusal of your manuscript, and as a high
mark of commendation said that he was sure Mr.
Hastings would have been pleased with the perusal
of my humble essay.
There is also a pleasant picture of home life at Steventon drawn for us
in the _History of the Leigh Family_, in which the writer speaks of
Cassandra, 'wife of the truly respectable Mr. Austen,' and adds: 'With
his sons (all promising to make figures in life), Mr. Austen educates a
few youths of chosen friends and acquaintances. When among this liberal
society, the simplicity, hospitality, and taste which commonly prevail
in affluent families among the delightful valleys of Switzerland ever
recur to my memory.'
But though it might be an easy thing to educate his sons at home, it was
another matter to teach his daughters, and, according to a family
tradition, Cassandra and Jane were dispatched at a very early age to
spend a year at Oxford with Mrs. Cawley, a sister of Dr. Cooper--a fact
which makes it likely that their cousin, Jane Cooper, was also of the
party. Mrs. Cawley was the widow of a Principal of Brasenose College,
and is said to have been a stiff-mannered person. She moved presently to
Southampton, and there also had the three girls under her charge. At the
latter place Cassandra and Jane Austen were attacked by a putrid fever.
Mrs. Cawley would not write word of this to Steventon, but Jane Cooper
thought it right to do so, upon which Mrs. Austen and Mrs. Cooper set
off at once for Southampton and took their daughters away. Jane Austen
was very ill and nearly died. Worse befell poor Mrs. Cooper, who took
the infection and died at Bath whither she had returned. As Mrs. Cooper
died in October 1783, this fixes the date roughly when the sisters went
to Oxford and Southampton. Jane would have been full young to profit
from the instruction of masters at Oxford (she can hardly have been
seven years old when she went there), and it must have been more for the
sake of her being with Cassandra than for any other reason that she was
sent.
On the same principle, she went to school at Reading soon after the
Southampton experience. 'Not,' we are told, 'because she was thought old
enough to profit much by the instruction there imparted, but because she
would have been miserable without her sister'; her mother, in fact,
observing that 'if Cassandra were going to have her head cut off, Jane
would insist on sharing her fate.'
The school chosen was a famous one in its day--namely, the Abbey School
in the Forbury at Reading, kept by a Mrs. Latournelle, an Englishwoman
married to a Frenchman. Miss Butt, afterwards Mrs. Sherwood, who went to
the same school in 1790, says in her Autobiography[19] that Mrs.
Latournelle never could speak a word of French; indeed, she describes
her as 'a person of the old school, a stout woman, hardly under seventy,
but very active, although she had a cork leg. . . . She was only fit for
giving out clothes for the wash, and mending them, making tea, ordering
dinner, and in fact doing the work of a housekeeper.'
But in Mrs. Sherwood's time she had a capable assistant in Madame St.
Quentin, an Englishwoman, married to the son of a nobleman in Alsace,
who in troubled times had been glad to accept the position of French
teacher at Reading Grammar School under Dr. Valpy. Mrs. Sherwood says
that the St. Quentins so entirely raised the credit of the seminary that
when she went there it contained above sixty pupils. The history of the
school did not end with Reading, for the St. Quentins afterwards
removed to 22 Hans Place, where they had under their charge Mary Russell
Mitford. Still later, after the fall of Napoleon, the St. Quentins moved
to Paris, together with Miss Rowden, who had long been the mainstay of
the school. It was while the school was here that it received Fanny
Kemble among its pupils.[20]
Mrs. Sherwood tells us that the school-house at Reading, 'or rather the
abbey itself, was exceedingly interesting, . . . the ancient building . . .
consisted of a gateway with rooms above, and on each side of it a vast
staircase, of which the balustrades had originally been gilt. . . . The
best part of the house was encompassed by a beautiful, old-fashioned
garden, where the young ladies were allowed to wander under tall trees
in hot summer evenings.'
Discipline was not severe, for the same lady informs us: 'The liberty
which the first class had was so great that if we attended our tutor in
his study for an hour or two every morning . . . no human being ever took
the trouble to inquire where else we spent the rest of the day between
our meals. Thus, whether we gossiped in one turret or another, whether
we lounged about the garden, or out of the window above the gateway, no
one so much as said "Where have you been, mademoiselle?"'
After reading this we are no longer surprised to be told that Cassandra
and Jane, together with their cousin, Jane Cooper, were allowed to
accept an invitation to dine at an inn with their respective brothers,
Edward Austen and Edward Cooper, and some of their young friends.
School life does not appear to have left any very deep impression on
Jane Austen.[21] Probably she went at too youthful an age, and her stay
was too short. At any rate, none of the heroines of her novels, except
Anne Elliot,[22] are sent to school, though it is likely enough, as
several writers have pointed out, that her Reading experiences suggested
Mrs. Goddard's school in _Emma_.
Mrs. Goddard was the mistress of a school--not of
a seminary, or an establishment, or anything which
professed, in long sentences of refined nonsense,
to combine liberal acquirements with elegant
morality upon new principles and new systems--and
where young ladies for enormous pay might be
screwed out of health and into vanity, but a real,
honest, old-fashioned boarding-school, where a
reasonable quantity of accomplishments were sold
at a reasonable price, and where girls might be
sent to be out of the way, and scramble themselves
into a little education, without any danger of
coming back prodigies. Mrs. Goddard's school was
in high repute. . . . She had an ample house and
garden, gave the children plenty of wholesome
food, let them run about a great deal in the
summer, and in winter dressed their chilblains
with her own hands. It was no wonder that a train
of twenty young couples now walked after her to
church. She was a plain, motherly kind of woman.
Jane herself finished her schooling at the early age of nine. The rest
of her education was completed at home. Probably her father taught her
in his leisure hours, and James, when he was at home, gave her many
useful hints. Father, mother, and eldest brother were all fully capable
of helping her, and perhaps even Cassandra did her share. But for the
most part her culture must have been self-culture, such as she herself
imagined in the case of Elizabeth Bennet. Later on, the French of
Reading Abbey school was corrected and fortified by the lessons of her
cousin Eliza. On the whole, she grew up with a good stock of such
accomplishments as might be expected of a girl bred in one of the more
intellectual of the clerical houses of that day. She read French easily,
and knew a little of Italian; and she was well read in the English
literature of the eighteenth century. As a child, she had strong
political opinions, especially on the affairs of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. She was a vehement defender of Charles I and his
grandmother, Mary, and did not disdain to make annotations in this sense
(which still exist) on the margin of her Goldsmith's _History_. As she
grew up, the party politics of the day seem to have occupied very little
of her attention, but she probably shared the feeling of moderate
Toryism which prevailed in her family. Politics in their larger
aspect--revolution and war--were of course very real at that date to
every patriotic citizen, and came home with especial force to the
Austens, whose cousin's husband perished by the guillotine,[23] and
whose brothers were constantly fighting on the sea. In her last
published sentence at the end of _Persuasion_ the author tells us how
her Anne Elliot 'gloried' in being the wife of a sailor; and no doubt
she had a similar feeling with regard to her two naval brothers. But
there was then no daily authentic intelligence of events as they
occurred. Newspapers were a luxury of the rich in those days, and it
need excite no surprise to find that the events are very seldom
mentioned in Jane's surviving letters.[24]
We can be in no doubt as to her fervent, and rather exclusive, love for
her own country. Writing to an old friend, within a few months of her
own death, she says: 'I hope your letters from abroad are satisfactory.
They would not be satisfactory to _me_, I confess, unless they breathed
a strong spirit of regret for not being in England.'
Of her favourite authors and favourite pursuits, we will speak later.
FOOTNOTES:
[13] Charles Austen failed to do so in January 1799. See p. 124.
[14] The description of Steventon is taken, almost entirely, from the
_Memoir_, pp. 18-22.
[15] This was written nearly half a century ago, before the revival of
mixed gardens.
[16] Her daughters seem to have looked upon this publicity of useful
needlework with some suspicion. See letter from Lyme, September 14, 1804
(p. 179).
[17] These letters, hitherto unpublished, are inserted by the kind
permission of Mr. J. G. Nicholson of Castlefield House, Sturton by
Scawby, Lincolnshire.
[18] Son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter.
[19] _Life and Times of Mrs. Sherwood_, edited by F. J. Harvey Darton,
p. 124.
[20] _Records of a Girlhood_, vol. i. p. 99. By Frances Ann Kemble.
London, 1878.
[21] There are, we think, but two references to school in her surviving
correspondence--namely, in a letter to Cassandra, dated September 1,
1796, where she remarks of her sister's letter: 'I could die of laughter
at it, as they used to say at school'; and in another, dated May 20,
1813, where she describes a room at a school as being 'totally
unschool-like.'
[22] In the same novel, _Persuasion_, Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove have
brought back 'the usual stock of accomplishments' from a school at
Exeter.
[23] See next chapter.
[24] It was no uncommon occurrence for the richer folk to hand on their
newspaper to their neighbours. Thus we find the Austens, while at
Steventon, apparently getting theirs from Mr. Holder at Ashe (p. 148);
and, later, getting Mr. Pinckard's paper at Lyme (p. 180). Much in the
same way Sir John Middleton in _Sense and Sensibility_ would not be
denied the satisfaction of sending the Dashwoods his newspaper every
day.
CHAPTER III
WARREN HASTINGS AND THE HANCOCKS
1752-1794
The title of this chapter may seem at first sight to remove it far from
the life of Jane Austen; but Mrs. Hancock (who had been Philadelphia
Austen) was her aunt, and Eliza Hancock not only a cousin but also a
close friend; and both were always welcome visitors at Steventon. The
varying fortunes of these ladies would therefore be an object of
constant thought and discussion at the Rectory, and Jane had an early
opportunity of becoming interested in the affairs both of India and of
France.
How the acquaintance of the family with Warren Hastings began, we cannot
exactly say; but it certainly lasted long, and resulted on their side in
an admiration for his genius and his kindness, and a readiness to defend
him when he was attacked.
In one of Jane's early unpublished sketches occurs the following
passage:--
The eldest daughter had been obliged to accept the
offer of one of her cousins to equip her for the
East Indies, and tho' infinitely against her
inclinations, had been necessitated to embrace the
only possibility that was offered to her of a
maintenance; yet it was one so opposite to all her
ideas of propriety, so contrary to her wishes, so
repugnant to her feelings, that she would almost
have preferred servitude to it, had choice been
allowed her. Her personal attractions had gained
her a husband as soon as she had arrived at
Bengal, and she had now been married nearly a
twelvemonth--splendidly, yet unhappily married.
United to a man of double her own age, whose
disposition was not amiable, and whose manners
were unpleasing, though his character was
respectable.
When Jane wrote this she may have been thinking of her father's sister,
Philadelphia, whose fate is described not very incorrectly, though with
a certain amount of exaggeration, in this passage. That Philadelphia
Austen went to seek her fortune in India is certain, and that she did so
reluctantly is extremely likely. She had at an early age been left an
orphan without means or prospects, and the friends who brought her up
may have settled the matter for her. Who those friends were, we do not
know; but from the intimate terms on which she continued through
life--not only with her brother, George Austen, but also, in a less
degree, with her half-brother, William Walter--it is probable that she
had spent much of her youth with her mother's family.
Her brother George, however, as a young man, was poor, and had no home
to offer her; but the banishment which threatened entirely to separate
the brother and sister proved in the end to have a contrary effect.
Philadelphia did in time come back to England, as a wife and as the
mother of one daughter, and her husband's subsequent return to India
caused her to depend much for companionship upon her English relations.
At Steventon little Betsy would find playfellows, somewhat younger than
herself, in the elder Austen children, while her mother was discussing
the last news from India with the heads of the family.
Our first definite information about Philadelphia is, that in November
1751 she petitioned the Court of East India Directors for leave to go to
friends at Fort St. David by the _Bombay Castle_; but who these friends
were, or what induced her to take so adventurous a journey in search of
them, we cannot say. Her sureties were also sureties for a certain Mary
Elliott, so they may have been friends intending to travel together.
But, according to Sydney Grier's conjecture, Mary Elliott did not, after
all, sail in the _Bombay Castle_, but remained behind to marry a certain
Captain Buchanan, sailing with him to India the following year. Captain
Buchanan lost his life in the Black Hole, and his widow (whether she was
Mary Elliott or not) married Warren Hastings. By her second husband she
had two children, a son, George, born about 1758, and a daughter born
about 1759 who lived only three weeks. The short history of the boy we
have already told. Mrs. Hastings died on July 11, 1759, at
Cossinbazar.[25]
Philadelphia reached Madras on August 4, 1752. It is probable that in
those days no girl was long in India without receiving offers of
marriage. In fact, Dr. Hancock writing twenty years later, to deprecate
his daughter's coming out to India, says to Philadelphia 'You know very
well that no girl, tho' but fourteen years old, can arrive in India
without attracting the notice of every coxcomb in the place; you
yourself know how impossible it is for a young girl to avoid being
attached to a young handsome man whose address is agreeable to her.' If
there _was_ any handsome young man in Philadelphia's case, it was
probably not Mr. Hancock, who must have been forty or more when he
married her at Cuddalore on February 22, 1753. The name of Tysoe Saul
Hancock appears in the list of European inhabitants at Fort St. David
for 1753, as surgeon, at £36 per annum; and at Fort St. David he and
Philadelphia remained for three years after their marriage. Where the
Hancocks were during the troublous times which began in 1757 is not
known; but by the beginning of 1762 they were certainly in Calcutta, for
their daughter Elizabeth--better known as Betsy--was born there in
December 1761. Warren Hastings, at this time resident at Murshidabad,
was godfather to Elizabeth, who received the name he had intended to
give to his own infant daughter. The origin of the close intimacy that
existed between the Hancocks and Warren Hastings is uncertain; but if
Mary Elliott really became the wife of the latter, the friendship of the
two women may perhaps explain the great obligation under which Hastings
describes himself as being to Philadelphia.
The news of the death of his little son was the first thing Hastings
heard on landing in England in 1765, and we are told it left a shadow on
his face for years. He seems always to have been especially fond of
children, and his intimate friends knew they could give no greater
pleasure than by informing him of the welfare of his favourites, or by
sending messages to them. Thus Marriott, writing to Hastings from India
on August 15, 1765, sends his kisses and salaam to 'little ("_great_" I
believe I should say) Betsy Hancock,' and a 'good hearty shake by the
hand to George; I suppose if I were to go to kiss him he would give me
a box on the ears.--Write me particularly how these little ones go.'
It seems likely that the Hancocks sailed with Warren Hastings for
England in the _Medway_ in 1764-5; but, whenever they went, we learn
from Hancock's letters that the journey home cost them the large sum of
£1500. He (Hancock) no doubt thought that he had amassed a sufficient
fortune--perhaps from trading, or from private practice, for it can
hardly have been from his official income--in India to enable him to end
his days comfortably at home. But either his Indian investments turned
out badly, or he discovered that living in good style in England cost
much more than he had anticipated; and after three years he found
himself under the disagreeable necessity of a second residence in
Bengal, in order to secure a fresh provision for his wife and daughter.
So low, indeed, were his finances at the time, that he was forced to
borrow money from Hastings to pay for his passage out. He reached
Calcutta in 1769, but did not prosper on this second visit. His health
was bad, his trading ventures turned out amiss, and there were perpetual
difficulties about remitting money home to Philadelphia. Hastings
evidently foresaw how matters would end, and with his wonted generosity
gave a sum amounting at first to £5000, and increased later to £10,000,
in trust for Hancock and his wife during their lives, and, on the death
of the survivor, to Betsy.
Mr. Hancock himself died in November 1775, 'universally beloved and
deeply regretted' (in the words of a young man whom he had befriended),
'the patron of the widow and the fatherless.'[26] He seems indeed to
have been a man of affectionate and anxious disposition, strongly
attached to his wife and daughter; but the last part of his life was
passed away from them amid difficulties and disappointments, and his
spirits were hardly high enough to enable him to bear up against unequal
fortune. He alludes in his letters, with expressions of regard, to his
brother-in-law, George Austen; but characteristically deplores his
growing family, thinking that he will not be able to put them out in the
world--a difficulty which did not eventually prove to be insuperable.
When the news of his death reached England--which would be in about six
months' time--George Austen and his wife were, fortunately, present to
comfort Philadelphia under the sad tidings. She and Betsy had now been
living in England for ten years, and had seen, no doubt, much of the
Steventon Austens. Warren Hastings's loyal attachment to the widow and
daughter of his friend remained unchanged, and they lived on terms of
intimacy with his brother-in-law Woodman and his family. As long as
Hancock lived he wrote constantly to wife and child, and gave
advice--occasionally, perhaps, of a rather embarrassing kind--about the
education of the latter. He discouraged, however, an idea of his wife's
that she should bring Betsy out to India at the age of twelve. At last
Mrs. Hancock, who, though a really good woman, was over-indulgent to her
daughter, was able to fulfil the chief desire of her own heart, and to
take her abroad to finish her studies, and later to seek an entry into
the great world in Paris. Her husband's affairs had been left in much
confusion, but Hastings's generous gift of £10,000 put them above want.
Betsy, or rather 'Eliza' ('for what young woman of common gentility,'
as we read in _Northanger Abbey_, 'will reach the age of sixteen without
altering her name as far as she can?'), was just grown up when this
great move was made. In years to come, her connexion with her Steventon
cousins was destined to be a close one; at the present time she was a
very pretty, lively girl, fond of amusements, and perhaps estimating her
own importance a little too highly. But she had been carefully educated,
and was capable of disinterested attachments. She seems to have had a
special love for her uncle, George Austen, and one of her earliest
letters from Paris, written May 16, 1780, announces that she is sending
to him her picture in miniature, adding 'It is reckoned like what I am
at present. The dress is quite the present fashion of what I usually
wear.' This miniature is still in existence, and represents a charming,
fresh young girl, in a low white dress edged with light blue ribbon, the
hair turned up and powdered, with a ribbon of the same colour passed
through it. Our knowledge of her character at this time is principally
derived from a series of letters written by her to her cousin, Phila
Walter--letters singularly frank and gossipy, and of especial interest
to us from the sidelights they throw on the family circle at Steventon.
There are also interesting letters from Phila to her own family.
Such a girl as Eliza was not likely to pass unnoticed in any society;
and in August 1781 Mr. Woodman writes to tell Warren Hastings that she
is on the point of marriage with a French officer, and that 'Mr. Austen
is much concerned at the connexion, which he says is giving up all their
friends, their country, and he fears their religion.'[27] The intended
husband was Jean Capotte, Comte de Feuillide,[28] aged thirty, an
officer in the Queen's Regiment of Dragoons, and owner of an estate
called Le Marais, near Gaboret, in Guyenne. The marriage took place in
the same year, and in the following March, Eliza, now Comtesse de
Feuillide, writes Phila a long letter praising the Comte and his
devotion to herself.
The man to whom I have given my hand is everyways
amiable both in mind and person. It is too little
to say he loves me, since he literally adores me;
entirely devoted to me, and making my inclinations
the guide of all his actions, the whole study of
his life seems to be to contribute to the
happiness of mine. My situation is everyways
agreeable, certain of never being separated from
my dear Mama, whose presence enhances every other
blessing I enjoy, equally sure of my husband's
affection, mistress of an easy fortune with the
prospect of a very ample one, add to these the
advantages of rank and title, and a numerous and
brilliant acquaintance amongst whom I can flatter
myself I have some sincere friends, and you will
unite with me in saying I have reason to be
thankful to Providence for the lot fallen to my
share; the only thing which can make me uneasy is
the distance I am from my relations and country,
but this is what I trust I shall not always have
to complain of, as the Comte has the greatest
desire to see England, and even to make it his
residence a part of the year. We shall certainly
make you a visit as soon as possible after the
peace takes place.
In the same letter she mentions how gay the season has been, on account
of the birth of the Dauphin, and of the fêtes which accompanied that
event. Neither she nor her 'numerous and brilliant acquaintance' had
any prevision of the terrible days that awaited all their order, nor any
knowledge of the existence of the irresistible forces which were soon to
overwhelm them, and to put a tragical end to every hope cherished by the
bride, except that of rejoining her English friends. For the present,
she led a life of pleasure and gaiety; but that it did not make her
forgetful of Steventon is shown by another letter to Phila, dated May 7,
1784:--
I experienced much pleasure from the account you
gave me of my Uncle Geo: Austen's family; each of
my cousins seems to be everything their parents
could wish them; such intelligence would have
given me the completest satisfaction had it not
been accompanied by the melancholy news of the
death of the valuable Mrs. Cooper. I sincerely
lament her loss and sympathize with the grief it
must have occasioned. Both Mama and myself were
very apprehensive of the influence of this event
on my aunt's health, but fortunately the last
accounts from Steventon assure us that the whole
family continue well.
On January 19, 1786, she again writes on the subject of a visit to
England, about which she hesitates, partly because of the state of her
health, and partly because she was expecting a long visit from her
cousin, James Austen (eldest son of George Austen)--a young man who,
having completed his undergraduate residence at Oxford, was spending
some months in France.
To England, however, she came, hoping to see much of the Austen family.
'I mean,' she writes, 'to spend a very few days in London, and, if my
health allows me, immediately to pay a visit to Steventon, because my
uncle informs us that Midsummer and Christmas are the only seasons when
his mansion is sufficiently at liberty to admit of his receiving his
friends.' The rectory was certainly too small a 'mansion' to contain the
Comtesse and her mother, in addition to its own large family party and
various pupils; so it is to be hoped that Eliza carried out her project
in June, before she was otherwise engaged. She settled for a time in
London, at 3 Orchard Street, and there it must be supposed her one
child--a little boy--was born in the autumn, to be named Hastings after
her own godfather. The Comte, who was himself detained by business in
France, had, for some unexplained reason, desired that their child might
be born in England. Whether she went again to Steventon at Christmas is
uncertain, for her next letter is dated April 9, 1787. Eliza was then in
town and expecting a visit from her cousin, Henry Austen--by this time a
youth of sixteen about to go into residence at Oxford. She had been
indulging in such gaieties as London had to offer her.
As to me, I have been for some time past the
greatest rake imaginable, and really wonder how
such a meagre creature as I am can support so much
fatigue, of which the history of one day will give
you some idea, for I only stood from two to four
in the drawing-room and of course loaded with a
great hoop of no inconsiderable weight, went to
the Duchess of Cumberland's in the evening and
from thence to Almack's, where I staid till five
in the morning: all this I did not many days ago,
and am yet alive to tell you of it. I believe
tho', I should not be able to support London
hours, and all the racketing of a London life for
a year together. You are very good in your
enquiries after my little boy who is in perfect
health, but has got no teeth yet, which somewhat
mortifies his two Mamas.
Eliza's domestic cares and her gaieties must still have left her some
time to think with anxiety and apprehension of the impeachment of her
godfather and benefactor, Hastings. We have a glimpse of this in a
letter of Phila Walter, who was staying with her aunt and cousin in
Orchard Street, in April 1788. They went to the trial one day 'and sat
from ten till four, completely tired; but I had the satisfaction of
hearing all the celebrated orators--Sheridan, Burke, and Fox. The first
was so low we could not hear him, the second so hot and hasty we could
not understand, the third was highly superior to either, as we could
distinguish every word, but not to our satisfaction, as he is so much
against Mr. Hastings whom we all wish so well.'
In August 1788, Eliza writes:--
What has contributed to hurry me and take up my
time is my having been obliged to pay some visits
out of town. We spent a little time at Beaumont
Lodge,[29] and I am but just returned from an
excursion into Berkshire, during which we made
some little stay at Oxford. My cousin[30] met us
there, and as well as his brother was so good as
to take the trouble of shewing us the lions. We
visited several of the Colleges, the Museum, etc.,
and were very elegantly entertained by our gallant
relations at St. John's, where I was mightily
taken with the garden and longed to be a _Fellow_
that I might walk in it every day; besides I was
delighted with the black gown and thought the
square cap mighty becoming. I do not think you
would know Henry with his hair powdered in a very
_tonish_ style, besides he is at present taller
than his father.
You mention the troubles in France, but you will
easily imagine from what I have said concerning my
approaching journey, that things are in a quieter
state than they were some months ago. Had they
continued as they were it is most probable M. de
F. would have been called out, and it would have
been a very unpleasant kind of duty because he
must have borne arms against his own countrymen.
We hear but little of Eliza during the next two or three years, which
she seems to have spent partly in France, partly in England. She must
have been much engrossed by the stirring events in Paris, the result of
which was eventually to prove fatal to her husband.
In January 1791 she is at Margate for the benefit of her boy, and,
though the place is very empty, occupies herself with reading, music,
drawing, &c. She adds:--
M. de F. had given me hopes of his return to
England this winter, but the turn which the
affairs of France have taken will not allow him to
quit the Continent at this juncture. I know not
whether I have already mentioned it to you, but my
_spouse_, who is a strong _Aristocrate_ or
Royalist in his heart, has joined this latter
party who have taken refuge in Piedmont, and is
now at Turin where the French Princes of the Blood
are assembled and watching some favourable
opportunity to reinstate themselves in the country
they have quitted. I am no politician, but think
they will not easily accomplish their purpose;
time alone can decide this matter, and in the
interim you will easily imagine I cannot be wholly
unconcerned about events which must inevitably in
some degree influence my future destiny.
Eliza had another terrible anxiety in June 1791, in the failure of her
mother's health. In September she is hoping for a visit from her
husband, when, if her mother's health allows, they will all go to
Bath,--
a journey from which I promise myself much
pleasure, as I have a notion it is a place quite
after my own heart; however, the accomplishment of
this plan is very uncertain, as from the present
appearance of things, France will probably be
engaged in a war which will not admit of an
officer's (whose services will certainly be
required) quitting his country at such a
period. . . . My mother has this very morning
received a letter from Steventon, where they all
enjoy perfect health. The youngest boy, Charles,
is gone to the Naval Academy at Portsmouth. As to
the young ladies, I hear they are perfect
Beauties, and of course gain hearts by dozens.
In November she says:--
Edward A. I believe will . . . in another month or
two take unto himself a spouse. He shewed me the
lady's picture, which is that of a very pretty
woman; as to Cassandra, it is very probable, as
you observe, that some son of Neptune may have
obtained her approbation as she probably
experienced much homage from these gallant
gentlemen during her acquatic excursions. I hear
her sister and herself are two of the prettiest
girls in England.
Mrs. Hancock died in the winter of 1791-2, and our next letter from
Eliza is not till June 7, 1792. In the interval she had been--together
with M. de Feuillide, who had perhaps come over to attend the death-bed
of Philadelphia--to Bath, from which place she had derived little
amusement owing to the state of her spirits. Returning to London, M. de
Feuillide had hoped to stay there some time;--
but he soon received accounts from France which
informed him that, having already exceeded his
leave of absence, if he still continued in England
he would be considered as one of the Emigrants,
and consequently his whole property forfeited to
the nation. Such advices were not to be neglected,
and M. de F. was obliged to depart for Paris, but
not, however, without giving me hopes of his
return in some months, that is to say, when the
state of affairs would let him, for at present it
is a very difficult business, for a military man
especially, to obtain leave to absent himself.
On September 26 she writes:--
I can readily believe that the share of
sensibility I know you to be possessed of would
not suffer you to learn the tragical events of
which France has of late been the theatre, without
being much affected. My private letters confirm
the intelligence afforded by the public prints,
and assure me that nothing we there read is
exaggerated. M. de F. is at present in Paris. He
had determined on coming to England, but finds it
impossible to get away.
The crisis of her husband's fate was not far distant. How the tragedy
was led up to by the events of 1793, we do not know; but in February
1794 he was arrested on the charge of suborning witnesses in favour of
the Marquise de Marboeuf. The Marquise had been accused of conspiring
against the Republic in 1793;[31] one of the chief counts against her
being that she had laid down certain arable land on her estate at
Champs, near Meaux, in lucerne, sainfoin, and clover, with the object of
producing a famine. The Marquise, by way of defence, printed a memorial
of her case, stating, among other things, that she had not done what she
was accused of doing, and further, that if she had, she had a perfect
right to do what she liked with her own property. But it was evident
that things were likely to go hard with the Marquise at her trial. The
Comte de Feuillide then came upon the scene, and attempted to bribe
Morel, one of the Secretaries of the Committee of Safety, to suppress
incriminating documents, and even to bear witness in her favour. Morel
drew the Count on, and then betrayed him. The Marquise, her agent and
the Count were all condemned to death, and the Count suffered the
penalty on February 22, 1794.[32]
We cannot tell where Eliza was through this trying time. The tradition
in the family is that she escaped through dangers and difficulties to
England and found a refuge at Steventon; but we have no positive
information of her having returned to France at all. It is quite
possible that she was at Steventon, and if so, the horror-struck party
must have felt as though they were brought very near to the guillotine.
It was an event to make a lasting impression on a quick-witted and
emotional girl of eighteen, and Eliza remained so closely linked with
the family that the tragedy probably haunted Jane's memory for a long
time to come.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] _The Letters of Warren Hastings to his Wife._ Introduced and
annotated by Sydney C. Grier, p. 456 _et seq._ For articles by the same
author on the Hancock family, see 'A Friend of Warren Hastings' in
_Blackwood's Magazine_, April 1904, and 'A God-daughter of Warren
Hastings' in _Temple Bar_, May 1905.
[26] _Genuine Memoirs of Asiaticus_, by Philip Dormer Stanhope, London,
1784.
[27] This did not prove to be the case.
[28] This, and not 'de Feuillade,' is the correct spelling.
[29] Beaumont Lodge, Old Windsor, where Warren Hastings was then living.
[30] Henry Austen, and his elder brother, James.
[31] In the _Memoir_ this action is by mistake attributed to the Count.
[32] _National Archives_, Paris (de Feuillide), W. 328, dossier 541, and
T. 738; (Marboeuf), W. 320, dossier 481.
CHAPTER IV
FAMILY LIFE
1779-1792
The eldest brother of the family, James, was nearly eleven years older
than Jane, and had taken his degree at Oxford before she left school. He
had matriculated at St. John's (where he obtained a 'founder's kin'
Scholarship and, subsequently, a Fellowship) in 1779, at the early age
of fourteen; his departure from home having been perhaps hastened in
order to make room for the three or four pupils who were sharing his
brothers' studies at that time. His was a scholarly type of mind; he was
well read in English literature, had a correct taste, and wrote readily
and happily, both in prose and verse. His son, the author of the
_Memoir_, believes that he had a large share in directing the reading,
and forming the taste, of his sister Jane. James was evidently in
sympathy with Cowper's return to nature from the more artificial and
mechanical style of Pope's imitators, and so was she; in _Sense and
Sensibility_, Marianne, after her first conversation with Willoughby,
had happily assured herself of his admiring Pope 'no more than is
proper.' In 1786 we hear of James being in France; his cousin Eliza was
hoping for a visit of some months from him; but in the next year he had
returned, and he must have soon gone into residence at Oxford as a
young Fellow of his College; for there, in 1789, he became the
originator and chief author of a periodical paper called _The Loiterer_,
modelled on _The Spectator_ and its successors. It existed for more than
a twelvemonth, and in the last number the whole was offered to the world
as a 'rough, but not entirely inaccurate Sketch of the Character, the
Manners, and the Amusements of Oxford, at the close of the eighteenth
century.' In after life, we are told, he used to speak very slightingly
of this early work, 'which he had the better right to do, as, whatever
may have been the degree of their merits, the best papers had certainly
been written by himself.'
Edward Austen's disposition and tastes were as different from James's as
his lot in life proved to be. Edward, as his mother says, 'made no
pretensions' to literary taste and scholarship; but he was an excellent
man of business, kind-hearted and affectionate; and he possessed also a
spirit of fun and liveliness, which made him--as time went
on--especially delightful to all young people. His history was more like
fiction than reality. Most children have at some time or other indulged
in day-dreams, in which they succeed to unexpected estates and
consequent power; and it all happened to Edward. Mr. Thomas Knight of
Godmersham Park in Kent, and Chawton House in Hampshire, had married a
second cousin of George Austen, and had placed him in his Rectory at
Steventon. His son, another Thomas Knight, and his charming wife,
Catherine Knatchbull, took a fancy to young Edward, had him often to
their house, and eventually adopted him. The story remains in the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Knight's asking for the company of young Edward during
his holidays, of his father's hesitating in the interests of the Latin
Grammar, and of his mother's clinching the matter by saying 'I think, my
dear, you had better oblige your cousins and let the child go.' There
was no issue of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Knight, and by degrees they
made up their minds to adopt Edward Austen as their heir. This
resolution was not only a mark of their regard for Edward but also a
compliment to the Austen family in general, whose early promise their
cousins had probably observed; the relationship not being near enough to
constitute any claim. But Mr. Knight was most serious in his intentions,
for in his will he left the estates in remainder to Edward's brothers in
succession in case of the failure of his issue, and Mrs. Knight always
showed the kindest interest in all the family. Edward was now more and
more at Godmersham and less and less at home. Under the Knights'
auspices, he was sent, not to the University, but on a 'grand tour,'
which included Dresden and Rome. He was probably away on this tour at
the date which we have now reached.
Jane's favourite brother, Henry, was nearly four years younger than
Edward, and was no doubt still profiting by his father's instructions.
By 1789 he was not only at Oxford but was contributing to _The Loiterer_
a paper on the sentimental school of Rousseau, and considering 'how far
the indulgence of the above-named sentiments affects the immediate
happiness or misery of human life.' Henry, whose course in life was
marked by sharper curves than that of any of his brothers, was no doubt
a very attractive personality. His niece, Mrs. Lefroy, says of him:--
He was the handsomest of his family and, in the
opinion of his own father, also the most talented.
There were others who formed a different estimate,
and considered his abilities greater in show than
in reality; but for the most part he was greatly
admired. Brilliant in conversation he was, and,
like his father, blessed with a hopefulness of
temper which in adapting itself to all
circumstances, even the most adverse, seemed to
create a perpetual sunshine. The race, however, is
not all to the swift, it never has been, and,
though so highly gifted by nature, my uncle was
not prosperous in life.
There can be no doubt that by his bright and lovable nature he
contributed greatly to the happiness of his sister Jane. She tells us
that he could not help being amusing, and she was so good a judge of
that quality that we accept her opinion of Henry's humour without demur;
but he became so grandiloquent when wishing to be serious that he
certainly must have wanted that last and rarest gift of a humorist--the
art of laughing at himself.
Very different again was the self-contained and steadfast Francis--the
future Admiral of the Fleet; who was born in April 1774, and divided in
age from Henry by their sister Cassandra. He must have spent some time
at home with his sisters, after their return from school, before he
entered the Royal Naval Academy, established in 1775 at Portsmouth under
the supreme direction of the Lords of the Admiralty. Francis joined it
when he was just twelve, and, 'having attracted the particular notice of
the Lords of the Admiralty by the closeness of his application, and been
in consequence marked out for early promotion,'[33] embarked two and a
half years later as a volunteer on board the frigate _Perseverance_
(captain, Isaac Smith), bound to the East Indies. His father on this
occasion wrote him a long letter--of which a great part is given in
_Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers_.[34] Nothing in this wise and kind
letter is more remarkable than the courtesy and delicacy with which the
father addresses his advice to the son, who was but a boy, but whom he
treats as an officer, and as a young man of whom he already cherished
the highest hopes, consequent upon his previous good conduct. He speaks
on many topics, religious duties being given the first place among them.
He rejoices in the high character Francis had acquired in the academy
and assures him that 'your good mother, brothers, sisters and myself
will all exult in your reputation and rejoice in your happiness.' The
letter concludes thus: 'I have nothing more to add but my blessing and
best prayers for your health and prosperity, and to beg you would never
forget you have not upon earth a more disinterested and warm friend than
your truly affectionate father, Geo. Austen.' We need not be surprised
to learn that this letter was found among the Admiral's private papers
when he died at the age of ninety-one.
The remaining brother, Charles, his sisters' 'own particular little
brother,' born in 1779, must have been still in the nursery when his
sisters left school.
These brothers meant a great deal to Jane[35]; 'but dearest of all to
her heart was her sister Cassandra, about three years her senior. Their
sisterly affection for each other could scarcely be exceeded. Perhaps it
began on Jane's side with the feeling of deference natural to a loving
child towards a kind elder sister. Something of this feeling always
remained; and even in the maturity of her powers, and in the enjoyment
of increasing success, she would still speak of Cassandra as of one
wiser and better than herself.' 'Their attachment was never interrupted
or weakened; they lived in the same home, and shared the same bedroom,
till separated by death. They were not exactly alike. Cassandra's was
the colder and calmer disposition; she was always prudent and
well-judging, but with less outward demonstration of feeling and less
sunniness of temper than Jane possessed. It was remarked in the family
that "Cassandra had the _merit_ of having her temper always under
command, but that Jane had the _happiness_ of a temper which never
required to be commanded."'
Such was the family party at Steventon; and 'there was so much that was
agreeable in it that its members may be excused if they were inclined to
live somewhat too exclusively within it.[36] They might see in each
other much to love and esteem, and something to admire. The family talk
had abundance of spirit and vivacity, and was never troubled by
disagreements even in little matters, for it was not their habit to
dispute or argue with each other; above all, there was strong family
affection and firm union, never to be broken but by death. It cannot be
doubted that all this had its influence with the author in the
construction of her stories,' in which family life often plays a large
part.
The party which we have described was for many years 'unbroken[37] by
death and seldom visited by sorrow. Their situation had some peculiar
advantages beyond those of ordinary rectories. Steventon was a family
living. Mr. Knight, the patron, was also proprietor of nearly the whole
parish. He never resided there, and, consequently, the Rector and his
children came to be regarded in the neighbourhood as representatives of
the family. They shared with the principal tenant the command of an
excellent manor, and enjoyed, in this reflected way, some of the
consideration usually awarded to landed proprietors. They were not rich,
but, aided by Mr. Austen's power of teaching, they had enough to afford
a good education to their sons and daughters, to mix in the best society
of the neighbourhood, and to exercise a liberal hospitality to their own
relations and friends.' 'A carriage and pair of horses were kept'; but
this could be done more cheaply in the eighteenth century than in the
nineteenth. 'There were then no assessed taxes; the carriage, once
bought, entailed little further expense; and the horses, probably, like
Mr. Bennet's (in _Pride and Prejudice_), were often employed on farm
work. Moreover, it should be remembered that a pair of horses in those
days were almost a necessity, if ladies were to move about at all; for
neither the condition of the roads nor the style of carriage-building
admitted of any comfortable vehicle being drawn by a single horse';
indeed, the object of the builders seems to have been 'to combine the
greatest possible weight with the least possible amount of
accommodation.'[38]
Jane Austen lost no time in entering on the career of authorship. She
wrote because she must, and with very little prevision of the path which
her genius was afterwards to mark out for her. She was urged onward 'by
the first stirrings of talent within her and the absorbing interest of
early composition.
'It is impossible to say at how early an age she began. There are
copy-books extant containing tales, some of which must have been
composed while she was a young girl, as they had amounted to a
considerable number by the time she was sixteen. Her earliest stories
are of a slight and flimsy texture, and are generally intended to be
nonsensical, but the nonsense has much spirit in it. They are usually
preceded by a dedication of mock solemnity to some one of her family. It
would seem that the grandiloquent dedications prevalent in those days
had not escaped her youthful penetration. Perhaps the most
characteristic feature in those early productions is that, however
puerile the matter, they are always composed in pure simple English,
quite free from the over-ornamented style which might be expected from
so young a writer.'[39] The following is a specimen:--
THE MYSTERY.
AN UNFINISHED COMEDY.
* * * * *
DEDICATION.
TO THE REV. GEORGE AUSTEN.
SIR,--I humbly solicit your patronage to the
following Comedy, which, though an unfinished one,
is, I flatter myself, as complete a _Mystery_ as
any of its kind.
I am, Sir, your most humble Servant,
THE AUTHOR.
THE MYSTERY, A COMEDY.
_DRAMATIS PERSONÆ._
_Men._
Col. ELLIOT.
OLD HUMBUG.
YOUNG HUMBUG.
Sir EDWARD SPANGLE
_and_
CORYDON.
_Women._
FANNY ELLIOTT.
MRS. HUMBUG
_and_
DAPHNE.
ACT I.
SCENE I.--_A Garden._
_Enter_ CORYDON.
_Corydon._ But hush: I am interrupted. [_Exit_ CORYDON.
_Enter_ OLD HUMBUG _and his_ SON, _talking._
_Old Hum._ It is for that reason that I wish you to follow my advice.
Are you convinced of its propriety?
_Young Hum._ I am, sir, and will certainly act in the manner you have
pointed out to me.
_Old Hum._ Then let us return to the house. [_Exeunt._
SCENE II.--_A parlour in_ HUMBUG'S _house_. Mrs. HUMBUG _and_ FANNY
_discovered at work._
_Mrs. Hum._ You understand me, my love?
_Fanny._ Perfectly, ma'am: pray continue your narration.
_Mrs. Hum._ Alas! it is nearly concluded; for I have nothing more to say
on the subject.
_Fanny._ Ah! here is Daphne.
_Enter_ DAPHNE.
_Daphne._ My dear Mrs. Humbug, how d'ye do? Oh! Fanny, it is all over.
_Fanny._ Is it indeed!
_Mrs. Hum._ I'm very sorry to hear it.
_Fanny._ Then 'twas to no purpose that I----
_Daphne._ None upon earth.
_Mrs. Hum._ And what is to become of----?
_Daphne._ Oh! 'tis all settled. (_Whispers_ Mrs. HUMBUG.)
_Fanny._ And how is it determined?
_Daphne._ I'll tell you. (_Whispers_ FANNY.)
_Mrs. Hum._ And is he to----?
_Daphne._ I'll tell you all I know of the matter. (_Whispers_ Mrs.
HUMBUG _and_ FANNY.)
_Fanny._ Well, now I know everything about it, I'll go away.
_Mrs. Hum._} And so will I. [_Exeunt._
_Daphne._ }
SCENE III.--_The curtain rises, and discovers_ Sir EDWARD SPANGLE
_reclined in an elegant attitude on a sofa fast asleep._
_Enter_ Col. ELLIOTT.
_Col. E._ My daughter is not here, I see. There lies Sir Edward. Shall I
tell him the secret? No, he'll certainly blab it. But he's asleep, and
won't hear me, so I'll e'en venture. (_Goes up to_ Sir EDWARD, _whispers
him, and exit._)
_End of the First Act. Finis._
* * * * *
A somewhat later venture, pure extravaganza, called _Evelyn_ is
dedicated, by permission, to Miss Mary Lloyd.
The manuscript volume which contains _Evelyn_ is grandly entitled on the
outside 'Volume the Third'; on the inside 'Effusions of Fancy by a very
Young Lady, consisting of Tales in a Style entirely new.' It contains
one other tale, unfinished, but of considerable length, called _Kitty or
the Bower_, which is preceded by the following dedication, dated
'Steventon, August 1792.'
TO MISS AUSTEN.
MADAM,--Encouraged by your warm patronage of _The
Beautiful Cassandra_ and _The History of England_,
which, through your generous support, have
obtained a place in every library in the Kingdom,
and run through four score editions, I take the
liberty of begging the same Exertions in favour of
the following novel, which I humbly flatter myself
possesses Merit beyond any already published, or
any that will ever in future appear, except such
as may proceed from the pen of your most grateful
Humble Servant,
THE AUTHOR.
The tale begins in characteristic style, which suggests the later
_Northanger Abbey_.
Catharine had the misfortune, as many heroines
have had before her, of losing her parents when
she was very young, and of being brought up under
the care of a maiden aunt, who, while she tenderly
loved her, watched her conduct with so
scrutinizing a severity as to make it very
doubtful to many people, and to Catharine among
the rest, whether she loved her or not.
Catharine lives with this aunt in Devonshire, five miles from Exeter.
Some friends of her aunt, a Mr. Stanley, M.P., his wife and daughter
(very foolish, and suggestive of Isabella Thorpe) come to visit them.
Mr. Stanley's son turns up unexpectedly and pays great attention to
Catharine, much to the disgust of the aunt, who has a detestation of all
young men. The tale comes to an abrupt conclusion with the departure of
the guests. The story is at times amusing, but obviously immature, and
we need not regret that it was never finished.
Other early sketches are _Henry and Eliza_, dedicated to Miss Cooper,
which must have been written before the latter's marriage at the end of
1792; _The Visit_, dedicated to the Rev. James Austen; _Jack and Alice_,
and _Adventures of Mr. Harley_, dedicated to Francis William Austen,
Esq., midshipman on board H.M.S. _Perseverance_ (soon after 1788), and
other pieces dedicated to Charles John Austen, Esq.
_Evelyn_ and _Kitty_ seem to mark a second stage in her literary
education: when she was hesitating between burlesque and immature
story-telling, and when indeed it seemed as if she were first taking
note of all the faults to be avoided, and curiously considering how she
ought _not_ to write before she attempted to put forth her strength in
the right direction.
[40]'Her own mature opinion of the desirableness of such an early habit
of composition is given in the following words of a niece:--
As I grew older, my aunt would talk to me more
seriously of my reading and my amusements. I had
taken early to writing verses and stories, and I
am sorry to think how I troubled her with reading
them. She was very kind about it, and always had
some praise to bestow, but at last she warned me
against spending too much time upon them. She
said--how well I recollect it!--that she knew
writing stories was a great amusement, and _she_
thought a harmless one, though many people, she
was aware, thought otherwise; but that at my age
it would be bad for me to be much taken up with my
own compositions. Later still--it was after she
had gone to Winchester--she sent me a message to
this effect, that if I would take her advice I
should cease writing till I was sixteen; that she
had herself often wished she had read more, and
written less in the corresponding years of her own
life.
'As this niece was only twelve years old at the time of her aunt's
death, these words seem to imply that the juvenile tales which we have
mentioned had, some of them at least, been written in her childhood;
while others were separated only by a very few years from the period
which included specimens of her most brilliant writing.'
In the summer of 1788, when the girls were fifteen and twelve
respectively, they accompanied their parents on a visit to their
great-uncle, old Mr. Francis Austen, at Sevenoaks. Though Jane had been
to Oxford, Southampton, and Reading before, it is probable that this was
her first visit into Kent, and, what must have been more interesting
still, her first visit to London. We have no clue as to where the party
stayed in town, but one of Eliza de Feuillide's letters to Philadelphia
Walter mentions that they dined with Eliza and her mother on their way
back to Hampshire.
They talked much of the satisfaction their visit
into Kent had afforded them. What did you think of
my uncle's looks? I was much pleased with them,
and if possible he appeared more amiable than ever
to me. What an excellent and pleasing man he is; I
love him most sincerely, as indeed I do all the
family. I believe it was your first acquaintance
with Cassandra and Jane.
Though Philadelphia's reply to this letter has not been preserved, we
have a letter of hers to her brother. Writing on July 23, she says:--
Yesterday I began an acquaintance with my two
female cousins, Austens. My uncle, aunt,
Cassandra, and Jane arrived at Mr. F. Austen's
the day before. We dined with them there. As it's
pure nature to love ourselves, I may be allowed to
give the preference to the eldest, who is
generally reckoned a most striking resemblance of
me in features, complexion, and manners. I never
found myself so much disposed to be vain, as I
can't help thinking her very pretty, but fancied I
could discover _she_ was not so well pleased with
the comparison, which reflection abated a great
deal of the vanity so likely to arise and so
proper to be suppres't. The youngest [Jane] is
very like her brother Henry, not at all pretty and
very prim, unlike a girl of twelve; but it is
hasty judgment which you will scold me for. My
aunt has lost several fore-teeth, which makes her
look old; my uncle is quite white-haired, but
looks vastly well; all in high spirits and
disposed to be pleased with each other.
A day or two later, Philadelphia wrote further:--
I continue to admire my amiable likeness the best
of the two in every respect; she keeps up
conversation in a very sensible and pleasing
manner. Yesterday they all spent the day with us,
and the more I see of Cassandra the more I admire
[her]. Jane is whimsical and affected.
'Not at all pretty,' 'whimsical and affected.' 'Poor Jane!' one is
tempted to exclaim, but whatever she would have said to this estimate of
herself, of one thing we may be perfectly sure: that she would have been
the first to agree with her critic as to her own absolute inferiority to
Cassandra.
There is a passage in a letter written from Southampton, February
1807,[41] in which she says she is often 'all astonishment and shame'
when she thinks of her own manners as a young girl and contrasts them
with what she sees in the 'best children' of a later date.
One other mention of Jane at this period may be quoted--that of Sir
Egerton Brydges, the author and genealogist. His sister had married Mr.
Lefroy, who in 1783 had become rector of Ashe (the living which George
Austen would have held, had it become vacant before Deane), in
succession to Dr. Russell. Sir Egerton, on his marriage in 1788, had for
two years rented Mr. Austen's parsonage at Deane in order to be near his
sister.
The nearest neighbours of the Lefroys were the
Austens at Steventon. I remember Jane Austen the
novelist as a little child. She was very intimate
with Mrs. Lefroy and much encouraged by her. Her
mother was a Miss Leigh, whose paternal
grandmother was sister to the first Duke of
Chandos. Mr. Austen was of a Kentish family, of
which several branches have been settled in the
Weald of Kent, and some are still remaining there.
When I knew Jane Austen I never suspected that she
was an authoress, but my eyes told me that she was
fair and handsome, slight and elegant, but with
cheeks a little too full.
Sir Egerton's description is the more pleasing of the two; but it must
be remembered that he was writing long after the time he mentions, and
that his recollections were no doubt somewhat mellowed by Jane Austen's
subsequent fame; whereas Philadelphia Walter's is an unvarnished
contemporary criticism--the impression made by Jane on a girl a few
years older than herself.
Fortunately, neither looks nor manners are stereotyped at the age of
twelve, so we need not be surprised to find that Eliza, when writing in
August 1791 in reference to a letter just received from Steventon,
talks of the two sisters as 'perfect Beauties,' who were of course
gaining 'hearts by dozens.' And again in November of the same year, she
writes that she hears 'they are two of the prettiest girls in
England.'[42] When due allowance is made for family exaggeration, we may
conclude that at eighteen and fifteen years of age both Cassandra and
Jane had their fair share of good looks.
Eliza's letters give us another glimpse of the sisters in 1792, and
indeed of the whole Steventon party. She writes on September 26:--
I have the real pleasure of informing you that our
dear Uncle and Aunt are both in perfect health.
The former looks uncommonly well, and in my
opinion his likeness to my beloved mother is
stronger than ever. Often do I sit and trace her
features in his, till my heart overflows at my
eyes. I always tenderly loved my Uncle, but I
think he is now dearer to me than ever, as being
the nearest and best beloved relation of the never
to be sufficiently regretted parent I have lost;
Cassandra and Jane are both very much grown (the
latter is now taller than myself), and greatly
improved as well in manners as in person, both of
which are now much more formed than when you saw
them. They are I think equally sensible and both
so to a degree seldom met with, but still my heart
gives the preference to Jane, whose kind
partiality to me indeed requires a return of the
same nature. Henry is now rather more than six
feet high, I believe; he also is much improved,
and is certainly endowed with uncommon abilities,
which indeed seem to have been bestowed, though in
a different way, upon each member of this family.
As to the coolness which you know had taken place
between H. and myself, it has now ceased, in
consequence of due acknowledgement, on his part,
and we are at present on very proper relationlike
terms. You know that his family design him for the
Church. Cassandra was from home when I arrived;
she was then on a visit to Rowling, the abode of
her brother Edward--from which she returned some
time since, but is now once more absent, as well
as her sister, on a visit to the Miss Lloyds, who
live at a place called Ibthorp, about eighteen
miles from hence. . . . There has been a Club Ball at
Basingstoke and a private one in the
neighbourhood, both of which my cousins say were
very agreeable.
The date 1790 or 1791 must be assigned to the portrait--believed to be
of Jane Austen, and believed to be by Zoffany--which has been chosen as
the frontispiece for this book, as it was for Lord Brabourne's edition
of the Letters.[43] We are unable for want of evidence to judge of the
likeness of the picture to Jane Austen as a girl; there is, so far as we
have heard, no family tradition of her having been painted; and, as her
subsequent fame could hardly have been predicted, we should not expect
that either her great-uncle Frank, or her cousin, Francis Motley Austen,
would go to the expense of a picture of her by Zoffany. Francis Motley
had a daughter of his own, another Jane Austen, who became Mrs. Campion
of Danny, and a confusion between the two Janes is a possible
explanation.
On the other hand, we believe there is no tradition in either the Austen
or the Campion family of any such portrait of _that_ Jane Austen, and
the _provenance_ of our picture is well authenticated. The Rev. Morland
Rice (grandson of Edward Austen) was a Demy of Magdalen College, Oxford.
An old Fellow of Magdalen, Dr. Newman, many years before his death, told
him that he had a portrait of Jane Austen the novelist, that had long
been in his family. He stated that it was painted at Bath when she was
about fifteen, and he promised to leave him (M. Rice) the picture. A few
months before his death, Dr. Newman wrote to his friend, Dr. Bloxam,
sending him a picture as a farewell present, and adding: 'I have another
picture that I wish to go to your neighbour, Morland Rice. It is a
portrait of Jane Austen the novelist, by Zoffany. The picture was given
to my stepmother by her friend Colonel Austen of Kippington, Kent,
because she was a great admirer of her works.' Colonel Austen was a son
of Francis Motley, and it is hardly conceivable that he should give away
to a stranger a portrait of his _sister_ Jane as one of his _cousin_
Jane. Our Jane became fifteen on December 16, 1790, and Zoffany returned
from India[44] in that year. Jane is believed to have visited her uncle,
Dr. Cooper (who died in 1792), at Bath. There is nothing in these dates
to raise any great difficulty, and, on the whole, we have good reason to
hope that we possess in this picture an authentic portrait of the
author.
The Austens seem to have been possessed of considerable histrionic
talent, and they were decidedly ambitious in the plays they undertook.
Their cousin Eliza was out of England in 1784 when their theatricals
first began; but on a later occasion she was one of the principal
performers. They had their summer theatre in the barn, and their winter
theatre either there or within the narrow limits of the dining-room,
where the number of listeners must have been very small. In 1784
Sheridan's _Rivals_ was acted by 'some ladies and gentlemen at
Steventon.' The same year they seem to have given also the tragedy of
_Matilda_.[45] It was the day of prologues and epilogues, and the young
actors were careful to omit nothing that would make the performance
complete. James, the eldest son, brought into play his skill in
verse-making; and we read of Henry Austen speaking a prologue (from his
brother's pen) to _The Rivals_, while the prologue to _Matilda_ was
given by Edward Austen, and the epilogue by Thomas Fowle.
Midsummer and Christmas were the two seasons when George Austen
dismissed his pupils for their holidays, and it was at these two periods
that the theatricals usually took place. For the year 1787 we have a few
details as to contemplated performances. Eliza de Feuillide had come to
England with her mother in the summer of 1786, and probably went to
Steventon at midsummer. In September 1787 she was at Tunbridge Wells
with her mother and her cousin Phila. In a letter to her brother, Phila
tells us that they went to the theatre, where (as was the custom in
those days) the Comtesse--presumably as a person of some
importance--'bespoke' the play, which was _Which is the Man?_[46] and
_Bon Ton_.[47] This is interesting, because later on in the same letter
Phila says: 'They [i.e. the Comtesse and her mother] go at Christmas to
Steventon and mean to act a play, _Which is the Man?_ and _Bon Ton_. My
uncle's barn is fitting up quite like a theatre, and all the young folks
are to take their part. The Countess is Lady Bob Lardoon [_sic_] in the
former and Miss Tittup in the latter. They wish me much of the party and
offer to carry me, but I do not think of it. I should like to be a
spectator, but am sure I should not have courage to act a part, nor do I
wish to attain it.'
Eliza was, however, very urgent with Phila that she should send all
diffidence _to Coventry_.
Your accommodations at Steventon are the only
things my Aunt Austen and myself are uneasy about,
as the house being very full of company, she says
she can only promise you 'a place to hide your
head in,' but I think you will not mind this
inconvenience. I am sure I should not--to be with
you. Do not let your dress neither disturb you, as
I think I can manage it so that the _Green Room_
should provide you with what is necessary for
acting. We purpose setting out the 17th of
December. . . . I assure you we shall have a most
brilliant party and a great deal of amusement, the
house full of company, frequent balls. You cannot
possibly resist so many temptations, especially
when I tell you your old friend James is returned
from France and is to be of the acting party.
But Phila still stood out, and Eliza attacked her once more on November
23, begging her to come for a fortnight to Steventon, provided she could
bring herself to act, 'for my Aunt Austen declares "she has not room for
any _idle young people_."'
We hear no more news of these theatricals, but it is probable that there
was a change in the selection of the plays, for there is extant a
prologue by James Austen to _The Wonder_,[48] acted at Steventon,
December 26 and 28, 1787, as well as an epilogue 'spoken by a Lady in
the character of Violante.' There is also a prologue to _The
Chances_,[49] acted at Steventon, January 1788.
The last Steventon performances of which we have any knowledge took
place in January 1790, when a farce called _The Sultan_[50] was acted.
The leading lady on this last occasion was Miss Cooper, who spoke the
epilogue in the character of Roxalana, Henry Austen playing the
title-rôle. On the same occasion Townley's farce, _High Life below
Stairs_, was also given.
Of Jane's own part in these performances there is no record, for she was
only just fourteen when the last took place. But even if she took no
more share than Fanny Price, she must have acquired a considerable
acquaintance with the language of the theatre--knowledge that she was to
turn to good account in _Mansfield Park_. She was an early observer, and
it might reasonably be supposed that some of the incidents and feelings
which are so vividly painted in the _Mansfield Park_ theatricals are due
to her recollections of these entertainments.
The talent and liveliness which she would show, if ever she had an
opportunity of acting herself, may be imagined. The late Sir William
Heathcote is said to have remembered being with her at a Twelfth Night
party when he was a little boy, on which occasion she, having drawn the
part of Mrs. Candour, acted it with appreciation and spirit.
FOOTNOTES:
[33] W. R. O'Byrne's _Naval Biographical Dictionary_, 1849.
[34] Pp. 16-20.
[35] We again make use of the words of the _Memoir_ (pp. 15-17) in the
description of the family party, &c.
[36] We are told that Jane was one of the least exclusive of the family.
[37] _Memoir_, pp. 22, 23.
[38] The carriage was given up in 1798. See letter of November 17 in
that year in _Brabourne_, vol. i. p. 165.
[39] _Memoir_, p. 42.
[40] _Memoir_, p. 45.
[41] See p. 201.
[42] _Supra_, p. 43.
[43] A reproduction of this picture appears also as a frontispiece to
the first volume of Dent's illustrated edition of the novels (1892).
[44] _Dictionary of National Biography_, s.v.
[45] By Dr. Thomas Francklin; but said to be almost a translation of
Voltaire's _Duc de Foix_.
[46] A comedy by Mrs. Cowley.
[47] _Bon Ton, or High Life above Stairs_, a comedy by David Garrick.
[48] _The Wonder: a Woman keeps a Secret_, a comedy by Mrs. Centlivre.
[49] Probably Garrick's version of Fletcher's comedy.
[50] _The Sultan: or a Peep into the Seraglio_, by I. Bickerstaffe.
CHAPTER V
GROWTH AND CHANGE
1792-1796
Though it may hardly be likely that the Austens could rival Mrs. Bennet
of _Pride and Prejudice_ by professing to dine with four-and-twenty
families, there was, nevertheless (for a quiet country neighbourhood), a
very fair amount of society to be had around Steventon.
Readers of Jane Austen's letters will come across the names of many
Hampshire neighbours, with occasional indications of the estimate which
she formed of their intellects and characters. Probably there were many
different degrees of refinement in different families; and towards the
bottom of the list must have come the squire of many acres,[51] who, we
are told, inquired of Mr. Austen whether Paris was in France or France
in Paris, and who quoted a speech of the Rector's wife as beginning with
a round oath, saying, when remonstrated with, that it was merely his
'way of telling the story.' When the author of the _Memoir_ expresses
his belief that a century and a half ago the improvement of manners in
most country parishes began with the clergy, he was no doubt thinking of
the more learned minority of that body, who would bring into the depths
of the country something of the enlightenment of a university. To this
minority Jane's father and brother belonged, and thus the family
probably gave to the society around them at least as much culture as
they received from it in return.
In the outer circle of their neighbourhood stood the houses of three
peers--those of Lord Portsmouth at Hurstbourne, Lord Bolton at Hackwood,
and Lord Dorchester at Greywell. The owners of these places now and then
gave balls at home,[52] and could also be relied upon to bring parties
to some of the assemblies at Basingstoke. Hardly less important than
these magnates were the Mildmays of Dogmersfield and the Chutes of The
Vyne. The Mr. Chute of that day was not only one of the two M.P.'s for
the whole county of Hampshire, but was also a well-known and popular
M.F.H., and the husband of an excellent and cultivated wife. Then came
other squires--Portals at Freefolk, Bramstons at Oakley Hall, Jervoises
at Herriard, Harwoods at Deane, Terrys at Dummer, Holders at Ashe
Park--with several clerical families, and other smaller folk.
But there were three houses which meant to the Austen sisters far more
than any of the others. The Miss Biggs[53] of Manydown Park--a
substantial old manor-house owned by their father, Mr. Bigg Wither,
which stands between Steventon and Basingstoke--were especial friends of
Cassandra and Jane. One of these, Elizabeth, became Mrs. Heathcote, and
was the mother of Sir William Heathcote of Hursley Park--a fine
specimen, morally and intellectually, of a country gentleman, and still
remembered by many as Member for Oxford University, and as _sole_ patron
of John Keble. Catherine, another sister, married Southey's uncle, the
Rev. Herbert Hill; and Alethea, who never married, was probably for that
very reason all the more important to the Steventon sisters. One of the
latest of Jane's extant letters is addressed to Alethea.
A still closer friendship united Jane and Cassandra to a family named
Lloyd, who for a short time inhabited their father's second house, the
parsonage at Deane. Mrs. Lloyd had been a Craven--one of the unhappy
daughters of a beautiful and fashionable but utterly neglectful mother,
who left them to shift for themselves and to marry where they could. In
this respect Martha Craven had done better than some of her sisters,
having become the wife of a beneficed clergyman of respectable character
and good position. With him she had led a peaceful life, and, on his
death in January 1789, she spent the first two or three years of a quiet
widowhood at Deane. Her second daughter, Eliza, was then already married
to a first cousin, Fulwar Craven Fowle; but the two others, Martha and
Mary, were still at home. Both became fast friends of Cassandra and
Jane, and both were destined eventually to marry into the Austen family.
For the present, their near neighbourhood came to an end at the
beginning of 1792, when Mrs. Lloyd removed to Ibthorp, eighteen miles
distant from Steventon. It was on the occasion of this removal that
Jane, then just sixteen years old, presented to Mary Lloyd an
interesting specimen of her own needlework--still existing. It is a very
small bag, containing a yet smaller rolled-up housewife furnished with
minikin needles and fine thread. In the housewife is a tiny pocket, and
in the pocket is enclosed a slip of paper, on which, written as with a
crow-quill, are these lines:--
This little bag, I hope, will prove
To be not vainly made;
For should you thread and needles want,
It will afford you aid.
And, as we are about to part,
'Twill serve another end:
For, when you look upon this bag,
You'll recollect your friend. _January 1792._
It is made of a scrap of old-fashioned gingham, and, having been
carefully preserved, it is in as perfect a condition as when it was
first made a hundred and twenty years ago; and shows that the same hand
which painted so exquisitely with the pen could work as delicately with
the needle.[54]
Martha Lloyd also had her dedicatory poem. Some years later, when, it
seems, she wanted to go to Harrogate, and hoped in vain for the escort
of a Mr. Best, Jane presented her with a copy of doggerel--and probably
almost extemporaneous--verses:--
Oh! Mr. Best, you're very bad
And all the world shall know it;
Your base behaviour shall be sung
By me, a tuneful poet.
You used to go to Harrogate
Each summer as it came,
And why, I pray, should you refuse
To go this year the same?
The way's as plain, the road's as smooth,
The posting not increased,
You're scarcely stouter than you were,
Not younger, Sir, at least.
&c., &c.
We must mention one other intimate friendship--that which existed
between the Austens and the Lefroys of Ashe. Mr. Lefroy was Rector of
that parish; and his wife, known within it as 'Madam Lefroy,' was sister
to Sir Egerton Brydges to whom we are indebted for the very early notice
of Jane Austen as a girl which we have already given.
'Mrs. Lefroy was a remarkable person. Her rare endowments of goodness,
talents, graceful person, and engaging manners were sufficient to secure
her a prominent place in any society into which she was thrown; while
her enthusiastic eagerness of disposition rendered her especially
attractive to a clever and lively girl.'[55] How intensely Jane loved
and admired her is shown by some lines which she wrote on December 16,
1808--the anniversary both of her own birth and of the sudden death of
her friend, killed by a fall from her horse in 1804. It has sometimes
been assumed that the self-restraint in expressions of affection to be
found throughout Jane's published writings, and the self-control they
display in matters of emotion, arises from the fact that in the writer's
nature there were no very ardent affections to be restrained, and no
overpowering emotions to be suppressed. These lines show the
baselessness of such an assumption. It was not for the gaze of the
public, but to relieve her own heart, that Jane, at the age of
thirty-three, wrote thus, four years after the death of this elder
friend. Here she dared to speak as she felt, striving in all the warmth
and depth of enduring attachment and admiration to paint a character
which she yet declares to have been 'past her power to praise.' The
verses continue thus:--
But come, fond fancy, thou indulgent power;
Hope is desponding, chill, severe, to thee:
Bless thou this little portion of an hour;
Let me behold her as she used to be.
I see her here with all her smiles benign,
Her looks of eager love, her accents sweet,
That voice and countenance almost divine,
Expression, harmony, alike complete.
Listen! It is not sound alone, 'tis sense,
'Tis genius, taste, and tenderness of soul;
'Tis genuine warmth of heart without pretence,
And purity of mind that crowns the whole.
* * * * *
Can aught enhance such goodness? Yes, to me
Her partial favour from my earliest years
Consummates all: ah! give me but to see
Her smile of love! The vision disappears.
Time was now to bring changes to the Austens. The elder brothers
married. James had a curacy at Overton, and near Overton was Laverstoke
Manor House, now occupied by General and Lady Jane Mathew. James became
engaged to their daughter Anne, five years older than himself. They were
married in March 1792, and started life on an income of £300 (of which
£100 was an allowance made by General Mathew), keeping, it is said, a
small pack of harriers for the husband, and a close carriage for the
wife. James afterwards moved to Deane, where he was his father's curate.
The married life of the couple was but short. Their one child, always
known as Anna, was born in April 1793, and the mother died suddenly in
May 1795, leaving to her daughter only a shadowy recollection of 'a tall
and slender lady dressed in white.' The poor little girl fretted in her
solitude, till her father took the wise step of sending her to Steventon
Rectory to be comforted by her aunts. She was admitted to the
chocolate-carpeted dressing-room, which was now becoming a place of
eager authorship. Anna was a very intelligent, quick-witted child, and,
hearing the original draft of _Pride and Prejudice_ read aloud by its
youthful writer to her sister, she caught up the names of the characters
and repeated them so much downstairs that she had to be checked; for the
composition of the story was still a secret kept from the knowledge of
the elders.
Anna also composed stories herself long before she could write them
down, and preserved a vivid remembrance of her dear Aunt Jane performing
that task for her, and then telling her others of endless adventure and
fun, which were carried on from day to day, or from visit to visit.
Towards the end of 1796 James became engaged to Mary Lloyd, and they
were married early in 1797. The marriage could hardly have happened had
not General Mathew continued, for the sake of Anna, the £100 a year
which he had allowed to his daughter. The event must have been most
welcome to Jane; and Mrs. Austen wrote a very cheerful and friendly
letter to her daughter-in-law elect, expressing the 'most heartfelt
satisfaction at the prospect.' She adds: 'Had the selection been mine,
you, my dear Mary, are the person I should have chosen for James's wife,
Anna's mother and my daughter, being as certain as I can be of anything
in this uncertain world, that you will greatly increase and promote the
happiness of each of the three. . . . I look forward to you as a real
comfort to me in my old age when Cassandra is gone into Shropshire,[56]
and Jane--the Lord knows where. Tell Martha she too shall be my
daughter, she does me honour in the request.' There was an unconscious
prophecy contained in the last words, for Martha became eventually the
second wife of the writer's son Francis.
Edward Austen's marriage had preceded his brother's by a few months. His
kind patrons, the Knights, would be sure to make this easy for him; and
it must have been under their auspices that he married (before the end
of 1791) Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Brook Bridges, and was settled at
Rowling, a small house belonging to the Bridges family, about a mile
away from their seat at Goodnestone. No doubt it was a suitable match;
but it must also have been a marriage of affection, if one may judge
from the happy life which ensued, and from the lovely features of Mrs.
Edward Austen, preserved in the miniature by Cosway.[57] Some of Jane's
earliest extant letters were written from Rowling.
The place was not, however, to be the home of the Edward Austens for
long. Mr. Thomas Knight died in 1794, leaving his large estates to his
widow for her life. Three years later, in 1797, she determined to make
them over, at once, to the adopted son, who was after her death to
become their owner, retaining for herself only an income of £2000. On
learning her intentions, he sent her a most grateful and affectionate
letter,[58] saying that he wrote because he felt himself incapable of
speaking with her on the subject; that it was impossible for him and his
wife to accede to her plan, for they should never be happy at Godmersham
whilst she was living in a smaller and less comfortable house, having
quitted a mansion where he had so often heard her say her whole
happiness was centred. This protest by no means turned Mrs. Knight from
her intentions; on the contrary, she expressed them still more strongly,
and in so charming a spirit that we must quote a considerable part of
her letter:--
Godmersham Park: Friday.
If anything were wanting, my dearest Edward, to
confirm my resolution concerning the plan I
propose executing, your letter would have that
effect; it is impossible for any person to express
their gratitude and affection in terms more
pleasing and gratifying than you have chosen, and
from the bottom of my heart I believe you to be
perfectly sincere when you assure me that your
happiness is best secured by seeing me in the full
enjoyment of everything that can contribute to my
ease and comfort, and that happiness, my dear
Edward, will be yours by acceding to my wishes.
From the time that my partiality for you induced
Mr. Knight to treat you as our adopted child I
have felt for you the tenderness of a mother, and
never have you appeared more deserving of
affection than at this time; to reward your merit,
therefore, and to place you in a situation where
your many excellent qualities will be call'd forth
and render'd useful to the neighbourhood is the
fondest wish of my heart. Many circumstances
attached to large landed possessions, highly
gratifying to a man, are entirely lost on me at
present; but when I see you in enjoyment of them,
I shall, if possible, feel my gratitude to my
beloved husband redoubled, for having placed in my
hands the power of bestowing happiness on one so
very dear to me. If my income had not been
sufficient to enable us both to live in affluence
I should never have proposed this plan, for
nothing would have given me more pain than to have
seen a rigid economy take the place of that
liberality which the poor have always experienced
from the family; but with the income I have
assigned you, I trust, my dear Edward, you will
feel yourself rich. . . . You may assure yourself and
my dear Lizzie, that the pain I shall feel in
quitting this dear place will no longer be
remembered when I see you in possession of it. My
attachment to it can, I think, only cease with my
life; but if I am near enough to be your frequent
daily visitor and within reach of the sight of you
and your boys and Lizzie and her girls, I trust I
shall be as happy, perhaps happier, than I am
now. . . .
Your most sincere friend,
C. K.
Meanwhile, Francis Austen had made a good start in his profession. Going
out to the East Indies, according to the custom of those days as a
'volunteer,' he became a midshipman, but remained one for four years
only. Promotion--'that long thought of, dearly earned, and justly valued
blessing'--was bestowed upon him two years sooner than it fell to the
lot of William Price in _Mansfield Park_, and he became a lieutenant at
the age of seventeen--a sufficient testimony to that steadiness of
character which distinguished him throughout the course of a very long
life. As lieutenant he remained another year in the East Indies, and
then returned to serve on the Home Station. The result of this last move
was that in 1793, rather more than a year after the marriages of James
and Edward, their parents had the delight of welcoming back a son, who,
having quitted them as a boy not yet fifteen years old, reappeared as a
young man and successful officer, of whom his family might be justly
proud.
Other events, grave and gay, were now happening at Steventon. Besides
Eliza de Feuillide, who took refuge there with her young son while the
clouds were gathering round her husband in France, the rectory had
another visitor in the summer of 1792, in Jane Cooper, daughter of Mrs.
Austen's only sister, who came here after her father's death. Dr. Cooper
had set out in June with his son and daughter, and his neighbours, the
Lybbe Powyses, on a tour to the Isle of Wight. The tour had important
results for the young Coopers, as Edward became engaged to Caroline
Lybbe Powys, and his sister to Captain Thomas Williams, R.N., whom she
met at Ryde. Dr. Cooper, whose health had been the chief reason for the
tour, did not long survive his return, dying at Sonning (of which he had
been vicar since 1784) on August 27. The date of his daughter's wedding
was already fixed, but had of course to be postponed. She went
immediately to Steventon, and was married from the Rectory on December
11 of the same year. One happy result of this marriage was to provide an
opening for the naval career of the youngest of the Austens, Charles,
who was three years younger than Jane, and whom we last met in the
nursery. As he was also five years junior to Francis, the latter must
have quitted the Naval Academy some time before his brother entered it.
Charles Austen was one of those happy mortals destined to be loved from
childhood to old age by every one with whom they come in contact. How
great a favourite he was at home is easily to be read between the lines
of his sister's letters; and when he died at the age of seventy-three as
Admiral of the British Fleet in the Burmese waters, one who was with him
wrote that 'his death was a great grief to the whole fleet--I know I
cried bitterly when I found he was dead.' The charming expression of
countenance in the miniatures still existing of this youngest brother
makes such feelings quite comprehensible.
On leaving the Academy he served under his cousin's husband, Captain
Thomas Williams, and was fortunate enough to witness and take part in a
most gallant action when, in June 1796, Captain Williams's frigate, the
_Unicorn_, gave chase to a French frigate, _La Tribune_, and, after a
run of two hundred and ten miles, succeeded in capturing her. To
Charles, at the age of seventeen, this must have been a very exciting
experience; while to Captain Williams it brought the honour of
knighthood.
What with their visitors and their dances, and with a wedding to prepare
for, life must have been gay enough for the Miss Austens during the
autumn of 1792. Cassandra and Jane were now of an age to enjoy as much
dancing as they could get: in fact, if Jane began dancing as early as
she made Lydia Bennet begin, she may already have been going for a year
or two to the monthly assemblies that Basingstoke (like every other town
of any size) boasted of during the winter months.
Unfortunately, we know very little of Jane's personal history from 1792
to 1796. Most of her time would naturally be spent at home; but we catch
an occasional glimpse of her, now dancing at Southampton, now travelling
with Cassandra one hot summer's day from London to stay with her brother
Edward at Rowling (in 1794), now visiting in Gloucestershire.[59]
Early in 1794 came the shock of the execution of the Comte de Feuillide;
and Eliza, widowed and motherless, and with an invalid boy, must have
become more of a serious care to her relations. Over the acquittal of
her benefactor and godfather, Warren Hastings, there was but one feeling
in the family. They all admired him as a high-minded patriot, a warm and
disinterested friend, and a scholar whose approbation was an honour. The
event inspired Henry Austen with more than his usual grandeur of
language. 'Permit me,' he says (writing to Hastings) 'to congratulate my
country and myself as an Englishman; for right dear to every Englishman
must it be to behold the issue of a combat where forms of judicature
threatened to annihilate the essence of justice.'
One event of the deepest interest occurred during this period--namely,
Cassandra's engagement to Thomas Fowle (brother of Eliza Lloyd's
husband), which probably took place in 1795 when she was twenty-three
years old. She had known him from childhood, as he was a pupil at
Steventon Rectory in 1779. Mr. Fowle had taken Orders, and was at this
time Rector of Allington in Wiltshire. An immediate marriage did not
seem prudent, but advancement was hoped for from his kinsman, Lord
Craven; and, as one of the livings in his gift was Ryton in Shropshire,
it must have been to this place that Mrs. Austen alluded as the future
home of Cassandra in the letter to her intended daughter-in-law, Mary
Lloyd. At present, however, Lord Craven could only show his interest in
Mr. Fowle by taking him out with him to the West Indies as chaplain to
his own regiment.
Jane's literary projects were now assuming a more definite shape,
although the process of selection and elimination both in subjects and
method was not yet finished. To this period belongs _Elinor and
Marianne_, a first sketch for _Sense and Sensibility_, but written in
letters. We know that it was read aloud, but no details have come down
to us, and it is difficult to guess between whom the letters can have
passed, for in the novel Elinor and Marianne are never parted, even for
a single day. It seems therefore as if the alterations subsequently made
must have been radical; and the difficulty and labour which such a
complete transformation would involve make the author's unfavourable
judgment on her own earlier method of writing all the stronger. If she
decided against using letters as a vehicle for story-telling in the
future, it seems all the more probable that the only other instance of
her use of this style was at least as early as the date we have now
reached.
The author of the _Memoir_ yielded with reluctance to many solicitations
asking him to include _Lady Susan_ in his second edition;[60] while he
himself agreed with other critics that the work was 'scarcely one on
which a literary reputation could be founded.' As a stage in the
development of the author it has great interest. Strictly speaking, it
is not a story but a study. There is hardly any attempt at a plot, or at
the grouping of various characters; such as exist are kept in the
background, and serve chiefly to bring into bolder relief the one
full-length, highly finished, wholly sinister figure which occupies the
canvas, but which seems, with the completion of the study, to have
disappeared entirely from the mind of its creator. It is equally
remarkable that an inexperienced girl should have had independence and
boldness enough to draw at full length a woman of the type of Lady
Susan, and that, after she had done so, the purity of her imagination
and the delicacy of her taste should have prevented her from ever
repeating the experiment.
But if Jane Austen never again wrote a story in letters, no one was ever
more successful in using them for exhibitions of character. The letters
of Lucy Steele, Mr. Collins, Isabella Thorpe, Lady Bertram, and Mary
Musgrove are all masterpieces of unconscious humour--and some of the
more serious letters are not far behind them.
The extant letters of Jane herself begin in 1796, and will accompany us
through the rest of the story. They are far the most important additions
that can be made to the short history contained in the _Memoir_; and the
little notices which we have given--it may have seemed with needless
particularity--of her relations and neighbours have been given partly in
order to enable the readers of her letters to follow the numerous
personal allusions to be found in them. We must not, however, try to
extract more out of the letters than they will yield. The bulk of them
belong to the collection published by Lord Brabourne, and nearly the
whole of this collection consists of letters from Jane to Cassandra. But
the normal condition of the sisters' lives was to be together--residing
in one house, sleeping in one room. We can therefore only learn from
this source what happened on the comparatively rare occasions when they
were separated. Nor is this all, for a good deal of their
correspondence is missing. Some of it is probably lost by accident; a
great deal was certainly destroyed by Cassandra of set purpose. The
Austens had a great hatred and dread of publicity. Cassandra felt this
with especial force, and the memory of Jane was to her so sacred that to
allow the gaze of strangers to dwell upon the actions or the feelings of
so precious a being would have seemed to her nothing short of
profanation. In her old age she became aware that Jane's fame had not
only survived but increased, and that a time might come when the public
would wish to know more details of her life than had been given in the
short memoir, written by Henry Austen, and prefixed to her posthumous
works. Cassandra would not indeed be likely to think it possible that
the letters themselves should be published,[61] but they might be made
use of as materials, and so she determined to do what must have been a
great sacrifice, and burn all those which were specially dear to
herself, feeling confident that the remainder would not be disturbed.
The destroyed MSS. without doubt included much that would have been of
particular value to the biographer.
We must also remember that the correspondence was between sisters who
knew, each of them, what the other was thinking, and could feel sure
that nothing one might say would be misapprehended by the other; and the
sort of freemasonry which results from such a situation adds to the
difficulty of perfect comprehension by outsiders. Jane, too, was a
mistress of subtle irony: the inveterate playfulness which is constantly
cropping up in her books appears also in her letters. Secure of her
correspondent, she could pass criticisms, impute motives, and imagine
circumstances which would have been very far from her nature had she
thought it possible that any less perfectly informed third person could
see them.
All our authorities agree in describing her as one of the most
considerate and least censorious of mortals. 'She was singularly free,'
says one of her nieces, 'from the habit . . . of looking out for people's
foibles for her own amusement, or the entertainment of her hearers. . . . I
do not suppose she ever in her life said a sharp thing.' We may be sure,
therefore, that when she seems to imply that her mother's ailments were
imaginary, or that Mrs. Knight's generosity to Edward was insignificant,
or that Mrs. Knight herself was about to contract a second marriage, she
is no more serious than when she describes herself as having taken too
much wine, as a hardened flirt, or as a selfish housekeeper ordering
only those things which she herself preferred.
We must therefore take the letters as they are, without expecting to
find any expression of views on such important subjects as religion,
politics, or literature--subjects which might better be discussed in
conversation with Cassandra; and with these limitations in our minds we
shall probably agree with Mr. A. C. Bradley,[62] who does not find the
letters disappointing because 'the Jane Austen who wrote the novels is
in them.'
FOOTNOTES:
[51] _Memoir_, p. 9.
[52] Lady Dorchester gave one in January 1799, not at Greywell, but at
Kempshot, which her husband acquired shortly before the end of the
eighteenth century.
[53] The sisters kept the name Bigg, though father and brother became
Bigg Wither.
[54] _Memoir_, pp. 93, 94.
[55] _Memoir_, p. 54.
[56] See p. 79.
[57] _Chawton Manor and its Owners_, p. 159.
[58] These letters will be found in Mr. W. H. Pollock's _Jane Austen,
her Contemporaries and herself_.
[59] _Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 341, and vol. i. p. 281. The
Gloucestershire visit was probably to the Fowles at Elkstone. See p.
373.
[60] It was far from being his wish that _Lady Susan_ should form the
title of a separate volume. This work, and _The Watsons_, were to be
printed as an appendix at the end of the _Memoir_. By some mistake,
however, when the second edition appeared, the whole book bore the title
of _Lady Susan_ on its outside cover.
[61] How little she expected them to be published may be gathered from a
sentence written by her niece Anna, at the time of the publication of
the _Memoir_: 'I can fancy what the indignation of Aunt Cassandra would
have been at the mere idea of its [the correspondence] being read and
commented upon by any of us nephews and nieces, little or great.'
[62] _Essays and Studies by Members of the English Association_, vol.
ii. p. 10.
CHAPTER VI
ROMANCE
1795-1802
Miss Mitford, in a paragraph showing some hostility to Jane Austen,
tells us that her own mother spent her maiden life in the neighbourhood
of the Austens and knew Jane as 'the prettiest, silliest, most affected,
husband-hunting butterfly she ever remembers.' It is perhaps a
sufficient answer to this attack if we remark that when Mrs. Mitford
married and left her home Jane was barely ten years old, and that at a
date two years later she was accused by a cousin of being 'prim.' It is
probable that on growing up she, like other girls, enjoyed admiration,
and it is certain that she attracted a good deal of it; but she says so
much to her elder sister and mentor about one particular flirtation that
we may be sure that it was neither a serious nor a frequent occupation
with her.
In a letter[63] written from Steventon, November 17, 1798, she mentions
a visit from her friend Mrs. Lefroy, and adds that she had enough
private conversation with her to hear all that was interesting,--
which you will easily credit when I tell you that
of her nephew she said nothing at all, and of her
friend very little. She did not once mention the
name of the former to _me_, and I was too proud to
make any enquiries; but on my father's afterwards
asking where he was, I learnt that he was gone
back to London in his way to Ireland, where he is
called to the Bar and means to practise.
She showed me a letter which she had received from
her friend a few weeks ago (in answer to one
written by her to recommend a nephew of Mrs.
Russell to his notice at Cambridge) towards the
end of which was a sentence to this effect: 'I am
very sorry to hear of Mrs. Austen's illness. It
would give me particular pleasure to have an
opportunity of improving my acquaintance with that
family with a hope of creating to myself a nearer
interest. But at present I cannot indulge any
expectation of it.' This is rational enough; there
is less love and more sense in it than sometimes
appeared before, and I am very well satisfied. It
will all go on exceedingly well, and decline away
in a very reasonable manner. There seems no
likelihood of his coming into Hampshire this
Christmas, and it is therefore most probable that
our indifference will soon be mutual, unless his
regard, which appeared to spring from knowing
nothing of me at first, is best supported by never
seeing me.
Mrs. Lefroy's 'friend,' though Jane was interested to hear of him, had
evidently not touched her heart, and we should know nothing more of him
if it were not for a letter of hers to her brother Frank, written more
than fourteen years afterwards, and published in the _Sailor
Brothers_.[64]
I wonder whether you happened to see Mr.
Blackall's marriage in the papers last January.
We did. He was married at Clifton to a Miss
Lewis, whose father had been late of Antigua. I
should very much like to know what sort of a woman
she is. He was a piece of perfection--noisy
perfection--himself, which I always recollect with
regard. We had noticed a few months before his
succeeding to a College living, the very living
which we recollected his talking of, and wishing
for; an exceeding good one, Great[65] Cadbury in
Somersetshire. I could wish Miss Lewis to be of a
silent turn and rather ignorant, but naturally
intelligent and wishing to learn, fond of cold
veal pies, green tea in the afternoon, and a green
window-blind at night.
North Cadbury is an Emmanuel College living, and Mr. Blackall was a
Fellow of that society, who, after the fashion of the times, had waited
long for his living and his wife. Jane had known him well and liked him
much, though with sufficient detachment to remember and to criticise his
demonstrative manners, his love of instructing others, and other little
peculiarities. The 'friend' of 1798 must have been a young Cambridge
don; and she was not likely to have had an opportunity of knowing
individually more than one of that limited community, who did not
naturally come in the Austens' way. It seems obvious to link the two
allusions together; and if this is correct, we have identified one of
the admirers of our heroine.[66]
More serious--but not _very_ serious--was the attachment between her
and Mrs. Lefroy's nephew, Tom Lefroy, afterwards Chief Justice of
Ireland, which is mentioned somewhat cautiously in the _Memoir_, and the
end of which is alluded to in the letter already quoted.
The young people became acquainted in the winter of 1795-6, and took to
each other from the first. In a lively letter to Cassandra on January 9,
1796, Jane describes a ball at Manydown:--
Mr. H[eathcote][67] began with Elizabeth, and
afterwards danced with her again; but _they_ do
not know how _to be particular_. I flatter myself,
however, that they will profit by the three
successive lessons which I have given them.
You scold me so much in the nice long letter which
I have this moment received from you, that I am
almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and
I behaved. Imagine to yourself everything most
profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and
sitting down together. I _can_ expose myself,
however, only _once more_, because he leaves the
country soon after next Friday, on which day we
_are_ to have a dance at Ashe after all. He is a
very gentlemanlike, good-looking, pleasant young
man, I assure you. But as to our having ever met,
except at the three last balls, I cannot say much;
for he is so excessively laughed at about me at
Ashe, that he is ashamed of coming to Steventon,
and ran away when we called on Mrs. Lefroy a few
days ago. . . . After I had written the above, we
received a visit from Mr. Tom Lefroy and his
cousin George. The latter is really very
well-behaved now; and as to the other, he has but
_one_ fault, which time will I trust entirely
remove; it is that his morning coat is a great
deal too light. He is a very great admirer of Tom
Jones, and therefore wears the same coloured
clothes, I imagine, which _he_ did when he was
wounded.
A few days later she is writing again:--
Our party to Ashe to-morrow night will consist of
Edward Cooper, James (for a ball is nothing
without _him_), Buller, who is now staying with
us, and I. I look forward with great impatience to
it, as I rather expect to receive an offer from my
friend in the course of the evening. I shall
refuse him, however, unless he promises to give
away his white coat.
_Friday._--At length the day is come on which I am
to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you
receive this it will be over. My tears flow as I
write at the melancholy idea.
Truly the 'prim' little girl of twelve had made considerable progress by
the time she was twenty! Unfortunately, there is no further letter to
tell us whether Tom made the expected proposal or not; but it is pretty
certain that he did not, and indeed there is a good deal of doubt
whether it was really expected. Possibly lack of means prevented its
ever being a serious matter on his side. They can never have met again
on the same intimate terms. If he visited Ashe at all in 1798, the
conditions must have been different, for he was by that time tacitly
engaged to the lady whom he married in March 1799. Tom Lefroy
accordingly disappears from Jane's life, though he never forgot her till
his death at the age of ninety. When he was an old man he told a young
relation that 'he had been in love with Jane Austen, but it was a boy's
love.'
As for Jane's feelings, the opinion in the family seems to have been
that it was a disappointment, but not a severe one. Had it been severe,
either Jane would not have joked about it, or Cassandra would have
destroyed the letters.
But the day of Jane's one real romance was still to come: a romance
which probably affected the flow of her spirits, and helped to
disincline her for literary composition, for some time after its
occurrence. In this case, as in the other, the author of the _Memoir_
was rather reticent; but shortly after its publication his sister,
Caroline Austen, was induced to put down in writing the facts as she
knew them. No one could be better qualified to do this, for she was a
person of great ability, and endowed with a wonderfully accurate and
retentive memory. It will be seen also that she has the unimpeachable
authority of Cassandra to support her; we can therefore feel confidence
in the truth of the story, although date, place, and even the name[68]
of the gentleman are missing.
Caroline Austen's account is as follows:--
All that I know is this. At Newtown, Aunt
Cassandra was staying with us [i.e. with the
writer and her mother, Mrs. James Austen] when we
made acquaintance with a certain Mr. H. E., of the
Engineers. He was very pleasing and very
good-looking. My aunt was very much struck with
him, and _I_ was struck by her commendation; she
so rarely admired strangers. Afterwards, at
another time--I do not remember exactly when--she
spoke of him as of one so unusually gifted with
all that was agreeable, and said that he reminded
her strongly of a gentleman whom they had met one
summer when they were by the sea--I think she said
in Devonshire; I don't think she named the place,
and I am sure she did not say Lyme, for that I
should have remembered--that he seemed greatly
attracted by my Aunt Jane--I suppose it was an
intercourse of some weeks--and that when they had
to part (I imagine he was a visitor also, but his
family might have lived near) he was urgent to
know where they would be the next summer, implying
or perhaps saying that he should be there also,
wherever it might be. I can only say that the
impression left on Aunt Cassandra was that he had
fallen in love with her sister, and was quite in
earnest. Soon afterwards they heard of his death.
Mr. H. E. also died of a sudden illness soon after
we had seen him at Newtown, and I suppose it was
that coincidence of early death that led my aunt
to speak of him--the unknown--at all. I am sure
she thought he was worthy of her sister, from the
way in which she recalled his memory, and also
that she did not doubt, either, that he would have
been a successful suitor.
This short history contains all the facts that are known. The rest must
be left to imagination; but of two things we may be sure: the man whom
Cassandra deemed worthy of her sister can have been no ordinary person,
and the similarity in the ending of romance in the case of both sisters
must have added a strong link of sympathy to the chain of love which
bound their lives together.
A story is given in the _Reminiscences of Sir Francis H. Doyle_, to the
effect that Mr. Austen, accompanied by Cassandra and Jane, took
advantage of the Peace of Amiens, in 1802, to undertake a foreign tour.
Whilst in Switzerland, they fell in with a young naval officer, who
speedily became attached to Jane. His love was returned, and all seemed
to be going smoothly. The party were making for Chamonix; but while the
Austens kept to such high road as there was, their friend was to make
his way thither over the mountains. The Austens reached Chamonix safely,
but their friend never arrived, and at last news came that he had
over-tired himself and died of brain fever on the way. The Austens
returned to England, and Jane resumed her ordinary life, never referring
to her adventures abroad. This story is given on the authority of a Miss
Ursula Mayow, who heard it thirty or forty years later from a niece of
Jane Austen's. Who this niece was we do not know, but she cannot have
been either of the two who were grown up before their aunt's death, for
they knew nothing of any such journey. As it stands, the story is
impossible for many reasons. We give three:--
1. Such an important and unusual event as a tour in Switzerland could
not have taken place without leaving traces behind, and there is no
shadow of a tradition of it remaining in the family.
2. They could not possibly have afforded it. George Austen had given up
his living, and was hoping to have £600 a year as a maximum for the
family party of four persons, and they had just had the expense of
setting up house in Bath.
3. We can almost prove an alibi. We know that they were at Dawlish in
the year of the Peace of Amiens, and they certainly could not have made
another lengthened absence.
The story, however, is interesting, for it fits in (so far as its main
theme is concerned) with the authentic account given above of Jane's
romance in the west, although the setting is completely different. It is
quite possible that the fiction originated in an incorrect
account--mis-heard or mis-repeated--of the true tale, mixed up with the
fact (mentioned below) that the Henry Austens went abroad at this time.
One more incident shall be narrated: an incident which, though full of
discomfort and inconvenience for the actors, yet lacks the note of
tragedy contained in the last. It rests on the same excellent authority,
with the additional safeguard that Caroline Austen's own mother must
have known the circumstances exactly. The story is as follows:--
In November 1802 Cassandra and Jane came from Bath to pay a visit to
their old home--then in the possession of their eldest brother James and
his wife Mary. In the course of it, they went to spend a few days with
some old friends in the neighbourhood. On the morning of Friday,
December 3, they suddenly reappeared--their friends having driven them
back--at an unlooked-for moment. All got out, and to Mrs. James Austen's
surprise a tender scene of embraces and tears and distressing farewells
took place in the hall. No sooner had the carriage disappeared than
Cassandra and Jane, without offering any explanation, turned to her and
said that they must at once go back to Bath--the very next day--it was
absolutely necessary, and (as an escort for young ladies travelling by
coach was also necessary) their brother James must take them--although
Saturday was a day on which it was most inconvenient for a single-handed
rector to go far from his parish; for he could not return till Monday,
and there was hardly any time to provide for his Sunday duty. But
Cassandra and Jane, in a manner very unlike their usual considerate
selves, refused to remain till Monday, nor would they give any reason
for this refusal. James was therefore obliged to yield and to go with
them to Bath. In course of time the mystery was solved. One[69] of the
family with whom they had been staying had made Jane an offer of
marriage, which she accepted--only to repent of her action deeply before
many hours had passed. Her niece Caroline's remarks are as follows:--
I conjecture that the advantages he could offer,
and her gratitude for his love, and her long
friendship with his family, induced my aunt to
decide that she would marry him when he should ask
her, but that having accepted him she found she
was miserable. To be sure, she should not have
said 'Yes' overnight; but I have always respected
her for her courage in cancelling that 'Yes' the
next morning; all worldly advantages would have
been to her, and she was of an age to know this
quite well (she was nearly twenty-seven). My aunts
had very small fortunes; and on their father's
death, they and their mother would be, they were
aware, but poorly off. I believe most young women
so circumstanced would have gone on trusting to
love after marriage.
If this event occurred after the more romantic incident in the west of
England it is possible that Jane had hardly as yet regained her wonted
balance of mind and calmness of judgment. We have no further tale of the
sort to tell. As time went on, she acquiesced cheerfully in the gradual
disappearance of youth. She did not eschew balls, but was indifferent
whether she was asked to dance or not: 'It was the same room in which we
danced fifteen years ago; I thought it all over, and in spite of the
shame of being so much older, felt with thankfulness that I was quite as
happy now as then. . . . You will not expect to hear that _I_ was asked to
dance, but I was.'
She was to spend the remainder of her life in the centre of family
interests, and by degrees to become engrossed in the exciting business
of authorship. She could afford to laugh at the suggestion that she
should marry the Rector of Chawton, and promise to do so, whatever his
reluctance or her own. She retained to the end her freshness and humour,
her sympathy with the young: '_We_ do not grow older, of course,' she
says in one of her latest letters; and it is evident that this was the
impression left with the rising generation of nephews and nieces from
their intercourse with her.
FOOTNOTES:
[63] All the letters in this volume from Jane to Cassandra, as to the
source of which no statement is made, are quoted from Lord Brabourne's
collection.
[64] _Sailor Brothers_, pp. 233 _et seq._
[65] _North_ Cadbury is the correct name of the parish.
[66] The Blackall family had been established and respected in
Devonshire since the episcopate of their ancestor, Offspring Blackall,
Bishop of Exeter in the time of Queen Anne. Our Sam Blackall (an uncle
of the same name had preceded him as Fellow of Emmanuel) was
great-grandson of the Bishop; he became Fellow, and was ordained, in
1794; took the living of North Cadbury in 1812, and lived until 1842.
His college record (which we owe to the courtesy of the Fellows)
corresponds very well with our notices of him. He was evidently a
sociable and lively member of the combination-room. The 'parlour-book'
contains frequent mention of bets made by him on politics and other
subjects, and his own particular pair of bowls still survive. He was
tutor in 1811, when a great fire occurred in the College, and took his
share in appealing for funds with which to rebuild it, application being
chiefly made to those who agreed with the college politics in Church and
State. He seems to have been one of a large family of brothers; another
being John Blackall, of Balliol College, Oxford, for many years a
distinguished Exeter physician, who did not die until 1860.
[67] Mr. Heathcote and Miss Elizabeth Bigg were married in 1798.
[68] Miss Hill (following a family MS.) calls _him_ 'Blackall'; but it
seems from what has been said above that the MS. confused two different
men. Certainly Cassandra, in telling the story to her niece Caroline,
did not give her that, or any other, name; for Caroline speaks of the
tale as being--so far as she knew it--'nameless and dateless.' A
possible alternative suggestion is that there were two Blackalls
concerned: one being the Sam Blackall mentioned above, the other Jane
Austen's admirer in the west of England.
[69] The author of the _Memoir_ describes this gentleman as one who had
the recommendations of good character and connexions and position in
life--of everything, in fact, except the subtle power of touching her
heart.
CHAPTER VII
AUTHORSHIP AND CORRESPONDENCE
1796-1798
The appearance of Jane Austen's name among the list of subscribers to
Madame d'Arblay's _Camilla_, in 1796, marks the beginning of her
literary career. Her father must have paid the necessary subscription
for her: and he probably did so believing that his daughter's talent
deserved encouragement. Jane's cousins, the Cookes of Bookham, were some
of Madame d'Arblay's closest friends while the latter was living in that
neighbourhood, from 1793 to 1797, and it is quite likely that they were
active in getting subscribers. One likes to think that--as Miss Hill has
suggested[70]--Jane may have met Madame d'Arblay when paying a visit to
Bookham.
Jane was destined to have two periods of active authorship: periods of
unequal length, and divided from each other by eight or ten nearly
barren years. This unfruitful time has been accounted for in several
different ways: as arising from personal griefs, literary
disappointment, or want of a settled home. These disturbing causes all
existed, and it is probable that each contributed its share to her
unwillingness to write; but at present she enjoyed hope and happiness,
the vigour and cheerfulness of youth among congenial companions, and a
home as yet unvisited by any acute sorrows.
No precise date has been assigned to the writing of _Elinor and
Marianne_; but after the completion of that sketch her time has been
fully mapped out[71] as follows:--
_First Impressions_ (original of _Pride and Prejudice_), begun October
1796, ended August 1797.
_Sense and Sensibility_, begun November 1797.
_Northanger Abbey_ (probably called _Susan_), written in 1797 and 1798.
It has been usual to dwell on the precocity of intellect shown in the
composition of the first two of these works by a young and inexperienced
girl, and no doubt there is much justice in the observation; but we
venture to think that it is in _Northanger Abbey_ that we get the best
example of what she could produce at the age of three- or
four-and-twenty. In the two others, the revision they underwent before
publication was so complete that it is impossible now to separate the
earlier from the later work; whereas in _Northanger Abbey_, while there
is good evidence from the author's preface of a careful preparation for
the press before she sold it in 1803, there is no mention of any radical
alteration at a subsequent date. On the contrary, she apologises for
what may seem old-fashioned in the social arrangements of the story by
alleging the length of time that had elapsed since its completion. There
is internal evidence to the same effect: she has not quite shaken off
the tendency to satirise contemporary extravagances; and it is not until
several chapters are past that she settles herself down to any serious
creation of characters. The superiority also in interest and fun of the
first volume over the second, though no doubt inherent in the scheme of
the story, is a defect which she would hardly have tolerated at a later
date. Nevertheless, we think her admirers may be satisfied with this
example of her youthful style. The charm with which she manages to
invest a simple ingenuous girl like Catherine, the brightness of Henry
Tilney--even the shallowness of Isabella and the boorishness of John
Thorpe--are things we part from with regret. And in parting with our
friends at the end of one of her novels, we part with them for good and
all; they never re-appear in another shape elsewhere; even Mrs. Allen
and Lady Bertram are by no means the same.
It seems to have been only a happy accident (though no doubt an accident
very likely to occur) which prevented _First Impressions_ from appearing
in its immature shape.
George Austen was ready, and indeed anxious, that his daughter's work
should be published; and when she had finished the story in August 1797,
he took steps to find a publisher. Years afterwards (probably in 1836),
at the sale of the effects of Mr. Cadell, the famous London publisher,
the following letter was purchased by a connexion of the family:--
SIR,--I have in my possession a manuscript novel,
comprising 3 vols., about the length of Miss
Burney's _Evelina_. As I am well aware of what
consequence it is that a work of this sort sh^{d.}
make its first appearance under a respectable
name, I apply to you. I shall be much obliged,
therefore, if you will inform me whether you
choose to be concerned in it, what will be the
expense of publishing it at the author's risk,
and what you will venture to advance for the
property of it, if on perusal it is approved of.
Should you give any encouragement, I will send you
the work.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
GEORGE AUSTEN.
Steventon, near Overton, Hants.:
November 1, 1797.
This proposal, we are told, was declined by return of post.
The earliest of Jane's letters which have survived date from the year
1796. They begin at Steventon in the middle of their winter engagements,
and when Tom Lefroy was in the foreground.[72]
Steventon: Saturday [January 9, 1796].
In the first place, I hope you will live
twenty-three years longer. Mr. Tom Lefroy's
birthday was yesterday, so that you are very near
of an age.
After this necessary preamble I shall proceed to
inform you that we had an exceeding good ball last
night, and that I was very much disappointed at
not seeing Charles Fowle of the party, as I had
previously heard of his being invited.
* * * * *
We were so terrible good as to take James in our
carriage, though there were three of us before;
but indeed he deserves encouragement for the very
great improvement which has lately taken place in
his dancing. Miss Heathcote is pretty, but not
near so handsome as I expected.
* * * * *
Henry is still hankering after the Regulars, and
as his project of purchasing the adjutancy of the
Oxfordshire is now over, he has got a scheme in
his head about getting a lieutenancy and adjutancy
in the 86th, a new-raised regiment, which he
fancies will be ordered to the Cape of Good Hope.
I heartily hope that he will, as usual, be
disappointed in this scheme.
Steventon: Thursday [January 14, 1796].
I am very much flattered by your commendation of
my last letter, for I write only for fame, and
without any view to pecuniary emolument.
Tell Mary[73] that I make over Mr. Heartley and
all his estate to her for her sole use and benefit
in future, and not only him, but all my other
admirers into the bargain wherever she can find
them, even the kiss which C. Powlett wanted to
give me, as I mean to confine myself in future to
Mr. Tom Lefroy, for whom I don't care sixpence.
Assure her also as a last and indubitable proof of
Warren's indifference to me, that he actually drew
that gentleman's picture for me, and delivered it
to me without a sigh.
The next batch of letters date from a visit paid by Jane, in August
1796, to Rowling, the Kent home of her brother Edward. She seems to have
experienced a difficulty in finding an escort for her return journey.
Henry kept changing his plans; and Frank, the sailor, was liable to be
sent for at a day's notice. She had evidently been studying her copy of
_Camilla_.
Cork Street: Tuesday morn [August 1796].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Here I am once more in this
scene of dissipation and vice, and I begin already
to find my morals corrupted. We reached Staines
yesterday, I do not [know] when, without suffering
so much from the heat as I had hoped to do. We set
off again this morning at seven o'clock, and had a
very pleasant drive, as the morning was cloudy and
perfectly cool. I came all the way in the chaise
from Hartford Bridge.
Edward and Frank are both gone out to seek their
fortunes; the latter is to return soon and help us
seek ours. The former we shall never see again. We
are to be at Astley's to-night, which I am glad
of. Edward has heard from Henry this morning. He
has not been at the races at all, unless his
driving Miss Pearson over to Rowling one day can
be so called. We shall find him there on Thursday.
I hope you are all alive after our melancholy
parting yesterday, and that you pursued your
intended avocation with success. God bless you! I
must leave off, for we are going out.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Everybody's love.
Rowling: Thursday [September 1, 1796].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--The letter which I have
this moment received from you has diverted me
beyond moderation. I could die of laughter at it,
as they used to say at school. You are indeed the
finest comic writer of the present age.
* * * * *
I am sorry that you found such a conciseness in
the strains of my first letter. I must endeavour
to make you amends for it, when we meet, by some
elaborate details, which I shall shortly begin
composing.
Our men had but indifferent weather for their
visit to Godmersham, for it rained great part of
the way there and all the way back. They found
Mrs. Knight remarkably well and in very good
spirits. It is imagined that she will shortly be
married again. I have taken little George once in
my arms since I have been here, which I thought
very kind.
* * * * *
To-morrow I shall be just like Camilla in Mr.
Dubster's summer-house; for my Lionel will have
taken away the ladder by which I came here, or at
least by which I intended to get away, and here I
must stay till his return. My situation, however,
is somewhat preferable to hers, for I am very
happy here, though I should be glad to get home by
the end of the month. I have no idea that Miss
Pearson will return with me.
What a fine fellow Charles is, to deceive us into
writing two letters to him at Cork! I admire his
ingenuity extremely, especially as he is so great
a gainer by it.
* * * * *
I am glad to hear so good an account of Mr.
Charde, and only fear that my long absence may
occasion his relapse. I practise every day as much
as I can--I wish it were more for his sake. . . .
Frank has turned a very nice little butter-churn
for Fanny. I do not believe that any of the party
were aware of the valuables they had left behind;
nor can I hear anything of Anna's gloves. Indeed I
have not enquired at all about them hitherto.
We are very busy making Edward's shirts, and I am
proud to say that I am the neatest worker of the
party.
Rowling: Monday [September 5, 1796].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I shall be extremely anxious
to hear the event of your ball, and shall hope to
receive so long and minute an account of every
particular that I shall be tired of reading it. . . .
I hope John Lovett's accident will not prevent his
attending the ball, as you will otherwise be
obliged to dance with Mr. Tincton the whole
evening. Let me know how J. Harwood deports
himself without the Miss Biggs, and which of the
Marys will carry the day with my brother James.
_We_ were at a ball on Saturday, I assure you. We
dined at Goodnestone, and in the evening danced
two country-dances and the Boulangeries. I opened
the ball with Edward Bridges[74]; the other
couples were Lewis Cage and Harriet, Frank and
Louisa, Fanny and George. Elizabeth played one
country-dance, Lady Bridges the other, which she
made Henry dance with her, and Miss Finch played
the Boulangeries.
In reading over the last three or four lines, I am
aware of my having expressed myself in so doubtful
a manner that, if I did not tell you to the
contrary, you might imagine it was Lady Bridges
who made Henry dance with her at the same time
that she was playing, which, if not impossible,
must appear a very improbable event to you. But it
was Elizabeth who danced. We supped there and
walked home at night under the shade of two
umbrellas.
* * * * *
We have just got some venison from Godmersham,
which the two Mr. Harveys are to devour to-morrow,
and on Friday or Saturday the Goodnestone people
are to finish their scraps. Henry went away on
Friday, as he purposed, _without fayl_. You will
hear from him soon, I imagine, as he talked of
writing to Steventon shortly. Mr. Richard Harvey
is going to be married; but as it is a great
secret, and only known to half the neighbourhood,
you must not mention it. The lady's name is
Musgrave.
* * * * *
Pray remember me to everybody who does not enquire
after me; those who do, remember me without
bidding. Give my love to Mary Harrison, and tell
her I wish, whenever she is attached to a young
man, some _respectable_ Dr. Marchmont may keep
them apart for five volumes.
Rowling: Thursday [September 15, 1796].
At Nackington we met Lady Sondes' picture over the
mantelpiece in the dining-room, and the pictures
of her three children in an ante-room, besides Mr.
Scott, Miss Fletcher, Mr. Toke, Mr. J. Toke, and
the Archdeacon Lynch. Miss Fletcher and I were
very thick, but I am the thinnest of the two. She
wore her purple muslin, which is pretty enough,
though it does not become her complexion. There
are two traits in her character which are
pleasing--namely, she admires _Camilla_, and
drinks no cream in her tea. If you should ever see
Lucy, you may tell her that I scolded Miss
Fletcher for her negligence in writing, as she
desired me to do, but without being able to bring
her to any proper sense of shame--that Miss
Fletcher says in her defence, that as everybody
whom Lucy knew when she was in Canterbury has now
left it, she has nothing at all to write to her
about. By _everybody_, I suppose Miss Fletcher
means that a new set of officers have arrived
there. But this is a note of my own.
* * * * *
His Royal Highness Sir Thomas Williams has at
length sailed; the papers say 'on a cruise.' But I
hope they are gone to Cork, or I shall have
written in vain. Give my love to Jane, as she
arrived at Steventon yesterday, I dare say.
* * * * *
Edward and Frank went out yesterday very early in
a couple of shooting jackets, and came home like a
couple of bad shots, for they killed nothing at
all. They are out again to-day, and are not yet
returned. Delightful sport! They are just come
home, Edward with his two brace, Frank with his
two and a half. What amiable young men!
Rowling: Sunday [September 18, 1796].
This morning has been spent in doubt and
deliberation, in forming plans and removing
difficulties, for it ushered in the day with an
event which I had not intended should take place
so soon by a week. Frank has received his
appointment on board the _Captain John Gore_
commanded by the Triton[75] and will therefore be
obliged to be in town on Wednesday; and though I
have every disposition in the world to accompany
him on that day, I cannot go on the uncertainty of
the Pearsons being at home, as I should not have a
place to go to in case they were from home.
My father will be so good as to fetch home his
prodigal daughter from town, I hope, unless he
wishes me to walk the hospitals, enter at the
Temple, or mount guard at St. James'. It will
hardly be in Frank's power to take me home--nay,
it certainly will not. I shall write again as soon
as I get to Greenwich.
* * * * *
I am very glad that the idea of returning with
Frank occurred to me; for as to Henry's coming
into Kent again, the time of its taking place is
so very uncertain that I should be waiting for
_dead men's shoes_. I had once determined to go
with Frank to-morrow and take my chance, &c., but
they dissuaded me from so rash a step, as I really
think on consideration it would have been; for if
the Pearsons were not at home, I should inevitably
fall a sacrifice to the arts of some fat woman who
would make me drunk with small beer.
In some way or other, Jane managed to reach Steventon, and at once set
to work on _First Impressions_. From that point the letters cease for
two years--namely, till October 1798. Several family events occurred
during the interval. In January 1797 came the wedding of James Austen
and Mary Lloyd. Owing to the friendship which had long existed between
the Austens and the Lloyds, this marriage gave great pleasure at
Steventon, and Eliza de Feuillide remarks on it as follows:--
James has chosen a second wife in the person of
Miss Mary Lloyd, who is not either rich or
handsome, but very sensible and good humoured. . . .
Jane seems much pleased with the match, and it is
natural she should, having long known and liked
the lady.
Not long after this happy event, the rectory at Steventon was plunged
into deep grief, for news came that Cassandra's intended husband,
Thomas Fowle, who was expected home from St. Domingo in a few weeks,
had died in February of yellow fever. Our chief informant is again Eliza
de Feuillide, who writes on May 3:--
This is a very severe stroke to the whole family,
and particularly to poor Cassandra, for whom I
feel more than I can express. Indeed I am most
sincerely grieved at this event, and the pain
which it must occasion our worthy relations. Jane
says that her sister behaves with a degree of
resolution and propriety which no common mind
could evince in so trying a situation.
His kinsman, Lord Craven, who had taken him out as chaplain to his
regiment, said afterwards that, had he known of his engagement, he would
not have allowed him to go to so dangerous a climate.
* * * * *
After such a blow as this, Jane was hardly likely to leave Cassandra,
and the absence of letters at this time is easily understood. In
November of this same year, Mrs. Austen, whose health was not good
determined to go to Bath with her daughters. The route from Steventon
was by Andover and Devizes, one night being usually spent at the latter
place. Mrs. Austen's brother, Mr. Leigh Perrot, was a regular visitor to
Bath, and there is every reason to suppose that Jane had already visited
the Leigh Perrots or the Coopers, or both, at this still fashionable
resort, whose place was only gradually being usurped by Brighton. Owing
to the absence of contemporary letters our knowledge of her stay there
in 1797 is chiefly derived from reminiscences in later correspondence.
Thus in May 1799, when visiting Bath again, Jane remarks that it rained
almost all the way from Devizes; 'and our first view of Bath has been
just as gloomy as it was last November twelve-month.' We may therefore
imagine them 'entering Bath on a wet afternoon'--like Lady Russell, in
_Persuasion_--'and driving through the long course of streets . . . amidst
the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays, the
bawling of newsmen, muffin-men and milkmen, and the ceaseless clink of
pattens.' The Austens probably stayed with the Perrots at their house,
No. 1 Paragon Buildings.
Writing in April 1805, Jane describes a visit to a riding-school, and
says: 'Seven years and four months ago we went to the same riding-house
to see Miss Lefroy's performance. What a different set are we now moving
in!' It would be interesting to know in what way the set differed,
whether in kind or only in the individuals composing it. In this earlier
visit Jane was likely to have seen plenty of company, as the Leigh
Perrots had a large acquaintance.[76] The Austens stayed at Bath into
December, for Elizabeth de Feuillide mentions, on December 11, that she
had heard very lately from Jane, 'who is still at Bath with her mother
and sister. Mr. Hampson, whom I saw yesterday . . . told me he had heard
Cassandra was going to be married, but Jane says not a word of it.' When
we think of Jane's silence, and still more of Cassandra's recent grief,
we may safely discredit this extremely improbable rumour.
On returning home for Christmas, they received a piece of news which,
even if it did not come entirely as a surprise, can hardly have given
unmixed pleasure. This was the engagement of Henry Austen to his cousin,
Eliza de Feuillide--his senior by some ten years. Intended originally
for the Church, Henry Austen had abandoned the idea of taking Orders,
and had joined the Oxford Militia as lieutenant, in 1793, becoming
adjutant and captain four years later. Though he was endowed with many
attractive gifts there was a certain infirmity of purpose in his
character that was hardly likely to be remedied by a marriage to his
very pleasure-loving cousin.
In default of Eliza's letter on the occasion to her uncle, we may quote
that which she wrote to Warren Hastings:--
DEAR SIR,--As I flatter myself you still take an
interest in my welfare, I think it incumbent on me
to acquaint you with a circumstance by which it
must be materially influenced. I have consented to
an Union with my Cousin, Captain Austen, who has
the honour of being known to you. He has been for
some time in Possession of a comfortable income,
and the excellence of his Heart, Temper and
Understanding, together with steady attachment to
me, his Affection for my little Boy, and
disinterested concurrence in the disposal of my
Property in favour of this latter, have at length
induced me to an acquiescence which I have
withheld for more than two years. Need I say, my
dear Sir, that I most earnestly wish for your
approbation on this occasion, and that it is with
the sincerest attachment I shall ever remain
Your much obliged
and affectionate God-daughter,
ELIZABETH DE FEUILLIDE.
I beg leave to present my affectionate compliments
to Mrs. Hastings.
December 26, 1797.
Neither side wished for a long engagement, and they were married on
December 31. Henry continued with the Militia regiment probably till the
Peace of 1802. By 1804 he had joined a brother Militia officer of the
name of Maunde, and set up as banker and army agent, with offices in
Albany, Piccadilly; removing in or before 1808 to 10 Henrietta Street,
Covent Garden. Poor little Hastings de Feuillide became subject to
epilepsy, and died on October 9, 1801, while the Henry Austens were
living in Upper Berkeley Street.[77]
During the first half of 1798, Jane, fresh from her late visit to Bath,
was able to devote some happy months of unbroken leisure to writing the
first draft of the book known to us as _Northanger Abbey_; but her
comedy was once more interrupted by one of the tragedies of real life.
On August 9 occurred the death of her cousin, Lady Williams (Jane
Cooper): while she was driving herself in a whiskey, a dray-horse ran
away and drove against the chaise. She was thrown out and killed on the
spot: 'never spoke again,' so Mrs. Lybbe Powys records the news on
August 14. Jane Williams had been married from Steventon Rectory, and
had been, both before and after that event, so frequent a visitor there
that her death must have been severely felt by the Austens--especially
by the daughters of the family, her friends and contemporaries.
FOOTNOTES:
[70] _Juniper Hall_, p. 223.
[71] In a memorandum written by Cassandra.
[72] Other portions of these two letters are quoted in Chapter VI.
[73] Cassandra was now staying with the Fowles at Kintbury, and 'Mary'
was no doubt Eliza Fowle's sister, Mary Lloyd; not yet engaged to James
Austen.
[74] Edward Bridges was brother, and Harriet and Louisa were sisters, of
Elizabeth Austen; Lady Bridges being their mother. Harriet was
afterwards married to the son of Archbishop Moore.
[75] A playful inversion on Jane's part.
[76] Mrs. Lybbe Powys records in her diary under April 26, 1799: 'To a
party at Mr. Leigh Perrot's; eight tables, ninety people' (_Passages
from the Diaries of Mrs. Philip Lybbe Powys_, 1756-1808).
[77] _Gentleman's Magazine_, vol. lxxi. p. 965; see also p. 1049.
CHAPTER VIII
GODMERSHAM AND STEVENTON
1798-1799
Some change after this shock must have been desirable; and at the end of
the same month Mr. and Mrs. Austen, with Cassandra and Jane, started on
a visit to the Edward Austens--no longer at Rowling but at Godmersham,
which, by the generosity of Mrs. Knight, was now become their residence.
Edward would naturally wish for a visit from his parents and sisters in
his new and beautiful home. We know very little of Jane's doings there,
except that she attended a ball at Ashford; but, on her parting from
Cassandra (who was left behind) and returning to Steventon with her
father and mother, we find ourselves fortunately in the company of the
letters once more. Mrs. Austen was at this time in poor health, and Jane
evidently felt the responsibility of taking charge of her in Cassandra's
absence.
'Bull and George,' Dartford: Wednesday [October 24, 1798].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--You have already heard from
Daniel, I conclude, in what excellent time we
reached and quitted Sittingbourne, and how very
well my mother bore her journey thither. I am now
able to send you a continuation of the same good
account of her. She was very little fatigued on
her arrival at this place, has been refreshed by a
comfortable dinner, and now seems quite stout. It
wanted five minutes of twelve when we left
Sittingbourne, from whence we had a famous pair of
horses, which took us to Rochester in an hour and
a quarter; the postboy seemed determined to show
my mother that Kentish drivers were not always
tedious, and really drove as fast as _Cax_.
Our next stage was not quite so expeditiously
performed; the load was heavy and our horses very
indifferent. However, we were in such good time,
and my mother bore her journey so well, that
expedition was of little importance to us; and as
it was, we were very little more than two hours
and a half coming hither, and it was scarcely past
four when we stopped at the inn.
* * * * *
I should have begun my letter soon after our
arrival but for a little adventure which prevented
me. After we had been here a quarter of an hour it
was discovered that my writing and dressing boxes
had been by accident put into a chaise which was
just packing off as we came in, and were driven
away towards Gravesend in their way to the West
Indies. No part of my property could have been
such a prize before, for in my writing box was all
my worldly wealth, £7, and my dear Harry's
deputation.[78] Mr. Nottley immediately despatched
a man and horse after the chaise, and in half an
hour's time I had the pleasure of being as rich as
ever; they were got about two or three miles off.
My day's journey has been pleasanter in every
respect than I expected. I have been very little
crowded and by no means unhappy. Your watchfulness
with regard to the weather on our accounts was
very kind and very effectual. We had one heavy
shower on leaving Sittingbourne, but afterwards
the clouds cleared away, and we had a very bright
_chrystal_ afternoon.
My father is now reading the _Midnight Bell_[79]
which he has got from the library, and mother
sitting by the fire. Our route to-morrow is not
determined. We have none of us much inclination
for London, and if Mr. Nottley will give us leave,
I think we shall go to Staines through Croydon and
Kingston, which will be much pleasanter than any
other way; but he is decidedly for Clapham and
Battersea. God bless you all!
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
I flatter myself that _itty Dordy_[80] will not
forget me at least under a week. Kiss him for me.
Steventon: Saturday [October 27, 1798].
We arrived here yesterday between four and five,
but I cannot send you quite so triumphant an
account of our last day's journey as of the first
and second. Soon after I had finished my letter
from Staines, my mother began to suffer from the
exercise or fatigue of travelling, and she was a
good deal indisposed.
* * * * *
James called on us just as we were going to tea,
and my mother was well enough to talk very
cheerfully to him before she went to bed. . . . They
[James and Mary] were to have dined here to-day,
but the weather is too bad. I have had the
pleasure of hearing that Martha is with them.
James fetched her from Ibthorp on Thursday, and
she will stay with them till she removes to
Kintbury.
I am very grand indeed; I had the dignity of
dropping out my mother's laudanum last night. I
carry about the keys of the wine and closet, and
twice since I began this letter have had orders to
give in the kitchen. Our dinner was very good
yesterday and the chicken boiled perfectly tender;
therefore I shall not be obliged to dismiss Nanny
on that account.
* * * * *
Your letter was chaperoned here by one from Mrs.
Cooke, in which she says that _Battleridge_[81] is
not to come out before January, and she is so
little satisfied with Cawthorn's dilatoriness that
she never means to employ him again.
Mrs. Hall, of Sherborne, was brought to bed
yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she
expected, owing to a fright. I suppose she
happened unawares to look at her husband.
There has been a great deal of rain here for this
last fortnight, much more than in Kent, and indeed
we found the roads all the way from Staines most
disgracefully dirty. Steventon Lane has its full
share of it, and I don't know when I shall be able
to get to Deane.
* * * * *
My dear _itty Dordy's_ remembrance of me is very
pleasing to me--foolishly pleasing, because I know
it will be over so soon. My attachment to him will
be more durable. I shall think with tenderness and
delight on his beautiful and smiling countenance
and interesting manner until a few years have
turned him into an ungovernable ungracious fellow.
The books from Winton are all unpacked and put
away; the binding has compressed them most
conveniently, and there is now very good room in
the bookcase for all that we wish to have there. I
believe the servants were all very glad to see us.
Nanny was, I am sure. She confesses that it was
very dull, and yet she had her child with her
till last Sunday. I understand that there are some
grapes left, but I believe not many; they must be
gathered as soon as possible, or this rain will
entirely rot them.
Saturday [November 17, 1798].[82]
My mother desires me to tell you that I am a very
good housekeeper, which I have no reluctance in
doing, because I really think it my peculiar
excellence, and for this reason--I always take
care to provide such things as please my own
appetite, which I consider as the chief merit in
housekeeping. I have had some ragout veal, and I
mean to have some haricot mutton to-morrow. We are
to kill a pig soon.
There is to be a ball at Basingstoke next
Thursday. Our assemblies have very kindly declined
ever since we laid down the carriage, so that
dis-convenience and dis-inclination to go have
kept pace together.
* * * * *
_Sunday._--I have just received a note from James
to say that Mary was brought to bed last night, at
eleven o'clock, of a fine little boy,[83] and that
everything is going on very well. My mother had
desired to know nothing of it before it should be
all over, and we were clever enough to prevent her
having any suspicion of it, though Jenny, who had
been left here by her mistress, was sent for home.
Steventon: Sunday [November 25, 1798].
MY DEAR SISTER,--I expected to have heard from you
this morning, but no letter is come. I shall not
take the trouble of announcing to you any more of
Mary's children, if, instead of thanking me for
the intelligence, you always sit down and write to
James. I am sure nobody can desire your letters
so much as I do, and I don't think anybody
deserves them so well.
Having now relieved my heart of a great deal of
malevolence, I will proceed to tell you that Mary
continues quite well, and my mother tolerably so.
I saw the former on Friday, and though I had seen
her comparatively hearty the Tuesday before, I was
really amazed at the improvement which three days
had made in her. She looked well, her spirits were
perfectly good, and she spoke much more vigorously
than Elizabeth did when we left Godmersham. I had
only a glimpse at the child, who was asleep; but
Miss Debary told me that his eyes were large,
dark, and handsome. _She_ looks much as she used
to do, is netting herself a gown in worsteds, and
wears what Mrs. Birch would call a _pot hat_. A
short and compendious history of Miss Debary!
* * * * *
We have got _Fitz-Albini_;[84] my father has
bought it against my private wishes, for it does
not quite satisfy my feelings that we should
purchase the only one of Egerton's works of which
his family are ashamed. That these scruples,
however, do not at all interfere with my reading
it, you will easily believe. We have neither of us
yet finished the first volume. My father is
disappointed--_I_ am not, for I expected nothing
better. Never did any book carry more internal
evidence of its author. Every sentiment is
completely Egerton's. There is very little story,
and what there is is told in a strange,
unconnected way. There are many characters
introduced, apparently merely to be delineated. We
have not been able to recognise any of them
hitherto, except Dr. and Mrs. Hey and Mr. Oxenden,
who is not very tenderly treated. . . .
We have got Boswell's _Tour to the Hebrides_, and
are to have his _Life of Johnson_; and as some
money will yet remain in Burdon's hands, it is to
be laid out in the purchase of Cowper's works.
This would please Mr. Clarke, could he know it.
Steventon: [December 1, 1798].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I am so good as to write you
again thus speedily, to let you know that I have
just heard from Frank. He was at Cadiz, alive and
well, on October 19, and had then very lately
received a letter from you, written as long ago as
when the _London_ was at St. Helen's. But his
_raly_ latest intelligence of us was in one from
me of September 1st, which I sent soon after we
got to Godmersham. He had written a packet full
for his dearest friends in England, early in
October, to go by the _Excellent_; but the
_Excellent_ was not sailed, nor likely to sail,
when he despatched this to me. It comprehended
letters for both of us, for Lord Spencer,[85] Mr.
Daysh,[86] and the East India Directors. Lord St.
Vincent had left the fleet when he wrote, and was
gone to Gibraltar, it was said to superintend the
fitting out of a private expedition from thence
against some of the enemies' ports; Minorca or
Malta were conjectured to be the objects.
Frank writes in good spirits, but says that our
correspondence cannot be so easily carried on in
future as it has been, as the communication
between Cadiz and Lisbon is less frequent than
formerly. You and my mother, therefore, must not
alarm yourselves at the long intervals that may
divide his letters. I address this advice to you
two as being the most tender-hearted of the
family.
My mother made her _entrée_ into the dressing-room
through crowds of admiring spectators yesterday
afternoon, and we all drank tea together for the
first time these five weeks. She has had a
tolerable night, and bids fair for a continuance
in the same brilliant course of action to-day. . . .
Mr. Lyford[87] was here yesterday; he came while
we were at dinner, and partook of our elegant
entertainment. I was not ashamed at asking him to
sit down to table, for we had some pease-soup, a
sparerib, and a pudding. He wants my mother to
look yellow and to throw out a rash, but she will
do neither.
We live entirely in the dressing-room now, which I
like very much; I always feel so much more elegant
in it than in the parlour.
I have made myself two or three caps to wear of
evenings since I came home, and they save me a
world of torment as to hair-dressing, which at
present gives me no trouble beyond washing and
brushing, for my long hair is always plaited up
out of sight, and my short hair curls well enough
to want no papering.
_Sunday._--My father is glad to hear so good an
account of Edward's pigs, and desires he may be
told, as encouragement to his taste for them, that
Lord Bolton is particularly curious in _his_ pigs,
has had pigstyes of a most elegant construction
built for them, and visits them every morning as
soon as he rises.
This and the following letter contain allusions to Jane's wearing caps.
Those intended for use at balls, &c. would be smart head-dresses, worn
at that period by younger as well as older women.[88] In later life, the
Miss Austens seem to have been rather indifferent to fashion and beauty
in their clothing, although always very neat.
Steventon: Tuesday [December 18, 1798].
I took the liberty a few days ago of asking your
black velvet bonnet to lend me its cawl, which it
very readily did, and by which I have been enabled
to give a considerable improvement of dignity to
my cap, which was before too _nidgetty_ to please
me. I shall wear it on Thursday, but I hope you
will not be offended with me for following your
advice as to its ornaments only in part. I still
venture to retain the narrow silver round it, put
twice round without any bow, and instead of the
black military feather shall put in the coquelicot
one as being smarter, and besides, coquelicot is
to be all the fashion this winter. After the ball
I shall probably make it entirely black.
I am sorry that our dear Charles begins to feel
the dignity of ill-usage. My father will write to
Admiral Gambier.[89] He must have already received
so much satisfaction from his acquaintance and
patronage of Frank, that he will be delighted, I
dare say, to have another of the family introduced
to him.
* * * * *
I am very much obliged to my dear little George
for his message--for his _love_ at least; his
_duty_, I suppose, was only in consequence of some
hint of my favourable intentions towards him from
his father or mother. I am sincerely rejoiced,
however, that I ever was born, since it has been
the means of procuring him a dish of tea.[90] Give
my best love to him.
I have received a very civil note from Mrs.
Martin, requesting my name as a subscriber to her
library, which opens January 14, and my name, or
rather yours, is accordingly given. My mother
finds the money. Mary subscribes too, which I am
glad of, but hardly expected. As an inducement to
subscribe, Mrs. Martin tells me that her
collection is not to consist only of novels, but
of every kind of literature, &c. She might have
spared this pretension to _our_ family, who are
great novel-readers and not ashamed of being so;
but it was necessary, I suppose, to the
self-consequence of half her subscribers.
* * * * *
I enjoyed the hard black frosts of last week very
much, and one day while they lasted walked to
Deane by myself. I do not know that I ever did
such a thing in my life before.
* * * * *
We dine now at half-past three, and have done
dinner, I suppose, before you begin. We drink tea
at half-past six. I am afraid you will despise us.
My father reads Cowper to us in the morning, to
which I listen when I can. How do you spend your
evenings? I guess that Elizabeth works, that you
read to her, and that Edward goes to sleep.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--I have changed my mind, and changed
the trimmings of my cap this morning; they are now
such as you suggested. I felt as if I should not
prosper if I strayed from your directions, and I
think it makes me look more like Lady Conyngham
now than it did before, which is all that one
lives for now. I believe I _shall_ make my new
gown like my robe, but the back of the latter is
all in a piece with the tail, and will seven yards
enable me to copy it in that respect?
* * * * *
People get so horribly poor and economical in this
part of the world that I have no patience with
them. Kent is the only place for happiness;
everybody is rich there. I must do similar
justice, however, to the Windsor neighbourhood.
Steventon: Monday night [December 24, 1798].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I have got some pleasant news
for you which I am eager to communicate, and
therefore begin my letter sooner, though I shall
not _send_ it sooner than usual.
Admiral Gambier, in reply to my father's
application, writes as follows:--'As it is usual
to keep young officers in small vessels, it being
most proper on account of their inexperience, and
it being also a situation where they are more in
the way of learning their duty, your son has been
continued in the _Scorpion_; but I have mentioned
to the Board of Admiralty his wish to be in a
frigate, and when a proper opportunity offers and
it is judged that he has taken his turn in a small
ship, I hope he will be removed. With regard to
your son now in the _London_ I am glad I can give
you the assurance that his promotion is likely to
take place very soon, as Lord Spencer has been so
good as to say he would include him in an
arrangement that he proposes making in a short
time relative to some promotions in that quarter.'
There! I may now finish my letter and go and hang
myself, for I am sure I can neither write nor do
anything which will not appear insipid to you
after this. _Now_, I really think he will soon be
made, and only wish we could communicate our
foreknowledge of the event to him whom it
principally concerns. My father has written to
Daysh to desire that he will inform us, if he can,
when the commission is sent. Your chief wish is
now ready to be accomplished; and could Lord
Spencer give happiness to Martha at the same time,
what a joyful heart he would make of yours!
I have sent the same extract of the sweets of
Gambier to Charles, who, poor fellow, though he
sinks into nothing but an humble attendant on the
hero of the piece, will, I hope, be contented with
the prospect held out to him. By what the Admiral
says, it appears as if he had been designedly kept
in the _Scorpion_. But I will not torment myself
with conjectures and suppositions; facts shall
satisfy me.
Frank had not heard from any of us for ten weeks
when he wrote me on November 12 in consequence of
Lord St. Vincent being removed to Gibraltar. When
his commission is sent, however, it will not be so
long on its road as our letters, because all the
Government despatches are forwarded by land to his
lordship from Lisbon with great regularity.
* * * * *
I spent my time [at Manydown] very quietly and
very pleasantly with Catherine. Miss Blachford is
agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very
agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking
them a great deal.
Our ball was very thin, but by no means
unpleasant. There were thirty-one people, and
only eleven ladies out of the number, and but
five single women in the room. Of the gentlemen
present you may have some idea from the list of my
partners--Mr. Wood, G. Lefroy, Rice, a Mr. Butcher
(belonging to the Temples, a sailor and not of the
11th Light Dragoons), Mr. Temple (not the horrid
one of all), Mr. Wm. Orde (cousin to the
Kingsclere man), Mr. John Harwood, and Mr.
Calland, who appeared as usual with his hat in his
hand, and stood every now and then behind
Catherine and me to be talked to and abused for
not dancing. We teased him, however, into it at
last. I was very glad to see him again after so
long a separation, and he was altogether rather
the genius and flirt of the evening. He enquired
after you.
There were twenty dances, and I danced them all,
and without any fatigue. I was glad to find myself
capable of dancing so much, and with so much
satisfaction as I did; from my slender enjoyment
of the Ashford balls (as assemblies for dancing) I
had not thought myself equal to it, but in cold
weather and with few couples I fancy I could just
as well dance for a week together as for half an
hour. My black cap was openly admired by Mrs.
Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else
in the room.
* * * * *
_Tuesday._--I thank you for your long letter,
which I will endeavour to deserve by writing the
rest of this as closely as possible. I am full of
joy at much of your information; that you should
have been to a ball, and have danced at it, and
supped with the Prince, and that you should
meditate the purchase of a new muslin gown, are
delightful circumstances.
* * * * *
Poor Edward! It is very hard that he, who has
everything else in the world that he can wish for,
should not have good health too.
I know no one more deserving of happiness without
alloy than Edward is.
* * * * *
Of my charities to the poor since I came home you
shall have a faithful account. I have given a pair
of worsted stockings to Mary Hutchins, Dame Kew,
Mary Steevens, and Dame Staples; a shift to Hannah
Staples, and a shawl to Betty Dawkins; amounting
in all to about half a guinea. But I have no
reason to suppose that the _Battys_ would accept
of anything, because I have not made them the
offer.
* * * * *
The Lords of the Admiralty will have enough of our
applications at present, for I hear from Charles
that he has written to Lord Spencer himself to be
removed. I am afraid his Serene Highness will be
in a passion, and order some of our heads to be
cut off.
Steventon: Friday [December 28, 1798].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Frank is made. He was
yesterday raised to the rank of Commander, and
appointed to the _Peterel_ sloop, now at
Gibraltar. A letter from Daysh has just announced
this, and as it is confirmed by a very friendly
one from Mr. Mathew to the same effect,
transcribing one from Admiral Gambier to the
General,[91] we have no reason to suspect the
truth of it.
As soon as you have cried a little for joy, you
may go on, and learn farther that the India House
have taken _Captain Austen's_ petition into
consideration--this comes from Daysh--and likewise
that Lieutenant Charles John Austen is removed to
the _Tamar_ frigate--this comes from the Admiral.
We cannot find out where the _Tamar_ is, but I
hope we shall now see Charles here at all events.
This letter is to be dedicated entirely to good
news. If you will send my father an account of
your washing and letter expenses, &c., he will
send you a draft for the amount of it, as well as
for your next quarter,[92] and for Edward's rent.
If you don't buy a muslin gown now on the strength
of this money and Frank's promotion, I shall never
forgive you.
Mrs. Lefroy has just sent me word that Lady
Dorchester meant to invite me to her ball on
January 8, which, though an humble blessing
compared with what the last page records, I do not
consider as any calamity.
I cannot write any more now, but I have written
enough to make you very happy, and therefore may
safely conclude.
Steventon: Tuesday [January 8, 1799].
I am tolerably glad to hear that Edward's income
is a good one--as glad as I can be at anybody's
being rich except you and me--and I am thoroughly
rejoiced to hear of his present to you.
* * * * *
I assure you that I dread the idea of going to
Brighton[93] as much as you do, but I am not
without hopes that something may happen to prevent
it.
* * * * *
[_Wednesday._]--You express so little anxiety
about my being murdered under Ashe Park Copse by
Mrs. Hulbert's servant, that I have a great mind
not to tell you whether I was or not, and shall
only say that I did not return home that night or
the next, as Martha kindly made room for me in her
bed, which was the shut-up one in the new nursery.
Nurse and the child slept upon the floor, and
there we all were in some confusion and great
comfort. The bed did exceedingly well for us, both
to lie awake in and talk till two o'clock, and to
sleep in the rest of the night. I love Martha
better than ever, and I mean to go and see her, if
I can, when she gets home. We all dined at the
Harwoods' on Thursday, and the party broke up the
next morning.
My sweet little George! I am delighted to hear
that he has such an inventive genius as to
face-making. I admired his yellow wafer very much,
and hope he will choose the wafer for your next
letter. I wore my green shoes last night, and
took my _white fan_ with me; I am very glad he
never threw it into the river.
Mrs. Knight[94] giving up the Godmersham estate to
Edward was no such prodigious act of generosity
after all, it seems, for she has reserved herself
an income out of it still; this ought to be known,
that her conduct may not be overrated. I rather
think Edward shows the most magnanimity of the
two, in accepting her resignation with such
incumbrances.
The more I write, the better my eye gets, so I
shall at least keep on till it is quite well,
before I give up my pen to my mother.
* * * * *
I do not think I was very much in request [at the
Kempshot ball]. People were rather apt not to ask
me till they could not help it; one's consequence,
you know, varies so much at times without any
particular reason. There was one gentleman, an
officer of the Cheshire, a very good-looking young
man, who, I was told, wanted very much to be
introduced to me; but as he did not want it quite
enough to take much trouble in effecting it, we
never could bring it about.
I danced with Mr. John Wood again, twice with a
Mr. South, a lad from Winchester, who, I suppose,
is as far from being related to the bishop of that
diocese as it is possible to be, with G. Lefroy,
and J. Harwood, who I think takes to me rather
more than he used to do. One of my gayest actions
was sitting down two dances in preference to
having Lord Bolton's eldest son for my partner,
who danced too ill to be endured. The Miss
Charterises were there, and played the parts of
the Miss Edens with great spirit. Charles never
came. Naughty Charles! I suppose he could not get
superseded in time.
* * * * *
I do not wonder at your wanting to read _First
Impressions_ again, so seldom as you have gone
through it, and that so long ago.
I _shall_ be able to send this to the post to-day,
which exalts me to the utmost pinnacle of human
felicity, and makes me bask in the sunshine of
prosperity, or gives me any other sensation of
pleasure in studied language which you may prefer.
Do not be angry with me for not filling my sheet,
and believe me yours affectionately,
J. A.
Steventon: Monday [January 21, 1799].
Charles leaves us to-night. The _Tamar_ is in the
Downs, and Mr. Daysh advises him to join her there
directly, as there is no chance of her going to
the westward. Charles does not approve of this at
all, and will not be much grieved if he should be
too late for her before she sails, as he may then
hope to get into a better station. He attempted to
go to town last night, and got as far on his road
thither as Deane Gate, but both the coaches were
full, and we had the pleasure of seeing him back
again.
* * * * *
Martha writes me word that Charles was very much
admired at Kintbury, and Mrs. Lefroy never saw
anyone so much improved in her life, and thinks
him handsomer than Henry. He appears to far more
advantage here than he did at Godmersham, not
surrounded by strangers and neither oppressed by a
pain in his face or powder in his hair.
* * * * *
Yesterday came a letter to my mother from Edward
Cooper to announce, not the birth of a child, but
of a living; for Mrs. Leigh[95] has begged his
acceptance of the Rectory of Hamstall-Ridware in
Staffordshire, vacant by Mr. Johnson's death. We
collect from his letter that he means to reside
there, in which he shows his wisdom. Staffordshire
is a good way off; so we shall see nothing more
of them till, some fifteen years hence, the Miss
Coopers are presented to us, fine, jolly,
handsome, ignorant girls. The living is valued at
£140 a year, but perhaps it may be improvable. How
will they be able to convey the furniture of the
dressing-room so far in safety?
* * * * *
Our first cousins seem all dropping off very fast.
One is incorporated into the family,[96] another
dies,[97] and a third goes into Staffordshire. . . .
* * * * *
[_Tuesday._]--Our own particular brother got a
place in the coach last night, and is now, I
suppose, in town. I have no objection at all to
your buying our gowns there, as your imagination
has pictured to you exactly such a one as is
necessary to make me happy. You quite abash me by
your progress in notting, for I am still without
silk. You must get me some in town or in
Canterbury; it should be finer than yours.
I thought Edward would not approve of Charles
being a crop,[98] and rather wished you to conceal
it from him at present, lest it might fall on his
spirits and retard his recovery.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--I have just heard from Charles, who
is by this time at Deal. He is to be Second
Lieutenant, which pleases him very well. The
_Endymion_ is come into the Downs, which pleases
him likewise. He expects to be ordered to
Sheerness shortly, as the _Tamar_ has never been
refitted.
My father and mother made the same match for you
last night, and are very much pleased with it.
_He_ is a beauty of my mother's.
FOOTNOTES:
[78] Harry was one of the Digweeds--Edward Austen's tenants at
Steventon--who shared with the Rectory party the _deputed_ right of
shooting over the Manor (_Persuasion_, ch. iii.). The _New English
Dictionary_ (s.v.) says 'The deputation was necessary to constitute a
gamekeeper; but it was also frequently used as a means of giving to
friends the privilege of shooting game over an estate.' The term of
endearment has of course no particular significance.
[79] _The Midnight Bell_, a German story (London, 1798), is ascribed in
the _Dictionary of National Biography_ to Francis Lathom. This book is
mentioned in chapter vi. of _Northanger Abbey_.
[80] Afterwards, as George Knight, a well-known Kent cricketer, and one
of the principal agents in the introduction of round-arm bowling.
[81] _Battleridge, an historical tale founded on facts._ By a lady of
quality [? Mrs. Cooke], London, 1799.
[82] The first part of this letter is inserted in Chapter VI.
[83] James Edward Austen (Leigh), the author of the _Memoir_; in his
youth always (after his uncle and cousin had become 'Edward Knight')
known as 'Edward Austen.'
[84] _Arthur Fitz-Albini_, a novel [by Sir Egerton Brydges]. London,
1798.
[85] First Lord of the Admiralty, 1794-1801.
[86] George Daysh, clerk in the Ticket Office, Navy Office.
[87] The Basingstoke doctor.
[88] Anne Elliot, in _Persuasion_, thought that a cap would be a very
suitable present for her sister Mary, who was a young woman, and who
certainly wished to remain so.
[89] One of the Lords of the Admiralty: afterwards Lord Gambier.
[90] On his Aunt Jane's birthday.
[91] General Mathew, father of James Austen's first wife.
[92] The Miss Austens seem to have had a dress allowance of £20 a year.
Cf. _Brabourne_, vol. i. p. 189.
[93] Brighton had possibly been suggested to her brother Edward as an
alternative for Bath.
[94] This is of course an amusing mis-statement of the writer's real
opinion. See p. 83.
[95] The Hon. Mary Leigh, of Stoneleigh.
[96] Eliza de Feuillide.
[97] Lady Williams.
[98] I.e. without powder or pigtail.
CHAPTER IX
THE LEIGH PERROTS AND BATH
1799-1800
Mrs. Austen's brother, James Leigh Perrot, and his wife had for many
years led a prosperous and uneventful life at Scarlets, enjoying the
respect and friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. Scarlets was
a small property on the Bath road, about thirty miles from London,
adjoining the hamlet of Hare Hatch, where (as was often the case on a
great highroad) a number of gentlemen's places of moderate size were
congregated within easy reach of each other. Among those who sooner or
later were neighbours of the Leigh Perrots were Maria Edgeworth's father
Richard Lovell Edgeworth (who speaks of the help he received from Mr.
Perrot in his experiments of telegraphing from Hare Hatch to Nettlebed
by means of windmills), and Thomas Day, the author of _Sandford and
Merton_. The house at Scarlets in its then existing shape was the work
of Mr. Leigh Perrot, and was of a suitable size for a childless couple
in easy circumstances. Its owner had abilities which might have stood
him in good stead in any profession, had he adopted one; and he was of a
kind and affectionate disposition, combining an easy temper with ready
wit, and much resolution of character. His wife was hardly formed for
popularity, but she was highly respected. She was not exactly
open-handed, but she had a great idea of the claims of family ties, and
a keen sense of justice as between herself and others. The couple were
unusually devoted to each other. The only crook in their lot appeared to
be the constant gout attacks from which the husband suffered, and the
necessity for frequent visits to Bath: visits, by the way, which had
helped to give to their niece, Jane Austen, such good opportunities for
studying the Bath varieties of human nature.
The journey, however, of the Austens to Bath in the spring of 1799
(described in our next letters) was independent of the Leigh Perrots.
Edward Austen had been suffering, like his uncle, from gout, and
determined to try the waters of Bath; his mother and Jane accompanying
his family party thither. But the Perrots were already settled in
Paragon Buildings[99] when the Austens arrived, and the two families
would be constantly meeting.
The Austens took up their quarters in Queen Square, which Jane seems to
have liked much better than she made her Miss Musgroves like it when she
wrote _Persuasion_, sixteen years later.
13 Queen Square: Friday [May 17, 1799].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--Our journey yesterday went
off exceedingly well; nothing occurred to alarm or
delay us. We found the roads in excellent order,
had very good horses all the way, and reached
Devizes with ease by four o'clock. I suppose John
has told you in what manner we were divided when
we left Andover, and no alteration was afterwards
made. At Devizes we had comfortable rooms and a
good dinner, to which we sat down about five;
amongst other things we had asparagus and a
lobster, which made me wish for you, and some
cheesecakes, on which the children[100] made so
delightful a supper as to endear the town of
Devizes to them for a long time.
Well, here we are at Bath; we got here about one
o'clock, and have been arrived just long enough to
go over the house, fix on our rooms, and be very
well pleased with the whole of it. Poor Elizabeth
has had a dismal ride of it from Devizes, for it
has rained almost all the way, and our first view
of Bath has been just as gloomy as it was last
November twelvemonth.
I have got so many things to say, so many things
equally important, that I know not on which to
decide at present, and shall therefore go and eat
with the children.
We stopped in Paragon as we came along, but as it
was too wet and dirty for us to get out, we could
only see Frank, who told us that his master was
very indifferent, but had had a better night last
night than usual.
* * * * *
We are exceedingly pleased with the house; the
rooms are quite as large as we expected. Mrs.
Bromley is a fat woman in mourning, and a little
black kitten runs about the staircase. Elizabeth
has the apartment within the drawing-room; she
wanted my mother to have it, but as there was no
bed in the inner one, and the stairs are so much
easier of ascent, or my mother so much stronger
than in Paragon as not to regard the double
flight, it is settled for us to be above, where we
have two very nice-sized rooms, with dirty quilts
and everything comfortable. I have the outward and
larger apartment, as I ought to have; which is
quite as large as our bed-room at home, and my
mother's is not materially less. The beds are
both as large as any at Steventon, and I have a
very nice chest of drawers and a closet full of
shelves--so full indeed that there is nothing else
in it, and it should therefore be called a
cupboard rather than a closet, I suppose.
* * * * *
There was a very long list of arrivals here in the
newspaper yesterday, so that we need not
immediately dread absolute solitude; and there is
a public breakfast in Sydney Gardens every
morning, so that we shall not be wholly starved.
Yours very affectionately,
JANE.
13 Queen Square: Sunday [June 2, 1799].
Flowers are very much worn, and fruit is still
more the thing. Elizabeth has a bunch of
strawberries, and I have seen grapes, cherries,
plums, and apricots. There are likewise almonds
and raisins, French plums, and tamarinds at the
grocers', but I have never seen any of them in
hats. A plum or greengage would cost three
shillings; cherries and grapes about five, I
believe, but this is at some of the dearest shops.
My aunt has told me of a very cheap one, near
Walcot Church, to which I shall go in quest of
something for you. I have never seen an old woman
at the pump-room.
* * * * *
I spent Friday evening with the Mapletons, and was
obliged to submit to being pleased in spite of my
inclination. We took a very charming walk from six
to eight up Beacon Hill, and across some fields,
to the village of Charlecombe, which is sweetly
situated in a little green valley, as a village
with such a name ought to be. Marianne is sensible
and intelligent, and even Jane, considering how
fair she is, is not unpleasant. We had a Miss
North and a Mr. Gould of our party; the latter
walked home with me after tea. He is a very young
man, just entered Oxford, wears spectacles, and
has heard that _Evelina_ was written by Dr.
Johnson.
* * * * *
There is to be a grand gala on Tuesday
evening[101] in Sydney Gardens, a concert, with
illuminations and fireworks. To the latter
Elizabeth and I look forward with pleasure, and
even the concert will have more than its usual
charm for me, as the gardens are large enough for
me to get pretty well beyond the reach of its
sound. In the morning Lady Willoughby is to
present the colours to some corps, or Yeomanry, or
other, in the Crescent.
13 Queen Square: Tuesday [June 11, 1799].
I would not let Martha read _First Impressions_
again upon any account, and am very glad that I
did not leave it in your power. She is very
cunning, but I saw through her design; she means
to publish it from memory, and one more perusal
must enable her to do it. As for _Fitz-Albini_,
when I get home she shall have it, as soon as ever
she will own that Mr. Elliott is handsomer than
Mr. Lance, that fair men are preferable to black;
for I mean to take every opportunity of rooting
out her prejudices.
I am very glad you liked my lace, and so are you,
and so is Martha, and we are all glad together. I
have got your cloak home, which is quite
delightful--as delightful at least as half the
circumstances which are called so.
I do not know what is the matter with me to-day,
but I cannot write quietly; I am always wandering
away into some exclamation or other. Fortunately I
have nothing very particular to say.
* * * * *
Fanny desires her love to you, her love to
grandpapa, her love to Anna, and her love to
Hannah; the latter is particularly to be
remembered. Edward desires his love to you, to
grandpapa, to Anna, to little Edward, to Aunt
James and Uncle James, and he hopes all your
turkeys and ducks, and chicken and guinea fowls
are very well; and he wishes you very much to send
him a printed letter, and so does Fanny--and they
both rather think they shall answer it.
13 Queen Square: Wednesday [June 19, 1799].
Last Sunday we all drank tea in Paragon; my uncle
is still in his flannels, but is getting better
again.
* * * * *
Last night we were in Sydney Gardens again, as
there was a repetition of the gala which went off
so ill on the 4th. We did not go till nine, and
then were in very good time for the fireworks,
which were really beautiful, and surpassing my
expectation; the illuminations too were very
pretty. The weather was as favourable as it was
otherwise a fortnight ago. The play on Saturday
is, _I hope_, to conclude our gaieties here, for
nothing but a lengthened stay will make it
otherwise. We go with Mrs. Fellowes.
The Austens quitted Bath on Wednesday, June 26, reaching Steventon on
the following day, and leaving the Leigh Perrots to an unexpected
fate--which they had done nothing whatever to deserve.[102]
On Thursday, August 8, Mrs. Leigh Perrot went into a milliner's shop at
the corner of Bath and Stall Streets, kept by a certain Mrs. Gregory
(but known as Smith's), and bought a piece of _black_ lace. She paid for
it, and took it away wrapped up in a piece of paper. After leaving the
shop, Mrs. Perrot met her husband and strolled about with him. As they
re-passed the same shop a quarter of an hour later, Mrs. Gregory rushed
out and accused Mrs. Perrot of having in her possession a piece of
_white_ lace. Mrs. Perrot replied that if so it must have been put up
in her parcel by mistake. She then handed her parcel to Mrs. Gregory to
examine, when a piece of _white_ lace was found therein as well as a
piece of _black_. Mrs. Gregory at once accused Mrs. Perrot of having
stolen it, and, refusing to listen to any protest, made off with the
incriminating piece of lace. A little later, as the Perrots were turning
the corner of the Abbey Churchyard, Charles Filby, the shop assistant
who had actually sold the black lace, came up and asked Mr. Perrot his
name. Mr. Perrot replied that he lived at No. 1 Paragon Buildings, and
that his name was on the door.
On the same day, Mrs. Gregory and Filby went to the town hall to lay
information before the magistrates; but found them so busily engaged in
dealing with the excesses of the soldiers who were at that time passing
through Bath, that the information could not be taken before August 14.
Meanwhile, the piece of _white_ lace was lodged--at any rate, for the
night of August 8--at the house of a certain printer named Gye.
The result of the magistrates' inquiry may be discovered in _The Times_
of August 20, where we read:--
The Lady of a Gentleman of Bath, possessed of a
good fortune, and respected by a numerous circle
of acquaintance, was committed on Thursday by G.
Chapman, Esq., the Mayor, to the County Gaol at
Ilchester, on a charge of privately stealing a
card of lace from a haberdasher's shop.
As Mrs. Perrot did not come up for trial until the end of the following
March, she had to undergo a long and trying confinement. It appears that
she was not lodged actually in the gaol, but in some neighbouring
house, kept by a man of the name of Scadding.
The charge was a monstrous one; the accused had ample means to indulge
every wish, and nothing short of lunacy (of which she never showed the
slightest sign) could have induced her to commit so petty a theft. Her
high character and the absence of motive combined to render it
incredible, and, had she been capable of such a deed, she would not have
courted detection by walking quietly past the shop, a quarter of an hour
later, with the parcel in her hand. There were also strong reasons for
thinking that the accusation was the result of a deep-laid plot. Gye,
the printer, who lived in the market-place, was believed to be the chief
instigator. His character was indifferent, and he had money invested in
Gregory's shop; and the business was in so bad a way that there was a
temptation to seek for some large haul by way of blackmail. Mrs. Leigh
Perrot was selected as the victim, people thought, because her husband
was so extremely devoted to her that he would be sure to do anything to
save her from the least vexation. If so, the conspirators were mistaken
in their man. Mr. Perrot resolved to see the matter through, and, taking
no notice of the many suggestions as to hush-money that were apparently
circulated, engaged the best counsel possible, secured his most
influential acquaintance as witnesses to his wife's character, and spent
the terrible intervening period in confinement with her at Ilchester. He
was well aware that the criminal law of England, as it then existed,
made the lot of untried prisoners as hard, and the difficulty of proving
their innocence as great, as possible; he knew also that in the seething
disquiet of men's minds, brought about by the French Revolution, it was
quite possible they might encounter a jury anxious to cast discredit on
the well-to-do classes. He was therefore prepared for a failure of
justice; and, we are told, had arranged that in case of an adverse
verdict, followed by transportation, he would sell his property and
accompany his wife across the seas.
Among the warmest supporters of the Leigh Perrots was Mr. Morris--a
lawyer of eminence, well used to dealing with evidence, but now living
as an invalid at Bath. He was a total stranger to the accused, but
maintained most energetically that, apart from her well-known character,
the nature of the evidence adduced against her would have been
sufficient to prove her innocence.
The amazement and indignation of the Steventon party may be imagined.
They were too sensible to believe that so mean and objectless a crime
should really have been committed by a respectable woman--a near
relation of their own, whom they knew intimately; but it was not easy to
determine how to show their sympathy. Mr. and Mrs. Austen seem at last
to have come (no doubt with their daughters' good-will) to the momentous
decision mentioned in the following letter, which was addressed to Mrs.
Leigh Perrot on January 11, 1800, by her cousin, Montague
Cholmeley.[103]
You tell me that your good sister Austen has
offered you one or both of her daughters to
continue with you during your stay in that vile
place, but you decline the kind offer, as you
cannot procure them accommodation in the house
with you, and you cannot let those elegant young
women be your inmates in a prison, nor be
subjected to the inconveniences which you are
obliged to put up with.
So Cassandra and Jane just escaped a residence in gaol and contact with
criminals.
Another letter written about this time must have given much pleasure to
the Leigh Perrots:--
White Hart, Bath. [No date.]
HONORED SIR,--You may have forgot your old
postillon Ben Dunford but I shall never forget
yours and my mistresses great goodness to me when
I was taken with the small pox in your sarvice.
You sent me very careful to mothers, and paid a
nurse and my doctor, and my board for a long time
as I was bad, and when I was too bad with biles
all over my head so as I could not go to sarvice
for a many weeks you maintained me. the famaly as
I lives with be a going thro' Bath into Devonshire
and we stops two days at the Inn and there I heard
of the bad trick as those bad shopkeepers has
sarved my mistress and I took the libarty of going
to your house to enquire how you both do and the
housekeeper said she sent a pasel to you every
week and if I had anything to say she could send a
letter. I hope Honored Sir you will forgive my
taking such a libarty to write but I wish anybody
could tell me how to do you and mistress any good.
I would travel night and day to serve you both. I
be at all times with my humble duty to mistress
and you Honored Sir your dutifull sarvant
BEN DUNFORD.
James Leigh Perrot Esq.
The trial took place at Taunton on Saturday, March 29. The old Castle
Hall--where Judge Jeffreys once sat on his 'Bloody Assizes'--said to be
capable of containing 2000 persons, was filled at an early hour. So
urgent was the curiosity, even of the Bar, that the 'Nisi Prius' Court,
which stood at the opposite end of the hall, was not opened for business
that morning--all the counsel on the circuit surrounding the table of
the Crown Bar; while the rest of the hall was thronged with anxious
spectators, many hundreds of whom could not possibly have heard a word
that was said, and were almost crushed to death and suffocated with
heat. Between seven and eight o'clock, Mrs. Leigh Perrot, who had been
conveyed from Ilchester, appeared in the dock, attended by Mr. Leigh
Perrot and three ladies, and the proceedings commenced.
After the evidence for the prosecution was closed, the prisoner was
invited by the judge to make her defence.
She attempted to address the Court; but, after speaking a few sentences,
became so much agitated that her voice failed her; whereupon Mr. Jekyll,
one of her counsel, was requested to repeat to the Court what she wished
to address to them. She then dictated as follows:--
MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY,--
I am informed by my counsel, that they cannot be
permitted to offer any observations to you on my
case.[104] The circumstances of it do not render
it necessary to detain you long. I shall therefore
take this opportunity of troubling you with a few
words.
Placed in a situation the most eligible that any
woman could desire, with supplies so ample that I
was left rich after every wish was gratified;
blessed in the affections of the most generous man
as a husband, what could induce me to commit such
a crime? Depraved indeed must that mind be that
under such circumstances could be so culpable.
You will hear from my noble and truly respectable
friends what has been my conduct and character for
a long series of years; you will hear what has
been, and what is now, their opinion of me. Can
you suppose that disposition so totally altered,
as to lose all recollection of the situation I
held in society--to hazard for this meanness my
character and reputation, or to endanger the
health and peace of mind of a husband whom I would
die for?
Here her voice faltered; she seemed to be on the point of fainting, and
Mr. Leigh Perrot, who had sustained all this trying scene with wonderful
resolution, put his handkerchief to his face and wept in agony; many
persons in Court, even amongst the counsel, participating in his
emotion.
The prisoner continued:--
You have heard their evidence against me. I shall
make no comment upon it--I shall leave that task
where I am certain it will be executed with
justice and mercy. I know my own oath in this case
is inadmissible, but I call upon that God whom we
all adore to attest that I am innocent of this
charge, and may He reward or punish me as I speak
true or false in denying it. I call that God to
witness that I did not know that I had the lace in
my possession, nor did I know it when Mrs. Gregory
accosted me in the street. I have nothing more to
add.
Then followed the evidence for the prisoner, which was chiefly evidence
to character, and came from persons occupying prominent positions who
knew her well, either at her Berkshire home or at Bath.
The judge's summing up occupied nearly an hour. In it he said that it
was impossible that any person should have a higher character than the
prisoner; but if the jury were satisfied with the evidence for the
prosecution and believed it, that character ought not to avail her. If,
however, upon taking all the circumstances of the case into
consideration, the jury should see any reason to disbelieve the
witnesses for the prosecution, or which led them to doubt of the
prisoner's guilt, they should recollect the very excellent character
which had been given her, and in that case it ought to bear great weight
with them towards an acquittal. He also alluded to the conduct of the
accused after leaving the shop as not being that of a guilty person, and
commented on the ease with which she could have secreted the parcel
before it was discovered.
The jury evidently saw great reason to disbelieve the witnesses for the
prosecution, and, after only fifteen[105] minutes, returned a verdict of
'Not Guilty.'
The _Star_ tells us that 'the trial lasted seven hours, and the scene of
the acquittal was extremely affecting; the agitation and embraces of Mr.
and Mrs. Perrot may be more easily conceived than described. The Court
was crowded with elegantly dressed women.'
Throughout the long months over which the affair extended, the Leigh
Perrots had acted as persons convinced of the baselessness of the
charge, and determined to confront the accusers, and, as far as the
existing state of the law allowed, to establish the innocence of the
accused.
Among the quantity of congratulatory letters received by Mr. Leigh
Perrot, we must content ourselves with quoting the following from Mr. R.
L. Edgeworth:--
Edgeworthstown, Ireland: [April 7, 1800.]
MY DEAR SIR,--I do not think that I ever felt so
much astonishment or indignation as at the
abominable transaction which was related in the
_Star_ of March 31st.
Among my numerous friends and acquaintance, if
there was a couple whom I could have selected as
the farthest removed from being the objects of
such a villainous attack it would have been
yourselves! But I too well know, that neither
perfect innocence nor consummate prudence are
sufficient shields against conspiracy and folly,
and that bankrupt fortune and bankrupt character
prepare men for the most desperate attempts.
I trouble you, my Dear Sir, with a few lines to
express the deep sense that I have of regard and
esteem for you and the amiable partner of your
happiness; for so many as thirty-four years we
have been acquainted, and during that time I do
not think that I have met any man of such
singularly nice feelings of honour and justice.
I am sensible that there is some impropriety in
this address--but you must excuse it as I snatched
this piece of paper the moment I had read the
paragraph I allude to--and with tears of
indignation in my eyes--aye Sir!--with actual, not
sentimental, tears in my eyes I sat down to write
to you.
Perhaps, after all, you are not the objects of
this transaction!
Even if that should be the fact you will pardon me
for renewing my claim to your remembrance and for
assuring you that you possess my esteem and
affection.
Yours sincerely,
RICHD LOVELL EDGEWORTH.
James Leigh Perrot, Esq., Bath, England.
This strange and painful episode in the life of the family was thus
brought to a satisfactory ending. An accusation of petty and
purposeless theft had been made against a woman whose uprightness was
known to all those around her; a wife who enjoyed (then and always) the
absolute confidence of an upright husband. It had been found baseless by
a jury after only a few minutes' deliberation; and the Leigh Perrots had
the pleasure of seeing the high estimation in which they were held by
their neighbours exhibited in a strong light. This estimation was to be
theirs for the remainder of their lives, extending in his case over
seventeen, and in hers over thirty-five years.[106] For our particular
purpose the story seems worth narrating, because it shows that the
peaceful and well-ordered progress of Jane Austen's life was not beyond
the reach of tragic possibilities. Indeed, at or near this time there
were three particular occurrences which, when taken together, might well
disturb the serenity and cheerfulness of her mind, and indispose her for
writing--especially writing of a humorous character. One of these
events, which has already been recorded, was her love story in the West;
another was Mrs. Leigh Perrot's trouble; and the third--the loss of her
old home--will form part of the subject of the next two chapters.
FOOTNOTES:
[99] Paragon Buildings are well placed in a convenient part of Bath,
between York House Hotel and Walcot Church. From the back of the houses
there is a fine view to the south.
[100] Fanny (Lady Knatchbull) and Edward (Knight).
[101] I.e. on the King's Birthday (June 4).
[102] Mr. Leigh Perrot was at this time sixty-three and his wife
fifty-four years old.
[103] Created a baronet in 1806.
[104] Before the passing of the Prisoners' Counsel Act of 1836, counsel
were not allowed to address the Court on behalf of prisoners tried for
felony.
[105] Seven minutes, according to another account.
[106] If this story were not specially well authenticated, it would be
incredible; but we must remember that this all happened before the
reforms of Sir Samuel Romilly, when the law was in a chaotic state, and
when offences against property were very severely dealt with. Any
larceny above the value of a 1_s._ was a felony, punishable--nominally
by death, and actually by seven years' transportation; though the
transportation may frequently have been commuted to a sentence of
imprisonment. Magistrates had no power of bailing a person committed for
a felony, if the stolen article were found in his possession.
CHAPTER X
CHANGE OF HOME
1800-1801
Though we can guess what was constantly occupying the thoughts of the
Austens in the autumn and winter of 1799-1800, nothing remains to tell
us how they employed themselves during these anxious months. Perhaps the
sisters were at home, and exchanged no letters; but had any been
written, we may be pretty sure they would be among those destroyed by
Cassandra. When we meet the family again, in October 1800, we find that
they have returned to everyday life with its little incidents, its
duties, and its pleasures; that Edward and his eldest son have lately
left Steventon for Godmersham, taking Cassandra with them, and that Jane
is remaining at home with her parents.
Steventon: Saturday evening [October 25, 1800].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . You have had a very
pleasant journey of course, and have found
Elizabeth and all the children very well on your
arrival at Godmersham, and I congratulate you on
it. Edward is rejoicing this evening, I dare say,
to find himself once more at home, from which he
fancies he has been absent a great while. His son
left behind him the very fine chestnuts which had
been selected for planting at Godmersham, and the
drawing of his own which he had intended to carry
to George; the former will therefore be deposited
in the soil of Hampshire instead of Kent, the
latter I have already consigned to another
element.
We have been exceedingly busy ever since you went
away. In the first place we have had to rejoice
two or three times every day at your having such
very delightful weather for the whole of your
journey, and in the second place we have been
obliged to take advantage of the very delightful
weather ourselves by going to see almost all our
neighbours.
On Thursday we walked to Deane, yesterday to
Oakley Hall and Oakley, and to-day to Deane again.
At Oakley Hall we did a great deal--eat some
sandwiches all over mustard, admired Mr.
Bramston's porter, and Mrs. Bramston's
transparencies, and gained a promise from the
latter of two roots of heartsease, one all yellow
and the other all purple, for you. At Oakley we
bought ten pair of worsted stockings and a shift;
the shift is for Betty Dawkins, as we find she
wants it more than a rug; she is one of the most
grateful of all whom Edward's charity has reached,
or at least she expresses herself more warmly than
the rest, for she sends him a 'sight of thanks.'
This morning we called at the Harwoods', and in
their dining-room found 'Heathcote and Chute[107]
for ever'--Mrs. William Heathcote and Mrs.
Chute--the first of whom took a long ride
yesterday morning with Mrs. Harwood into Lord
Carnarvon's park, and fainted away in the evening,
and the second walked down from Oakley Hall
attended by Mrs. Augusta Bramston; they had meant
to come on to Steventon afterwards, but we knew a
trick worth two of that.
* * * * *
James called by my father's desire on Mr.
Bayle[108] to inquire into the cause of his being
so horrid. Mr. Bayle did not attempt to deny his
being horrid, and made many apologies for it; he
did not plead his having a drunken self, he talked
only of a drunken foreman, &c., and gave hopes of
the tables being at Steventon on Monday se'nnight
next. We have had no letter since you left us,
except one from Mr. Serle, of Bishopstoke, to
inquire the character of James Elton.
_Sunday._--Our improvements have advanced very
well; the bank along the _elm walk_ is sloped down
for the reception of thorns and lilacs, and it is
settled that the other side of the path is to
continue turfed, and to be planted with beech,
ash, and larch.
Steventon: Saturday [November 1, 1800].
You have written, I am sure, though I have
received no letter from you since your leaving
London; the post, and not yourself, must have been
unpunctual.
We have at last heard from Frank; a letter came
from him to you yesterday, and I mean to send it
on as soon as I can get a ditto (_that_ means a
frank), which I hope to do in a day or two. _En
attendant_, you must rest satisfied with knowing
that on the 8th of July the _Peterel_ with the
rest of the Egyptian squadron was off the Isle of
Cyprus, whither they went from Jaffa for
provisions, &c., and whence they were to sail in a
day or two for Alexandria, there to wait the
result of the English proposals for the evacuation
of Egypt. The rest of the letter, according to the
present fashionable style of composition, is
chiefly descriptive. Of his promotion he knows
nothing; of prizes he is guiltless.
* * * * *
Did you think of our ball [probably at
Basingstoke] on Thursday evening, and did you
suppose me at it? You might very safely, for there
I was. On Wednesday morning it was settled that
Mrs. Harwood, Mary, and I should go together, and
shortly afterwards a very civil note of
invitation for me came from Mrs. Bramston, who
wrote I believe as soon as she knew of the ball. I
might likewise have gone with Mrs. Lefroy, and
therefore, with three methods of going, I must
have been more at the ball than anyone else. I
dined and slept at Deane; Charlotte and I did my
hair, which I fancy looked very indifferent;
nobody abused it, however, and I retired delighted
with my success.
It was a pleasant ball, and still more good than
pleasant, for there were nearly sixty people, and
sometimes we had seventeen couple. The
Portsmouths, Dorchesters, Boltons, Portals, and
Clerks were there, and all the meaner and more
usual &c., &c.'s. There was a scarcity of men in
general, and a still greater scarcity of any that
were good for much. I danced nine dances out of
ten--five with Stephen Terry, T. Chute, and James
Digweed, and four with Catherine.[109] There was
commonly a couple of ladies standing up together,
but not often any so amiable as ourselves.
* * * * *
You were inquired after very prettily, and I hope
the whole assembly now understands that you are
gone into Kent, which the families in general
seemed to meet in ignorance of. Lord Portsmouth
surpassed the rest in his attentive recollection
of you, inquired more into the length of your
absence, and concluded by desiring to be
'remembered to you when I wrote next.'
Lady Portsmouth had got a different dress on, and
Lady Bolton is much improved by a wig. The three
Miss Terries were there, but no Annie; which was a
great disappointment to me. I hope the poor girl
had not set her heart on her appearance that
evening so much as I had. Mr. Terry is ill, in a
very low way. I said civil things for Edward to
Mr. Chute, who amply returned them by declaring
that, had he known of my brother's being at
Steventon, he should have made a point of calling
upon him to thank him for his civility about the
Hunt.
Steventon: Saturday evening [November 8, 1800].[110]
Having just finished _Les Veillées du Château_ I
think it a good opportunity for beginning a letter
to you while my mind is stored with ideas worth
transmitting.
* * * * *
I thank you for so speedy a return to my two last,
and particularly thank you for your anecdote of
Charlotte Graham and her cousin, Harriet Bailey,
which has very much amused both my mother and
myself. If you can learn anything farther of that
interesting affair, I hope you will mention it. I
have two messages; let me get rid of them, and
then my paper will be my own. Mary fully intended
writing to you by Mr. Chute's frank, and only
happened entirely to forget it, but will write
soon; and my father wishes Edward to send him a
memorandum in your next letter of the price of the
hops. The tables are come, and give general
contentment. I had not expected that they would so
perfectly suit the fancy of us all three, or that
we should so well agree in the disposition of
them; but nothing except their own surface can
have been smoother. The two ends put together form
one constant table for everything, and the centre
piece stands exceedingly well under the glass, and
holds a great deal most commodiously, without
looking awkwardly. They are both covered with
green baize, and send their best love. The
Pembroke has got its destination by the sideboard,
and my mother has great delight in keeping her
money and papers locked up. The little table which
used to stand there has most conveniently taken
itself off into the best bedroom; and we are now
in want only of the chiffonniere, which is neither
finished nor come. So much for that subject; I
now come to another, of a very different nature,
as other subjects are very apt to be. Earle
Harwood has been again giving uneasiness to his
family and talk to the neighbourhood; in the
present instance, however, he is only unfortunate,
and not in fault.
About ten days ago, in cocking a pistol in the
guard-room at Marcau (?) he accidentally shot
himself through the thigh. Two young Scotch
surgeons in the island were polite enough to
propose taking off the thigh at once, but to that
he would not consent; and accordingly in his
wounded state was put on board a cutter and
conveyed to Haslar Hospital, at Gosport, where the
bullet was extracted, and where he now is, I hope,
in a fair way of doing well. The surgeon of the
hospital wrote to the family on the occasion, and
John Harwood went down to him immediately,
attended by James,[111] whose object in going was
to be the means of bringing back the earliest
intelligence to Mr. and Mrs. Harwood, whose
anxious sufferings, particularly those of the
latter, have of course been dreadful. They went
down on Tuesday, and James came back the next day,
bringing such favourable accounts as greatly to
lessen the distress of the family at Deane, though
it will probably be a long while before Mrs.
Harwood can be quite at ease. _One_ most material
comfort, however, they have: the assurance of its
being really an accidental wound, which is not
only positively declared by Earle himself, but is
likewise testified by the particular direction of
the bullet. Such a wound could not have been
received in a duel. At present he is going on very
well, but the surgeon will not declare him to be
in no danger. . . . James had not time at Gosport to
take any other steps towards seeing Charles, than
the very few which conducted him to the door of
the assembly room in the Inn, where there happened
to be a Ball on the night of their arrival; a
likely spot enough for the discovery of a Charles:
but I am glad to say that he was not of the party,
for it was in general a very ungenteel one, and
there was hardly a pretty girl in the room.
* * * * *
Yesterday was a day of great business with me;
Mary drove me all in the rain to Basingstoke, and
still more all in the rain back again, because it
rained harder; and soon after our return to Deane
a sudden invitation and an own postchaise took us
to Ashe Park to dine _tête-à-tête_ with Mr.
Holder, Mr. Gauntlet, and James Digweed; but our
_tête-à-tête_ was cruelly reduced by the
non-attendance of the two latter. We had a very
quiet evening. I believe Mary found it dull, but I
thought it very pleasant. To sit in idleness over
a good fire in a well-proportioned room is a
luxurious sensation. Sometimes we talked, and
sometimes we were quite silent; I said two or
three amusing things, and Mr. Holder made a few
infamous puns.
* * * * *
Mr. Heathcote met with a genteel little accident
the other day in hunting; he got off to lead his
horse over a hedge, or a house, or something, and
his horse in his haste trod upon his leg, or
rather ancle, I believe, and it is not certain
whether the small bone is not broke.
. . . Martha has accepted Mary's invitation for Lord
Portsmouth's ball. He has not yet sent out his
_own_ invitations, but _that_ does not signify;
Martha comes, and a ball there must be. I think it
will be too early in her mother's absence for me
to return with her.
* * * * *
_Sunday Evening._--We have had a dreadful storm of
wind in the fore part of this day, which has done
a great deal of mischief among our trees. I was
sitting alone in the dining-room when an odd kind
of crash startled me--in a moment afterwards it
was repeated; descend into the Sweep!!!!! The
other, which had fallen, I suppose, in the first
crash, and which was the nearest to the pond,
taking a more easterly direction, sunk among our
screen of chestnuts and firs, knocking down one
spruce-fir, beating off the head of another, and
stripping the two corner chestnuts of several
branches in its fall. This is not all. One large
elm out of the two on the left-hand side as you
enter what I call the elm walk, was likewise blown
down; the maypole bearing the weathercock was
broke in two, and what I regret more than all the
rest is, that all the three elms which grew in
Hall's meadow, and gave such ornament to it, are
gone; two were blown down, and the other so much
injured that it cannot stand. I am happy to add,
however, that no greater evil than the loss of
trees has been the consequence of the storm in
this place, or in our immediate neighbourhood. We
grieve, therefore, in some comfort.
Mr. Holder's paper tells us that some time in last
August Captain Austen and the _Peterel_ were very
active in securing a Turkish ship (driven into
Port in Cyprus by bad weather) from the French. He
was forced to burn her, however.
I am yours ever,
J. A.
Next in order comes a letter to Martha Lloyd:--
Steventon: Wednesday evening [November 12, 1800].[112]
MY DEAR MARTHA,--I did not receive your note
yesterday till after Charlotte had left Deane, or
I would have sent my answer by her, instead of
being the means, as I now must be, of lessening
the elegance of your new dress for the Hurstbourne
ball by the value of 3_d._ You are very good in
wishing to see me at Ibthorp so soon, and I am
equally good in wishing to come to you. I believe
our merit in that respect is much upon a par, our
self-denial mutually strong. Having paid this
tribute of praise to the virtue of both, I shall
here have done with panegyric, and proceed to
plain matter of fact. In about a fortnight's time
I hope to be with you. I have two reasons for not
being able to come before. I wish so to arrange my
visit as to spend some days with you after your
mother's return. In the 1st place, that I may have
the pleasure of seeing her, and in the 2nd, that I
may have a better chance of bringing you back with
me. Your promise in my favour was not quite
absolute, but if your will is not perverse, you
and I will do all in our power to overcome your
scruples of conscience. I hope we shall meet next
week to talk all this over, till we have tired
ourselves with the very idea of my visit before my
visit begins. Our invitations for the 19th are
arrived, and very curiously are they worded.[113]
Mary mentioned to you yesterday poor Earle's
unfortunate accident, I dare say. He does not seem
to be going on very well. The two or three last
posts have brought less and less favourable
accounts of him. John Harwood has gone to Gosport
again to-day. We have two families of friends now
who are in a most anxious state; for though by a
note from Catherine this morning there seems now
to be a revival of hope at Manydown, its
continuance may be too reasonably doubted. Mr.
Heathcote, however, who has broken the small bone
of his leg, is so good as to be going on very
well. It would be really too much to have three
people to care for.
You distress me cruelly by your request about
books. I cannot think of any to bring with me,
nor have I any idea of our wanting them. I come
to you to be talked to, not to read or hear
reading; I can do that at home; and indeed I am
now laying in a stock of intelligence to pour out
on you as my share of the conversation. I am
reading Henry's _History of England_, which I will
repeat to you in any manner you may prefer, either
in a loose, desultory, unconnected stream, or
dividing my recital, as the historian divides it
himself, into seven parts:--The Civil and
Military: Religion: Constitution: Learning and
Learned Men: Arts and Sciences: Commerce, Coins,
and Shipping: and Manners. So that for every
evening in the week there will be a different
subject. The Friday's lot--Commerce, Coins, and
Shipping--you will find the least entertaining;
but the next evening's portion will make amends.
With such a provision on my part, if you will do
yours by repeating the French Grammar, and Mrs.
Stent[114] will now and then ejaculate some wonder
about the cocks and hens, what can we want?
Farewell for a short time. We all unite in best
love, and I am your very affectionate
J. A.
The Hurstbourne ball took place on November 19, and was graced by the
presence of Lieutenant Charles Austen. He had distinguished himself on
the _Endymion_, especially in the capture of the _Scipio_ in a heavy
gale. His ship was now at Portsmouth waiting for orders.
Steventon: Thursday [November 20, 1800].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Your letter took me quite by
surprise this morning; you are very welcome,
however, and I am very much obliged to you. I
believe I drank too much wine last night at
Hurstbourne; I know not how else to account for
the shaking of my hand to-day. You will kindly
make allowance therefore for any indistinctness
of writing, by attributing it to this venial
error.
Naughty Charles did not come on Tuesday, but good
Charles came yesterday morning. About two o'clock
he walked in on a Gosport hack. His feeling equal
to such a fatigue is a good sign, and his feeling
no fatigue in it a still better. He walked down to
Deane to dinner; he danced the whole evening, and
to-day is no more tired than a gentleman ought to
be.
Your desire to hear from me on Sunday will,
perhaps, bring you a more particular account of
the ball than you may care for, because one is
prone to think much more of such things the
morning after they happen, than when time has
entirely driven them out of one's recollection.
It was a pleasant evening; Charles found it
remarkably so, but I cannot tell why, unless the
absence of Miss Terry, towards whom his conscience
reproaches him with being now perfectly
indifferent, was a relief to him. There were only
twelve dances, of which I danced nine, and was
merely prevented from dancing the rest by the want
of a partner. We began at ten, supped at one, and
were at Deane before five. There were but fifty
people in the room; very few families indeed from
our side of the county, and not many more from the
other. My partners were the two St. Johns, Hooper,
Holder, and very prodigious Mr. Mathew, with whom
I called[115] the last, and whom I liked the best
of my little stock.
There were very few beauties, and such as there
were not very handsome. Miss Iremonger did not
look well, and Mrs. Blount was the only one much
admired. She appeared exactly as she did in
September, with the same broad face, diamond
bandeau, white shoes, pink husband, and fat neck.
The two Miss Coxes were there; I traced in one the
remains of the vulgar, broad-featured girl who
danced at Enham eight years ago; the other is
refined into a nice, composed-looking girl, like
Catherine Bigg. I looked at Sir Thomas Champneys
and thought of poor Rosalie; I looked at his
daughter, and thought her a queer animal with a
white neck.
* * * * *
Mary said that I looked very well last night. I
wore my aunt's gown and handkerchief, and my hair
was at least tidy, which was all my ambition. I
will now have done with the ball, and I will
moreover go and dress for dinner.
* * * * *
The young lady whom it is expected that Sir
Thomas[116] is to marry is Miss Emma Wabshaw; she
lives somewhere between Southampton and
Winchester, is handsome, accomplished, amiable,
and everything but rich. He is certainly finishing
his house in a great hurry. Perhaps the report of
his being to marry a Miss Fanshawe might originate
in his attentions to this very lady--the names are
not unlike.
* * * * *
The three Digweeds all came on Tuesday, and we
played a pool at commerce. James Digweed left
Hampshire to-day. I think he must be in love with
you, from his anxiety to have you go to the
Faversham balls, and likewise from his supposition
that the two elms fell from their grief at your
absence. Was not it a gallant idea? It never
occurred to me before, but I dare say it was so.
* * * * *
I rejoice to say that we have just had another
letter from our dear Frank. It is to you, very
short, written from Larnica in Cyprus, and so
lately as October 2nd. He came from Alexandria,
and was to return there in three or four days,
knew nothing of his promotion, and does not write
above twenty lines, from a doubt of the letter's
ever reaching you, and an idea of all letters
being opened at Vienna. He wrote a few days before
to you from Alexandria by the _Mercury_ sent with
despatches to Lord Keith. Another letter must be
owing to us besides this, _one_ if not _two_;
because none of these are to me. Henry comes
to-morrow, for one night only.
The visit to Ibthorp came off, as is shown by the following letter:--
Ibthorp: Sunday [November 30, 1800].[117]
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Shall you expect to hear from
me on Wednesday or not? I think you will, or I
should not write, as the three days and half which
have passed since my last letter have not produced
many materials towards filling another sheet of
paper. But, like Mr. Hastings, 'I do not despair,'
and you perhaps, like the faithful Maria, may feel
still more certain of the happy event. I have been
here ever since a quarter after three on Thursday
last, by the Shrewsbury clock, which I am
fortunately enabled absolutely to ascertain
because Mrs. Stent once lived at Shrewsbury, or at
least at Tewksbury. I have the pleasure of
thinking myself a very welcome guest, and the
pleasure of spending my time very pleasantly.
Martha looks well, and wants me to find out that
she grows fat; but I cannot carry my complaisance
farther than to believe whatever she asserts on
the subject. Mrs. Stent gives us quite as much of
her company as we wish for, and rather more than
she used to do; but perhaps not more than is to
our advantage in the end, because it is too dirty
even for such desperate walkers as Martha and I to
get out of doors, and we are therefore confined to
each other's society from morning till night, with
very little variety of books or gowns. Three of
the Miss Debaries[118] called here the morning
after my arrival, but I have not yet been able to
return their civility. You know it is not an
uncommon circumstance in this parish to have the
road from Ibthorp to the Parsonage much dirtier
and more impracticable for walking than the road
from the Parsonage to Ibthorp. I left my Mother
very well when I came away, and left her with
strict orders to continue so.
* * * * *
The endless Debaries are of course very well
acquainted with the lady who is to marry Sir
Thomas, and all her family. I pardon them,
however, as their description of her is
favourable. Mrs. Wapshire is a widow, with several
sons and daughters, a good fortune, and a house in
Salisbury; where Miss Wapshire has been for many
years a distinguished beauty. She is now seven or
eight and twenty, and tho' still handsome, less
handsome than she has been. This promises better
than the bloom of seventeen; and in addition to
this they say that she has always been remarkable
for the propriety of her behaviour distinguishing
her far above the general classes of town misses,
and rendering her of course very unpopular among
them.
* * * * *
Martha has promised to return with me, and our
plan is to have a nice black frost for walking to
Whitchurch, and then throw ourselves into a post
chaise, one upon the other, our heads hanging out
at one door and our feet at the opposite one. If
you have never heard that Miss Dawes has been
married these two months, I will mention it in my
next. Pray do not forget to go to the Canterbury
Ball; I shall despise you all most insufferably if
you do.
* * * * *
I have charged my myrmidons to send me an account
of the Basingstoke Ball; I have placed my spies at
different places that they may collect the more;
and by so doing, by sending Miss Bigg to the
Town-hall[119] itself, and posting my mother at
Steventon I hope to derive from their various
observations a good general idea of the whole.
Miss Austen, Yours ever,
Godmersham Park, J. A.
Faversham, Kent.
While Jane was away on this visit, Mr. and Mrs. Austen came to a
momentous decision--namely, to leave Steventon and retire to Bath. There
can be little doubt that the decision was a hasty one. Some of Jane's
previous letters contain details of the very considerable improvements
that her father had just begun in the Rectory garden; and we do not hear
that these improvements were concerted with the son who was to be his
successor. So hasty, indeed, did Mr. Austen's decision appear to the
Perrots that they suspected the reason to be a growing attachment
between Jane and one of the three Digweed brothers. There is not the
slightest evidence of this very improbable supposition in Jane's
letters, though she _does_ occasionally suggest that James Digweed must
be in love with Cassandra, especially when he gallantly supposed that
the two elms had fallen from grief at her absence. On the whole it seems
most probable that Mrs. Austen's continued ill-health was the reason for
the change.
Tradition says that when Jane returned home accompanied by Martha Lloyd,
the news was abruptly announced by her mother, who thus greeted them:
'Well, girls, it is all settled; we have decided to leave Steventon in
such a week, and go to Bath'; and that the shock of the intelligence was
so great to Jane that she fainted away. Unfortunately, there is no
further direct evidence to show how far Jane's feelings resembled those
she has attributed to Marianne Dashwood on leaving Norland; but we have
the negative evidence arising from the fact that none of her letters are
preserved between November 30, 1800, and January 3, 1801, although
Cassandra was at Godmersham during the whole of the intervening month.
Silence on the part of Jane to Cassandra for so long a period of absence
is unheard of: and according to the rule acted on by Cassandra,
destruction of her sister's letters was a proof of their emotional
interest. We cannot doubt, therefore, that she wrote in a strain unusual
for her more than once in that month; but as she says of Elizabeth
Bennet 'it was her business to be satisfied--and certainly her temper to
be happy'; and the next letter that we have shows that she was
determined to face a new life in a new place with cheerfulness.
Steventon: Saturday [January 3, 1801].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA, . . .--My mother looks forward
with as much certainty as you can do to our
keeping two maids; my father is the only one not
in the secret. We plan having a steady cook and a
young, giddy housemaid, with a sedate middle-aged
man, who is to undertake the double office of
husband to the former and sweetheart to the
latter.
* * * * *
There are three parts of Bath which we have
thought of as likely to have houses in
them--Westgate Buildings, Charles Street, and some
of the short streets leading from Laura Place or
Pulteney Street.
Westgate Buildings, though quite in the lower part
of the town, are not badly situated themselves.
The street is broad, and has rather a good
appearance. Charles Street, however, I think is
preferable. The buildings are new, and its
nearness to Kingsmead Fields would be a pleasant
circumstance. Perhaps you may remember, or perhaps
you may forget, that Charles Street leads from the
Queen Square Chapel to the two Green Park Streets.
The houses in the streets near Laura Place I
should expect to be above our price. Gay Street
would be too high, except only the lower house on
the left-hand side as you ascend. Towards that my
mother has no disinclination; it used to be lower
rented than any other house in the row, from some
inferiority in the apartments. But above all
others her wishes are at present fixed on the
corner house in Chapel Row, which opens into
Prince's Street. Her knowledge of it, however, is
confined only to the outside, and therefore she is
equally uncertain of its being really desirable as
of its being to be had. In the meantime she
assures you that she will do everything in her
power to avoid Trim Street, although you have not
expressed the fearful presentiment of it which was
rather expected.
We know that Mrs. Perrot will want to get us into
Oxford Buildings,[120] but we all unite in
particular dislike of that part of the town, and
therefore hope to escape. Upon all these different
situations you and Edward may confer together, and
your opinion of each will be expected with
eagerness.
* * * * *
I have now attained the true art of
letter-writing, which we are always told is to
express on paper exactly what one would say to the
same person by word of mouth. I have been talking
to you almost as fast as I could the whole of this
letter.
* * * * *
My mother bargains for having no trouble at all in
furnishing our house in Bath, and I have engaged
for your willingly undertaking to do it all. I get
more and more reconciled to the idea of our
removal. We have lived long enough in this
neighbourhood; the Basingstoke balls are certainly
on the decline, there is something interesting in
the bustle of going away, and the prospect of
spending future summers by the sea or in Wales is
very delightful. For a time we shall now possess
many of the advantages which I have often thought
of with envy in the wives of sailors or soldiers.
It must not be generally known, however, that I am
not sacrificing a great deal in quitting the
country, or I can expect to inspire no tenderness,
no interest, in those we leave behind.
The threatened Act of Parliament does not seem to
give any alarm.
My father is doing all in his power to increase
his income, by raising his tithes, &c., and I do
not despair of getting very nearly six hundred a
year.
Steventon: Thursday [January 8, 1801].
Mr. Peter Debary has declined Deane curacy; he
wishes to be settled near London. A foolish
reason! as if Deane were not near London in
comparison of Exeter or York. Take the whole world
through, and he will find many more places at a
greater distance from London than Deane than he
will at a less. What does he think of Glencoe or
Lake Katherine?
I feel rather indignant that any possible
objection should be raised against so valuable a
piece of preferment, so delightful a
situation!--that Deane should not be universally
allowed to be as near the metropolis as any other
country villages. As this is the case, however, as
Mr. Peter Debary has shown himself a Peter in the
blackest sense of the word, we are obliged to look
elsewhere for an heir; and my father has thought
it a necessary compliment to James Digweed to
offer the curacy to him, though without
considering it as either a desirable or an
eligible situation for him.
* * * * *
Eliza has seen Lord Craven at Barton, and probably
by this time at Kintbury, where he was expected
for one day this week. She found his manners very
pleasing indeed. The little flaw of having a
mistress now living with him at Ashdown Park seems
to be the only unpleasing circumstance about him.
From Ibthorp, Fulwar and Eliza are to return with
James and Mary to Deane.
* * * * *
Pray give my love to George; tell him that I am
very glad to hear he can skip so well already, and
that I hope he will continue to send me word of
his improvement in the art.
* * * * *
_Friday._--Sidmouth is now talked of as our summer
abode. Get all the information, therefore, about
it that you can from Mrs. C. Cage.
My father's old ministers are already deserting
him to pay their court to his son. The brown mare,
which as well as the black, was to devolve on
James at our removal, has not had patience to wait
for that, and has settled herself even now at
Deane. The death of Hugh Capet, which, like that
of Mr. Skipsey, though undesired, was not wholly
unexpected, being purposely effected, has made the
immediate possession of the mare very convenient,
and everything else I suppose will be seized by
degrees in the same manner. Martha and I work at
the books every day.
Steventon: Wednesday [January 14, 1801].
Your letter to Mary was duly received before she
left Deane with Martha yesterday morning, and it
gives us great pleasure to know that the Chilham
ball was so agreeable, and that you danced four
dances with Mr. Kemble. Desirable, however, as the
latter circumstance was, I cannot help wondering
at its taking place. Why did you dance four dances
with so stupid a man? why not rather dance two of
them with some elegant brother officer who was
struck with your appearance as soon as you entered
the room?
* * * * *
At present the environs of Laura Place seem to be
his [my father's] choice. His views on the
subject are much advanced since I came home; he
grows quite ambitious, and actually requires now a
comfortable and a creditable-looking house.
* * * * *
This morning brought my aunt's reply, and most
thoroughly affectionate is its tenor. She thinks
with the greatest pleasure of our being settled in
Bath--it is an event which will attach her to the
place more than anything else could do, &c., &c.
She is, moreover, very urgent with my mother not
to delay her visit in Paragon, if she should
continue unwell, and even recommends her spending
the whole winter with them. At present and for
many days past my mother has been quite stout, and
she wishes not to be obliged by any relapse to
alter her arrangements.
Mention is made in several letters of Frank's promotion and his
ignorance of it. In 1799, while commanding the sloop _Peterel_, he had
been entrusted by Lord St. Vincent with dispatches conveying to Nelson
at Palermo the startling news of Admiral Bruix's escape from Brest with
a considerable fleet, and his entry into the Mediterranean. So important
did Francis Austen believe this intelligence to be, that he landed his
first lieutenant with the dispatches on the coast of Sicily some way
short of Palermo, the wind being unfavourable for the approach to the
capital by sea. Nelson next employed him in taking orders to the
squadron blockading Malta. Frank spent the autumn and winter cruising
about the Mediterranean, and taking various prizes; the most important
capture being that of the _Ligurienne_--a French national brig convoying
two vessels laden with corn for the French forces in Egypt. This exploit
took place in March 1800, and was considered of such importance that he
was made a post-captain for it; but so slow and uncertain was
communication to and from the seat of war that he knew nothing of his
promotion till October--long after his friends at home had become
acquainted with it. His being 'collared and thrust out of the _Peterel_
by Captain Inglis' (his successor) is of course a graphic way of
describing his change of vessel and promotion.
Steventon: Wednesday [January 21, 1801].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Expect a most agreeable
letter, for not being overburdened with subject
(having nothing at all to say), I shall have no
check to my genius from beginning to end.
Well, and so Frank's letter has made you very
happy, but you are afraid he would not have
patience to stay for the _Haarlem_ which you wish
him to have done as being safer than the
merchantman. Poor fellow! to wait from the middle
of November to the end of December, and perhaps
even longer, it must be sad work; especially in a
place where the ink is so abominably pale. What a
surprise to him it must have been on October 20,
to be visited, collared, and thrust out of the
_Peterel_ by Captain Inglis. He kindly passes over
the poignancy of his feelings in quitting his
ship, his officers, and his men.
What a pity it is that he should not be in England
at the time of his promotion, because he certainly
would have had an appointment, so everybody says,
and therefore it must be right for me to say it
too. Had he been really here, the certainty of the
appointment, I dare say, would not have been half
so great, but as it could not be brought to the
proof his absence will be always a lucky source of
regret.
Eliza[121] talks of having read in a newspaper
that all the First Lieutenants of the frigates
whose Captains were to be sent into line-of-battle
ships were to be promoted to the rank of
Commanders. If it be true, Mr. Valentine may
afford himself a fine Valentine's knot, and
Charles may perhaps become First of the
_Endymion_, though I suppose Captain Durham is too
likely to bring a villain with him under that
denomination.
* * * * *
I join with you in wishing for the environs of
Laura Place, but do not venture to expect it. My
mother hankers after the Square dreadfully, and it
is but natural to suppose that my uncle will take
_her_ part. It would be very pleasant to be near
Sydney Gardens; we might go into the labyrinth
every day.
Steventon: Sunday [January 25, 1801].
Your unfortunate sister was betrayed last Thursday
into a situation of the utmost cruelty. I arrived
at Ashe Park before the party from Deane, and was
shut up in the drawing-room with Mr. Holder alone
for ten minutes. I had some thoughts of insisting
on the housekeeper or Mary Corbett being sent for,
and nothing could prevail on me to move two steps
from the door, on the lock of which I kept one
hand constantly fixed. We met nobody but
ourselves, played at _vingt-un_ again, and were
very cross.
* * * * *
Your brother Edward makes very honourable mention
of you, I assure you, in his letter to James, and
seems quite sorry to part with you. It is a great
comfort to me to think that my cares have not been
thrown away, and that you are respected in the
world. Perhaps you may be prevailed on to return
with him and Elizabeth into Kent, when they leave
us in April, and I rather suspect that your great
wish of keeping yourself disengaged has been with
that view. Do as you like; I have overcome my
desire of your going to Bath with my mother and
me. There is nothing which energy will not bring
one to.
On her way back from Godmersham, Cassandra spent some time with the
Henry Austens now in Upper Berkeley Street; and while she was there,
Jane sent her a letter, of which the following was a part. Information
respecting the sailor brothers on active service was always rare, and
proportionately valuable.
Manydown: Wednesday [February 11, 1801].[122]
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . I should not have thought
it necessary to write to you so soon, but for the
arrival of a letter from Charles to myself. It was
written last Saturday from off the Start, and
conveyed to Popham Lane by Captain Boyle, on his
way to Midgham. He came from Lisbon in the
_Endymion_. I will copy Charles's account of his
conjectures about Frank: 'He has not seen my
brother lately, nor does he expect to find him
arrived, as he met Captain Inglis at Rhodes, going
up to take command of the _Peterel_ as he was
coming down; but supposes he will arrive in less
than a fortnight from this time, in some ship
which is expected to reach England about that time
with despatches from Sir Ralph Abercrombie.' The
event must show what sort of a conjuror Captain
Boyle is. The _Endymion_ has not been plagued with
any more prizes. Charles spent three pleasant days
in Lisbon.
They were very well satisfied with their royal
passenger[123] whom they found jolly, fat, and
affable, who talks of Lady Augusta as his wife,
and seems much attached to her.
When this letter was written the _Endymion_ was
becalmed, but Charles hoped to reach Portsmouth by
Monday or Tuesday. . . . He received my letter,
communicating our plans, before he left England,
was much surprised, of course, but is quite
reconciled to them, and means to come to
Steventon once more while Steventon is ours.
After this, we have no letters of Jane till she wrote from Bath; so we
may suppose that the sisters were soon united. The months of March and
April were spent in making the final preparations for leaving Steventon,
and in receiving farewell visits from Edward Austen and his wife, as
well as from Frank and Charles and Martha Lloyd. At the beginning of
May, Mrs. Austen and her two daughters left their old home and went to
Ibthorp; two days later, leaving Cassandra behind them, Jane and her
mother went in a single day from Ibthorp to Bath, where they stayed with
the Leigh Perrots in Paragon Buildings.
FOOTNOTES:
[107] The two M.P.'s for the county.
[108] The carpenter.
[109] Catherine Bigg.
[110] Partly _Memoir_, p. 58; partly unpublished.
[111] James Austen.
[112] _Memoir_, p. 61.
[113] The invitation, the ball-dress, and some remarks made in this and
the preceding letter, refer to a ball annually given at Hurstbourne
Park, on the anniversary of the Earl of Portsmouth's wedding-day. He was
the third Lord Portsmouth, whose eccentricities afterwards became
notorious, and the invitations, as well as other arrangements about
these balls, were of a peculiar character. It will be remembered that he
had been for a short time a pupil at Steventon Rectory (p. 21).
[114] A very dull old lady, then residing with Mrs. Lloyd.
[115] For this expression, see 'The Watsons' (in _Memoir_, p. 325).
[116] Sir Thomas Williams, whose first wife was Jane Cooper; 'Whapshare'
is the correct name of the lady.
[117] Unpublished.
[118] The Debaries were a large family, one of whom had the Parsonage
near Ibthorp.
[119] This seems to show that the balls were held at the town hall and
not at the 'Angel Inn' (_Miss Hill_, pp. 51-54).
[120] Probably Jane wrote 'Axford Buildings,' which were a continuation
of Paragon towards Walcot Church.
[121] Eliza Fowle.
[122] _Memoir_, p. 64.
[123] The Duke of Sussex, who married, without the King's consent, Lady
Augusta Murray.
CHAPTER XI
BATH AGAIN
1801-1805
In the separation of Jane and Cassandra, the letters begin again.
Paragon: Tuesday [May 5, 1801].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . Our journey here was
perfectly free from accident or event; we changed
horses at the end of every stage, and paid at
almost every turnpike. We had charming weather,
hardly any dust, and were exceedingly agreeable,
as we did not speak above once in three miles.
* * * * *
We had a very neat chaise from Devizes; it looked
almost as well as a gentleman's, at least as a
very shabby gentleman's; in spite of this
advantage, however, we were above three hours
coming from thence to Paragon, and it was half
after seven by your clocks before we entered the
house.
Frank, whose black head was in waiting in the hall
window, received us very kindly; and his master
and mistress did not show less cordiality. They
both look very well, though my aunt has a violent
cough. We drank tea as soon as we arrived, and so
ends the account of our journey, which my mother
bore without any fatigue.
* * * * *
There is to be only one more ball--next Monday is
the day. The Chamberlaynes are still here. I begin
to think better of Mrs. C., and upon recollection
believe she has rather a long chin than otherwise,
as she remembers us in Gloucestershire,[124] when
we were very charming young women.
The first view of Bath in fine weather does not
answer my expectations; I think I see more
distinctly through rain. The sun was got behind
everything, and the appearance of the place from
the top of Kingsdown was all vapour, shadow,
smoke, and confusion.
I fancy we are to have a house in Seymour Street,
or thereabouts. My uncle and aunt both like the
situation. I was glad to hear the former talk of
all the houses in New King Street as too small; it
was my own idea of them. I had not been two
minutes in the dining-room before he questioned me
with all his accustomary eager interest about
Frank and Charles, their views and intentions. I
did my best to give information.
* * * * *
_Tuesday Night._--When my uncle went to take his
second glass of water I walked with him, and in
our morning's circuit we looked at two houses in
Green Park Buildings, one of which pleased me very
well. We walked all over it except into the
garret; the dining-room is of a comfortable size,
just as large as you like to fancy it; the second
room about 14ft. square. The apartment over the
drawing-room pleased me particularly, because it
is divided into two, the smaller one a very
nice-sized dressing-room, which upon occasion
might admit a bed. The aspect is south-east. The
only doubt is about the dampness of the offices,
of which there were symptoms.
Paragon: Tuesday [May 12, 1801].
Sixty-one guineas and a-half for the three cows
gives one some support under the blow of only
eleven guineas for the tables. Eight for my
pianoforte is about what I really expected to get;
I am more anxious to know the amount of my books,
especially as they are said to have sold well.
* * * * *
In the evening, I hope you honoured my toilette
and ball with a thought; I dressed myself as well
as I could, and had all my finery much admired at
home. By nine o'clock my uncle, aunt, and I
entered the rooms, and linked Miss Winstone on to
us. Before tea it was rather a dull affair; but
then the before tea did not last long, for there
was only one dance, danced by four couple. Think
of four couple, surrounded by about an hundred
people, dancing in the Upper Rooms at Bath.
After tea we _cheered up_; the breaking up of
private parties sent some scores more to the ball,
and though it was shockingly and inhumanly thin
for this place, there were people enough, I
suppose, to have made five or six very pretty
Basingstoke assemblies.
I then got Mr. Evelyn to talk to, and Miss T. to
look at; and I am proud to say that though
repeatedly assured that another in the same party
was the _She_, I fixed upon the right one from the
first. A resemblance to Mrs. L. was my guide. She
is not so pretty as I expected; her face has the
same defect of baldness as her sister's, and her
features not so handsome; she was highly rouged,
and looked rather quietly and contentedly silly
than anything else.
Mrs. B. and two young women were of the same
party, except when Mrs. B. thought herself obliged
to leave them to run round the room after her
drunken husband. His avoidance, and her pursuit,
with the probable intoxication of both, was an
amusing scene.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--Another stupid party last night;
perhaps if larger they might be less intolerable,
but here there were only just enough to make one
card table, with six people to look on and talk
nonsense to each other. Lady Fust, Mrs. Busby, and
a Mrs. Owen sat down with my uncle to whist,
within five minutes after the three old _Toughs_
came in, and there they sat, with only the
exchange of Adm. Stanhope for my uncle, till their
chairs were announced.
I cannot anyhow continue to find people agreeable;
I respect Mrs. Chamberlayne for doing her hair
well, but cannot feel a more tender sentiment.
Miss Langley is like any other short girl, with a
broad nose and wide mouth, fashionable dress and
exposed bosom. Adm. Stanhope is a gentlemanlike
man, but then his legs are too short and his tail
too long.
Paragon: Thursday [May 21, 1801].
The friendship between Mrs. Chamberlayne and me
which you predicted has already taken place, for
we shake hands whenever we meet. Our grand walk to
Weston was again fixed for yesterday, and was
accomplished in a very striking manner. Every one
of the party declined it under some pretence or
other except our two selves and we had therefore a
_tête-à-tête_, but _that_ we should equally have
had, after the first two yards, had half the
inhabitants of Bath set off with us.
It would have amused you to see our progress. We
went up by Sion Hill, and returned across the
fields. In climbing a hill Mrs. Chamberlayne is
very capital; I could with difficulty keep pace
with her, yet would not flinch for the world. On
plain ground I was quite her equal. And so we
posted away under a fine hot sun, _she_ without
any parasol or any shade to her hat, stopping for
nothing and crossing the churchyard at Weston with
as much expedition as if we were afraid of being
buried alive. After seeing what she is equal to, I
cannot help feeling a regard for her. As to
agreeableness, she is much like other people.
* * * * *
I went with my mother to help look at some houses
in New King Street, towards which she felt some
kind of inclination, but their size has now
satisfied her. They were smaller than I expected
to find them; one in particular out of the two was
quite monstrously little; the best of the
sitting-rooms not so large as the little parlour
at Steventon, and the second room in every floor
about capacious enough to admit a very small
single bed.
* * * * *
You will be sorry to hear that Marianne Mapleton's
disorder has ended fatally. She was believed out
of danger on Sunday, but a sudden relapse carried
her off the next day. So affectionate a family
must suffer severely; and many a girl on early
death has been praised into an angel, I believe,
on slighter pretensions to beauty, sense, and
merit, than Marianne.
Paragon: Tuesday [May 26, 1801].[125]
. . . . . . . . .
The _Endymion_ came into Portsmouth on Sunday and
I have sent Charles a short letter by this day's
post. My adventures since I wrote you three days
ago have been such as the time would easily
contain. I walked yesterday morning with Mrs.
Chamberlayne to Lyncombe and Widcombe, and in the
evening I drank tea with the Holders. Mrs.
Chamberlayne's pace was not quite so magnificent
on this second trial as on the first: it was
nothing more than I could keep up with, without
effort, and for many many yards together on a
raised narrow footpath I led the way. The walk was
very beautiful, as my companion agreed whenever I
made the observation. And so ends our friendship,
for the Chamberlaynes leave Bath in a day or two.
Prepare likewise for the loss of Lady Fust, as you
will lose before you find her. My evening visit
was by no means disagreeable. Mrs. Lillingston
came to engage Mrs. Holder's conversation, and
Miss Holder and I adjourned after tea to the inner
drawing-room to look over prints and talk
pathetically. She is very unreserved and very fond
of talking of her deceased brother and sister,
whose memories she cherishes with an enthusiasm
which, though perhaps a little affected, is not
unpleasing. She has an idea of your being
remarkably lively, therefore get ready the proper
selection of adverbs and due scraps of Italian and
French. I must now pause to make some observation
on Mrs. Heathcote's having got a little boy.[126]
I wish her well to wear it out--and shall proceed.
Frank writes me word that he is to be in London
to-morrow: some money negotiation, from which he
hopes to derive advantage, hastens him from Kent
and will detain him a few days behind my father in
town. I have seen the Miss Mapletons this morning.
Marianne was buried yesterday, and I called
without expecting to be let in to enquire after
them all. On the servant's invitation, however, I
sent in my name, and Jane and Christiana, who were
walking in the garden, came to me immediately, and
I sat with them about ten minutes. They looked
pale and dejected but were more composed than I
had thought probable. When I mentioned your coming
here on Monday they said they should be very glad
to see you.
We drink tea to-night with Mrs. Lysons: now this,
says my Master, will be mighty dull. . . .
I assure you in spite of what I might choose to
insinuate in a former letter, that I have seen
very little of Mr. Evelyn since my coming here; I
met him this morning for only the fourth time, and
as to my anecdote about Sydney Gardens, I made the
most of the story because it came into advantage,
but in fact he only asked me whether I were to be
in Sydney Gardens in the evening or not. There is
now something like an engagement between us and
the Phaeton, which to confess my frailty I have a
great desire to go out in; but whether it will
come to anything must remain with him. I really
believe he is very harmless; people do not seem
afraid of him here, and he gets groundsel for his
birds and all that. . . .
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
_Wednesday._--I am just returned from my airing in
the very bewitching Phaeton and four for which I
was prepared by a note from Mr. E., soon after
breakfast. We went to the top of Kingsdown, and
had a very pleasant drive. One pleasure succeeds
another rapidly. On my return I found your letter,
and a letter from Charles, on the table. The
contents of yours I suppose I need not repeat to
you; to thank you for it will be enough. I give
Charles great credit for remembering my uncle's
direction, and he seems rather surprised at it
himself. He has received £30 for his share of the
privateer, and expects £10 more, but of what avail
is it to take prizes if he lays out the produce in
presents to his sisters? He has been buying gold
chains and topaze crosses[127] for us--he must be
well scolded. The _Endymion_ has already received
orders for taking troops to Egypt--which I should
not like at all if I did not trust to Charles
being removed from her somehow or other before she
sails. He knows nothing of his own destination he
says--but desires me to write directly--as the
_Endymion_ will probably sail in three or four
days. He will receive my yesterday's letter
to-day, and I shall write again by this post to
thank and reproach him. We shall be unbearably
fine.
So began the five years' residence at Bath.
Cassandra and her father (the latter having been paying visits in Kent
and London) joined the others at the beginning of June; and from that
date till September 1804 there is little that can be said definitely
about Jane's life.
We know, however, that it was the intention of the Austens to spend the
summer of 1801 by the sea--perhaps at Sidmouth; and a letter of Eliza
Austen informs us that this plan was duly carried out. She writes to
Phila Walter on October 29:--
I conclude that you know of our uncle and aunt
Austen and their daughters having spent the summer
in Devonshire. They are now returned to Bath,
where they are superintending the fitting up of
their new house.
So the house had at last been fixed on; and we learn in the _Memoir_
that it was No. 4 Sydney Terrace,[128] in the parish of Bathwick. The
houses here face the Sydney Gardens, and it is a part of Bath that Jane
seems to have fancied. Her residence there is now commemorated by a
marble tablet. How long the Austens resided in this house cannot
definitely be stated; perhaps they took it for three years--at any rate,
by the beginning of 1805 they had moved to 27 Green Park Buildings.
Possibly Mr. Austen, as he grew older, had found the distance to the
centre of the town too great for his powers of walking.
One of the few facts we know concerning their stay in Sydney Place is
that at one time Mrs. Austen was extremely ill, but the skill of her
medical adviser, a certain Mr. Bowen,[129] and the affectionate care of
her daughters pulled her through and enabled her to live for another
twenty-five years. Mrs. Austen has recorded the fact of her illness in
some humorous verses, entitled 'Dialogue between Death and Mrs. A.'
Says Death, 'I've been trying these three weeks and more
To seize on old Madam here at Number Four,
Yet I still try in vain, tho' she's turned of three score;
To what is my ill-success owing?'
'I'll tell you, old Fellow, if you cannot guess,
To what you're indebted for your ill success--
To the prayers of my husband, whose love I possess,
To the care of my daughters, whom Heaven will bless,
To the skill and attention of Bowen.'
In 1802, in addition to the visit to Steventon with its distressing
incidents,[130] Jane was at Dawlish; for, in a letter written in 1814,
she says of the library at Dawlish that it 'was pitiful and wretched
twelve years ago and not likely to have anybody's publications.' A
writer, too, in _Temple Bar_[131] for February 1879, states that about
this time the Austens went to Teignmouth (which would be very easily
combined with a stay at Dawlish), and that they resided there some
weeks.
This was the year of the short cessation of hostilities brought about by
the Peace of Amiens. During its continuance, we are told that the Henry
Austens went to France in the vain hope of recovering some of her first
husband's property, and narrowly escaped being included amongst the
_détenus_. 'Orders had been given by Bonaparte's Government to detain
all English travellers; but at the post-houses Mrs. Henry Austen gave
the necessary orders herself, and her French was so perfect that she
passed everywhere for a native, and her husband escaped under this
protection.'[132]
Our only evidence of Jane's having been absent from Bath in 1803 is that
Sir Egerton Brydges,[133] in speaking of her, says: 'The last time I
think that I saw her was at Ramsgate in 1803.'
On Francis Austen's promotion (already mentioned), Admiral Gambier seems
rather to have gone out of his way to choose him as his flag-captain on
the _Neptune_; but on the Peace of Amiens, he, like many others, went on
half-pay. His first employment when war broke out again, in 1803, was
the raising from among the Kent fishermen of a corps of 'sea fencibles,'
to protect the coast from invasion. His head-quarters were at Ramsgate,
and it was quite likely that Jane would visit him there, especially if
she could combine this visit with one to Godmersham. We shall see later
that the 'sea fencibles' did not take up the whole of Frank's time.
She must now have begun to turn her mind again to her neglected MSS.,
and especially to _Northanger Abbey_. This, no doubt, underwent a
thorough revision (_Belinda_, mentioned in the famous dissertation
on novels, was not published till 1801); and there is evidence[134]
that she sold the MS., under the title of _Susan_, in the spring of
1803: not, indeed, to a Bath publisher--as has been often stated--but
to Messrs. Crosby & Son of London, for ten pounds, stipulating for
an early publication. Distrustful of appearing under her own name
in the transaction, Jane seems to have employed a certain Mr.
Seymour--probably her brother Henry's man of business--a fact which
suggests that the sale was effected while Jane was staying in London
with Henry. For reasons best known to himself, Mr. Crosby did not
proceed with the publication.
Besides _Northanger Abbey_, Jane seems to have written at this time the
beginning of a tale which was published in the second edition of the
Memoir as _The Watsons_,[135] although the author had not given that, or
any other name, to it. The setting of the story was very like that of
the novels with which we are so familiar, and the characters were
sketched in with a firm hand. One of these creations in particular might
have been expected to re-appear in another book (if this work was to be
laid aside); but such a procedure was contrary to Jane Austen's
invariable practice. It is the character of a young man--Tom Musgrave by
name--a clever and good-natured toady, with rather more attractive
qualities than usually fall to the lot of the members of that
fraternity. But why was it laid aside? The writer of the _Memoir_
suggests[136] that the author may have become aware 'of the evil of
having placed her heroine too low, in a position of poverty and
obscurity, which, though not necessarily connected with vulgarity, has a
sad tendency to degenerate into it; and therefore, like a singer who has
begun on too low a note, she discontinued the strain.'
To this we may add that circumstances soon occurred to divert her mind
from original composition for a considerable period; and when at last
she returned to it, she was much more likely to think of the two
completed stories that were lying in her desk than of one that was only
begun. She did, however, retain in her recollection the outline of the
intended story. The MS. of _The Watsons_, still existing, is written on
the small sheets of paper described in the _Memoir_: sheets which could
be easily covered with a piece of blotting-paper in case of the arrival
of unexpected visitors, and which would thus fit in with her desire for
secrecy. All the pages are written in her beautifully neat handwriting;
but some seem to flow on without doubt or difficulty, while others are
subject to copious corrections. As all the MSS. of her six published
novels have perished, it is worth our while to notice her methods where
we can.
The first interruption that occurred to her writing in 1804 was of a
pleasant nature, and none of her admirers need regret it: she went to
Lyme with her family. They had been joined in their summer rambles by
the Henry Austens, who afterwards proceeded with Cassandra to Weymouth,
leaving Jane with her parents at Lyme. We have it on record that Jane
loved the sight of the beauties of nature so much that she would
sometimes say she thought it must form one of the joys of heaven; but
she had few opportunities of visiting any scenes of especial beauty. We
need not therefore be surprised that the impression produced by Lyme was
so great that she retained a vivid and accurate memory of the details
eleven years afterwards. In _Persuasion_, she allowed herself to dwell
on them with greater fullness and greater enthusiasm than she had ever
displayed on similar occasions before. Readers of that book who visit
Lyme--especially if they have the valuable help of the Miss Hills'
descriptions and sketches--will feel no difficulty in recognising the
exact spot on the Cobb which was pointed out to Tennyson as the scene of
the fall of Louisa Musgrove, or the well-placed but minute house at the
corner of the pier, past which Captain Benwick was seen rushing for the
doctor, and in which the Harvilles managed to entertain a large party;
they may note the point on the steps leading down to the sea where Mr.
Elliot first saw Anne; and if they go to the 'Royal Lion' Hotel and
engage a private sitting-room, they can look from the window, as Mary
Musgrove looked at her cousin's carriage, when she recognised the Elliot
countenance, but failed to see the Elliot arms, because the great-coat
was folded over the panels.[137]
The letter which follows was written when Cassandra was just leaving
Weymouth to go to Ibthorp where old Mrs. Lloyd lay very ill.
Lyme: Friday [September 14, 1804].[138]
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I take the first sheet of fine
striped paper to thank you for your letter from
Weymouth, and express my hopes of your being at
Ibthorp before this time. I expect to hear that
you reached it yesterday evening, being able to
get as far as Blandford on Wednesday. Your account
of Weymouth contains nothing which strikes me so
forcibly as there being no ice in the town. For
every other vexation I was in some measure
prepared, and particularly for your disappointment
in not seeing the Royal Family go on board on
Tuesday, having already heard from Mr. Crawford
that he had seen you in the very act of being too
late. But for there being no ice, what could
prepare me? . . . You found my letter at Andover,
I hope, yesterday, and have now for many hours been
satisfied that your kind anxiety on my behalf was
as much thrown away as kind anxiety usually is.
I continue quite well; in proof of which I have
bathed again this morning. It was absolutely
necessary that I should have the little fever and
indisposition which I had: it has been all the
fashion this week in Lyme. . . . We are quite settled
in our lodgings by this time, as you may suppose,
and everything goes on in the usual order. The
servants behave very well, and make no difficulties,
though nothing certainly can exceed the inconvenience
of the offices, except the general dirtiness of the
house and furniture, and all its inhabitants. I
endeavour, as far as I can, to supply your place,
and be useful, and keep things in order. I detect
dirt in the water decanters, as fast as I can, and
keep everything as it was under your
administration. . . . James is the delight of our
lives, he is quite an Uncle Toby's annuity to us.
My Mother's shoes were never so well blacked
before, and our plate never looked so clean. He
waits extremely well, is attentive, handy, quick
and quiet, and in short has a great many more than
all the cardinal virtues (for the cardinal virtues
in themselves have been so often possessed that
they are no longer worth having), and amongst the
rest, that of wishing to go to Bath, as I
understand from Jenny. He has the laudable thirst I
fancy for travelling, which in poor James Selby was
so much reprobated; and part of his disappointment
in not going with his master arose from his wish of
seeing London.
* * * * *
The ball last night was pleasant, but not full for
Thursday. My father staid very contentedly till
half-past nine (we went a little after eight), and
then walked home with James and a lanthorn, though
I believe the lanthorn was not lit, as the moon
was up; but this lanthorn may sometimes be a great
convenience to him. My mother and I staid about
an hour later. Nobody asked me the two first
dances; the two next I danced with Mr. Crawford,
and had I chosen to stay longer might have danced
with Mr. Granville, Mrs. Granville's son, whom my
dear friend Miss A. offered to introduce to me, or
with a new odd-looking man who had been eyeing me
for some time, and at last, without any
introduction, asked me if I meant to dance again.
I think he must be Irish by his ease, and because
I imagine him to belong to the hon^{ble} B.'s, who
are the son, and son's wife of an Irish viscount,
bold queer-looking people, just fit to be quality
at Lyme.
* * * * *
I called yesterday morning (ought it not in strict
propriety to be termed yester-morning?) on Miss A.
and was introduced to her father and mother. Like
other young ladies she is considerably genteeler
than her parents. Mrs. A. sat darning a pair of
stockings the whole of my visit. But do not
mention this at home, lest a warning should act as
an example. We afterwards walked together for an
hour on the Cobb; she is very converseable in a
common way; I do not perceive wit or genius, but
she has sense and some degree of taste, and her
manners are very engaging. She seems to like
people rather too easily. She thought the D.'s
pleasant, &c., &c.
* * * * *
_Friday Evening._--The bathing was so delightful
this morning and Molly so pressing with me to
enjoy myself that I believe I staid in rather too
long, as since the middle of the day I have felt
unreasonably tired. I shall be more careful
another time, and shall not bathe to-morrow as I
had before intended. Jenny and James are walked to
Charmouth this afternoon. I am glad to have such
an amusement for him, as I am very anxious for his
being at once quiet and happy. He can read, and I
must get him some books. Unfortunately he has read
the first Vol. of _Robinson Crusoe_. We have the
Pinckards' newspaper however which I shall take
care to lend him.
As the autumn of 1804 was succeeded by winter, Jane's thoughts were to
be taken up by more serious considerations. On her birthday, December
16, occurred the death (by a fall from her horse) of her great friend,
Mrs. Lefroy, on which we have already dwelt.[139]
But she was shortly to suffer an even greater loss, for on January 21,
1805, her father died, after an illness of only forty-eight hours.
Jane's letter, or rather two letters--for, the first being wrongly
directed, she had to write a second--to her brother Frank on this
occasion have fortunately been kept.
Green Park Buildings:
Tuesday evening, January 22, 1805.[140]
MY DEAREST FRANK,--I wrote to you yesterday, but
your letter to Cassandra this morning, by which we
learn the probability of your being by this time
at Portsmouth, obliges me to write to you again,
having unfortunately a communication as necessary
as painful to make to you. Your affectionate heart
will be greatly wounded, and I wish the shock
could have been lessened by a better preparation;
but the event has been sudden and so must be the
information of it. We have lost an excellent
father. An illness of only eight and forty hours
carried him off yesterday morning between ten and
eleven. He was seized on Saturday with a return of
the feverish complaint which he had been subject
to for the last three years. . . . A physician was
called in yesterday morning, but he was at that
time past all possibility of cure; and Dr. Gibbs
and Mr. Bowen had scarcely left his room before he
sunk into a sleep from which he never woke.
It has been very sudden. Within twenty-four hours
of his death he was walking about with only the
help of a stick--was even reading.
We had, however, some hours of preparation, and
when we understood his recovery to be hopeless,
most fervently did we pray for the speedy release
which ensued. To have seen him languishing long,
struggling for hours, would have been dreadful,
and, thank God, we were all spared from it.
* * * * *
Except the restlessness and confusion of high
fever, he did not suffer, and he was mercifully
spared from knowing that he was about to quit
objects so beloved, and so fondly cherished as his
wife and children ever were. His tenderness as a
father, who can do justice to?
* * * * *
The funeral is to be on Saturday at Walcot
Church.[141] The serenity of the corpse is most
delightful. It preserves the sweet benevolent
smile which always distinguished him. They kindly
press my mother to remove to Steventon as soon as
it is all over, but I do not believe she will
leave Bath at present. We must have this house for
three months longer, and here we shall probably
stay till the end of that time. We all unite in
love, and I am
Affectionately yours,
J. A.
The companion letter, sent to a different address, gives a similar
account, and contains also these words[142]:--
Heavy as is the blow, we can already feel that a
thousand comforts remain to us to soften it. Next
to that of the consciousness of his worth and
constant preparation for another world, is the
remembrance of his having suffered, comparatively
speaking, nothing. Being quite insensible of his
own state, he was spared all pain of separation,
and he went off almost in his sleep. My mother
bears the shock as well as possible; she was quite
prepared for it and feels all the blessing of his
being spared a long illness. My uncle and aunt
have been with us and show us every imaginable
kindness.
* * * * *
Adieu, my dearest Frank. The loss of such a parent
must be felt, or we should be brutes. I wish I
could give you a better preparation, but it has
been impossible.
Yours ever affectionately,
J. A.
Mr. Austen's death placed his widow and daughters in straitened
circumstances; for most of his income had been derived from the livings
of Steventon and Deane. In fact the income of Mrs. Austen, together with
that of Cassandra (who had inherited one thousand pounds from her
intended husband, Thomas Fowle), was no more than two hundred and ten
pounds. Fortunately, she had sons who were only too glad to be able to
help her, and her income was raised to four hundred and sixty pounds a
year by contributions of one hundred pounds from Edward, and fifty
pounds from James, Henry, and Frank respectively. Frank, indeed, was
ready to do more; for Henry wrote to him to say that their mother 'feels
the magnificence of your offer and accepts of half.' Mrs. Austen's first
idea was to remain in Bath so long as her brother, Mr. Leigh Perrot,
lived there. Accordingly, she gave up her house at Lady Day, and moved,
with her daughters and one maid, into furnished lodgings at 25 Gay
Street.
Early in April, Cassandra was staying at Ibthorp, where it was her lot
to attend another death-bed--that of old Mrs. Lloyd.
25 Gay Street: Monday [April 8, 1805].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Here is a day for you! Did
Bath or Ibthorp ever see a finer 8th of April? It
is March and April together, the glare of one and
the warmth of the other. We do nothing but walk
about. As far as your means will admit, I hope you
profit by such weather too. I dare say you are
already the better for change of place. We were
out again last night. Miss Irvine invited us, when
I met her in the Crescent, to drink tea with them,
but I rather declined it, having no idea that my
mother would be disposed for another evening visit
there so soon; but when I gave her the message, I
found her very well inclined to go; and
accordingly, on leaving Chapel, we walked to
Lansdown. This morning we have been to see Miss
Chamberlayne look hot on horseback. Seven years
and four months ago we went to the same
riding-house to see Miss Lefroy's performance!
What a different set are we now moving in! But
seven years, I suppose, are enough to change every
pore of one's skin and every feeling of one's
mind. We did not walk long in the Crescent
yesterday. It was hot and not crowded enough; so
we went into the field, and passed close by S. T.
and Miss S.[143] again. I have not yet seen her
face, but neither her dress nor air have anything
of the dash or stylishness which the Browns talked
of; quite the contrary; indeed, her dress is not
even smart, and her appearance very quiet. Miss
Irvine says she is never speaking a word. Poor
wretch; I am afraid she is _en pénitence_. Here
has been that excellent Mrs. Coulthart calling,
while my mother was out, and I was believed to be
so. I always respected her, as a good-hearted
friendly woman. And the Brownes have been here; I
find their affidavits on the table. The
_Ambuscade_ reached Gibraltar on the 9th of March,
and found all well; so say the papers. We have had
no letters from anybody, but we expect to hear
from Edward to-morrow, and from you soon
afterwards. How happy they are at Godmersham now!
I shall be very glad of a letter from Ibthorp,
that I may know how you all are, but particularly
yourself. This is nice weather for Mrs. J.
Austen's going to Speen, and I hope she will have
a pleasant visit there. I expect a prodigious
account of the christening dinner; perhaps it
brought you at last into the company of Miss
Dundas again.
_Tuesday._--I received your letter last night, and
wish it may be soon followed by another to say
that all is over; but I cannot help thinking that
nature will struggle again, and produce a revival.
Poor woman! May her end be peaceful and easy as
the exit we have witnessed! And I dare say it
will. If there is no revival, suffering must be
all over; even the consciousness of existence, I
suppose, was gone when you wrote. The nonsense I
have been writing in this and in my last letter
seems out of place at such a time, but I will not
mind it; it will do you no harm, and nobody else
will be attacked by it. I am heartily glad that
you can speak so comfortably of your own health
and looks, though I can scarcely comprehend the
latter being really approved. Could travelling
fifty miles produce such an immediate change? You
were looking very poorly here, and everybody
seemed sensible of it. Is there a charm in a hack
post-chaise? But if there were, Mrs. Craven's
carriage might have undone it all. I am much
obliged to you for the time and trouble you have
bestowed on Mary's cap, and am glad it pleases
her; but it will prove a useless gift at present,
I suppose. Will not she leave Ibthorp on her
mother's death? As a companion you are all that
Martha can be supposed to want, and in that
light, under these circumstances, your visit will
indeed have been well timed.
* * * * *
The Cookes want us to drink tea with them
to-night, but I do not know whether my mother will
have nerves for it. We are engaged to-morrow
evening--what request we are in! Mrs. Chamberlayne
expressed to her niece her wish of being intimate
enough with us to ask us to drink tea with her in
a quiet way. We have therefore offered her
ourselves and our quietness through the same
medium. Our tea and sugar will last a great while.
I think we are just the kind of people and party
to be treated about among our relations; we cannot
be supposed to be very rich.
* * * * *
_Thursday._--I was not able to go on yesterday;
all my wit and leisure were bestowed on letters to
Charles and Henry. To the former I wrote in
consequence of my mother's having seen in the
papers that the _Urania_ was waiting at Portsmouth
for the convoy for Halifax. This is nice, as it is
only three weeks ago that you wrote by the
_Camilla_. . . . I wrote to Henry because I had a
letter from him in which he desired to hear from
me very soon. His to me was most affectionate and
kind, as well as entertaining; there is no merit
to him in _that_; he cannot help being amusing. . . .
He offers to meet us on the sea coast, if the plan
of which Edward gave him some hint takes place.
Will not this be making the execution of such a
plan more desirable and delightful than ever? He
talks of the rambles we took together last summer
with pleasing affection.
Yours ever,
J. A.
_From the Same to the Same._
Gay Street: Sunday Evening,
April 21 [1805].[144]
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I am much obliged to you for
writing to me again so soon; your letter
yesterday was quite an unexpected pleasure. Poor
Mrs. Stent! it has been her lot to be always in
the way; but we must be merciful, for perhaps in
time we may come to be Mrs. Stents ourselves,
unequal to anything, and unwelcome to everybody.
Your account of Martha is very comfortable indeed,
and now we shall be in no fear of receiving a
worse. This day, if she has gone to church, must
have been a trial to her feelings, but it will be
the last of any acuteness. . . . Yesterday was a busy
day with me. I went to Sydney Gardens soon after
one and did not return until four, and after
dinner I walked to Weston. My morning engagement
was with the Cookes, and our party consisted of
George and Mary, a Mr. and Miss B. who had been
with us at the concert, and the youngest Miss W.
Not Julia; we have done with her; she is very ill;
but Mary. Mary W.'s turn is actually come to be
grown up, and have a fine complexion, and wear a
great square muslin shawl. I have not expressly
enumerated myself among the party, but there I
was, and my cousin George was very kind, and
talked sense to me every now and then, in the
intervals of his more animated fooling with Miss
B., who is very young, and rather handsome, and
whose gracious manners, ready wit, and solid
remarks, put me somewhat in mind of my old
acquaintance L. L. There was a monstrous deal of
stupid quizzing and common-place nonsense talked,
but scarcely any wit; all that bordered on it or
on sense came from my cousin George, whom
altogether I like very well. Mr. B. seems nothing
more than a tall young man. . . . My evening
engagement and walk was with Miss A., who had
called on me the day before, and gently upbraided
me in her turn with a change of manners to her
since she had been in Bath, or at least of late.
Unlucky me! that my notice should be of such
consequence, and my manners so bad! She was so
well disposed, and so reasonable, that I soon
forgave her, and made this engagement with her in
proof of it. She is really an agreeable girl, so
I think I may like her; and her great want of a
companion at home, which may well make any
tolerable acquaintance important to her, gives her
another claim on my attention. I shall as much as
possible endeavour to keep my intimacies in their
proper place, and prevent their clashing. . . . Among
so many friends, it will be well if I do not get
into a scrape; and now here is Miss Blachford
come. I should have gone distracted if the Bullers
had staid. . . .
I am quite of your opinion as to the folly of
concealing any longer our intended partnership
with Martha, and wherever there has of late been
an enquiry on the subject I have always been
sincere, and I have sent word of it to the
Mediterranean in a letter to Frank. None of _our_
nearest connections I think will be unprepared for
it, and I do not know how to suppose that Martha's
have not foreseen it.
When I tell you we have been visiting a Countess
this morning, you will immediately, with great
justice, but no truth, guess it to be Lady Roden.
No: it is Lady Leven, the mother of Lord Balgonie.
On receiving a message from Lord and Lady Leven
through the Mackays, declaring their intention of
waiting on us, we thought it right to go to them.
I hope we have not done too much, but the friends
and admirers of Charles must be attended to. They
seem very reasonable, good sort of people, very
civil, and full of his praise.[145] We were shewn
at first into an empty drawing-room, and presently
in came his lordship, not knowing who we were, to
apologise for the servant's mistake, and tell a
lie himself that Lady Leven was not within. He is
a tall gentlemanlike-looking man, with spectacles,
and rather deaf. After sitting with him ten
minutes we walked away; but, Lady Leven coming
out of the dining parlour as we passed the door,
we were obliged to attend her back to it, and pay
our visit over again. She is a stout woman, with a
very handsome face. By this means we had the
pleasure of hearing Charles's praises twice over.
They think themselves excessively obliged to him,
and estimate him so highly as to wish Lord
Balgonie, when he is quite recovered, to go out to
him. . . . There is a pretty little Lady Marianne of
the party, to be shaken hands with, and asked if
she remembered Mr. Austen. . . .
I shall write to Charles by the next packet,
unless you tell me in the meantime of your
intending to do it.
Believe me, if you chuse,
Y^{r} aff^{te} Sister.
'Cousin George' was the Rev. George Leigh Cooke, long known and
respected at Oxford, where he held important offices, and had the
privilege of helping to form the minds of men more eminent than himself.
As tutor at Corpus Christi College, he had under his charge Arnold,
Keble, and Sir J. T. Coleridge.
The 'intended partnership' with Martha was an arrangement by which
Martha Lloyd joined the family party: an arrangement which was based on
their affectionate friendship for her, and which succeeded so well that
it lasted through Southampton and Chawton, and did not end until after
the death of Mrs. Austen in 1827.
FOOTNOTES:
[124] Probably, when they were on a visit to the Fowles at Elkstone,
between Cheltenham and Cirencester. See p. 373.
[125] Family MS. One short paragraph, _Memoir_, p. 65; the remainder
unpublished.
[126] Afterwards Sir William Heathcote, M.P.
[127] We remember that in _Mansfield Park_ William Price had been able
to afford only the amber cross as a present to Fanny, and not the chain.
See _Sailor Brothers_, p. 92.
[128] _Terrace_ seems to be a slip; at least, its present name is Sydney
Place. We have, unfortunately, no letters dated from this house.
[129] There is an inscription to his memory on the wall of the south
aisle in the Abbey.
[130] See p. 92.
[131] In an article called 'Is it Just?' p. 282.
[132] _Memoir_, p. 24.
[133] _Autobiography_, vol. ii. p. 40.
[134] See end of Chapter XIII.
[135] The watermarks of 1803 and 1804 on the paper are the sole
authority for this date.
[136] P. 296.
[137] Miss Hill seems to have identified also the cottage, 'Mrs. Dean's
house,' in which the Austens themselves lodged in 1804. No doubt
decanters, and everything else, have long been perfectly immaculate.
[138] Nearly all _Memoir_, p. 68; the remainder unpublished.
[139] Chap. V.
[140] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 127.
[141] Mr. Oscar Fay Adams, a most careful investigator, failed to
discover the inscription in Walcot Church to the memory of George
Austen. It is in the crypt below the church, and runs as follows: 'Under
this stone rest the remains of the Rev. George Austen, Rector of
Steventon and Dean in Hampshire, who departed this life the 21st of
January 1805, aged 73 years.'
[142] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 125.
[143] A gentleman and lady lately engaged to be married.
[144] _Memoir_, p. 74.
[145] It seems that Charles Austen, then first lieutenant of the
_Endymion_, had had an opportunity of showing attention and kindness to
some of Lord Leven's family.
CHAPTER XII
FROM BATH TO SOUTHAMPTON
1805-1808
The addition of Martha to the family party made it easy for the two
sisters to leave their mother in August and pay a visit to Godmersham;
and owing to the fact that they, each in turn, varied their stay at
Godmersham by paying a short visit to Lady Bridges at Goodnestone Farm,
we have three brief letters from Jane at this date. She was spending her
time in the usual way, seeing a good deal of her sister-in-law's
neighbours and connexions, and playing with her nephews and nieces.
Godmersham Park: Saturday [August 24, 1805].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . George[146] is a fine
boy, and well behaved, but Daniel chiefly
delighted me; the good humour of his countenance
is quite bewitching. After tea we had a
cribbage-table, and he and I won two rubbers of
his brother and Mrs. Mary. Mr. Brett was the only
person there, besides our two families.
* * * * *
Yesterday was a very quiet day with us; my
noisiest efforts were writing to Frank, and
playing battledore and shuttlecock with William;
he and I have practised together two mornings, and
improve a little; we have frequently kept it up
_three_ times, and once or twice _six_.
The two Edwards went to Canterbury in the chaise,
and found Mrs. Knight as you found her, I suppose,
the day before, cheerful but weak.
* * * * *
I have been used very ill this morning: I have
received a letter from Frank which I ought to have
had when Elizabeth and Henry had theirs, and which
in its way from Albany[147] to Godmersham has been
to Dover and Steventon. It was finished on the
16th, and tells what theirs told before as to his
present situation[148]; he is in a great hurry to
be married, and I have encouraged him in it, in
the letter which ought to have been an answer to
his. He must think it very strange that I do not
acknowledge the receipt of his, when I speak of
those of the same date to Eliz. and Henry; and to
add to my injuries, I forgot to number mine on the
outside.
* * * * *
Elizabeth has this moment proposed a scheme which
will be very much for my pleasure if equally
convenient to the other party; it is that when you
return on Monday, I should take your place at
Goodnestone for a few days. Harriot cannot be
insincere, let her try for it ever so much, and
therefore I defy her to accept this
self-invitation of mine, unless it be really what
perfectly suits her. As there is no time for an
answer, I shall go in the carriage on Monday, and
can return with you, if my going to Goodnestone is
at all inconvenient.
Goodnestone Farm: Tuesday [August 27, 1805].
There is no chance of tickets for the Mr.
Bridgeses, as no gentlemen but of the garrison are
invited.
With a civil note to be fabricated to Lady F., and
an answer written to Miss H., you will easily
believe that we could not begin dinner till six.
We were agreeably surprised by Edward Bridges's
company to it. He had been, strange to tell, too
late for the cricket match, too late at least to
play himself, and, not being asked to dine with
the players,[149] came home. It is impossible to
do justice to the hospitality of his attentions
towards me; he made a point of ordering toasted
cheese for supper entirely on my account.
Goodnestone Farm: Friday [August 30, 1805].
Next week seems likely to be an unpleasant one to
this family on the matter of game. The evil
intentions of the Guards are certain, and the
gentlemen of the neighbourhood seem unwilling to
come forward in any decided or early support of
their rights. Edward Bridges has been trying to
rouse their spirits, but without success. Mr.
Hammond, under the influence of daughters and an
expected ball, declares he will do nothing. . . .
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
Cassandra and Jane had a scheme for going to Worthing with some of their
young nephews and nieces; but we can say no more about the plan, for the
letters now cease until January 1807. As for the events of 1806, there
is every reason to believe that the Austens spent the first part of that
year in Bath, dividing their time somewhat uncomfortably between
different lodgings.[150]
Meanwhile, Francis Austen had been helping to make history--though not
always in so front a rank as he would have desired to occupy. We left
him raising the 'sea fencibles' at Ramsgate, instructing the defenders
of the coast, and considering the possibilities of a landing by the
French in their flat-bottomed vessels. It was at Ramsgate that he was
noted as '_the_ officer who knelt in Church,' and it was there that he
met and fell in love with his future wife, Mary Gibson. She became in
time one of the best loved of the sisters-in-law; but we are told that
at the time the engagement was a slight shock to Cassandra and Jane,
because the lady chosen was _not_ Martha Lloyd, as they had hoped she
might be.
Immediate marriage was out of the question, and in May 1804 Frank was
appointed to the _Leopard_, the flagship of Admiral Louis, who at this
time held a command in the squadron blockading Napoleon's flotilla.
Frank's removal from the _Leopard_ to the _Canopus_[151] brought him
home, for a short time, just at the date of his father's death in
January 1805. In March, Admiral Louis hoisted his flag in the _Canopus_
and soon became second-in-command to Nelson. Frank, as his flag-captain,
took part in the chase after Villeneuve to the West Indies and back.
Thus far, fortune had favoured him: a state of things which seemed
likely to continue, as he was personally known to Nelson and had reason
to hope that he would soon give him the command of a frigate. But a sad
reverse was in store for him. September was spent in blockading Cadiz;
and, after Nelson's arrival from England in the _Victory_ on September
28, the _Canopus_ was ordered to 'complete supplies'[152] at Gibraltar.
After this, followed an order to Admiral Louis to give protection, as
far as Cartagena, to a convoy proceeding to Malta. Shaking themselves
free from this duty on the news that the enemy's fleet was coming out of
Cadiz, they made haste to join the main fleet in spite of contrary
winds, and with the dreadful apprehension of being too late for the
imminent battle. 'I do not profess,' he writes to Mary Gibson, 'to like
fighting for its own sake, but if there has been an action with the
combined fleets I shall ever consider the day on which I sailed from the
squadron as the most inauspicious one of my life.' Six days later (on
October 27) he had to add: 'Alas! my dearest Mary, all my fears are but
too fully justified. The fleets have met, and, after a very severe
contest, a most decisive victory has been gained by the English. . . . To
lose all share in the glory of a day which surpasses all that ever went
before is what I cannot think of with any degree of patience.' But he
soon turns from selfish regrets to speak of the death of Nelson, and
adds: 'I never heard of his equal, nor do I expect again to see such a
man. To the soundest judgment he united prompt decision and speedy
execution of his plans; and he possessed in a superior degree the happy
talent of making every class of persons pleased with their situation,
and eager to exert themselves in forwarding the public service.'
For his personal disappointment, Frank was, to a certain extent,
consoled by taking part in Sir John Duckworth's cruise to the West
Indies and in the victory over the French at St. Domingo; the squadron
returning home, with three prizes, to receive the thanks of Parliament
on their arrival at the beginning of May 1806. In the following July,
Francis Austen and Mary Gibson were married.[153]
Meanwhile, the long residence at Bath of his mother and sisters had come
to an end. On July 2, Mrs. Austen, her two daughters, and Martha Lloyd,
left Bath. Cassandra and Jane were thoroughly tired of the place--so
says Jane in a letter written two years afterwards to Cassandra,
reminding her of their happy feelings of escape.[154] The immediate
destination of the party was Clifton, and here Martha Lloyd left
them--perhaps for Harrogate in accordance with the lines quoted
above.[155] The Austens did not stay long at Clifton, and by the end of
the month were at Adlestrop Rectory on a visit to Mr. Thomas Leigh; but
neither did this prove more than a brief resting-place, for on August 5
they set out, in somewhat peculiar circumstances, together with Mr.
Leigh, his sister (Miss Elizabeth Leigh), Mr. Hill (agent of Mr.
Leigh),[156] and all the house party, to stay at Stoneleigh Abbey in
Warwickshire.
The circumstances were as follows. On July 2, 1806, occurred the death
of the Hon. Mary Leigh, who had been for twenty years life-tenant of the
Stoneleigh estates, under the will of her brother, the last Lord Leigh.
The estates now passed--according to Lord Leigh's will--unto the first
and nearest of his kindred, being male and of his blood and name, that
should be alive at the time. All the Leighs of the Stoneleigh branch had
died out, and an heir had to be sought among their remote cousins, the
Adlestrop Leighs. In ordinary circumstances the heir would have been
James Henry Leigh, who was the head of this branch; but by the peculiar
wording of Lord Leigh's will, all those of an older generation who were
thus 'the first and nearest of his blood and name' appeared to take
precedence of the natural heir, although this does not seem to have been
the intention of Lord Leigh.[157]
The _eldest_ Leigh was the Rev. Thomas Leigh,[158] who therefore became
the legal owner of Stoneleigh; but as it was thought possible that there
might be other claimants, Mr. Leigh's solicitor advised his taking
immediate possession; and accordingly Mr. Leigh and all his house party
moved from Adlestrop to Stoneleigh.
This visit, and the whole question of the succession to Stoneleigh, must
have been especially interesting to Jane's mother; for it seemed likely
that Mrs. Austen's own brother, Mr. Leigh Perrot, would, under the terms
of the will, have a life interest in the estate after Mr. Thomas Leigh,
if he survived him. It was, however, obviously most in accordance with
the desire of the testator, and with the general opinion of the family,
that the estate should go according to the usual rules of succession by
primogeniture in the Adlestrop branch; and as all the parties to the
transaction were on excellent terms with each other, and as they
believed it to be quite doubtful what interpretation a court of law
would put upon the will, they settled the matter without any such
intervention. Mr. Leigh Perrot resigned his claim to the estate and
gained instead a capital sum of £24,000 and an annuity of £2000, which
lasted until the death of his wife in 1835. This is no doubt the
agreement with Adlestrop, mentioned below in the letter of February 20,
1807,[159] and it must, one would think, have been considered
satisfactory: indeed, the writer speaks of the negotiation as 'happily
over.' The remaining clause in it which ensured to the Leigh Perrots two
bucks, two does, and the game off one manor annually was less
successful, for the bucks sometimes arrived in such a condition as to
demand immediate burial. Yet it can hardly have been this which made
Jane at a later date speak of the 'vile compromise': we should rather
treat this expression as one of her _obiter dicta_, not meant to be
taken seriously.
'And here,' writes Mrs. Austen on August 13, 1806, 'we found ourselves
on Tuesday (that is, yesterday se'nnight), eating fish, venison, and all
manner of good things, in a large and noble parlour hung round with
family portraits.'
Mrs. Austen had expected to find Stoneleigh very grand, but the
magnificence of the place surpassed her expectations. After describing
its exterior, she adds:--
At nine in the morning we say our prayers in a
handsome chapel of which the pulpit, &c., is now
hung in black. Then follows breakfast, consisting
of chocolate, coffee, and tea, plum cake, pound
cake, hot rolls, cold rolls, bread and butter, and
dry toast for me. The house steward, a fine large
respectable-looking man, orders all these matters.
Mr. Leigh and Mr. Hill are busy a great part of
the morning. _We_ walk a good deal, for the woods
are impenetrable to the sun, even in the middle of
an August day. I do not fail to spend some part of
every day in the kitchen garden, where the
quantity of small fruit exceeds anything you can
form an idea of.
She concludes her letter by saying:--
Our visit has been a most pleasant one. We all
seem in good humour, disposed to be pleased, and
endeavouring to be agreeable, and I hope we
succeed. Poor Lady Saye and Sele, to be sure, is
rather tormenting, though sometimes amusing, and
affords Jane many a good laugh, but she fatigues
me sadly on the whole. To-morrow we depart. We
have seen the remains of Kenilworth, which
afforded us much entertainment, and I expect still
more from the sight of Warwick Castle, which we
are going to see to-day.[160]
From Stoneleigh, we may imagine the Austens to have gone on to pay a
promised visit to Hamstall-Ridware--Edward Cooper's living in
Staffordshire; but the curtain drops on them once more, and is not
raised again until Jane is writing from Southampton on January 7, 1807.
Owing to the gap in the letters, we have no means of knowing why the
Austens selected Southampton as a home; nor are we told what Jane
herself thought of the place. At any rate, it was a change from Bath,
and she preferred it to Canterbury, which, from its nearness to
Godmersham, would have been another very suitable place of residence.
Southampton was in her old county, and within fairly easy reach of her
old home; and probably one reason for choosing the neighbourhood of a
naval centre was, that it enabled them to join forces with Frank Austen
and his newly married wife: but we should doubt whether Jane ever felt
really at home during her two or three years' residence there, or took
much to the society of the place. No doubt the partnership with the
Frank Austens and with Martha made it possible for the party to command
better quarters, and to live in greater comfort than would have been
within reach of the slender means of the Austens by themselves; and when
Jane's letters begin again it is pretty clear that the party, though
still in lodgings,[161] were getting ready to take possession in March
of their house in Castle Square. They were living in a very quiet way,
not caring to add to their acquaintance more than was necessary.
Cassandra was at this time on a visit to Godmersham, and Martha Lloyd
was also away. The Austens were near enough to Steventon to be visited
occasionally by James Austen and his wife; and between their own
acquaintance, and Frank's friends in the service, they had what they
wanted in the way of society.
Southampton: Wednesday [January 7, 1807].
Of your visit there [to Canterbury] I must now
speak 'incessantly'; it surprises, but pleases me
more, and I consider it as a very just and
honourable distinction of you, and not less to the
credit of Mrs. Knight. I have no doubt of your
spending your time with her most pleasantly in
quiet and rational conversation, and am so far
from thinking her expectations of you will be
deceived, that my only fear is of your being so
agreeable, so much to her taste, as to make her
wish to keep you with her for ever. If that should
be the case, we must remove to Canterbury, which I
should not like so well as Southampton.
* * * * *
_Alphonsine_[162] did not do. We were disgusted
in twenty pages, as, independent of a bad
translation, it has indelicacies which disgrace a
pen hitherto so pure; and we changed it for _The
Female Quixote_ which now makes our evening
amusement: to me a very high one, as I find the
work quite equal to what I remembered it.
* * * * *
Our acquaintance increase too fast. He [Frank] was
recognised lately by Admiral Bertie, and a few
days since arrived the Admiral and his daughter
Catherine to wait upon us. There was nothing to
like or dislike in either. To the Berties are to
be added the Lances, with whose cards we have been
endowed, and whose visit Frank and I returned
yesterday. They live about a mile and
three-quarters from S[outhampton] to the right of
the new road to Portsmouth, and I believe their
house is one of those which are to be seen almost
anywhere among the woods on the other side of the
Itchen. It is a handsome building, stands high,
and in a very beautiful situation.
We found only Mrs. Lance at home, and whether she
boasts any offspring besides a grand pianoforte
did not appear. She was civil and chatty enough,
and offered to introduce us to some acquaintance
in Southampton, which we gratefully declined.
I suppose they must be acting by the orders of Mr.
Lance of Netherton in this civility, as there
seems no other reason for their coming near us.
Southampton: [February 8, 1807].
Our garden is putting in order by a man who bears
a remarkably good character, has a very fine
complexion, and asks something less than the
first. The shrubs which border the gravel walk, he
says, are only sweetbriar and roses, and the
latter of an indifferent sort; we mean to get a
few of the better kind, therefore, and at my own
particular desire he procures us some syringas. I
could not do without a syringa, for the sake of
Cowper's line.[163] We talk also of a laburnum.
The border under the terrace wall is clearing away
to receive currants and gooseberry bushes, and a
spot is found very proper for raspberries.
The alterations and improvements within doors,
too, advance very properly, and the offices will
be made very convenient indeed. Our dressing table
is constructing on the spot, out of a large
kitchen table belonging to the house, for doing
which we have the permission of Mr. Husket, Lord
Lansdown's[164] painter--domestic painter, I
should call him, for he lives in the castle.
Domestic chaplains have given way to this more
necessary office, and I suppose whenever the walls
want no touching up he is employed about my lady's
face.
The morning was so wet that I was afraid we should
not be able to see our little visitor, but Frank,
who alone could go to church, called for her after
service, and she is now talking away at my side
and examining the treasures of my writing-desk
drawers--very happy, I believe. Not at all shy, of
course. Her name is Catherine, and her sister's
Caroline. She is something like her brother, and
as short for her age, but not so well-looking.
What is become of all the shyness in the world?
Moral as well as natural diseases disappear in the
progress of time, and new ones take their place.
Shyness and the sweating sickness have given way
to confidence and paralytic complaints.
* * * * *
_Evening._--Our little visitor has just left us,
and left us highly pleased with her; she is a
nice, natural, open-hearted, affectionate girl,
with all the ready civility which one sees in the
best children in the present day; so unlike
anything that I was myself at her age, that I am
often all astonishment and shame. Half her time
was spent at spillikins, which I consider as a
very valuable part of our household furniture, and
as not the least important benefaction from the
family of Knight to that of Austen.
* * * * *
There, I flatter myself I have constructed you a
smartish letter, considering my want of materials,
but, like my dear Dr. Johnson, I believe I have
dealt more in notions than facts[165].
Southampton: [Friday, February 20, 1807].
We have at last heard something of Mr.
Austen's[166] will. It is believed at Tunbridge
that he has left everything after the death of his
widow to Mr. M. Austen's third son John; and, as
the said John was the only one of the family who
attended the funeral, it seems likely to be true.
* * * * *
My mother has heard this morning from Paragon. My
aunt talks much of the violent colds prevailing in
Bath, from which my uncle has suffered ever since
their return, and she has herself a cough much
worse than any she ever had before, subject as she
has always been to bad ones. She writes in good
humour and cheerful spirits, however. The
negotiation between them and Adlestrop so happily
over, indeed, what can have power to vex her
materially?
* * * * *
_Saturday._--I have received your letter, but I
suppose you do not expect me to be gratified by
its contents. I confess myself much disappointed
by this repeated delay of your return, for though
I had pretty well given up all idea of your being
with us before our removal, I felt sure that March
would not pass quite away without bringing you.
Before April comes, of course something else will
occur to detain you. But as _you_ are happy, all
this is selfishness, of which here is enough for
one page.
* * * * *
Frank's going into Kent depends, of course, upon
his being unemployed; but as the First Lord, after
promising Lord Moira that Captain A. should have
the first good frigate that was vacant, has since
given away two or three fine ones, he has no
particular reason to expect an appointment now.
_He_, however, has scarcely spoken about the
Kentish journey. I have my information chiefly
from her, and she considers her own going thither
as more certain if he should be at sea than if
not.
Frank has got a very bad cough, for an Austen; but
it does not disable him from making very nice
fringe for the drawing-room curtains.
* * * * *
I recommend Mrs. Grant's[167] letters, as a
present to her [Martha]; what they are about, and
how many volumes they form, I do not know, having
never heard of them but from Miss Irvine, who
speaks of them as a new and much-admired work, and
as one which has pleased her highly. I have
inquired for the book here, but find it quite
unknown.
* * * * *
We are reading Baretti's other book,[168] and find
him dreadfully abusive of poor Mr. Sharpe. I can
no longer take his part against you, as I did nine
years ago.
Our knowledge of the house which was the Austens' home at Southampton
for two years, and of its surroundings, is derived from the personal
reminiscences of the author of the _Memoir_, who was now old enough to
visit his relatives, and who tells us that at this time he began to
know, and 'what was the same thing, to love' his Aunt Jane. 'They
lived,' he says,[169] 'in a commodious old-fashioned house in a corner
of Castle Square . . . with a pleasant garden, bounded on one side by the
old city walls; the top of this wall was sufficiently wide to afford a
pleasant walk, with an extensive view easily accessible to ladies by
steps.' Castle Square itself was occupied 'by a fantastic edifice, too
large for the space in which it stood, though too small to accord well
with its castellated style, erected by the second Marquis of Lansdowne.'
The whole of this building disappeared after the death of its eccentric
owner in November 1809. His half-brother and successor in the
peerage--the well-known statesman--became in after life an ardent
admirer of Jane Austen's novels, and told a friend[170] that 'one of the
circumstances of his life which he looked back upon with vexation was
that Miss Austen should once have been living some weeks in his
neighbourhood without his knowing it.' Had he known it, however, he
would have had no reason--in the Southampton period--for imagining her
to be an author.
On March 9, 1807, we may imagine the party taking possession of their
new house; but Frank can have seen but little of it before he took
command of the _St. Albans_ in April, and went to the Cape of Good Hope
on convoying duty. He was back by June 30.
On Cassandra's return, the two sisters must have been together for a
considerable period; but till June 1808 we know little that is definite
about them, except that in September 1807, together with their mother,
they paid a visit to Chawton House--Edward Austen's Hampshire
residence.[171]
During these years, Charles Austen was long engaged in the unpleasant
and unprofitable duty of enforcing the right of search on the Atlantic
seaboard of America. Hardly anything is said in the extant letters of
his marriage to Fanny Palmer, daughter of the Attorney-General of
Bermuda, which took place in 1807.
The month of June 1808 found Jane staying with her brother Henry in
Brompton[172]; but we have no details of her stay beyond the fact that
she watched some of her acquaintance going to Court on the King's
birthday. On June 14 she left London with her brother James, his wife
and two children, on a visit to Godmersham.
Godmersham: Wednesday [June 15, 1808].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Where shall I begin? Which of
all my important nothings shall I tell you first?
At half after seven yesterday morning Henry saw us
into our own carriage, and we drove away from the
Bath Hotel; which, by-the-bye, had been found most
uncomfortable quarters--very dirty, very noisy,
and very ill-provided. James began his journey by
the coach at five. Our first eight miles were hot;
Deptford Hill brought to my mind our hot journey
into Kent fourteen years ago; but after Blackheath
we suffered nothing, and as the day advanced it
grew quite cool. At Dartford, which we reached
within the two hours and three-quarters, we went
to the Bull, the same inn at which we breakfasted
in that said journey, and on the present occasion
had about the same bad butter.
At half-past ten we were again off, and,
travelling on without any adventure reached
Sittingbourne by three. Daniel was watching for
us at the door of the 'George,' and I was
acknowledged very kindly by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall,
to the latter of whom I devoted my conversation,
while Mary went out to buy some gloves. A few
minutes, of course, did for Sittingbourne; and so
off we drove, drove, drove, and by six o'clock
were at Godmersham.
Our two brothers[173] were walking before the
house as we approached, as natural as life. Fanny
and Lizzie met us in the Hall with a great deal of
pleasant joy; we went for a few minutes into the
breakfast parlour, and then proceeded to our
rooms. Mary has the Hall chamber. I am in the
Yellow room--very literally--for I am writing in
it at this moment. It seems odd to me to have such
a great place all to myself, and to be at
Godmersham without you is also odd.
You are wished for, I assure you: Fanny, who came
to me as soon as she had seen her Aunt James to
her room, and stayed while I dressed, was as
energetic as usual in her longings for you. She is
grown both in height and size since last year, but
not immoderately, looks very well, and seems as to
conduct and manner just what she was and what one
could wish her to continue.
Elizabeth, who was dressing when we arrived, came
to me for a minute attended by Marianne, Charles,
and Louisa, and, you will not doubt, gave me a
very affectionate welcome. That I had received
such from Edward also I need not mention; but I
do, you see, because it is a pleasure. I never saw
him look in better health, and Fanny says he is
perfectly well. I cannot praise Elizabeth's looks,
but they are probably affected by a cold. Her
little namesake has gained in beauty in the last
three years, though not all that Marianne has
lost. Charles is not quite so lovely as he was.
Louisa is much as I expected, and Cassandra I find
handsomer than I expected, though at present
disguised by such a violent breaking-out that she
does not come down after dinner. She has charming
eyes and a nice open countenance, and seems likely
to be very lovable. Her size is magnificent.
* * * * *
_Thursday._-- . . . I feel rather languid and
solitary--perhaps because I have a cold; but three
years ago we were more animated with you and
Harriot and Miss Sharpe. We shall improve, I dare
say, as we go on.
* * * * *
_Friday._--Edward and Caroline[174] seem very
happy here; he has nice play-fellows in Lizzie and
Charles. They and their attendant have the boys'
attic. Anna will not be surprised that the cutting
off her hair is very much regretted by several of
the party in this house; I am tolerably reconciled
to it by considering that two or three years may
restore it again.
Godmersham: Monday [June 20, 1808].
This morning brought me a letter from Mrs. Knight,
containing the usual fee, and all the usual
kindness. She asks me to spend a day or two with
her this week, to meet Mrs. C. Knatchbull, who,
with her husband, comes to the White Friars
to-day, and I believe I shall go. I have consulted
Edward, and think it will be arranged for Mrs. J.
A.'s going with me one morning, my staying the
night, and Edward driving me home the next
evening. Her very agreeable present will make my
circumstances quite easy. I shall reserve half for
my pelisse.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--I sent my answer by them [the
Moores] to Mrs. Knight; my double acceptance of
her note and her invitation, which I wrote without
effort, for I am rich, and the rich are always
respectable, whatever be their style of writing.
Ought I to be very much pleased with
_Marmion_?[175] As yet I am not. James reads it
aloud every evening--the short evening, beginning
at about ten, and broken by supper.
Godmersham: Sunday [June 26, 1808].
I am very much obliged to you for writing to me on
Thursday, and very glad that I owe the pleasure of
hearing from you again so soon to such an
agreeable cause; but you will not be surprised,
nor perhaps so angry as I should be, to find that
Frank's history had reached me before in a letter
from Henry. We are all very happy to hear of his
health and safety; he wants nothing but a good
prize to be a perfect character.
* * * * *
They [the Knatchbulls] return into Somersetshire
by way of Sussex and Hants, and are to be at
Fareham, and, perhaps, may be in Southampton, on
which possibility I said all that I thought right,
and, if they are in the place M^{rs.} K. has
promised to call in Castle Square; it will be
about the end of July. . . . You and I need not tell
each other how glad we shall be to receive
attention from, or pay it to anyone connected with
Mrs. Knight. I cannot help regretting that now,
when I feel enough her equal to relish her
society, I see so little of the latter.
Godmersham: Thursday [June 30, 1808].
You are very kind in mentioning old Mrs. Williams
so often. Poor creature! I cannot help hoping that
each letter may tell of her suffering being over.
If she wants sugar I should like to supply her
with it.
* * * * *
I give you all joy of Frank's return, which
happens in the true sailor way, just after our
being told not to expect him for some weeks. The
wind has been very much against him, but I
suppose he must be in our neighbourhood by this
time. Fanny is in hourly expectation of him here.
Mary's visit in the island is probably shortened
by this event. Make our kind love and
congratulations to her.
* * * * *
James and Edward are gone to Sandling to-day--a
nice scheme for James, as it will show him a new
and fine country. Edward certainly excels in doing
the honours to his visitors, and providing for
their amusement. They come back this evening.
* * * * *
It is pleasant to be among people who know one's
connections and care about them, and it amuses me
to hear John Bridges talk of 'Frank.' I have
thought a little of writing to the Downs, but I
shall not, it is so very certain that he would be
somewhere else when my letter got there.
* * * * *
_Friday, July 1._--It will be two years to-morrow
since we left Bath for Clifton, with what happy
feelings of escape!
* * * * *
In another week I shall be at home, and there, my
having been at Godmersham will seem like a dream,
as my visit to Brompton seems already.
* * * * *
The orange wine will want our care soon. But in
the meantime, for elegance and ease and luxury,
the Hattons and the Milles' dine here to-day, and
I shall eat ice and drink French wine, and be
above vulgar economy. Luckily the pleasures of
friendship, of unreserved conversation, of
similarity of taste and opinions, will make good
amends for orange wine.
Little Edward is quite well again.
Yours affectionately, with love from all,
J. A.
FOOTNOTES:
[146] George (Hatton) was afterwards Earl of Winchilsea; Daniel was
Rector of Great Weldon and Chaplain to Queen Victoria.
[147] Henry's banking premises were then in Albany, Piccadilly.
[148] At Ushant, after the chase of Villeneuve.
[149] The cricket dinner seems to have come at the end of the play, as
it did in the celebrated match played at a somewhat later date in the
same county between All-Muggleton and Dingley Dell (_Pickwick Papers_,
chapter vii.).
[150] A letter from Mrs. Austen is extant, dated 'April 1806, Trim
Street _still_.' Most writers state that the Austens went to Southampton
towards the end of 1805--a year too early.
[151] Jane afterwards asked Frank's leave to introduce the names of some
of his ships (one of which was the _Canopus_) into _Mansfield Park_.
[152] This order is said to have been given to each squadron in
succession; and it is evident that the ships of Admiral Louis's squadron
were especially likely to be in need of supplies, as they had taken
their part in Nelson's chase of Villeneuve.
[153] _Sailor Brothers_, chaps. ix, x, and xi.
[154] See p. 208.
[155] See p. 70.
[156] Probably Joseph Hill--the frequent correspondent of the poet
Cowper.
[157] Miss Mary Leigh left her property--in so far as she had any right
to do so--in trust for (_a_) the Rev. Thomas Leigh; (_b_) James Leigh
Perrot; (_c_) William Henry Leigh.
[158] Not to be confused with his uncle, Thomas Leigh, Rector of
Harpsden and father of Mrs. Austen.
[159] See p. 201.
[160] This letter is quoted by Miss Hill, pp. 163-7.
[161] Unfortunately, Jane appears to date her letters merely
'Southampton,' until she moved to Castle Square.
[162] _Alphonsine_, by Madame de Genlis; _The Female Quixote_, published
1752, by Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, author of the phrase: 'A thought strikes
me: let us swear an eternal friendship.'
[163] Miss Hill supplies us with the line from _The Task_, 'The Winter
Walk at Noon,' ll. 149-50:--
'Laburnum rich
In streaming gold; syringa, ivory pure.'
[164] The Austens were about to become Lord Lansdowne's tenants in
Castle Square.
[165] Johnson to Boswell, July 4, 1774.--Birkbeck Hill's _Boswell_, ii.
279.
[166] Mr. John Austen of Broadford, under whose will the property at
Horsmonden came into the possession of the family of 'Uncle Frank' on
the failure of his own direct heirs. See Chapter I.
[167] _Letters from the Mountains: being the real Correspondence of a
Lady, between 1773 and 1807_, by Mrs. Grant of Laggan.
[168] Probably _An Account of the Manners and Customs of Italy, etc._
London, 1768-9.
[169] _Memoir_, p. 77.
[170] _Ibid._ p. 140.
[171] _Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 116.
[172] The Henry Austens were then living at 16 Michael's Place,
Brompton--a row of houses on the site of the present Egerton Mansions.
[173] James having arrived by the coach before the others.
[174] Son and daughter of James.
[175] Mr. W. Fowle speaks of a visit to Steventon, when Jane read 'very
sweetly' the first canto of _Marmion_. By that time she was no doubt a
warm admirer of the poem.
CHAPTER XIII
FROM SOUTHAMPTON TO CHAWTON
1808-1809
We do not doubt that the orange wine was duly made and the pleasure of
unreserved conversation enjoyed during the remainder of the summer.
Before the end of September, Cassandra had gone to Godmersham on what
was to prove a long and a sad visit. She arrived just at the time of the
birth of her sister-in-law's sixth son and eleventh child, John. For a
time all went well with mother and child; but on October 8 Elizabeth
Austen was suddenly seized with sickness, and died before the serious
nature of her attack had been fully realised.[176] This sad event
occurred, as the reader will see, between the second and third of the
following letters. Edward Austen's two eldest boys, Edward and George,
were now at Winchester School, but were taken away for a time on their
mother's death. They went at first to the James Austens, at Steventon,
no one appearing to think a journey to so distant a county as Kent
feasible; and Jane, whose immediate impulse seems to have been to do
what she could for her nephews, resigned them rather unwillingly for the
time. On October 22 they went on to their grandmother and aunt at
Southampton; and then their Aunt Jane was able to devote herself
entirely to them, as her own Jane Bennet once did to her small cousins,
and to show how her 'steady sense and sweetness of temper exactly
adapted her for attending to them in every way: teaching them, playing
with them, and loving them'--words which she probably intended as a
description of what Cassandra would have done in a similar position.
Castle Square: Saturday [October 1, 1808].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Your letter this morning was
quite unexpected, and it is well that it brings
such good news to counterbalance the
disappointment to me of losing my first sentence,
which I had arranged full of proper hopes about
your journey, intending to commit them to paper
to-day, and not looking for certainty till
to-morrow.
We are extremely glad to hear of the birth of the
child, and trust everything will proceed as well
as it begins. His mamma has our best wishes, and
he our second best for health and comfort--though
I suppose, unless he has our best too, we do
nothing for _her_. We are glad it was all over
before your arrival, and I am most happy to find
who the godmother is to be. My mother was some
time guessing the names.
About an hour and a half after your toils on
Wednesday ended, ours began. At seven o'clock Mrs.
Harrison, her two daughters and two visitors, with
Mr. Debary and his eldest sister, walked in.
A second pool of commerce, and all the longer by
the addition of the two girls, who during the
first had one corner of the table and spillikins
to themselves, was the ruin of us; it completed
the prosperity of Mr. Debary, however, for he won
them both.
Mr. Harrison came in late, and sat by the fire,
for which I envied him, as we had our usual luck
of having a very cold evening. It rained when our
company came, but was dry again before they left
us.
The Miss Ballards are said to be remarkably
well-informed; their manners are unaffected and
pleasing, but they do not talk quite freely enough
to be agreeable, nor can I discover any right they
had by taste or feeling to go their late tour.
We have got the second volume of _Espriella's
Letters_,[177] and I read it aloud by candlelight.
The man describes well, but is horribly
anti-English. He deserves to be the foreigner he
assumes.
The Marquis[178] has put off being cured for
another year; after waiting some weeks in vain for
the return of the vessel he had agreed for, he is
gone into Cornwall to order a vessel built for
himself by a famous man in that country, in which
he means to go abroad a twelvemonth hence.
With love to all,
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
Fanny Austen (afterwards Lady Knatchbull), Edward's eldest daughter, had
nearly completed her sixteenth year. She was admirably adapted for the
difficult position into which she was about to be thrown: that of
companion to her father, mistress of a large household, and adviser to
her younger brothers and sisters. She was sensible, even-tempered,
affectionate, and conscientious. She did indeed prove 'almost another
sister' to Jane, who, as Cassandra said afterwards, was perhaps better
known to her than to any other human being, except Cassandra herself.
Though this niece did not profess any special literary ability, her
Aunt always valued her sound judgment on each new book: and in return
she gave her, without fear of offending, advice[179] on the most
delicate subjects. The short extracts from Fanny's diary, which her
son, Lord Brabourne, gives us, show how constantly 'Aunt Jane' was
the object of her thoughts.
Castle Square: Friday [October 7, 1808].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Your letter on Tuesday gave us
great pleasure, and we congratulate you all upon
Elizabeth's hitherto happy recovery; to-morrow, or
Sunday, I hope to hear of its advancing in the
same style. We are also very glad to know that you
are so well yourself, and pray you to continue so.
* * * * *
We found ourselves tricked into a thorough party
at Mrs. M.'s, a quadrille and a commerce table,
and music in the other room. There were two pools
at commerce, but I would not play more than one,
for the stake was three shillings, and I cannot
afford to lose that twice in an evening. The Miss
M.'s were as civil and as silly as usual.
* * * * *
_Saturday._--Thank you for your letter, which
found me at the breakfast table with my two
companions.
I am greatly pleased with your account of Fanny; I
found her in the summer just what you describe,
almost another sister; and could not have
supposed that a niece would ever have been so
much to me. She is quite after one's own heart;
give her my best love, and tell her that I always
think of her with pleasure.
* * * * *
Martha was an hour and a half in Winchester,
walking about with the three boys and at the
pastry-cook's. She thought Edward grown, and
speaks with the same admiration as before of his
manners; she saw in George a little likeness to
his uncle Henry.
[October 13.]
I have received your letter, and with most
melancholy anxiety was it expected, for the sad
news reached us last night, but without any
particulars. It came in a short letter to Martha
from her sister, begun at Steventon and finished
in Winchester.
We have felt--we do feel--for you all, as you will
not need to be told: for you, for Fanny, for
Henry, for Lady Bridges, and for dearest Edward,
whose loss and whose sufferings seem to make those
of every other person nothing. God be praised that
you can say what you do of him: that he has a
religious mind to bear him up, and a disposition
that will gradually lead him to comfort.
My dear, dear Fanny, I am so thankful that she has
you with her! You will be everything to her; you
will give her all the consolation that human aid
can give. May the Almighty sustain you all, and
keep you, my dearest Cassandra, well; but for the
present I dare say you are equal to everything.
You will know that the poor boys are at Steventon.
Perhaps it is best for them, as they will have
more means of exercise and amusement there than
they could have with us, but I own myself
disappointed by the arrangement. I should have
loved to have them with me at such a time. I
shall write to Edward by this post.
* * * * *
With what true sympathy our feelings are shared by
Martha you need not be told; she is the friend and
sister under every circumstance.
We need not enter into a panegyric on the
departed, but it is sweet to think of her great
worth, of her solid principles, of her true
devotion, her excellence in every relation of
life. It is also consolatory to reflect on the
shortness of the sufferings which led her from
this world to a better.
Farewell for the present, my dearest sister. Tell
Edward that we feel for him and pray for him.
Saturday night [October 15, 1808].
Your accounts make us as comfortable as we can
expect to be at such a time. Edward's loss is
terrible, and must be felt as such, and these are
too early days indeed to think of moderation in
grief, either in him or his afflicted daughter,
but soon we may hope that our dear Fanny's sense
of duty to that beloved father will rouse her to
exertion. For his sake, and as the most acceptable
proof of love to the spirit of her departed
mother, she will try to be tranquil and resigned.
Does she feel you to be a comfort to her, or is
she too much overpowered for anything but
solitude?
Your account of Lizzy is very interesting. Poor
child! One must hope the impression _will_ be
strong, and yet one's heart aches for a dejected
mind of eight years old.
* * * * *
We are anxious to be assured that Edward will not
attend the funeral, but when it comes to the point
I think he must feel it impossible.
* * * * *
I am glad you can say what you do of Mrs. Knight
and of Goodnestone in general; it is a great
relief to me to know that the shock did not make
any of them ill. But what a task was yours to
announce it! _Now_ I hope you are not overpowered
with letter-writing, as Henry[180] and John can
ease you of many of your correspondents.
* * * * *
Upon your letter to Dr. Goddard's[181] being
forwarded to them, Mary wrote to ask whether my
mother wished to have her grandsons sent to her.
We decided on their remaining where they were,
which I hope my brother will approve of. I am sure
he will do us the justice of believing that in
such a decision we sacrificed inclination to what
we thought best.
I shall write by the coach to-morrow to Mrs. J.
A., and to Edward, about their mourning, though
this day's post will probably bring directions to
them on that subject from yourselves. I shall
certainly make use of the opportunity of
addressing our nephew on the most serious of all
concerns, as I naturally did in my letter to him
before. The poor boys are, perhaps, more
comfortable at Steventon than they could be here,
but you will understand _my feelings_ with respect
to it.
To-morrow will be a dreadful day for you all. Mr.
Whitfield's[182] will be a severe duty. Glad shall
I be to hear that it is over.
That you are for ever in our thoughts you will not
doubt. I see your mournful party in my mind's eye
under every varying circumstance of the day; and
in the evening especially figure to myself its sad
gloom: the efforts to talk, the frequent summons
to melancholy orders and cares, and poor Edward,
restless in misery, going from one room to
another, and perhaps not seldom upstairs, to see
all that remains of his Elizabeth.
There must be a letter missing between October 15 and October 24,
containing Jane's first comment on the offer of a cottage at Chawton,
made by Edward Austen to his mother. In the midst of his grief--perhaps,
in consequence of his loss--he wished to bind his mother and sisters
more closely to himself. He gave them a choice between a house near
Godmersham, and one at Chawton; but the mother and sisters were what
Jane afterwards called 'Hampshire-born Austens,' and clung to their
county. The offer was particularly opportune, for Mrs. Austen was
already hesitating between Kent and Hampshire as a place of residence.
The attractions of a home at Chawton became greater the more they were
considered; and though it was held to be necessary to consult the Frank
Austens, whom they would be leaving, no doubt was entertained as to
their answer.
Castle Square: Monday [October 24, 1808].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Edward and George came to us
soon after seven on Saturday, very well, but very
cold, having by choice travelled on the outside,
and with no great coat but what Mr. Wise, the
coachman, good-naturedly spared them of his, as
they sat by his side. They were so much chilled
when they arrived, that I was afraid they must
have taken cold; but it does not seem at all the
case; I never saw them looking better.
_They behave extremely well_ in every respect,
showing quite as much feeling as one wishes to
see, and on every occasion speaking of their
father with the liveliest affection. His letter
was read over by each of them yesterday, and with
many tears; George sobbed aloud, Edward's tears do
not flow so easily; but as far as I can judge they
are both very properly impressed by what has
happened. Miss Lloyd, who is a more impartial
judge than I can be, is exceedingly pleased with
them.
George is almost a new acquaintance to me, and I
find him in a different way as _engaging as
Edward_.
We do not want amusement: bilbocatch,[183] at
which George is indefatigable, spillikins, paper
ships, riddles, conundrums, and cards, with
watching the flow and ebb of the river, and now
and then a stroll out, keep us well employed; and
we mean to avail ourselves of our kind papa's
consideration, by not returning to Winchester till
quite the evening of Wednesday.
* * * * *
The _St. Albans_, I find, sailed on the very day
of my letters reaching Yarmouth, so that we must
not expect an answer[184] at present; we scarcely
feel, however, to be in suspense, or only enough
to keep our plans to ourselves. We have been
obliged to explain them to our young visitors, in
consequence of Fanny's letter, but we have not yet
mentioned them to Steventon. We are all quite
familiarised to the idea ourselves; my mother only
wants Mrs. Seward to go out at Midsummer.
What sort of a kitchen garden is there? Mrs. J. A.
expresses her fear of our settling in Kent, and,
till this proposal was made, we began to look
forward to it here; my mother was actually talking
of a house at Wye. It will be best, however, as it
is.
* * * * *
I hope your sorrowing party were at church
yesterday, and have no longer _that_ to dread.
Martha was kept at home by a _cold, but I went
with my two nephews, and I saw Edward was much
affected by the sermon, which, indeed, I could
have supposed purposely addressed_ to the
afflicted, if the text had not naturally come in
the course of Dr. Mant's[185] observations on the
Litany: 'All that are in danger, necessity, or
tribulation,' was the subject of it. The weather
did not allow us afterwards to get farther than
the quay, where George was very happy as long as
we could stay, flying about from one side to the
other, and skipping on board a collier
immediately.
In the evening we had the Psalms and Lessons, and
a sermon at home, to which they were very
attentive; but you will not expect to hear that
they did not return to conundrums the moment it
_was over_.
While I write now, George is most industriously
making and naming paper ships, at which he
afterwards shoots with horse-chestnuts, brought
from Steventon on purpose; and Edward equally
intent over the _Lake of Killarney_, twisting
himself about in one of our great chairs.
* * * * *
_Tuesday._--The day began cheerfully, but it is
not likely to continue what it should, for them or
for us. _We had a little water party_ yesterday; I
and my two nephews went from the Itchen Ferry up
to Northam, where we landed, looked into the 74,
and walked home, and it was so much enjoyed that I
had intended to take them to Netley to-day; the
tide is just right for our going immediately after
moonshine,[186] but I am afraid there will be
rain; if we cannot get so far, however, we may
perhaps go round from the ferry to the quay.
I had not proposed doing more than cross the
Itchen yesterday, but it proved so pleasant, and
so much to the satisfaction of all, that when we
reached the middle of the stream we agreed to be
rowed up the river; both the boys rowed great part
of the way, and their questions and remarks, as
well as their enjoyment, were very amusing;
George's enquiries were endless, and his eagerness
in everything reminds me often _of his Uncle
Henry_.
Our evening was equally agreeable in its way: I
introduced _speculation_,[187] and it was so much
approved that we hardly knew how to leave off.
* * * * *
Of Chawton I think I can have nothing more to say,
but that everything you say about it in the letter
now before me will, I am sure, as soon as I am
able to read it to her, make my mother consider
the plan with more and more pleasure.
Sunday [November 21, 1808].
Your letter, my dear Cassandra, obliges me to
write immediately, that you may have the earliest
notice of Frank's intending, if possible, to go to
Godmersham exactly at the time now fixed for your
visit to Goodnestone.
* * * * *
Your news of Edward Bridges[188] was _quite_ news,
for I have had no letter from Wrotham. I wish him
happy with all my heart, and hope his choice may
turn out according to his own expectations, and
beyond those of his family; and I dare say it
will. Marriage is a great improver, and in a
similar situation Harriet may be as amiable as
Eleanor. As to money, that will come, you may be
sure, because they cannot do without it. When you
see him again, pray give him our congratulations
and best wishes. This match will certainly set
John and Lucy going.
There are six bedchambers at Chawton; Henry wrote
to my mother the other day, and luckily mentioned
the number, which is just what we wanted to be
assured of. He speaks also of garrets for store
places, one of which she immediately planned
fitting up for Edward's man servant; and now
perhaps it must be for our own; for she is already
quite reconciled to our keeping one. The
difficulty of doing without one had been thought
of before. His name shall be Robert, if you
please.
* * * * *
Yes, the Stoneleigh business is concluded, but it
was not till yesterday that my mother was
regularly informed of it, though the news had
reached us on Monday evening by way of Steventon.
* * * * *
Our brother[189] we may perhaps see in the course
of a few days, and we mean to take the opportunity
of his help to go one night to the play. Martha
ought to see the inside of the theatre once while
she lives in Southampton, and I think she will
hardly wish to take a second view.
* * * * *
How could you have a wet day on Thursday? With us
it was a prince of days, the most delightful we
have had for weeks; soft, bright, with a brisk
wind from the south-west; everybody was out and
talking of spring, and Martha and I did not know
how to turn back. On Friday evening we had some
very blowing weather--from 6 to 9, I think we
never heard it worse, even here. And one night we
had so much rain that it forced its way again into
the store closet, and though the evil was
comparatively slight and the mischief nothing, I
had some employment the next day in drying
parcels, &c. I have now moved still more out of
the way.
* * * * *
Adieu! remember me affectionately to everybody,
and believe me,
Ever yours,
J. A.
The home at Chawton was now looked upon as a certainty; though none of
its future inhabitants inspected it until February 1809, when Cassandra
visited it on her way back from Godmersham.
It was some years since they had lived in the country, and their future
home was likely to be very quiet; so, as Jane recovered her spirits, she
determined to crowd into her remaining months at Southampton as much
society and amusement as possible. She went to two of the Southampton
assemblies--her last recorded appearances as an active ball-goer.
Castle Square: Friday [December 9, 1808].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Soon after I had closed my
last letter to you we were visited by Mrs. Dickens
and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Bertie, the wife of a
lately-made Admiral. Mrs. F. A., I believe, was
their first object, but they put up with us very
kindly, and Mrs. D. finding in Miss Lloyd a friend
of Mrs. Dundas, had another motive for the
acquaintance. She seems a really agreeable
woman--that is, her manners are gentle, and she
knows a great many of our connections in West
Kent. Mrs. Bertie lives in the Polygon, and was
out when we returned her visit, which are _her_
two virtues.
A larger circle of acquaintance, and an increase
of amusement, is quite in character with our
approaching removal. Yes, I mean to go to as many
balls as possible, that I may have a good bargain.
Everybody is very much concerned at our going
away, and everybody is acquainted with Chawton,
and speaks of it as a remarkably pretty village,
and everybody knows the house we describe, but
nobody fixes on the right.
I am very much obliged to Mrs. Knight for such a
proof of the interest she takes in me, and she may
depend upon it that I _will_ marry Mr.
Papillon,[190] whatever may be his reluctance or
my own. I owe her much more than such a trifling
sacrifice.
Our ball was rather more amusing than I expected.
Martha liked it very much, and I did not gape till
the last quarter of an hour. It was past nine
before we were sent for, and not twelve when we
returned. The room was tolerably full, and there
# were, perhaps, thirty couple of dancers. The
melancholy part was, to see so many dozen young
women standing by without partners, and each of
them with two ugly naked shoulders.
It was the same room in which we danced fifteen
years ago. I thought it all over, and in spite of
the shame of being so much older, felt with
thankfulness that I was quite as happy now as
then. We paid an additional shilling for our tea,
which we took as we chose in an adjoining and very
comfortable room.
There were only four dances, and it went to my
heart that the Miss Lances (one of them, too,
named Emma) should have partners only for two. You
will not expect to hear that _I_ was asked to
dance, but I was--by the gentleman whom we met
_that Sunday_ with Captain D'Auvergne. We have
always kept up a bowing acquaintance since, and,
being pleased with his black eyes, I spoke to him
at the ball, which brought on me this civility;
but I do not know his name, and he seems so little
at home in the English language, that I believe
his black eyes may be the best of him. Captain
D'Auvergne has got a ship.
* * * * *
Having now cleared away my smaller articles of
news, I come to a communication of some weight: no
less than that my uncle and aunt[191] are going to
allow James £100 a year. We hear of it through
Steventon. Mary sent us the other day an extract
from my aunt's letter on the subject, in which the
donation is made with the greatest kindness, and
intended as a compensation for his loss in the
conscientious refusal of Hampstead living; £100 a
year being all that he had at the time called its
worth, as I find it was always intended at
Steventon to divide the real income with
Kintbury.[192]
* * * * *
I am glad you are to have Henry with you again;
with him and the boys you cannot but have a
cheerful, and at times even a merry, Christmas.
* * * * *
We want to be settled at Chawton in time for Henry
to come to us for some shooting in October, at
least, or a little earlier, and Edward may visit
us after taking his boys back to Winchester.
Suppose we name the 4th of September. Will not
that do?
* * * * *
Distribute the affectionate love of a heart not so
tired as the right hand belonging to it.
Tuesday [December 27, 1808].
. . . Lady Sondes' match[193] surprises, but does
not offend me; had her first marriage been of
affection, or had there been a grown-up single
daughter, I should not have forgiven her; but I
consider everybody as having a right to marry
_once_ in their lives for love, if they can, and
provided she will now leave off having bad
headaches and being pathetic, I can allow her, I
can _wish_ her, to be happy.
Do not imagine that your picture of your
_tête-à-tête_ with Sir B.[194] makes any change in
our expectations here; he could not be really
reading, though he held the newspaper in his hand;
he was making up his mind to the deed, and the
manner of it. I think you will have a letter from
him soon.
* * * * *
We have now pretty well ascertained James's income
to be eleven hundred pounds, curate paid, which
makes us very happy--the ascertainment as well as
the income.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--I must write to Charles next week.
You may guess in what extravagant terms of praise
Earle Harwood speaks of him. He is looked up to by
everybody in all America.
* * * * *
Yes, yes, we _will_ have a pianoforte, as good a
one as can be got for thirty guineas, and I will
practise country dances, that we may have some
amusement for our nephews and nieces, when we have
the pleasure of their company.
Tuesday [January 10, 1809].
I am not surprised, my dear Cassandra, that you
did not find my last letter very full of matter,
and I wish this may not have the same deficiency;
but we are doing nothing ourselves to write about,
and I am therefore quite dependent upon the
communications of our friends, or my own wits.
* * * * *
The _St. Albans_ perhaps may soon be off to help
bring home what may remain by this time of our
poor army,[195] whose state seems dreadfully
critical. The Regency seems to have been heard of
only here; my most political correspondents make
no mention of it. Unlucky that I should have
wasted so much reflection on the subject.
I can now answer your question to my mother more
at large, and likewise more at small--with equal
perspicuity and minuteness; for the very day of
our leaving Southampton is fixed; and if the
knowledge is of no _use_ to Edward, I am sure it
will give him pleasure. Easter Monday, April 3,
is the day; we are to sleep that night at Alton,
and be with our friends at Bookham the next, if
they are then at home; there we remain till the
following Monday, and on Tuesday, April 11, hope
to be at Godmersham.
* * * * *
William will be quite recovered, I trust, by the
time you receive this. What a comfort his
cross-stitch must have been! Pray tell him that I
should like to see his work very much. I hope our
answers this morning have given satisfaction; we
had great pleasure in Uncle Deedes' packet; and
pray let Marianne know, in private, that I think
she is quite right to work a rug for Uncle John's
coffee urn, and that I am sure it must give great
pleasure to herself now, and to him when he
receives it.
The preference of Brag over Speculation does not
greatly surprise me, I believe, because I feel the
same myself; but it mortifies me deeply, because
Speculation was under my patronage; and, after
all, what is there so delightful in a pair royal
of Braggers? It is but three nines or three
knaves, or a mixture of them. When one comes to
reason upon it, it cannot stand its ground against
Speculation--of which I hope Edward is now
convinced. Give my love to him if he is.
* * * * *
We are now in _Margiana_,[196] and like it very
well indeed. We are just going to set off for
Northumberland to be shut up in Widdrington Tower,
where there must be two or three sets of victims
already immured under a very fine villain.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--Charles's rug will be finished
to-day, and sent to-morrow to Frank, to be
consigned by him to Mr. Turner's care; and I am
going to send _Marmion_ out with it--very generous
in me, I think.
Have you nothing to say of your little namesake?
We join in love and many happy returns.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
The Manydown ball was a smaller thing than I
expected, but it seems to have made Anna very
happy. At _her_ age it would not have done for
_me_.
Tuesday [January 17, 1809].
I hope you have had no more illness among you, and
that William will be soon as well as ever. His
working a footstool for Chawton is a most
agreeable surprise to me, and I am sure his
grandmamma will value it very much as a proof of
his affection and industry, but we shall never
have the heart to put our feet upon it. I believe
I must work a muslin cover in satin stitch to keep
it from the dirt. I long to know what his colours
are. I guess greens and purples.
* * * * *
To set against your new novel, of which nobody
ever heard before, and perhaps never may again, we
have got _Ida of Athens_,[197] by Miss Owenson,
which must be very clever, because it was written,
as the authoress says, in three months. We have
only read the preface yet, but her _Irish
Girl_[198] does not make me expect much. If the
warmth of her language could affect the body it
might be worth reading in this weather.
Adieu! I must leave off to stir the fire and call
on Miss Murden.
_Evening._--I have done them both, the first very
often. We found our friend as comfortable as she
can ever allow herself to be in cold weather.
There is a very neat parlour behind the shop for
her to sit in, not very light indeed, being _à la_
Southampton, the middle of three deep, but very
lively from the frequent sound of the pestle and
mortar.
Tuesday [January 24, 1809].
I had the happiness yesterday of a letter from
Charles, but I shall say as little about it as
possible, because I know _that_ excruciating Henry
will have had a letter likewise, to make all my
intelligence valueless. It was written at Bermuda
on the 7th and 10th of December. All well, and
Fanny[199] still only in expectation of being
otherwise. He had taken a small prize in his late
cruise--a French schooner, laden with sugar; but
bad weather parted them, and she had not yet been
heard of. His cruise ended December 1st. My
September letter was the latest he had received.
* * * * *
You rejoice me by what you say of Fanny.[200] I
hope she will not turn good-for-nothing this ever
so long. We thought of and talked of her yesterday
with sincere affection, and wished her a long
enjoyment of all the happiness to which she seems
born. While she gives happiness to those about her
she is pretty sure of her own share.
I am gratified by her having pleasure in what I
write, but I wish the knowledge of my being
exposed to her discerning criticism may not hurt
my style, by inducing too great a solicitude. I
begin already to weigh my words and sentences more
than I did, and am looking about for a sentiment,
an illustration, or a metaphor in every corner of
the room. Could my ideas flow as fast as the rain
in the store closet it would be charming.
We have been in two or three dreadful states
within the last week, from the melting of the
snow, &c., and the contest between us and the
closet has now ended in our defeat. I have been
obliged to move almost everything out of it, and
leave it to splash itself as it likes.
You have by no means raised my curiosity after
Caleb.[201] My disinclination for it before was
affected, but now it is real. I do not like the
evangelicals. Of course I shall be delighted when
I read it, like other people, but till I do I
dislike it.
* * * * *
Your silence on the subject of our ball makes me
suppose your curiosity too great for words. We
were very well entertained, and could have stayed
longer but for the arrival of my list shoes to
convey me home, and I did not like to keep them
waiting in the cold. The room was tolerably full,
and the ball opened by Miss Glyn. The Miss Lances
had partners, Captain D'Auvergne's friend appeared
in regimentals, Caroline Maitland had an officer
to flirt with, and Mr. John Harrison was deputed
by Captain Smith, being himself absent, to ask me
to dance. Everything went well, you see,
especially after we had tucked Mrs. Lance's
neckerchief in behind and fastened it with a pin.
* * * * *
Adieu, sweet You. This is grievous news from
Spain. It is well that Dr. Moore was spared the
knowledge of such a son's death.
Monday [January 30].
I am not at all ashamed about the name of the
novel, having been guilty of no insult towards
your handwriting; the diphthong I always saw, but
knowing how fond you were of adding a vowel
wherever you could, I attributed it to that alone,
and the knowledge of the truth does the book no
service; the only merit it could have was in the
name of Caleb, which has an honest, unpretending
sound, but in Coelebs there is pedantry and
affectation. Is it written only to classical
scholars?
I am sorry to find that Sir J. Moore has a mother
living, but though a very heroic son he might not
be a very necessary one to her happiness. Deacon
Morrell may be more to Mrs. Morrell.
I wish Sir John had united something of the
Christian with the hero in his death. Thank
heaven! we have had no one to care for
particularly among the troops--no one, in fact,
nearer to us than Sir John himself.
* * * * *
The store closet, I hope, will never do so again,
for much of the evil is proved to have proceeded
from the gutter being choked up, and we have had
it cleared. We had reason to rejoice in the
child's absence at the time of the thaw, for the
nursery was not habitable. We hear of similar
disasters from almost everybody.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Austen, Edward Austen's, Esq.
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.
This letter brings the Southampton series to an end. The party were not
to take up their residence at Chawton till the beginning of September;
but they left Southampton in April, and we may presume that they carried
out the programme mentioned in Jane's letter of January 10, and went by
way of Alton to Bookham, and on to Godmersham.
In the whole series of letters written from Southampton, there is not a
single allusion to Jane's being engaged upon any novel; and it has been
inferred--probably correctly--that her pen was idle during these years.
The fact that she had already written three novels, but had not
succeeded in publishing a single one, can hardly have encouraged her to
write more. But it seems almost certain that, a few days before she
left Southampton, she made an effort to secure the publication of the
novel which we know as _Northanger Abbey_, by the publisher to whom she
had sold it as far back as 1803.
The circumstances are somewhat involved, but appear to be as follows:
Among the letters preserved by Cassandra, is one said not to be in
Jane's hand, addressed to Messrs. Crosbie [_sic_] & Co.,[202] of which
these are the contents:--
GENTLEMEN,--In the spring of the year 1803 a MS.
novel in two vols., entitled _Susan_, was sold to
you by a gentleman of the name of Seymour, and the
purchase money £10 rec^{d.} at the same time. Six
years have since passed, and this work, of which I
am myself the Authoress, has never to the best of
my knowledge appeared in print, tho' an early
publication was stipulated for at the time of
sale. I can only account for such an extraordinary
circumstance by supposing the MS. by some
carelessness to have been lost, and if that was
the case am willing to supply you with another
copy, if you are disposed to avail yourselves of
it, and will engage for no farther delay when it
comes into your hands. It will not be in my power
from particular circumstances to command this copy
before the month of August, but then if you accept
my proposal you may depend on receiving it. Be so
good as to send me a line in answer as soon as
possible as my stay in this place will not exceed
a few days. Should no notice be taken of this
address, I shall feel myself at liberty to secure
the publication of my work by applying elsewhere.
I am, Gentlemen, etc., etc.,
M. A. D.
Direct to Mrs. Ashton Dennis,
Post Office, Southampton
April 5, 1809.
With this letter was preserved the following reply:--
MADAM,--We have to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 5th inst. It is true that at the
time mentioned we purchased of Mr. Seymour a MS.
novel entitled _Susan_, and paid him for it the
sum of £10, for which we have his stamped receipt,
as a full consideration, but there was not any
time stipulated for its publication, neither are
we bound to publish it. Should you or anyone else
[publish it] we shall take proceedings to stop the
sale. The MS. shall be yours for the same as we
paid for it.
For CROSBY & CO.
I am yours, etc.
RICHARD CROSBY.
From the fact that this letter was carefully preserved among Jane's
correspondence, from the almost exact coincidence of the dates at which
the writer was to leave Southampton, &c., and from the fact that a Mr.
Seymour was Henry Austen's man of business, there can be no reasonable
doubt that the letter refers to one of Jane Austen's works. It need
cause no surprise that she should have written under an assumed name, or
that she should have got some one else to write for her in view of the
secrecy which she long maintained regarding the authorship of her
novels. If we assume, then, that the letter concerns one of Jane
Austen's novels--which novel is it? At first sight it might naturally
seem to be the story called _Lady Susan_, which was published in the
second edition of the _Memoir_; but there are two objections to this:
one, that so far from making two volumes, _Lady Susan_ could hardly have
made more than one very thin volume; secondly, that _Lady Susan_ is
generally looked upon as an early and immature production; and Jane's
judgment should have been too good to allow her to desire the
publication of an inferior work at a time when she had already
completed, in one form or another, three such novels as _Sense and
Sensibility_, _Pride and Prejudice_, and _Northanger Abbey_. If,
therefore, it was not _Lady Susan_--What was it? We cannot doubt that it
was the novel we now know as _Northanger Abbey_. When that book was
prepared for the press in 1816, it contained the following
'advertisement' or prefatory note:--
This little work was finished in the year 1803,
and intended for immediate publication. It was
disposed of to a bookseller,[203] it was even
advertised, and why the business proceeded no
further, the author has never been able to learn.
So far, this accords closely enough with the history of the MS. _Susan_
as related in the letter to Messrs. Crosby. For other details we must go
to the _Memoir_,[204] where we read:--
It [_Northanger Abbey_] was sold in 1803 to a
publisher in Bath for ten pounds; but it found so
little favour in his eyes that he chose to abide
by his first loss rather than risk further expense
by publishing such a work. . . . But when four novels
of steadily increasing success had given the
writer some confidence in herself, she wished to
recover the copyright of this early work. One of
her brothers undertook the negotiation. He found
the purchaser very willing to receive back his
money and to resign all claim to the
copyright.[205]
This, too, accords closely enough with the history of the MS. _Susan_,
with the exception of one expression--namely, 'publisher in Bath'; but
probably the writer of the _Memoir_ here made a slip, acting on the very
natural inference that a book in the main written about Bath, by a
writer at that time living in Bath, would naturally have been offered to
a publisher in that town.
We are, indeed, confronted by two alternatives: either that Jane Austen,
in the year 1803, sold two MSS. for the sum of ten pounds each--one
named _Susan_, to a London publisher, which has disappeared altogether,
unless it is the same as the sketch _Lady Susan_ (which, as we have
seen, is improbable), and the other (_Northanger Abbey_) to a Bath
publisher; or that the publisher was really a London and not a Bath
publisher, and that the original Christian name of Catherine Morland was
Susan.[206]
FOOTNOTES:
[176] _Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 1.
[177] Southey's _Letters from England, by Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella_
(London, 1807); a lively account of this country, written in the guise
of letters assigned to a fictitious Spanish traveller.
[178] Lord Lansdowne, who put off being cured too long: his death
occurred about the time when he had proposed to go abroad.
[179] See Chapter XIX.
[180] Henry Austen and John Bridges.
[181] William Stanley Goddard, D.D., Head Master of Winchester,
1796-1809.
[182] The Rector of Godmersham.
[183] Anglicised form of French word for cup-and-ball--_bilboquet_.
[184] As to the move to Chawton.
[185] Richard Mant, D.D., Rector of All Saints, Southampton, and father
of Bishop Mant.
[186] She probably wrote _n_oonshine, a somewhat incorrect way of
spelling _nuncheon_ (luncheon). See _Sense and Sensibility_, c. xliv.
[187] See p. 225.
[188] His approaching marriage to Harriet Foote.
[189] Frank.
[190] The Rector of Chawton, who was a bachelor.
[191] Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Perrot.
[192] In 1806, the small living of Hampstead Marshall became vacant by
the death of old Mr. Fowle; and Lord Craven, the patron, looking round
for an 'honest man' who would hold the living for his nominee, offered
it to James Austen. He, however, felt scruples, grounded on the wording
of the bond of resignation, and declined the preferment.
[193] Her second marriage to General H. T. Montresor.
[194] A joking suggestion that Sir Brook Bridges was about to propose to
Cassandra.
[195] Sir John Moore's heroic twelve days' retreat to Corunna was now in
progress, and the battle was fought there on January 16. It is mentioned
again in the next two letters. The news on this occasion seems to have
come very quickly. The _St. Albans_ (under the command of Francis
Austen) was at Spithead, and there took charge of the disembarkation of
the remains of Sir John Moore's forces (_Sailor Brothers_, p. 203).
[196] _Margiana; or Widdrington Tower_, anon. 5 vols. 1808. For a
description of this romance see a reply by M. H. Dodds in _Notes and
Queries_, 11 S. vii. pp. 233-4.
[197] _Women, or Ida of Athens_, by Sydney Owenson (afterwards Lady
Morgan), published in 1809.
[198] _The Wild Irish Girl_, published in 1806.
[199] Mrs. Charles Austen, whose daughter Cassandra was born on December
22, 1808.
[200] Eldest daughter of Jane's brother Edward.
[201] This proved to be Hannah More's _Coelebs in Search of a Wife_,
published in 1808. See next letter.
[202] Messrs. Crosby & Co. of Stationers' Hall Court, London.
[203] Mr. Austin Dobson, in his introduction to _Northanger Abbey_
(Macmillan, 1897), makes the mistake of saying that the 'advertisement'
of the first edition of 1818 tells us that the MS. was disposed of to 'a
Bath bookseller.'
[204] _Memoir_, p. 129.
[205] This implies that (if _Susan_ and _Northanger Abbey_ were the
same) no arrangement was concluded in 1809. Indeed, it does not appear
that the author contemplated a re-purchase at that time; and the
publisher was unwilling to relinquish his rights on any other terms.
[206] Later writers have not even been content to accept the 'publisher
in Bath,' but have found a name and habitation for him. Mr. Peach, in
his _Historic Houses in Bath_, published in 1883 (p. 150 _note_), says:
'The publisher (who purchased _Northanger Abbey_), we believe, was
Bull.' Mr. Oscar Fay Adams, writing in 1891 (_Story of Jane Austen's
Life_, p. 93), becomes more definite in his statement that 'nothing of
hers (Jane Austen's) had yet been published; for although Bull, a
publisher in Old Bond Street [sc. in Bath], had purchased in 1802
[_sic_] the manuscript of _Northanger Abbey_ for the sum of ten pounds,
it was lying untouched--and possibly unread--among his papers, at the
epoch of her leaving Bath.'
It is true that Mr. Dobson, unable to find the authority for Bull's
name, is a little more guarded, when he amusingly writes, in 1897:--
'Even at this distance of time, the genuine devotee of Jane Austen must
be conscious of a futile but irresistible desire to "feel the bumps" of
that Boeotian bookseller of Bath, who, having bought the manuscript of
_Northanger Abbey_ for the base price of ten pounds, refrained from
putting it before the world. . . . Only two suppositions are possible: one,
that Mr. Bull of the Circulating Library at Bath (if Mr. Bull it were)
was constitutionally insensible to the charms of that master-spell which
Mrs. Slipslop calls "ironing"; the other, that he was an impenitent and
irreclaimable adherent of the author of _The Mysteries of Udolpho_.'
Mr. Meehan, in his _Famous Houses of Bath and District_ (1901), is the
most circumstantial of all, writing on p. 197:--
'Her novel _Northanger Abbey_, which is full of Bath, was finished in
1798, and in 1803 she sold the manuscript for ten pounds to Lewis Bull,
a bookseller in the "Lower Walks" (now "Terrace Walk"). Bull had in 1785
succeeded James Leake, and he in turn was succeeded by John Upham. Bull
was the founder of the well-known library in Bond Street, London--for
many years known as Bull's Library.'
CHAPTER XIV
_SENSE AND SENSIBILITY_
1809-1811
We are now bringing Jane Austen to the home which she was to occupy
through all the remaining eight years of her life--the home from which
she went to lie on her deathbed at Winchester. Into this period were to
be crowded a large proportion of her most important literary work, and
all the contemporary recognition which she was destined to enjoy. The
first six of these years must have been singularly happy. So far as we
know, she was in good health, she was a member of a cheerful family
party, and she was under the protection of brothers who would see that
she and her mother and sister suffered no discomfort. The eldest, James,
Rector of Steventon, could reach his mother's house in a morning's ride
through pleasant country lanes; Edward, the Squire, occasionally
occupied the 'Great House' at Chawton, and often lent it to one of his
naval brothers; while Henry in London was only too happy to receive his
sisters, show them the sights of the metropolis, and transact Jane's
literary business. At home were her mother, her life-long friend Martha,
and above all her 'other self'--Cassandra--from whom she had no secrets,
and with whom disagreement was impossible. But besides all these living
objects of interest, Jane also had her own separate and peculiar world,
peopled by the creations of her own bright imagination, which by degrees
became more and more real to her as she found others accepting and
admiring them. She must have resumed the habit of writing with
diffidence, after her previous experience; but the sense of progress,
and the success which attended her venture in publishing _Sense and
Sensibility_ would by degrees make ample amends for past
disappointments. She was no doubt aided by the quiet of her home and its
friendly surroundings. In this tranquil spot, where the past and present
even now join peaceful hands, she found happy leisure, repose of mind,
and absence of distraction, such as any sustained creative effort
demands.
Chawton was a charming village, about a mile from Alton, and deep in the
country; although two main roads from Gosport and Winchester
respectively joined on their way towards London just in front of the
Austens' cottage. Indeed, the place still refuses to be modernised, in
spite of three converging railways, and a necessary but civil notice in
the corner requesting motorists to 'drive slowly through the village.'
The venerable manor-house (then always called the 'Great House') is on
the slope of a hill above the Church, surrounded by garden, meadows, and
trees, and commanding a view over the intervening valley to a hill
opposite, crowned with a beech wood and known as 'Chawton Park.' The
cottage is in the centre of the village, and, as it actually abuts on
the road, the Austens could easily see or be seen by travellers. It is
supposed to have been built as a posting inn, but it had lately been
occupied by Edward Austen's steward. The author of the _Memoir_
describes his uncle's improvements to the place in the following
words[207]:--
A good-sized entrance and two sitting-rooms made
the length of the house, all intended originally
to look upon the road; but the large drawing-room
window was blocked up and turned into a book-case,
and another opened at the side which gave to view
only turf and trees, as a high wooden fence and
hornbeam hedge shut out the Winchester road, which
skirted the whole length of the little domain.
He goes on to speak of the garden laid out at the same time, which
proved a great interest to the party of ladies, and in which old Mrs.
Austen worked vigorously, almost to the end of her days, often attired
in a green round smock like a labourer's: a costume which must have been
nearly as remarkable as the red habit of her early married life.
Jane Austen was now between thirty-three and thirty-four years old. She
was absolutely free from any artistic self-consciousness, from any
eccentricity of either temper or manner. 'Hers was a mind well balanced
on a basis of good sense, sweetened by an affectionate heart, and
regulated by fixed principles; so that she was to be distinguished from
many other amiable and sensible women only by that peculiar genius which
shines out clearly . . . in her works.'[208] Her tastes were as normal as
her nature. She read English literature with eagerness, attracted by the
eighteenth-century perfection of style--and still more by the return to
nature in Cowper and the introduction of romance in Scott--but repelled
by coarseness, which she found even in the _Spectator_, and the presence
of which in Fielding made her rank him below Richardson. As for the
latter, 'Every circumstance narrated in _Sir Charles Grandison_, all
that was ever said or done in the "Cedar Parlour," was familiar to her;
and the wedding days of Lady L. and Lady G. were as well remembered as
if they had been living friends.' Her 'dear Dr. Johnson' was a constant
companion; and a younger friend was found in Crabbe, whom--as she used
to pretend--she was quite prepared to marry: not knowing at the time
whether he had a wife living or not.[209] As to her other tastes, she
greatly delighted in the beauties of nature, and no doubt would have
enjoyed foreign travel, had not that pleasure been quite out of her
reach. Her attitude to music, as an art, is more doubtful. She learnt to
play the piano in her youth, and after spending many years without an
instrument, took it up again on settling at Chawton; but she says
herself that she did this in order to be able to play country-dances for
her nephews and nieces; and when she goes to a concert she sometimes
remarks on her inability to enjoy it. A concert in Sydney Gardens,
however, was not perhaps likely to offer to the hearer many examples of
high art; and we have no means of knowing whether, if she had had a
chance of being introduced to classical music, it would have appealed to
her, as it sometimes does to intellectual people who have been
previously quite ignorant that they possessed any musical faculty. We
are told that she had a sweet voice, and sang with feeling. 'The
Soldier's Adieu' and 'The Yellow-haired Laddie' survive as the names of
two of her songs.
She was extraordinarily neat-handed in anything which she attempted. Her
hand-writing was both strong and pretty; her hemming and stitching, over
which she spent much time, 'might have put a sewing-machine to shame';
and at games, like spillikins or cup-and-ball, she was invincible.
If this description does not seem to imply so wide a mental outlook as
we wish to see in a distinguished author, we must remember that Jane
Austen (as her nephew tells us) 'lived in entire seclusion from the
literary world,' and probably 'never was in company with any person
whose talents or whose celebrity equalled her own.'[210] She was in the
middle of a small family circle, the members of which were well-educated
according to the fashion of the times, intelligent, and refined; but not
especially remarkable for learning or original thought. They accepted
the standards and views of their generation, interpreting them in a
reasonable and healthy manner. She had therefore no inducement, such as
might come from the influence of superior intellects, to dive into
difficult problems. Her mental efforts were purely her own, and they led
her in another direction; but she saw what she did see so very clearly,
that she would probably have been capable of looking more deeply into
the heart of things, had any impulse from outside induced her to try.
Her vision, however, might not have remained so admirably adapted for
the delicate operations nearer to the surface which were her real work
in life.
Jane's person is thus described for us by her niece Anna, now becoming a
grown-up girl and a keen observer: 'The figure tall and slight, but not
drooping; well balanced, as was proved by her quick firm step. Her
complexion of that rare sort which seems the particular property of
light brunettes; a mottled skin, not fair, but perfectly clear and
healthy; the fine naturally curling hair, neither light nor dark; the
bright hazel eyes to match, and the rather small, but well-shaped,
nose.' This is a delightful description; but she adds that in spite of
all this, her aunt was not regularly handsome, though most attractive.
As to her charm and lovableness there is absolute unanimity among all
those who were near enough to her to know what she really was. Jane had
by this time seen a good deal of society, and enjoyed it, though with a
certain critical aloofness which belonged to her family, and which was
hardly to be avoided by so clever a person as herself. This critical
spirit was evidently a quality of which she endeavoured to rid herself
as of a fault; and one of her nieces, who was too young to know her aunt
intimately, until almost the end of her life, was able then to say: 'She
was in fact one of the last people in society to be afraid of. I do not
suppose she ever in her life said a sharp thing. She was naturally shy
and not given to talk much in company, and people fancied, knowing that
she was clever, that she was on the watch for good material for books
from their conversation. Her intimate friends knew how groundless was
the apprehension and that it wronged her.' She was not only shy: she was
also at times very grave. Her niece Anna is inclined to think that
Cassandra was the more equably cheerful of the two sisters. There was,
undoubtedly, a quiet intensity of nature in Jane for which some critics
have not given her credit. Yet at other times she and this same niece
could joke so heartily over their needlework and talk such nonsense
together that Cassandra would beg them to stop out of mercy to her, and
not keep her in such fits of laughing. Sometimes the laughter would be
provoked by the composition of extempore verses, such as those given in
the _Memoir_[211] celebrating the charm of the 'lovely Anna'; sometimes
the niece would skim over new novels at the Alton Library, and reproduce
them with wilful exaggeration. On one occasion she threw down a novel on
the counter with contempt, saying she knew it must be rubbish from its
name. The name was _Sense and Sensibility_--the secret of which had been
strictly kept, even from her.
The niece who shared these hearty laughs with her aunts--James's eldest
daughter, Anna--differed widely from her cousin, Edward's daughter,
Fanny. She was more brilliant both in looks and in intelligence, but
also more mercurial and excitable. Both occupied a good deal of Jane's
thoughts and affections; but Anna must have been the one who caused her
the most amusement and also the most anxiety. The interest in her was
heightened when she became engaged to the son of Jane's old friend, Mrs.
Lefroy. Anna's giddiness was merely that of youth; she settled down into
a steady married life as the careful mother of a large family. She
cherished an ardent affection for her Aunt Jane, who evidently exercised
a great influence on her character.
Jane Austen's literary work was done mainly in the general sitting-room:
liable at any moment to be interrupted by servants, children, or
visitors--to none of whom had been entrusted the secret of her
authorship. Her small sheets of paper could easily be put away or
covered with blotting-paper, whenever the creaking swing-door (which she
valued for that reason) gave notice that anyone was coming.
Her needlework was nearly always a garment for the poor; though she had
also by her some satin stitch ready to take up in case of the appearance
of company. The nature of the work will help to contradict an
extraordinary misconception--namely, that she was indifferent to the
needs and claims of the poor: an idea probably based on the fact that
she never used them as 'copy.' Nothing could be further from the truth.
She was of course quite ignorant of the conditions of life in the great
towns, and she had but little money to give, but work, teaching, and
sympathy were freely bestowed on rustic neighbours. A very good
criterion of her attitude towards her own characters is often furnished
by their relations with the poor around them. Instances of this may be
found in Darcy's care of his tenants and servants, in Anne Elliot's
farewell visits to nearly all the inhabitants of Kellynch, and in Emma's
benevolence and good sense when assisting her poorer neighbours.
So began the Austens' life at Chawton--probably a quieter life than any
they had yet led; their nearest neighbours being the Middletons (who
rented the 'Great House' for five years and were still its inmates), the
Benns at Faringdon, the Harry Digweeds, Mr. Papillon the Rector (a
bachelor living with his sister), and the Clements and Prowting
families.
The ladies took possession of their cottage on July 7, and the first
news that we have of them is in a letter from Mrs. Knight, dated October
26, 1809: 'I heard of the Chawton party looking very comfortable at
breakfast from a gentleman who was travelling by their door in a
post-chaise about ten days ago.'
After this the curtain falls again, and we have no letters and no
information for a year and a half from this time. We are sure, however,
that Jane settled down to her writing very soon, for by April 1811
_Sense and Sensibility_ was in the printers' hands, and _Pride and
Prejudice_ far advanced.
Since her fit of youthful enthusiasm, when she had composed three
stories in little more than three years, she had had much experience of
life to sober and strengthen her. Three changes of residence, the loss
of her father, the friendship of Mrs. Lefroy and the shock of her
death,[212] her own and her sister's sad love stories, the crisis in the
Leigh Perrot history, and her literary disappointments--all these must
have made her take up her two old works with a chastened spirit, and a
more mature judgment. We cannot doubt that extensive alterations were
made: in fact, we know that this was the case with _Pride and
Prejudice_. We feel equally certain that, of the two works, _Sense and
Sensibility_ was essentially the earlier, both in conception and in
composition, and that no one could have sat down to write that work who
had already written _Pride and Prejudice_.[213] There is, indeed, no
lack of humour in the earlier work--the names of Mrs. Jennings, John
Dashwood, and the Palmers are enough to assure us of this; but the
humorous parts are not nearly so essential to the story as they become
in her later novels: the plot is desultory, and the principal characters
lack interest. We feel, in the presence of the virtue and sense of
Elinor, a rebuke which never affects us in the same way with Jane
Bennet, Fanny Price, or Anne Elliot; while Marianne is often
exasperating. Edward Ferrars is rather stiff; and Colonel Brandon is so
far removed from us that we never even learn his Christian name.
Mr. Helm[214] makes some acute remarks on the freedom which Elinor shows
in talking of embarrassing subjects with Willoughby, and on her
readiness to attribute his fall to the world rather than to himself. We
are to imagine, however, that Elinor had been attracted by him before,
and felt his personal charm again while she was under its spell: all the
more, because she was herself in a special state of excitement, from the
rapid changes in Marianne's condition, and the expectation of seeing her
mother. Her excuses for Willoughby were so far from representing any
opinion of the author's, that they did not even represent her own after
a few hours of reflection. It is one of the many instances which we have
of Jane Austen's subtle dramatic instinct.
On the whole, there is great merit in the book, and much amusement to be
got from it; but it seems natural to look upon it as an experiment on
the part of the author, before she put forth her full powers in _Pride
and Prejudice_. We are glad, by the way, to hear from Jane herself that
Miss Steele never caught the Doctor after all.
We must now accompany the author to London, whither she went in April
1811 to stay with her brother Henry and his wife (who had moved from
Brompton to 64 Sloane Street), having been preceded by her novel, then
in the hands of the printers.
Cassandra had in the meanwhile gone to Godmersham.
Sloane Street: Thursday [April 18, 1811].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . The badness of the
weather disconcerted an excellent plan of
mine--that of calling on Miss Beckford again; but
from the middle of the day it rained incessantly.
Mary[215] and I, after disposing of her father and
mother, went to the Liverpool Museum[216] and the
British Gallery,[217] and I had some amusement at
each, though my preference for men and women
always inclines me to attend more to the company
than the sight.
* * * * *
I did not see Theo.[218] till late on Tuesday; he
was gone to Ilford, but he came back in time to
show his usual nothing-meaning, harmless,
heartless civility. Henry, who had been confined
the whole day to the bank, took me in his way
home, and, after putting life and wit into the
party for a quarter of an hour, put himself and
his sister into a hackney coach.
* * * * *
Eliza is walking out by herself. She has plenty of
business on her hands just now, for the day of the
party is settled, and drawing near. Above 80
people are invited for next Tuesday evening, and
there is to be some very good music--five
professionals, three of them glee singers, besides
amateurs. Fanny will listen to this. One of the
hirelings is a Capital on the harp, from which I
expect great pleasure. The foundation of the party
was a dinner to Henry Egerton and Henry
Walter,[219] but the latter leaves town the day
before. I am sorry, as I wished _her_ prejudice to
be done away, but should have been more sorry if
there had been no invitation.
I am a wretch, to be so occupied with all these
things as to seem to have no thoughts to give to
people and circumstances which really supply a far
more lasting interest--the society in which you
are; but I do think of you all, I assure you, and
want to know all about everybody, and especially
about your visit to the W. Friars[220]; 'mais le
moyen' not to be occupied by one's own concerns?
_Saturday._--Frank is superseded in the
_Caledonia_. Henry brought us this news yesterday
from Mr. Daysh, and he heard at the same time that
Charles may be in England in the course of a
month. Sir Edward Pollen succeeds Lord Gambier in
his command, and some captain of his succeeds
Frank; and I believe the order is already gone
out. Henry means to enquire farther to-day. He
wrote to Mary on the occasion. This is something
to think of. Henry is convinced that he will have
the offer of something else,[221] but does not
think it will be at all incumbent on him to accept
it; and then follows, what will he do? and where
will he live?
* * * * *
The D'Antraigues and Comte Julien cannot come to
the party, which was at first a grief, but she has
since supplied herself so well with performers
that it is of no consequence; their not coming has
produced our going to them to-morrow evening,
which I like the idea of. It will be amusing to
see the ways of a French circle.
* * * * *
Our first object to-day was Henrietta St., to
consult with Henry in consequence of a very
unlucky change of the play for this very
night--_Hamlet_ instead of _King John_--and we are
to go on Monday to _Macbeth_ instead; but it is a
disappointment to us both.
Love to all.
Thursday [April 25, 1811].[222]
No, indeed, I am never too busy to think of _S.
and S._[223] I can no more forget it than a mother
can forget her sucking child; and I am much
obliged to you for your enquiries. I have had two
sheets to correct, but the last only brings us to
Willoughby's first appearance. Mrs. K. regrets in
the most flattering manner that she must wait
_till_ May, but I have scarcely a hope of its
being out in June. Henry does not neglect it; he
_has_ hurried the printer, and says he will see
him again to-day. It will not stand still during
his absence, it will be sent to Eliza.
The _Incomes_ remain as they were, but I will get
them altered if I can. I am very much gratified by
Mrs. K.'s interest in it; and whatever may be the
event of it as to my credit with her, sincerely
wish her curiosity could be satisfied sooner than
is now probable. I think she will like my Elinor,
but cannot build on anything else.
Our party went off extremely well. There were many
solicitudes, alarms, and vexations, beforehand, of
course, but at last everything was quite right.
The rooms were dressed up with flowers, &c., and
looked very pretty. A glass for the mantelpiece
was lent by the man who is making their own. Mr.
Egerton and Mr. Walter came at half-past five, and
the festivities began with a pair of very fine
soles.
Yes, Mr. Walter--for he postponed his leaving
London on purpose--which did not give much
pleasure at the time, any more than the
circumstance from which it rose--his calling on
Sunday and being asked by Henry to take the family
dinner on that day, which he did; but it is all
smoothed over now, and she likes him very well.
At half-past seven arrived the musicians in two
hackney coaches, and by eight the lordly company
began to appear. Among the earliest were George
and Mary Cooke, and I spent the greatest part of
the evening very pleasantly with them. The
drawing-room being soon hotter than we liked, we
placed ourselves in the connecting passage, which
was comparatively cool, and gave us all the
advantage of the music at a pleasant distance, as
well as that of the first view of every new comer.
I was quite surrounded by acquaintance, especially
gentlemen; and what with Mr. Hampson,[224] Mr.
Seymour, Mr. W. Knatchbull, Mr. Guillemarde, Mr.
Cure, a Captain Simpson, brother to _the_ Captain
Simpson, besides Mr. Walter and Mr. Egerton, in
addition to the Cookes, and Miss Beckford, and
Miss Middleton, I had quite as much upon my hands
as I could do.
* * * * *
Including everybody we were sixty-six--which was
considerably more than Eliza had expected, and
quite enough to fill the back drawing-room and
leave a few to be scattered about in the other and
in the passage.
The music was extremely good. It opened (tell
Fanny) with 'Poike de Parp pin praise pof
Prapela;'[225] and of the other glees I remember,
'In peace love tunes,' 'Rosabelle,' 'The Red Cross
Knight,' and 'Poor Insect.' Between the songs were
lessons on the harp, or harp and pianoforte
together; and the harp-player was Wiepart, whose
name seems famous, though new to me. There was one
female singer, a short Miss Davis, all in blue,
bringing up for the public line, whose voice was
said to be very fine indeed; and all the
performers gave great satisfaction by doing what
they were paid for, and giving themselves no airs.
No amateur could be persuaded to do anything.
* * * * *
This said Captain Simpson told us, on the
authority of some other Captain just arrived from
Halifax, that Charles[226] was bringing the
_Cleopatra_ home, and that she was probably by
this time in the Channel; but, as Captain S. was
certainly in liquor, we must not quite depend on
it. It must give one a sort of expectation,
however, and will prevent my writing to him any
more. I would rather he should not reach England
till I am at home, and the Steventon party gone.
My mother and Martha both write with great
satisfaction of Anna's behaviour. She is quite an
Anna with variations, but she cannot have reached
her last, for that is always the most flourishing
and showy; she is at about her third or fourth,
which are generally simple and pretty.
* * * * *
We _did_ go to the play after all on Saturday. We
went to the Lyceum, and saw the _Hypocrite_, an
old play taken from Molière's _Tartuffe_, and were
well entertained. Dowton and Mathews were the good
actors; Mrs. Edwin was the heroine, and her
performance is just what it used to be. I have no
chance of seeing Mrs. Siddons; she _did_ act on
Monday, but, as Henry was told by the box-keeper
that he did not think she would, the plans, and
all thought of it, were given up. I should
particularly have liked seeing her in _Constance_,
and could swear at her with little effort for
disappointing me.
Eliza caught her cold on Sunday in our way to the
D'Antraigues.[227] The horses actually gibbed on
this side of Hyde Park Gate: a load of fresh
gravel made it a formidable hill to them, and they
refused the collar; I believe there was a sore
shoulder to irritate. Eliza was frightened and we
got out, and were detained in the evening air
several minutes. The cold is in her chest, but she
takes care of herself, and I hope it may not last
long.
This engagement prevented Mr. Walter's staying
late--he had his coffee and went away. Eliza
enjoyed her evening very much, and means to
cultivate the acquaintance; and I see nothing to
dislike in them but their taking quantities of
snuff. Monsieur, the old Count, is a very
fine-looking man, with quiet manners, good enough
for an Englishman, and, I believe, is a man of
great information and taste. He has some fine
paintings, which delighted Henry as much as the
son's music gratified Eliza; and among them a
miniature of Philip V. of Spain, Louis XIV.'s
grandson, which exactly suited _my_ capacity.
Count Julien's performance is very wonderful.
We met only Mrs. Latouche and Miss East, and we
are just now engaged to spend next Sunday evening
at Mrs. L.'s, and to meet the D'Antraigues, but M.
le Comte must do without Henry. If he would but
speak English, _I_ would take to him.
Sloane Street: [Tuesday, April 30, 1811].
My head-dress was a bugle-band like the border to
my gown, and a flower of Mrs. Tilson's. I depended
upon hearing something of the evening from Mr. W.
K[natchbull], and am very well satisfied with his
notice of me--'A pleasing-looking young
woman'--that must do; one cannot pretend to
anything better now; thankful to have it continued
a few years longer!
* * * * *
We have tried to get _Self-Control_,[228] but in
vain. I _should_ like to know what her estimate
is, but am always half afraid of finding a clever
novel _too clever_, and of finding my own story
and my own people all forestalled.
* * * * *
I forgot to tell you in my last that our cousin,
Miss Payne,[2] called in on Saturday, and was
persuaded to stay dinner. She told us a great deal
about her friend Lady Cath. Brecknell, who is most
happily married, and Mr. Brecknell is very
religious, and has got black whiskers.
Yours very affectionately,
JANE.
Early in May, Jane left London; and, after paying a short visit to Mrs.
Hill (_née_ Catherine Bigg) at Streatham, returned home to Chawton,
where she found only her mother and her niece Anna.
Chawton: Wednesday [May 29, 1811].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,-- . . . You certainly must have
heard before I can tell you that Col. Orde has
married our cousin, Margt. Beckford,[229] the
Marchess. of Douglas's sister. The papers say
that her father disinherits her, but I think too
well of an Orde to suppose that she has not a
handsome independence of her own.
* * * * *
We sat upstairs [at the Digweeds'] and had thunder
and lightning as usual. I never knew such a spring
for thunderstorms as it has been. Thank God! we
have had no bad ones here. I thought myself in
luck to have my uncomfortable feelings shared by
the mistress of the house, as that procured blinds
and candles. It had been excessively hot the whole
day. Mrs. Harding is a good-looking woman, but not
much like Mrs. Toke, inasmuch as she is very brown
and has scarcely any teeth; she seems to have some
of Mrs. Toke's civility. Miss H. is an elegant,
pleasing, pretty-looking girl, about nineteen, I
suppose, or nineteen and a half, or nineteen and a
quarter, with flowers in her head and music at her
finger ends. She plays very well indeed. I have
seldom heard anybody with more pleasure.
Friday [May 31].
I have taken your hint, slight as it was, and have
written to Mrs. Knight, and most sincerely do I
hope it will not be in vain. I cannot endure the
idea of her giving away her own wheel, and have
told her no more than the truth, in saying that I
could never use it with comfort. I had a great
mind to add that, if she persisted in giving it, I
would spin nothing with it but a rope to hang
myself, but I was afraid of making it appear a
less serious matter of feeling than it really is.
* * * * *
From Monday to Wednesday Anna is to be engaged at
Faringdon, in order that she may come in for the
gaieties of Tuesday (the 4th), on Selborne Common,
where there are to be volunteers and felicities of
all kinds. Harriet B[enn] is invited to spend the
day with the John Whites, and her father and
mother have very kindly undertaken to get Anna
invited also.
* * * * *
Poor Anna is suffering from _her_ cold, which is
worse to-day, but as she has no sore throat I hope
it may spend itself by Tuesday. She had a
delightful evening with the Miss
Middletons--syllabub, tea, coffee, singing,
dancing, a hot supper, eleven o'clock, everything
that can be imagined agreeable. She desires her
best love to Fanny, and will answer her letter
before she leaves Chawton, and engages to send her
a particular account of the Selborne day.
* * * * *
How horrible it is to have so many people
killed![230] And what a blessing that one cares
for none of them!
I return to my letter-writing from calling on Miss
Harriot Webb, who is short and not quite straight
and cannot pronounce an R any better than her
sisters; but she has dark hair, a complexion to
suit, and, I think, has the pleasantest
countenance and manner of the three--the most
natural. She appears very well pleased with her
new home, and they are all reading with delight
Mrs. H. More's recent publication.
You cannot imagine--it is not in human nature to
imagine--what a nice walk we have round the
orchard. The row of beech look very well indeed,
and so does the young quickset hedge in the
garden. I hear to-day that an apricot has been
detected on one of the trees. My mother is
perfectly convinced _now_ that she shall not be
overpowered by her cleft-wood, and I believe would
rather have more than less.
God bless you, and I hope June will find you well,
and bring us together.
Thursday [June 6].
[Anna] does not return from Faringdon till this
evening, and I doubt not has had plenty of the
miscellaneous, unsettled sort of happiness which
seems to suit her best. We hear from Miss Benn,
who was on the Common with the Prowtings, that she
was very much admired by the gentlemen in general.
* * * * *
We began pease[231] on Sunday, but our gatherings
are very small, not at all like the gathering in
the _Lady of the Lake_. Yesterday I had the
agreeable surprise of finding several scarlet
strawberries quite ripe; had _you_ been at home,
this would have been a pleasure lost. There are
more gooseberries and fewer currants than I
thought at first. We must buy currants for our
wine.
* * * * *
I had just left off writing and put on my things
for walking to Alton, when Anna and her friend
Harriot called in their way thither, so we went
together. Their business was to provide mourning
against the King's death, and my mother has had a
bombasin bought for her. I am not sorry to be back
again, for the young ladies had a great deal to
do, and without much method in doing it.
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
The printing of _Sense and Sensibility_ cannot have been very rapid, for
in September 28 there is the following entry in Fanny Austen's diary:
'Letter from At. Cass to beg we would not mention that Aunt Jane wrote
_Sense and Sensibility_.' This looks as if it were still on the eve of
publication, and it was not in fact advertised until October 31.
FOOTNOTES:
[207] _Memoir_, p. 80.
[208] _Ibid._ p. 196.
[209] See pp. 275, 285.
[210] We are told in the biographical notice prefixed to Bentley's
edition of the novels in 1833, that though Jane, when her authorship was
an open secret, was once asked by a stranger to join a literary party at
which Madame de Staël would be present, she immediately declined the
invitation.
[211] _Memoir_, p. 89.
[212] She had experienced a similar shock before in the sudden death, by
accident, of her cousin, Jane Williams.
[213] This judgment is based on the idea that _Elinor and Marianne_
(admittedly earlier than _First Impressions_) bore something of the same
relation to _Sense and Sensibility_ that _First Impressions_ did to
_Pride and Prejudice_.
[214] _Jane Austen and her Country-house Comedy_, by W. H. Helm.
[215] Her cousin, Mary Cooke.
[216] This may have been Bullock's Natural History Museum, at 22
Piccadilly. See _Notes and Queries_, 11 S.v. 514.
[217] In Pall Mall.
[218] Theophilus Cooke.
[219] See p. 6.
[220] White Friars, Canterbury--the residence of Mrs. Knight.
[221] He took command of the _Elephant_ on July 18, 1811, and became
again concerned in the Napoleonic Wars. _Sailor Brothers_ p. 226.
[222] The original of this letter is in the British Museum.
[223] _Sense and Sensibility._ We do not know whether the _Incomes_ were
ever altered.
[224] Mr. Hampson, like Mr. Walter, must have been related to Jane
through her grandmother (Rebecca Hampson), who married first, Dr.
Walter; secondly, William Austen. Mr. Hampson succeeded to a baronetcy,
but was too much of a republican to use the title.
[225] Jane and her niece Fanny seem to have invented a language of their
own--the chief point of which was to use a 'p' wherever possible. Thus
the piece of music alluded to was 'Strike the harp in praise of
Bragela.'
[226] We learn from a letter of Cassandra that he arrived in time to
spend (with his family) a week at Chawton Cottage. He had been absent
almost seven years. It was their first sight of his wife.
[227] The Comte d'Antraigues and his wife were both of them notable
people. _He_ had been elected deputy for the _noblesse_ to the
States-General in 1789, and had taken at first the popular side; but as
time went on he became estranged from Mirabeau, and was among the
earliest to emigrate in 1790. For the rest of his life he was engaged in
plotting to restore the Bourbons. His wife had been the celebrated
Madame St. Hubert of the Paris opera-house, and was the only woman ever
known to have inspired Bonaparte to break forth into verse. Both the
Count and Countess were murdered by their valet at Barnes, July 22,
1812. (_Un agent secret sous la Révolution et l'Empire: Le Comte
d'Antraigues_, par Léonce Pingaud. Paris, 1894.)
[228] A novel by Mrs. Brunton, published in 1810.
[229] We can give no explanation of the cousinship, if any existed, of
Miss Beckford; Miss Payne may have descended from a sister of Jane's
grandmother, Rebecca Austen, who married a man of that name.
[230] Perhaps in the battle of Albuera, May 16, 1811, which is described
by Professor Oman (_Cambridge Modern History_, ix. 467) as 'the most
bloody incident of the whole Peninsular War.'
[231] June 2. They ought to have waited for the King's birthday (June
4), which was considered the correct day to begin pease upon.
CHAPTER XV
_PRIDE AND PREJUDICE_
1812-1814
The title-page of _Sense and Sensibility_ describes the book as
being 'by a Lady.' This ascription satisfied the author's desire
for concealment, but it puzzled the advertisers. The first
advertisement--that in the _Morning Chronicle_ on October 31,
1811--merely describes it as 'a novel, called _Sense and Sensibility_,
by Lady ----.' In the same paper, on November 7, it is styled an
'extraordinary novel by Lady ----'; while on November 28 it sinks to
being an 'interesting novel,' but is ascribed to 'Lady A.'[232]
Jane's expectations were so modest that she laid by a sum out of her
very slender resources to meet the expected loss. She must have been
delighted at the result. By July 1813 every copy of the first edition
had been sold; and not only had her expenses been cleared but she was
one hundred and forty pounds to the good.[233] If we compare this with
the thirty pounds that Fanny Burney received for _Evelina_, the one
hundred pounds that Maria Edgeworth got for _Castle Rackrent_, or the
hundred and forty pounds gained by Miss Ferrier for her first novel, we
shall see that Jane Austen had no reason to complain.
The money was no doubt very welcome; but still more important from
another point of view was the favourable reception of the work. Had it
been a failure and an expense to its author, she would hardly have
dared, nor could she have afforded, to make a second venture. On the
success of _Sense and Sensibility_, we may say, depended the existence
of _Pride and Prejudice_. Now she could return with renewed spirit to
the preparation of the more famous work which was to follow, and on
which she had already been engaged for some time, concurrently with her
first-published novel.
We have no letters and little news for 1812; but we know that in April
Edward Austen and his daughter Fanny came to Chawton House for three
weeks. It was their last visit as Austens; for on the death of Mrs.
Knight--his kind and generous patron and friend--in October of that
year, Edward and all his family took the name of Knight[234]: a name
which had been borne by every successive owner of the Chawton Estate
since the sixteenth century. In June, Jane went with her mother to stay
for a fortnight at Steventon Rectory--the last visit ever paid by Mrs.
Austen to any place. When she determined never to leave home again, she
said that her latest visit should be to her eldest son. Accordingly she
went, and took a final farewell of the place where nearly the whole of
her married life had been spent. She was then seventy-two years old,
and lived on for sixteen more; but she kept her resolution and never
again left Chawton Cottage for a single night. Her long survival can
hardly have been expected by those who had to nurse her through frequent
fits of illness; but these ailments do not seem to have been of the sort
that kills. She was, however, always ready to contemplate the near
approach of death both for herself and others; for in July 1811, after
buying some bombazine in which to mourn for the poor King, she said: 'If
I outlive him it will answer my purpose; if I do not, somebody may mourn
for me in it: it will be wanted for one or the other, I dare say, before
the moths have eaten it up.' As it happened, the King lived nine more
years, and Mrs. Austen sixteen; and it was the lot of the latter to lose
two children before her own time came. When Jane died in 1817, the
health of her eldest brother, James, was failing, and two years and a
half later he died. His mother lived on; but during the last years of
her life she endured continual pain not only patiently but with
characteristic cheerfulness. She once said to her grandson, Edward
Austen: 'Ah, my dear, you find me just where you left me--on the sofa. I
sometimes think that God Almighty must have forgotten me; but I dare say
He will come for me in His own good time.'[235]
Our letters recommence in January 1813--almost at the exact date of the
publication of _Pride and Prejudice_--a date which will seem to many
people the central point in Jane Austen's life. She appeared, indeed, to
be rather of that opinion herself, so far as her modest, unassuming
nature would allow her to attribute importance to one of her own works.
She calls it her 'darling child,' and does not know how she can
tolerate people who will not care at least for Elizabeth. But we had
better let her speak for herself. The first of the following
letters[236] was written before the publication took place; but the
others deal largely with _Pride and Prejudice_, while there is an
under-current of allusions to _Mansfield Park_--now approaching
completion.
Chawton: Sunday evening [January 24, 1813].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--This is exactly the weather we
could wish for, if you are but well enough to
enjoy it. I shall be glad to hear that you are not
confined to the house by an increase of cold.
* * * * *
We quite run over with books. My mother has got
Sir John Carr's _Travels in Spain_ from Miss B.
and _I_ am reading a Society octavo, _An Essay on
the Military Police and Institutions of the
British Empire_ by Capt. Pasley of the Engineers:
a book which I protested against at first, but
which upon trial I find delightfully written and
highly entertaining. I am as much in love with the
author as ever I was with Clarkson or Buchanan, or
even the two Mr. Smiths of the City[237]--the
first soldier I ever sighed for--but he does write
with extraordinary force and spirit. Yesterday,
moreover, brought us Mrs. Grant's _Letters_ with
Mr. White's compliments; but I have disposed of
them, compliments and all, for the first fortnight
to Miss Papillon, and among so many readers or
retainers of books as we have in Chawton I dare
say there will be no difficulty in getting rid of
them for another fortnight if necessary. I learn
from Sir J. Carr that there is no Government House
at Gibraltar; I must alter it to the
Commissioner's.[238]
Our party on Wednesday was not unagreeable. . . .
We were eleven altogether, as you will find on
computation, adding Miss Benn and two strange
gentlemen, a Mr. Twyford, curate of Great Worldham,
who is living in Alton, and his friend Mr. Wilkes.
I don't know that Mr. T. is anything except very
dark-complexioned, but Mr. W. was a useful
addition, being an easy, talking, pleasantish young
man--a _very_ young man, hardly twenty, perhaps. He
is of St. John's, Cambridge, and spoke very highly
of H. Walter as a scholar. He said he was
considered as the best classic in the University.
How such a report would have interested my father!
* * * * *
Upon Mrs. D.'s mentioning that she had sent the
_Rejected Addresses_ to Mr. H., I began talking to
her a little about them, and expressed my hope of
their having amused her. Her answer was 'Oh dear,
yes, very much, very droll indeed--the opening of
the House and the striking up of the fiddles!'
What she meant, poor woman, who shall say? I
sought no farther. The P.'s have now got the book,
and like it very much; their niece Eleanor has
recommended it most warmly to them--_She_ looks
like a rejected addresser. As soon as a whist
party was formed, and a round table threatened, I
made my mother an excuse and came away, leaving
just as many for _their_ round table as there were
at Mrs. Grant's.[239] I wish they might be as
agreeable a set.
* * * * *
The Miss Sibleys want to establish a Book Society
in their side of the country like ours. What can
be a stronger proof of that superiority in ours
over the Manydown and Steventon society, which I
have always foreseen and felt? No emulation of the
kind was ever inspired by _their_ proceedings; no
such wish of the Miss Sibleys was ever heard in
the course of the many years of that Society's
existence. And what are their Biglands and their
Barrows, their Macartneys and Mackenzies to
Captain Pasley's _Essay on the Military Police of
the British Empire_ and the _Rejected Addresses_?
I have walked once to Alton, and yesterday Miss
Papillon and I walked together to call on the
Garnets. . . . _I_ had a very agreeable walk, and if
_she_ had not, more shame for her, for I was quite
as entertaining as she was. Dame G. is pretty
well, and we found her surrounded by her
well-behaved, healthy, large-eyed children. I took
her an old shift, and promised her a set of our
linen, and my companion left some of her Bank
Stock with her.
Tell Martha that I hunt away the rogues every
night from under her bed; they feel the difference
of her being gone.
Friday [January 29, 1813].
I hope you received my little parcel by J. Bond on
Wednesday evening, my dear Cassandra, and that you
will be ready to hear from me again on Sunday, for
I feel that I must write to you to-day. . . . I want
to tell you that I have got my own darling child
from London. On Wednesday I received one copy sent
down by Falkener, with three lines from Henry to
say that he had given another to Charles and sent
a third by the coach to Godmersham.
* * * * *
The advertisement is in our paper to-day for the
first time: 18_s._ He shall ask 1_l._ 1_s._ for my
two next, and 1_l._ 8_s._ for my stupidest of
all.[240] Miss Benn dined with us on the very day
of the book's coming, and in the evening we set
fairly at it, and read half the first vol. to her,
prefacing that, having intelligence from Henry
that such a work would soon appear, we had desired
him to send it whenever it came out, and I believe
it passed with her unsuspected. She was amused,
poor soul! _That_ she could not help, you know,
with two such people to lead the way, but she
really does seem to admire Elizabeth. I must
confess that I think her as delightful a creature
as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able
to tolerate those who do not like _her_ at least I
do not know. There are a few typical[241] errors;
and a 'said he,' or a 'said she,' would sometimes
make the dialogue more immediately clear; but--
I do not write for such dull elves
As have not a great deal of ingenuity themselves.[242]
The second volume is shorter than I could wish,
but the difference is not so much in reality as in
look, there being a larger proportion of narrative
in that part. I have lop't and crop't so
successfully, however, that I imagine it must be
rather shorter than _Sense and Sensibility_
altogether. Now I will try and write of something
else; and it shall be a complete change of
subject--ordination.[243] I am glad to find your
enquiries have ended so well. If you could
discover whether Northamptonshire is a country of
hedgerows, I should be glad again.
Thursday [February 4, 1813].
Your letter was truly welcome, and I am much
obliged to you for all your praise; it came at a
right time, for I had had some fits of disgust.
Our second evening's reading to Miss Benn had not
pleased me so well, but I believe something must
be attributed to my mother's too rapid way of
getting on: though she perfectly understands the
characters herself, she cannot speak as they
ought. Upon the whole, however, I am quite vain
enough and well-satisfied enough. The work is
rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it
wants shade; it wants to be stretched out here and
there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be
had; if not, of solemn specious nonsense, about
something unconnected with the story; an essay on
writing, a critique on Walter Scott, or the
history of Buonaparte, or anything that would form
a contrast, and bring the reader with increased
delight to the playfulness and epigrammatism of
the general style. I doubt your quite agreeing
with me here. I know your starched notions. The
caution observed at Steventon[244] with regard to
the possession of the book is an agreeable
surprise to me, and I heartily wish it may be the
means of saving you from anything unpleasant--but
you must be prepared for the neighbourhood being
perhaps already informed of there being such a
work in the world and in the Chawton world. . . .
The greatest blunder in the printing that I have met
with is in page 220, l. 3, where two speeches are
made into one.[245] There might as well have been
no supper at Longbourn; but I suppose it was the
remains of Mrs. Bennet's old Meryton habits.
Tuesday [February 9, 1813].
This will be a quick return for yours, my dear
Cassandra; I doubt its having much else to
recommend it; but there is no saying; it may turn
out to be a very long and delightful letter.
* * * * *
I am exceedingly pleased that you can say what you
do, after having gone through the whole work, and
Fanny's praise is very gratifying. My hopes were
tolerably strong of _her_, but nothing like a
certainty. Her liking Darcy and Elizabeth is
enough. She might hate all the others if she
would. I have her opinion under her own hand this
morning, but your transcript of it, which I read
first, was not, and is not, the less acceptable.
To _me_ it is of course all praise, but the more
exact truth which she sends _you_ is good
enough. . . .
* * * * *
I have been applied to for information as to the
oath taken in former times of Bell, Book, and
Candle, but have none to give. Perhaps you may be
able to learn something of its origin and meaning
at Manydown. Ladies who read those enormous great
stupid thick quarto volumes which one always sees
in the breakfast parlour there must be acquainted
with everything in the world. I detest a quarto.
Capt. Pasley's book is too good for their Society.
They will not understand a man who condenses his
thoughts into an octavo.
* * * * *
Miss Benn dined here on Friday. I have not seen
her since--there is still work for one evening
more. I know nothing of the P.'s. The C.'s are at
home, and are reduced to read. They have got Miss
Edgeworth. I have disposed of Mrs. Grant for the
second fortnight to Mrs. D. It can make no
difference to _her_ which of the twenty-six
fortnights in the year the three volumes lay in
her house.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Austen, Manydown--by favour of Mr. Gray.
As she read and re-read _Pride and Prejudice_, Jane must have become
aware (if she did not know it before) that she had advanced far beyond
_Sense and Sensibility_. Indeed, the earlier work seems to fade out of
her mind, so far as allusions to its principal characters are concerned;
while those of the later novel remain vivid and attractive to their
creator. Even the minor characters were real to her; and she forgot
nothing--down to the marriage of Kitty to a clergyman near Pemberley,
and that of Mary to one of Uncle Philips's clerks.
In this work there seemed to be hardly anything for which she need
apologise. Here everything is complete; the humour, though brilliant, is
yet always subordinate to the progress of the story; the plot is
inevitable, and its turning-point (the first proposal of Darcy) occurs
exactly when it ought; while all fear of a commonplace ending is avoided
by the insertion of the celebrated interview between Lady Catherine and
Elizabeth. It gives us also an excellent example of the way in which
Jane Austen composed her stories. We are always in the confidence of the
heroine, who is hardly off the stage throughout the whole novel; we see
the other characters with her eyes, even when they are persons--like
Jane Bennet--with whom we believe ourselves to be intimately acquainted.
At the same time, such is the subtle irony of the author that we are
quite aware of her intention to make us understand more of the heroine's
state of mind than the heroine herself does, and to distinguish between
her conscious and unconscious thoughts. Elizabeth has to change from
hatred to love--real hatred and real love--in a volume and a half. But
it would wound her self-respect if she acknowledged to herself that the
pace at which she moved was so rapid; and the change is constantly only
half admitted. Even near the end--when she says that, if Darcy is
prevented from seeking her hand by the representations of Lady
Catherine, she shall soon cease to regret him--we know that this is far
from the truth: that her affection is really steadfast, and that she is
only trying to disguise from herself her own anxiety. Other examples
might easily be found.
On April 25, 1813, occurred the death of Eliza, Henry Austen's wife. She
had suffered from a long and painful illness, and the end was 'a release
at last.' These circumstances would diminish the grief felt at her loss;
but the event must have carried their minds back to early days at
Steventon; and Jane was sure to remember with gratitude the affection
and attention which Eliza had bestowed upon her much younger cousin.
Soon afterwards, Henry went down to Chawton; and on May 20 he drove Jane
up to London in his curricle. This was a short visit, and, owing to
Henry's being in deep mourning, no theatres were visited. Jane went,
however, to three picture-galleries--her mind still full of Bennets and
Darcys.
Sloane Street: [Thursday, May 20, 1813].[246]
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Before I say anything else, I
claim a paper full of halfpence on the
drawing-room mantelpiece; I put them there myself,
and forgot to bring them with me. I cannot say
that I have yet been in any distress for money,
but I chuse to have my due, as well as the Devil.
How lucky we were in our weather yesterday! This
wet morning makes one more sensible of it. We had
no rain of any consequence. The head of the
curricle was put half up three or four times, but
our share of the showers was very trifling, though
they seemed to be heavy all round us, when we were
on the Hog's-back, and I fancied it might then be
raining so hard at Chawton as to make you feel for
us much more than we deserved. Three hours and a
quarter took us to Guildford, where we staid
barely two hours, and had only just time enough
for all we had to do there; that is, eating a
long, comfortable breakfast, watching the
carriages, paying Mr. Herington, and taking a
little stroll afterwards. From some views which
that stroll gave us, I think most highly of the
situation of Guildford. We wanted all our brothers
and sisters to be standing with us in the
bowling-green, and looking towards Horsham. . . . I
was very lucky in my gloves--got them at the first
shop I went to, though I went into it rather
because it was near than because it looked at all
like a glove shop, and gave only four shillings
for them; upon hearing which everybody at Chawton
will be hoping and predicting that they cannot be
good for anything, and their worth certainly
remains to be proved; but I think they look very
well. We left Guildford at twenty minutes before
twelve (I hope somebody cares for these minutiæ),
and were at Esher in about two hours more. I was
very much pleased with the country in general.
Between Guildford and Ripley I thought it
particularly pretty, also about Painshill and
everywhere else; and from a Mr. Spicer's grounds
at Esher, which we walked into before our dinner,
the views were beautiful. I cannot say what we did
_not_ see, but I should think that there could not
be a wood, or a meadow, or palace, or a remarkable
spot in England that was not spread out before us
on one side or the other. Claremont is going to be
sold: a Mr. Ellis has it now. It is a house that
seems never to have prospered. . . . After dinner we
walked forward to be overtaken at the coachman's
time, and before he did overtake us we were very
near Kingston. I fancy it was about half-past six
when we reached this house--a twelve hours'
business, and the horses did not appear more than
reasonably tired. I was very tired too, and very
glad to get to bed early, but am quite well
to-day. I am very snug with the front drawing-room
all to myself, and would not say 'thank you' for
any company but you. The quietness of it does me
good. I have contrived to pay my two visits,
though the weather made me a great while about it,
and left me only a few minutes to sit with
Charlotte Craven.[247] She looks very well, and
her hair is done up with an elegance to do credit
to any education. Her manners are as unaffected
and pleasing as ever. She had heard from her
mother to-day. Mrs. Craven spends another
fortnight at Chilton. I saw nobody but Charlotte,
which pleased me best. I was shewn upstairs into a
drawing-room, where she came to me, and the
appearance of the room, so totally unschool-like,
amused me very much; it was full of all the modern
elegancies.
Monday [May 24, 1813].
I am very much obliged to you for writing to me.
You must have hated it after a worrying morning.
* * * * *
I went the day before to Layton's,[248] as I
proposed, and got my mother's gown--seven yards at
6_s._ 6_d._ I then walked into No. 10,[249] which
is all dirt and confusion, but in a very promising
way, and after being present at the opening of a
new account, to my great amusement, Henry and I
went to the exhibition in Spring Gardens. It is
not thought a good collection, but I was very well
pleased, particularly (pray tell Fanny) with a
small portrait of Mrs. Bingley,[250] excessively
like her.
I went in hopes of seeing one of her sister, but
there was no Mrs. Darcy. Perhaps, however, I may
find her in the great exhibition, which we shall
go to if we have time. I have no chance of her in
the collection of Sir Joshua Reynolds's
paintings, which is now showing in Pall Mall, and
which we are also to visit.
Mrs. Bingley's is exactly herself--size, shaped
face, features, and sweetness; there never was a
greater likeness. She is dressed in a white gown,
with green ornaments, which convinces me of what I
had always supposed, that green was a favourite
colour with her. I dare say Mrs. D. will be in
yellow.
* * * * *
The events of yesterday were, our going to
Belgrave Chapel in the morning, our being
prevented by the rain from going to evening
service at St. James, Mr. Hampson's calling,
Messrs. Barlow and Phillips[251] dining here, and
Mr. and Mrs. Tilson's[252] coming in the evening
_à l'ordinaire_. _She_ drank tea with us both
Thursday and Saturday; _he_ dined out each day,
and on Friday we were with them, and they wish us
to go to them to-morrow evening to meet Miss
Burdett, but I do not know how it will end. Henry
talks of a drive to Hampstead, which may interfere
with it.
I should like to see Miss Burdett very well, but
that I am rather frightened by hearing that she
wishes to be introduced to _me_. If I _am_ a wild
beast I cannot help it. It is not my own fault.
* * * * *
Get us the best weather you can for Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday. We are to go to Windsor in
our way to Henley, which will be a great delight.
We shall be leaving Sloane Street about 12, two or
three hours after Charles's party have begun their
journey. You will miss them, but the comfort of
getting back into your own room will be great. And
then the tea and sugar!
* * * * *
I am very much obliged to Fanny for her letter; it
made me laugh heartily, but I cannot pretend to
answer it. Even had I more time, I should not
feel at all sure of the sort of letter that Miss
D.[253] would write. I hope Miss Benn is got well
again, and will have a comfortable dinner with you
to-day.
_Monday Evening._--We have been both to the
exhibition and Sir J. Reynolds's, and I am
disappointed, for there was nothing like Mrs. D.
at either. I can only imagine that Mr. D. prizes
any picture of her too much to like it should be
exposed to the public eye. I can imagine he would
have that sort of feeling--that mixture of love,
pride, and delicacy.
Setting aside this disappointment, I had great
amusement among the pictures; and the driving
about, the carriage being open, was very pleasant.
I liked my solitary elegance very much, and was
ready to laugh all the time at my being where I
was. I could not but feel that I had naturally
small right to be parading about London in a
barouche.
* * * * *
I should not wonder if we got no farther than
Reading on Thursday evening, and so reach
Steventon only to a reasonable dinner hour the
next day; but whatever I may write or you may
imagine we know it will be something different. I
shall be quiet to-morrow morning; all my business
is done, and I shall only call again upon Mrs.
Hoblyn, &c.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Austen, Chawton.
A very happy summer awaited the cottage party. Godmersham wanted
painting, and its owner moved his family for some months to Chawton.
There were almost daily meetings between the two houses, and the
friendship between Fanny Knight and her Aunt Jane became still closer as
they spent 'delicious mornings' together.
Meanwhile, Frank, in command of the _Elephant_, was stationed in the
Baltic, and engaged sometimes in convoying small vessels backwards and
forwards, sometimes in protecting the transports which took Bernadotte's
Swedish troops to the seat of war.
The following letter from his sister Jane reached him no doubt in due
course.
Chawton: [July 3, 1813].[254]
MY DEAREST FRANK,--Behold me going to write you as
handsome a letter as I can! Wish me good luck. We
have had the pleasure of hearing from you lately
through Mary, who sent us some of the particulars
of yours of June 18 (I think), written off Rugen,
and we enter into the delight of your having so
good a pilot. Why are you like Queen Elizabeth?
Because you know how to chuse wise ministers. Does
not this prove you as great a Captain as she was a
Queen? This may serve as a riddle for you to put
forth among your officers, by way of increasing
your proper consequence. It must be a real
enjoyment to you, since you are obliged to leave
England, to be where you are, seeing something of
a new country and one which has been so
distinguished as Sweden. You must have great
pleasure in it. I hope you may have gone to
Carlscroon. Your profession has its _douceurs_ to
recompense for some of its privations; to an
enquiring and observing mind like yours such
_douceurs_ must be considerable. Gustavus Vasa,
and Charles XII., and Cristina and Linneus. Do
their ghosts rise up before you? I have a great
respect for former Sweden, so zealous as it was
for Protestantism. And I have always fancied it
more like England than other countries; and,
according to the map, many of the names have a
strong resemblance to the English. July begins
unpleasantly with us, cold and showery, but it is
often a baddish month. We had some fine dry
weather preceding it, which was very acceptable to
the Holders of Hay, and the Masters of Meadows. In
general it must have been a good hay-making
season. Edward has got in all his in excellent
order; I speak only of Chawton, but here he has
better luck than Mr. Middleton ever had in the
five years that he was tenant. Good encouragement
for him to come again, and I really hope he will
do so another year. The pleasure to us of having
them here is so great that if we were not the best
creatures in the world we should not deserve it.
We go on in the most comfortable way, very
frequently dining together, and always meeting in
some part of every day. Edward is very well, and
enjoys himself as thoroughly as any Hampshire-born
Austen can desire. Chawton is not thrown away upon
him.
* * * * *
He will soon have all his children about him.
Edward, George and Charles are collected already,
and another week brings Henry and William.
* * * * *
We are in hopes of another visit from our true
lawful Henry very soon; he is to be our guest this
time. He is quite well, I am happy to say, and
does not leave it to my pen, I am sure, to
communicate to you the joyful news of his being
Deputy Receiver no longer. It is a promotion which
he thoroughly enjoys, as well he may; the work of
his own mind. He sends you all his own plans of
course. The scheme for Scotland we think an
excellent one both for himself and his
nephew.[255] Upon the whole his spirits are very
much recovered. If I may so express myself his
mind is not a mind for affliction; he is too busy,
too active, too sanguine. Sincerely as he was
attached to poor Eliza moreover, and excellently
as he behaved to her, he was always so used to be
away from her at times, that her loss is not felt
as that of many a beloved wife might be,
especially when all the circumstances of her long
and dreadful illness are taken into the account.
He very long knew that she must die, and it was
indeed a release at last. Our mourning for her is
not over, or we should be putting it on again for
Mr. Thomas Leigh, who has just closed a good life
at the age of seventy-nine.
* * * * *
Poor Mrs. L. P. [Leigh Perrot] would now have been
mistress of Stoneleigh had there been none of the
vile compromise, which in good truth has never
been allowed to be of much use to them. It will be
a hard trial.
* * * * *
You will be glad to hear that every copy of _S.
and S._ is sold, and that it has brought me £140,
besides the copyright, if that should ever be of
any value. I have now, therefore, written myself
into £250,[256] which only makes me long for more.
I have something in hand which I hope the credit
of _P. and P._ will sell well, though not half so
entertaining, and by the bye shall you object to
my mentioning the _Elephant_ in it, and two or
three other old ships? I _have_ done it, but it
shall not stay to make you angry. They are only
just mentioned.
* * * * *
I hope you continue well and brush your hair, but
not all off.
Yours very affectionately,
J. A.
On September 14, Jane left Chawton for London and Godmersham, travelling
as one of her brother Edward's large family party.
FOOTNOTES:
[232] The publisher was a Mr. T. Egerton, described as of the Military
Library, Whitehall. He was therefore not the same as Henry Egerton who
called in Sloane St. (p. 247) _pace_ Mr. Austin Dobson in his
Introduction to _Sense and Sensibility_ (Macmillan, 1896).
[233] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 237 (letter from Jane to Frank). See p. 272.
[234] We shall in future describe Jane's brother Edward as 'Mr. Knight,'
and his children as 'Knight' with the Christian name prefixed; while the
name 'Edward Austen' will be reserved for the author of the _Memoir_
(James's eldest son), as he was always known in the family by that name.
[235] _Memoir_, p. 11.
[236] Cassandra was now staying at Steventon; these letters to her are
mainly in the _Memoir_, but are supplemented and re-arranged from family
MSS.
[237] Authors of the _Rejected Addresses_ (1812).
[238] _Mansfield Park_, chapter xxiv.
[239] _Mansfield Park_, chapter xxv.
[240] _Mansfield Park_ was also published at 18_s._, _Emma_ at £1 1_s._,
whereas the first edition of _Sense and Sensibility_ had cost only
15_s._
[241] I.e. typographical.
[242] 'I do not rhyme to that dull elf
Who cannot image to himself.'--_Marmion_, vi. 38.
[243] In _Mansfield Park_ (the scene of which is laid in
Northamptonshire), a good deal turns on the steadfast determination of
Edmund Bertram to be ordained.
[244] The caution observed at Steventon in preserving the secret of the
authorship of the novels is shown in a little manuscript poem addressed
by young Edward Austen to his aunt, when (at the age of fifteen or
sixteen) he was at last informed that the two novels, which he already
knew well, were by her.
[245] This passage occurs at the end of chapter liv. For a long time the
publishers tried to put matters right by making _three_ sentences into
one. Mr. Brimley Johnson's was the first edition to break up the
sentences properly. See _Appendix_, p. 409-10.
[246] _Memoir_, p. 104.
[247] Afterwards, Lady Pollen, of Redenham, near Andover, and then at a
school in London.
[248] Layton and Shears, a millinery establishment at 9 Henrietta
Street, Covent Garden.
[249] After the death of his wife, Henry Austen moved into chambers over
his bank, 10 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.
[250] This letter is full of allusions to _Pride and Prejudice_.
[251] Two of Henry Austen's clerks.
[252] Mr. Tilson was a partner of Henry Austen.
[253] Miss Darcy.
[254] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 233. One paragraph in this letter
(respecting the marriage of Mr. Blackall) is quoted in Chapter VI.
[255] Edward Knight, whom his uncle Henry was about to take to Scotland.
See p. 279.
[256] _Pride and Prejudice_ was sold outright to Mr. Egerton; and this
implies that the sum given was £110.
CHAPTER XVI
_MANSFIELD PARK_
1812-1814
Jane was now about to pay what proved to be her last visit to
Godmersham. On the way thither she, with one division of the Knight
family party, halted for a couple of days in London, to stay with Henry
at 10 Henrietta Street.
Henrietta Street:
Wednesday [September 15, 1813, 1/2 past 8].
Here I am, my dearest Cassandra, seated in the
breakfast-, dining-, sitting-room, beginning with
all my might. Fanny will join me as soon as she is
dressed and begin her letter.
We arrived at a quarter-past four, and were kindly
welcomed by the coachman, and then by his master,
and then by William, and then by Mrs. Perigord,[257]
who all met us before we reached the foot of the
stairs. Mde. Bigeon was below dressing us a most
comfortable dinner of soup, fish, bouillée, partridges,
and an apple tart, which we sat down to soon after
five, after cleaning and dressing ourselves, and
feeling that we were most commodiously disposed of.
The little adjoining dressing-room to our apartment
makes Fanny and myself very well off indeed, and as
we have poor Eliza's bed our space is ample every
way.
Lady Robert is delighted with _P. and P._,[258]
and really _was_ so, as I understand, before she
knew who wrote it, for, of course, she knows now.
He told her with as much satisfaction as if it
were my wish. He did not tell _me_ this, but he
told Fanny. And Mr. Hastings! I am quite delighted
with what such a man writes about it. Henry sent
him the books after his return from Daylesford,
but you will hear the letter too.
* * * * *
Fanny and the two little girls are gone to take
places for to-night at Covent Garden; _Clandestine
Marriage_ and _Midas_. The latter will be a fine
show for L. and M.[259] They revelled last night
in _Don Juan_, whom we left in hell at half-past
eleven. We had scaramouch and a ghost, and were
delighted. I speak of _them_; _my_ delight was
very tranquil, and the rest of us were
sober-minded. _Don Juan_ was the last of three
musical things. _Five Hours at Brighton_, in three
acts--of which one was over before we arrived,
none the worse--and the _Beehive_, rather less
flat and trumpery.
* * * * *
Miss Hare had some pretty caps, and is to make me
one like one of them, only _white_ satin instead
of blue. It will be white satin and lace, and a
little white flower perking out of the left ear,
like Harriot Byron's feather. I have allowed her
to go as far as £1 16_s._ My gown is to be trimmed
everywhere with white ribbon plaited on somehow or
other. She says it will look well. I am not
sanguine. They trim with white very much.
* * * * *
Mr. Hall was very punctual yesterday, and curled
me out at a great rate. I thought it looked
hideous, and longed for a snug cap instead, but my
companions silenced me by their admiration.
We had very good places in the box next the
stage-box, front and second row; the three old
ones behind of course. I was particularly
disappointed at seeing nothing of Mr. Crabbe. I
felt sure of him when I saw that the boxes were
fitted up with crimson velvet.
* * * * *
It was not possible for me to get the worsteds
yesterday. I heard Edward last night pressing
Henry to come to [? Godmersham], and I think Henry
engaged to go there after his November
collection.[260] Nothing has been done as to _S.
and S._ The books came to hand too late for him to
have time for it before he went.
* * * * *
I long to have you hear Mr. H.'s opinion of _P.
and P._ His admiring my Elizabeth so much is
particularly welcome to me.
Miss Austen, Chawton.
Her delight at the appreciation of her book by Warren Hastings may be
compared with a passage from Madame d'Arblay's diary, which forms a
curious link between the two writers.
Mrs. Cooke [Jane Austen's cousin], my excellent
neighbour, came in just now to read me a paragraph
of a letter from Mrs. Leigh of Oxfordshire, her
sister.[261] . . . After much civility about the new
work [_Camilla_] and its author, it finishes thus:
'Mr. Hastings I saw just now; I told him what was
going forward; he gave a great jump and exclaimed:
"Well, then, now I can serve her, thank heaven,
and I will! I will write to Anderson to engage
Scotland, and I will attack the East Indies
myself."'[262]
Henrietta Street:
Thursday [September 16, 1813, after dinner].
Thank you, my dearest Cassandra, for the nice long
letter I sent off this morning.
* * * * *
We are now all four of us young ladies sitting
round the circular table in the inner room writing
our letters, while the two brothers are having a
comfortable coze in the room adjoining. It is to
be a quiet evening, much to the satisfaction of
four of the six. My eyes are quite tired of dust
and lamps.
* * * * *
We . . . went to Wedgwood's, where my brother and
Fanny chose a dinner set. I believe the pattern is
a small lozenge in purple, between lines of narrow
gold, and it is to have the crest.
* * * * *
With love to you all, including Triggs,[263] I
remain,
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
The journey from London to Godmersham was no doubt duly narrated in a
letter now missing. Those from Godmersham are filled with the ordinary
comings and goings of a large family party, and allusions to Kent
neighbours--of whom Cassandra would know just enough to be interested in
their proceedings.
Godmersham Park:
Thursday [September 23, 1813].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--Thank you five hundred and
forty times for the exquisite piece of workmanship
which was brought into the room this morning,
while we were at breakfast, with some very
inferior works of art in the same way, and which I
read with high glee, much delighted with
everything it told, whether good or bad. It is so
rich in striking intelligence that I hardly know
what to reply to first. I believe finery must have
it.
I am extremely glad that you like the poplin. I
thought it would have my mother's approbation, but
was not so confident of yours. Remember that it is
a present. Do not refuse me. I am very rich.
* * * * *
Let me know when you begin the new tea, and the
new white wine. My present elegancies have not yet
made me indifferent to such matters. I am still a
cat if I see a mouse.
* * * * *
''Tis night, and the landscape is lovely no more,'
but to make amends for that, our visit to the
Tyldens is over. My brother, Fanny, Edwd., and I
went; Geo. stayed at home with W. K. There was
nothing entertaining, or out of the common way. We
met only Tyldens and double Tyldens. A whist-table
for the gentlemen, a grown-up musical young lady
to play backgammon with Fanny, and engravings of
the Colleges at Cambridge for me. In the morning
we returned Mrs. Sherer's visit. I like _Mr._
S.[264] very much.
* * * * *
Poor Dr. Isham is obliged to admire _P. and P._,
and to send me word that he is sure he shall not
like Madame D'Arblay's new novel[265] half so
well. Mrs. C[ooke] invented it all, of course. He
desires his compliments to you and my mother.
* * * * *
I am now alone in the library, mistress of all I
survey; at least I may say so, and repeat the
whole poem if I like it, without offence to
anybody.
I have _this_ moment seen Mrs. Driver driven up
to the kitchen door. I cannot close with a grander
circumstance or greater wit.
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
Miss Austen, Chawton.
The next of Jane's surviving letters was addressed to her brother Frank.
Godmersham Park [September 25, 1813].[266]
MY DEAREST FRANK,--The 11th of this month brought
me your letter, and I assure you I thought it very
well worth its two and three-pence. I am very much
obliged to you for filling me so long a sheet of
paper; you are a good one to traffic with in that
way, you pay most liberally; my letter was a
scratch of a note compared to yours, and then you
write so even, so clear, both in style and
penmanship, so much to the point, and give so much
intelligence, that it is enough to kill one. I am
sorry Sweden is so poor, and my riddle so bad. The
idea of a fashionable bathing-place in
Mecklenberg! How can people pretend to be
fashionable or to bathe out of England? Rostock
market makes one's mouth water; our cheapest
butcher's meat is double the price of theirs;
nothing under nine-pence all this summer, and I
believe upon recollection nothing under ten-pence.
Bread has sunk and is likely to sink more, which
we hope may make meat sink too. But I have no
occasion to think of the price of bread or of meat
where I am now; let me shake off vulgar cares and
conform to the happy indifference of East Kent
wealth. I wonder whether you and the King of
Sweden knew that I was come to Godmersham with my
brother. Yes, I suppose you have received due
notice of it by some means or other. I have not
been here these four years, so I am sure the
event deserves to be talked of before and behind,
as well as in the middle. We left Chawton on the
14th, spent two entire days in town, and arrived
here on the 17th. My brother, Fanny, Lizzie,
Marianne and I composed this division of the
family, and filled his carriage inside and out.
Two post-chaises, under the escort of George,
conveyed eight more across the country, the chair
brought two, two others came on horseback, and the
rest by coach, and so by one means or another, we
all are removed. It puts me in remind of St.
Paul's shipwreck, when all are said, by different
means, to reach the shore in safety. I left my
mother, Cassandra, and Martha well, and have had
good accounts of them since. At present they are
quite alone, but they are going to be visited by
Mrs. Heathcote and Miss Bigg, and to have a few
days of Henry's company likewise.
* * * * *
Of our three evenings in town, one was spent at
the Lyceum, and another at Covent Garden. _The
Clandestine Marriage_ was the most respectable of
the performances, the rest were sing-song and
trumpery; but it did very well for Lizzie and
Marianne, who were indeed delighted, but I wanted
better acting. There was no actor worth naming. I
believe the theatres are thought at a very low ebb
at present. Henry has probably sent you his own
account of his visit in Scotland. I wish he had
had more time, and could have gone further north,
and deviated to the lakes on his way back; but
what he was able to do seems to have afforded him
great enjoyment, and he met with scenes of higher
beauty in Roxburghshire than I had supposed the
South of Scotland possessed. Our nephew's
gratification was less keen than our brother's.
Edward is no enthusiast in the beauties of nature.
His enthusiasm is for the sports of the field
only. He is a very promising and pleasing young
man, however, behaves with great propriety to his
father, and great kindness to his brothers and
sisters, and we must forgive his thinking more of
grouse and partridges than lakes and mountains.
* * * * *
In this house there is a constant succession of
small events, somebody is always going or coming;
this morning we had Edward Bridges unexpectedly to
breakfast with us, on his way from Ramsgate, where
is his wife, to Lenham, where is his church, and
to-morrow he dines and sleeps here on his return.
They have been all the summer at Ramsgate for her
health; she is a poor honey--the sort of woman who
gives me the idea of being determined never to be
well and who likes her spasms and nervousness, and
the consequence they give her, better than
anything else. This is an ill-natured statement to
send all over the Baltic. The Mr. Knatchbulls,
dear Mrs. Knight's brothers, dined here the other
day. They came from the Friars, which is still on
their hands. The elder made many inquiries after
you. Mr. Sherer is quite a new Mr. Sherer to me; I
heard him for the first time last Sunday, and he
gave us an excellent sermon, a little too eager
sometimes in his delivery, but that is to me a
better extreme than the want of animation,
especially when it evidently comes from the heart,
as in him. The clerk is as much like you as ever.
I am always glad to see him on that account. But
the Sherers are going away. He has a bad curate at
Westwell, whom he can eject only by residing there
himself. He goes nominally for three years, and a
Mr. Paget is to have the curacy of Godmersham; a
married man, with a very musical wife, which I
hope may make her a desirable acquaintance to
Fanny.
I thank you very warmly for your kind consent to
my application,[267] and the kind hint which
followed it. I was previously aware of what I
should be laying myself open to; but the truth is
that the secret has spread so far as to be
scarcely the shadow of a secret now, and that, I
believe, whenever the third appears, I shall not
even attempt to tell lies about it. I shall rather
try to make all the money than all the mystery I
can of it. People shall pay for their knowledge if
I can make them. Henry heard _P. and P._ warmly
praised in Scotland by Lady Robert Kerr and
another lady; and what does he do, in the warmth
of his brotherly vanity and love, but immediately
tell them who wrote it? A thing once set going in
that way--one knows how it spreads, and he, dear
creature, has set it going so much more than once.
I know it is all done from affection and
partiality, but at the same time let me here again
express to you and Mary my sense of the _superior_
kindness which you have shown on the occasion in
doing what I wished. I am trying to harden myself.
After all, what a trifle it is, in all its
bearings, to the really important points of one's
existence, even in this world.
Your very affectionate sister,
J. A.
There is to be a second edition of _S. and S._
Egerton advises it.
* * * * *
The last paragraph of this letter sets two things plainly before us: a
strong preference for remaining unknown if she could, and the invariable
sweetness of temper which forbade her to blame a brother whom she loved
because he had made such concealment impossible. That this acquiescence,
however, was not reached without a struggle the last few words of the
paragraph show.
Next follows a letter to Cassandra, dated Monday (October 11):--
We had our dinner party on Wednesday, with the
addition of Mrs. and Miss Milles. . . . Both mother
and daughter are much as I have always found them.
I like the mother--first, because she reminds me
of Mrs. Birch; and, secondly, because she is
cheerful and grateful for what she is at the age
of ninety and upwards. The day was pleasant
enough. I sat by Mr. Chisholme, and we talked away
at a great rate about nothing worth hearing.
* * * * *
Lizzie is very much obliged to you for your letter
and will answer it soon, but has so many things to
do that it may be four or five days before she
can. This is quite her own message, spoken in
rather a desponding tone. Your letter gave
pleasure to all of us; we had all the reading of
it of course, I _three times_, as I undertook, to
the great relief of Lizzie, to read it to
Sackree,[268] and afterwards to Louisa.
* * * * *
Mrs. ---- called here on Saturday. I never saw her
before. She is a large, ungenteel woman, with
self-satisfied and would-be elegant manners.
* * * * *
On Thursday, Mr. Lushington,[269] M.P. for
Canterbury, and manager of the Lodge Hounds, dines
here, and stays the night. He is chiefly young
Edward's acquaintance. If I can I will get a frank
from him, and write to you all the sooner. I
suppose the Ashford ball will furnish something.
* * * * *
I am looking over _Self-Control_ again, and my
opinion is confirmed of its being an
excellently-meant, elegantly-written work, without
anything of nature or probability in it. I
declare I do not know whether Laura's passage down
the American river is not the most natural,
possible, everyday thing she ever does.
* * * * *
_Tuesday._--I admire the sagacity and taste of
Charlotte Williams. Those large dark eyes always
judge well. I will compliment her by naming a
heroine after her.
* * * * *
Southey's _Life of Nelson_: I am tired of _Lives
of Nelson_, being that I never read any. I will
read this, however, if Frank is mentioned in it.
[October 14, 1813.]
Now I will prepare for Mr. Lushington, and as it
will be wisest also to prepare for his not coming,
or my not getting a frank, I shall write very
close from the first, and even leave room for the
seal in the proper place. When I have followed up
my last with this I shall feel somewhat less
unworthy of you than the state of our
correspondence now requires.
* * * * *
Mr. W. is about five-or six-and-twenty, not
ill-looking, and not agreeable. He is certainly no
addition. A sort of cool, gentlemanlike manner,
but very silent. They say his name is Henry, a
proof how unequally the gifts of fortune are
bestowed. I have seen many a John and Thomas much
more agreeable.
* * * * *
We did not go to the ball.[270] It was left to her
to decide, and at last she determined against it.
She knew that it would be a sacrifice on the part
of her father and brothers if they went, and I
hope it will prove that _she_ has not sacrificed
much. It is not likely that there should have been
anybody there whom she would care for. _I_ was
very glad to be spared the trouble of dressing and
going, and being weary before it was half over,
so my gown and my cap are still unworn. It will
appear at last, perhaps, that I might have done
without either. I produced my brown bombazine
yesterday, and it was very much admired indeed,
and I like it better than ever.
* * * * *
The comfort of the billiard-table here is very
great; it draws all the gentlemen to it whenever
they are within, especially after dinner, so that
my brother, Fanny, and I have the library to
ourselves in delightful quiet.
* * * * *
_Friday._--They[271] came last night at about
seven. We had given them up, but _I still_
expected them to come. Dessert was nearly over; a
better time for arriving than an hour and a half
earlier. They were late because they did not set
out earlier, and did not allow time enough.
Charles did not _aim_ at more than reaching
Sittingbourne by three, which could not have
brought them here by dinner time. They had a very
rough passage; he would not have ventured if he
had known how bad it would be.
* * * * *
However, here they are, safe and well, just like
their own nice selves, Fanny looking as neat and
white this morning as possible, and dear Charles
all affectionate, placid, quiet, cheerful good
humour. They are both looking very well, but poor
little Cassy is grown extremely thin, and looks
poorly. I hope a week's country air and exercise
may do her good. I am sorry to say it can be but a
week. The baby does not appear so large in
proportion as she was, nor quite so pretty, but I
have seen very little of her. Cassy was too tired
and bewildered just at first to seem to know
anybody. We met them in the hall--the women and
girl part of us--but before we reached the
library she kissed me very affectionately, and has
since seemed to recollect me in the same way.
It was quite an evening of confusion, as you may
suppose. At first we were all walking about from
one part of the house to the other; then came a
fresh dinner in the breakfast-room for Charles and
his wife, which Fanny and I attended; then we
moved into the library, were joined by the
dining-room people, were introduced, and so forth;
and then we had tea and coffee, which was not over
till past 10. Billiards again drew all the odd
ones away, and Edward, Charles, the two Fannies,
and I sat snugly talking. I shall be glad to have
our numbers a little reduced, and by the time you
receive this we shall be only a family, though a
large family, party. Mr. Lushington goes
to-morrow.
Now I must speak of _him_, and I like him very
much. I am sure he is clever, and a man of taste.
He got a volume of Milton last night, and spoke of
it with warmth. He is quite an M.P., very smiling,
with an exceeding good address and readiness of
language. I am rather in love with him. I dare say
he is ambitious and insincere. He puts me in mind
of Mr. Dundas. He has a wide smiling mouth, and
very good teeth, and something the same complexion
and nose.
[October 18, 1813.]
No; I have never seen the death of Mrs.
Crabbe.[272] I have only just been making out from
one of his prefaces that he probably was married.
It is almost ridiculous. Poor woman! I will
comfort _him_ as well as I can, but I do not
undertake to be good to her children. She had
better not leave any.
October 26.
Our Canterbury scheme took place as proposed, and
very pleasant it was--Harriot and I and little
George within, my brother on the box with the
master coachman.
* * * * *
Our chief business was to call on Mrs. Milles, and
we had, indeed, so little else to do that we were
obliged to saunter about anywhere and go backwards
and forwards as much as possible to make out the
time and keep ourselves from having two hours to
sit with the good lady--a most extraordinary
circumstance in a Canterbury morning.
Old Toke came in while we were paying our visit. I
thought of Louisa. Miss Milles was queer as usual,
and provided us with plenty to laugh at. She
undertook in _three words_ to give us the history
of Mrs. Scudamore's reconciliation, and then
talked on about it for half an hour, using such
odd expressions, and so foolishly minute, that I
could hardly keep my countenance.
* * * * *
Owing to a difference of clocks the coachman did
not bring the carriage so soon as he ought by half
an hour; anything like a breach of punctuality was
a great offence, and Mr. Moore was very angry,
which I was rather glad of. I wanted to see him
angry; and, though he spoke to his servant in a
very loud voice and with a good deal of heat, I
was happy to perceive that he did not scold
Harriot at all. Indeed, there is nothing to object
to in his manners to her, and I do believe that he
makes her--or she makes herself--very happy. They
do not spoil their boy.
* * * * *
George Hatton[273] called yesterday, and I saw
him, saw him for ten minutes; sat in the same room
with him, heard him talk, saw him bow, and was not
in raptures. I discerned nothing extraordinary. I
should speak of him as a gentlemanlike young
man--_eh bien! tout est dit._ We are expecting the
ladies of the family this morning.
[November 3, 1813.]
I will keep this celebrated birthday by writing to
you, and as my pen seems inclined to write large,
I will put my lines very close together. I had but
just time to enjoy your letter yesterday before
Edward and I set off in the chair for Canty., and
I allowed him to hear the chief of it as we went
along.
* * * * *
But now I cannot be quite easy without staying a
little while with Henry, unless he wishes it
otherwise; his illness and the dull time of year
together make me feel that it would be horrible of
me not to offer to remain with him, and therefore
unless you know of any objection, I wish you would
tell him with my best love that I shall be most
happy to spend ten days or a fortnight in
Henrietta St., if he will accept me. I do not
offer more than a fortnight, because I shall then
have been some time from home; but it will be a
great pleasure to be with him, as it always is.
* * * * *
Edward and I had a delightful morning for our
drive _there_ [to Canterbury], I enjoyed it
thoroughly; but the day turned off before we were
ready, and we came home in some rain and the
apprehension of a great deal. It has not done us
any harm, however. He went to inspect the gaol, as
a visiting magistrate, and took me with him. I was
gratified, and went through all the feelings which
people must go through, I think, in visiting such
a building. We paid no other visits, only walked
about snugly together and shopped. I bought a
concert ticket and a sprig of flowers for my old
age.
* * * * *
What a convenient carriage Henry's is, to his
friends in general! Who has it next? I am glad
William's going is voluntary, and on no worse
grounds. An inclination for the country is a
venial fault. He has more of Cowper than of
Johnson in him--fonder of tame hares and blank
verse than of the full tide of human existence at
Charing Cross.
Oh! I have more of such sweet flattery from Miss
Sharp. She is an excellent kind friend. I am read
and admired in Ireland, too. There is a Mrs.
Fletcher, the wife of a judge, an old lady, and
very good and very clever, who is all curiosity to
know about me--what I am like, and so forth. I am
not known to her by _name_, however. This comes
through Mrs. Carrick, not through Mrs. Gore. You
are quite out there.
I do not despair of having my picture in the
Exhibition at last--all white and red, with my
head on one side; or perhaps I may marry young Mr.
D'Arblay. I suppose in the meantime I shall owe
dear Henry a great deal of money for printing, &c.
I hope Mrs. Fletcher will indulge herself with _S.
and S._
November 6.
Having half an hour before breakfast (very snug in
my own room, lovely morning, excellent fire--fancy
me!) I will give you some account of the last two
days. And yet, what is there to be told? I shall
get foolishly minute unless I cut the matter
short.
We met only the Bretons at Chilham Castle, besides
a Mr. and Mrs. Osborne and a Miss Lee staying in
the house, and were only fourteen altogether. My
brother and Fanny thought it the pleasantest party
they had ever known there, and I was very well
entertained by bits and scraps.
* * * * *
By-the-bye, as I must leave off being young, I
find many _douceurs_ in being a sort of
_chaperon_, for I am put on the sofa near the
fire, and can drink as much wine as I like. We had
music in the evening: Fanny and Miss Wildman
played, and Mr. James Wildman sat close by and
listened, or pretended to listen.
. . . Mrs. Harrison[274] and I found each other out,
and had a very comfortable little complimentary
friendly chat. She is a sweet woman--still quite a
sweet woman in herself, and so like her sister! I
could almost have thought I was speaking to Mrs.
Lefroy. She introduced me to her daughter, whom I
think pretty, but most dutifully inferior to _la
Mère Beauté_.
* * * * *
I was just introduced at last to Mary Plumptre,
but should hardly know her again. She was
delighted with _me_, however, good enthusiastic
soul! And Lady B. found me handsomer than she
expected, so you see I am not so very bad as you
might think for.
Since I wrote last, my 2nd edit.[275] has stared
me in the face. Mary tells me that Eliza means to
buy it. I wish she may. It can hardly depend upon
any more Fyfield Estates. I cannot help hoping
that _many_ will feel themselves obliged to buy
it. I shall not mind imagining it a disagreeable
duty to them, so as they do it. Mary heard before
she left home that it was very much admired at
Cheltenham, and that it was given to Miss
Hamilton.[276] It is pleasant to have such a
respectable writer named. I cannot tire _you_, I
am sure, on this subject, or I would apologise.
What weather, and what news![277] We have enough
to do to admire them both. I hope you derive your
full share of enjoyment from each.
* * * * *
Lady Eliz. Hatton and Annamaria called here this
morning. Yes, they called; but I do not think I
can say anything more about them. They came, and
they sat, and they went.
* * * * *
_Sunday._--Excellent sweetness of you to send me
such a nice long letter; it made its appearance,
with one from my mother, soon after I and my
impatient feelings walked in. How glad I am that I
did what I did! I was only afraid that _you_
might think the offer superfluous, but you have
set my heart at ease. Tell Henry that I _will_
stay with him, let it be ever so disagreeable to
him.
* * * * *
You shall hear from me once more, some day or
other.
Yours very affectionately,
J. A.
Miss Austen, 10 Henrietta Street.
Even in the middle of this large family party, Jane was not likely to
forget the literary profession which she had now seriously adopted.
Indeed, it was just at this time that the second edition of _Sense and
Sensibility_, on which she had ventured under the advice of her
publisher Egerton, appeared.[278] According to our dates, she was not
now actually engaged in regular composition--for _Mansfield Park_[279]
was completed 'soon after June 1813,' and _Emma_ was not begun till
January 21, 1814. We may guess, however, that she was either putting a
few humorous touches to Mrs. Norris and Lady Bertram, or else giving
herself hints in advance for Miss Bates or Mr. Woodhouse; for we learn
something of her process from an eyewitness, her niece Marianne Knight,
who related her childish remembrances of her aunt not very many years
ago. 'Aunt Jane,'[280] she said, 'would sit very quietly at work beside
the fire in the Godmersham library, then suddenly burst out laughing,
jump up, cross the room to a distant table with papers lying upon it,
write something down, returning presently and sitting down quietly to
her work again.' She also remembered how her aunt would take the elder
girls into an upstairs room and read to them something that produced
peals of laughter, to which the little ones on the wrong side of the
door listened, thinking it very hard that they should be shut out from
hearing what was so delightful! The laughter may have been the result of
the second novel then published, for there is an entry in Fanny Knight's
diary: 'We finished _Pride and Prejudice_'; or it may have been caused
by a first introduction to Aunt Norris and Lady Bertram. Happy indeed
were those who could hear their creator make her characters 'speak as
they ought.' The dramatic element in her works is so strong that for
complete enjoyment on a first acquaintance it is almost indispensable
that they should be read aloud by some person capable of doing them
justice. She had this power herself, according to the concurrent
testimony of those who heard her, and she handed it on to her nephew,
the author of the _Memoir_.
On November 13 Jane left Godmersham with Edward, spent two days with
some connexions of his at Wrotham, and reached London on the 15th, in
time to dine with Henry in Henrietta Street.
After that she had various plans; but we do not know which she adopted;
and there is nothing further to tell of her movements until March 1814.
We know, however, that _Emma_ was begun in January; and that on March 2,
when Henry drove his sister up to London, spending a night at Cobham on
the way, he was engaged in reading _Mansfield Park_ for the first time.
Jane was of course eager to communicate Henry's impressions to
Cassandra.
Henrietta Street: Wednesday [March 2, 1814].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--You were wrong in thinking of
us at Guildford last night: we were at Cobham. On
reaching G. we found that John and his horses were
gone on. We therefore did no more there than we
did at Farnham--sit in the carriage while fresh
horses were put in--and proceeded directly to
Cobham, which we reached by seven, and about eight
were sitting down to a very nice roast fowl, &c.
We had altogether a very good journey, and
everything at Cobham was comfortable. I could not
pay Mr. Herington! That was the only alas! of the
business. I shall therefore return his bill, and
my mother's £2, that you may try your luck. We did
not begin reading till Bentley Green. Henry's
approbation is hitherto even equal to my wishes.
He says it is very different from the other two,
but does not appear to think it at all inferior.
He has only married Mrs. R. I am afraid he has
gone through the most entertaining part. He took
to Lady B. and Mrs. N. most kindly, and gives
great praise to the drawing of the characters. He
understands them all, likes Fanny, and, I think,
foresees how it will all be. I finished the
_Heroine_[281] last night, and was very much
amused by it. I wonder James did not like it
better. It diverted me exceedingly. We went to bed
at ten. I was very tired, but slept to a miracle,
and am lovely to-day, and at present Henry seems
to have no complaint. We left Cobham at half-past
eight, stopped to bait and breakfast at Kingston,
and were in this house considerably before two,
quite in the style of Mr. Knight. Nice smiling Mr.
Barlowe met us at the door and, in reply to
enquiries after news, said that peace was
generally expected. I have taken possession of my
bedroom, unpacked my bandbox, sent Miss P.'s two
letters to the twopenny post, been visited by
M^{de} Bigeon and am now writing by myself at the
new table in the front room. It is snowing. We had
some snowstorms[282] yesterday, and a smart frost
at night, which gave us a hard road from Cobham to
Kingston; but as it was then getting dirty and
heavy, Henry had a pair of leaders put on from the
latter place to the bottom of Sloane St. His own
horses, therefore, cannot have had hard work. I
watched for _veils_ as we drove through the
streets, and had the pleasure of seeing several
upon vulgar heads. And now, how do you all
do?--you in particular, after the worry of
yesterday and the day before. I hope Martha had a
pleasant visit again, and that you and my mother
could eat your beef-pudding. Depend upon my
thinking of the chimney-sweeper as soon as I wake
to-morrow. Places are secured at Drury Lane for
Saturday, but so great is the rage for seeing
Kean[283] that only a third and fourth row could
be got; as it is in a front box, however, I hope
we shall do pretty well--_Shylock_, a good play
for Fanny--she cannot be much affected, I think.
Mrs. Perigord has just been here. She tells me
that we owe her master for the silk-dyeing. My
poor old muslin has never been dyed yet. It has
been promised to be done several times. What
wicked people dyers are. They begin with dipping
their own souls in scarlet sin. . . . It is evening.
We have drank tea, and I have torn through the
third vol. of the _Heroine_. I do not think it
falls off. It is a delightful burlesque,
particularly on the Radcliffe style. Henry is
going on with _Mansfield Park_. He admires H.
Crawford: I mean properly, as a clever, pleasant
man. I tell you all the good I can, as I know how
much you will enjoy it. . . . We hear that Mr. Kean
is more admired than ever. . . . There are no good
places to be got in Drury Lane for the next
fortnight, but Henry means to secure some for
Saturday fortnight, when you are reckoned upon.
Give my love to little Cass. I hope she found my
bed comfortable last night. I have seen nobody in
London yet with such a long chin as Dr. Syntax,
nor anybody quite so large as Gogmagoglicus.
Saturday [March 5, 1814].
Do not be angry with me for beginning another
letter to you. I have read the _Corsair_, mended
my petticoat, and have nothing else to do. Getting
out is impossible. It is a nasty day for
everybody. Edward's[284] spirits will be wanting
sunshine, and here is nothing but thickness and
sleet; and though these two rooms are delightfully
warm, I fancy it is very cold abroad.
* * * * *
_Sunday._--We were quite satisfied with Kean. I
cannot imagine better acting, but the part was too
short; and, excepting him and Miss Smith, and
_she_ did not quite answer my expectation, the
parts were ill filled and the play heavy. We were
too much tired to stay for the whole of _Illusion_
('Nour-jahad'), which has three acts; there is a
great deal of finery and dancing in it, but I
think little merit. Elliston was 'Nour-jahad,' but
it is a solemn sort of part, not at all calculated
for his powers. There was nothing of the _best_
Elliston about him. I might not have known him but
for his voice.
* * * * *
Henry has this moment said that he likes my _M.
P._ better and better; he is in the third volume.
I believe _now_ he has changed his mind as to
foreseeing the end; he said yesterday, at least,
that he defied anybody to say whether H. C. would
be reformed, or would forget Fanny in a fortnight.
I shall like to see Kean again excessively, and to
see him with you too. It appeared to me as if
there were no fault in him anywhere; and in his
scene with 'Tubal' there was exquisite acting.
* * * * *
_Monday._--You cannot think how much my ermine
tippet is admired both by father and daughter. It
was a noble gift.
Perhaps you have not heard that Edward has a good
chance of escaping his lawsuit. His opponent
'knocks under.' The terms of agreement are not
quite settled.
We are to see _The Devil to Pay_ to-night. I
expect to be very much amused. Excepting Miss
Stephens, I daresay _Artaxerxes_ will be very
tiresome.
* * * * *
_Tuesday._--Well, Mr. Hampson dined here, and all
that. I was very tired of _Artaxerxes_, highly
amused with the farce, and, in an inferior way,
with the pantomime that followed. Mr. J. Plumptre
joined in the latter part of the evening, walked
home with us, ate some soup, and is very earnest
for our going to Covent Garden again to-night to
see Miss Stephens in the _Farmer's Wife_. He is to
try for a box. I do not particularly wish him to
succeed. I have had enough for the present. Henry
dines to-day with Mr. Spencer.
Wednesday [March 9, 1814].
Well, we went to the play again last night, and as
we were out a great part of the morning too,
shopping, and seeing the Indian jugglers, I am
very glad to be quiet now till dressing time. We
are to dine at the Tilsons', and to-morrow at Mr.
Spencer's.
We had not done breakfast yesterday when Mr. J.
Plumptre appeared to say that he had secured a
box. Henry asked him to dine here, which I fancy
he was very happy to do, and so at five o'clock we
four sat down to table together while the master
of the house was preparing for going out himself.
The _Farmer's Wife_ is a musical thing in three
acts, and, as Edward was steady in not staying for
anything more, we were at home before ten.
Fanny and Mr. J. P. are delighted with Miss
S[tephens], and her merit in singing is, I dare
say, very great; that she gave _me_ no pleasure
is no reflection upon her, nor, I hope, upon
myself, being what Nature made me on that article.
All that I am sensible of in Miss S. is a pleasing
person and no skill in acting. We had Mathews,
Liston, and Emery; of course, some amusement.
Our friends were off before half-past eight this
morning, and had the prospect of a heavy cold
journey before them. I think they both liked their
visit very much. I am sure Fanny did. Henry sees
decided attachment between her and his new
acquaintance.
* * * * *
Henry has finished _Mansfield Park_, and his
approbation has not lessened. He found the last
half of the last volume _extremely interesting_.
On Friday we are to be snug with only Mr. Barlowe
and an evening of business. I am so pleased that
the mead is brewed. Love to all. I have written to
Mrs. Hill, and care for nobody.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Henry must have read from a proof copy; for _Mansfield Park_ was not yet
published, though on the eve of being so. It was announced in the
_Morning Chronicle_ on May 23, and we shall see from the first letter in
the next chapter that the Cookes had already been reading it before June
13. It was probably a small issue;[285] but whatever the size may have
been, it was entirely sold out in the autumn.
The author broke new ground in this work, which (it should be
remembered) was the first dating wholly from her more mature Chawton
period. Though her novels were all of one type she had a remarkable
faculty for creating an atmosphere--differing more or less in each book;
and an excellent instance of this faculty is afforded by the decorous,
though somewhat cold, dignity of Sir Thomas Bertram's household. In
this household Fanny Price grows up, thoroughly appreciating its
orderliness, but saved by Edmund's affection and her own warmhearted
simplicity from catching the infection of its coldness. She required,
however, an experience of the discomforts and vulgarity of Portsmouth to
enable her to value to the full the home which she had left. In the
first volume she had been too much of a Cinderella to take her proper
position in the family party, and it was a real stroke of art to enhance
the dignity of the heroine through the courtship of a rich and clever
man of the world. A small point worth noticing in the third volume is
the manner in which, when the horrible truth breaks in upon Fanny--and
upon the reader--the tension is relaxed by Mrs. Price's commonplace
remarks about the carpet.
Probably, most readers will look upon the theatricals and the Portsmouth
episode as the most brilliant parts of the book; but the writing
throughout is full of point, and the three sisters--Lady Bertram, Mrs.
Norris, and Mrs. Price--are all productions of the author's most
delicately barbed satire. Mrs. Norris, indeed, is an instance of her
complex characters so justly praised by Macaulay. One thinks of her
mainly as parsimonious; but her parsimony would be worth much less than
it is, if it were not set off by her servility to Sir Thomas, her
brutality to Fanny, and her undisciplined fondness for her other nieces.
Lady Bertram is formed for the enjoyment of all her readers; and a pale
example of what she might have become under less propitious
circumstances is given by Mrs. Price. Mrs. Norris, we are told, would
have done much better than Mrs. Price in her position. It must have
given Jane Austen great pleasure to make this remark. None of her bad
characters (except possibly Elizabeth Elliot) were quite inhuman to her,
and to have found a situation in which Mrs. Norris might have shone
would be a real satisfaction.
One more remark may be made on _Mansfield Park_. It affords what perhaps
is the only[286] probable instance in these books of a portrait drawn
from life. She must, one would think, have had in her mind her brother
Charles--as he had been twelve or fourteen years earlier--when she drew
so charming a sketch of a young sailor in William Price.
We must not forget, however, the author's strong denial of depicting
individuals, and her declaration that she was too proud of her gentlemen
'to admit that they were only Mr. A. or Colonel B.'; nor yet her modest
confession, when speaking of two of her favourites--Edmund Bertram and
Mr. Knightley--that she was aware they were 'very far from what I know
English gentlemen often are.'
Jane Austen may perhaps enjoy the distinction of having added words or
expressions to colloquial English. The name 'Collins' is almost
established as the description of a letter of thanks after a visit; and
we have heard of a highly intelligent family among whom a guinea is
always alluded to as 'something considerable' in memory of the sum
believed (on the authority of the _Memoir_) to have been given to
William Price by Aunt Norris.[287]
FOOTNOTES:
[257] 'Pengird' in _Brabourne_, but surely a misprint. Cf. _Brabourne_,
ii. pp. 199, 266. Mme. Perigord and Mme. Bigeon were two of Eliza's
French servants who stayed on with Henry until he moved to Hans Place.
[258] Lady Robert Kerr, whom Henry met in Scotland, and to whom he
divulged the secret of his sister's authorship.
[259] Lizzie and Marianne Knight.
[260] Part of his duties as Receiver of Oxfordshire.
[261] These sisters were daughters of the Master of Balliol; and Mrs.
Leigh was married to her first cousin, the Rev. Thomas Leigh, who
succeeded to Stoneleigh. (See Leigh pedigree.)
[262] Madame d'Arblay to Dr. Burney, June 18, 1795.
[263] The keeper at Chawton.
[264] The Rector of Godmersham.
[265] _The Wanderer._
[266] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 243.
[267] To be allowed to use the names of some of his ships in _Mansfield
Park_.
[268] The old nurse at Godmersham.
[269] Stephen Rumbold Lushington, M.P. for Rye, 1807-12, and for
Canterbury, 1812-30, and 1835-37; Privy Councillor; Governor of Madras.
[270] At Ashford; 'she' is Fanny.
[271] Charles and his party. He was now on the _Namur_ as flag-captain
to Sir Thomas Williams, and his wife and two small children were living
with him on board.
[272] See p. 238. Mrs. Crabbe did not die until October 31, 1813
according to the _Dictionary of National Biography_.
[273] Afterwards Earl of Winchilsea.
[274] Sister to Mrs. Lefroy.
[275] Probably, of _Pride and Prejudice_.
[276] Probably Miss Elizabeth Hamilton (1758-1816), author of _The
Cottagers of Glenburnie_, &c.
[277] (?) Battle of Leipzig, October 16-19, 1813.
[278] Also, one of _Pride and Prejudice_.
[279] Begun about Feb. 1811.
[280] Quoted by Miss Hill, p. 202.
[281] _The Heroine, or the Adventures of Cherubina_, by E. S. Barrett
(2nd ed. 1814): a satire on Mrs. Radcliffe, in which a conspicuous part
is played by an impostor called 'Whylome Eftsoons.'
[282] It is said to have been the hardest winter known for twenty years
(_Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 218).
[283] Kean had made his first appearance at Drury Lane on January 26,
1814, and had immediately taken the town by storm.
[284] Edward Knight and his daughter Fanny were to arrive that day.
[285] See p. 311.
[286] No doubt there were other cases in which particular traits of
character were taken from those around her. Her brother Francis
certainly thought that the domestic industry of Captain Harville (in
_Persuasion_) was copied from himself. (Addenda to _Sailor Brothers_.)
[287] The _Memoir_ calls it 'one pound.' The difference is not material,
but Mrs. Norris would probably not be above giving herself the benefit
of the doubt.
CHAPTER XVII
_EMMA_
1814-1815
The last letter but one of the foregoing chapter contains two sentences
mentioning the writer's brother, Mr. Knight, which will help us to carry
on our story.
Writing on March 5, 1814, Jane says: 'It is a nasty day for everybody.
Edward's spirits will be wanting sunshine, and here is nothing but
thickness and sleet'; and towards the conclusion of the same letter we
find the following: 'Perhaps you have not heard that Edward has a good
chance of escaping his lawsuit. His opponent "knocks under." The terms
of agreement are not quite settled.'
There can, we think, be little doubt that both passages--the depressed
and the hopeful--refer to a claim over Edward's Hampshire property made
by some of the heirs-at-law of the former Knight family whom the
Brodnaxes of Godmersham had succeeded. Unfortunately, the cheerful
forecast contained in the second passage did not prove to be in
accordance with the facts. The lawsuit hung on for three years and was
then compromised by Mr. Knight's paying a large sum of money.[288]
Perhaps the claim also had its influence in producing the one
unflattering estimate of Jane which we shall have to lay before the
reader.
Miss Mitford was a convinced--but apparently a reluctant--admirer of her
genius; and she dwells without disguise on what she considers the want
of taste in _Pride and Prejudice_, though even here she adds that Miss
Austen 'wants nothing but the _beau idéal_ of the female character to be
a perfect novel writer.'
In another letter she refers to her mother's unfavourable reminiscences
of Jane Austen as a husband-hunter; although Mrs. Mitford's remark must
(as we have already pointed out[289]) have been based on an entire
misrepresentation, owing to Jane's youthful age at the time when that
lady could have known her.
* * * * *
She proceeds thus:--
A friend of mine who visits her now, says that she
has stiffened into the most perpendicular,
precise, taciturn piece of 'single blessedness'
that ever existed, and that, till _Pride and
Prejudice_ showed what a precious gem was hidden
in that unbending case, she was no more regarded
in society than a poker or a fire-screen, or any
other thin, upright piece of wood or iron that
fills the corner in peace and quietness. The case
is very different now: she is still a poker--but a
poker of whom every one is afraid. It must be
confessed that this silent observation from such
an observer is rather formidable. Most writers are
good-humoured chatterers--neither very wise nor
very witty; but nine times out of ten (at least in
the few that I have known) unaffected and
pleasant, and quite removing by their conversation
any fear that may have been excited by their
works. But a wit, a delineator of character, who
does not talk, is terrific indeed!
Miss Mitford has, however, the candour to add a qualification which
diminishes the force of her earlier remarks, and bears upon our present
subject. She says:--
After all, I do not know that I can quite vouch
for this account, though the friend from whom I
received it is truth itself; but her family
connexions must render her disagreeable to Miss
Austen, since she is the sister-in-law of a
gentleman who is at law with Miss A.'s brother for
the greater part of his fortune. You must have
remarked how much her stories hinge upon entailed
estates--doubtless she has learnt to dislike
entails. Her brother was adopted by a Mr. Knight,
who left him his name and two much better legacies
in an estate of five thousand a year in Kent, and
another of nearly double the value in Hampshire;
but it seems he forgot some ceremony--passing a
fine, I think they call it--with regard to the
Hampshire property, which Mr. Baverstock has
claimed in right of his mother, together with the
mesne rents, and is likely to be successful.[290]
Miss Mitford, indeed, could hardly have done less, after repeating this
somewhat spiteful gossip, than mention the hostile quarter from which it
arose. We have considered it right to quote part of it, as the writer is
an author of some note: but we venture to think that those readers who
have accompanied us so far will believe that Jane was guilty of nothing
worse than being shy, and talking but little among strangers; and that
such strangers as knew something of her literary ability believed, but
were quite wrong in believing, that she was taking stock of their
peculiarities with a view to introducing them into her next novel.
Jane had now completed the first of three visits which she was to pay to
Henry this year, and Cassandra was in London in her place; while the
Godmersham party were spending two months at Chawton. The two following
letters were written by Jane from Chawton in anticipation of a visit to
the Cookes at Bookham. Incidentally, Mr. Cooke's remark (quoted in the
first) shows that _Mansfield Park_ was already published. We must not
forget, however, that its author had been, since January 1814, deep in
the composition of _Emma_, and she would be sure to use a visit to the
neighbourhood of Leatherhead and Box Hill to verify geographical and
other details for her new work. Since her fame was fully established,
there have been many attempts to identify the locality of Highbury.
'There is a school of serious students who place it at Esher; another
band of enthusiasts support Dorking'; but Mr. E. V. Lucas, in his
introduction to a recent edition of the novel, prefers the claim of
Leatherhead, which, he says, is rightly placed as regards London and
Kingston, and not far wrong as regards Box Hill.[291] Near Leatherhead
is a house called 'Randalls'; and in 1761 the vestry of the parish paid
their thanks 'in the most respectful manner to Mr. Knightley,' who had
remodelled the pulpit and reading-desk of the church.[292]
Cobham should be mentioned as another possible alternative, as the
distances from London, Richmond, Kingston, and Box Hill suit well.[293]
But the most probable supposition of all is that the author purposely
avoided identifying it with any one village, while sufficiently defining
its position in the county of Surrey.
Chawton: Tuesday [June 14, 1814].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--Fanny takes my mother to
Alton this morning, which gives me an opportunity
of sending you a few lines without any other
trouble than that of writing them.
This is a delightful day in the country, and I
hope not much too hot for town. Well, you had a
good journey, I trust, and all that, and not rain
enough to spoil your bonnet. It appeared so likely
to be a wet evening that I went up to the Gt.
House between three and four, and dawdled away an
hour very comfortably, though Edwd. was not very
brisk. The air was clearer in the evening and he
was better. We all five walked together into the
kitchen garden and along the Gosport road, and
they drank tea with us.
The only letter to-day is from Mrs. Cooke to me.
They do not leave home till July, and want me to
come to them, according to my promise. And, after
considering everything, I have resolved on going.
In addition to their standing claims on me they
admire _Mansfield Park_ exceedingly. Mr. Cooke
says 'it is the most sensible novel he ever read,'
and the manner in which I treat the clergy
delights them very much. Altogether, I must go,
and I want you to join me there when your visit in
Henrietta St. is over. Put this into your
capacious head.
Take care of yourself, and do not be trampled to
death in running after the Emperor.[294] The
report in Alton yesterday was that they would
certainly travel this road either to or from
Portsmouth. I long to know what this bow of the
Prince's will produce.
Thursday [June 23].
I heard yesterday from Frank. When he began his
letter he hoped to be here on Monday, but before
it was ended he had been told that the naval
review would not take place till Friday, which
would probably occasion him some delay, as he
cannot get some necessary business of his own
attended to while Portsmouth is in such a bustle.
I hope Fanny has seen the Emperor, and then I may
fairly wish them all away. I go to-morrow, and
hope for some delays and adventures.
* * * * *
Henry at White's! Oh, what a Henry! I do not know
what to wish as to Miss B., so I will hold my
tongue and my wishes.
* * * * *
We have called upon Miss Dusantoy and Miss
Papillon, and been very pretty. Miss D. has a
great idea of being Fanny Price--she and her
youngest sister together, who is named Fanny.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Jane's visit to Bookham began on June 24, as soon as the Knights had
left Chawton. She was to be away for more than a fortnight, and must
have been at Chawton again for a month till the middle of August, when
she once more went to join Henry in London. On this occasion she had no
rich brother to take her in his carriage, and was forced to come by
Yalden's somewhat crowded coach--four inside and fifteen on the top.
Henry had moved between June and August, finding a house in his old
neighbourhood at 23 Hans Place. Next to him (but separated from him by
the entrance to the Pavilion, now the road leading to Pont Street), at
No. 22, was the St. Quentins' celebrated school, at which Miss Mitford
had been a pupil, as well as Miss Landon and Lady Caroline Lamb.[295]
Three doors off, at No. 26, lived Henry's partner, Mr. Tilson, with whom
it was possible to converse across the intermediate gardens.
23 Hans Place: Tuesday morning [August, 1814].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I had a very good journey, not
crowded, two of the three taken up at Bentley
being children, the others of a reasonable size;
and they were all very quiet and civil. We were
late in London, from being a great load, and from
changing coaches at Farnham; it was nearly four, I
believe, when we reached Sloane Street. Henry
himself met me, and as soon as my trunk and basket
could be routed out from all the other trunks and
baskets in the world, we were on our way to Hans
Place in the luxury of a nice, large, cool, dirty
hackney coach.
There were four in the kitchen part of Yalden, and
I was told fifteen at top, among them Percy Benn.
We met in the same room at Egham, but poor Percy
was not in his usual spirits. He would be more
chatty, I dare say, in his way _from_ Woolwich. We
took up a young Gibson at Holybourn, and, in
short, everybody either _did_ come up by Yalden
yesterday, or wanted to come up. It put me in mind
of my own coach between Edinburgh and
Stirling.[296]
* * * * *
It is a delightful place--more than answers my
expectation. Having got rid of my unreasonable
ideas, I find more space and comfort in the rooms
than I had supposed, and the garden is quite a
love. I am in the front attic, which is the
bedchamber to be preferred.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--I got the willow yesterday, as Henry
was not quite ready when I reached Hen^{a.} St. I
saw Mr. Hampson there for a moment. He dines here
to-morrow and proposed bringing his son; so I must
submit to seeing George Hampson, though I had
hoped to go through life without it. It was one of
my vanities, like your not reading _Patronage_.
* * * * *
Is not this all that can have happened or been
arranged? Not quite. Henry wants me to see more of
his Hanwell favourite, and has written to invite
her to spend a day or two here with me. His scheme
is to fetch her on Saturday. I am more and more
convinced that he will marry again soon, and like
the idea of _her_ better than of anybody else, at
hand.
Yours very truly and affectionately,
JANE.
Miss Austen, Chawton.
By favour of Mr. Gray.
All through this year and the early part of the next, _Emma_ (begun
January 1814, finished March 29, 1815) was assiduously worked at.
Although polished to the highest degree, it was more quickly composed
than any previous work and gave evidence of a practised hand. It was
also the most 'Austenish' of all her novels, carrying out most
completely her idea of what was fitted to her tastes and capacities. She
enjoyed having a heroine 'whom no one would like but herself,' and
working on 'three or four families in a country village.' _Emma_ appeals
therefore more exclusively than any of the others to an inner circle of
admirers: but such admirers may possibly place it at the head of her
compositions. There are no stirring incidents; there is no change of
scene. The heroine, whose society we enjoy throughout, never sleeps away
from home, and even there sees only so much company as an invalid father
can welcome. No character in the book is ill, no one is ruined, there
is no villain, and no paragon. On the other hand, the plot is admirably
contrived and never halts; while the mysteries--exclusively mysteries of
courtship and love--are excellently maintained. Emma never expresses any
opinion which is thoroughly sound, and seldom makes any forecast which
is not belied by the event, yet we always recognise her acuteness, and
she by degrees obtains our sympathy. The book also illustrates to the
highest degree the author's power of drawing humorous characters; Miss
Bates, Mr. Woodhouse, and Mrs. Elton in the first class, and Harriet
Smith in the second. And the humour is always essential to the
delineation of character--it is never an excrescence. It also depends
more on what is said than on any tricks of speech; there are no
catch-words, and every one speaks practically the same excellent
English. Besides this, _Emma_ also gives a very good instance of the
author's habit of building up her characters almost entirely without
formal description, and leaving analysis to her readers.
Her custom of following her creations outside the printed pages enables
us to say that the word swept aside unread by Jane Fairfax was 'pardon';
and that the Knightleys' exclusion from Donwell was ended by the death
of Mr. Woodhouse in two years' time. According to a less well-known
tradition, Jane Fairfax survived her elevation only nine or ten years.
Whether the John Knightleys afterwards settled at Hartfield, and whether
Frank Churchill married again, may be legitimate subjects for
speculation.[297]
Meanwhile, _Mansfield Park_ was selling well, and the idea of a second
edition began to be mooted. Writing from Chawton to her niece Fanny on
another subject (November 18, 1814), she tells her that the first
edition is all sold, and adds:--
Your Uncle Henry is rather wanting me to come to
town to settle about a second edition, but as I
could not very conveniently leave home now, I have
written him my will and pleasure, and, unless he
still urges it, shall not go. I am very greedy,
and want to make the most of it, but as you are
much above caring about money I shall not plague
you with any particulars. The pleasures of vanity
are more within your comprehension, and you will
enter into mine at receiving the _praise_ which
every now and then comes to me through some
channel or other.
She did, however, leave home; and our next extract is from a letter
written to Fanny from 23 Hans Place, and dated November 30:--
Thank you, but it is not yet settled whether I
_do_ hazard a second edition. We are to see
Egerton to-day, when it will probably be
determined. People are more ready to borrow and
praise than to buy, which I cannot wonder at; but
though I like praise as well as anybody, I like
what Edward calls 'Pewter' too.
Apparently, Egerton did not fancy taking the risk; for there was no
second edition until 1816, when it appeared from the publishing house of
Murray.
Jane's stay in London was a short one; but it included a visit to her
niece Anna, who had lately been married to Ben Lefroy, and who was
living for the time at Hendon. Early in December, Jane returned home;
and three weeks later she and Cassandra set out for a couple of visits:
one for a week to Mrs. Heathcote and Miss Bigg in Winchester; the other
of longer duration, to their brother at Steventon. Then the curtain is
rung down once more, not to be raised till the end of September 1815.
During this quiet time, _Emma_ was prepared for the press, and it was no
doubt in connexion with its publication that she went to Hans Place on
October 4, 1815, for a visit which proved to be much longer and more
eventful than the last. For some reason that we are unable to explain,
Jane now forsook her former publisher, Mr. Egerton, and put her
interests in the charge of the historic house of Murray. She travelled
up once more in the company of Henry, who had been paying his mother and
sisters a short visit at the cottage. The prolongation of Jane's stay in
London to more than a couple of months was caused by Henry's dangerous
illness. She gives the news in a letter written to Cassandra and dated
Tuesday, October 17:--
. . . What weather we have! What shall we do about
it? The 17th October and summer still! Henry is
not quite well--a bilious attack with fever. He
came back early from Henrietta Street yesterday
and went to bed--the comical consequence of which
was that Mr. Seymour and I dined together
_tête-à-tête_. He is calomeling, and therefore in
a way to be better, and I hope may be well
to-morrow.
* * * * *
_Wednesday._--Henry's illness is much more serious
than I expected. He has been in bed since three
o'clock on Monday. It is a fever--something
bilious but chiefly inflammatory. I am not
alarmed, but I have determined to send this letter
to-day by the post, that you may know how things
are going on. There is no chance of his being able
to leave Town on Saturday. I asked Mr. Haden[298]
that question to-day. Mr. H. is the apothecary
from the corner of Sloane Street, successor to Mr.
Smith, a very young man, said to be clever, and he
is certainly very attentive, and appears hitherto
to have understood the complaint.
* * * * *
As for myself, you may be sure I shall return as
soon as I can. Tuesday is in my brain, but you
will feel the uncertainty of it.
* * * * *
You must fancy Henry in the backroom upstairs, and
I am generally there also, working or writing.
Even in illness, the interests of _Emma_ were not neglected; and a day
or two later Henry was able to dictate the following letter to Mr.
Murray:--
DEAR SIR,--Severe illness has confined me to my
bed ever since I received yours of y^{e} 15th. I
cannot yet hold a pen, and employ an amanuensis.
The politeness and perspicuity of your letter
equally claim my earliest exertion. Your official
opinion of the merits of _Emma_ is very valuable
and satisfactory.[299] 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 and
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. On the subject of the expence and
profit of publishing you must be much better
informed than I am, but documents in my possession
appear to prove that the sum offered by you for
the copyright of _Sense and Sensibility_,
_Mansfield Park_, and _Emma_ is not equal to the
money which my sister has actually cleared by one
very moderate edition of _Mansfield Park_;--(you
yourself expressed astonishment that so small an
edition of such a work should have been sent into
the world)--and a still smaller one of _Sense and
Sensibility_.[300]
Henry, however, became so alarmingly ill that on October 22 Jane
dispatched expresses to her brothers and sister, summoning them to
London. Mr. Knight left Godmersham for town on the 23rd, but owing to a
delay in the delivery of the letter, James Austen did not receive his
till the 24th. He rode to Chawton that evening, and the next day he and
Cassandra arrived in London. For a time Henry's life was in imminent
danger, but after a week's anxiety he was so far on the road to recovery
that his two brothers were able to return home, leaving Jane and
Cassandra in charge.
It was owing to Jane's untiring exertions at this time that her health
began to suffer. One other consequence too, but of a less tragical kind,
was due to Henry's illness. The physician that attended
him--supplementing, no doubt, Mr. Haden--was one of the Prince Regent's
physicians, and he, either knowing or hearing (for it was now an open
secret) that Jane Austen was the author of _Pride and Prejudice_,
informed her that the Prince greatly admired her novels, 'that he read
them often, and kept a set in every one of his residences; that he
himself had thought it right to inform His Royal Highness that Miss
Austen was staying in London.' The Prince did not so far condescend as
to desire to see Miss Austen in person, but he instructed his
librarian, Mr. Clarke, to wait upon her and show her any civility in his
power. The result was that on November 13 Jane was shown over the
library and other apartments at Carlton House, and in the course of the
visit Mr. Clarke announced that if Miss Austen had any other novel
forthcoming, she was at liberty to dedicate it to the Prince. We cannot
tell what may have been the exact amount of pleasure given to Jane by
this piece of information, as Cassandra was at that time also in Hans
Place, and there is therefore no letter of Jane to her on the subject.
But, at any rate, Jane was loyal enough to wish to do what was right and
proper in the circumstances. Consequently, on November 15, we find her
writing to Mr. Clarke as follows:--
SIR,--I must take the liberty of asking you a
question. Among the many flattering attentions
which I received from you at Carlton House on
Monday last, was the information of my being at
liberty to dedicate any future work to His Royal
Highness, the Prince Regent, without the necessity
of any solicitation on my part. Such, at least, I
believed to be your words; but as I am very
anxious to be quite certain of what was intended,
I entreat you to have the goodness to inform me
how such a permission is to be understood, and
whether it is incumbent on me to show my sense of
the honour by inscribing the work now in the press
to His Royal Highness; I should be equally
concerned to appear either presumptuous or
ungrateful.
To which Mr. Clarke replied:--
Carlton House: November 16, 1815.
DEAR MADAM,--It is certainly not _incumbent_ on
you to dedicate your work now in the press to His
Royal Highness; but if you wish to do the Regent
that honour either now or at any future period, I
am happy to send you that permission, which need
not require any more trouble or solicitation on
your part.
Your late works, Madam, and in particular
_Mansfield Park_, reflect the highest honour on
your genius and your principles. In every new work
your mind seems to increase its energy and power
of discrimination. The Regent has read and admired
all your publications.
Accept my sincere thanks for the pleasure your
volumes have given me: in the perusal of them I
felt a great inclination to write and say so. And
I also, dear Madam, wished to be allowed to ask
you to delineate in some future work the habits of
life, and character, and enthusiasm of a
clergyman, who should pass his time between the
metropolis and the country, who should be
something like Beattie's Minstrel:--
Silent when glad, affectionate tho' shy,
And now his look was most demurely sad;
And now he laughed aloud, yet none knew why.
Neither Goldsmith, nor La Fontaine in his _Tableau
de Famille_, have in my mind quite delineated an
English clergyman, at least of the present day,
fond of and entirely engaged in literature, no
man's enemy but his own. Pray, dear Madam, think
of these things.
Believe me at all times with sincerity and respect,
Your faithful and obliged servant,
J. S. CLARKE, _Librarian_.
P.S.--I am going for about three weeks to Mr.
Henry Streatfeild, Chiddingstone, Sevenoaks, but
hope on my return to town to have the honour of
seeing you again.
On November 17 Henry was sufficiently recovered to address a letter to
Mr. John Murray on his sister's behalf. This was followed by a letter
from herself on November 23.
Hans Place: Thursday [November 23, 1815].
SIR,--My brother's note last Monday has been so
fruitless, that I am afraid there can be but
little chance of my writing to any good effect;
but yet I am so very much disappointed and vexed
by the delays of the printers, that I cannot help
begging to know whether there is no hope of their
being quickened. Instead of the work being ready
by the end of the present month, it will hardly,
at the rate we now proceed, be finished by the end
of the next; and as I expect to leave London early
in December, it is of consequence that no more
time should be lost. Is it likely that the
printers will be influenced to greater dispatch
and punctuality by knowing that the work is to be
dedicated, by permission, to the Prince Regent? If
you can make that circumstance operate, I shall be
very glad. My brother returns _Waterloo_[301] with
many thanks for the loan of it. We have heard much
of Scott's account of Paris.[302] If it be not
incompatible with other arrangements, would you
favour us with it, supposing you have any set
already opened? You may depend upon its being in
careful hands.
I remain, Sir, your ob^{t.} humble Se^{t.,}
J. AUSTEN.
Meanwhile, as Henry was mending, his brother Edward, who had brought his
daughter Fanny up to town, left her as a companion to her Aunt Jane, and
escorted Cassandra to Chawton.
Hans Place: Friday [November 24, 1815].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--I have the pleasure of
sending you a much better account of _my affairs_,
which I know will be a great delight to you.
I wrote to Mr. Murray yesterday myself, and Henry
wrote at the same time to Roworth.[303] Before the
notes were out of the house, I received three
sheets and an apology from R. We sent the notes,
however, and I had a most civil one in reply from
Mr. M. He is so very polite, indeed, that it is
quite overcoming. The printers have been waiting
for paper--the blame is thrown upon the stationer;
but he gives his word that I shall have no farther
cause for dissatisfaction. He has lent us _Miss
Williams_[304] and _Scott_, and says that any book
of his will always be at _my_ service. In short, I
am soothed and complimented into tolerable
comfort.
To-morrow Mr. Haden is to dine with us. There is
happiness! We really grow so fond of Mr. Haden
that I do not know what to expect. He, and Mr.
Tilson, and Mr. Philips made up our circle of wits
last night; Fanny played, and he sat and listened
and suggested improvements, till Richard came in
to tell him that 'the doctor was waiting for him
at Captn. Blake's'; and then he was off with a
speed that you can imagine. He never does appear
in the least above his profession, or out of
humour with it, or I should think poor Captn.
Blake, whoever he is, in a very bad way.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
I have been listening to dreadful insanity. It is
Mr. Haden's firm belief that a person _not_
musical is fit for every sort of wickedness. I
ventured to assert a little on the other side, but
wished the cause in abler hands.
Hans Place: Sunday [November 26, 1815].
I _did_ mention the P. R. in my note to Mr.
Murray; it brought me a fine compliment in return.
Whether it has done any other good I do not know,
but Henry thought it worth trying.
The printers continue to supply me very well. I am
advanced in Vol. III. to my _arra_-root, upon
which peculiar style of spelling there is a modest
query in the margin. I will not forget Anna's
arrowroot. I hope you have told Martha of my first
resolution of letting nobody know that I _might_
dedicate, &c., for fear of being obliged to do it,
and that she is thoroughly convinced of my being
influenced now by nothing but the most mercenary
motives.
* * * * *
Then came dinner and Mr. Haden, who brought good
manners and clever conversation. From 7 to 8 the
harp; at 8 Mrs. L. and Miss E. arrived, and for
the rest of the evening the drawing-room was thus
arranged: on the sofa side the two ladies, Henry,
and myself, making the best of it; on the opposite
side Fanny and Mr. Haden, in two chairs (I
_believe_, at least, they had _two_ chairs),
talking together uninterruptedly. Fancy the scene!
And what is to be fancied next? Why, that Mr. H.
dines here again to-morrow. To-day we are to have
Mr. Barlow. Mr. H. is reading _Mansfield Park_ for
the first time, and prefers it to _P. and P._
* * * * *
Fanny has heard all that I have said to you about
herself and Mr. H. Thank you very much for the
sight of dearest Charles's letter to yourself. How
pleasantly and how naturally he writes! and how
perfect a picture of his disposition and feelings
his style conveys! Poor dear fellow! Not a
present! I have a great mind to send him all the
twelve copies which were to have been dispersed
among my near connections, beginning with the P.
R. and ending with Countess Morley. Adieu.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Austen.
Saturday [December 2, 1815].
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Henry came back yesterday, and
might have returned the day before if he had known
as much in time.
* * * * *
I had the comfort of a few lines on Wednesday
morning from Henry himself, just after your letter
was gone, giving so good an account of his
feelings as made me perfectly easy. He met with
the utmost care and attention at Hanwell, spent
his two days there very quietly and pleasantly,
and, being certainly in no respect the worse for
going, we may believe that he must be better, as
he is quite sure of being himself. To make his
return a complete gala Mr. Haden was secured for
dinner. I need not say that our evening was
agreeable.
But you seem to be under a mistake as to Mr. H.
You call him an apothecary. He is no apothecary;
he has never been an apothecary; there is not an
apothecary in this neighbourhood--the only
inconvenience of the situation perhaps--but so it
is; we have not a medical man within reach. He is
a Haden, nothing but a Haden, a sort of wonderful
nondescript creature on two legs, something
between a man and an angel, but without the least
spice of an apothecary. He is, perhaps, the only
person _not_ an apothecary hereabouts. He has
never sung to us. He will not sing without a
pianoforte accompaniment.
* * * * *
I am sorry my mother has been suffering, and am
afraid this exquisite weather is too good to agree
with her. _I_ enjoy it all over me, from top to
toe, from right to left, longitudinally,
perpendicularly, diagonally; and I cannot but
selfishly hope we are to have it last till
Christmas--nice, unwholesome, unseasonable,
relaxing, close, muggy weather.
Yours affectionately,
J. A.
It strikes me that I have no business to give the
P. R. a binding, but we will take counsel upon the
question.
Two more letters were written by the author to her publisher while the
work was in his hands.
On December 11, she writes:--
As I find that _Emma_ is advertised for
publication as early as Saturday next, I think it
best to lose no time in settling all that remains
to be settled on the subject, and adopt this
method as involving the smallest tax on your
time. . . .
. . . The title-page must be '_Emma_, dedicated by
permission to H.R.H. the Prince Regent.' And it is
my particular wish that one set should be
completed and sent to H.R.H. two or three days
before the work is generally public. It should be
sent under cover to the Rev. J. S. Clarke,
Librarian, Carlton House. I shall subjoin a list
of those persons to whom I must trouble you to
forward also a set each, when the work is out; all
unbound with 'From the Authoress' on the first
page.[305]
. . . I return also _Mansfield Park_ as ready for a
second edition, I believe, as I can make it.[306]
I am in Hans Place till the 16th; from that day
inclusive, my direction will be Chawton, Alton,
Hants.[307]
On receipt of this, Mr. Murray seems to have sent round a note
immediately, asking if it really was Miss Austen's wish that the
dedication should be placed on the title-page, for we find Jane writing
again the same day:--
DEAR SIR,--I am very much obliged by yours, and
very happy to feel everything arranged to our
mutual satisfaction. As to my direction about the
title-page, it was arising from my ignorance only,
and from my having never noticed the proper place
for a dedication. I thank you for putting me
right. Any deviation from what is usually done in
such cases is the last thing I should wish for. I
feel happy in having a friend to save me from the
ill effect of my own blunder.
On December 11, Jane resumed her correspondence with Mr. Clarke:--
DEAR SIR,--My _Emma_ is now so near publication
that I feel it right to assure you of my not
having forgotten your kind recommendation of an
early copy for Carlton House, and that I have Mr.
Murray's promise of its being sent to His Royal
Highness, under cover to you, three days previous
to the work being really out. I must make use of
this opportunity to thank you, dear Sir, for the
very high praise you bestow on my other novels. I
am too vain to wish to convince you that you have
praised them beyond their merit. My greatest
anxiety at present is that this fourth work should
not disgrace what was good in the others. But on
this point I will do myself the justice to
declare that, whatever may be my wishes for its
success, I am very strongly haunted by the idea
that to those readers who have preferred _Pride
and Prejudice_ it will appear inferior in wit; and
to those who have preferred _Mansfield Park_, very
inferior in good sense. Such as it is, however, I
hope you will do me the favour of accepting a
copy. Mr. Murray will have directions for sending
one. I am quite honoured by your thinking me
capable of drawing such a clergyman as you gave
the sketch of in your note of November 16th. But I
assure you I am _not_. The comic part of the
character I might be equal to, but not the good,
the enthusiastic, the literary. Such a man's
conversation must at times be on subjects of
science and philosophy, of which I know nothing;
or at least occasionally abundant in quotations
and allusions which a woman who, like me, knows
only her own mother tongue, and has read little in
that, would be totally without the power of
giving. A classical education, or at any rate a
very extensive acquaintance with English
literature, ancient and modern, appears to me
quite indispensable for the person who would do
any justice to your clergyman; and I think I may
boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the
most unlearned and uninformed female who ever
dared to be an authoress.
Believe me, dear Sir,
Your obliged and faithful hum^{bl} Ser^{t,}
JANE AUSTEN.
But Mr. Clarke had not finished with his suggestions, for he replied in
a few days:--
Carlton House: Thursday [December 1815].
MY DEAR MADAM,--The letter you were so obliging as
to do me the honour of sending, was forwarded to
me in Kent, where, in a village, Chiddingstone,
near Sevenoaks, I had been hiding myself from all
bustle and turmoil and getting spirits for a
winter campaign, and strength to stand the sharp
knives which many a Shylock is wetting [_sic_] to
cut more than a pound of flesh from my heart, on
the appearance of _James the Second_.[308]
On Monday I go to Lord Egremont's at
Petworth--where your praises have long been
sounded as they ought to be--I shall then look in
on the party at the Pavilion[309] for a couple of
nights, and return to preach at Park Street
Chapel, Green Street, on the Thanksgiving Day.
You were very good to send me _Emma_, which I have
in no respect deserved. It is gone to the Prince
Regent. I have read only a few pages, which I very
much admired--there is so much nature and
excellent description of character in everything
you describe. Pray continue to write and make all
your friends send sketches to help you--and
_Mémoires pour servir_, as the French term it. Do
let us have an English clergyman after your
fancy--much novelty may be introduced--show, dear
Madam, what good would be done if tythes were
taken away entirely, and describe him burying his
own mother, as I did, because the High Priest of
the Parish in which she died did not pay her
remains the respect he ought to do. I have never
recovered the shock. Carry your clergyman to sea
as the friend of some distinguished naval
character about a Court, you can then bring
forward, like Le Sage, many interesting scenes of
character and interest.
But forgive me, I cannot write to you without
wishing to elicit your genius, and I fear I cannot
do that without trespassing on your patience and
good nature.
I have desired Mr. Murray to procure, if he can,
two little works I ventured to publish from being
at sea--sermons which I wrote and preached on the
ocean, and the edition which I published of
Falconer's _Shipwreck_.[310]
Pray, dear Madam, remember that beside my cell at
Carlton House, I have another which Dr. Barne
procured for me at No. 37 Golden Square, where I
often hide myself. There is a small library there
much at your service, and if you can make the cell
render you any service as a sort of halfway house
when you come to Town, I shall be most happy.
There is a maid servant of mine always there.
I hope to have the honour of sending you _James
the Second_ when it reaches a second edition, as
some few notes may possibly be then added.
Yours, dear Madam, very sincerely,
J. S. CLARKE.
It is evident that what the writer of the above letter chiefly desired,
was that Jane Austen should depict a clergyman who should resemble no
one so much as the Rev. J. S. Clarke. This is borne out again in a
further letter in which Mr. Clarke expressed the somewhat tardy thanks
of his Royal master.
Pavilion: March 27, 1816.
DEAR MISS AUSTEN,--I have to return you the thanks
of His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, for the
handsome copy you sent him of your last excellent
novel. Pray, dear Madam, soon write again and
again. Lord St. Helens and many of the nobility,
who have been staying here, paid you the just
tribute of their praise.
The Prince Regent has just left us for London; and
having been pleased to appoint me Chaplain and
Private English Secretary to the Prince of
Cobourg, I remain here with His Serene Highness
and a select party until the marriage. Perhaps
when you again appear in print you may chuse to
dedicate your volumes to Prince Leopold: any
historical romance, illustrative of the history of
the august House of Cobourg, would just now be
very interesting.
Believe me at all times,
Dear Miss Austen,
Your obliged friend,
J. S. CLARKE.
Jane's sensible reply put an end to any further suggestions:--
MY DEAR SIR,--I am honoured by the Prince's thanks
and very much obliged to yourself for the kind
manner in which you mention the work. I have also
to acknowledge a former letter forwarded to me
from Hans Place. I assure you I felt very grateful
for the friendly tenor of it, and hope my silence
will have been considered, as it was truly meant,
to proceed only from an unwillingness to tax your
time with idle thanks. Under every interesting
circumstance which your own talent and literary
labours have placed you in, or the favour of the
Regent bestowed, you have my best wishes. Your
recent appointments I hope are a step to something
still better. In my opinion, the service of a
court can hardly be too well paid, for immense
must be the sacrifice of time and feeling required
by it.
You are very, very kind in your hints as to the
sort of composition which might recommend me at
present, and I am fully sensible that an
historical romance, founded on the House of Saxe
Cobourg, might be much more to the purpose of
profit or popularity than such pictures of
domestic life in country villages as I deal in.
But I could no more write a romance than an epic
poem. I could not sit seriously down to write a
serious romance under any other motive than to
save my life; and if it were indispensable for me
to keep it up and never relax into laughing at
myself or at other people, I am sure I should be
hung before I had finished the first chapter. No,
I must keep to my own style and go on in my own
way, and though I may never succeed again in that,
I am convinced that I should totally fail in any
other.
I remain, my dear Sir,
Your very much obliged, and sincere friend,
J. AUSTEN.
Chawton, near Alton, April 1, 1816.
FOOTNOTES:
[288] _Chawton Manor and its Owners_, p. 171.
[289] Page 84.
[290] _Life of Mary Russell Mitford_, by the Rev. A. G. L'Estrange
(Bentley, 1870). We ought to add that Miss Mitford's admiration
increased with time. Thus, in August 1816, she speaks of _Emma_ 'the
best, I think, of all her charming works'; and, at a later date, of her
'exquisite' _Persuasion_. In September 1817 she mentions her death as a
'terrible loss'; and a year afterwards, calls her 'our dear Miss
Austen.'
[291] Box Hill, however, was seven miles from Highbury, whereas it is
only three miles from Leatherhead.
[292] _Highways and Byways in Surrey_, by Eric Parker.
[293] In support of Cobham, it has been suggested that in chapter xi.,
where mention is made of this village, the author had forgotten to alter
the name to Highbury. Jane knew Cobham as a halting-place on the way
from Chawton to London (p. 292). Bookham is another possible claimant.
[294] Emperor of Russia, who with the King of Prussia was then visiting
England.
[295] See p. 26.
[296] A visit of Jane to Scotland, of which no record is left in family
tradition, is so improbable that we must imagine her to be referring to
some joke, or possibly some forgotten tale of her own.
[297] One of our author's few inaccuracies is to be found in chapter
xlii., where an 'orchard in blossom' is made to coincide with ripe
strawberries. When her brother Edward next saw her, he said 'Jane, I
wish you would tell me where you get those apple-trees of yours that
come into bloom in July!' W. H. Pollock's _Jane Austen, etc._, pp.
90-91.
[298] No doubt the father of Sir Seymour Haden, and the introducer into
England of the stethoscope. He lived at the corner of Hans Street and
Sloane Street.
[299] Mr. Murray's 'reader' on this occasion was evidently William
Gifford, the editor of the _Quarterly Review_, who writes under date
Sept. 29, 1815: 'Of _Emma_ I have nothing but good to say. I was sure of
the writer before you mentioned her. The MS. though plainly written has
yet some, indeed many little omissions, and an expression may now and
then be amended in passing through the press. I will readily undertake
the revision.' _Memoir of John Murray_ by Samuel Smiles (1891), vol. i.
p. 282.
[300] The present Mr. John Murray kindly informs us that the original
edition of _Emma_ consisted of 2000 copies, of which 1250 were sold
within a year.
[301] (?) _The Field of Waterloo_, by Sir Walter Scott.
[302] _Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk_; or possibly John Scott's _Paris
Revisited in 1815_.
[303] The printer.
[304] _A narrative of the events which have lately taken place in
France_, by Helen Maria Williams. London, 1815.
[305] These included a set to Miss Edgeworth (_Life and Letters of Maria
Edgeworth_, edited by A. J. C. Hare (1894), vol. i. p. 235), and another
to Lady Morley, a clever woman, to whom _Sense and Sensibility_ and
_Pride and Prejudice_ had at one time been ascribed (_Life of M. R.
Mitford_, by the Rev. A. G. L'Estrange, vol. i. p. 241).
[306] Unfortunately, most of the worst misprints remained in the new
edition, while certain new ones were added.
[307] _Memoir_, pp. 122-4.
[308] _Life of King James II, from the Stuart MSS. in Carlton House_,
published 1816.
[309] At Brighton.
[310] Published, 1804.
CHAPTER XVIII
_PERSUASION_
1815-1816
So far as we know, Jane went to London in 1815 perfectly sound in
health. Her remark to Cassandra on her enjoyment of the muggy,
unwholesome weather is written with the security of a person accustomed
to be free from bodily ailments, and expecting that condition of things
to continue. But, alas! we must look upon this visit, which seemed to
mark the highest point in her modest fame, as marking also a downward
stage in her career as regards both prosperity and health. Perhaps the
excitement of the publication of _Emma_, and probably the close
attention on the sick-bed of her brother which coincided with
it--possibly even the muggy weather which she praised so
highly--combined to diminish her vigour, and to sow the seeds of a
disease, the exact nature of which no one seems ever to have been able
to determine. These, however, were not the only disquieting
circumstances which surrounded her. In the following March her favourite
brother, Henry, was declared a bankrupt; and there are one or two
indications of her being aware that all was not well with the firm in
the autumn. The months which intervened while this catastrophe was
impending must have been very trying to one already weakened by all that
she had gone through. More agreeable associations, however, arose from
the success of _Emma_. There was, for instance, a pleasant exchange of
letters with the Countess of Morley, a lady of some literary capacity,
to whom Jane had sent a copy of _Emma_, and who expressed her thanks and
admiration in very warm terms. The author in her turn, speaking of Lady
Morley's approval, says: 'It encourages me to depend on the same share
of general good opinion which _Emma's_ predecessors have experienced,
and to believe that I have not yet, as almost every writer of fancy does
sooner or later, overwritten myself.'
The end of March brought a still more flattering tribute to Jane's
growing fame, in the shape of an article on _Emma_ in the _Quarterly
Review_. The _Review_, though dated October 1815, did not appear till
March of the following year,[311] and the writer of the article was none
other than Sir Walter Scott.[312]
The honour of an article in the _Quarterly_ was no doubt mainly due to
the fact that Jane had published her latest book with Mr. Murray, its
owner. Though the praise contained in the article would scarcely satisfy
an enthusiastic admirer of her works,[313] Miss Austen felt she had no
cause to complain. In thanking Mr. Murray for lending her a copy of the
_Review_, she writes:--
The authoress of _Emma_ has no reason, I think, to
complain of her treatment in it, except in the
total omission of _Mansfield Park_. I cannot but
be sorry that so clever a man as the Reviewer of
_Emma_ should consider it as unworthy of being
noticed. You will be pleased to hear that I have
received the Prince's thanks for the _handsome_
copy I sent him of _Emma_. Whatever he may think
of _my_ share of the work, yours seems to have
been quite right.
The fact that she was honoured with a notice in the _Quarterly_ did not
prevent the author from collecting and leaving on record the more
domestic criticisms of her family and friends.
OPINIONS OF _Emma_.
_Captain F. Austen_ liked it extremely, observing
that though there might be more wit in _P. and P._
and an higher morality in _M. P._, yet altogether,
on account of its peculiar air of Nature
throughout, he preferred it to either.
_Mrs. Frank Austen_ liked and admired it very much
indeed, but must still prefer _P. and P._
_Mrs. J. Bridges_ preferred it to all the others.
_Miss Sharp._--Better than _M. P._, but not so
well as _P. and P._ Pleased with the heroine for
her originality, delighted with Mr. K., and called
Mrs. Elton beyond praise--dissatisfied with Jane
Fairfax.
_Cassandra._--Better than _P. and P._ but not so
well as _M. P._
_Fanny K._--Not so well as either _P. and P._ or
_M. P._ Could not bear Emma herself. Mr. Knightley
delightful. Should like J. F. if she knew more of
her.
_Mr. and Mrs. James Austen_ did not like it so
well as either of the three others. Language
different from the others; not so easily read.
_Edward_ preferred it to _M. P._ only. Mr. K.
liked by everybody.
_Miss Bigg._--Not equal to either _P. and P._ or
_M. P._ Objected to the sameness of the subject
(Matchmaking) all through. Too much of Mrs. Elton
and H. Smith. Language superior to the others.
_My Mother_ thought it more entertaining than _M.
P._, but not so interesting as _P. and P._ No
characters in it equal to Lady Catherine or Mr.
Collins.
_Miss Lloyd_ thought it as clever as either of the
others, but did not receive so much pleasure from
it as from _P. and P._ and _M. P._
_Fanny Cage_ liked it very much indeed, and
classed it between _P. and P._ and _M. P._
_Mrs. and Miss Craven_ liked it very much, but not
so much as the others.
_Mr. Sherer_ did not think it equal to either _M.
P._ (which he liked the best of all) or _P. and
P._ Displeased with my pictures of clergymen.
_Miss Bigg_, on reading it a second time, liked
Miss Bates much better than at first, and
expressed herself as liking all the people of
Highbury in general, except Harriet Smith, but
could not help still thinking _her_ too silly in
her loves.
_The Family at Upton Gray_ all very much amused
with it. Miss Bates a great favourite with Mrs.
Beaufoy.
_Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Perrot_ saw many beauties in
it, but could not think it equal to _P. and P._
Darcy and Elizabeth had spoilt them for anything
else. Mr. K., however, an excellent character;
Emma better luck than a matchmaker often has;
pitied Jane Fairfax; thought Frank Churchill
better treated than he deserved.
_Countess Craven_ admired it very much, but did
not think it equal to _P. and P._ which she ranked
as the very first of its sort.
_Mrs. Guiton_ thought it too natural to be
interesting.
_Mrs. Digweed_ did not like it so well as the
others: in fact if she had not known the author
would hardly have got through it.
_Miss Terry_ admired it very much, particularly
Mrs. Elton.
_Henry Sanford_--very much pleased with
it--delighted with Miss Bates, but thought Mrs.
Elton the best-drawn character in the book.
_Mansfield Park_, however, still his favourite.
_Mr. Haden_--_quite_ delighted with it. Admired
the character of Emma.
_Miss Isabella Herries_ did not like it. Objected
to my exposing the sex in the character of the
heroine. Convinced that I had meant Mrs. and Miss
Bates for some acquaintance of theirs. People whom
I never heard of before.
_Mrs. Harriet Moore_ admired it very much, but _M.
P._ still her favourite of all.
_Countess of Morley_ delighted with it.
_Mr. Cockerell_ liked it so little that Fanny
would not send me his opinion.
_Mrs. Dickson_ did not much like it--thought it
very inferior to _P. and P._ Liked it the less
from there being a Mr. and Mrs. Dixon in it.
_Mrs. Brandreth_ thought the third volume superior
to anything I had ever written--quite beautiful!
_Mr. B. Lefroy_ thought that if there had been
more incident it would be equal to any of the
others. The characters quite as well-drawn and
supported as in any, and from being more every-day
ones, the more entertaining. Did not like the
heroine so well as any of the others. Miss Bates
excellent, but rather too much of her. Mr. and
Mrs. Elton admirable and John Knightley a sensible
man.
_Mrs. B. Lefroy_ ranked _Emma_ as a composition
with _S. and S._ Not so _brilliant_ as _P. and P._
nor so _equal_ as _M. P._ Preferred Emma herself
to all the heroines. The characters, like all the
others, admirably well drawn and
supported--perhaps rather less strongly marked
than some, but only the more natural for that
reason. Mr. Knightley, Mrs. Elton, and Miss Bates
her favourites. Thought one or two of the
conversations too long.
_Mrs. Lefroy_ preferred it to _M. P._, but liked
_M. P._ the least of all.
_Mr. Fowle_ read only the first and last chapters,
because he had heard it was not interesting.
_Mrs. Lutley Sclater_ liked it very much, better
than _M. P._, and thought I had 'brought it all
about very cleverly in the last volume.'
_Mrs. C. Cage_ wrote thus to Fanny: 'A great many
thanks for the loan of _Emma_, which I am
delighted with. I like it better than any. Every
character is thoroughly kept up. I must enjoy
reading it again with Charles. Miss Bates is
incomparable, but I was nearly killed with those
precious treasures. They are unique, and really
with more fun than I can express. I am at Highbury
all day, and I can't help feeling I have just got
into a new set of acquaintance. No one writes such
good sense, and so very comfortable.'
_Mrs. Wroughton_ did not like it so well as _P.
and P._ Thought the authoress wrong, in such times
as these, to draw such clergymen as Mr. Collins
and Mr. Elton.
_Sir J. Langham_ thought it much inferior to the
others.
_Mr. Jeffrey_ (of the _Edinburgh Review_) was kept
up by it three nights.
_Miss Murden._--Certainly inferior to all the
others.
_Captain C. Austen_ wrote: '_Emma_ arrived in time
to a moment. I am delighted with her, more so I
think than even with my favourite, _Pride and
Prejudice_, and have read it three times in the
passage.'
_Mrs. D. Dundas_ thought it very clever, but did
not like it so well as either of the others.
* * * * *
We do not know how Mr. Jeffrey's involuntary
tribute of admiration was conveyed to the author,
but we are sure she must have valued it very
highly. It was not the first time she had
collected a miscellaneous set of opinions on her
work. The two following critiques on _Mansfield
Park_--apparently from two ladies of the same
family--will illustrate the sort of want of
comprehension from which the author had to suffer
when she got outside the limits of her own
immediate circle.
_Mrs. B._--Much pleased with it: particularly with
the character of Fanny as being so very natural.
Thought Lady Bertram like herself. Preferred it to
either of the others; but imagined _that_ might be
want of taste, as she did not understand wit.
_Mrs. Augusta B._ owned that she thought _S. and
S._ and _P. and P._ downright nonsense, but
expected to like _M. P._ better, and having
finished the first volume, flattered herself she
had got through the worst.
Meanwhile, the banking-house of Austen, Maunde, and Tilson, had closed
its doors; and on March 23, 1816, Henry Austen was declared a bankrupt:
the immediate cause of the collapse being the failure of an Alton bank
which the London firm had backed. No personal extravagance was charged
against Henry; but he had the unpleasant sensation of starting life over
again, and of having caused serious loss to several of his family,
especially his brother Edward and Mr. Leigh Perrot, who had gone
sureties for him on his appointment as Receiver-General for Oxfordshire.
Jane herself was fortunate in losing no more than thirteen pounds--a
portion of the profits of _Mansfield Park_.[314]
Henry Austen possessed an extraordinary elasticity of nature which made
a rebound from depression easy--indeed, almost inevitable--in his case.
He returned at once to his original intention of taking Orders, as if
the intervening military and banking career had been nothing more than
an interruption of his normal course. Nor was it merely perfunctory
performance of clerical duties to which he looked forward: he was in
earnest, and began by making use of his former classical knowledge to
take up a serious study of the New Testament in the original language.
He seems to have been in advance of his age in this respect; for when he
went to be examined by the Bishop, that dignitary, after asking him such
questions as he thought desirable, put his hand on a book which lay near
him on the table, and which happened to be a Greek Testament, and said:
'As for _this_ book, Mr. Austen, I dare say it is some years since
either you or I looked into it.'
Henry Austen became in time an earnest preacher of the evangelical
school, and was for many years perpetual curate of Bentley, near Alton.
He did not marry the 'Hanwell favourite,' but found a wife after some
years in Miss Eleanor Jackson, who survived him.
It must have been somewhere about this time that Jane Austen succeeded
in recovering the MS. of _Northanger Abbey_. An unsuccessful attempt to
secure the publication of the novel in the year 1809 has already been
noticed; but we learn from the _Memoir_ that after four works of hers
had been published, and somewhat widely circulated, one of her brothers
(acting for her) negotiated with the publisher who had bought it, and
found him very willing to receive back his money, and resign all claim
to the copyright. When the bargain was concluded and the money paid, but
not till then, the negotiator had the satisfaction of informing him that
the work which had been so lightly esteemed was by the author of _Pride
and Prejudice_.[315]
Meanwhile, Jane had been for some months engaged on _Persuasion_. It was
begun before she went to London in the autumn of 1815 for the
publication of _Emma_; but that visit and all that happened to her
during the winter must certainly have interrupted its composition, and
possibly modified its tone. It is less high-spirited and more tender in
its description of a stricken heart than anything she had attempted
before.
In May, Cassandra and Jane left Chawton to spend three weeks at
Cheltenham, stopping with their brother at Steventon, and with the
Fowles at Kintbury on the way, and again at Steventon on their return.
Jane must have been decidedly out of health, for the change in her did
not escape the notice of her friends. But whatever was the exact state
of her health during the first half of this year, it did not prevent her
from being able, on July 18, to write 'Finis' at the end of the first
draft of _Persuasion_; and thereby hangs an interesting tale, which we
cannot do better than relate in the words of the _Memoir_.
The book had been brought to an end in July; and
the re-engagement of the hero and heroine effected
in a totally different manner in a scene laid at
Admiral Croft's lodgings. But her performance did
not satisfy her. She thought it tame and flat, and
was desirous of producing something better. This
weighed upon her mind--the more so, probably, on
account of the weak state of her health; so that
one night she retired to rest in very low spirits.
But such depression was little in accordance with
her nature, and was soon shaken off. The next
morning she awoke to more cheerful views and
brighter inspirations; the sense of power revived;
and imagination resumed its course. She cancelled
the condemned chapter, and wrote two others,
entirely different, in its stead. The result is
that we possess the visit of the Musgrove party to
Bath; the crowded and animated scenes at the White
Hart Hotel; and the charming conversation between
Captain Harville and Anne Elliot, overheard by
Captain Wentworth, by which the two faithful
lovers were at last led to understand each other's
feelings. The tenth and eleventh chapters of
_Persuasion_, then, rather than the actual
winding-up of the story, contain the latest of her
printed compositions--her last contribution to the
entertainment of the public. Perhaps it may be
thought that she has seldom written anything more
brilliant; and that, independent of the original
manner in which the _dénouement_ is brought about,
the pictures of Charles Musgrove's good-natured
boyishness and of his wife's jealous selfishness
would have been incomplete without these finishing
strokes. The cancelled chapter exists in
manuscript. It is certainly inferior to the two
which were substituted for it; but it was such as
some writers and some readers might have been
contented with; and it contained touches which
scarcely any other hand could have given, the
suppression of which may be almost a matter of
regret.[316]
For the cancelled chapter in _Persuasion_, and for other posthumous
writings of the author, we will refer our readers to the second edition
of the _Memoir_. They will not fail to note the delicate touches put to
the characters of the Crofts by the Admiral's triumph over the servant
who was 'denying' Mrs. Croft, and by the frequent excursions of husband
and wife together 'upstairs to hear a noise, or downstairs to settle
their accounts, or upon the landing to trim the lamp.' But the added
chapters take one altogether into a higher province of fiction, where
the deepest emotion and the most delicate humour are blended in one
scene: a scene that makes one think that, had its author lived, we might
have had later masterpieces of a different type from that of their
predecessors.
_Persuasion_ is of about the same length as _Northanger Abbey_, and it
seems natural to suppose that there was some purpose in this similarity,
and that the two works were intended to be published together--as in the
end they were--each as a two-volume novel. She certainly contemplated
the publication of _Northanger Abbey_ (which at that stage bore the name
of _Catherine_) after she had recovered it in 1816, and when she wrote
the 'advertisement' which appears in the first edition of the book. Yet
afterwards she seems rather to have gone back from this intention.
Writing to Fanny Knight, March 13, 1817, she says:--
I _will_ answer your kind questions more than you
expect. _Miss Catherine_ is put upon the shelf for
the present, and I do not know that she will ever
come out; but I have a something ready for
publication, which may perhaps appear about a
twelvemonth hence. It is short--about the length
of _Catherine_. This is for yourself alone.
_Catherine_ is of course _Northanger Abbey_, and the 'something' is
_Persuasion_. She returns to the latter in writing again to Fanny, March
23, telling her she will not like it, and adding 'You may perhaps like
the heroine, as she is almost too good for me.'
Two remarkable points in these extracts are: the statement that
_Persuasion_ was 'ready for publication,' but was not to appear for a
twelvemonth, and the idea that the character of the heroine was, as it
were, imposed upon the author by an external force which she was
powerless to resist. The intended delay in publishing _Persuasion_
shows how unwilling she was to let anything go till she was quite sure
she had polished it to the utmost: and we may imagine that, had health
returned, the one comparatively dull and lifeless part of the book--the
long story of Mrs. Smith--would have been somehow or other brought to
life by touches which she knew so well how to impart.
As for the doubt about publishing _Catherine_ at all, it was not
unnatural. She might reasonably hesitate to put an immature work by the
side of her most mature: she might (and we know that she _did_) feel
that the social usages of sixteen years ago, which she was describing in
this tale, were no longer those of the day; and it was possible that a
satire on Mrs. Radcliffe was not what the public now wanted. The members
of the Austen family, who managed the publication of her novels after
her death, thought differently; and we are grateful to them for having
done so.
Had she followed all the advice given her by her friends, she would have
produced something very different from either _Northanger Abbey_ or
_Persuasion_. It must have been in the course of the year 1816 that she
drew up the following 'plan of a novel, according to hints from various
quarters,' adding below the names of the friends who gave the hints.
Scene to be in the country. Heroine, the daughter
of a clergyman[317]: one who, after having lived
much in the world, had retired from it, and
settled on a curacy with a very small fortune of
his own. He, the most excellent man that can be
imagined, perfect in character, temper, and
manners, without the smallest drawback or
peculiarity to prevent his being the most
delightful companion to his daughter from one
year's end to the other. Heroine,[318] a faultless
character herself, perfectly good, with much
tenderness and sentiment and not the least
wit,[319] very highly accomplished,[320]
understanding modern languages, and (generally
speaking) everything that the most accomplished
young women learn, but particularly excelling in
music--her favourite pursuit--and playing equally
well on the pianoforte and harp, and singing in
the first style. Her person quite beautiful,[321]
dark eyes and plump cheeks. Book to open with the
description of father and daughter, who are to
converse in long speeches, elegant language, and a
tone of high serious sentiment. The father to be
induced, at his daughter's earnest request, to
relate to her the past events of his life. This
narrative will reach through the greater part of
the first volume; as besides all the circumstances
of his attachment to her mother, and their
marriage, it will comprehend his going to sea as
chaplain[322] to a distinguished naval character
about the Court; his going afterwards to Court
himself, which introduced him to a great variety
of characters and involved him in many interesting
situations, concluding with his opinion of the
benefits of tithes being done away, and his having
buried his own mother (heroine's lamented
grandmother) in consequence of the High Priest of
the parish in which she died refusing to pay her
remains the respect due to them. The father to be
of a very literary turn, an enthusiast in
literature, nobody's enemy but his own; at the
same time most zealous in the discharge of his
pastoral duties, the model of an exemplary parish
priest.[323] The heroine's friendship to be sought
after by a young woman in the same neighbourhood,
of talents and shrewdness, with light eyes and a
fair skin, but having a considerable degree of
wit[324]; heroine shall shrink from the
acquaintance. From this outset the story will
proceed and contain a striking variety of
adventures. Heroine and her father never above a
fortnight together in one place[325]: he being
driven from his curacy by the vile arts of some
totally unprincipled and heartless young man,
desperately in love with the heroine, and pursuing
her with unrelenting passion. No sooner settled in
one country of Europe than they are necessitated
to quit it and retire to another, always making
new acquaintance, and always obliged to leave
them. This will, of course, exhibit a wide variety
of characters, but there will be no mixture. The
scene will be for ever shifting from one set of
people to another; but all the good[326] will be
unexceptionable in every respect, and there will
be no foibles or weaknesses but with the wicked,
who will be completely depraved and infamous,
hardly a resemblance of humanity left in them.
Early in her career, in the progress of her first
removal, heroine must meet with the hero[327]--all
perfection, of course, and only prevented from
paying his addresses to her by some excess of
refinement. Wherever she goes somebody falls in
love with her, and she receives repeated offers of
marriage, which she always refers wholly to her
father, exceedingly angry that _he_[328] should
not be first applied to. Often carried away by the
anti-hero, but rescued either by her father or the
hero. Often reduced to support herself and her
father by her talents, and work for her bread;
continually cheated and defrauded of her hire;
worn down to a skeleton, and now and then starved
to death. At last, hunted out of civilised
society, denied the poor shelter of the humblest
cottage, they are compelled to retreat into
Kamschatka, where the poor father, quite worn
down, finding his end approaching, throws himself
on the ground, and, after four or five hours of
tender advice and parental admonition to his
miserable child, expires in a fine burst of
literary enthusiasm, intermingled with invectives
against holders of tithes. Heroine inconsolable
for some time, but afterwards crawls back towards
her former country, having at least twenty narrow
escapes of falling into the hands of anti-hero;
and at last, in the very nick of time, turning a
corner to avoid him, runs into the arms of the
hero himself, who, having just shaken off the
scruples which fettered him before, was at the
very moment setting off in pursuit of her. The
tenderest and completest _éclaircissement_ takes
place, and they are happily united. Throughout the
whole work heroine to be in the most elegant
society,[329] and living in high style. The name
of the work not to be _Emma_,[330] but of same
sort as _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and
Prejudice_.[331]
FOOTNOTES:
[311] The article would, of course, have been an impossibility had the
_Review_ been published punctually, _Emma_ not appearing till late in
December 1815.
[312] From information kindly supplied by Mr. John Murray.
[313] After a short mention of _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and
Prejudice_ (in which Sir Walter unkindly suggests that Lizzie Bennet in
refusing Darcy 'does not perceive that she has done a foolish thing
until she accidentally visits a very handsome seat and grounds belonging
to her admirer'), the critic devotes considerable space, including a
long quotation, to _Emma_. Summing up, he declares as follows:--
'Perhaps the reader may collect, from the preceding
specimen, both the merits and faults of the author.
The former consist much in the force of a
narrative, conducted with much neatness and point,
and a quiet yet comic dialogue, in which the
characters of the speakers evolve themselves with
dramatic effect. The faults, on the contrary, arise
from the minute detail which the author's plan
comprehends. Characters of folly or simplicity,
such as those of old Woodhouse and Miss Bates, are
ridiculous when first presented, but if too often
brought forward or too long dwelt upon, their
prosing is apt to become as tiresome in fiction as
in real society.'
Had not Sir Walter found it necessary to be somewhat apologetic in
commending in public anything so frivolous as a novel, his praise would
probably have been more whole-hearted, as in the well-known passage in
his diary, under date March 14, 1826:--
'Read again, for the third time at least, Miss
Austen's finely written novel of _Pride and
Prejudice_. That young lady has a talent for
describing the involvements and feelings and
characters of ordinary life, which is to me the
most wonderful I ever met with. The big Bow-Wow
strain I can do myself like any now going; but the
exquisite touch which renders ordinary commonplace
things and characters interesting from the truth of
the description and the sentiment is denied to me.
What a pity such a gifted creature died so early!'
[314] No division or bitterness seems to have been caused in the family
by these events: a remarkable proof of the strong affection which united
them.
[315] _Memoir_, p. 130.
[316] _Memoir_, p. 157.
[317] Mr. Gifford.
[318] Fanny Knight.
[319] Mary Cooke.
[320] Fanny Knight.
[321] Mary Cooke.
[322] Mr. Clarke.
[323] Mr. Sherer.
[324] Mary Cooke.
[325] Many critics.
[326] Mary Cooke.
[327] Fanny Knight.
[328] Mrs. Pearse of Chilton Lodge.
[329] Fanny Knight.
[330] Mrs. Craven.
[331] Mr. H. Sanford.
CHAPTER XIX
AUNT JANE
1814-1817
Any attempt at depicting the charm and attractiveness of Jane Austen's
character must be quite incomplete if it fails to take into account the
special manner in which she showed these qualities as an aunt. She
herself says in joke to a young niece that she had always maintained the
importance of aunts; and she evidently felt, in all seriousness, the
responsibility of that relationship, though she would have been one of
the last to display her sense of it by any didactic or authoritative
utterance. The author of the _Memoir_ tells us that her two nieces who
were grown up in her lifetime could say how valuable to them had been
her advice in 'the little difficulties and doubts of early womanhood';
and Lord Brabourne quotes here and there extracts from his mother's
diary, such as these: 'Aunt Jane and I had a very interesting
conversation'; 'Aunt Jane and I had a delicious morning together'; 'Aunt
Jane and I very snug'; and so on, until the sad ending: 'I had the
misery of losing my dear Aunt Jane after a lingering illness.'
Some letters of hers to three of her nieces give a good idea of her
value and importance to them, whether as grown women or as
children.[332]
Fanny Knight, sensible as she was, and early accustomed to
responsibility, felt at a loss how to distinguish in her own mind
between inclination and love when seriously courted in 1814 by a man of
unexceptionable position and character. A reference to her aunt brought
her two delightful letters.[333] No definite opinion was expressed or
formal advice given in these letters, but they must have helped her by
their sympathy, and cleared her mind by the steadiness with which they
contemplated the case in all its bearings.
Chawton: Friday [November 18, 1814].
I feel quite as doubtful as you could be, my
dearest Fanny, as to _when_ my letter may be
finished, for I can command very little quiet time
at present; but yet I must begin, for I know you
will be glad to hear as soon as possible, and I
really am impatient myself to be writing something
on so very interesting a subject, though I have no
hope of writing anything to the purpose. I shall
do very little more, I dare say, than say over
again what you have said before.
I was certainly a good deal surprised _at first_,
as I had no suspicion of any change in your
feelings, and I have no scruple in saying that you
cannot be in love. My dear Fanny, I am ready to
laugh at the idea, and yet it is no laughing
matter to have had you so mistaken as to your own
feelings. And with all my heart I wish I had
cautioned you on that point when first you spoke
to me; but, though I did not think you then _much_
in love, I did consider you as being attached in a
degree quite sufficiently for happiness, as I had
no doubt it would increase with opportunity, and
from the time of our being in London[334] together
I thought you really very much in love. But you
certainly are not at all--there is no concealing
it.
What strange creatures we are! It seems as if your
being secure of him had made you indifferent.
* * * * *
He is just what he ever was, only more evidently
and uniformly devoted to _you_. This is all the
difference. How shall we account for it?
My dearest Fanny, I am writing what will not be of
the smallest use to you. I am feeling differently
every moment, and shall not be able to suggest a
single thing that can assist your mind. I could
lament in one sentence and laugh in the next, but
as to opinion or counsel I am sure that none will
be extracted worth having from this letter.
* * * * *
Poor dear Mr. A.! Oh, dear Fanny! your mistake has
been one that thousands of women fall into. He was
the _first_ young man who attached himself to you.
That was the charm, and most powerful it is. Among
the multitudes, however, that make the same
mistake with yourself, there can be few indeed who
have so little reason to regret it; _his_
character and _his_ attachment leave you nothing
to be ashamed of.
Upon the whole, what is to be done? You have no
inclination for any other person. His situation in
life, family, friends, and, above all, his
character, his uncommonly amiable mind, strict
principles, just notions, good habits, _all_ that
_you_ know so well how to value, _all_ that is
really of the first importance--everything of this
nature pleads his cause most strongly. You have
no doubt of his having superior abilities, he has
proved it at the University; he is, I dare say,
such a scholar as your agreeable, idle brothers
would ill bear a comparison with.
Oh, my dear Fanny! the more I write about him the
warmer my feelings become--the more strongly I
feel the sterling worth of such a young man and
the desirableness of your growing in love with him
again. I recommend this most thoroughly. There
_are_ such beings in the world, perhaps one in a
thousand, as the creature you and I should think
perfection, where grace and spirit are united to
worth, where the manners are equal to the heart
and understanding; but such a person may not come
in your way, or, if he does, he may not be the
eldest son of a man of fortune, the near relation
of your particular friend, and belonging to your
own county.
Think of all this, Fanny. Mr. A. has advantages
which we do not often meet in one person. His only
fault, indeed, seems modesty. If he were less
modest he would be more agreeable, speak louder,
and look impudenter; and is not it a fine
character of which modesty is the only defect? I
have no doubt he will get more lively and more
like yourselves as he is more with you; he will
catch your ways if he belongs to you. And, as to
there being any objection from his _goodness_,
from the danger of his becoming even evangelical,
I cannot admit _that_. I am by no means convinced
that we ought not all to be evangelicals, and am
at least persuaded that they who are so from
reason and feeling must be happiest and safest.
* * * * *
And now, my dear Fanny, having written so much on
one side of the question, I shall turn round and
entreat you not to commit yourself farther, and
not to think of accepting him unless you really do
like him. Anything is to be preferred or endured
rather than marrying without affection; and if his
deficiencies of manner, &c. &c., strike you more
than all his good qualities, if you continue to
think strongly of them, give him up at once.
Things are now in such a state that you must
resolve upon one or the other--either to allow him
to go on as he has done, or whenever you are
together behave with a coldness which may convince
him that he has been deceiving himself. I have no
doubt of his suffering a good deal for a time--a
great deal when he feels that he must give you up;
but it is no creed of mine, as you must be well
aware, that such sort of disappointments kill
anybody.
Yours very affectionately,
JANE AUSTEN.
23 Hans Place: Wednesday [November 30, 1814].
Now, my dearest Fanny, I will begin a subject
which comes in very naturally. You frighten me out
of my wits by your reference. Your affection gives
me the highest pleasure, but indeed you must not
let anything depend on my opinion; your own
feelings, and none but your own, should determine
such an important point. So far, however, as
answering your question, I have no scruple. I am
perfectly convinced that your present feelings,
supposing you were to marry _now_, would be
sufficient for his happiness; but when I think how
very, very far it is from a '_now_,' and take
everything that _may be_ into consideration, I
dare not say 'Determine to accept him'; the risk
is too great for _you_, unless your own sentiments
prompt it.
You will think me perverse perhaps; in my last
letter I was urging everything in his favour, and
now I am inclining the other way, but I cannot
help it; I am at present more impressed with the
possible evil that may arise to _you_ from
engaging yourself to him--in word or mind--than
with anything else. When I consider how few young
men you have yet seen much of; how capable you are
(yes, I do still think you _very_ capable) of
being really in love; and how full of temptation
the next six or seven years of your life will
probably be (it is the very period of life for the
_strongest_ attachments to be formed)--I cannot
wish you, with your present very cool feelings, to
devote yourself in honour to him. It is very true
that you never may attach another man his equal
altogether; but if that other man has the power of
attaching you _more_, he will be in your eyes the
most perfect.
I shall be glad if you _can_ revive past feelings,
and from your unbiassed self resolve to go on as
you have done, but this I do not expect; and
without it I cannot wish you to be fettered. I
should not be afraid of your _marrying_ him; with
all his worth you would soon love him enough for
the happiness of both; but I should dread the
continuance of this sort of tacit engagement, with
such an uncertainty as there is of _when_ it may
be completed. Years may pass before he is
independent; you like him well enough to marry,
but not well enough to wait; the unpleasantness of
appearing fickle is certainly great; but if you
think you want punishment for past illusions,
there it is, and nothing can be compared to the
misery of being bound _without_ love--bound to
one, and preferring another; _that_ is a
punishment which you do _not_ deserve.
* * * * *
I shall be most glad to hear from you again, my
dearest Fanny, but it must not be later than
Saturday, as we shall be off on Monday long before
the letters are delivered; and write _something_
that may do to be read or told.
* * * * *
I cannot suppose we differ in our ideas of the
Christian religion. You have given an excellent
description of it. We only affix a different
meaning to the word _evangelical_.
Yours most affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Knight, Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.
Two remarks in these letters seem to betray the close observer of human
nature from the novelist's point of view. Her optimistic opinion as to
recovery from disappointments in love may perhaps be adduced by some
critics as an argument to show that her feelings were not very deep; we
should rather quote them as an instance of her candour--of her saying
what other writers cannot help thinking, though they may not like to
express the thought. Readers of _Persuasion_ are well aware that the
author made room for cases (at all events, in the lives of women) where
such disappointments, though they may not kill, yet give a sombre tone
to the life and spirits of the sufferer through a long series of years.
There is close observation also in the distinction drawn between the
amount of love sufficient for a speedy marriage, and that necessary for
a long engagement, if unhappiness and possible discredit are to be
avoided. On this occasion, neither marriage nor engagement happened to
Fanny Knight. Her son tells us that differences in religious ideas
tended by degrees to separate the lovers--if lovers they could be
called. Her doubt as to caring enough for 'Mr. A.' became a certainty in
the course of the year 1815. When her aunt, in November of that year,
joked with her about an imaginary tenderness for Mr. Haden, 'the
apothecary,' it was no doubt pure 'chaff'; but we may be sure she would
not have indulged in it if any serious attachment had then occupied her
niece's mind.
The remaining letters of this series which we possess were written,
after an interval of more than two years, in February and March
1817,[335] only a few months before Jane's death. All idea of Fanny's
engaging herself to 'Mr. A.' has now passed away; yet, with natural
inconsistency, she lives in dread of his marrying some one else. By this
time there is a 'Mr. B.' on the stage, but his courtship, though
apparently demonstrative, is not really serious; and the last letter
keeps away from love affairs altogether. As to 'Mr. A.,' we are told
that he found his happiness elsewhere within a couple of years; while
Fanny became engaged to Sir Edward Knatchbull in 1820.
Chawton: [February 20, 1817].
MY DEAREST FANNY,--You are inimitable,
irresistible. You are the delight of my life. Such
letters, such entertaining letters, as you have
lately sent! such a description of your queer
little heart! such a lovely display of what
imagination does! You are worth your weight in
gold, or even in the new silver coinage. I cannot
express to you what I have felt in reading your
history of yourself--how full of pity and concern,
and admiration and amusement, I have been! You are
the paragon of all that is silly and sensible,
common-place and eccentric, sad and lively,
provoking and interesting. Who can keep pace with
the fluctuations of your fancy, the capprizios of
your taste, the contradictions of your feelings?
You are so odd, and all the time so perfectly
natural!--so peculiar in yourself, and yet so like
everybody else!
It is very, very gratifying to me to know you so
intimately. You can hardly think what a pleasure
it is to me to have such thorough pictures of your
heart. Oh, what a loss it will be when you are
married! You are too agreeable in your single
state--too agreeable as a niece. I shall hate you
when your delicious play of mind is all settled
down into conjugal and maternal affections.
Mr. B---- frightens me. He will have you. I see
you at the altar. I have _some_ faith in Mrs. C.
Cage's observation, and still more in Lizzy's;
and, besides, I know it _must_ be so. He must be
wishing to attach you. It would be too stupid and
too shameful in him to be otherwise; and all the
family are seeking your acquaintance.
Do not imagine that I have any real objection; I
have rather taken a fancy to him than not, and I
like the house for you. I only do not like you
should marry anybody. And yet I do wish you to
marry very much, because I know you will never be
happy till you are; but the loss of a Fanny Knight
will be never made up to me. My 'affec. niece F.
C. B----' will be but a poor substitute. I do not
like your being nervous, and so apt to cry--it is
a sign you are not quite well.
* * * * *
I enjoy your visit to Goodnestone, it must be a
great pleasure to you; you have not seen Fanny
Cage in comfort so long. I hope she represents and
remonstrates and reasons with you properly. Why
should you be living in dread of his marrying
somebody else? (Yet, how natural!) You did not
choose to have him yourself, why not allow him to
take comfort where he can? In your conscience you
_know_ that he could not bear a companion with a
more animated character. You cannot forget how you
felt under the idea of its having been possible
that he might have dined in Hans Place.
My dearest Fanny, I cannot bear you should be
unhappy about him. Think of his principles; think
of his father's objection, of want of money, &c.,
&c. But I am doing no good; no, all that I urge
against him will rather make you take his part
more, sweet, perverse Fanny.
And now I will tell you that we like your Henry to
the utmost, to the very top of the glass, quite
brimful. He is a very pleasing young man. I do not
see how he could be mended. He does really bid
fair to be everything his father and sister could
wish; and William I love very much indeed, and so
we do all; he is quite our own William. In short,
we are very comfortable together; that is, we can
answer for _ourselves_.
* * * * *
_Friday._--I had no idea when I began this
yesterday of sending it before your brother went
back, but I have written away my foolish thoughts
at such a rate that I will not keep them many
hours longer to stare me in the face.
* * * * *
Ben and Anna walked here last Sunday to hear Uncle
Henry, and she looked so pretty, it was quite a
pleasure to see her, so young and so blooming, and
so innocent.
* * * * *
Your objection to the quadrilles delighted me
exceedingly. Pretty well, for a lady irrecoverably
attached to _one_ person! Sweet Fanny, believe no
such thing of yourself, spread no such malicious
slander upon your understanding, within the
precincts of your imagination. Do not speak ill of
your sense merely for the gratification of your
fancy; yours is sense which deserves more
honourable treatment. You are _not_ in love with
him; you never _have_ been really in love with
him.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Chawton: Thursday [March 13, 1817].
As to making any adequate return for such a letter
as yours, my dearest Fanny, it is absolutely
impossible. If I were to labour at it all the rest
of my life, and live to the age of Methuselah, I
could never accomplish anything so long and so
perfect; but I cannot let William go without a few
lines of acknowledgment and reply.
I have pretty well done with Mr. ----. By your
description, he _cannot_ be in love with you,
however he may try at it; and I could not wish the
match unless there were a great deal of love on
his side.
* * * * *
Poor Mrs. C. Milles, that she should die on the
wrong day at last, after being about it so long!
It was unlucky that the Goodnestone party could
not meet you, and I hope her friendly, obliging,
social spirit, which delighted in drawing people
together, was not conscious of the division and
disappointment she was occasioning. I am sorry and
surprised that you speak of her as having little
to leave, and must feel for Miss Milles, though
she _is_ Molly, if a material loss of income is to
attend her other loss. Single women have a
dreadful propensity for being poor, which is one
very strong argument in favour of matrimony, but I
need not dwell on such arguments with _you_,
pretty dear.
To you I shall say, as I have often said before,
do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at
last; you will in the course of the next two or
three years meet with somebody more generally
unexceptionable than anyone you have yet known,
who will love you as warmly as possible, and who
will so completely attract you that you will feel
you never really loved before.
* * * * *
Aunt Cassandra walked to Wyards yesterday with
Mrs. Digweed. Anna has had a bad cold, and looks
pale. She has just weaned Julia.
Chawton: Sunday [March 23, 1817].
I am very much obliged to you, my dearest Fanny,
for sending me Mr. W.'s conversation; I had great
amusement in reading it, and I hope I am not
affronted, and do not think the worse of him for
having a brain so very different from mine; but my
strongest sensation of all is _astonishment_ at
your being able to press him on the subject so
perseveringly; and I agree with your papa, that it
was not fair. When he knows the truth he will be
uncomfortable.
You are the oddest creature! Nervous enough in
some respects, but in others perfectly without
nerves! Quite unrepulsable, hardened, and
impudent. Do not oblige him to read any more. Have
mercy on him, tell him the truth, and make him an
apology. He and I should not in the least agree,
of course, in our ideas of novels and heroines.
Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick
and wicked; but there is some very good sense in
what he says, and I particularly respect him for
wishing to think well of all young ladies; it
shows an amiable and a delicate mind. And he
deserves better treatment than to be obliged to
read any more of my works.
Do not be surprised at finding Uncle Henry
acquainted with my having another ready for
publication. I could not say No when he asked me,
but he knows nothing more of it. You will not like
it, so you need not be impatient. You may
_perhaps_ like the heroine, as she is almost too
good for me.[336]
* * * * *
Thank you for everything you tell me. I do not
feel worthy of it by anything that I can say in
return, but I assure you my pleasure in your
letters is quite as great as ever, and I am
interested and amused just as you could wish me.
The Papillons came back on Friday night, but I
have not seen them yet, as I do not venture to
church. I cannot hear, however, but that they are
the same Mr. P. and his sister they used to be.
Very affectionately yours,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Knight, Godmersham Park,
Canterbury.
Very different in tone and subject were the letters, addressed about the
same time as the two earlier of this series, to her other niece, Anna.
Not that Anna was without her own love story: on the contrary, it came
to a straightforward and satisfactory climax in her marriage to Ben
Lefroy, which took place in November 1814; and no doubt, she, like her
cousin, had received letters of sympathy and advice on the realities of
life from her aunt. Her own romance, however, did not prevent her from
interesting herself in the creations of her brain: indeed, all the three
children of James Austen--Anna, Edward, and little Caroline--had
indulged freely in the delights of authorship from a very youthful age.
It was a novel of Anna's which caused the present correspondence; and we
can see from the delicate hints of her aunt that _Pride and Prejudice_
and _Mansfield Park_ had not been without their influence over its
matter and style. Readers of these letters will note the kindness with
which Jane, now deep in the composition of _Emma_, turns aside from her
own work to criticise and encourage, associating her views all the time
with those of Cassandra--who was to her like a Court of Appeal--and
allowing ample freedom of judgment also to Anna herself. They will see
also that her vote is for 'nature and spirit,' above everything; while
yet she insists on the necessity of accuracy of detail for producing the
illusion of truth in fiction.
[May or June, 1814.]
MY DEAR ANNA,--I am very much obliged to you for
sending your MS. It has entertained me extremely;
all of us, indeed. I read it aloud to your
Grandmama and Aunt Cass, and we were all very much
pleased. The spirit does not droop at all. Sir
Thos., Lady Helena and St. Julian are very well
done, and Cecilia continues to be interesting in
spite of her being so amiable. It was very fit you
should advance her age. I like the beginning of
Devereux Forester very much, a great deal better
than if he had been very good or very bad. A few
verbal corrections are all that I felt tempted to
make.
* * * * *
I do not like a lover speaking in the 3rd person;
it is too much like the formal part of Lord
Orville,[337] and, I think, is not natural. If
_you_ think differently, however, you need not
mind me. I am impatient for more, and only wait
for a safe conveyance to return this book.
[August 10, 1814.]
I like the name _Which is the Heroine_ very well,
and I dare say shall grow to like it very much in
time; but _Enthusiasm_ was something so very
superior that every common title must appear to
disadvantage. I am not sensible of any blunders
about Dawlish; the library was particularly
pitiful and wretched twelve years ago and not
likely to have anybody's publications. There is no
such title as Desborough either among dukes,
marquises, earls, viscounts, or barons. These were
your inquiries. I will now thank you for your
envelope received this morning.
* * * * *
Your Aunt Cass is as well pleased with St. Julian
as ever, and I am delighted with the idea of
seeing Progillian again.
_Wednesday 17._--We have now just finished the
first of the three books I had the pleasure of
receiving yesterday. I read it aloud and we are
all very much amused, and like the work quite as
well as ever. I depend on getting through another
book before dinner, but there is really a good
deal of respectable reading in your forty-eight
pages. I have no doubt six will make a very
good-sized volume. You must be quite pleased to
have accomplished so much. I like Lord
Portman[338] and his brother very much. I am only
afraid that Lord P.'s good nature will make most
people like him better than he deserves. The whole
Portman family are very good, and Lady Anne, who
was your great dread, you have succeeded
particularly well with. Bell Griffin is just what
she should be. My corrections have not been more
important than before; here and there we have
thought the sense could be expressed in fewer
words, and I have scratched out Sir Thos. from
walking with the other men to the stables, &c.,
the very day after his breaking his arm; for,
though I find your papa did walk out immediately
after _his_ arm was set, I think it can be so
little usual as to appear unnatural in a book.
* * * * *
Lyme will not do. Lyme is towards forty miles'
distance from Dawlish and would not be talked of
there. I have put Starcross instead. If you prefer
Exeter that must be always safe.
I have also scratched out the introduction between
Lord Portman and his brother and Mr. Griffin. A
country surgeon (don't tell Mr. C. Lyford) would
not be introduced to men of their rank.
* * * * *
I _do_ think you had better omit Lady Helena's
postscript. To those that are acquainted with
_Pride and Prejudice_ it will seem an imitation.
* * * * *
We are reading the last book. They must be two
days going from Dawlish to Bath. They are nearly
100 miles apart.
_Thursday._--We finished it last night after our
return from drinking tea at the Great House. The
last chapter does not please us quite so well; we
do not thoroughly like the play, perhaps from
having had too much of plays in that way
lately,[339] and we think you had better not leave
England. Let the Portmans go to Ireland; but as
you know nothing of the manners there, you had
better not go with them. You will be in danger of
giving false representations. Stick to Bath and
the Foresters. There you will be quite at home.
Your Aunt C. does not like desultory novels, and
is rather afraid yours will be too much so, that
there will be too frequently a change from one set
of people to another, and that circumstances will
be sometimes introduced of apparent consequence
which will lead to nothing. It will not be so
great an objection to _me_ if it does. I allow
much more latitude than she does, and think nature
and spirit cover many sins of a wandering story,
and people in general do not care so much about it
for your comfort.
I should like to have had more of Devereux. I do
not feel enough acquainted with him. You were
afraid of meddling with him, I dare say. I like
your sketch of Lord Clanmurray, and your picture
of the two poor young girls' enjoyment is very
good. I have not yet noticed St. Julian's serious
conversation with Cecilia, but I like it
exceedingly. What he says about the madness of
otherwise sensible women on the subject of their
daughters coming out is worth its weight in gold.
I do not see that the language sinks. Pray go on.
[September 9, 1814.]
We have been very much amused by your three books,
but I have a good many criticisms to make, more
than you will like. We are not satisfied with Mrs.
Forester's settling herself as tenant and near
neighbour to such a man as Sir T. H., without
having some other inducement to go there. She
ought to have some friend living thereabouts to
tempt her. A woman going with two girls just
growing up into a neighbourhood where she knows
nobody but one man of not very good character, is
an awkwardness which so prudent a woman as Mrs. F.
would not be likely to fall into. Remember she is
very prudent. You must not let her act
inconsistently. Give her a friend, and let that
friend be invited to meet her at the Priory, and
we shall have no objection to her dining there as
she does; but otherwise a woman in her situation
would hardly go there before she had been visited
by other families. I like the scene itself, the
Miss Lesleys, Lady Anne, and the music very
much. . . . Sir Thomas H. you always do very well. I
have only taken the liberty of expunging one
phrase of his which would not be allowable--'Bless
my heart!' It is too familiar and inelegant. Your
grandmother is more disturbed at Mrs. Forester's
not returning the Egertons' visit sooner than by
anything else. They ought to have called at the
Parsonage before Sunday. You describe a sweet
place, but your descriptions are often more minute
than will be liked. You give too many particulars
of right hand and left. Mrs. Forester is not
careful enough of Susan's health. Susan ought not
to be walking out so soon after heavy rains,
taking long walks in the dirt. An anxious mother
would not suffer it. I like your Susan very much
indeed, she is a sweet creature, her playfulness
of fancy is very delightful. I like her as she is
now exceedingly, but I am not quite so well
satisfied with her behaviour to George R. At first
she seems all over attachment and feeling, and
afterwards to have none at all; she is so
extremely composed at the ball and so well
satisfied apparently with Mr. Morgan. She seems to
have changed her character.
You are now collecting your people delightfully,
getting them exactly into such a spot as is the
delight of my life. Three or four families in a
country village is the very thing to work on, and
I hope you will write a great deal more, and make
full use of them while they are so very favourably
arranged.
You are but _now_ coming to the heart and beauty
of your book. Till the heroine grows up the fun
must be imperfect, but I expect a great deal of
entertainment from the next three or four books,
and I hope you will not resent these remarks by
sending me no more.
* * * * *
They are not so much like the Papillons as I
expected. Your last chapter is very entertaining,
the conversation on genius, &c.; Mr. St. Julian
and Susan both talk in character, and very well.
In some former parts Cecilia is perhaps a little
too solemn and good, but upon the whole her
disposition is very well opposed to Susan's, her
want of imagination is very natural. I wish you
could make Mrs. Forester talk more; but she must
be difficult to manage and make entertaining,
because there is so much good common sense and
propriety about her that nothing can be made very
_broad_. Her economy and her ambition must not be
staring. The papers left by Mrs. Fisher are very
good. Of course one guesses something. I hope when
you have written a great deal more, you will be
equal to scratching out some of the past. The
scene with Mrs. Mellish I should condemn; it is
prosy and nothing to the purpose; and indeed the
more you can find in your heart to curtail between
Dawlish and Newton Priors, the better I think it
will be--one does not care for girls till they are
grown up. Your Aunt C. quite enters into the
exquisiteness of that name--Newton Priors is
really a nonpareil. Milton would have given his
eyes to have thought of it. Is not the cottage
taken from Tollard Royal?
[September 28, 1814.]
I hope you do not depend on having your book again
immediately. I kept it that your grandmama may
hear it, for it has not been possible yet to have
any public reading. I have read it to your Aunt
Cassandra, however, in our own room at night,
while we undressed, and with a great deal of
pleasure. We like the first chapter extremely,
with only a little doubt whether Lady Helena is
not almost too foolish. The matrimonial dialogue
is very good certainly. I like Susan as well as
ever, and begin now not to care at all about
Cecilia; she may stay at Easton Court as long as
she likes. Henry Mellish, I am afraid, will be too
much in the common novel style--a handsome,
amiable, unexceptionable young man (such as do not
much abound in real life), desperately in love and
all in vain. But I have no business to judge him
so early.
* * * * *
We feel really obliged to you for introducing a
Lady Kenrick; it will remove the greatest fault in
the work, and I give you credit for considerable
forbearance as an author in adopting so much of
our opinion. I expect high fun about Mrs. Fisher
and Sir Thomas.
* * * * *
Devereux Forester's being ruined by his vanity is
extremely good, but I wish you would not let him
plunge into a 'vortex of dissipation.' I do not
object to the thing, but I cannot bear the
expression; it is such thorough novel slang, and
so old that I dare say Adam met with it in the
first novel he opened.
* * * * *
Walter Scott has no business to write novels,
especially good ones. It is not fair. He has fame
and profit enough as a poet, and should not be
taking the bread out of other people's mouths.
I do not like him, and do not mean to like
_Waverley_[340] if I can help it, but fear I must.
I am quite determined, however, not to be pleased
with Mrs. West's _Alicia De Lacy_, should I ever
meet with it, which I hope I shall not. I think I
_can_ be stout against anything written by Mrs.
West.[341] I have made up my mind to like no
novels really but Miss Edgeworth's, yours, and my
own.
What can you do with Egerton to increase the
interest for him? I wish you could contrive
something, some family occurrence to bring out his
good qualities more. Some distress among brothers
and sisters to relieve by the sale of his curacy!
Something to carry him mysteriously away, and then
be heard of at York or Edinburgh in an old great
coat. I would not seriously recommend anything
improbable, but if you could invent something
spirited for him it would have a good effect. He
might lend all his money to Captain Morris, but
then he would be a great fool if he did. Cannot
the Morrises quarrel and he reconcile them? Excuse
the liberty I take in these suggestions.
* * * * *
The Webbs are really gone! When I saw the wagons
at the door, and thought of all the trouble they
must have in moving, I began to reproach myself
for not having liked them better, but since the
wagons have disappeared my conscience has been
closed again, and I am excessively glad they are
gone.
I am very fond of Sherlock's sermons and prefer
them to almost any.
Anna's marriage took place on November 8. Her husband was afterwards a
clergyman, but he did not take Orders until about three years after the
marriage; and the first home of the young couple was at Hendon, to which
place the following letter was addressed, Jane being at that time with
her brother Henry, in Hans Place:--
Hans Place: [November 28, 1814].
MY DEAR ANNA,--I assure you we all came away very
much pleased with our visit. We talked of you for
about a mile and a half with great satisfaction;
and I have been just sending a very good report of
you to Miss Benn, with a full account of your
dress for Susan and Maria.
We were all at the play last night to see Miss
O'Neill in _Isabella_. I do not think she was
quite equal to my expectations. I fancy I want
something more than can be. I took two
pocket-handkerchiefs, but had very little occasion
for either. She is an elegant creature, however,
and hugs Mr. Young delightfully. I am going this
morning to see the little girls in Keppel Street.
Cassy was excessively interested about your
marriage when she heard of it, which was not until
she was to drink your health on the wedding day.
She asked a thousand questions in her usual
manner, what he said to you and what you said to
him. If your uncle were at home he would send his
best love, but I will not impose any base
fictitious remembrances on you. Mine I can
honestly give, and remain
Your affectionate Aunt,
J. AUSTEN.
Early in December, Anna sent her aunt another packet, which elicited the
following letter:--
Hans Place: Wednesday.
MY DEAR ANNA,--I have been very far from finding
your book an evil, I assure you. I read it
immediately, and with great pleasure. I think you
are going on very well. The description of Dr.
Griffin and Lady Helena's unhappiness is very
good, just what was likely to be. I am curious to
know what the end of _them_ will be. The name of
Newton Priors is really invaluable; I never met
with anything superior to it. It is delightful;
one could live upon the name of Newton Priors for
a twelvemonth. Indeed, I do think you get on very
fast. I only wish other people of my acquaintance
could compose as rapidly. I am pleased with the
dog scene and with the whole of George and Susan's
love, but am more particularly struck with your
_serious_ conversations, etc. They are very good
throughout. St. Julian's history was quite a
surprise to me. You had not very long known it
yourself, I suspect; but I have no objection to
make to the circumstance, and it is very well
told. His having been in love with the aunt gives
Cecilia an additional interest with him. I like
the idea--a very proper compliment to an aunt! I
rather imagine indeed that nieces are seldom
chosen but out of compliment to some aunt or
another. I dare say Ben was in love with me once,
and would never have thought of you if he had not
supposed me dead of a scarlet fever.
* * * * *
[Mrs. Heathcote] writes me word that Miss
Blachford is married, but I have never seen it in
the papers, and one may as well be single if the
wedding is not to be in print.
Your affectionate Aunt,
J. A.
In August 1815 the Lefroys moved from Hendon, and took a small house
called Wyards, near Alton, and within a walk of Chawton. Wyards is more
than once mentioned in our letters.
This is the last letter we possess dealing with Anna's story; and we can
understand that the attention of either writer was soon diverted from
it by more serious considerations: that of Anna by family cares, that of
her aunt by Henry's illness and bankruptcy, and by her own publication
of _Emma_ and subsequent failure of health. The last history of the MS.
was sad enough. After the death of her kind critic, Anna could not
induce herself to go on with the tale; the associations were too
melancholy. Long afterwards, she took it out of its drawer, and, in a
fit of despondency, threw it into the fire. Her daughter, who tells us
this, adds that she herself--a little girl--was sitting on the rug, and
remembers that she watched the destruction, amused with the flame.
A similar fate befell a tragedy written at a very early age by Anna's
little sister Caroline, who was her junior by about twelve years.
Caroline believed it to be a necessary part of a tragedy that all the
_dramatis personae_ should somehow meet their end, by violence or
otherwise, in the last act; and this belief produced such a scene of
carnage and woe as to cause fits of laughter among unsympathetic elders,
and tears to the author, who threw the unfortunate tragedy into the fire
on the spot.
Caroline, however, continued to write stories; and some of them are
alluded to in a series of little childish letters written to her by her
Aunt Jane, which survive, carefully pieced together with silver paper
and gum, and which are worth preserving for the presence in them of love
and playfulness, and the entire absence of condescension.
December 6.
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--I wish I could finish stories
as fast as you can. I am much obliged to you for
the sight of Olivia, and think you have done for
her very well; but the good-for-nothing father,
who was the real author of all her faults and
sufferings, should not escape unpunished. I hope
_he_ hung himself, or took the sur-name of _Bone_
or underwent some direful penance or other.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Chawton: Monday, July 15.
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--I have followed your directions
and find your handwriting admirable. If you
continue to improve as much as you have done,
perhaps I may not be obliged to shut my eyes at
all half a year hence. I have been very much
entertained by your story of Carolina and her aged
father; it made me laugh heartily, and I am
particularly glad to find you so much alive upon
any topic of such absurdity, as the usual
description of a heroine's father. You have done
it full justice, or, if anything be wanting, it is
the information of the venerable old man's having
married when only twenty-one, and being a father
at twenty-two.
I had an early opportunity of conveying your
letter to Mary Jane, having only to throw it out
of window at her as she was romping with your
brother in the Back Court. She thanks you for it,
and answers your questions through me. I am to
tell you that she has passed her time at Chawton
very pleasantly indeed, that she does not miss
Cassy so much as she expected, and that as to
_Diana Temple_, she is ashamed to say it has never
been worked at since you went away. . . .
Edward's visit has been a great pleasure to us. He
has not lost one good quality or good look, and is
only altered in being improved by being some
months older than when we saw him last. He is
getting very near our own age, for _we_ do not
grow older of course.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Chawton: Wednesday, March. 13 [1815].
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--I am very glad to have an
opportunity of answering your agreeable little
letter. You seem to be quite my own niece in your
feelings towards Mme. de Genlis. I do not think I
could even now, at my sedate time of life, read
_Olympe et Théophile_ without being in a rage. It
really is too bad! Not allowing them to be happy
together when they _are_ married. Don't talk of
it, pray. I have just lent your Aunt Frank the
first volume of _Les Veillées du Château_, for
Mary Jane to read. It will be some time before she
comes to the horror of Olympe. . . .
I had a very nice letter from your brother not
long ago, and I am quite happy to see how much his
hand is improving. I am convinced that it will end
in a very gentlemanlike hand, much above par.
We have had a great deal of fun lately with
post-chaises stopping at the door; three times
within a few days we had a couple of agreeable
visitors turn in unexpectedly--your Uncle Henry
and Mr. Tilson, Mrs. Heathcote and Miss Bigg, your
Uncle Henry and Mr. Seymour. Take notice it was
the same Uncle Henry each time.
I remain, my dear Caroline,
Your affectionate Aunt,
J. AUSTEN.
Hans Place: Monday night [October 30, 1815].
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--I have not felt quite equal to
taking up your Manuscript, but think I shall soon,
and I hope my detaining it so long will be no
inconvenience. It gives us great pleasure that you
should be at Chawton. I am sure Cassy must be
delighted to have you. You will practise your
music of course, and I trust to you for taking
care of my instrument and not letting it be
ill-used in any respect. Do not allow anything to
be put on it but what is very light. I hope you
will try to make out some other tune besides the
Hermit. . . .
I am sorry you got wet in your ride; now that you
are become an Aunt[342] you are a person of some
consequence and must excite great interest
whatever you do. I have always maintained the
importance of Aunts as much as possible, and I am
sure of your doing the same now.
Believe me, my dear Sister-Aunt,
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
[January 23, 1817.]
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--I am always very much obliged
to you for writing to me, and have now I believe
two or three notes to thank you for; but whatever
may be their number, I mean to have this letter
accepted as a handsome return for all, for you see
I have taken a complete, whole sheet of paper,
which is to entitle me to consider it as a very
long letter whether I write much or little.
We were quite happy to see Edward, it was an
unexpected pleasure, and he makes himself as
agreeable as ever, sitting in such a quiet
comfortable way making his delightful little
sketches. He is generally thought grown since he
was here last, and rather thinner, but in very
good looks. . . . He read his two chapters to us the
first evening--both good, but especially the last
in our opinion. We think it has more of the spirit
and entertainment of the early part of his
work.[343] . . .
I feel myself getting stronger than I was half a
year ago, and can so perfectly well walk to Alton,
_or_ back again, without the slightest fatigue
that I hope to be able to do both when summer
comes. I spent two or three days with your Uncle
and Aunt[344] lately, and though the children are
sometimes very noisy and not under such order as
they ought and easily might, I cannot help liking
them and even loving them, which I hope may be not
wholly inexcusable in their and your affectionate
Aunt,
J. AUSTEN.
The Pianoforte often talks of you; in various
keys, tunes, and expressions, I allow--but be it
Lesson or Country Dance, Sonata or Waltz, _you_
are really its constant theme. I wish you could
come and see us, as easily as Edward can.
J. A.
Wednesday night. [1817.]
You send me great news indeed, my dear Caroline,
about Mr. Digweed, Mr. Trimmer, and a Grand
Pianoforte. I wish it had been a small one, as
then you might have pretended that Mr. D.'s rooms
were too damp to be fit for it, and offered to
take charge of it at the Parsonage. . . .
* * * * *
I look forward to the four new chapters with
pleasure.--But how can you like Frederick better
than Edgar? You have some eccentric tastes
however, I know, as to Heroes and Heroines.
Goodbye.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Chawton: Wednesday, March 26 [1817].
MY DEAR CAROLINE,--Pray make no apologies for
writing to me often, I am always very happy to
hear from you. . . .
I think you very much improved in your writing,
and in the way to write a very pretty hand. I wish
you could practise your fingering oftener. Would
not it be a good plan for you to go and live
entirely at Mr. Wm. Digweed's? He could not desire
any other remuneration than the pleasure of
hearing you practise.
I like Frederick and Caroline better than I did,
but must still prefer Edgar and Julia. Julia is a
warm-hearted, ingenuous, natural girl, which I
like her for; but I know the word _natural_ is no
recommendation to you. . . .
How very well Edward is looking! You can have
nobody in your neighbourhood to vie with him at
all, except Mr. Portal. I have taken one ride on
the donkey and like it very much--and you must try
to get me quiet, mild days, that I may be able to
go out pretty constantly. A great deal of wind
does not suit me, as I have still a tendency to
rheumatism. In short I am a poor honey at present.
I will be better when you can come and see us.
Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Caroline Austen contributed to the _Memoir_ written by her brother many
of the personal reminiscences of their aunt. She was the niece to whom
Jane in her last illness sent a recommendation to read more and write
less during the years of girlhood. Caroline obeyed the injunction; she
became a very well-read woman, and never wrote stories for publication.
She was, however, an admirable talker: able to invest common things with
a point and spirit peculiarly her own. She was also an ideal aunt, both
to nieces and nephews, who all owe a great deal to her companionship and
devotion.
FOOTNOTES:
[332] The first two batches of letters are to be found in Lord
Brabourne's book, vol. ii. p. 277 _et seq._; of the third set (to
Caroline) only a few isolated quotations have been published. The second
and third sets have been compared with the originals, but we have been
unable to do this in the case of the first.
[333] Cassandra was evidently not in the secret; and we learn from their
niece Anna the interesting fact that, close and intimate as were the
relations between the two sisters, they were absolutely silent to each
other when the confidences of a third person had to be guarded.
[334] Perhaps in March 1814.
[335] Lord Brabourne dates them in 1816, and Mr. Oscar Fay Adams and
Miss Hill naturally follow him; but such a date is impossible, as they
contain allusions to two or three family events which had not then
happened. This correction makes the account of her own health in the
letters of March 13 and March 23 (which will be found in Chap. XX, p.
383) fit in much better with our information from other sources as to
the progress of her illness than would have been the case had it been
written in 1816.
[336] See p. 336.
[337] In _Evelina_.
[338] It must be remembered that there was no 'Lord Portman' or 'Lord
Desborough' in 1814.
[339] In _Mansfield Park_.
[340] Published July 7, 1814. Jane Austen had no more doubt as to who
was the author than Miss Mitford had.
[341] See p. 376.
[342] On the birth of Anna Lefroy's eldest daughter, Jemima.
[343] See p. 374.
[344] No doubt the Frank Austens.
CHAPTER XX
FAILING HEALTH
1816-1817
During the last year of Jane Austen's life, when her health was
gradually failing, and she was obliged to depend--ever more and more
exclusively--on her immediate family for society, she had at least the
satisfaction of having her two sailor brothers nearer at hand than had
often been the case.
After Frank's return from the Baltic, early in 1814, nothing occurred of
a more serious nature than the Great Naval Review in June--which only
indirectly affected him, as he was not then in command of a ship--to
prevent his attending to his family. He settled down to a domestic life
with wife and children, first of all occupying the Great House at
Chawton, but soon moving to Alton.
Charles, who for ten years had had active but unexciting work outside
the theatre of war, now came more to the front. Commanding the
_Phoenix_ frigate, he operated against Murat, when that eccentric
sovereign took part with Napoleon on the escape of the latter from Elba.
Charles was sent in pursuit of a Neapolitan squadron cruising in the
Adriatic; and subsequently he blockaded Brindisi, and waited for the
garrison to hoist the white flag of the Bourbons. Later on, he was kept
busy with Greek pirates in the Archipelago, until the _Phoenix_ was
lost off Smyrna in 1816, when he returned home. The _Phoenix_ had been
a lucky ship, Admiral Halsted having made his fortune in her; but her
luck was worn out. When she went down, the pilot was on board; no lives
were lost, and no blame fell on the captain. It must have been, however,
a disappointing end to an exciting time; and, as the war was over, it
might be long before he got another ship.
A letter from Charles to Jane, during this command, written from
Palermo, May 6, 1815, furnishes us with one of the few indications that
exist of fame achieved by her during her lifetime:--
Books became the subject of conversation, and I
praised _Waverley_ highly, when a young man
present observed that nothing had come out for
years to be compared with _Pride and Prejudice_,
_Sense and Sensibility_, &c. As I am sure you must
be anxious to know the name of a person of so much
taste, I shall tell you it is Fox, a nephew of the
late Charles James Fox. That you may not be too
much elated at this morsel of praise, I shall add
that he did not appear to like _Mansfield Park_ so
well as the two first, in which, however, I
believe he is singular.[345]
We may compare this account with the quotation given in the
_Memoir_[346] from Sir Henry Holland's _Recollections_:--
I have the picture before me still of Lord Holland
lying on his bed, when attacked with gout; his
admirable sister, Miss Fox, reading aloud--as she
always did on these occasions--some one of Miss
Austen's novels, of which he was never wearied.
It is as difficult to follow the various stages of Jane's illness as it
is to understand the exact nature of her complaint. She must have begun
to feel her malady early in the year 1816; for some friends at a
distance, whom she visited in the spring, 'thought that her health was
somewhat impaired, and observed that she went about her old haunts and
recalled the old recollections connected with them in a particular
manner--as if she did not expect ever to see them again.'[347] This is,
however, almost the only indication that we have of any diminution of
vigour at that time; for the three letters to Fanny Knight, given by
Lord Brabourne as written in 1816, must be transferred to 1817[348]; and
so must the two short extracts[349] on pp. 150, 151 of the _Memoir_, as
they evidently refer to a family event which occurred in the March of
the later year. The tone of her letters through the remainder of 1816,
and at the beginning of the next year, was almost invariably cheerful,
and she showed by the completion of _Persuasion_ that she was capable of
first-rate literary work during the summer of 1816. The fact is that, as
to health, she was an incurable optimist; her natural good spirits made
her see the best side, and her unselfishness prompted the suppression of
anything that might distress those around her. Nothing, for instance,
could be more lively than the following letter to Edward Austen, written
while he was still at Winchester School, but had come home for his last
summer holidays.
Chawton: July 9, 1816.
MY DEAR EDWARD,--Many thanks. A thank for every
line, and as many to Mr. W. Digweed for coming.
We have been wanting very much to hear of your
mother, and are happy to find she continues to
mend, but her illness must have been a very
serious one indeed. When she is really recovered,
she ought to try change of air, and come over to
us. Tell your father I am very much obliged to him
for his share of your letter, and most sincerely
join in the hope of her being eventually much the
better for her present discipline. She has the
comfort moreover of being confined in such weather
as gives one little temptation to be out. It is
really too bad, and has been too bad for a long
time, much worse than anybody _can_ bear, and I
begin to think it will never be fine again. This
is a _finesse_ of mine, for I have often observed
that if one writes about the weather, it is
generally completely changed before the letter is
read. I wish it may prove so now, and that when
Mr. W. Digweed reaches Steventon to-morrow, he may
find you have had a long series of hot dry
weather. We are a small party at present, only
grandmamma, Mary Jane, and myself. Yalden's coach
cleared off the rest yesterday. . . .
I am glad you recollected to mention your being
come home. My heart began to sink within me when I
had got so far through your letter without its
being mentioned. I was dreadfully afraid that you
might be detained at Winchester by severe illness,
confined to your bed perhaps, and quite unable to
hold a pen, and only dating from Steventon in
order, with a mistaken sort of tenderness, to
deceive me. But now I have no doubt of your being
at home, I am sure you would not say it so
seriously unless it actually were so. We saw a
countless number of post-chaises full of boys pass
by yesterday morning[350]--full of future heroes,
legislators, fools, and villains. You have never
thanked me for my last letter, which went by the
cheese. I cannot bear not to be thanked. You will
not pay us a visit yet of course; we must not
think of it. Your mother must get well first, and
you must go to Oxford and _not_ be elected; after
that a little change of scene may be good for you,
and your physicians I hope will order you to the
sea, or to a house by the side of a very
considerable pond.[351] Oh! it rains again. It
beats against the window. Mary Jane and I have
been wet through once already to-day; we set off
in the donkey-carriage for Farringdon, as I wanted
to see the improvements Mr. Woolls is making, but
we were obliged to turn back before we got there,
but not soon enough to avoid a pelter all the way
home. We met Mr. Woolls. I talked of its being bad
weather for the hay, and he returned me the
comfort of its being much worse for the wheat. We
hear that Mrs. S. does not quit Tangier: why and
wherefore? Do you know that our Browning is gone?
You must prepare for a William when you come, a
good-looking lad, civil and quiet, and seeming
likely to do. Good bye. I am sure Mr. W. D. will
be astonished at my writing so much, for the paper
is so thin that he will be able to count the lines
if not to read them.
Yours affec^{ly},
J. AUSTEN.
Mr. J. E. Austen.
There was a second family visit this year to Cheltenham, where Cassandra
and Jane had already been in the spring. Probably their connexion with
this watering-place was through Mrs. James Austen, and _hers_ was
through her sister, Mrs. Fowle of Kintbury. Mr. Fowle had lived at
Elkstone near Cheltenham, and continued to hold that benefice, which was
in the gift of the Craven family. The Fowles would naturally renew
their intercourse with their old friends in the neighbourhood, and _he_
would go to see his curate and acquaint himself with the circumstances
of his parish. The visits to Gloucestershire were therefore for pleasure
and business as well as health.
In August 1816 it was a recent serious illness of Mrs. James Austen
which took the party there; Mrs. Austen being accompanied by her
daughter Caroline, and her sister-in-law Cassandra. Meanwhile, Jane
remained with her mother at Chawton, where she had Edward Austen as a
visitor.
During Cassandra's absence Jane wrote to her as follows:--
Chawton: September 4, 1816.[352]
We go on very well here, Edward is a great
pleasure to me; he drove me to Alton yesterday. I
went principally to carry news of you and Henry,
and made a regular handsome visit, staying there
while Edward went on to Wyards with an invitation
to dinner: it was declined, and will be so again
to-day probably, for I really believe Anna is not
equal to the fatigue. The Alton four drank tea
with us last night, and we were very
pleasant:--Jeu de Violon, &c.--all new to Mr.
Sweney--and he entered into it very well. It was a
renewal of former agreeable evenings.
We all (except my mother) dine at Alton to-morrow,
and perhaps may have some of the same sports
again, but I do not think Mr. and Mrs. D. will add
much to our wit. Edward is writing a novel--we
have all heard what he has written--it is
extremely clever, written with great ease and
spirit; if he can carry it on in the same way it
will be a first-rate work, and in a style, I
think, to be popular. Pray tell Mary how much I
admire it--and tell Caroline that I think it is
hardly fair upon her and myself to have him take
up the novel line.
Sunday [September 8].
MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--I have borne the arrival of
your letter to-day extremely well; anybody might
have thought it was giving me pleasure. I am very
glad you find so much to be satisfied with at
Cheltenham. While the waters agree, everything
else is trifling.
* * * * *
Our day at Alton was very pleasant, venison quite
right, children well-behaved, and Mr. and Mrs.
Digweed taking kindly to our charades and other
games. I must also observe, for his mother's
satisfaction, that Edward at my suggestion devoted
himself very properly to the entertainment of Miss
S. Gibson. Nothing was wanting except Mr. Sweney,
but he, alas! had been ordered away to London the
day before. We had a beautiful walk home by
moonlight.
Thank you, my back has given me scarcely any pain
for many days. I have an idea that agitation does
it as much harm as fatigue, and that I was ill at
the time of your going from the very circumstance
of your going. I am nursing myself up now into as
beautiful a state as I can, because I hear that
Dr. White means to call on me before he leaves the
country.
* * * * *
I have not seen Anna since the day you left us;
her father and brother visited her most days.
Edward[353] and Ben called here on Thursday.
Edward was in his way to Selborne. We found him
very agreeable. He is come back from France,
thinking of the French as one could
wish--disappointed in everything. He did not go
beyond Paris.
I have a letter from Mrs. Perigord; she and her
mother are in London again. She speaks of France
as a scene of general poverty and misery: no
money, no trade, nothing to be got but by the
innkeepers, and as to her own present prospects
she is not much less melancholy than before.
* * * * *
I enjoyed Edward's company very much, as I said
before, and yet I was not sorry when Friday came.
It had been a busy week, and I wanted a few days'
quiet and exemption from the thought and
contrivancy which any sort of company gives. I
often wonder how _you_ can find time for what you
do, in addition to the care of the house; and how
good Mrs. West[354] could have written such books
and collected so many hard words, with all her
family cares, is still more a matter of
astonishment. Composition seems to me impossible
with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of
rhubarb.
* * * * *
We do not much like Mr. Cooper's new sermons. They
are fuller of regeneration and conversion than
ever, with the addition of his zeal in the cause
of the Bible Society.
This is the last letter which we have from Jane to Cassandra. Probably
the sisters were not parted again, except when Cassandra went for a few
days to Scarlets, on the death of their uncle, Mr. Leigh Perrot, at the
end of the following March; and if Jane wrote then, it must have been in
such depression of mind and weakness of body, that her sister would not
have preserved the writing for others to see.
In the meanwhile, the autumn of 1816 was probably occupied with the
preparation of _Persuasion_ for the press; and, on the whole, we should
gather from the evidence before us that the earlier part of the winter
saw one of those fallacious instances of temporary improvement which so
often deceive nurses and patients alike, in cases of internal
complaints. 'I have certainly gained strength through the winter,' she
says, on January 24, 1817. On the 23rd: 'I feel myself stronger than I
was half a year ago'; and it was in this spirit of hopefulness that she
had written the following lively letter to Edward Austen, when he had
left Winchester and was about to enter on the career of an Oxford
undergraduate.
Chawton: Monday [December 16, 1816].
MY DEAR EDWARD,--One reason for my writing to you
now is, that I may have the pleasure of directing
to you _Esq^{re.}_ I give you joy of having left
Winchester. Now you may own how miserable you were
there; now it will gradually all come out, your
crimes and your miseries--how often you went up by
the Mail to London and threw away fifty guineas at
a tavern, and how often you were on the point of
hanging yourself, restrained only, as some
ill-natured aspersion upon poor old Winton has it,
by the want of a tree within some miles of the
city. Charles Knight and his companions passed
through Chawton about 9 this morning; later than
it used to be. Uncle Henry and I had a glimpse of
his handsome face, looking all health and good
humour. I wonder when you will come and see us. I
know what I rather speculate upon, but shall say
nothing. We think uncle Henry in excellent looks.
Look at him this moment, and think so too, if you
have not done it before; and we have the great
comfort of seeing decided improvement in uncle
Charles, both as to health, spirits, and
appearance. And they are each of them so
agreeable in their different way, and harmonise so
well, that their visit is thorough enjoyment.
Uncle Henry writes very superior sermons. You and
I must try to get hold of one or two, and put them
into our novels: it would be a fine help to a
volume; and we could make our heroine read it
aloud of a Sunday evening, just as well as
Isabella Wardour, in _The Antiquary_, is made to
read the _History of the Hartz Demon_, in the
ruins of St. Ruth; though I believe, upon
recollection, Lovell is the reader. By the bye, my
dear Edward, I am quite concerned for the loss
your mother mentions in her letter. Two chapters
and a half to be missing is monstrous! It is well
that _I_ have not been at Steventon lately, and
therefore cannot be suspected of purloining them:
two strong twigs and a half towards a nest of my
own would have been something. I do not think,
however, that any theft of that sort would be
really very useful to me. What should I do with
your strong, manly, spirited sketches, full of
variety and glow? How could I possibly join them
on to the little bit (two inches wide) of ivory on
which I work with so fine a brush, as produces
little effect after much labour?
You will hear from uncle Henry how well Anna is.
She seems perfectly recovered. Ben was here on
Saturday, to ask uncle Charles and me to dine with
them, as to-morrow, but I was forced to decline
it, the walk is beyond my strength (though I am
otherwise very well), and this is not a season for
donkey-carriages; and as we do not like to spare
uncle Charles, he has declined it too.
_Tuesday._ Ah, ha! Mr. Edward. I doubt your seeing
uncle Henry at Steventon to-day. The weather will
prevent your expecting him, I think. Tell your
father, with aunt Cass's love and mine, that the
pickled cucumbers are extremely good, and tell him
also--'tell him what you will.' No, don't tell him
what you will, but tell him that grandmamma begs
him to make Joseph Hall pay his rent, if he can.
You must not be tired of reading the word _uncle_,
for I have not done with it. Uncle Charles thanks
your mother for her letter; it was a great
pleasure to him to know the parcel was received
and gave so much satisfaction, and he begs her to
be so good as to give three shillings for him to
Dame Staples, which shall be allowed for in the
payment of her debt here.
I am happy to tell you that Mr. Papillon will soon
make his offer, probably next Monday, as he
returns on Saturday. His _intention_ can no longer
be doubtful in the smallest degree, as he has
secured the refusal of the house which Mr.
Baverstock at present occupies in Chawton, and is
to vacate soon, which is of course intended for
Mrs. Elizabeth Papillon.
Adieu, Amiable! I hope Caroline behaves well to
you.
Yours affec^{ly},
J. AUSTEN.
J. E. Austen, Esq.
The same bright tone pervades the following letter to Alethea Bigg, from
which one of the remarks quoted above, as to the improvement of her
health, is taken.
Chawton: January 24, 1817.
MY DEAR ALETHEA,--I think it time there should be
a little writing between us, though I believe the
epistolary debt is on _your_ side, and I hope this
will find all the Streatham party well, neither
carried away by the flood, nor rheumatic through
the damps. Such mild weather is, you know,
delightful to _us_, and though we have a great
many ponds, and a fine running stream through the
meadows on the other side of the road, it is
nothing but what beautifies us and does to talk
of. . . . _I_ have certainly gained strength through
the winter and am not far from being well; and I
think I understand my own case now so much better
than I did, as to be able by care to keep off any
serious return of illness. I am more and more
convinced that _bile_ is at the bottom of all I
have suffered, which makes it easy to know how to
treat myself. You . . . will be glad to hear thus
much of me, I am sure. . . . We have just had a few
days' visit from Edward, who brought us a good
account of his father, and the very circumstance
of his coming at all, of his father's being able
to spare him, is itself a good account. . . . He
grows still, and still improves in appearance, at
least in the estimation of his aunts, who love him
better and better, as they see the sweet temper
and warm affections of the boy confirmed in the
young man: I tried hard to persuade him that he
must have some message for William,[355] but in
vain. . . . This is not a time of year for
donkey-carriages, and our donkeys are necessarily
having so long a run of luxurious idleness that I
suppose we shall find they have forgotten much of
their education when we use them again. We do not
use two at once, however; don't imagine such
excesses. . . . Our own new clergyman[356] is
expected here very soon, perhaps in time to assist
Mr. Papillon on Sunday. I shall be very glad when
the first hearing is over. It will be a nervous
hour for our pew, though we hear that he acquits
himself with as much ease and collectedness, as if
he had been used to it all his life. We have no
chance we know of seeing you between Streatham and
Winchester: you go the other road and are engaged
to two or three houses; if there should be any
change, however, you know how welcome you would
be. . . .
We have been reading the _Poet's Pilgrimage to
Waterloo_,[357] and generally with much
approbation. Nothing will please all the world,
you know; but parts of it suit me better than much
that he has written before. The opening--_the
proem_ I believe he calls it--is very beautiful.
Poor man! one cannot but grieve for the loss of
the son so fondly described. Has he at all
recovered it? What do Mr. and Mrs. Hill know about
his present state?
Yours aff^{ly},
J. AUSTEN.
The real object of this letter is to ask you for a
receipt, but I thought it genteel not to let it
appear early. We remember some excellent orange
wine at Manydown, made from Seville oranges,
entirely or chiefly. I should be very much obliged
to you for the receipt, if you can command it
within a few weeks.
Three days later, Jane felt well enough to set to work on a fresh novel:
thoroughly fresh, for it bore no resemblance to any of her previous
stories. A short _résumé_ of this beginning is given in the _Memoir_,
and from it the reader will see that the scene is laid at a new
watering-place,[358] which is being exploited by two of the leading
characters. In the twelve chapters which she wrote, the _dramatis
personae_ are sketched in with vigour and decision; but there is little
of the subtle refinement which we are accustomed to associate with her
work, and certainly nothing of the tender sentiment of _Persuasion_. It
is unfair, however, to judge from the first draft of a few introductory
chapters, written as they no doubt were to relieve the tedium of long
hours of confinement, and written perhaps also to comfort her friends by
letting them see that she was still able to work. It is probable, too,
that a long step in the downward progress of her condition was taken in
the course of the seven weeks during which she was writing for the last
time. It began 'in her usual firm and neat hand, but some of the latter
pages were first traced in pencil--probably, when she was too ill to sit
long at a desk--and afterwards written over in ink.'[359] The last date
on the MS. is March 17. She was, no doubt, by this time making frequent
use of the temporary couch, which, as we are told, she had contrived out
of two or three chairs, so as to leave the one real sofa free for her
mother. She professed to like her own couch best; but the importunity of
a young niece obliged her to confess that she used it always, because
she thought that her mother would not use the sofa enough unless it were
absolutely reserved for her service.
In February and March followed the three letters written to Fanny
Knight--portions of which are given in the last chapter. They chiefly
concern Fanny's own affairs, and show how lively Jane's mind still was,
and with what unselfish care she could divert it from her own sufferings
to the concerns which interested those nearest to her.
We now append the sentences in those letters which refer to her own
state of health, and which certainly read as if some serious accession
of illness had intervened while the correspondence was in progress.
_February 20, 1817._--I am almost entirely cured
of my rheumatism--just a little pain in my knee,
now and then, to make me remember what it was and
keep on flannel. Aunt Cassandra nursed me so
beautifully.
* * * * *
_March 13._--I am got tolerably well again, quite
equal to walking about and enjoying the air, and
by sitting down and resting a good while between
my walks I get exercise enough. I have a scheme
however for accomplishing more, as the weather
grows spring-like. I mean to take to riding the
donkey; it will be more independent and less
troublesome than the use of the carriage, and I
shall be able to go about with Aunt Cassandra in
her walks to Alton and Wyards.
_March 23._--Many thanks for your kind care of my
health; I certainly have not been well for many
weeks, and about a week ago I was very poorly. I
have had a good deal of fever at times, and
indifferent nights; but I am considerably better
now and am recovering my looks a little, which
have been bad enough--black and white and every
wrong colour. I must not depend upon being ever
very blooming again. Sickness is a dangerous
indulgence at my time of life.
_Evening._--I was languid and dull and very bad
company when I wrote the above; I am better now,
to my own feelings at least, and wish I may be
more agreeable. We are going to have rain, and
after that very pleasant genial weather, which
will exactly do for me, as my saddle will then be
completed, and air and exercise is what I want.
* * * * *
_Tuesday._--I took my first ride yesterday, and
liked it very much. I went up Mounter's Lane and
round by where the new cottages are to be, and
found the exercise and everything very pleasant;
and I had the advantage of agreeable companions,
as Aunt Cass and Edward walked by my side. Aunt
Cass is such an excellent nurse, so assiduous and
unwearied! But you know all that already.
At the end of March she made her will--a brief and simple document of
which the operative part was in these words: 'To my dearest sister
Cassandra Elizabeth, everything of which I may die possessed, or which
may hereafter be due to me, subject to the payment of my funeral
expenses and to a legacy of £50 to my brother Henry and £50 to Madame
Bigeon.'[360]
About the same time another will was causing great disappointment to the
Austen family; and as Jane was affected by anything that affected her
nearest relations, we must probably attribute to it some share in the
rapid decay of her bodily strength.
Her uncle, Mr. Leigh Perrot, died at Scarlets on March 28. He was
childless, and left a considerable fortune. As he was also a
kind-hearted man and had always shown particular favour to the Austens,
it was reasonably expected that they would reap some immediate benefit
under his will. Most of the family were in narrow circumstances, and
they had lately been crippled by the failure of Henry's business and the
lawsuit about Edward's Hampshire property; a legacy, therefore, would
have been very acceptable. Mr. Leigh Perrot, however, was actuated in
making his will by a stronger motive than love to sister and
nephews.[361] He was devoted to his wife, and was perhaps anxious to
show that his devotion was increased in consequence of the false
accusation with which she had been assailed at Bath in 1799-1800. He
showed it by leaving everything to her for her life, and placing
Scarlets and a considerable sum at her free disposal. At the same time
he left a large sum (subject to her life interest) to James Austen and
his heirs, and £1000 apiece to _each_ of Mrs. Austen's children who
should survive his wife. Mrs. Leigh Perrot, also, at a later date, gave
allowances to some members of the family, and eventually made Edward
Austen her heir. None of these advantages, however, fell to them
immediately; and the disappointment caused by their uncle's disposition
of his property is reflected in the following letter from Jane to her
brother Charles.
[April 6, 1817.]
MY DEAREST CHARLES,--Many thanks for your
affectionate letter. I was in your debt before,
but I have really been too unwell the last
fortnight to write anything that was not
absolutely necessary. I have been suffering from a
bilious attack attended with a good deal of fever.
A few days ago my complaint appeared removed, but
I am ashamed to say that the shock of my uncle's
will brought on a relapse, and I was so ill on
Friday and thought myself so likely to be worse
that I could not but press for Cassandra's
returning with Frank after the funeral last night,
which she of course did; and either her return, or
my having seen Mr. Curtis, or my disorder's
chusing to go away, have made me better this
morning. I live upstairs however for the present,
and am coddled. I am the only one of the legatees
who has been so silly, but a weak body must excuse
weak nerves.
My mother has borne the forgetfulness of _her_
extremely well--her expectations for herself were
never beyond the extreme of moderation, and she
thinks with you that my Uncle always looked
forward to surviving her. She desires her best
love, and many thanks for your kind feelings; and
heartily wishes that her younger children had
more, and all her children something
immediately. . . .
Nothing can be kinder than Mrs. Cooke's enquiries
after you [and Harriet] in all her letters, and
there was no standing her affectionate way of
speaking of _your_ countenance, after her seeing
you. God bless you all.
Conclude me to be going on well if you hear
nothing to the contrary.
Yours ever truly,
J. A.
Tell dear Harriet that whenever she wants me in
her service again she must send a hackney chariot
all the way for me--for I am not strong enough to
travel any other way, and I hope Cassy will take
care that it is a green one. . . .
We will end this chapter with Caroline Austen's account of her last
visit to her Aunt Jane, which occurred about this time.
It had been settled[362] that about the end of
March, or the beginning of April, I should spend a
few days at Chawton, in the absence of my father
and mother, who were just then engaged with Mrs.
Leigh Perrot in arranging her late husband's
affairs; but Aunt Jane became too ill to have me
in the house, and so I went instead to my sister
Mrs. Lefroy at Wyards. The next day we walked over
to Chawton to make enquiries after our aunt. She
was then keeping her room, but said she would see
us, and we went up to her. She was in her
dressing-gown, and was sitting quite like an
invalid in an arm-chair, but she got up and kindly
greeted us, and then, pointing to seats which had
been arranged for us by the fire, she said 'There
is a chair for the married lady, and a little
stool for you, Caroline.' It is strange, but
those trifling words were the last of hers that I
can remember, for I retain no recollection of what
was said by anyone in the conversation that
ensued. I was struck by the alteration in herself.
She was very pale, her voice was weak and low, and
there was about her a general appearance of
debility and suffering; but I have been told that
she never had much acute pain. She was not equal
to the exertion of talking to us, and our visit to
the sick room was a very short one, Aunt Cassandra
soon taking us away. I do not suppose we stayed a
quarter of an hour; and I never saw Aunt Jane
again.
FOOTNOTES:
[345] _Sailor Brothers_, p. 270.
[346] Page 139.
[347] _Memoir_, p. 150.
[348] See note on p. 347.
[349] One is quoted from a letter to Charles, dated April 6, 1817 (p.
385); the other from a letter written at Winchester shortly before her
death (p. 391).
[350] The road by which many Winchester boys returned home ran close to
Chawton Cottage.
[351] A small pond close to Chawton Cottage, at the junction of the
Winchester and Gosport roads.
[352] Unpublished fragment.
[353] Edward Lefroy, brother of Ben.
[354] See p. 360. Mrs. West was a farmer's wife who lived to the age of
ninety-three, and left behind her eighteen volumes of novels, plays, and
poetry.
[355] Miss Bigg's nephew, afterwards Sir William Heathcote.
[356] Henry Austen.
[357] The poem by Southey, who had lost his eldest son early in 1816. It
has been already stated that Southey was a nephew of Mr. Hill.
[358] The watering-place is called 'Sanditon,' and this name has been
given to the twelve chapters by the family.
[359] _Memoir_, p. 181.
[360] Mme. Bigeon had perhaps lost her savings in the crash that ended
her master's banking business.
[361] We ought not to forget that he had just lost £10,000 in the
bankruptcy of his nephew Henry.
[362] _Memoir_, p. 161.
CHAPTER XXI
WINCHESTER
1817
Even after the beginning of April, Jane's hopefulness did not desert
her. 'I am happy,' says James Austen, writing to his daughter Anna, 'to
give you a good account, written by herself in a letter from your Aunt
Jane; but all who love--and that is all who know her--must be anxious on
her account.'
When May came, she consented to the proposal of those around her that
she should move to Winchester, in order to get the best medical advice
that the neighbourhood afforded. The Lyford family had maintained for
some time a high character for skill in the profession of medicine at
that place; and the Mr. Lyford of the day was a man of more than
provincial reputation, in whom great London consultants expressed
confidence.[363] Accordingly, on Saturday, May 24, she bade farewell to
her mother and her home, and her brother James's carriage conveyed
Cassandra and herself to Winchester. The little cavalcade--for they were
attended by two riders--started in sadness and in rain; and all must
have doubted whether she would ever come back to Chawton.
She was going, however, to a place for which she felt the veneration
which all good Hampshire people owe to their county town: a veneration
shared by a good many Englishmen outside the limits of the county.
The sisters took lodgings in College Street, in the house next to what
was then called 'Commoners,' and is now the head master's house. On the
front wall of the little house where they lived there is now a plaque
commemorating the stay of Jane Austen. Near to them, in the Close, were
living their old friends Mrs. Heathcote and Miss Bigg, who did all they
could to add to their comforts; while at the school were their nephew,
Charles Knight, and young William Heathcote--either of whom they might
hope to see from time to time.
The course of the illness, and its fatal termination, are shown pretty
clearly in the letters which follow; the most informing and the most
pathetic of which (next to her own) are the two written by Cassandra to
Fanny Knight after all was ended.
Some of the letters are undated, and we cannot therefore be certain of
the order in which they were written; we must also allow for the
probable fact that Cassandra did not say more than was necessary to her
mother of Jane's increasing weakness and discomfort.
Mr. Lyford spoke encouragingly, though it is believed that he had, from
the first, very little expectation of a permanent cure. Some temporary
rally there seems to have been; and, soon after settling in her
lodgings, Jane was able to write as follows to Edward Austen:--
Mrs. David's, College Street, Winton:
Tuesday [May 27, 1817].[364]
I know no better way, my dearest Edward, of
thanking you for your most affectionate concern
for me during my illness than by telling you
myself, as soon as possible, that I continue to
get better. I will not boast of my handwriting;
neither that nor my face have yet recovered their
proper beauty, but in other respects I am gaining
strength very fast. I am now out of bed from 9 in
the morning to 10 at night: upon the sopha, 'tis
true, but I eat my meals with aunt Cass in a
rational way, and can employ myself, and walk from
one room to another. Mr. Lyford says he will cure
me, and if he fails, I shall draw up a memorial
and lay it before the Dean and Chapter, and have
no doubt of redress from that pious, learned, and
disinterested body. Our lodgings are very
comfortable. We have a neat little drawing-room
with a bow window overlooking Dr. Gabell's garden.
Thanks to the kindness of your father and mother
in sending me their carriage, my journey hither on
Saturday was performed with very little fatigue,
and had it been a fine day, I think I should have
felt none; but it distressed me to see uncle Henry
and Wm. Knight, who kindly attended us on
horseback, riding in the rain almost all the way.
We expect a visit from them to-morrow, and hope
they will stay the night; and on Thursday, which
is Confirmation and a holiday, we are to get
Charles out to breakfast. We have had but one
visit yet from _him_, poor fellow, as he is in
sick-room, but he hopes to be out to-night. We see
Mrs. Heathcote every day, and William is to call
upon us soon. God bless you, my dear Edward. If
ever you are ill, may you be as tenderly nursed as
I have been. May the same blessed alleviations of
anxious, sympathising friends be yours: and may
you possess, as I dare say you will, the greatest
blessing of all in the consciousness of not being
unworthy of their love. _I_ could not feel this.
Your very affec^{te} Aunt,
J. A.
Had I not engaged to write to you, you would have
heard again from your Aunt Martha, as she charged
me to tell you with her best love.
J. E. Austen, Esq.,
Exeter College, Oxford.
The original of this letter, which is preserved, bears sad testimony to
the truth of her remark about her handwriting. Some few days after this,
she must have written her last extant letter, quoted in the short Memoir
prefixed to the original edition of _Northanger Abbey_:--
My attendant is encouraging, and talks of making
me quite well. I live chiefly on the sofa, but am
allowed to walk from one room to the other. I have
been out once in a Sedan-chair, and am to repeat
it, and be promoted to a wheel-chair as the
weather serves. On this subject I will only say
further that my dearest sister, my tender,
watchful, indefatigable nurse, has not been made
ill by her exertions. As to what I owe to her, and
to the anxious affection of all my beloved family
on this occasion, I can only cry over it, and pray
to God to bless them more and more.
Some allusion to the family disappointment about the will probably
followed, and she added: 'But I am getting too near complaint. It has
been the appointment of God, however secondary causes may have
operated.'
Jane's mother could still indulge in the hope of her amendment. In a
note to Anna, she says:--
You will be happy to hear that our accounts from
Winchester are very good. Our letter this morning,
which was written yesterday evening, says 'Jane
has had a better night than she has had for many
weeks and has been comfortable all day. Mr. Lyford
says he thinks better of her than he has ever
done, though he must still consider her in a
precarious state.'
And, in another letter--
I had a very comfortable account of your Aunt Jane
this morning; she now sits up a little. Charles
Knight came this morning: he saw her yesterday,
and says she looks better and seem'd very
cheerful. She hoped to be well enough to see Mrs.
Portal to-day; your Mamma is there (went yesterday
by the coach), which I am very glad of. Cassandra
did not quite like the nurse they had got, so
wish'd Mrs. J. A. to come in her stead, as she
promised she would whenever she was wanted.
Mrs. James Austen went to Winchester on a Friday; perhaps Friday, June
6. Two or three days afterwards, her husband wrote to their son Edward,
who no doubt was following at Oxford with painful interest the varying
news. James, at any rate, cherished no illusions as to the possibility
of a cure.
Steventon: Thursday.
MY DEAR EDWARD,--I grieve to write what you will
grieve to read; but I must tell you that we can no
longer flatter ourselves with the least hope of
having your dear valuable Aunt Jane restored to
us. The symptoms which returned after the first
four or five days at Winchester, have never
subsided, and Mr. Lyford has candidly told us that
her case is desperate. I need not say what a
melancholy gloom this has cast over us all. Your
Grandmamma has suffered much, but her affliction
can be nothing to Cassandra's. She will indeed be
to be pitied. It is some consolation to know that
our poor invalid has hitherto felt no very severe
pain--which is rather an extraordinary
circumstance in her complaint. I saw her on
Tuesday and found her much altered, but composed
and cheerful. She is well aware of her situation.
Your Mother has been there ever since Friday and
returns not till all is over--how soon that may be
we cannot say--Lyford said he saw no signs of
immediate dissolution, but added that with such a
pulse it was impossible for any person to last
long, and indeed no one can wish it--an easy
departure from this to a better world is all that
we can pray for. I am going to Winchester again
to-morrow; you may depend upon early information,
when any change takes place, and should then
prepare yourself for what the next letter _may_
announce.
Mrs. Heathcote is the greatest possible comfort to
them all. . . .
We all join in love.
Your affectionate Father,
J. AUSTEN.
Edward's young sister Caroline (aged twelve) adds a few unhappy lines
about her aunt, saying: 'I now feel as if I had never loved and valued
her enough.'
Jane Austen 'retained her faculties, her memory, her fancy, her temper,
and her affections--warm, clear, and unimpaired to the last. Neither her
love of God, nor of her fellow-creatures flagged for a moment.'[365] Her
two clergyman brothers were near at hand to administer the consolations
of religion, and she made a point of receiving the Holy Communion while
she was still strong enough to follow the Service with full attention.
'While she used the language of hope to her correspondents, she was
fully aware of her danger, though not appalled by it.[366] It is true
that there was much to attach her to life. She was happy in her family;
she was just beginning to feel confidence in her own success; and, no
doubt, the exercise of her great talents was an enjoyment in itself. We
may well believe that she would gladly have lived longer; but she was
enabled without dismay or complaint to prepare for death. She was a
humble, believing Christian. Her life had been passed in the performance
of home duties, and the cultivation of domestic affections, without any
self-seeking or craving after applause. She had always sought, as it
were by instinct, to promote the happiness of all who came within her
influence, and doubtless she had her reward in the peace of mind which
was granted her in her last days. Her sweetness of temper never failed.
She was ever considerate and grateful to those who attended on her. At
times, when she felt rather better, her playfulness of spirit revived,
and she amused them even in their sadness. Once, when she thought
herself near her end, she said what she imagined might be her last words
to those around her, and particularly thanked her sister-in-law for
being with her, saying: "You have always been a kind sister to me,
Mary."'
She wrote whilst she could hold a pen, and with a pencil when a pen had
become too laborious. Even a day or two before her death she was able to
compose some light verses on St. Swithin, Winchester Races, and the
weather. But the record of the last sad hours and of her death in the
early morning of Friday, July 18, will be best read in the letter of
Cassandra to Fanny Knight.
Winchester: Sunday [July 20, 1817].[367]
MY DEAREST FANNY,--Doubly dear to me now for her
dear sake whom we have lost. She did love you
most sincerely, and never shall I forget the
proofs of love you gave her during her illness in
writing those kind, amusing letters at a time when
I know your feelings would have dictated so
different a style. Take the only reward I can give
you in the assurance that your benevolent purpose
_was_ answered; you _did_ contribute to her
enjoyment.
Even your last letter afforded pleasure. I merely
cut the seal and gave it to her; she opened it and
read it herself, afterwards she gave it me to
read, and then talked to me a little and not
uncheerfully of its contents, but there was then a
languor about her which prevented her taking the
same interest in anything she had been used to do.
Since Tuesday evening, when her complaint
returned, there was a visible change, she slept
more and much more comfortably; indeed, during the
last eight-and-forty hours she was more asleep
than awake. Her looks altered and she fell away,
but I perceived no material diminution of
strength, and, though I was then hopeless of a
recovery, I had no suspicion how rapidly my loss
was approaching.
I _have_ lost a treasure, such a sister, such a
friend as never can have been surpassed. She was
the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure,
the soother of every sorrow; I had not a thought
concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a
part of myself. I loved her only too well--not
better than she deserved, but I am conscious that
my affection for her made me sometimes unjust to
and negligent of others; and I can acknowledge,
more than as a general principle, the justice of
the Hand which has struck this blow.
You know me too well to be at all afraid that I
should suffer materially from my feelings; I am
perfectly conscious of the extent of my
irreparable loss, but I am not at all overpowered
and very little indisposed, nothing but what a
short time, with rest and change of air, will
remove. I thank God that I was enabled to attend
her to the last, and amongst my many causes of
self-reproach I have not to add any wilful neglect
of her comfort.
She felt herself to be dying about half an hour
before she became tranquil and apparently
unconscious. During that half-hour was her
struggle, poor soul! She said she could not tell
us what she suffered, though she complained of
little fixed pain. When I asked her if there was
anything she wanted, her answer was she wanted
nothing but death, and some of her words were:
'God grant me patience, pray for me, oh, pray for
me!' Her voice was affected, but as long as she
spoke she was intelligible.
I hope I do not break your heart, my dearest
Fanny, by these particulars; I mean to afford you
gratification whilst I am relieving my own
feelings. I could not write so to anybody else;
indeed you are the only person I have written to
at all, excepting your grandmamma--it was to her,
not your Uncle Charles, I wrote on Friday.
Immediately after dinner on Thursday I went into
the town to do an errand which your dear aunt was
anxious about. I returned about a quarter before
six and found her recovering from faintness and
oppression; she got so well as to be able to give
me a minute account of her seizure, and when the
clock struck six she was talking quietly to me.
I cannot say how soon afterwards she was seized
again with the same faintness, which was followed
by the sufferings she could not describe; but Mr.
Lyford had been sent for, had applied something to
give her ease, and she was in a state of quiet
insensibility by seven o'clock at the latest. From
that time till half-past four, when she ceased to
breathe, she scarcely moved a limb, so that we
have every reason to think, with gratitude to the
Almighty, that her sufferings were over. A slight
motion of the head with every breath remained till
almost the last. I sat close to her with a pillow
in my lap to assist in supporting her head, which
was almost off the bed, for six hours; fatigue
made me then resign my place to Mrs. J. A. for two
hours and a half, when I took it again, and in
about an hour more she breathed her last.
I was able to close her eyes myself, and it was a
great gratification to me to render her those last
services. There was nothing convulsed which gave
the idea of pain in her look; on the contrary, but
for the continual motion of the head, she gave one
the idea of a beautiful statue, and even now, in
her coffin, there is such a sweet, serene air over
her countenance as is quite pleasant to
contemplate.
This day, my dearest Fanny, you have had the
melancholy intelligence, and I know you suffer
severely, but I likewise know that you will apply
to the fountain-head for consolation, and that our
merciful God is never deaf to such prayers as you
will offer.
The last sad ceremony is to take place on Thursday
morning; her dear remains are to be deposited in
the Cathedral. It is a satisfaction to me to think
that they are to lie in a building she admired so
much; her precious soul, I presume to hope,
reposes in a far superior mansion. May mine one
day be re-united to it!
Your dear papa, your Uncle Henry, and Frank, and
Edwd. Austen instead of his father, will attend. I
hope they will none of them suffer lastingly from
their pious exertions. The ceremony must be over
before ten o'clock, as the Cathedral service
begins at that hour, so that we shall be at home
early in the day, for there will be nothing to
keep us here afterwards.
Your Uncle James came to us yesterday, and is gone
home to-day. Uncle H. goes to Chawton to-morrow
morning; he has given every necessary direction
here, and I think his company there will do good.
He returns to us again on Tuesday evening.
I did not think to have written a long letter when
I began, but I have found the employment draw me
on, and I hope I shall have been giving you more
pleasure than pain. Remember me kindly to Mrs. J.
Bridges (I am so glad she is with you now), and
give my best love to Lizzie and all the others.
I am, my dearest Fanny,
Most affectionately yours,
CASS. ELIZ. AUSTEN.
I have said nothing about those at Chawton,
because I am sure you hear from your papa.
During these sad days, Anna Lefroy had written to her grandmother at
Chawton, offering to go to her. Mrs. Austen answered:--
I thank you sincerely for all your kind
expressions, and your offer. I am certainly in a
good deal of affliction, but trust God will
support me. I was not prepared for the blow,
though it in a manner hung over us; I had reason
to think it at a distance, and was not quite
without hope that she might in part recover. After
a few months' illness she may be said to have died
suddenly. Mr. Lyford supposed a large blood-vessel
had given way. I hope her sufferings were not
severe--they were not long. I had a letter from
Cassandra this morning. She is in great
affliction, but bears it like a Christian. Dear
Jane is to be buried in the Cathedral, I believe
on Thursday--in which case Cassandra will come
home as soon as it is over.
Cassandra did go home, and a few days later wrote again to Fanny Knight
as follows:--
Chawton: Tuesday [July 29, 1817].[368]
MY DEAREST FANNY,--I have just read your letter
for the third time, and thank you most sincerely
for every kind expression to myself, and still
more warmly for your praises of her who I believe
was better known to you than to any human being
besides myself. Nothing of the sort could have
been more gratifying to me than the manner in
which you write of her, and if the dear angel is
conscious of what passes here, and is not above
all earthly feelings, she may perhaps receive
pleasure in being so mourned. Had _she_ been the
survivor I can fancy her speaking of _you_ in
almost the same terms. There are certainly many
points of strong resemblance in your characters;
in your intimate acquaintance with each other, and
your mutual strong affection, you were
counterparts.
Thursday was not so dreadful a day to me as you
imagined. There was so much necessary to be done
that there was no time for additional misery.
Everything was conducted with the greatest
tranquillity, and but that I was determined I
would see the last, and therefore was upon the
listen, I should not have known when they left the
house. I watched the little mournful procession
the length of the street; and when it turned from
my sight, and I had lost her for ever, even then I
was not overpowered, nor so much agitated as I am
now in writing of it. Never was human being more
sincerely mourned by those who attended her
remains than was this dear creature. May the
sorrow with which she is parted with on earth be a
prognostic of the joy with which she is hailed in
heaven!
I continue very tolerably well--much better than
any one could have supposed possible, because I
certainly have had considerable fatigue of body as
well as anguish of mind for months back; but I
really am well, and I hope I am properly grateful
to the Almighty for having been so supported. Your
grandmamma, too, is much better than when I came
home.
I did not think your dear papa appeared unwell,
and I understand that he seemed much more
comfortable after his return from Winchester than
he had done before. I need not tell you that he
was a great comfort to me; indeed, I can never say
enough of the kindness I have received from him
and from every other friend.
I get out of doors a good deal and am able to
employ myself. Of course those employments suit me
best which leave me most at leisure to think of
her I have lost, and I do think of her in every
variety of circumstance. In our happy hours of
confidential intercourse, in the cheerful family
party which she so ornamented, in her sick room,
on her death-bed, and as (I hope) an inhabitant of
heaven. Oh, if I may one day be re-united to her
there! I know the time must come when my mind will
be less engrossed by her idea, but I do not like
to think of it. If I think of her less as on
earth, God grant that I may never cease to reflect
on her as inhabiting heaven, and never cease my
humble endeavours (when it shall please God) to
join her there.
In looking at a few of the precious papers which
are now my property I have found some memorandums,
amongst which she desires that one of her gold
chains may be given to her god-daughter Louisa,
and a lock of her hair be set for you. You can
need no assurance, my dearest Fanny, that every
request of your beloved aunt will be sacred with
me. Be so good as to say whether you prefer a
brooch or ring. God bless you, my dearest Fanny.
Believe me, most affectionately yours,
CASS. ELIZTH. AUSTEN.
So ends the story of Jane Austen's life. We can only hope that we have
succeeded in conveying to the reader even a small part of the feeling
which we ourselves entertain of the charm of her personality--a charm
almost as remarkable in its way as the brightness of her genius. In one
respect it is easy to write about her--there is nothing to conceal.
Some readers may perhaps add 'There is little to tell'; and it is true
that, though the want of incident in her life has often been
exaggerated, her occupations were largely those of helpfulness and
sympathy towards others whose lot was more variable than hers, and the
development of her own powers to be the delight of generations of
readers.
But this position gave her quite sufficient opportunity of showing her
character--and it is a character which it is a continual pleasure to
contemplate. Her perfect balance and good sense did not diminish her
liveliness. Her intellectual qualities did not prevent the enjoyment of
a dance, or attention to the most domestic duties. Her consciousness of
genius left room for a belief that Cassandra was wiser and better than
herself. Her keen and humorous observation of the frailties of mankind
was compatible with indulgence towards the faults of her neighbours. Her
growing fame did not make her the less accessible and delightful to her
nieces, who could consult their aunt and obtain a willing listener in
any difficulty whatever, from a doubtful love affair to the working of a
sampler. Indeed, she is a standing witness to the truth that
eccentricity and self-consciousness are not essential parts of genius.
When her body had been laid in Winchester Cathedral, the small band of
mourners went back in sadness to their different homes. They were very
fond and very proud of her; and each, we are told, loved afterwards to
fancy a resemblance in some niece or daughter of their own to the dear
sister Jane, whose perfect equal they yet never expected to see.
Cassandra returned to Chawton and devoted a further ten years to the
care of her aged mother. Till old Mrs. Austen's death in 1827, Martha
Lloyd remained an inmate, and everything went on, nominally, as before;
but the 'chief light was quenched and the loss of it had cast a shade
over the spirits of the survivors.'[369] So, when the young Austens went
to stay there, expecting to be particularly happy, they could not help
feeling something of the chill of disappointment. Later, Martha became
the second wife of Francis Austen, while Cassandra lived on at Chawton.
One of her great-nieces remembers seeing her towards the end of her life
at a christening, 'a pale, dark-eyed old lady, with a high arched nose
and a kind smile, dressed in a long cloak and a large drawn bonnet, both
made of black satin.' She died of a sudden illness in 1845, at the house
of her brother Francis, near Portsmouth--at his house, but in his
absence; for he and his family had to leave for the West Indies (where
he was to take up a command) while she lay dying. She was tended by her
brothers Henry and Charles and her niece Caroline. She was buried beside
her mother at Chawton.
All her brothers survived her, except James, who was in bad health when
his sister Jane died, and followed her in 1819.
Edward (Knight) saw his children and his children's children grow up
around him, and died at Godmersham as peacefully as he had lived, in
1852.
Henry held the living of Steventon for three years after the death of
his brother James, till his nephew, William Knight, was ready to take
it. He was afterwards Perpetual Curate of Bentley, near Farnham. Later
on, he lived for some time in France, and he died at Tunbridge Wells in
1850.
Both the sailor brothers rose to be Admirals.[370] Charles was employed
in the suppression of the Slave Trade and against Mehemet Ali, and
became Rear-Admiral in 1846. In 1850 he commanded in the East Indian and
Chinese waters, and died of cholera on the Irawaddy River in 1852,
having 'won the hearts of all by his gentleness and kindness whilst he
was struggling with disease.'
Francis had thirty years on shore after the end of the long war; and his
only subsequent foreign service was the command of the West Indian and
North American Station, 1845-48. He, however, constantly rose in his
profession, and enjoyed the esteem and respect of the Admiralty. He
ended by being G.C.B. and Admiral of the Fleet, and did not die until
1865, aged ninety-one.
* * * * *
Shortly before the end of her life, Jane Austen wrote on a slip of
paper:--
Profits of my novels, over and above the £600 in the Navy Fives.
£ _s._
Residue from the 1st edit. of _Mansfield Park_
remaining in Henrietta St., March 1816 13 7
Received from Egerton, on 2nd edit. of _Sense
and S._, March 1816 12 15
February 21, 1817, First Profits of _Emma_ 38 18
March 7, 1817. From Egerton--2nd edit. of _S.
and S._ 19 13
_Northanger Abbey_ and _Persuasion_ were published in four volumes by
John Murray in 1818, and to the former was prefixed a short biographical
notice of the author from the pen of Henry Austen. In 1832 Mr. Bentley
bought the copyright of all the novels, except _Pride and Prejudice_
(which Jane Austen had sold outright to Mr. Egerton), from Henry and
Cassandra Austen, the joint proprietors, for the sum of two hundred and
fifty pounds. Mr. Bentley must also have bought from Mr. Egerton's
executors the copyright of _Pride and Prejudice_, for he proceeded to
issue a complete edition of the novels with a biographical notice (also
by Henry) containing a few extra facts not mentioned in the original
edition of _Northanger Abbey_.
(James) Edward Austen, who added 'Leigh' to his name on succeeding to
the property of Scarlets in 1836, wrote (in 1869-70) the _Memoir_ of his
aunt which has been so often used in these pages, and which, as the work
of three eyewitnesses,[371] enjoys an authority greater than that of any
other account of her. Its publication coincided with the beginning of a
great advance in her fame, and we think it may be claimed that it was an
important contributory cause of that advance. Before that date, an
appreciation of her genius was rather the special possession of small
literary circles and individual families; since that date it has been
widely spread both in England and in America. From her death to 1870,
there was only one complete edition of her works, and nothing, except a
few articles and reviews, was written about her. Since 1870, editions,
lives, memoirs, &c., have been almost too numerous to count. We, who are
adding to this stream of writings, cannot induce ourselves to believe
that the interest of the public is yet exhausted.
FOOTNOTES:
[363] _Memoir_, p. 162.
[364] _Memoir_, p. 163.
[365] Preface to original edition of _Northanger Abbey_.
[366] _Memoir_, p. 165.
[367] _Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 333, &c.
[368] _Brabourne_, vol. ii. p. 338, &c.
[369] _Memoir_, p. 87.
[370] _Sailor Brothers_, chap. xviii.
[371] His two sisters and himself.
APPENDIX
_The Text of Jane Austen's Novels._
In the course of frequent reprinting, various errors have crept into the
text of the novels, which seem in danger of becoming perpetuated. We
therefore make no apology for pointing these out and for giving our
reasons why we prefer any particular reading.
In arriving at the correct text of Jane Austen, common sense will be our
best guide. It is of no use to assume, as some editors have done, that
the latest edition which appeared in the author's lifetime, and which
might naturally have had the benefit of her corrections, is any more
correct than the earliest. Jane Austen was no skilled proofreader, and
it is a melancholy fact that the second edition of _Mansfield Park_,
which she returned to Mr. Murray 'as ready for press' as she could make
it, contains more misprints than any of the other novels, including one
or two that do not appear in the first edition. But as the type was
evidently re-set, this may have been as much the printer's fault as the
author's. Again, though in one of her letters she points out a misprint
in the first edition of _Pride and Prejudice_, the passage is not
corrected in either the second or third edition, both of which
subsequently appeared in her lifetime.
Before noticing the various discrepancies, it is necessary to say a few
words about the chief editions of note. During the author's lifetime
three editions appeared of _Pride and Prejudice_, two of _Sense and
Sensibility_ and of _Mansfield Park_, and one of _Emma_. _Northanger
Abbey_ and _Persuasion_ were published soon after her death. No other
edition of the novels seems to have been published until Bentley bought
up the copyrights of all the novels in 1832, and included them in his
'Standard Novels' series.
In process of time, Bentley's edition adopted various emendations in the
text. It held the field to all intents and purposes for sixty years
(apart from cheap reprints in the 'Parlour Series,' 'Railway Library,'
&c.), and its text has largely been followed in later editions,
especially by Messrs. Macmillan in their 'Pocket Classics' series. Other
recent editions, containing a more or less independent text--arrived at
by following the earliest editions--are those edited for Messrs. Dent by
Mr. Brimley Johnson, the earliest of which appeared in 1892, and the
most recent of which has appeared in 'Everyman's Library'; the Hampshire
Edition (_published_ by Mr. Brimley Johnson, but differing considerably
from the editions which he has _edited_); and the Winchester Edition,
published by Mr. Grant Richards.
Finally, with regard to textual criticism, we have an article 'On the
printing of Jane Austen's novels,' by the late Dr. Verrall, contributed
to the _Cambridge Observer_, about 1892; and two others, also by Dr.
Verrall, 'On some passages in Jane Austen's _Mansfield Park_,' in the
_Cambridge Review_, for November 30 and December 7, 1893; and certain
emendations pointed out in a review of a new edition of _Pride and
Prejudice_ in the _Saturday Review_ of November 12, 1910.
'SENSE AND SENSIBILITY'
In this novel scarcely anything calls for notice. The main divergencies
seem to be that the editions are divided between reading 'such
happiness' and 'such an happiness,' at the end of Chapter III; between
'by all who called themselves her friends' and 'by all who call
themselves her friends,' in Chapter XXXII; and 'one of the happiest
couples' or 'one of the happiest couple,' in Chapter L.
Johnson's 1892 edition has an unfortunate blunder at the beginning of
Chapter XXXII: reading 'their effect on her was entirely such as the
former had hoped to see,' instead of 'their effect on her was not
entirely,' &c.
'PRIDE AND PREJUDICE'
1. The first passage that we consider to be frequently misprinted is in
Chapter III, where Mrs. Bennet is giving her husband an account of the
Meryton assembly, and of Mr. Bingley's partners. The first three
editions, followed by Mr. Johnson, the Winchester and Hampshire
Editions, print thus:--
'Then the two third he danced with Miss King, and
the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth
with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzie and
the Boulanger.'
'If he had had any compassion for me,' cried her
husband impatiently, 'he would not have danced
half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his
partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the
first dance!'
'Oh! my dear,' continued Mrs. Bennet, 'I am quite
delighted with him. He is so excessively handsome!
and his sisters are charming women. I never in my
life saw anything more elegant than their dresses.
I dare say the lace upon Mrs. Hurst's gown----'
Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet
protested against any description of finery, &c.
Now, here there can be little doubt that we should read, as in Bentley's
edition,[372] 'and the two sixth with Lizzie, and the _Boulanger_----'
(i.e. Bingley danced the _Boulanger_ with another partner, whose name
Mrs. Bennet would have given but for her husband interrupting her). In
the first place, there is every reason to suppose that Mr. Bingley
danced no more than 'the two sixth' (each dance seems to have been
divided into two parts, but without any change of partners) with Lizzie,
for Mrs. Bennet has already said that Jane 'was the only creature in the
room that he asked a second time.' Secondly, the reading of the first
edition destroys the point of 'Here she was interrupted again.'
2. The next passage which is frequently misprinted is in Chapter XIX,
where Mr. Collins in the course of his proposal to Elizabeth quotes the
advice of his very noble patroness. Bentley's edition here reads:--
'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you
must marry---- Choose properly, choose a
gentlewoman for my sake, and for your own; let her
be an active, useful sort of person not brought up
high, but able to make a small income go a good
way.'
By transposing a comma and a semicolon, the printer has here succeeded
in perverting a most characteristic bit of advice of Lady Catherine's.
The first three editions, followed by Mr. Johnson; all read 'Choose
properly, choose a gentlewoman for my sake; and for your own, let her be
an active, useful sort of person,' &c., and there can hardly be two
opinions as to which reading is the right one.
3. In Chapter XXXVI, where Elizabeth is reviewing her conduct towards
Darcy, Bentley's edition, following the first and second editions, makes
her exclaim:--
'How despicably have I acted,' she cried; 'I, who
have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have
valued myself on my abilities! who have often
disdained the generous candour of my sister, and
gratified my vanity in useless or blameless
distrust.'
'Blameless' makes little or no sense, and we should surely follow the
third edition, which gives 'blameable.'
4. Chapter XXXVIII, when Elizabeth Bennet and Maria Lucas are leaving
Hunsford Parsonage, Mr. Brimley Johnson in his edition of 1892,
following the first and second editions, arranges the sentences as
follows:--
'Good gracious!' cried Maria, after a few minutes'
silence, 'it seems but a day or two since we first
came!--and yet how many things have happened!'
'A great many indeed,' said her companion with a
sigh. 'We have dined nine times at Rosings,
besides drinking tea there twice! How much I shall
have to tell!'
Elizabeth privately added, 'And how much I shall
have to conceal!'
The effect of this is to give the extremely banal remark about dining
and drinking tea at Rosings to Elizabeth instead of to Maria. The third
edition, followed by all the others, gives the correct arrangement:--
'A great many indeed,' said her companion with a
sigh.
'We have dined nine times at Rosings, besides
drinking tea there twice! How much I shall have to
tell!'
5. In Chapter L, where Mrs. Bennet is discussing the various houses in
the neighbourhood which might suit Wickham and Lydia, Mr. Bennet is made
in Bentley's and all subsequent editions to remark:--
'Mrs. Bennet, before you take any or all of these
houses for your son and daughter, let us come to a
right understanding. Into _one_ house in this
neighbourhood they shall never have admittance. I
will not encourage the imprudence of either, by
receiving them at Longbourn.'
Now 'imprudence' seems distinctly below Mr. Bennet's usual form, and we
should obviously follow the first and second editions and read
'impudence.' Compare the sentence in Chapter LVII, where Mr. Bennet,
talking of Mr. Collins's correspondence, says:--
'When I read a letter of his, I cannot help giving
him the preference even over Wickham, much as I
value the impudence and hypocrisy of my
son-in-law.'
It is the third edition that has here gone astray and misled all the
others.
6. Chapter LIV, when Bingley and Darcy have been dining at Longbourn, we
read in Mr. Johnson's edition, as well as in the Hampshire and
Winchester Editions:--
The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as
if he would have answered her hopes; but alas! the
ladies had crowded round the table, where Miss
Bennet was taking tea, and Elizabeth pouring out
the coffee.
This is an ingenious little misprint; for what Miss Bennet, who was one
of the hostesses, was doing was not _taking_ tea, of course, but
_making_ tea. The early editions and Bentley all read 'making.'
7. Chapter LIV, where Jane is trying to persuade Elizabeth that she is
in no danger of falling in love with Bingley again, Bentley's edition
reads:--
'You are very cruel,' said her sister [i.e.
Elizabeth], 'you will not let me smile, and are
provoking me to it every moment.'
'How hard it is in some cases to be believed! And
how impossible in others! But why should you wish
to persuade me that I feel more than I
acknowledge?'
'That is a question which I hardly know how to
answer.'
Now, if we turn to the first three editions, we find the passage broken
up as follows:--
'You are very cruel,' said her sister, 'you will
not let me smile, and are provoking me to it every
moment.'
'How hard it is in some cases to be believed! And
how impossible in others!'
'But why should you wish to persuade me that I
feel more than I acknowledge?'
'That is a question which I hardly know how to
answer.'
This is the only passage which we can correct on the authority of the
author herself. In a letter dated February 4, 1813, she says, referring
to the first edition of _Pride and Prejudice_: 'The greatest blunder in
printing is in p. 220, l. 3, where two sentences are made into one.'
Unfortunately, in trying to correct the mistake, Bentley's edition fell
into another, and Mr. Johnson was the first to break up the sentences
correctly. The passage should of course run:--
'You are very cruel,' said her sister, 'you will
not let me smile, and are provoking me to it every
moment.'
'How hard it is in some cases to be believed!'
'And how impossible in others!'
'But why should you wish to persuade me that I
feel more than I acknowledge?'
'That is a question which I hardly know how to
answer.'
8. Chapter LV, when Jane's engagement to Bingley had been arranged,
Bentley's edition, following the third edition, reads:--
Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at
the rapidity and ease with which an affair was
finally settled, that had given them so many
previous months of surprise and vexation.
'Surprise' does not seem nearly so suitable a word as 'suspense,' which
is found in the first and second editions.
9. Chapter LV, where Jane is talking to Elizabeth about Bingley. Mr.
Johnson's editions, following the first three editions, read:--
'Would you believe it, Lizzie, that when he went
to town last November, he really loved me, and
nothing but a persuasion of my being indifferent
would have prevented his coming down again!'
'He made a little mistake, to be sure; but it is
to the credit of his modesty.'
This naturally introduced a panegyric from Jane on
his diffidence, and the little value he put on his
own good qualities.
Elizabeth was pleased to find that he had not
betrayed the interference of his friends; for,
though Jane had the most generous and forgiving
heart in the world, she knew it was a circumstance
which must prejudice her against him.
As this last paragraph stands, 'him' can hardly refer to anyone else but
Bingley, which makes nonsense. Nothing was likely to prejudice Jane
against him; besides, it was not his 'friends' who had interfered, but
his 'friend' Darcy. There can be no doubt, therefore, that we ought to
read, with Bentley's edition, 'friend,' and then 'him' will refer to
Darcy, against whom Lizzie was very anxious on her own account that Jane
should not be prejudiced.
10. Chapter LVI, when Lady Catherine is trying to browbeat Elizabeth,
Mr. Johnson reads, in his edition of 1892, following the first two
editions (which, however, have a comma after 'accomplished'):--
'While in their cradles, we planned the union: and
now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters
would be accomplished in their marriage, to be
prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of
no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to
the family?'
Most editions, however, following the third, merely alter the
interrogation to an exclamation mark; but it is by no means certain that
we ought not to read '_is_ their marriage' instead of '_in_ their
marriage,' placing the comma three words earlier: then we can keep the
interrogation. So the edition published by George Allen in 1894.
'MANSFIELD PARK'
1. Chapter VIII: Bentley's edition, following the first and second
editions, reads:--
Mrs. Rushworth proceeded next, under the
conviction that everybody must be wanting to see
Sotherton, to include Miss Crawford in the
invitation; and though Miss Grant, who had not
been at the trouble of visiting Mrs. Rushworth, on
her coming into the neighbourhood, civilly
declined it on her own account, she was glad to
secure any pleasure for her sister; and Mary,
properly pressed and persuaded, was not long in
accepting her share of the civility.
Inasmuch as there is no such character as 'Miss Grant' in the book, all
other editions read 'Mrs. Grant.' Dr. Verrall, in the pages of the
_Cambridge Review_, defended 'Miss Grant,' provided that 'Miss' were
placed between inverted commas, as well as the previous 'Miss Crawford';
he believed Mrs. Rushworth to have been a blundering kind of person, who
desired to invite Miss Crawford, but while naming 'Miss Crawford'
addressed herself to Mrs. Grant. Otherwise (if we read 'Mrs. Grant'),
Dr. Verrall argued, there was not the slightest occasion for Mrs. Grant
to decline the invitation on her own account, for she had not been in
any way invited; nor would there have been any need for Mary to be
'properly pressed and persuaded,' and then to accept 'her share' of the
civility. Dr. Verrall's suggestion is ingenious, but not quite
convincing.
2. Chapter VIII: Bentley's edition, following the first and second
editions, reads:--
When Edmund, therefore, told her in reply, as he
did when she would give him the hearing, that she
need not distress herself on Mrs. Rushworth's
account, because he had taken the opportunity, as
he walked with her through the hall, of mentioning
Miss Price as one who would probably be of the
party, and had directly received a very sufficient
invitation for her cousin, &c.
'_Her_ cousin' would certainly seem to be a mistake; and all other
editions accordingly alter 'her' to 'his.' Dr. Verrall, however, defends
'her'; and would read 'and had directly received a very sufficient
invitation for her cousin,' on the ground that Mrs. Rushworth, not quite
understanding who was meant by Miss Price, thought she was cousin to the
Miss Price who she had previously heard would remain at home with Lady
Bertram. Some such explanation, Dr. Verrall thought, would alone account
for the 'very sufficient' invitation.
3. Chapter X, p. 106, where Fanny Price says to Mr. Rushworth, who on
returning with the key finds Miss Bertram and Mr. Crawford have gone
into the park without waiting for him:--
'They desired me to stay--my cousin Maria charged
me to say that you would find them at that knoll,
or thereabouts.'
So all the editions read; but Dr. Verrall would emend to 'They desired
me to say--my cousin,' &c., on the ground that Fanny, who was the soul
of truth, had not been desired to stay. But, for the matter of that,
neither had her cousin Maria charged her to say anything, for it was
Crawford who had suggested that 'Miss Price will be so good as to tell
him, that he will find us near that knoll.' However, the emendation is
attractive, as it shows Fanny trying to make the best case she can for
Maria by eliminating Crawford's share in the transaction.
4. Chapter XXIV: All editions read:--
This dear William would soon be amongst them.
There could be no doubt of his obtaining leave of
absence immediately, for he was still only a
midshipman; and as his parents, from living on the
spot, must already have seen him and be seeing him
perhaps daily, his direct holidays might with
justice be instantly given to his sister.
The expression 'his direct holidays,' meaning 'his actual holidays,' is
intelligible enough, but did not satisfy Dr. Verrall, who suggested
'derelict' as a naval expression to imply holidays on which no one had a
claim, and which might therefore be given to Mansfield Park. Like many
of Dr. Verrall's emendations, its ingenuity is greater than its
probability.
5. Chapter XXXIII, p. 340:--
Here again was a something of the same Mr.
Crawford whom she had so reprobated before. How
evidently was there a gross want of feeling and
humanity where his own pleasure was concerned; and
alas! how always known no principle to supply as a
duty what the heart was deficient in.
It is difficult to believe that Jane Austen can have written anything so
clumsy as 'how always known no principle.' Such, however, is the reading
of all the editions, except the Hampshire Edition, which, without giving
any note, violently emends to 'how lacking the principle.'
6. Chapter XXXIX: Bentley, following the second edition, reads:--
Her days were spent in a kind of slow bustle; all
was busy without getting on, always behind hand
and lamenting it, without altering her ways;
wishing to be an economist, without contrivance or
regularity; dissatisfied with her servants,
without skill to make them better, and whether
helping or reprimanding, or indulging them,
without any power of engaging their respect.
Here the printer has been most ingenious. The text should, of course, be
'always busy,' as it is in the first edition and the Hampshire Edition.
7. Chapter XL: Bentley's edition, following the early editions, reads:--
' . . . for Henry is in Norfolk; business called him
to Everingham ten days ago, or perhaps he only
pretended the call, for the sake of being
travelling at the same time that you were.'
Mr. Johnson and the Winchester Edition read 'to call.' There seems
little doubt that 'the call' is the right reading.
8. Chapter XLVII: Bentley and nearly all editions read:--
Time would undoubtedly abate somewhat of his
sufferings, but still it was a sort of thing which
he never could get entirely the better of; and as
to his ever meeting with any other woman who
could--it was too impossible to be named but with
indignation.
The broken sentence means 'a woman who could console him for the loss of
Mary.'
Mr. Johnson's editions make nonsense of the passage by substituting a
comma for the dash after 'could.'
9. Chapter XLVIII: Bentley, following the early editions, reads:--
Maria had destroyed her own character, and he
would not, by a vain attempt to restore what never
would be restored, be affording his sanction to
vice, or in seeking to lessen its disgrace, be
anywise accessory to introducing such misery in
another man's family, as he had known himself.
Mr. Johnson and the Winchester Edition read 'by affording his sanction
to vice,' which is an unnecessary alteration.
'EMMA'
1. Chapter XVIII:--
'No, Emma; your amiable young man can be amiable
only in French, not in English. He may be very
"aimable," have very good manners, and be very
agreeable; but he can have no English delicacy
towards the feelings of other people--nothing
really amiable about him.'
This reading, found in the first edition and the Winchester Edition, is
without doubt correct; but Bentley, Johnson, and the Hampshire Edition
read 'He may be very "amiable."'
2. Chapter XXIII:--
But when satisfied on all these points, and their
acquaintance proportionably advanced, . . .
Mr. Johnson, in his 1892 edition, did not approve of the word
'proportionably,' and read '[proportionately]'; but he has since altered
his mind. The first edition and all others read 'proportionably,' and
there appears to be authority for such a word.
3. Chapter XXV:--
Vanity, extravagance, love of change, restlessness
of temper, which must be doing something, good or
bad; heedlessness as to the pleasure of his father
and Mrs. Weston, indifferent as to how his conduct
might appear in general; he became liable to all
these [changes].
There are two words in the sentence, which differ in the various
editions. The first edition reads 'indifferent' . . . 'changes.' Bentley
reads 'indifference' . . . 'changes.' Mr. Johnson and the Winchester
Edition read 'indifferent' and 'charges'; the Hampshire Edition
'indifference' and 'charges.' 'Indifference' would seem to be probably
right; 'charges,' certainly right.
4. Chapter XXIX:--
'Emma,' said she, 'this paper is worse than I
expected. Look! in places you see it is dreadfully
dirty: and the wainscot is more yellow and forlorn
than anything could have imagined.'
So the first edition; Bentley, and the Hampshire Edition, insert 'one';
Mr. Johnson and the Winchester Edition 'I' after 'anything.'
5. Chapter XXXII, where Mrs. Elton says to Emma:--
'I assure you, Miss Woodhouse, it is very
delightful to me to be reminded of a place I am so
extremely partial to as Maple Grove. I have spent
so many happy minutes there!' (with a little sign
of sentiment).
So Mr. Johnson's editions read, following the first edition. But
Bentley's, as well as the Hampshire and Winchester Editions, read
'sigh,' which seems to be certainly right.
6. Chapter XLIV:--
Jane took Mrs. Elton aside, and told her at once,
that upon thinking over the advantages of Mrs.
Suckling's situation, she had come to the
resolution of accepting it.
So the first edition, followed by Bentley; but this is plainly a mistake
for Mrs. Smallridge's, and is corrected by Mr. Johnson, the Winchester
and Hampshire Editions.
7. Chapter XLVI, where Mr. Weston tells Emma that his wife has something
to break to her, and Emma at once fears for her relations in Brunswick
Square:--
'Mrs. Weston, do not trifle with me. Consider how
many of my dearest friends are now in Brunswick
Square. Which of them is it? I charge you by all
that is sacred not to attempt concealment.'
'Upon my word, Emma----'
'Your word! Why not your honour! Why not say upon
your honour, that it has nothing to do with any of
them? Good heavens! What can be to be _broke_ to
me that does relate to one of that family?'
So the first edition, followed by Bentley. But Mr. Johnson, the
Hampshire and Winchester Editions insert 'not' before 'relate'; and the
negative seems needed.
8. Chapter XLVII:--
This was the conclusion of the first series of
reflection.
So the first edition, followed by Bentley; Mr. Johnson, the Hampshire
and Winchester Editions give 'reflections.' But in Jane Austen's novels
the expression 'a series of' is continually followed by a noun in the
singular, when nowadays we should probably use the plural--e.g. _Emma_,
chapter xxxvi, 'a series of dissipation'; _Sense and Sensibility_,
chapter xxvii, 'a series of rain'; chapter xlvi, 'a series of
imprudence.'
Cf. _Emma_, chapter xxii, 'after a series of what appeared to him strong
encouragement'; though the Hampshire Edition has altered this to
'encouragements.'
'NORTHANGER ABBEY'
1. Chapter VI: 'I am sure it is Laurentina's skeleton.' A reference to
Mrs. Radcliffe's _The Mysteries of Udolpho_ will show that 'Laurentina'
should be 'Laurentini.' All editions, however, read 'Laurentina.'
2. Chapter VIII:--
'Let us walk about and quiz people. Come along
with me, and I will show you the four greatest
quizzers in the room; my two younger sisters and
their partners. I have been laughing at them this
half-hour.'
So the first edition, the Hampshire and Winchester Editions. Bentley,
however, reads 'quizzes,' which seems correct, as the word 'quizzer'
usually bore an active sense, and 'quiz' a passive.
3. Chapter XI:--
They all spent the evening together at Thorpe's.
It seems improbable that Jane Austen can have written anything other
than 'at the Thorpes''; but no edition has had the courage to make the
change.
4. Chapter XIII:--
And with these words she broke away and hurried
off. Thorpe would have darted after her, but
Morland withheld him. 'Let her go, let her go, if
she will go. She is as obstinate as----'
Thorpe never finished the simile, for it could
hardly have been a proper one.
So the first edition reads, followed by Bentley and the Winchester
Edition. The Hampshire Edition boldly gives 'Morland,' and this seems
the natural solution. The only alternative is to break up the sentence
thus:--
. . . but Morland withheld him. 'Let her go, let her
go, if she will.' 'She is as obstinate as----'
Thorpe never finished the simile, &c.
But this does not seem so natural; nor do we imagine that the
impropriety of the simile would necessarily have debarred Thorpe from
completing it.
5. Chapter XXII:--
And for his part, to his uncritical palate, the
tea was as well flavoured from the clay of
Staffordshire as from that of Dresden or Sêve. But
this was quite an old set, purchased two years
ago.
So the first edition, and the Hampshire and Winchester Editions; but
Bentley emends to 'Sèvres,' which must surely be correct.
6. Chapter XXVI:--
By ten o'clock the chaise-and-four conveyed the
two from the abbey, and, after an agreeable drive
of almost twenty miles, they entered Woodston, &c.
So all the editions; but is not 'two' a misprint for 'trio'--i.e.
General Tilney, Eleanor, and Catherine? It is certain that Eleanor was
of the party, for we read a little later: 'His son and daughter's
observations were of a different kind. They had seldom seen him eat so
heartily at any table but his own'; nor is there anything to show that
General Tilney rode on horseback.
For an example of the use of the word 'trio' by Jane Austen, see
_Mansfield Park_, chapter xxix: 'They were now a miserable trio.'
'PERSUASION'
1. Chapter I: The Hampshire and Winchester Editions, following the first
edition, print the opening passage as follows:--
Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in
Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own
amusement, never took up any book but the
Baronetage; where he found occupation for an idle
hour and consolation in a distressed one; there
his faculties were roused into admiration and
respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of
the earliest patents; there any unwelcome
sensations, arising from domestic affairs, changed
naturally into pity and contempt. As he turned
over the almost endless creations of the last
century, and there, if every other leaf were
powerless, he could read his own history with an
interest which never failed: this was the page at
which his favourite volume always opened.
This obviously makes no sense as it stands; and to no less a light than
Macaulay belongs the credit of putting it right.
Some of his old friends (says Sir G. O. Trevelyan
in his _Life of Macaulay_[373]) may remember how
he prided himself on a correction of his own in
the first page of _Persuasion_ which he maintained
to be worthy of Bentley, and which undoubtedly
fulfils all the conditions required to establish
the credit of an emendation; for, without the
alteration of a word, or even of a letter, it
turns into perfectly intelligible common-sense a
passage which has puzzled, or which ought to have
puzzled, two generations of Miss Austen's readers.
And in a footnote, Sir George says:--
A slight change in the punctuation effects all
that is required. According to Macaulay the
sentence was intended by its author to run thus:
'There any unwelcome sensations, arising from
domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and
contempt as he turned over the almost endless
creations of the last century; and there, if every
other leaf were powerless, he could read his own
history with an interest which never failed. This
was the page at which his favourite volume
opened.'
Whether or not the emendation would have satisfied Bentley the critic,
it eventually satisfied Bentley the publisher, who adopted it in his
later editions.
2. Chapter I, a page or two further on, all editions read:--
Be it known, then, that Sir Walter, like a good
father (having met with one or two private
disappointments in very unreasonable
applications), prided himself on remaining single
for his dear daughter's sake. For one daughter,
his eldest, he would really have given up
anything, which he had not been very much tempted
to do. . . . His two other children were of very
inferior value.
This is one more instance of a misplaced apostrophe, for, as Dr. Verrall
pointed out in the _Cambridge Observer_, what Jane Austen must have
written is 'for his dear daughters' sake.' Even if the antithesis
implied in the next sentence did not demand this, it is obvious that the
correct Sir Walter would never have allowed himself to state that he
remained single for the sake of one daughter only. Indeed, we have a
proof of this in Chapter V, when Elizabeth says: 'And as to my father, I
really should not have thought that he who has kept himself single so
long for our sakes need be suspected now.'
3. Chapter XXII: Bentley, following the first edition, reads:--
She was earnestly begged to return and dine, and
give them all the rest of the day, but her spirits
had been so long exerted that at present she felt
unequal to move and fit only for home, where she
might be sure of being as silent as she chose.
Promising to be with them the whole of the
following morning, therefore, she closed the
fatigues of the present by a toilsome walk to
Camden Place, &c.
The Hampshire and Winchester Editions read 'more,' and this seems likely
to be correct; for those acquainted with the road to Camden Place will
know how inadvisable it would be for anyone 'unequal to move' to attempt
it.
4. Chapter XXIII: Nearly all editions read: 'The weather was
unfavourable, and she had grieved over the rain on her friend's
account.'
There was no particular 'friend' in the case, as Anne had promised to
spend her morning with the Musgroves, and it seems certain we should
read 'on her friends' account.'
FOOTNOTES:
[372] Our references throughout are to Bentley's edition of 1885-6.
[373] Vol. ii. pp. 470-1, second edition.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following list of books is confined to the main editions of the
novels and, with a few exceptions, to books dealing entirely, or almost
entirely, with the author. It does not attempt to include all the cheap
reprints of the novels, nor all the histories of English literature,
&c., which make mention of Jane Austen, nor the innumerable magazine
articles that have been devoted to her and her writings. Many of these
last, however, will be found recorded in the bibliographies included in
Mr. Goldwin Smith's and Mr. Oscar Fay Adams's volumes.
1811 [Oct.] _Sense and Sensibility._ A novel. In three volumes.
By a Lady. London: printed for the author,
by C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar; and
published by T. Egerton, Whitehall, 1811.
12mo.
1813 [Jan.] _Pride and Prejudice._ A novel. In three volumes.
By the author of _Sense and Sensibility_. London:
printed for T. Egerton, Military Library, Whitehall,
1813. 12mo.
[Vol. I was printed by C. Roworth, Bell-yard,
Temple-bar; Vols. II and III by G. Sidney,
Northumberland Street, Strand.]
1813 [Oct.] _Pride and Prejudice._ A novel. In three volumes.
By the author of _Sense and Sensibility_. Second
edition. London: printed for T. Egerton,
Military Library, Whitehall, 1813. 12mo.
[Printers as in first edition.]
1813 [Oct.] _Sense and Sensibility._ A novel. In three volumes.
By the author of _Pride and Prejudice_. The second
edition. London: printed for the author, by
C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar; and published
by T. Egerton, Whitehall, 1813. 12mo.
1814 [May] _Mansfield Park._ A novel. In three volumes. By
the author of _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and
Prejudice_. London: printed for T. Egerton,
Military Library, Whitehall, 1814. 12mo.
[Vols. I and III were printed by G. Sidney,
Northumberland Street, Strand; Vol. II by
C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar.]
1815 [Dec.] _Emma._ A novel. In three volumes. By the author
of _Pride and Prejudice_, &c., &c. London:
printed for John Murray, 1816. 12mo.
[Vols. I and II were printed by C. Roworth,
Bell-yard, Temple-bar; Vol. III by J. Moyes,
Greville Street, Hatton Garden, London.]
1816 [Feb.] _Mansfield Park._ A novel. In three volumes. By
the author of _Pride and Prejudice_. Second
edition. London: printed for J. Murray,
Albemarle Street, 1816. 12mo.
[Vols. I and III were printed by J. Moyes,
Greville Street, Hatton Garden, London; Vol. II
by C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar.]
1817 _Pride and Prejudice._ A novel. In two volumes.
By the author of _Sense and Sensibility_, &c.
Third edition. London: printed for T. Egerton,
Military Library, Whitehall, 1817. 12mo.
[Printed by C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar.]
1818 _Northanger Abbey_ and _Persuasion_. By the author
of _Pride and Prejudice_, _Mansfield Park_, &c.
With a biographical notice of the author. In
four volumes. London: John Murray, Albemarle
Street, 1818. 12mo.
[Vols. I and II, containing _Northanger Abbey_,
were printed by C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar;
Vols. III and IV, containing _Persuasion_, by
T. Davison, Lombard Street, Whitefriars, London.]
1824 _L'Abbaye de Northanger_; traduit de l'anglais de
Jeanne Austen, auteur d'_Orgueil et Préjugé_, du
_Parc de Mansfield_, de la _Famille Elliott_, de la
Nouvelle _Emma_, &c. Par Mme. Hyacinthe de
F.**** [Ferrières]. 3 tom. Paris. Pigoreau.
12mo.
[There is a short 'Notice biographique' taken
from the English edition.]
1833 _Novels by Miss Jane Austen._ 'Standard Novels'
series. Five volumes. London: Richard Bentley.
8vo.
[This series contains a set of steel engravings--two
to each novel, a frontispiece and a vignette
after Pickering. _Sense and Sensibility_ contains
a biographical notice (by Henry Austen),
which includes a few facts not mentioned in
the preface to the original edition of _Northanger
Abbey_.]
1870 _A Memoir of Jane Austen._ By her nephew, J. E.
Austen Leigh. London: Richard Bentley & Son.
pp. 236. 8vo.
1871 _A Memoir of Jane Austen._ By her nephew, J. E.
Austen Leigh. Second edition; to which is
added _Lady Susan_ and fragments of two other
unfinished tales by Miss Austen. London:
Richard Bentley & Son. pp. 364. 8vo.
1880 _Jane Austen and her Works._ By Sarah Tytler.
London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co. pp. viii-386.
8vo.
[This contains a Life drawn from the _Memoir_,
and a résumé of each of the novels.]
1882 _Jane Austen's Novels._ Steventon Edition. Five
volumes. London: Richard Bentley & Son. 8vo.
1883 _A Book of Sibyls._ By Anne Isabella Thackeray.
London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. vi-229. 8vo.
['Jane Austen,' pp. 197-229.]
1884 _Letters of Jane Austen._ Edited, with an introduction
and critical remarks, by Edward, Lord
Brabourne. Two volumes. London: Richard
Bentley & Son.
[This includes: (1) a series of letters from Jane
to Cassandra; (2) letters from Jane to Fanny
Knight; (3) letters from Jane to Anna Austen
(Mrs. B. Lefroy); and (4) two letters from
Cassandra to Fanny Knight, just after Jane's
death.]
1885 _Dictionary of National Biography._ London: Smith,
Elder & Co. 'Jane Austen,' by L[eslie]. S[tephen].
[This account, based on the _Memoir_ and the
_Letters_ (which latter are said to be trivial and
to give no new facts), is accurate: except in
stating that Jane was the youngest of seven
children, and that she went to Castle Square,
Southampton, in 1805.]
1886 _Letters to Dead Authors._ By Andrew Lang. London:
Longmans, Green & Co. 8vo.
['To Jane Austen,' pp. 75-85.]
1888 _Chapters from Jane Austen._ Edited by Oscar Fay
Adams. Boston: Lee & Shepard.
1889 _Jane Austen._ By S. F. Malden [Mrs. Charles Malden].
'Eminent Women' series. London: W. H.
Allen. pp. 210. 8vo.
[Much space is devoted to an abstract of the
novels.]
1890 _Life of Jane Austen._ By Goldwin Smith. 'Great
Writers' series. London: Walter Scott.
pp. 195-v. 8vo.
[Contains a bibliography compiled by J. P.
Anderson.]
1891 _The Story of Jane Austen's Life._ By Oscar Fay
Adams. Chicago: A. D. McClurg & Co.
pp. v-277. 8vo.
[Includes a bibliography.]
1892 _The Novels of Jane Austen._ Edited by R. Brimley
Johnson; with illustrations by William Cubit
Cooke, and ornaments by F. C. Tilney. Ten
volumes. London: J. M. Dent & Co.
[The first volume of _Sense and Sensibility_ contains
an account of Jane Austen, pp. xi-xxxi. This
was the first really independent issue of the
novels--Bentley's edition having previously held
the field. Mr. Johnson, as a rule, followed the
text of the latest edition which appeared in the
author's lifetime. Unfortunately, his printers
introduced a good many new misprints of their
own.]
1894 _Pride and Prejudice._ With a preface by George
Saintsbury, and illustrations by Hugh Thomson.
London: George Allen. pp. xxvii-476. 8vo.
1895 _Charades, etc. Written a Hundred Tears Ago._ By
Jane Austen and her family. London:
Spottiswoode & Co. pp. 34. 8vo.
1895 _Duologues and Scenes from the Novels of Jane Austen,
arranged and adapted for Drawing-room Performance._
By Rosina Filippi (Mrs. Dowson); with
illustrations by Miss Fletcher. London: J. M.
Dent & Co. pp. xv-139. 8vo.
1895-7 _Jane Austen's Novels._ With illustrations by Hugh
Thomson [but _Pride and Prejudice_ is illustrated
by C. E. Brock] and introductions by Austin
Dobson. Five volumes. London: Macmillan
& Co. 8vo.
[These volumes were afterwards (1902-4)
reprinted and issued in Macmillan's 'Illustrated
Pocket Classics.']
1897 _Essays on the Novel: as illustrated by Scott and Miss
Austen._ By A. A. Jack. London: Macmillan & Co.
['Miss Austen,' pp. 232-297.]
1898 _The Novels of Jane Austen._ Winchester Edition.
Ten volumes. London: Grant Richards. 8vo.
[Subsequently, in 1906, this edition was
re-issued with a new title-page by John Grant
of Edinburgh.]
1898 _Emma._ With an introduction by Joseph Jacobs,
and illustrations by Chris Hammond. London:
George Allen. pp. xxvi-504. 8vo.
1898 _The Novels of Jane Austen._ Edited by R. Brimley
Johnson; with coloured illustrations by C. E.
and H. M. Brock. London: J. M. Dent & Co.
[This edition seems to be printed from the same
type as that used in the 1892 edition. Many of
the obvious misprints have been corrected; but
two following chapters in _Mansfield Park_ are still
numbered xxxii, throwing out the numeration of
all subsequent chapters.]
1899 _Jane Austen: Her Contemporaries and Herself._ An
essay in criticism. By Walter Herries Pollock.
London: Longmans, Green & Co. pp. 125. 8vo.
[The contemporaries are Miss Burney, Miss
Edgeworth, and Miss Ferrier.]
1899 _Sense and Sensibility._ With an introduction by J.
Jacobs, and illustrations by Chris Hammond.
London: George Allen, pp. xxviii-389. 8vo.
1899 _The Works of Jane Austen._ With coloured frontispieces
by H. M. Brock. The Temple Edition.
Ten volumes. London: J. M. Dent & Co.
8vo.
1899 _Catherine Morland._ [sc. _Northanger Abbey_.] Roman
traduit de l'anglais. Par F. Fénélon. Published
in _La Revue blanche_. Paris. pp. 364. 8vo.
1900 _Pride and Prejudice._ With an introduction and notes
by E. V. Lucas. Methuen's 'Little Library.'
Two volumes. London: Methuen & Co.
[1900] _Pride and Prejudice._ Illustrated by Chris Hammond;
with an introduction by William Keith Leask.
London: The Gresham Publishing Co. 8vo. N.D.
1901 _Northanger Abbey._ With an introduction by E. V.
Lucas. Methuen's 'Little Library.' London:
Methuen & Co. pp. xiv-273. 8vo.
1902 _The Novels of Jane Austen._ Hampshire Edition. Five
volumes. London: R. Brimley Johnson. 8vo.
[There is a publisher's note at the beginning
of _Pride and Prejudice_, and each novel contains
two specially drawn end-papers illustrating its
topographical details. The text differs occasionally
from that of the novels _edited_ by Mr.
Brimley Johnson.]
1902 _Jane Austen: Her Homes and Her Friends._ By
Constance Hill. Illustrations by Ellen G. Hill,
and reproductions in photogravure, &c. London:
John Lane. pp. viii-279. 8vo.
[The book contains much topographical detail.]
1904 _Pride and Prejudice._ Illustrated by Chris Hammond.
London: Blackie & Son. pp. viii-392. 8vo.
1905 _The Works of Jane Austen._ 'Sense and Sensibility.'
Introduction by Sidney Lee. Methuen's
Standard Library. London: Methuen & Co.
pp. vii-247. 8vo.
[It is stated that the text is taken from that
of the second edition. The other novels in this
series do not seem to have been published up to
the present.]
1905 _Jane Austen and her Times._ By G. E. Mitton. With
twenty-one illustrations. London: Methuen
& Co. pp. viii-334. 8vo.
1906 _Jane Austen's Novels._ With introduction by R.
Brimley Johnson. Everyman's Library. Five
volumes. London: J. M. Dent & Co. 8vo.
1906 _Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers: being the Adventures
of Sir Francis Austen, G.C.B., Admiral of the
Fleet, and Rear-Admiral Charles Austen._ By
J. H. Hubback and Edith C. Hubback. London:
John Lane. pp. xiv-294. 8vo.
[Four hitherto unpublished letters of Jane to
her brothers are given.]
1907 _The Works of Jane Austen_--I. 'Emma.' With an
introduction by E. V. Lucas. The World's
Classics. Oxford: Henry Frowde. pp. xv-459.
8vo.
1907-9 [_The Novels of Jane Austen._] With coloured illustrations
by C. E. Brock. 'The Series of English
Idylls.' Five volumes. London: J. M. Dent
& Co. 8vo.
1908-10 _The Novels of Jane Austen._ With general introduction
and notes by R. Brimley Johnson. Coloured
illustrations and end-pieces by A. Wallis Mills.
The Saint Martin's Illustrated Library of Standard
Authors. Ten volumes. London: Chatto
& Windus. 8vo.
1909 _Jane Austen and Her Country-house Comedy._ By
W. H. Helm. London: Eveleigh Nash. pp. x-259.
8vo.
[A critical appreciation. The frontispiece is
an imaginary portrait of Jane Austen.]
1910 _Pride and Prejudice._ Abridged and edited by
Mrs. Frederick Boas. English Literature for
Schools. Cambridge: at the University Press.
pp. xix-211. 8vo.
[The editor's object is to present the book in a
form suitable for school reading. Some notes
are given.]
1910 _Encyclopædia Britannica._ Eleventh Edition. Cambridge:
at the University Press.
['Jane Austen,' by E. V. L[ucas], vol. ii.
pp. 906-7.]
[This is an accurate account, except that it
contains the same two mistakes as those in the
_Dictionary of National Biography_.]
1911 _Essays and Studies._ By members of the English
Association. Oxford: at the Clarendon Press.
['Jane Austen,' by A. C. Bradley, vol. ii.
pp. 7-36.]
1911 _Chawton Manor and its Owners._ A family history.
By William Austen Leigh and Montagu George
Knight. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. viii-219.
4to.
[Chapter VII.--'The Austens.']
1912 _Pride and Prejudice._ Edited with introduction, &c.
by K. M. Metcalfe. Oxford University Press:
Henry Frowde. pp. xxxii-403. 8vo.
[A scholarly edition: the text is that of the
first edition, except in a few instances, where
a note is given. The title-pages of the three
volumes are reproduced in facsimile. Appendix
on social customs in J. A.'s day; criticisms,
notes, &c.]
1912 _Jane Austen._ By Lady Margaret Sackville. 'The
Regent Library.' London: Herbert & Daniel.
pp. xvi-471. 8vo.
[Long selections from the novels, with an introduction
and some appreciations.]
1913 _Old Friends and New Fancies: an Imaginary Sequel
to the Novels of Jane Austen._ By Sybil G.
Brinton. London: Holden & Hardingham.
pp. viii-384. 8vo.
1913 _Jane Austen: a Criticism and Appreciation._ By
Percy Fitzgerald, M.A., F.S.A. London: Jarrold
& Sons. pp. 129. 8vo.
[The frontispiece is a reproduction of a bust of
Jane Austen executed by Mr. Fitzgerald.]
I. Austens
JOHN AUSTEN, of Horsmonden, _d._ 1620
|
5th son
Francis, of Grovehurst, _d._ 1687
|
John, of Grovehurst, _d._ 1705
|
John, of Broadford = Elizabeth Weller
_d._ 1704 |
______________________________________________________________|_______________________________________________________________
| | | | | | |
John, of Broadford Francis Thomas, M.D. W. _Walter_, _M.D._ = (1)Rebecca Hampson = William = (2) = Susanna Holk 2 sons and a daughter
_d._ 1728 | | | | Surgeon,
| /|\ /|\ | | _d._ 1737
John, of Broadford (present owners (in female | |
_d._ 1807, _s.p.s._ of Broadford) line) Susanna Weaver = W. H. _Walter_ |
_____________________________| |_________________________________
| | | |
Philadelphia (Rev.) James _Walter_ Rev. George = Cassandra Leigh Philadelphia = T. S. Hancock
('Phila') | R. of Steventon,| _d._ 1827 |
(Rev.) Henry _Walter_ _d._ 1805 | (_see_ Leigh |
| Pedigree) |
| |
| Eliza = Jean Capotte
| | Comte de
| | Feuillide
| |
| Hastings
| _d._ 1801
|
1765 1766 1767 1771 | 1773 1774 1775 1779
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________|_____________________________________________________________
| | | | | | | |
(Rev.) James = (1)Anne Mathew; (2)Mary Lloyd George Edward = Elizabeth Bridges (Rev.) Henry = (1)Eliza de Feuillide; (2)Eleanor Jackson Cassandra | Jane |
_d._1819 | | (Knight),| (d. 1850) _d._ 1813 _d._ _unm._ | _d._ _unm._ |
| | | 1845 | 1817 |
| | _d._ 1852 | ____________________________________________________________| Author |
________| _______|__________ ___________|______________________ | _______________________________|
| | | | |||||||||| | |
B. Lefroy = Anna (Rev.) James Edward Caroline 7. Fanny = Sir E. Knatchbull 1. Edward Francis = (1)Mary Gibson; (2)Martha Lloyd Charles = (1)Frances Palmer; (2)Harriet Palmer
| _d._ 1872 (Austen Leigh), _d._ _unm._ 1880 | 2. George (Admiral), | (Admiral), | |
| Author of the _Memoir_, Lord Brabourne 3. Henry _d._ 1852 | |________ Charles
/|\ _d._ 1874 (Editor of the 4. William Mary Jane |
/|\ _Letters_) 5. Charles Cassandra 1. Cassandra
(Austen Leighs) 6. John etc. 2. Harriet
8. Elizabeth etc.
and 3 others.
(Knights of
Chawton)
II. Leighs
Theophilus Leigh = Mary Brydges
(of Adlestrop) | (daughter of Lord Chandos)
_d._ 1724 |
|
(12 children--of whom) (Dr.) John Walker = Jane Perrot
_____________________|______________________________________________ |
| | | |
(1) William (3) (Rev.) Theophilus (4) (Rev.) Thomas = Jane Walker
(5 children--of whom) (Master of Balliol) (of Harpsden) |
_____|__________ ____________|__________ _d._ 1763 |
| | | | |
James (Rev.) Thomas = Mary, _d._ Cassandra = (Rev.) S. Cooke |
| (succeeded 1797 | (of Little |
James Henry to Stoneleigh in | Bookham) |
(succeeded to 1806) | |
Stoneleigh 1813) _d._ 1813, _s.p._ __________|____________ |
\|/ | | | |
Theophilus (Rev.) George Mary |
_______________________________________________________________________|
| | |
Jane Cholmeley = James (Leigh Perrot) Jane = (Rev.) Edward Cooper Cassandra = (Rev.) G. Austen
_d._ 1836 (of Scarlets) _d._ | (R. of Whaddon and _d._ 1827 (_see_ Austen
_d._ 1817, _s.p._ 1783 | Sonning), _d._ 1792 Pedigree)
_____________________|_______________
| |
(Rev.) Edward = Caroline Lybbe Powys Jane = (Sir) Thomas Williams, R.N.
(of Hamstall _d._
Ridware) 1798
III. Craven, Fowle, and Lloyd Families.
Sir Wm. Craven, Kt.
________________________________|__________________________
| | |
2nd Lord Craven | Charles = Elizabeth Staples
_d._ 1711 John ___|_____________________
____________|__ ____|________ | | |
| | | | (Rev.) Wm. Fowle = Jane (Rev.) John Martha = (Rev.) N. Lloyd
3rd Lord Craven Fulwar 5th Lord Craven son rector of | of Chilton _d._ 1805 |
_d._ 1739 4th Lord Craven _d._ 1769 | Kintbury and of | House, |
6th Hampstead | Wilts. |
Lord Craven Marshall, | |
_d._ 1791 _d._ 1806 | |
| | |
7th Lord Craven | |
_d._ 1825 | |
__________________________________________________________________|_________________________________|______
| | | | | |
(Rev.) Thomas, Charles (Rev.) Fulwar Craven = Eliza Martha = (Sir) Francis Austen Mary = (Rev.) James
rector of Allington _d._ 1806 rector of Kintbury | _d._ 1843 | Austen
_d._ 1797 \|/ __________|_____
| |
James Edward Caroline
INDEX
ACADEMY (Royal Naval):
Francis Austen there, 49;
Charles, 77
Ashe Rectory:
home of Lefroys, 71
Austen, Anna (_see also_ Lefroy, Ben):
elder daughter of James Austen, her birth and loss of mother, 72, 73;
spent much time with Jane and Cassandra, 73;
comparison with Fanny Knight, 241;
writes novel and receives advice from Aunt Jane, 353-62;
married to Ben Lefroy, November 1814, 353
Austen, Caroline:
younger daughter of James Austen, 206, 363;
writes stories and receives advice from Aunt Jane, 57, 363-8;
sees her for the last time, 386;
her contributions to _Memoir_ and subsequent history, 368
Austen, Cassandra (_see also_ Austen, Jane):
elder daughter of (Rev.) George Austen, born 1773, 20;
she and Jane devoted to each other, 50;
difference of character, 51;
preferred to Jane by Phila Walter, 59;
both admired by Eliza, 61;
engaged to T. Fowle, who goes as chaplain to West Indies, 79;
and dies of yellow fever, 105;
C.'s letters from Jane, constantly, from p. 109 onward;
after death of her father, C. present at that of Mrs. Lloyd, 183;
nurses Jane through illness and on death-bed, 383, 390;
writes account of Jane's death to Fanny, 394;
her own death in 1845, 402
Austen, Charles:
sixth son of (Rev.) George Austen, born 1779, 23;
at R.N. Academy, 77;
character, 77;
under Captain Williams helps to capture _La Tribune_, 78;
on _Endymion_ helps to capture _Scipio_, 150;
Duke of Sussex a passenger, 163;
presents to sisters, 171;
kindness to Lord Balgonie, and Lord Leven's gratitude, 187;
marries Fanny Palmer, 204;
on the _Namur_, and visits Godmersham, 284, 285;
commands the _Phoenix_ against Murat, 369;
letter to Jane, 370;
letter from Jane, 385;
subsequent career (Admiral), 403;
Austen, Edward (i):
third son of (Rev.) George Austen, born 1767, 18;
adopted by Knights of Godmersham, 47;
makes the 'grand tour,' 48;
his character, 47;
marries Elizabeth Bridges and settles at Rowling, 74;
at Godmersham, 75, 76;
goes to Bath, 127;
his wife dies, leaving eleven children, 209, &c.;
at Chawton House, with Fanny, in 1812, 256;
takes the name of Knight, 256;
with his family at Chawton, 1813 and 1814, 269, 302;
claim made to his Hants property and settled by compromise, 299;
loses money by Henry's bankruptcy, 332
Austen, Edward (ii): _see_ Knight, Edward
Austen, Edward (iii): _see_ Austen Leigh, (Rev.) J. E.
Austen, Fanny (afterwards Fanny Knight; then Lady Knatchbull):
description of, 211, 227;
in London during her uncle Henry's illness, 213;
friendship with Mr. Haden, 311, &c.;
letters from Aunt Jane on love affair, 342, &c.;
letters to Aunt Jane at Winchester mentioned, 395
Austen, Francis (i):
of Grovehurst, fifth son of John Austen (i), _d._ 1687, 2
Austen, Francis (ii):
second son of John Austen (iii) and Elizabeth Weller; solicitor at
Sevenoaks; befriended his nephews; descendants own Broadford, 3, 4
Austen, (Sir) Francis (_see also_ Ships):
fifth son of (Rev.) George Austen, born 1774, 21;
youthful horse-dealing, 23;
character, 49;
at the R.N. Academy, 49;
his father's letter, 50;
rapid promotion to Lieutenant, 76;
returns home in 1793, 76;
letter from him at Cadiz, 115;
made Commander, 121;
at Cyprus, 143;
takes news to Nelson and captures _Ligurienne_, 160;
made post-Captain, 160, 161;
letters from Jane on father's death, 180-2;
raising 'sea fencibles' at Ramsgate, 174;
engagement to Mary Gibson, 192;
appointed to _Leopard_ (under Admiral Louis), 192;
move to Canopus, 192;
misses Trafalgar, 193;
takes part in victory at St. Domingo, 193;
marriage, 194;
at Southampton with mother and sisters, 197;
commands the _Elephant_ in the Baltic, 270;
letters from Jane, 270, 278;
living at Alton, 369;
subsequent career, K.C.B., Admiral of the Fleet, 403
Austen, Francis Motley:
son of Francis Austen (ii);
acquires Kippington property, 3-4;
believed to have had Jane Austen painted by Zoffany, 63
Austen, (Rev.) George (i):
son of William A.;
helped by Uncle Francis, 4;
at Tonbridge and Oxford, 4, 5;
Rector of Steventon, 5;
marries Cassandra Leigh, 5;
his character, 16;
Rector also of Deane, 17;
letters to Walters, 19-22;
letter announcing birth of Jane, 22;
takes pupils, 24, 25;
his letter to son Francis, 50;
offers Jane's first novel to Cadell, 97;
leaves Steventon and settles in Bath, 172;
visits Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Lyme, 173, 176;
dies at Bath, January 1805, 180-2
Austen, George (ii):
second son of above, born 1766;
subject to fits, 20
Austen, George (iii):
second son of Edward Austen (i);
a favourite of his aunt Jane, 111, 112, 122;
at Southampton after his mother's death, 216, &c.;
afterwards (as G. Knight) a celebrated cricketer, 111, _note_
Austen, (Rev.) Henry (i):
son of Thomas Austen;
held living of West Wickham, 4
Austen, (Rev.) Henry (ii):
fourth son of (Rev.) George Austen, born 1771, 20;
Jane's favourite brother, 48;
contributor to _The Loiterer_, at Oxford, 48;
his character, 49;
officer in Militia, 107;
marries Eliza de Feuillide, 106;
in France with her during Peace of Amiens, 173;
frequent visits from Jane, 244, 265, 272, 302, 308, 309;
death of Eliza, 265;
letter to John Murray about _Emma_, 310;
severe illness, 309-11;
bankruptcy, 325, 332;
takes Orders, 332, 333;
marries again, 333;
his death, 402
Austen, Mrs. Henry:
_see_ de Feuillide, Comtesse
Austen, (Rev.) James:
eldest son of George Austen, born in 1765, 18;
Scholar and Fellow of St. John's, Oxford, 46;
visits the de Feuillides in France, 39;
returns to Oxford and edits _The Loiterer_, 47;
his share in forming mind of Jane, 46;
writes prologues, &c., for plays, 64, 65;
marries (i) Anne Mathew, 72;
curate at Overton, then at Deane, 72;
birth of daughter Anna, 72, 73;
death of wife, 73;
marries (ii) Mary Lloyd, 73, 104;
Mrs. Austen's letter to her, 73;
birth of son, 113;
visits Godmersham, 204, &c.;
declines a living on grounds of conscience, 223;
hopeless letter to his son on Aunt Jane's illness, 392;
dies two years after his sister, 402
Austen, Jane (the novelist), (_see also_ under names of books):
younger daughter of (Rev.) George Austen, born December 16, 1775, 22;
lessons at Oxford and Southampton, 25;
dangerous illness, 25;
school at Reading, 26;
education at home, 29;
politics and patriotism, 29, 30;
first writings,
_Mystery_, 53-5;
_Evelyn_ and _Kitty_, 55,
opinion on early writing, 57, 58;
visit to Uncle Francis at Sevenoaks, 58;
Phila Walter's impression, 58, 59;
Sir E. Brydges and (later) Eliza admire Jane, 60, 61;
probable date of Zoffany portrait, 62-3;
theatricals at Steventon, 63-6;
verses to Mary and Martha Lloyd, 70;
writes _Elinor and Marianne_ and _Lady Susan_, 80, 81;
her own letters begin in 1796;
their nature and limitations, 81-3;
frequent to Cassandra, from p. 109;
friendship with S. Blackall (?), Fellow of Emmanuel College, 85, 86;
with T. Lefroy (afterwards Chief Justice), 87-9;
romance in the west, and sad end, 89, 90;
Sir F. H. Doyle's impossible story, 91;
embarrassing incident at Steventon, 92-4;
visit to Rowling, 99-104;
death of Cassandra's lover, 104-5;
mother and sisters at Bath, 105;
death of Jane Williams, 108;
first visit to Godmersham, 109;
caps, 116;
balls at Basingstoke, 119, 143;
at Kempshot, 123;
Jane at Bath with Edward, &c., 127;
Mrs. Leigh Perrot's trouble, 131-140;
great storm at Steventon, 147;
letter to Martha, 148;
ball at Hurstbourne, 150;
Jane at Ibthorp, 153;
grief at leaving Steventon, 155;
begins life at Bath (Paragon), 165-72;
ball, 167;
summer (prob.) at Sidmouth, 172;
they settle in Bath (Sydney Terrace), 172;
prob. at Dawlish in 1802, 173;
prob. at Ramsgate in 1803, 174;
sells _Northanger Abbey_ and writes _Watsons_, 174, 175;
visits Lyme, 176;
death of Mrs. Lefroy, 180;
death of Jane's father, 180-2;
letters to Frank, 180, 181;
generosity of brothers, 182;
Austens leave Bath for Clifton, 194;
visit to Stoneleigh, 194-7;
settle at Southampton (Castle Square), 197, 202;
visit to Chawton, 203;
to Godmersham, 204;
death of Mrs. E. Austen, 209;
her two eldest boys with Jane, 209-19;
offer of a home at Chawton, 216;
balls at Southampton, 222, &c.;
move to Chawton, 235, 242;
her character, appearance, tastes, &c., 237-42;
visits to H. Austen and Catherine Hill, 244-51;
publication of _Sense and Sensibility_, 255;
visit at Steventon, 256;
publication of _Pride and Prejudice_, 257;
death of Eliza, and visit to Henry, 265;
Knights at Chawton House again, 269;
last visit to Godmersham, 276, &c.;
taking London on the way, 272, &c.;
literary work, 290;
three times in London in 1814, 302, 304, 308;
publication of _Mansfield Park_, 302;
visit at Bookham, 304;
Knights at Chawton, 302;
in London for publication of _Emma_, 309;
Henry's illness, 309-11;
her own health suffers, 311;
correspondence with Mr. Clarke, and visit to Carlton House, 312, 313,
319-324;
correspondence with Mr. J. Murray, 310, 314, 318, 319;
with Lady Morley, 326;
Walter Scott's article in _Quarterly_, 326-328;
Henry's bankruptcy, 332;
writes out opinions on _Emma_, 328, &c.;
composition of _Persuasion_, 333;
imaginary novel, 337-40;
advises Fanny Knight on love affair, 342, &c.;
advises Anna on a novel, 353, &c.;
letters to Caroline, 363, &c.;
visit to Cheltenham, 373;
failing health, 371, &c.;
cheerful tone in autumn and winter, 375, &c.;
begins new novel, January 1817, and writes for seven weeks, 381;
letters to Fanny, 382, &c.;
makes her will, &c., 384;
death of Mr. Leigh Perrot and his will, 384;
letter to Charles, 384-6;
Caroline's last visit, 386;
move to College Street, Winchester, 388, 389;
a slight amendment, 389;
writes to Edward Austen, 390;
hopeless letter of James, 392;
his wife goes to Winchester, 392, 393;
Jane's patience and resignation, 393, 394;
death (on July 18, 1817), and funeral in Cathedral (July 24),
described in letter from Cassandra to Fanny, 394, &c.;
charm of character and slow growth of fame, 401, 404
Austen, John (i):
_d._ 1620, 1
Austen, John (ii):
_d._ 1705, 2
Austen, John (iii):
_d._ 1704;
his wife (Elizabeth Weller) pays debts and brings up large family,
2, 3
Austen, John (iv) and (v):
squires of Broadford; about 1807 property comes to another John (vi),
descended from Francis Austen (ii), 3, 4
Austen, (Rev.) John Thomas:
Senior Wrangler in 1817, 4
Austen, Philadelphia (_see also_ Hancock, T. S.):
goes to India, 32;
married to T. S. Hancock, 34
Austen, Colonel Thomas:
M.P. for Kent, 4;
gives away Zoffany portrait, 63
Austen, Thomas:
third son of John Austen (iii);
his son Henry holds living of West Wickham; descendants, 4
Austen, William (_see also_ Hampson, Rebecca):
fourth son of John Austen (iii);
marries Rebecca Walter (_née_ Hampson);
their children George and Philadelphia;
his second wife Susanna Holk, 4
Austens:
family characteristics, 51, 52, 67
Austen Leigh, (Rev.) J. E.:
author of _Memoir_;
known as Edward Austen, 113, _note_, 256, _note_;
his birth in 1798, 113, &c.;
visit to Godmersham, 206;
characteristics, 364, 368;
visit to Chawton, 374;
leaves Winchester for Oxford, 377;
writes stories, 374, 378;
last letter from Aunt Jane, 390;
at funeral, for his father, 397;
took the name of Leigh on succeeding to Scarlets;
wrote _Memoir_, 404
BIGG, Alethea:
one of the three sisters (the others, Elizabeth--Mrs. Heathcote,
Catherine--Mrs. Hill), great friends of Jane and Cassandra, 68;
their father B. Wither of Manydown, 68;
Jane stays with Catherine at Streatham, 251;
letter to Alethea, 379
Blackall, (Rev.) Samuel:
Fellow and Tutor of Emmanuel College, 86, 87, _note_;
Rector of North Cadbury, 86;
friendship with Jane, 85, 86;
perhaps identical with Mrs. Lefroy's 'friend,' 85
Brabourne, Lord:
edits Jane's letters, 81
Bridges, Elizabeth:
_see_ Austen, Edward (i)
Broadford:
Austen property at Horsmonden, 2, 3;
Francis Austen's descendants succeed, 4
Brydges, Sir Egerton (_see also_ Lefroy, Mrs.):
notice of Jane as a girl, 60;
his book, _Fitz-Albini_, 114;
meets Jane at Ramsgate, 174
_Camilla_:
Jane subscribes to, 95;
alludes to, 100;
Warren Hastings's enthusiasm, 275
Campion, Mrs. (Jane Austen), 62
Castle Square:
Austens' home in Southampton, 202, 203
_Catherine_:
see _Northanger Abbey_
Cawley, Mrs.:
takes charge of Jane, &c.;
Jane's severe illness and Mrs. Cooper's death, 25
Chandos, Duke of:
brother-in-law of Theophilus Leigh, 7
Chawton:
Austens' visit to Edward at Chawton House, 203;
offer of cottage there, 216;
first sight of it, 220;
they settle there, Chap. XIV;
description of village, 236;
of cottage, 237;
Jane leaves it for Winchester, 388
Cheltenham:
family visits to, 373
Cholmeley, Jane:
_see_ Leigh Perrot, James
Chute, W. J. C.:
of The Vyne, M.P. and M.F.H., neighbour at Steventon, 68
Clarke, (Rev.) J. S.:
Librarian at Carlton House;
Jane's correspondence with, 312, 313, 319-24
Cooke, (Rev.) Samuel, D.D.:
Rector of Little Bookham, 19;
marries daughter of Theophilus Leigh, Master of Balliol, 19;
Jane's godfather, 22;
George C. a well-known Oxford tutor, 186-8;
George and his sister Mary at the H. Austens', 247;
Jane's visit to Bookham, 304;
Mary Cooke on heroines, 338
Cooper, Dr. E.:
Rector of Whaddon and Sonning; marries Jane Leigh (sister of Mrs.
G. Austen), 18;
their children, 19;
death of Mrs. Cooper, at Bath, 25, 39;
death of Dr. C. at Sonning, 77
Cooper, E.:
son of Dr. E. Cooper, 19;
marries Caroline Lybbe Powys, 77;
takes living of Hamstall-Ridware, 124
Cooper, Jane (Lady Williams):
daughter of Dr. E. Cooper, 19;
with Jane and Cassandra under Mrs. Cawley, 25;
at school at Reading, 27;
married to Captain T. Williams, 77;
killed in a carriage accident, 108
Cravens:
Mrs. Craven the harsh mother of Mrs. Fowle, Mrs. Lloyd, &c., 69;
Lord Craven takes his cousin, T. Fowle, as Chaplain to West Indies;
T. F. dies there, 79, 104-5
Crosby, Messrs.:
purchasers of _Northanger Abbey_, 174-5;
Jane's unsuccessful attempt to secure publication, 230-4;
buys MS. back, 333
D'ANTRAIGUES:
French _émigré_ family whom Jane visits with the H. Austens, 250
Dawlish:
Austens' visit to, in 1802, 173, 354
Day, Thomas:
author of _Sandford and Merton_, friend of the Leigh Perrots, 126
De Feuillide, Comtesse (Eliza Hancock), (_see also_ Austen, (Rev.)
Henry (ii)):
daughter of T. S. Hancock and Philadelphia (Austen), 34;
godchild of Warren Hastings, 34;
his generosity, 35;
Eliza with her mother in England; then Paris, 36;
letters to and from Phila Walter, 37-44;
married to Comte de Feuillide, 37;
in England, 1786;
her son (Hastings) born, 39, 40;
gaieties, 40;
visit to Austens at Oxford, 41;
illness and death of Mrs. Hancock, 42, 43;
the Comte in difficulties in France, 44;
guillotined, 45;
Eliza married to Henry Austen, 106;
death of Hastings de F., 108;
death of Eliza, 265
Deane Rectory:
G. Austen, Rector of, from 1773, 17
Digweeds:
principal tenants at Steventon, 13;
share with Austens deputation of the Manor, 52
Dorchester, Lady:
gave a ball at Kempshot, 123
Doyle, Sir F. H.:
story in his reminiscences about Jane, 91
Dunford, Ben (postilion):
letter to Mr. Leigh Perrot on Mrs. L. P.'s trouble, 135
EDGEWORTH, R. L.:
neighbour at Scarlets;
experiments, 126;
letter on Mrs. L. P.'s acquittal, 139
_Elinor and Marianne_:
sketch for _Sense and Sensibility_, in letters, 80
Elliott, Mary:
probably a friend of Philadelphia Austen, 33;
perhaps Mrs. Buchanan, first wife of Warren Hastings, and link
between Hastings and the Hancocks, 34;
died 1759, 33
_Emma_:
Jane Austen's fourth published novel, December 1815, 318-24;
begun Jan. 1814, 306;
localities discussed, 302;
finished March 1815, 306;
description, 306-7;
preparing for press, 309;
Walter Scott's article on, in the _Quarterly_, 326;
private opinions of friends, 328-31
_Evelyn_:
early work of Jane, 55
_First Impressions_:
original of _Pride and Prejudice_, 96;
G. Austen's unsuccessful attempt to sell it, 97, 98
Fowles (_for_ T. Fowle _see_ Austen, Cassandra):
Fowles at Kintbury, 69, 373
GAMBIER, Admiral:
at the Admiralty, 117;
writes to G. Austen, 118;
F. Austen, his flag-captain, 174
Gibson, Mary:
_see_ Austen, (Sir) Francis
Godmersham:
given up to Edward Austen by Mrs. Knight, 75, 76
Goodnestone:
the Bridges' place;
Jane dancing there, 101;
Jane and Cassandra there, one after the other, 189-91
Gregory, Mrs.:
shopwoman at Bath, 131
HADEN, Mr.:
doctor attending Henry Austen;
his friendship with Fanny, 309, &c.
Hampson, Rebecca:
daughter of Sir G. H.;
married (i) to James Walter, (ii) to William Austen, her children, 4;
her niece, Miss Payne, 251 _note_
Hamstall-Ridware:
living given by Mrs. Leigh to E. Cooper, 124
Hancock, Eliza:
_see_ de Feuillide, Comtesse
Hancock, Tysoe Saul:
surgeon in India; marries Philadelphia Austen there, 34;
their daughter Betsy (Eliza), 34;
Hancocks' return home, 35;
H. returns to India; assisted by Hastings; dies in 1775, 35;
Philadelphia and Betsy then in England, 36
Harpsden:
_see_ Leigh, (Rev.) Thomas (i)
Harwoods:
neighbours at Steventon, 68;
Earle Harwood's accident, 146
Hastings, George:
son of Warren H., under charge of G. Austen; with him on wedding
tour, 10;
dies young, 10
Hastings, Warren:
marries Mrs. Buchanan, 33;
his son George, under charge of Austens, dies early, 10, 33, 34;
generosity to Hancocks, 35;
Hancocks, &c. at his trial, 41;
Eliza visits him near Windsor, 41;
his acquittal, 79;
letter from Eliza announcing her marriage to Henry Austen, 107;
admiration of _Pride and Prejudice_, 274;
of _Camilla_, 275
Heathcote, Mrs. (_see also_ Bigg, Alethea), (Elizabeth Bigg):
married to Mr. Heathcote, and mother of Sir W. H., 68;
kindness to Jane in illness, 389, 393
Heathcote, Rt. Hon. Sir William, Bart.:
of Hursley Park, M.P. for Oxford, 68, 69
Holders:
of Ashe, neighbours at Steventon, 68;
Jane dines there, 147, 162
IBTHORP:
home of Lloyds, 69;
Jane there, 153
JEFFREY, Mr.:
kept awake by _Emma_, 331
KIPPINGTON:
property near Sevenoaks bought by Motley Austen; Colonel Austen,
M.P., lived there, 4, 63
_Kitty, or the Bower_:
early work of Jane, 55, 56
Knatchbull, Lady:
_see_ Austen, Fanny
Knight, Edward:
son of Edward Austen (i); took the name of Knight, 256;
with Jane at Southampton after his mother's death, 216, &c.;
in Scotland with his uncle Henry, 279
Knight, Thomas (i):
of Godmersham; distant cousin of G. Austen, gives him living of
Steventon, 5
Knight, Thomas (ii), (_see also_ Knight, Mrs. T.):
adopts Edward Austen, 47
Knight, Mrs. T. (Catherine Knatchbull, widow of above):
surrenders property to Edward Austen in 1797, 74-6;
her kindness to Austen family, 48, 207;
on her death Edward takes the name of Knight, 256
_Lady Susan_:
early work of Jane, in letters, published in _Memoir_, 80, 81;
she never wrote in letters again, but used them freely, 81
Lances:
exchange of visits with, at Southampton, 199;
together at a ball, 228
Lansdowne, Marquis of (i):
second Marquis;
Austens rent a house in Castle Square, Southampton, close to him,
203;
his death, 211
Lansdowne, Marquis of (ii):
half-brother of (i);
the Statesman, and an admirer of Jane's writings, 203
Latournelle, Mrs.:
her school at Reading, 26, 27,
Cassandra and Jane there, 26-8;
easy discipline, 27.
_See also_ St. Quentins;
Sherwood, Mrs.
Lefroy, Ben:
marries Anna Austen, November 1814, 353;
they live at Hendon, 361;
at Wyards, 362
Lefroy, Mrs.:
wife of Rector of Ashe, sister of Sir Egerton Brydges;
did much for Jane, 71;
died by fall from horse, 71, 180;
Jane's verses in her memory, 72
Lefroy, Tom (afterwards Chief Justice):
his friendship with Jane in 1796, &c., 87, 88;
his remembrance of her, 89
Leigh, Cassandra (_see also_ Austen, (Rev.) George);
daughter of Leigh, (Rev.) Thomas (i), 7;
marriage, 10;
character, 16;
story of journey on a waggon, 17;
illness at Bath and verses to Bowen, 172-3;
generosity of sons on death of husband, 182;
letter from Stoneleigh, 196;
last visit to Steventon, 256, 257;
hopeful letters during Jane's illness, 391, 392;
letter to Anna after Jane's death, 398;
lives on till 1827, 257, 402
_Leigh Chronicle_, quoted, 6-9, 25
Leigh, Hon. Mary:
life-tenant of Stoneleigh, dies 1806, 194;
her brother's curious will, 195
Leigh, Theophilus:
squire of Adlestrop, husband of Mary Brydges, 7;
his government of his sons, 7, 8.
_See also_ Chandos, Duke of
Leigh, (Rev.) Theophilus:
Master of Balliol, 7;
his witty speeches and long life, 7, 8
Leigh, (Sir) Thomas:
Lord Mayor when Queen Elizabeth was proclaimed, 6;
Leighs of Adlestrop and of Stoneleigh descended from him, 6
Leigh, (Rev.) Thomas (i):
Rector of Harpsden, father of Cassandra Austen, 7;
his gentle character, 8;
his wife, Jane Walker, descended from the Perrots, 9
Leigh, Thomas (ii):
nephew of (i);
succeeded to Stoneleigh, 195;
the Austens stay with him there, 195-7
Leigh Perrot, James (_see also_ Perrots):
son of Rev. Thomas Leigh (of Harpsden), 9;
succeeded to Perrot property, and sold it, 9, 10;
bought Scarlets, 10, 18, 126;
often at Bath (Paragon), 127;
marries Jane Cholmeley, 10;
Mrs. L. P. accused of stealing lace at Bath, 132;
committed and imprisoned, 132;
Mrs. Austen offered to send one or both daughters to be with her,
134;
trial at Taunton, 135, 138;
acquittal, 138;
Mrs. Austen and Jane stay at Paragon in 1801, 165;
claim to succeed to Stoneleigh compromised, 195, 196;
Mr. L. P. loses money by Henry Austen's bankruptcy, 332;
his death and will, 384, &c.
Lloyds (_see also_ Austen, (Rev.) James):
Mrs. Lloyd (Martha Craven) lived at Deane, then at Ibthorp, 69;
her daughters, Eliza (Fowle), Martha, and Mary, 69;
Jane's gift to Mary with verses, 69, 70;
verses to Martha, 70;
Mary's marriage to James Austen, 73;
Jane's visit to Ibthorp, 153;
Cassandra there at death of Mrs. Lloyd, 183, &c.;
Martha to live with the Austens, 188;
Martha married to Francis Austen, 74, 402
_Loiterer, The_:
periodical conducted by James Austen at Oxford, 47;
Henry writes in it, 48
Lybbe Powys, Caroline:
_see_ Cooper, Edward
Lyfords:
Hants doctors, 115, 355;
one attends Jane in her last illness, 388, &c.
Lyme:
Jane there with parents in 1804, 176;
identification of places in _Persuasion_, 177
_Mansfield Park_:
Jane Austen's third published novel, May 1814;
mentioned during composition, 258, 259, 261;
Frank's ships mentioned in it, 272, 280;
finished, 290;
Henry reading it on the way to London, 291-6;
published in May 1814, 296;
description, 296-8;
first edition sold out, 296;
second edition (Murray), 308;
opinions of two friends upon, 332
Mapletons:
friends at Bath, 129;
death of Marianne M., 169, 170
Marboeuf, Marquise de:
accused by Revolutionists;
Comte de Feuillide befriends her and shares her fate, 44, 45
Mathew, Anne:
_see_ Austen, (Rev.) James
Mathew, General:
father of first Mrs. James Austen, 72;
his generosity, 73
Mitford, Mary Russell:
at the St. Quentins' school in London, 27;
unflattering views of Jane, 84, 300;
gradually modified, 301, _note_
Moore, Sir John:
allusions to him and Battle of Corunna, 224, 228, 229
Morley, Countess of:
corresponds with Jane, 326
Murray, John:
publishes _Emma_, 309;
letter from Henry Austen, 310;
letters from Jane, 314, 318, 319;
publishes second edition of _Mansfield Park_, 308, 318
Musgrave, Mrs.:
godmother of Jane, 22
_Mystery, The_:
very early work of Jane, 53
NELSON, Lord:
Francis Austen conveys a message to, 160;
his admiration for him, 193
_Northanger Abbey_:
earlier of Jane Austen's two posthumous novels, published in 1818,
403;
first version of, 96;
description, 96-7;
sold (after revision) in 1803, 96;
to Messrs. Crosby of London, 174-5;
attempt to secure publication (under name _Susan_), 230-4;
MS. recovered, 333;
doubt about publishing (under name _Catherine_), 336, 337
PALMER, Fanny:
_see_ Austen, Charles
Perrots:
well-known in Oxon and Wales, 9;
property of one branch (Northleigh) comes to James Leigh (Perrot), 9;
through this descent Austens are 'founder's kin' at St. John's,
Oxford, 9;
James L. P. sells Northleigh and buys Scarlets, 10
_Persuasion_:
later of Jane Austen's two posthumous novels, published, 1818, 403;
begun 1815, 333;
finished, and end re-written, 1816, 334, 335;
probably intended to be published with _Northanger Abbey_ (as it
eventually was), 336;
author's opinion on it, 336
Portrait of Jane as a girl:
_see_ Zoffany
Portsmouth, Earl of:
as Lord Lymington, a pupil at Steventon, 21;
a neighbour, 68;
courteous message to Cassandra, 144;
ball at Hurstbourne, 150
_Pride and Prejudice_ (see also _First Impressions_):
Jane's second published novel, January 1813, 257;
read aloud at Chawton, 260; &c.;
author's own comments, 260-3;
description of, 263-5;
Jane looks out for pictures of Mrs. Bingley and Mrs. Darcy, 267-9;
Warren Hastings's admiration, 275;
Henry divulges secret of authorship, 281;
second edition, 289, 290;
young Fox's admiration, 370
RAMSGATE:
Francis Austen there, raising a corps, 174;
Jane perhaps there in 1803, 174
Rice, (Rev.) Morland:
owner of Zoffany portrait, 63
Rowden, Miss:
_see_ St. Quentins, the
Russell, Miss (Mrs. Mitford):
mother of Mary Russell Mitford, 84, 300;
her father Rector of Ashe, 1729-83, 17
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, Oxford:
George Austen, Scholar and Fellow there, 4, 5;
his sons James and Henry there, 39, 41, 46
St. Quentins, the:
chiefly manage Mrs. Latournelle's school at Reading, 26;
move to London, then to Paris; assisted by Miss Rowden, 27;
M. R. Mitford and Fanny Kemble educated by them, 27;
also Miss Landon, and Lady Caroline Lamb, 305
'Sanditon':
name given to Jane's first chapters of a new work, 381, _note_;
description, 381, 382
Scarlets:
home of the Leigh Perrots, 10, 18, 126, 384
Scott, Sir Walter:
writes article in _Quarterly_ on _Emma_, 326
_Sense and Sensibility_:
Jane Austen's first published novel;
sketch for, in letters called _Elinor and Marianne_, 79, 80;
early version of, 96;
resumed on settling at Chawton, 242;
in hands of printer, April 1811, 244;
comes out at end of October, 254;
description of, 243, 244;
its publication a secret, 254;
its success, 255, 256;
second edition, 290
Sherwood, Mrs.:
as Miss Butt, at Mrs. Latournelle's school at Reading;
her description of it, 26, 27
Ships (in which Frank or Charles served):
the _Unicorn_, 78;
the _Triton_, 103;
the _Tamar_, 121;
the _Peterel_, 121, &c.;
the _Endymion_, 125;
the _Neptune_, 174;
the _Leopard_, 192;
the _Canopus_, 192;
the _St. Albans_, 203;
the _Elephant_, 270;
the _Namur_, 284, _note_;
the _Phoenix_, 369
Southampton:
Austens settle there, 197;
house in Castle Square, 198;
description of surroundings, 202, 203;
they leave Southampton, 229
Steventon Rectory:
given to G. Austen, 5;
description of, 11-15;
G. Austen and family live there (or occasionally at Deane) till 1801,
17, 155, &c.;
leave it for Bath, 164;
Cassandra and Jane visit the James Austens there, 92, 93;
Mrs. G. Austen visits it for the last time, 256
Stoneleigh:
visit to, 194;
Mr. Leigh Perrot's claim to property compromised, 195
Stringer, Jane, sister of John Austen (iii):
one of her descendants married to Thomas Knight (i) of Godmersham, 2
_Susan_:
see _Northanger Abbey_
TAUNTON:
Mrs. Leigh Perrot tried and acquitted there, 135, &c.
Theatricals at Steventon:
names of pieces, prologues &c., 63-6;
Jane's share unknown, 66
Trafalgar:
Frank Austen just misses battle, 192, 193
WALKER, Jane:
_see_ Leigh, (Rev.) Thomas (i)
Walter, (Rev.) Henry:
son of (Rev.) James W., 6;
mathematician and scholar, 6, 259;
known at Court, 6
Walter, (Rev.) James:
son of W. H. Walter, met his death in the hunting-field, aged
eighty-four, 5
Walter, Philadelphia:
cousin and correspondent of Eliza de Feuillide, 5;
letters to and from, 38-44, 58, 59, 61, 65, 104, 105
Walter, William Hampson:
elder half-brother of (Rev.) George Austen, 4;
correspondence between his wife and himself and the Austens, 19-22
_Watsons, The_:
commencement of story, written by Jane about 1804, 175;
why discontinued, 175, 176
Weller, Elizabeth:
_see_ Austen, John (iii)
Williams, Captain T.:
captured _La Tribune_;
knighted, 78;
marries (i) Jane Cooper, who was killed in a carriage accident, 77,
108;
(ii) Miss Whapshare, 152, 154
Winchester:
Jane moves there for advice, 388;
lodges in College Street, 389;
dies there, and is buried in the Cathedral, 396, 397, 399
ZOFFANY:
painter of (believed) portrait of Jane as a girl, _frontispiece_, 62;
its history, 63
PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO. LTD., COLCHESTER
LONDON AND ETON
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Page 29, "tell" changed to "tells" (author tells us)
Page 159, repeated text was deleted. The original reads:
likely spot the very few which conducted him to the
door of the assembly room in the Inn, where there
happened to be a Ball on the night of their arrival;
a likely spot enough for the discovery of a Charles:
but I am glad to say that he was not of
Pages 211-212, a section of repeated text was deleted. The
original reads:
She was sensible, even-tempered, affectionate, and
conscientious. She did indeed prove 'almost another
sister' to Jane, even-tempered, affectionate, and
conscientious. She did indeed prove 'almost another
sister' to Jane, who, as Cassandra
Page 389, "fron" changed to "front" (the front wall)
Page 425, "Fénéon" changed to "Fénélon" (Par. F. Fénélon)
Page 445, "de Feuillide, Comtesse de" changed to "de Feuillide,
Comtesse"
Some references in the index were lacking page numbers. These
have been provided as follows:
Under
Austen, Fanny
in London during her uncle Henry's illness, 213;
Austen, (Sir) Francis (_see also_ Ships):
takes news to Nelson and captures _Ligurienne_, 160;
appointed to _Leopard_ (under Admiral Louis), 192;
Austen, (Rev.) George (i):
Rector of Steventon, 5;
Austen, Jane (the novelist)
death of Mr. Leigh Perrot and his will, 384;
The following words were inconsistently hyphenated. This was
retained to mimic the spelling in the original letters.
apiece/a-piece
bedroom/bed-room
bookcase/book-case
commonplace/common-place
deathbed/death-bed
disinclination/dis-inclination
everyday/every-day
handwriting/hand-writing
playfellows/play-fellows
postchaise/post-chaise
surname/sur-name
twelvemonth/twelve-month
Punctuation in the letter on page 135 was retained as printed.
(me. the)
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