It ought to be a truth universally acknowledged that there is nothing so fine as a marriage well made; if only those within it are wise enough to preserve it from the accumulation of quotidian betrayals and small disappointments that can irrevocably damage what begins as good and sustaining and hopeful.
~ Finis ~
End Notes
* * *
[1] Portman Square created in 1764 with buildings by James Wyatt, Robert Adam and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart, including Montagu House, built in the north-west corner for the famed literary hostess Elizabeth Montagu and later used by the Portman family as their London town house. Source: Wikipedia.
[2] From the Book of Common Prayer, as the husband places the ring on the wife. With this ring I thee wedde: with my body I thee worship: and with al my worldly goodes I thee endow. In the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. Amen.
[3] Dido building Carthage, 1815, by J.M. William Turner (1775-1851). Darcy’s description of Turner’s works is that offered by the art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900).
[4] Sir Richard Grosvenor obtained a licence to develop Grosvenor Square and the surrounding streets in 1710, and development is believed to have commenced in around 1721. Grosvenor Square was one of the three or four most fashionable residential addresses in London from its construction until the Second World War, with numerous leading members of the aristocracy in residence. Source: Wikipedia
[5] Jean Jacques Rousseau,18th century philosopher who later became known as a revolutionary philosopher on education and a forerunner of Romanticism. One of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe, his ideas concerning education and the role society plays in a child’s development/education was published in his famous work Emile. Rousseau’s ultimate belief was that people are born basically good, but are corrupted by society. He also thought that individuals only learn these “bad habits” by living in the city, which is why he preferred a rural setting for children to learn. Source: www.educationalroots.weebly.com
[6] Austen’s Northanger Abbey was a parody of Anne Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolfo and other Gothic novels.
[7] Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), English writer and advocate of educational and social equality for women. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), she calls for women and men to be educated equally.
[8] Angelica Catalani (1780-1849) Italian Opera singer, soprano, famed for her nearly three octave range
[9] Domenico Angelo, Italian fencing master, was the first to emphasize fencing as a means of developing health, poise, and grace. As a result of his insight and influence, fencing changed from an art of war to a sport. He opened Angelo’s School of Arms in London in the 1750s, Angelo’s descendants were still operating the school during the latter half of the 19th century. Source: www.britannica.com.
[10] The monumental statue of Ramses II, The Younger Memnon, was acquired by the British Museum in 1817, a few year’s after the story takes place. Source: www.britishmuseum.org
[11] “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” is a popular old song, the lyrics of which are English playwright Ben Jonson’s 1616 poem “Song. To Celia.” www.Wikipedia.com
[12] A special marriage license was expensive and could only be granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It enabled a couple to get married anytime and anywhere. Source: regencyhistory.net
[13] Thomas Lawrence, leading English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. Adam Buck was an active regency painter.
[14] From John Milton’s (1608–1674) Paradise Lost
[15] The original title of Pride and Prejudice was First Impressions
[16] Ben Franklin, 1706-1790
[17] “A Red, Red Rose” is a 1794 song in Scots by Robert Burns based on traditional sources.
[18] Ibid.
Cover image: iStock #172475185
Small portions of this work have been previously
published online under the pseudonym Lucy Stone.
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To Teach the Admiring Multitude Page 43
