by Jane Austen
17. form: bodily figure.
18. A groom was a servant whose job was to take care of horses; his clothing would be markedly less fashionable and attractive than that of a gentleman.
19. easy: familiar, uninhibited. The word was sometimes used in a pejorative sense, and here it connotes excessive informality.
20. running it: racing swiftly. The term was applied especially to ships that ran a blockade in time of war.
21. Tetbury is a town northeast of Bath; it is on the road from Oxford, where the travelers began. The distance from Oxford by current roads was sixty-seven miles, which would probably take them nine to ten hours. They have broken the journey in two by spending the night at Tetbury. See this map.
22. Milestones were stone pillars along the road that marked the mileage. They were first developed in England during the seventeenth century, as part of the rise of turnpike trusts, to provide better long-distance roads; by this time they had become a basic feature of the country’s extensive network of highways. In some areas that lacked stone, wooden posts were employed instead; for a picture of a post providing directions, and possibly mileage, see below.
Road books had become another widely used aid to travel. They consisted of numerous detailed charts of the various routes between a wide array of towns, and the distances involved; they could include maps or information about inns and places to see. Innkeepers, because they constantly encountered travelers and rented them carriages and horses, were additional sources of knowledge concerning the roads in the vicinity.
23. This is much faster than a single horse pulling a carriage could go. Two horses pulling a chaise, an enclosed carriage only somewhat larger than a gig, would make seven to eight miles an hour on good roads. James Morland’s undoubtedly accurate reckoning, in the next paragraph, of three and a half hours to go twenty-three miles would yield a speed of just over six and a half miles per hour; a later incident shows his and Thorpe’s carriages achieving just over seven miles per hour (this page).
24. “True blood” signifies a pure thoroughbred. The term was usually applied to racehorses, a class of horses far superior to an ordinary carriage animal—the latter would hardly be worth the trouble and expense of careful breeding.
A traveler at a turning in the road.
[From William Combe, The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Search of the Picturesque (London, 1817; 1903 reprint), p. 9]
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25. Walcot Church is in Walcot Parish in northern Bath; see this map. Jane Austen’s parents were married in the church in 1764, though in the interval between then and the composition of this novel the medieval church they used was torn down and replaced by a handsome Georgian building, which still stands. The church graveyard contains the tomb of Mr. Austen—who died in 1805, two years after this novel was finished—as well as that of the novelist Frances (Fanny) Burney.
26. forehand: the part of the horse before the rider.
27. neat: well-made or well-proportioned.
28. Thorpe means the gig was built in London. Carriages were constructed by specialized coachmakers, for they were complex mechanisms that required great expertise. In addition, the varied materials and elements of a carriage meant that a wide range of handicraft skills were required to create a single vehicle, so large and busy enterprises had great advantages. Most coachmakers were therefore in cities, especially London.
29. Carriages suffered substantial wear on the frequently rough roads of the time and required regular repairs; this would make a new one especially valuable.
30. Christ Church is an Oxford college. Oxford was, and is, organized into colleges, and all who attend the university are part of one. Christ Church also had by far the most aristocratic student body of Oxford colleges then, which may be why Thorpe mentions that his friend belongs to it.
31. A curricle is an open carriage with two horses instead of one. This makes it faster than a gig; at the same time, it was also heavier, in order to allow it to withstand the additional pull of two horses, and this made it more expensive.
32. Magdalen Bridge is next to Magdalen College in Oxford; the bridge had been rebuilt in the late eighteenth century, shortly before this novel was written, and the same structure still stands now.
33. d——: damn. The word was considered too profane to print at the time, and it was certainly an inappropriate word to use in public, especially before ladies. Thorpe will use it numerous times.
34. He means the gig’s body is suspended from the wheels in the manner of a curricle. In fact, the term “curricle-hung” is not found in books of the time on carriages, and gigs and curricles were hung in a similar manner. He may be inventing this supposed quality to make his carriage sound better.
35. The trunk is a platform or compartment at the back of a carriage for holding luggage. A sword case is a receptacle, also at the back, for holding swords or similarly shaped objects. A splashing board, or splashboard, is a board in front of the driver’s seat that blocks mud thrown up by the horses’ hooves. Lamps were a standard feature of carriages, for no roads, except for some city streets, were illuminated at night. The molding refers to ornamental elements on the vehicle. Many of the mechanical parts of a carriage were made of iron. It is hard to imagine how the ironwork could be better than new.
36. A guinea is a coin worth a pound and a shilling, or 11⁄20 pounds. It was often used to name the price of specific items, whereas pounds were used to denote large, round sums of money.
37. Thorpe may not have been able to afford a curricle, and is now telling this story, after first declaring his preference for a curricle, in order to provide an alternative explanation for his owning the less prestigious gig.
38. Oriel is another Oxford college.
A coach (the largest of all carriages), with some of the features mentioned by John Thorpe.
[From T. Fuller, An Essay on Wheel Carriages (London, 1828), Plate 11]
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39. Her worries are justified, for it would usually be considered improper for an unmarried young woman to join, unaccompanied, an unmarried man for a carriage ride, especially to a place where they knew nobody.
40. Lansdown Hill is a very elevated point north of Bath with fine views.
41. In fact, horses would be harmed substantially by overwork. Those kept at inns to be hired for fast carriage transport would often live only three years because of the strain. Thorpe is simply using whatever argument suits his purpose, as with his sudden switch above to James Morland’s estimate of twenty-three miles for their journey.
42. A gig seated only two people.
43. Tom Jones (1749), by Henry Fielding, was a highly celebrated novel of the eighteenth century. It would be an appropriate choice for Thorpe, for it has an exciting and eventful plot, with plenty of adventure and physical action; it also has a male main character, one who lands in fights and scrapes as well as in dalliances with females. Its frequently ribald and salacious tone caused many, by Jane Austen’s time, when standards on such matters had become stricter, to frown on Fielding’s work despite its evident literary merits. Austen’s own attitudes toward it are unclear. According to her brother’s posthumous biographical notice, “She did not rank any work of Fielding quite so high [as Sir Charles Grandison]. Without the slightest affectation she recoiled from every thing gross.” But in her only direct reference to the work (in a youthful letter) she jokingly alludes to a passage in Tom Jones in a way that indicates strong familiarity and no clear disapproval (Jan. 9, 1796).
44. The Monk (1796) was probably the most famous horror novel of the time, after those of Ann Radcliffe. Written by Matthew Lewis at age nineteen, it stands in the line of German-influenced stories that dealt in hideous and explicit horror (see note 12). The monk of the title becomes inflamed with lust for a beautiful young virgin and ultimately descends, with the help of diabolical sorcery, into acts of rape, murder, and incest. In addition to graphic violence, the novel has a strong sexual e
lement, including some semi-pornographic scenes. It also brings in supernatural characters and events—a contrast to Radcliffe, who always provides rational explanations in the end for seemingly supernatural phenomena—and concludes with the appearance of Satan himself, who casts the monk into the torments of hell. The novel’s lurid nature was responsible for much of its popularity (its literary quality is not high), while also making it highly controversial. Its scandalousness even forced the publication of an expurgated edition. John Thorpe’s liking for this work gives a sense of his character; it also gives an ironic twist to his dismissal of novels, for The Monk exemplifies what most of those at the time denouncing novels found objectionable.
45. stupidest: dullest.
46. amusing: entertaining, interesting.
47. At this time, “fun” was slang and not used by those who spoke well.
48. He means Frances (Fanny) Burney (see note 25). In 1793 she married a political refugee from France, General Alexandre d’Arblay; large numbers of such emigrants came to England during this period to escape the French Revolution.
49. Most novels of the time, as well as many other books, were published in multiple volumes. Camilla, because of its length, was published in five.
50. Thorpe’s suspicion of foreigners, or those who associate with them, reflects a common contemporary attitude that was exacerbated by the bitter war Britain was fighting with France—though being willing to condemn a book simply for this reason carries xenophobia further than most would go.
51. In the early part of Camilla, an older man does get on a seesaw with a child—which results in a terrible accident—and does attempt to learn Latin. But these incidents occupy only a small part of the initial action, and both occur in the first five chapters, in a book with 118 chapters in all.
52. quiz: oddity.
53. rattle: person who talks incessantly in a lively or thoughtless manner.
54. understanding: mind, intellect. That James could say this about Isabella indicates the extent of his infatuation, just as his description above of her as “thoroughly unaffected” indicates that he shares some of his sister’s naïveté.
Women with large muffs—see note 56.
[From G. E. Mitton, Jane Austen and her Times (New York, 1905), p. 260]
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55. It will soon become apparent that James had another, more pressing reason for coming to Bath.
56. Large muffs were fashionable accessories for ladies at the time. Tippets were cold-weather coverings for the neck and shoulders; a character in Emma is urged to wear one when going out in the evening. Some tippets were small capes extending down to the bosom, while others were smaller wraps meant only for the neck and made of fur (for pictures, see below and this illustration). Since muffs would also be made of fur, it is likely this tippet is of the second kind, and came as a matching set with the muff.
57. The Octagon Room was a decent-sized room, of that shape, in the Upper Rooms (see the diagram below). It was originally used for playing cards, but after an additional room, more removed from the constant flow of people, was built for that purpose, the Octagon Room was used as a rendezvous point, as well as an occasional venue for concerts. In Persuasion the heroine has a fateful encounter with the hero in the room.
A tippet.
[From The Lady’s Monthly Museum, Vol. VII (1802), p. 277]
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58. A dressmaker (the term was a very recent one, as indicated by its hyphenation here) sold articles of clothing to women. A dressmaker could be a milliner, who usually sold accessories and small articles of clothing, or a mantua-maker, who sold gowns (a mantua was a type of gown popular in the early eighteenth century), or some combination of the two. As items of millinery were normally purchased in a shop, in this case Mrs. Allen is probably ordering a gown. Wealthy women often had someone come to their home for this purpose: a dressmaker or mantua-maker would assist the client in selecting the fabric and color and style of the gown, take the client’s measurements, and then either construct the gown herself or supervise another’s performance of this task. (Women in less comfortable circumstances would select the material and style on their own, and then contract themselves with someone who could do the basic work.) Bath had many such dressmakers or mantua-makers; in an initial version of Persuasion, the hero and heroine encounter each other, and become engaged, during a visit to the Bath home of a couple, the Crofts, while the wife is engaged with her mantua-maker.
The Upper Rooms.
[From Mowbray Aston Green, The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath (Bath, 1904), p. 161]
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VOLUME I, CHAPTER VIII
1. set: arrangement, drape.
2. Older women would accompany young women to dances and watch them to make sure no untoward conduct occurred. In this case, Mrs. Thorpe and Mrs. Allen are accompanying them.
3. ideas: thoughts, observations.
4. stand up: dance.
The vestibule of the Upper Rooms.
[From Mowbray Aston Green, The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath (Bath, 1904), p. 158]
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5. Undeserved disgrace is a trial experienced by heroines in many novels; a heroine’s resilience when under such duress, an ideal widely extolled in moral and religious writings of the time, is a sign of her virtue. As always, Catherine’s trials and conduct represent a prosaic version of what is extravagant and exalted in other novels.
6. An ideal heroine would be too elevated and dignified to signal her affection to the hero so clearly.
7. The plots of many novels of the time are propelled by such misunderstandings and mishaps.
8. Sentimental heroines often faint or suffer mental paralysis, signs both of the severe trials they suffer and of their acute emotional sensitivity. Austen ridicules this convention in Love and Friendship by having the heroine and her closest friend faint constantly; in a climactic scene one faints continually for an extended period, while the other goes temporarily mad.
The ballroom in the Upper Rooms.
[From Ninety-Six Fine Art Photographs of Bath and District (London, 1898–?)]
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9. Winter in the country could be dull, due to the absence of outdoor activities and the difficulty of traveling over dirt roads in bad weather.
10. Dr. Skinner would be a doctor of divinity, and hence a clergyman. Medical professionals, who were mostly not of genteel status, were normally referred to simply as “Mr.” Dr. Skinner is not likely a close neighbor of the Allens, since only one clergyman could serve a parish, and Catherine’s father serves the one containing the village of Fullerton.
11. Mrs. Hughes is the lady mentioned above who is accompanying Mr. Tilney and his sister. (The mention of “Miss Tilney” here confirms the identity of the woman as Mr. Tilney’s sister.)
12. Since they seem to be pressed to find seats for everyone, Mr. Tilney, as the man, remains standing.
The Upper Rooms (the street lamp and vehicle are from a later period).
[From Mowbray Aston Green, The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath (Bath, 1904), p. 160]
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13. Horses and dogs were common topics of conversation among men. Horses, in addition to their work pulling carriages, were used for riding and foxhunting, both popular male pursuits; dogs were also used for foxhunting, as well as for finding and retrieving game birds.
14. Terriers were used particularly to force foxes out of holes in the ground.
15. Isabella and Catherine are in different sets of dancers. Earlier they danced not only in the same set, but adjacent to each other; this change in their closeness will persist, for reasons soon revealed by Isabella.
16. She is being asked to allow Miss Tilney to be next to her in the dance set.
17. An introduction is required before Catherine and Miss Tilney can speak to each other; Catherine is elated because Mr
s. Hughes’s actions will allow her to interact with Miss Tilney.
18. air: outward character, demeanor.
19. open: frank, unreserved.
20. Catherine’s lack of leisure would result from her need at times to perform her part in the dance. Dances then involved alternating periods of activity and of watching and waiting; she could talk during the latter.
Queen Square, one of the most noted architectural sites in Bath.
[From Mowbray Aston Green, The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath (Bath, 1904), p. 65]
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21. Bath’s striking architecture was a frequent object of admiration.
22. Ladies sometimes engaged in horseback riding, though it was not nearly as popular a pursuit for them as for gentlemen.
23. Dances were performed in pairs, with one pair lasting approximately half an hour. At the end of a pair, people would change sets and partners, or, if they wished, sit down.
24. see for: look for.
25. Women sometimes wore jewelry on their heads; see below and this page.
A woman wearing beads on her head.
[From The Repository of arts, literature, fashions, manufactures, &c, Vol. V (1811), p. 361]
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26. teasing: bothersome, annoying.
27. Dance etiquette normally dictated not repeating partners immediately. This rule would be more strictly upheld in private dances, where everyone was likely to know one another and where such exclusive behavior could seem an insult to the general group; at such a dance in Sense and Sensibility a highly romantic couple who are willing to dance with only each other are forced to stand aside for a pair of dances before resuming their partnership. In a public assembly like this, however, where the participants might know only a few people, remaining exclusively with the same partner would be more permissible.
