by Jane Austen
52. See note 28, for ship ratings; and note 41, for man-of-war. The navy had six rates, or levels; the top three comprised the men-of-war.
53. Deal is a city in southeast England that was a naval base. It would be a good base for a ship patrolling the North Sea, the sea between Britain and Scandinavia. It is not certain, however, if that is what is meant by North Seas, plural. The Oxford English Dictionary defines that as “seas of the northern hemisphere,” though its last example of this usage is from 1706.
54. The assizes were courts held in each county. A small number of judges were at the pinnacle of the English legal system, and they all resided in London. To enable the most serious cases in the provinces to be tried—magistrates, or justices of the peace, handled less serious cases there—pairs of judges would go on circuit to each region of England and hear cases in every county. In most counties, including Somerset, this occurred twice a year and was the most important event in the county calendar, conducted with elaborate public ceremony and attended by leading local figures. As a prominent landowner, Mr. Musgrove would be a natural attendee.
At the same time, he would be running no risk in attending, except that of a carriage accident while traveling back and forth. Such accidents did occur, perhaps even more than automobile ones now, and could be fatal, but they paled in comparison to the dangers run by naval officers, whether from the sea, accidents on board, disease, or enemy ships. Moreover, assizes generally lasted a short time, so Mr. Musgrove’s absence would be nothing like the months, or even years, of those in the navy. Hence Mrs. Musgrove, in comparing her experience with Mrs. Croft’s, is only being ridiculous and giving further indication of her complete ignorance of naval matters.
55. Anne’s tears, and actions, serve as a reminder of her in a chapter that necessarily keeps her in the background. Her actions also show her continued usefulness despite her distress, as well as how her habits of employment, and of fortitude, make things easier for her by keeping her from wallowing in her emotion, and thereby possibly behaving in a way, such as by crying openly, that would attract the attention from others that she dreads.
56. Their lack of rivalry indicates the good characters of the two sisters. Two sisters in Mansfield Park, previously on good terms, develop strong feelings of rivalry and jealousy toward each other due to interest in the same man.
57. Thus even amidst her mechanical playing her senses are still attuned to what he might be doing.
58. “Miss Elliot” is the correct way for someone not related to her to speak of her now, when her elder sister is gone, and therefore no need exists to say “Miss Anne Elliot” to distinguish the two.
59. Most of the characters who dance in Jane Austen’s novels are young people, who would naturally be more drawn to what she calls in Emma “the felicities of rapid motion,” and who would have more strength for it (each pair of dances, which is what people would be expected to stand up for at a minimum, would last half an hour, and whole balls could last many hours). Yet Anne, at twenty-seven and in apparent good health, would still be perfectly fit for participating—this fitness is what helps inspire the question. The answer suggests that she has even ceased dancing at the local balls given by her elder sister, but it is doubtful this answer resulted from careful reflection. It may be Captain Wentworth’s presence that helps keep Anne off the floor. The answer also keeps him from conceiving that at least part of the reason for her playing the instrument rather than dancing is her wish and willingness to be helpful to others.
60. To make out an air, or melody, on the pianoforte would presumably require some knowledge of the instrument. This would be unusual for a man at this time: music, while strongly promoted as an accomplishment for ladies, was generally scorned as a subject of study for gentlemen. It thus indicates the strength of his love of music, referred to elsewhere (this page). That love had earlier made him so ideally suited to Anne: now, in a truly painful irony for her, the same love leads to an encounter that mortifies her by revealing the extent of his coldness to her—a coldness that contrasts notably with his behavior in the rest of the scene, in which “no one seemed in higher spirits than Captain Wentworth.”
61. His use of “madam” is very formal and indicates his aloofness. It was mostly employed in letters, with the less formal “ma’am” preferred in speech, and even the latter was mostly used for addressing older women.
62. grace: kindness, favor.
British admiral of the time.
[From William Alexander, Picturesque Representations of the Dress & Manners of the English (1813)]
VOLUME I, CHAPTER IX
1. Shropshire is a county north of Somerset (see map).
2. The grass would be part of the park around Kellynch (see note 16). The grass is being grazed by sheep to keep it low, which would be necessary to preserve its appearance and to make it suitable for walking (grass not serving those purposes could be allowed to grow and then harvested for hay). This would also provide nourishment for the sheep, one of the most popular types of livestock in Britain, cultivated for wool and for food.
3. gig: an open two-wheeled carriage. It was the most popular of open carriages and would be a good choice for riding about the countryside when the weather was not inclement. For more on their specific choice of a gig, see note 79.
4. establishment: household.
5. in orders: qualified as a clergyman in the Church of England.
6. A curacy is a position as a curate, someone hired to fulfill the duties of the person holding a clerical position (for more, see note 48). Residence would frequently be required for curacies so that the curate could perform the duties well, but in this case Charles Hayter’s residence in the neighborhood means he would be able to go to the parish often. The most essential duties were performing the Sunday service and presiding at baptisms, weddings, and funerals, and these would not require a constant presence.
7. fair one: lady, i.e., member of the fairer sex.
8. manners: outward behavior—specifically Henrietta’s toward him.
9. Among the landed classes at this time, marriage between cousins, even first cousins, was completely acceptable (those lower in the social scale were more likely to regard it as incestuous). Mansfield Park concludes with the marriage of the hero and heroine, who are first cousins. One reason for this elite attitude was that marriage between cousins could consolidate family wealth, sometimes even by uniting two different estates—in this case that is not a factor.
Another reason, which does apply here, was the limited population of the landed classes, which restricted the number of suitable marriage partners, and thus made people prefer not to exclude relatives from consideration. Among the high aristocracy, which set standards that others followed, the number of possible partners was especially limited. The lower-ranking gentry, portrayed here, was much larger in number, but their resources usually restricted their socializing to their immediate rural neighborhood, and any particular neighborhood rarely contained more than a handful of elite families. The main characters in this novel come from a few families and spend all their time with one another; a similar pattern prevails in other Jane Austen novels. As for marriage choices, Elizabeth Elliot has found no suitable man pursuing her since her disappointment with William Elliot, Anne has seen no one suitable since Captain Wentworth, and Charles Musgrove directed his proposals, in succession, to two daughters of the only other prominent family in the vicinity.
10. consequence: social position.
11. Among the meanings of “scholar” was someone attending a university, and someone who was well-educated. Both could be applicable here. Study at Oxford or Cambridge, the only two English universities then, was the principal way for someone to become qualified for the clergy, which in turn would automatically confer gentleman status on him. Becoming well-educated would also be a way for Charles Hayter to distinguish himself, and thereby help people forget about his less genteel origins. At this time, people who were from modest social level
s rarely received much education.
12. The Musgroves’ behavior suggests some of the problems that could result from their easygoing manners. Confusion about marital intentions later develops regarding Captain Wentworth and one of their daughters, and had events transpired differently, and had he been less than highly honorable, that daughter could have been left with a broken heart and possibly some degree of social humiliation (see note 88).
13. remark: observation or comment, often of a critical nature.
14. His fortune is elsewhere specified as 25,000 pounds. At the standard investment return, from government bonds, of 5%, this would give him 1,250 pounds a year, a sum that would make him, and any wife of his, very comfortable, though not as rich as many landowners. As regards present monetary values, a pound then was approximately the equivalent, measured in purchasing power, of 55 pounds today (2010), or 80 to 85 dollars at current exchange rates. Thus Wentworth’s annual income would be $100,000 or a little more.
These comparisons are tricky, for relative economic costs have changed greatly. Goods have become much cheaper since then, and labor much more expensive. Thus at that time, purchases of books or clothing or household furnishings could absorb a large portion of people’s income, and even the wealthy had to be careful about them, but many people could afford live-in servants, with wealthy families having many, sometimes dozens, and even middle-class families having one or two. But, however his wealth is calculated in today’s terms, at the time Captain Wentworth’s fortune would have put him in the richest one percent of the population.
15. Naval officers could be given honors like baronetcies for distinguished service. Earlier Sir Walter discussed an officer who had been made a lord, which was even higher.
16. This would be by rules of precedence (see note 31). The wife of a baronet would supersede the daughter of a baronet like Mary.
17. The newer a title was the less prestigious. Mary’s father was shown looking down on those baronetcies that were granted later than his (this page).
18. alliances: marriages, or unions (with other families) through marriage.
19. By principal part of the family Mary means herself, husband, and children, for Charles, as the eldest son, will eventually inherit the Musgrove property, and thus be the leading member of the family. The idea of obligations to one’s family, including in marital decisions, was standard in this society, though that mostly meant one’s parents. Few would have argued for a binding duty to avoid marrying someone who was looked down upon by one’s brother and his wife.
20. connexions: connections, that is, family ties or relationships (including those formed by marriage).
21. Curates had a low status, relative to other gentlemen, and low incomes (see note 48).
22. She uses a more formal title here, rather than “Henrietta” as she has been saying, to emphasize Henrietta’s social status, and thus her social superiority to Charles Hayter. Her use of “Miss Musgrove,” rather than “Miss Henrietta Musgrove,” indicates that Henrietta is the eldest sister. At a few points later Louisa is called “Miss Louisa” or “Miss Louisa Musgrove,” titles appropriate for a younger sister.
23. Eldest sons were the ones who inherited the family property.
24. Charles could mean that the Spicers control a church living, or position, and will present Charles Hayter to the bishop of the diocese, who would then, as required, officially grant the appointment. Approximately half the livings in England were controlled by individual families such as the Spicers. Charles could also mean that the bishop himself controls the living—as was true of around ten percent of livings—and will appoint Charles Hayter on the basis of a personal recommendation from the Spicers. Such exercise of personal connections and influence was standard in both the church and society at this time.
25. An estate normally meant a substantial piece of property, though this one is not that large by the standards of estates. A farm meant a piece of land that one rented from the owner and could cultivate in order to get the profits above the rental payments (for more, see note 43). A farm would therefore be less valuable, though in this case, since Charles goes on to praise the quality of the land, it could bring in substantial profits. All this would be on top of Charles Hayter’s income as a clergyman (to avoid interference with his clerical duties, he could hire people to take care of cultivating the land he owns or rents).
26. country: county.
27. Charles’s comment indicates how important social status is, even for those like the Musgroves, who are more relaxed about it than the Elliots.
28. Freehold property is owned outright. This is what principally distinguishes the estate at Winthrop from the farm Charles also mentioned, and naturally freehold property is considered better than rented property.
29. should: would.
30. He would impeach, or discredit, his honor because in that day a man was never supposed to woo a woman he was not seriously interested in, and since he could not marry two women, making advances toward two would mean inevitably abandoning one. It is notable that Anne, despite the pain she feels from seeing his flirtation with other women, concentrates her reflections on the dangers posed to others’ happiness or honor.
31. delicacy: sensitivity for the feelings of others.
32. lightness: fickleness, thoughtlessness, frivolity.
33. In addition to her general concerns, she would feel a natural identification with someone spurned by the person he or she loves and forced to watch that person flirting with another.
34. A rector was a clergyman entitled to all the tithes from his parish. A vicar, the other principal type, was entitled to only some of the tithes. Since tithes constituted much of a clergyman’s income, a rector was generally in a superior position (though, since the incomes from clerical positions varied widely, due to the great differences in the size and wealth of parishes, there were vicars who were wealthier than rectors).
35. His zeal is shown by his not engaging a curate to take over his work, even though he is apparently getting old. Since curates could often be hired cheaply, and since, as a rector, it is likely the income from his position is good, he would probably still be able to live well after the expense of a curate. Many clergy at the time did not show such zeal, though there was a movement to encourage greater devotion and stricter performance of duties.
36. Henrietta would naturally wish this, and was probably, in articulating this wish, aware that many curates were hired at salaries far below what the person hiring them could afford.
37. Henrietta’s fickleness suggests the limitations of her character. It also foreshadows similar behavior on the part of her highly similar sister later in the novel.
38. Eventual clerical retirement was standard, though there was nothing to force it. Jane Austen’s father eventually retired from his duties as a clergyman and moved with his family to Bath. He hired a curate to replace him while continuing, like any such clergyman, to receive the income from the position.
39. He, as a nonrelated man, would never go upstairs to where the bedrooms were.
40. In seeing her nurse the boy Wentworth has an opportunity to witness Anne’s willingness to help others, and the skill and gentleness with which she provides that help. In Pride and Prejudice the hero, Darcy, is first alerted to the good moral qualities of the heroine, Elizabeth, by seeing her devotedly nurse her ill sister.
41. stout: vigorous, strong. The meaning of “bulky” or “overweight” was just coming into usage at this time and was still not the standard one.
42. forward: precocious, bold.
43. giving away: being given away; see also note 61, on this construction.
44. teaze: tease, meaning, in this case, bother or disturb.
45. The nineteenth-century American novelist William Dean Howells commented, regarding this scene of rescue by Captain Wentworth, “As any practiced reader of fiction could easily demonstrate, this is not the sort of rescue to bring about a reconciliation between lovers in
a true novel. There it must be something more formidable than a naughty little boy that the heroine is saved from: it must be a deadly miscreant, or a mad bull, or a frightened horse, or an express train, or a sinking ship. Still it cannot be denied that this simple, this homely scene, is very pretty, and is very like things that happen in life, where there is reason to think that love is oftener shown in quality than quantity, and does its effect as perfectly in the little as in the great events” (from Heroines of Fiction).
46. In the next chapter, when performing another service for Anne, he will show a similar disinclination to converse with her about it. She assumes, along the lines she has been consistently thinking, that his aversion to conversation results from continued aloofness toward her, and that is certainly plausible. But it may also result from simple dislike of thanks. Mr. Knightley, the hero of Jane Austen’s previous novel, Emma, and a man with some similar qualities to Captain Wentworth, is described as having a particular aversion to being thanked for the many services he renders others.
47. vext: vexed, annoyed.
48. Her inability to feel interest in anyone else’s feelings because of her own, while normal for most people, represents a departure from Anne’s usual altruistic spirit. It indicates how much the incident, despite its trivial nature, has affected her.
VOLUME I, CHAPTER X
1. Her discernment of this shows the usefulness, to the story, of her previous knowledge of him.
2. That two women are in this fever of admiration, and that he is, at this stage, apparently interested in them equally, is important for suggesting that Anne’s surmise about his lack of real love may be correct. He would know that he cannot have both, and if really in love with one would avoid flirting with the other. When, later in this chapter, he does veer toward one, it is more her doing than his—a sharp contrast to the active initiative he usually shows.
