The Annotated Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen

  23. His reason for wishing the two farther apart has already been suggested and will later be confirmed (this page): he believes Elinor will marry Colonel Brandon, and is jealous and naturally disinclined to be near the new couple. Elinor’s close friendship with the colonel and frequent meetings with him would certainly make that plausible. Edward may have even heard a rumor to that effect, for Mrs. Jennings has been speculating about it already and would naturally spread the idea, and, if Lucy heard it, she would want to tell Edward, in order to drive the thought of Elinor from his head. Thus Edward attributes Colonel Brandon’s gift to Elinor’s influence and finds the idea of thanking him an awkward one. He also has a new reason for gloom.

  24. Edward is conscientious enough that, after a pause, he rises still to go and perform the duty of thanking Colonel Brandon.

  25. Elinor senses that the Delaford living will permit the marriage of Edward and Lucy, and she faces the unpleasant fact squarely and unhesitatingly.

  26. The principal step for becoming ordained was to pass an examination administered by a bishop. A candidate would need to locate a bishop and make arrangements for the examination, something that might take a little time but rarely many months.

  27. use: benefit.

  28. Ten guineas was the wedding officiant’s fee. A guinea was a coin worth a pound and a shilling.

  29. This means she still hopes for Elinor’s marriage to Colonel Brandon.

  30. “Sitting room” was a general term for a room in which people could socialize, play games, or engage in other indoor activities. Mrs. Dashwood’s house has only two sitting rooms, and they are relatively small, so Colonel Brandon’s house is on a much larger scale.

  31. The large number of beds was not unusual for country houses. In addition to the sizable families that their inhabitants often had, the owners of the houses liked to be able to host friends and relatives for extended visits. This has already been seen with the lengthy stays of Mrs. Jennings and Colonel Brandon at the Middletons’, or the earlier one of Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters with John and Fanny Dashwood. The housekeeper, the leading female servant in a household, would be in charge of maintaining the beds, and thus the best person for someone as curious as Mrs. Jennings to ask in order to gather information about the house.

  32. touch up: remind.

  33. The patron of a clerical living was responsible for the construction and maintenance of the parsonage. Many parsonages were in poor shape, in part because the person responsible for their maintenance was not the person living in them. The resident of the house could spend money on it, but he would do so knowing that he could neither recoup his investment from selling the house nor pass it on to his descendants. Since Colonel Brandon’s father and brother, the previous owners of Delaford and also the previous patrons of the living, were described as irresponsible and dissolute, it is likely that the house suffered neglect for a while.

  34. Michaelmas: September 29. Mrs. Jennings’s opinion of the possibility of marriage on such an income, however challenging it may be, has a basis in Jane Austen’s own life, for when her parents married, her father’s clerical position paid him less than two hundred.

  VOLUME III, CHAPTER V

  1. in such spirits: so elated.

  2. The sentence implies that Edward’s happiness was far from certain—for Lucy’s report of his supposed elation can hardly be relied on.

  3. backwardness: reluctance, disinclination.

  4. own: acknowledge.

  5. Meaning someone who in worldly, or monetary, matters was happy to renounce his own interest completely.

  6. Since tithes were owed on the produce of property, a large landowner would naturally be a major source of them.

  7. The proximity of the parsonage to Colonel Brandon’s house would make such appropriation easier. In thinking of Colonel Brandon’s livestock she probably hopes to get some of the eggs and milk; it would be unrealistic to expect even a generous man to give another family livestock he is raising for meat.

  8. discovery: disclosure (of Edward’s engagement).

  9. Elinor has particular reason for disliking her because of her previous rudeness to Elinor and her current harsh attitude toward Edward.

  10. The servant at the door claimed that his mistress was not at home, a standard message from those not wishing to see someone. Elinor had come in Mrs. Jennings’s carriage, and carriages could take a little time to turn around because of the need to maneuver the horses.

  11. Since there is now no danger of a marriage between Elinor and Edward, Fanny no longer has a special reason to dislike Elinor—though John Dashwood refrains from saying that explicitly.

  12. He has a reason for inquiring because he, his wife, and Mrs. Ferrars wish to see Edward renounce Lucy, and this gift to Edward makes that less likely.

  13. Most livings were either granted to those with whom the presenter had a personal connection or family tie, or they were sold.

  14. presentation: appointment.

  15. The right to appoint someone to a clerical living was a form of property. It could be passed to one’s heir or sold, and there was an active market in livings. The normal price was five to seven times the annual income it generated. In this case, the incumbent was likely to die soon, which would make it more valuable because the new appointment could be made sooner, so John Dashwood’s estimate is very accurate. He may have engaged in such transactions himself, or, being very concerned with money, may have taken the trouble to learn the value of various forms of property.

  16. Once a living became vacant the right to appoint a new person could no longer be sold.

  17. Often a wealthy person would purchase the right of presentation to a living in order to provide for a son or other young relative. If the living became available before the intended beneficiary was old enough to be ordained, then someone else would be hired for the intervening years; he would sign a contract allowing him to collect the income but requiring him to resign eventually.

  18. Though Elinor’s indignation is understandable, she is a little unfair in ascribing a purely malicious motive to Fanny. Edward’s marriage to a woman without money or prestige would taint their entire family’s social position. Thus Fanny and Mrs. Ferrars would dislike any development that would make Edward’s marriage to Lucy more likely.

  19. Elinor’s speech is ironic, direct criticism being too impolite and too likely to strain her relationship with her brother. But irony is lost on him, and he treats her arguments as if she meant them seriously.

  20. Here, in response to Elinor’s irony, John Dashwood is so befuddled that he cannot even respond.

  21. whether she marry: an example of the use of the subjunctive mood, which is more frequent in Jane Austen than in current English.

  22. awful: solemn, respectful.

  23. The hesitating nature of his words indicates the respect, if not fear, with which he regards Mrs. Ferrars. He has already shown himself to be very deferential toward his wife, and his mother-in-law, with at least as forceful and acerbic a personality, greater age, and far more financial power, could inspire even greater obsequiousness.

  24. The “certain connection” is Elinor’s marriage to Edward.

  25. compound: settle (especially as part of an agreement or exchange).

  26. His naivety and obtuseness are shown by his belief that Elinor would take it as a compliment to be told that her marriage to Edward would be a lesser evil than Lucy’s.

  27. Robert’s entrance has been announced by the servant, who uses the formal designation of Mr. Robert Ferrars.

  28. Robert has already been shown associating with aristocratic and fashionable people in London, and many such people, especially young men, were known for their dissipated, i.e., dissolute and profligate, lifestyles.

  29. A white surplice, a long loose robe worn over other clothing, was used by Anglican clergy when conducting services.

  30. publishing: announcing.

  31. The reading of bann
s was one of two ways to get married. On three successive Sundays the impending marriage of two people would be announced in church; the idea was that if there were any impediment, such as an existing marriage of one of the betrothed or parental opposition to someone who was not twenty-one, anyone knowing of this impediment would learn of the marriage and have time to step forward to prevent it. The other way was to procure a license from a clergyman, who would check the couple’s qualifications. This method was generally preferred because it offered greater privacy, but it also cost money. Hence poor people used banns. This is why Robert imagines the banns of two people with very ordinary names, and he undoubtedly finds the prospect of Edward’s performing clerical duties for such humble folk to add to the absurdity of his proposed profession.

  32. gave no intelligence: communicated no meaning.

  33. sensibility: consciousness.

  34. manners: general conduct and demeanor.

  35. address: outward manner, especially in conversation.

  36. Robert earlier gave his opinion on the folly of Edward’s private education (this page).

  37. The awkwardness of the manners, speech, dress, and culture of country people was a commonly accepted stereotype among members of elite London society like Robert.

  38. in the way: at hand; in a position to be found or to know what is happening.

  39. connection: match, marriage.

  40. Robert’s conviction that he could have resolved the problem easily, a conviction perfectly suiting his consistent arrogance, will have important effects on the plot later.

  41. Edward’s engagement to Lucy has removed Fanny’s reason for disliking Elinor—though having long harbored and nurtured this dislike, she adopts a new course only with some difficulty and awkwardness.

  42. accents: utterances—with reference both to the words and the tone of voice.

  A genteel lady feeding her poultry (her clothing is from a slightly earlier period).

  [From George Williamson, George Morland: his life and works (London, 1907), p. 112]

  [List of Illustrations]

  VOLUME III, CHAPTER VI

  1. Because they will accompany Mrs. Jennings to Cleveland they will not have to pay for that, and Cleveland, near Bristol, represents more than half the total journey (see map).

  2. He looks forward to seeing her at Delaford because he hopes she will soon be the wife of Colonel Brandon, but, knowing Fanny’s long-standing dislike of Elinor, he promises the visit only when speaking to Elinor privately.

  3. The two parties are Mrs. Palmer, her baby, and probably a nurse or servant to help with the baby, all coming from Hanover Square, and Mrs. Jennings, Elinor, and Marianne. They would go in two separate carriages, because the main carriage for long-distance travel, a chaise, sat only three people. But the carriages, once they meet up outside London, will stay together and make the same stops for food and lodging.

  4. The distance by existing roads from London to Cleveland was approximately 120 miles. At standard speeds of seven to eight miles an hour, this would take fifteen to seventeen hours, but they will lengthen the trip with frequent stops to allow Mrs. Palmer and the baby to rest: carriage rides were bumpy, and people often felt sick and tired after them.

  5. schemes: plans, designs, projects.

  6. forenoon: morning. Since “morning” then meant most of the day, this term, the counterpart of “afternoon,” was used for the early part of the day.

  7. Houses that were modern in 1811, the publication date of the novel, were located on high ground to give them good views. Older houses had been built in lower positions for the sake of shelter; Emma, in describing such a house’s position, refers to “the old neglect of prospect [view].” For an example of a then-modern house, see below; for an example of what the leading landscape gardener of the time Humphrey Repton (discussed in Mansfield Park) considers a desirable view, see facing page.

  8. The park and pleasure grounds were the two principal areas of landscaping surrounding a house. The pleasure grounds consisted of areas, including walkways, shrubberies, and gardens that had obviously been designed by human hands; the park, which was usually farther afield and often very extensive, consisted of lawns and woodlands that, while often carefully landscaped, looked as if they could be natural.

  9. importance: dignity.

  10. Shrubberies were popular in landscaped gardens and usually contained winding paths, often with scattered places to sit. This one is open because, like most shrubberies, its spacious paths allow those walking in it to see all around them—as Marianne does below. In this it would contrast with “the closer [i.e., more enclosed] wood walk.”

  Earl Stoke Park: an example of a modern country house (from the perspective of 1811), with some features similar to the Palmers’.

  [From John Preston Neale, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, Vol. V (1822)]

  [List of Illustrations]

  11. plantation: wood of planted trees.

  12. Lombardy poplars had recently been introduced into England. While their timber was of no worth, they were valued for their great height, which would make them stand out when interspersed with other trees. Trees were often planted near houses for aesthetic reasons.

  13. offices: buildings near a house where necessary work was performed (the term was also used for similar rooms within, such as the kitchen, pantry, or cellar, but it probably does not mean that in this context). Here it would mean the stables and barns. Blocking such practical elements from view was an important part of landscaping, intended to allow people to engage in appreciation and contemplation of natural beauty without being reminded of more sordid realities.

  14. This indicates Jane Austen’s precision with regard to distances, for the journey from Bristol to Exeter was a little more than seventy-five miles by the main routes of the day, and Cleveland and Barton were described, respectively, as “within a few miles of Bristol” (this page) and “within four miles northward of Exeter” (this page). Thus eighty miles could be exactly right.

  15. The housekeeper was the highest-ranking female servant, who would run much of the household and supervise other servants. She would remain at the house when the family was gone, which is why she has not seen the child. Because her job required her to have frequent consultations with the mistress of the house, and because she usually was more educated than other servants, the mistress would know her better and might naturally make a point of showing her new baby to her.

  16. eminence: elevation, high ground. Having raised places to allow people to enjoy views of the surrounding countryside was standard.

  17. Landscaped grounds would often have various buildings scattered around to blend with the natural scenery; classical structures were especially popular. The Grecian temple has been placed in a high position, both to allow it to be seen easily from elsewhere and to offer expansive views. For an example of a classical structure designed to enhance the beauty of grounds, see facing page.

  18. Marianne’s conscious indulgence in misery, a prominent feature of Romanticism, appeared earlier in response to her father’s death and to Willoughby’s departure from Barton.

  19. Meaning a route along the paths surrounding the house. Landscaping of the time emphasized the creation of multiple circuits that would offer a variety of picturesque views as people walked around them.

  20. She has long enjoyed solitary rambles, especially when wrapped up in her unhappiness, but was unable to pursue them while in London. Thus it is not surprising that she seizes her first opportunity in months. At the same time, her plan to spend all her time alone while visiting the Palmers represents a distinct lack of consideration for her hosts.

  21. Since they arrived before noon they still had many hours of morning left, by the meaning of the term then.

  22. Kitchen gardens, which grew fruits and vegetables, were frequently enclosed by walls, for the shelter from the cold and wind would extend the growing season of the crops. Sometimes walls were heated with
fires to lengthen the season even further.

  23. Many estates contained greenhouses.

  24. Poultry yards were a basic feature of farms and estates, and poultry was something that was often a particular concern of the lady of the house. The dairymaid was in charge of hens or milk cows. For contemporary pictures of a dairymaid and a lady feeding her poultry, see this page and this page.

  25. abroad: out of doors.

  26. Marianne’s refusal to accept the weather is emblematic of her character. It will soon have significant consequences.

  27. She may be still working on the rug she had been taking measurements for earlier (see this page). For more on carpet work, see note 13.

  28. Reading was approximately forty miles west of London by the roads of the time; see map. If they reach it only by the evening, they did not leave London until the middle of the day, as Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Palmer presumably know they planned to do. Because the total distance from London to the Palmers’ home would require fifteen to seventeen hours of travel time (see note 4), they would not have been able to make the journey in a day and decided to divide it in this fashion.

  29. Almost all grand houses had libraries. They frequently contained books accumulated over many generations, which could be a point of family pride. Yet there was no guarantee that the current generation inhabiting the house would have any taste for reading.

  30. recollection: composure, self-possession.

  31. Dinner was usually at four or five o’clock. If they did reach Reading the previous night, and thus still had eighty of the 120 miles to go, they would have been ten or eleven hours on the road and could not have arrived until the evening.

  32. nice: fastidious, delicate.

  33. Mr. Palmer complained of the lack of a billiard table at Sir John’s house.