The Annotated Northanger Abbey
Page 45
17. mind: character.
18. “A desire of revenge” here means a wish to see Isabella suffer in revenge for her ill treatment of James.
VOLUME II, CHAPTER XIII
1. experimental conviction: conviction derived from experience or observation.
2. turned: finished, passed.
Two women in contemporary fashion.
[From Max von Boehn, Modes & Manners of the Nineteenth Century, Vol. I (London, 1909), p. 107]
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3. start forth: mention, introduce.
4. Long visits were standard practice among genteel people of the time, especially women, due to their extensive leisure time and the considerable time and discomfort involved in travel. Jane Austen, in her periodic visits to her brothers and their families, usually stayed many weeks.
5. sportive: silly, frivolous.
6. General Tilney would have justification for this injunction in the need to keep the ladies company in his absence as well as possibly the need for a man to be present in case of certain eventualities, such as external dangers or problems on the estate—though his real reason is his hope of furthering the romance between Henry and Catherine.
7. In other words, Henry’s curate has a scheduling conflict, so Henry has to perform the Sunday services.
8. That, in addition to its breakfast room and main dining room, Northanger contains a special room for supper—a fairly light meal at this time—indicates the size of the home.
9. The Abbey’s walls are particularly thick because it is an older building, even if its inside has been substantially modernized.
10. “House-bell” may refer to a doorbell next to the front door. If so, this marks one of the earliest references to one in written English: the first example of the word’s use provided by the Oxford English Dictionary is from Jane Austen’s Persuasion, finished thirteen years after this novel. The presence of such a novelty as a doorbell would be another aspect of General Tilney’s urge to improve and make his home as up-to-date as possible.
11. unseasonable: inopportune (with particular reference to time of day in this case).
12. fine: refined, fastidious.
13. These portentous sounds (which in fact result from the person outside the door’s hesitation in opening it), and the trepidation they inspire in Catherine, give the scene an ambiance of Gothic fiction; in this case, the sounds do herald a turn of events that is genuinely baleful, though not as extravagantly so as in Gothic novels.
14. a raised: an aroused.
15. Lavender water was used to help soothe or revive people, and was often carried by women (see also note 39).
16. connected: coherent.
17. Hereford is a town in the county of Herefordshire, which lies immediately northwest of Gloucestershire; see this map.
18. directly interesting: immediately important.
19. Ladies were never supposed to travel alone, both for their general safety and to guard against any sexual impropriety or suggestion thereof. Jane Austen often adjusted her travel plans to make sure a brother of hers could accompany her on a journey. If a relative were unavailable, a male servant would be substituted.
20. Given the intimacy she has established with the family, Catherine might expect the courtesy of having a servant accompany her the whole way (assuming no male member of the family is available to join her, and there is insufficient time to contact a male relative or friend and allow him to meet her along her route).
21. The carriage would be a hired chaise, probably ordered from a local inn.
22. Eleanor is officially the mistress of the house, the person who manages the household, because of her position as the sole female of the family. Previous incidents, however, have shown her father consistently dictating her conduct, including in those areas, such as the treatment of guests, where a mistress was supposed to be able to act according to her own discretion.
23. propriety: what is right and proper (in the sense of morality as well as etiquette).
24. Seventy miles would require a full day of travel, at the standard speed of seven to eight miles an hour. The actual distance may be a little more, since it will be shown to take eleven hours without stopping; Eleanor would not have reason to know the distance precisely, and Catherine, whose unfamiliarity with the route appears on her journey, would be in no position to correct her.
25. For a discussion of going post, the prevailing method of long-distance travel, see note 14.
26. Catherine’s youth would add to the impropriety and danger of the trip, since her inexperience might make her less able to cope with difficulties.
27. Heavily: distressfully.
28. emotion: agitation.
29. The descriptions within this sentence both parallel and contrast with Catherine’s experiences during her initial nights at Northanger, when she also lay awake long, but did so from imaginary fears and evils.
30. An apology could try her clemency through the difficulty of summoning a spirit of forgiveness for her host’s conduct, and test her dignity because of the temptation to betray her emotions.
31. completing her dress: finishing getting dressed.
32. Eleanor’s personal maid would have always packed her own trunk for her.
33. Since meals were served by placing dishes on the table and allowing diners to serve themselves, it was courteous for those near a certain dish to help someone else who desired it, and it was particularly incumbent on men to help ladies in this manner.
34. Alice is probably the daughter of Lord Longtown. It later turns out that General Tilney arranged this visit at the last minute (this page); therefore the Longtowns must be good friends of the family, which explains why Eleanor is on a first-name basis with Alice. Catherine would not put her own name or return address on any letter she sent, since that was not done, but a letter sent directly to Eleanor, if noticed by her father, could produce questions as to its sender.
35. accommodation: a loan; monetary assistance.
36. Catherine will need to pay at each stage of her route for the hire of fresh horses and possibly a different carriage, as well as for any refreshment.
Costume for outdoors, such as Catherine would wear for traveling.
[From Max von Boehn, Modes & Manners of the Nineteenth Century, Vol. I (London, 1909), p. 90]
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VOLUME II, CHAPTER XIV
1. That the estate is still visible some miles into her journey demonstrates the extent of Northanger Abbey’s grounds.
2. It was actually eleven days ago, for that was a Wednesday and it is now Sunday. Catherine’s having to leave on a Sunday worsens General Tilney’s offense, for it was considered best to avoid travel on Sundays if possible.
Salisbury Cathedral, by John Constable, one of the leading painters of the time; it was a favorite subject of his. See note 7.
[From Arthur B. Chamberlain, John Constable (London, 1909), p. 56]
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3. injurious: libelous, defamatory.
4. impetuous: passionate, vehement.
5. article: item, particular.
6. undistinguishing: indiscriminate.
Salisbury Cathedral.
[From Winkle’s Architectural and Picturesque Illustrations of the Cathedral Churches of England and Wales, Vol. I (London, 1836), Plate 6]
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7. Salisbury Cathedral has long been known for its high spire, visible from far away. At this time of growing appreciation for medieval architecture, Salisbury was considered the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals in England.
8. point: travel destination.
9. “Postmaster” meant either an employee of the post office at each stopping point along the road, whose job it was to take care of the coach carrying the mail and ensure it proceeded smoothly, or someone running a posting station, who would provide travelers with fresh horses. Originally the same person did both jobs, for the mail coach wou
ld change horses at the same places as other travelers (“post” for mail service derives from couriers being stationed along post roads). Either type of postmaster would have an excellent knowledge of the route along which he worked.
10. This travel time suggests she did not stop to eat, which if true would indicate the extent of her distress, as well as her eagerness to reach home.
11. A countess is the wife of an earl (or a foreign count), and therefore a person who would travel with great dignity.
12. A phaeton is an open carriage with four wheels (in contrast to the two wheels of a gig or curricle). That the figure being imagined here would have a long train of relatives of noble rank willing to follow her suggests an unrealistically exalted position, the type that sentimental novels liked to raise their heroine to at the end.
13. A waiting maid is a lady’s maid; three would require an entire chaise to themselves. Even a very wealthy lady would normally have only one such maid. This is thus another touch of outlandish extravagance.
14. minuteness: a minute or detailed description.
15. hack: hired.
16. A post boy would drive the horses of a post chaise. Boys were often employed for this rather than men, due to their lighter weight and lower wages. Poor boys would procure jobs like this once old enough to perform them well.
17. Since people would not be working on a Sunday, they would be more likely to be present at home to witness a carriage’s arrival.
18. Since chaises were mostly used for travel and the family would be familiar with any chaise owned by someone in the area, they could quickly determine that an unknown vehicle is bringing a long-distance traveler to their door.
19. The sweep-gate is the gate to the sweep, the curved driveway in front of the house, and thus the entrance to the Morlands’ property. The carriage would need to stop there to open the gate before proceeding to the house.
20. George and Harriet are implied to be the two young children mentioned above. Sarah was earlier identified as the oldest girl after Catherine. As for the rest of their ten children, some of the boys could be away at school, which was more common for boys than for girls.
21. A “tea table” could mean either a special table built for serving tea (see this illustration), or any table laid out for tea (which would include snacks as well as tea and possibly other drinks). In this case it probably means the latter, for the specific tea tables of the period were small, and would not easily allow the whole family to sit around them.
22. “Race” was often used then to refer to a family or other small group of people.
A phaeton.
[From T. Fuller, An Essay on Wheel Carriages (London, 1828), Plate 11]
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23. partial: especially favorable.
24. allow: make allowances.
25. put upon exerting themselves: forced to exert themselves.
26. shatter-brained: giddy, thoughtless.
27. The narrative stated only that Catherine changed horses on her journey, but changing chaises could be included in that as well, since it would occur at the same stopping points along the route.
28. Enclosed carriages like chaises usually contained pockets for travelers to store personal items.
29. evil: trouble, pain.
Contemporary tea tables.
[From Esther Singleton, The Furniture of our Forefathers (New York, 1916), p. 232]
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30. This shows how the Morlands differ from the characters in sentimental fiction, where acute focus on the travails of the heart is central.
31. pretty: nice, pleasing. The word could be a general term of praise then.
32. coloured: blushed.
33. As long as General Tilney disapproves of any contact between his daughter and Catherine, it would be inappropriate for them to arrange a meeting; their ability to see each other would be further hampered by the restrictions on ladies’ traveling alone.
34. happy: successful.
A portrait of three children.
[From The Masterpieces of Hoppner (London, 1912), p. 43]
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35. Catherine assumes that marriage to Henry is now impossible due to the attitude of his father. She also knows that it is likely he will eventually marry someone else, given his good social and economic situation and his attractive personal qualities.
36. comfortable: encouraging, reassuring.
37. A family would prefer to be acquainted with a child’s choice of a spouse in order to be certain of this person’s character. The virtual impossibility of divorce created a particularly acute consciousness of the need to avoid a foolish choice.
38. Though the Morlands were benevolent enough to give their consent to James earlier, they are also practical enough to consider matters of money, and to prefer that their child marry someone who is well off. Few parents in this society would not take that into serious consideration.
39. complaisance: agreeableness. The idea here is that Catherine’s composure might be threatened because her mother’s reflections could lead to the further point that Catherine may be benefited by her failed romance, or to the suggestion of a second choice in marriage for James, which could remind Catherine of such a possibility for Henry.
40. independent: unattached.
41. accidental: occasional.
42. Mechlin is a fine, intricate lace made in the town of Mechlin in Flanders. Lace was prized as trim for a variety of garments.
43. Catherine is recalling her encounter with Henry Tilney, the first new person they met in Bath.
44. Gloves were worn by wealthy people, male or female, on most occasions. Their function was to prevent direct physical contact, regarded as immodest, and to keep hands white, which was seen as a mark of refinement. Gloves could be made of cloth as well as leather, though the use of silk, or other very expensive materials, for gloves was rare.
Gloves of the time.
[From Alice Morse Earle, Two Centuries of Costume in America (New York, 1903), p. 760]
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45. The subject is too painful for her to continue speaking of it.
46. better-bred: more polite or courteous.
47. Milsom Street, as already discussed, was a very desirable and fashionable location.
48. position: proposition, assertion.
49. representations: arguments, remonstrances.
A young woman.
[From Elisabeth McClellan, Historic Dress in America, 1800–1870 (Philadelphia, 1910), p. 39]
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VOLUME II, CHAPTER XV
1. The parlor is a less grand sitting or living room than a drawing room. Its existence indicates that the Morlands are not as wealthy as the Tilneys (though they probably have a drawing room for more formal occasions, and use the parlor only for ordinary use, much as those at Northanger use their common drawing room—see note 54).
2. “A fine lady” could be one of high social rank, or one who was dainty and fastidious; either type (they would often go together) would be inclined to disdain normal household work.
3. Cravats, a basic item of male attire (see note 23), were usually made at home by the women of the family, using material purchased at a store; this was also true of men’s shirts. Jane Austen refers more than once in her letters to making shirts for her brothers.
4. Mrs. Morland’s mistake mirrors that of the heroine’s parents in Frances (Fanny) Burney’s Camilla. They also believe their daughter has been spoiled by exposure to others’ fancy ways, when she is actually disconsolate due to separation from her lover.
A mother with children.
[From Randall Davies, English Society of the Eighteenth Century in Contemporary Art (London, 1907), p. 52]
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5. French bread, considered the most desirable bread, was not the slender baguette called that today, but a round, soft, rich roll or loaf. General Tilney may hav
e a French cook, which was common among the wealthy because of the great prestige of French cuisine. The high salaries such cooks commanded put them out of most people’s reach.
6. great: high-ranking.
7. The Mirror was a periodical. The piece in question is probably a fictitious letter of 1779 from “John Homespun” detailing the “Consequence to little folks of intimacy with great ones.” The supposed author laments that a month of staying with a great lady has corrupted his daughters, inspiring dissipated habits, use of fashionable French terms, religious doubts, and a general contempt for the humble means and customs of their own family.
8. The standard courtesy was for a man to rise upon the entrance of a woman into a room, especially if he had not met her before.
9. conscious: self-conscious (in this case, from feeling awkward or embarrassed).
10. sensibility: sensitivity; susceptibility to strong feelings.
11. uncandid: unfriendly or unfavorably inclined.
12. Weather and roads are frequently cited by Austen as the two most basic topics of ordinary conversation. Roads were often difficult to manage due to their being made of dirt, and their quality varied considerably from place to place, depending on the vigilance of local authorities in maintaining them.
13. His job as a clergyman would take him away from home, whether for visiting people in need of care or attending to parish business.
14. developing: discerning.
15. In the typical sentimental novel the hero falls passionately in love with the heroine from the moment of seeing her, and quickly realizes they are destined for each other. Catherine and Henry’s affections were formed in a less spectacular, perhaps more realistic manner.
16. connection: coherence.
17. Catherine journeyed home on Sunday, Henry went to Northanger Abbey on Monday, and it is now Wednesday (for further details, see note 45 and chronology).