by Jane Austen
70. In the way of: as regards, with a view to.
71. It would be a great good for Jane because it would save her from going to work as a governess, which she, like everyone else, regards as pain and sacrifice. It would also furnish Mrs. and Miss Bates with a far superior home than they now enjoy and with an economic security that they lack.
72. connection: connection or link through marriage. She means it would be shameful and degrading because of the lower social position of Jane and her family, though in fact most people would probably just consider it imprudent financially, for Jane is from a genteel background.
73. The popular Gothic fiction of the time often involved haunted abbeys, which were popular settings for these stories because of their archaic and mysterious associations and often ruined state. Emma plays on the name of Mr. Knightley’s home, Donwell Abbey, which, when eventually described, has nothing of mystery or horror about it. For an example of an actual “abbey,” see the following page.
74. Petticoats to go under gowns were basic articles of female clothing.
75. Her conscience tells her that ridiculing others is wrong, especially those who are poorer and more vulnerable.
76. A scene occurring the next day will show Mr. Knightley interrupting Miss Bates somewhat in this manner.
77. That is, no happier prospect or expectation than becoming a governess.
78. One of the principal reasons for young women to learn to play an instrument and to sing was that such talents were considered seductive to men and therefore apt to help in winning a good husband.
79. The scruple of delicacy could be his fear that informing Jane of his kind act could make her feel obligated to like him, and he would not wish to impose on her in that way. A similar consideration leads the hero of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy, to attempt to conceal an extremely generous action that aided the family of the heroine.
De La Pre Abbey, Northamptonshire: a house with the medieval features beloved by writers of Gothic fiction.
[From John Preston Neale, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, Vol. I (1818)]
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80. In this she departs from her frequent refusal to acknowledge her limitations or fallibility.
81. A second is the next-to-highest part in a song or musical piece. His ability to sing this part correctly indicates much greater knowledge of music than he earlier professed to Emma.
82. John and Isabella would be disappointed because they and their eldest child would not be able to inherit Mr. Knightley’s estate if he had children. This could also hurt their other children, because the wealth of the estate could add to their fortunes.
83. Mr. Knightley would no longer be able to visit Mr. Woodhouse as often, and might have less time to help him with his business affairs.
84. Emma refers to rules of precedence, which determined on formal occasions like this one who would proceed first into and out of the dining room, as well as other rituals, such as who would lead the dance. Precedence was determined by social rank, with a woman’s position also being raised by being married. A Mrs. Knightley would take precedence over everyone on all occasions.
85. Miss Bates will shortly point to his dislike of being thanked (see here), and he will display it more than once.
86. put-to: put to work.
87. As elsewhere, he shows a great interest in seeing Emma behave well.
88. This suggests that disapproval of the action was the reason for his silence when told of the gift, a silence Mrs. Weston interpreted as possible proof of his having made the gift.
89. thick: hoarse.
90. He is still providing the second part of the song.
91. Mr. Knightley’s words to Miss Bates are rather blunt. This reflects his general frankness and straightforwardness as well as most likely his concern for Jane and his inclination to become angered by Frank Churchill’s actions.
Waltzing.
[From Joseph Grego, Rowlandson the Caricaturist Vol. II (London, 1880), p. 57]
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92. Miss Bates may be particularly concerned for Jane from knowing that Jane’s mother died from tuberculosis. This would lead to fears of anything relating to Jane’s throat or lungs, for medical thinking of the time tended to emphasize the hereditary nature of tuberculosis.
93. Domestic musical performances were sometimes called private concerts.
94. Thus Mrs. Weston does not perform, even though she shortly provides the piano accompaniment for the dance. It may be that her skill extends only to dance music and she would not do as well in other contexts; that is what may be implied by the words of the next sentence, “Mrs. Weston, capital in her country-dances.” Or it may be because she is married and only “young-lady-performers” are desired. Domestic musical performance was valued partly as a way for young ladies to display their talents to others: in Pride and Prejudice Mr. Bennet, in instructing his daughter to cease playing, says, “Let the other young ladies have time to exhibit.”
95. Country dances were the most popular type of dances. They involved all the couples facing each other and forming two lines, after which the couples would perform a sequence of movements, sometimes one at a time and sometimes all together, and gradually shift position; for a diagram, see this page. Older women like Mrs. Weston, who would be less likely to dance themselves, often furnished the dancing music.
96. The waltz had recently been introduced in England. It was initially denounced as improper, if not scandalous, because unlike previous dances it involved the couple’s embracing. It also signaled a major shift in dancing, one arguably showing the rise of more individualistic and less communal attitudes, for in it and other dances that followed, couples for the first time danced by themselves rather than as part of a larger group. At this time only certain daring social circles practiced the waltz. Waltz music, however, had been around for a couple of decades and was often used to accompany country dances; this is what is occurring here. For a contemporary picture of people waltzing, see previous page.
97. Leading off the dance means being the couple at the top of the lines (earlier Frank Churchill “led her up to the top”) and beginning the movements involved in the dance. Those of the highest social status generally enjoyed this honor.
98. Dances were organized in pairs, with each pair lasting around half an hour. At the end of a pair people changed partners.
99. Frank again goes out of his way to criticize Jane Fairfax.
VOLUME II, CHAPTER IX
1. condescension: graciousness. The term usually denoted friendly and obliging conduct of a superior toward an inferior, or the voluntary descent of that superior—as in Emma’s willingness to socialize with her social inferiors. The term was mostly a positive one then, for this society accepted inequality as natural and good and sought only to have it tempered by such graciousness.
2. doubted: wondered.
3. by: to or toward.
4. This idea of female solidarity may relate particularly to an awareness of how seriously any woman could be harmed by a taint of sexual impropriety, which would make it terrible for a woman to create that taint in another without any firm basis for doing so.
5. penetration: discernment, keenness of perception.
6. Emma’s metaphor would resonate particularly because lamps, which were powered by oil and sometimes used instead of candles, were so dim. A new lamp called the Argand lamp was coming into usage at this time, and the almost twenty watts that it emitted far surpassed existing forms of illumination, to the point that many worried about damage to eyesight and shades were introduced to shield people from the glare.
7. Taste was a concept frequently discussed in eighteenth-century writings, and it figures in Jane Austen at various times. Harriet has failed to perceive that both men emphasize Emma’s taste because it is harder to praise her execution.
8. She probably sang songs from Italian operas. Those operas were popular in England and songs from them
formed a substantial part of most public concerts; in Persuasion a number of characters attend a concert in Bath that includes Italian songs. Italian music was more prestigious, especially in contrast to popular English, Scottish, and Irish folk melodies, and a mark of good taste. Hence Harriet’s criticism shows her lack of sophistication.
9. She will need to teach music as part of her job as a governess.
10. They mean whether a great, or high-ranking, family will hire her.
11. stay: stay for. This usage is found elsewhere in Jane Austen’s writings.
12. Harriet’s friendliness with the Coxes indicates her comfort with those of lower rank, and deterring such friendliness on Harriet’s part is probably one reason Emma condemns them in such sharp terms.
Muslin patterns.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Series Two, Vol. IV (1817), p. 368]
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13. muslins: gowns made of muslin or pieces of muslin fabric; in this case it is the latter, since shops would display pieces, which women would buy and then have made into a gown or other article of clothing. In her letters Jane Austen often discusses choosing and buying cloth or gives instructions about what her sister, the recipient of the letters, should purchase for her. Muslin had emerged in the late eighteenth century as the most popular material for women’s dresses, and it is frequently mentioned in Jane Austen. It is a light cotton that originated in India, over which Britain was establishing colonial control during the same period. Its popularity was encouraged by innovations in the British cotton textile industry—early steps in the Industrial Revolution—that made the fabric inexpensive, as well as by a shift in fashion toward lightweight, flowing clothes for women. For an example of a fashionable London clothing store with women selecting pieces of cloth, see picture on this page.
14. A letter boy delivers letters. Boys were often employed as servants and workers. See this page for an example.
15. He is carrying a tray of meat to deliver to someone in the village.
16. They are probably poor children hoping he will give them something. Since poor children rarely went to school, except sometimes for a few years, those too young to work could often be milling around.
17. Jane Austen gives a general picture of daily village life. She is probably drawing on personal observation, since she lived most of her life in rural areas like this one, and for the last years of her life inhabited a house in the center of a small village. Such general descriptions are rare in Jane Austen, though they appear more in this novel than in any other, for the general community plays a larger role in this story (for more on this, see the introduction).
18. This ability of Emma to find entertainment and interest in even the most mundane circumstances is a blessing for her, given the geographically restricted scope of her life.
19. son-in-law: stepson.
20. Once again Frank indicates his lack of interest in Jane Fairfax, though he seems to be the one who urged Mrs. Weston to make the visit.
21. indifferent: mediocre.
22. Emma’s observation shows her astute assessment of him, though she never applies this assessment as astutely as she could to discerning his true motives.
23. figured: adorned with patterns or designs. Muslins came in a wide variety of colors, styles, and decorations. At different points in her letters Jane Austen expresses interest in both plain and figured muslins.
24. Ribbons were often worn with various parts of women’s attire.
25. directly: immediately.
26. A pattern gown is one decorated with a pattern. She was probably trying to find a ribbon that matched the pattern and has now purchased one, along with some muslin. Her hesitation would come from wishing the ribbon to go to Hartfield, where the pattern gown is, while also wishing the muslin to go to Mrs. Goddard’s, where she lives and which is closer to the dressmaker she would hire if she intends to make the muslin into a gown. This is why she suggests two parcels.
Muslin patterns.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Series Two, Vol. IV (1817), p. 243]
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27. Spectacles had been around since the late Middle Ages. Metal spectacles with rivets holding the different parts together were the first types, though their popularity was not universal, because the rigidity of the metal created the problem of how to maintain them in place before the eyes. Early methods included hanging them on the nose, suspending them from a hat, attaching them to something fixed on the head, and having the wearer hold them before the eyes. The frames sometimes contained, or were made of, leather to give them greater flexibility. By this period the type of spectacles known today, with extensions going over the ears, was widely used, though because the extensions were straight they did not hold the glasses very securely.
A butcher’s boy.
[From William Alexander, Picturesque Representations of the Dress & Manners of the English (1813), Plate 33]
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28. Her calling him by his first and last name indicates he is a worker of some type, most likely an artisan who has fixed spectacles before. If he were of higher rank, even an ordinary shopkeeper, he would be called Mr. Saunders.
29. Mrs. Wallis is the wife of the baker (this is indicated below by Miss Bates’s saying they give them little custom for bread), and the boy is either her child or her hired assistant. Miss Bates has sent the apples to be baked in the baker’s ovens: the amount of fire required to heat an oven meant that people of limited means either did not have one or used it rarely.
30. They would not eat a midday meal between breakfast, which was late in the morning, and dinner, toward the end of the day. This led people usually to have some type of snack between the two meals.
31. wait on: visit.
32. Gloves were worn frequently, including during warm weather. They were often of lightweight material and close fitting, which is why Jane is adjusting them to improve the fit. Almost all women, of whatever class, were skilled with a needle, and those like Jane and Miss Bates without a lot of money would often adjust or repair articles of clothing themselves.
33. People believed that raw fruit could be harmful to the digestion, which is why they are baking their apples and why the ever-fearful Mr. Woodhouse wishes them to soften them as much as possible by extra baking.
34. liberal: bountiful, abundant.
35. keeping apple: apple that keeps or stores well.
36. William Larkins is Mr. Knightley’s steward, the person who manages his estates. His responsibilities could include dealing with the owner’s tenants, directing activities at his own farm, and managing the owner’s financial affairs (later Mr. Knightley speaks of “looking over William Larkins’ week’s account”—here).
A baker.
[From William Pyne, Costume of Great Britain (London, 1804; 1989 reprint), Plate XLVII]
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37. Those farming the land would frequently cultivate a variety of crops to sell.
38. Servants often identified with their masters, and this would be especially true with someone as good to work for as Mr. Knightley; William Larkins could also take a personal pride in his master’s profits, since it would indicate that his own work as steward had been successful. At the same time, Miss Bates’s saying that he thinks more of this than anything may be an exaggeration, the product of her own inclination to believe in everyone’s virtue or claims about themselves.
39. Mrs. Hodges is probably the housekeeper. Her being called Mrs. is a sign of respect, and a sign that she is a highly skilled housekeeper, perhaps even from a better background than most servants. Mr. Knightley, with no woman of his own family to be the mistress of the house, would give a high level of responsibility to his housekeeper, in contrast to a typical home like Hartfield, where a mistress directs the overall affairs and the housekeeper implements the mistress’s instructions. Another wealt
hy landowner who lacks a mistress, Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, also has a housekeeper called “Mrs.” As the housekeeper she would be more inclined to think of the master’s table than of his agricultural sales, and thus would resent the loss of the apples.
40. The way the story reached Miss Bates indicates the importance of gossip between servants, including ones in different households, for spreading news. This news would then circulate to the servants’ employers, even when, as in this case, the recipient of the news was told not to repeat it.
41. Ordinary staircases were often dark, especially if they lacked windows, as many did. They are probably holding a candle, while also using light coming from the rooms above and below the staircase.
VOLUME II, CHAPTER X
1. Her usual employment is knitting, which she cannot do without spectacles.
2. deedily: actively, busily.
3. {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER. From this point until much later in the novel several mysteries deepen; explaining the real reason behind certain incidents adds to the reader’s understanding of the story but spoils the surprise, so this warning is for those who prefer to remain in suspense until matters are revealed explicitly.}
Frank Churchill has already contrived more than once to visit the Bateses or speak to Jane Fairfax, even as he makes a point of criticizing her and indulges Emma in her suspicions about Jane. Now, having offered to fix Mrs. Bates’s spectacles while encouraging Miss Bates to go out to fetch Miss Woodhouse, he has finally managed to arrange an effectively private meeting with Jane, since Mrs. Weston went with Miss Bates and Mrs. Bates, hard of hearing, able to see little without her spectacles, and currently dozing, presents little obstacle to intimate conversation. His words below about helping Jane steady the pianoforte suggest he used that as justification to be next to her (in case Mrs. Bates awoke and noticed them), while his words here about the others’ early arrival indicate he was hoping for even more time with Jane. Miss Bates’s continual chatter as she and her guests ascended the stairs would have given Frank and Jane ample warning, which is why they are now in separate places.