by Jane Austen
Annotations to the Front Cover
1. This novel centers around Mansfield Park, a grand country house similar to the one in this painting. Such houses were a prominent feature of the English countryside, and their denizens were in the highest echelons of society and politics. The face of this house, Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire, displays the classical style of architecture, most notably in its prominent columns and strict symmetry, that dominated country-house construction in the century preceding this novel. Mansfield Park, described at one point as a “spacious modern-built house,” would look similar.
This picture comes from the book Picturesque Views of Seats of Nobleman and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland, published later in the nineteenth century. Books that displayed hundreds of engraved pictures of houses in their many volumes were popular in Jane Austen’s time, and a character in the novel reflects that Mansfield Park deserves to be in such a collection.
2. The same character describes Mansfield Park as being “well screened,” referring to a line of trees on one side of the house akin to the one seen here. Such screens of trees were often planted to provide an attractive frame for the house when seen at a distance and to block unsightly views from the house.
3. An important episode in the novel involves a visit to another grand house, Sotherton Court. It is described as having “spacious stone steps before the principal entrance” as well as numerous windows for its many rooms, both common features of grand houses displayed prominently in this picture.
4. A large park around the house, such as is suggested here, was a basic element of country houses and the reason why many had “Park” in their name. These parks provided privacy and recreation for the inhabitants while also enhancing the house’s appearance and demonstrating the wealth and taste of the owner. The deer depicted here were a frequent feature of these parks. The conversion of most of England to farmland had made deer relatively rare, and being able to set aside a large enough tract of land to support a deer population, valued both for aesthetic appeal and for food, was a sign of great wealth. Venison, treasured for this reason as a special delicacy, is mentioned as a regular part of dinner fare at Mansfield Park.
ALSO BY DAVID M. SHAPARD
The Annotated Northanger Abbey
The Annotated Pride and Prejudice
The Annotated Persuasion
The Annotated Sense and Sensibility
The Annotated Emma
The Annotated
MANSFIELD PARK
Annotated and Edited by
DAVID M. SHAPARD
David M. Shapard is the author of The Annotated Northanger Abbey, The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, The Annotated Persuasion, The Annotated Sense and Sensibility, and The Annotated Emma. He graduated with a Ph.D. in European history from the University of California, Berkeley; his specialty was the eighteenth century. Since then he has taught at several colleges. He lives in upstate New York.
A young woman reading.
[From The Repository of arts, literature, fashions, manufactures, &c, Vol. VI (1811), p. 177]
AN ANCHOR BOOKS ORIGINAL, APRIL 2017
Copyright © 2017 by David M. Shapard
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Anchor Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, and distributed in Canada by Random House of Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited, Toronto.
Anchor Books and colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Austen, Jane, 1775–1817, author. | Shapard, David M., editor.
Title: The annotated Mansfield Park / by Jane Austen; annotated and edited, with an introduction, by David M. Shapard.
Other titles: Mansfield Park
Description: New York : Anchor Books, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030298 (print) | LCCN 2016032272 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Austen, Jane, 1775–1817. Mansfield Park. | Young women—England—Fiction. | Country homes—England—Fiction. | Children of the rich—Fiction. | Social classes—Fiction. | Cousins—Fiction. | England—Social life and customs—19th century—Fiction. | Domestic fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Literary. | GSAFD: Love stories.
Classification: LCC PR4034.M3 2017b (print) | LCC PR4034 (ebook) | DDC 823/.7—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030298
Maps by Robert Bull
Anchor Books Trade Paperback ISBN 9780307390790
Ebook ISBN 9780307950253
Cover design: Megan Wilson
Cover illustration: Wentworth Woodhouse by Alexander Francis Lydon © Look and Learn/Bridgeman Images
www.anchorbooks.com
v4.1
a
Contents
Cover
Annotations to the Front Cover
Also by David M. Shapard
About the Author
Frontispiece
Title Page
Copyright
Illustrations
Notes to the Reader
Note on the Text of the Novel
Acknowledgments
Introduction
MANSFIELD PARK
VOLUME I
(Note: The following chapter headings are not found in the novel. They are added here by the editor to assist the reader.)
I The Decision to Adopt Fanny Price
II Fanny’s Arrival at Mansfield Park
III The Departure of Sir Thomas
IV The Arrival of the Crawfords
V The Bertrams and the Crawfords
VI The Discussion of Mr. Rushworth’s Improvements
VII Edmund and Mary Crawford
VIII Plans to Visit Sotherton
IX The Tour of Sotherton House
X The Exploration of Sotherton Grounds
XI The Announcement of Sir Thomas’s Return
XII A Dance at Mansfield Park
XIII The Idea of Performing a Play
XIV The Decision to Perform Lovers’ Vows
XV Edmund’s Attempt to Stop the Play
XVI Edmund Joins the Play
XVII Julia’s Jealousy of Maria
XVIII Final Rehearsals for the Play
VOLUME II
I Sir Thomas’s Return
II Sir Thomas Closes Down the Play
III The Marriage of Maria and Mr. Rushworth
IV Fanny’s Intimacy with Mary Crawford
V Fanny’s Dinner at the Grants’
VI Henry’s Plan to Attract Fanny
VII Large Dinner Party at the Grants’
VIII Plans for a Ball at Mansfield Park
IX Fanny’s Preparations for the Ball
X The Ball
XI The Departure of Henry and Edmund
XII Henry’s Decision to Propose
XIII Henry’s Proposal
VOLUME III
I Sir Thomas’s Conference with Fanny
II Henry Crawford’s Persistence in His Suit
III The Discussion of Shakespeare and Preaching
IV Edmund’s Talk with Fanny
V Mary Crawford’s Visit to Fanny
VI The Decision to Send Fanny to Portsmouth
VII The Arrival at Portsmouth
VIII Fanny’s Reaction to Her Family
IX Fanny’s Friendship with Susan
X The Visit of Henry Crawford
XI The Departure of Henry Crawford
XII Letter from Mary Crawford
XIII Letter from Edmund
XIV Tom Bertram’s Illness
XV Scandalous News and Fanny’s Return
XVI Aftermath of the Scandal
XV
II Conclusion
Chronology
Bibliography
Maps
Notes
Illustrations
DESCRIPTION
A Young Woman Reading
A Grand Country House
A Barrister
A General
Steventon Rectory
The West India Docks
East India House
A Panorama of London
A Public Coach
A Sofa
Three Children
A Modern House
A Needlework Pattern
A Private Library
A Park Next to a Grand House
A Woman with a Sash
A Naval Squadron in Battle
A Map of the West Indies
Racehorses
A House in an Elevated Position
Ramsgate
A View over Landscaped Grounds
An Older House
A House Amidst Trees
Landscaped Grounds with Water
An Elegant Cottage
An Apricot Tree
A Barouche
An Approach to a Grand House
Playing the Harp
A Woman at an Embroidery Frame
French Windows
A House Screened by Trees
A Sofa
A Flower Garden
A Riding Habit
A Parsonage
A Woman with a Parasol and a Veil
A Chaise
Salisbury Cathedral
A Humble Cottage
An Entrance Gate to an Estate
A Park Lodge
A Curricle
An Interior with Marble
A Garden with Walls
An Interior with Elaborate Carvings
Preaching a Sermon
A Ha-Ha
The Layout of a Park
A Sloping Landscape
Elaborate Landscaped Grounds
A Path Amidst Trees
A Dairymaid
A Family Gathered Around a Pianoforte
An Army Officer
A Woman Looking at Sheet Music
Shooting a Pheasant
A Gamekeeper
Playing Whist
Dance Steps
A House with Large Stone Steps
Drury Lane Theatre
Covent Garden Theatre
Playing Billiards
Men Gambling
An Ordinary Soldier
Men in Shooting Dress
A Lord or Peer
A Woman in Evening Dress
A Grand Drawing Room
Tea Tables
A Poor Woman
A Woman in a Mobcap
Miniatures
A Mantelpiece
Silhouettes
A View on the River Wye
Derwent Water, the Lake District
A Woman with a Book
A Baron
A Woman in Morning Dress
The House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons
Daytime Dress
The Interior of a Theater
A Woman at Needlework
A Fire Grate
A Drawing Room
A Portrait of a Young Woman
Liverpool Harbor
A Mantelpiece
Pheasant Shooting
Pheasants
An Interior with Stucco
Reading by Candlelight
A Man in Evening Dress
Grounds with Plantations
A Chaise with a Driver on Horseback
Milsom Street, Bath
A Pianoforte
A Wedding Dress
A Chariot
Brighton
Brighton Seaside
A Woman in Walking Dress
A Party with a Woman Playing a Harp
A Lady with Poultry
A Sheltered Bench in a Garden
A View of a Rural Village
St. Paul’s Cathedral
A Letter of Jane Austen’s
A Woman in a Muslin Dress
A White Gown with Decorative Spots
Fox Hunting
A Hunter Jumping over a Stream
A Sailor and a Midshipman
A Hairstyle of the Time
A Rural Village
A View over Grounds with a Stream
A Hunter Racing Across a Field
The Admiralty Board
A Farmyard
Breakfast
Chawton Cottage
A Bishop
A Clothing Store
A Woman Outdoors
A Woman in Evening Dress
A Woman with a Letter
A Posting Inn
A Mail Coach
Snipe
Snipe Shooting
A Lady’s Maid and Her Mistress
Dance Positions
A Woman in Ball Dress
A Woman Dancing
A Ballroom
A Lady with a Fan
A Fan
Ball Dress
“The Lady of Branxholm Hall”
A Cup and Saucer
Drinking Tea
A Hot Water Jug, a Creamer, and a Teapot
A Pianoforte and a Harp
A Village Road
A House with a Sweep
Walking Dress
An Admiral
A Woman with Curled Hair
Grosvenor Square, London
Naval Officers Dining
A Grand Staircase
A Woman Writing
Two Frigates
A Woman in a Shawl
A Woman in Morning Dress
A Woman in Evening Dress
A Woman in Walking Dress
A Portrait of an Aristocratic Man
A Portrait of a Young Woman
A Woman Holding a Book
A Dining Room
Reading Aloud
A Church Service
Selling a Horse
A Clergyman Receiving Tithes
A London Church
Drinking Tea
A Man in Daytime Dress
A Woman Out for a Walk
A Morning Room
A Portrait of an Aristocratic Woman
Admiral Nelson
A Luxurious Drawing Room
A Luxurious Interior
A Woman in Carriage Dress
All Souls College, Oxford
A Naval Battle
A Naval Ship with Boats
Southampton High Street
A Mother with Children
A Sailor
Posting a Letter
A Fashionable London Interior
A Grand London House
Cavendish Square, London
A Woman in a Pelisse
A Bookstore
A Postman
Portsmouth Point
Ships of the Line
A Cottage and Its Inhabitants
A Gentleman’s Charity to the Poor
A Lady Giving Money to the Poor
A Poor Man in a Cottage
An Inn in Town
St. George’s, Hanover Square
A Lady at the Seaside
A Woman Leaving a Bookshop
A Woman Holding a Letter
Bath Pump Room, Interior
Bath Pump Room, Exterior
A Man with Gout
Weighing a Horse
The College of Physicians
The Discomforts of Travel
Queen Square, Bloomsbury
A Grand Villa near London
A Woman with a Letter
A Mail Coach
A Bonnet and a Hat
Oxford High Street
A House with Large Windows
A House with a Large Park
Landscaped Grounds on an Estate
A Portrait of a Woman
A Lady in Church
A Mansion at Twickenham
A Clergyman
Evening Dress
The Court of Ki
ng’s Bench
Westminster Abbey, Exterior
Westminster Abbey, Interior
A Marriage Ceremony
A Visit to a New Mother
Notes to the Reader
Literary interpretations: Comments on the techniques and themes of the novel, more than other types of entries, represent the personal views and interpretations of the editor. Such views have been carefully considered, but inevitably they will provoke disagreement among some readers. I can only hope that even in those cases the opinions expressed provide useful food for thought.
Differences of meaning: Many words in Jane Austen’s era, like many words now, had multiple meanings. The meaning of a word that is given at any particular place is intended only to apply to the way the word is used there; it does not represent a complete definition of the word in the language of the time. Thus some words are defined differently at different points, while many words are defined only in certain places, since in other places they are used in ways that remain familiar today.
Repetitions: This book has been designed so it can be used as a reference. For this reason many entries refer the reader to other pages where more complete information about a topic exists. This, however, is not practical for definitions of words, so in some cases definitions are repeated at appropriate points.
Note on the Text of the Novel
Two editions of Mansfield Park appeared during Jane Austen’s lifetime: the first in 1814 and the second in 1816. A letter of hers to her publisher (dated December 11, 1815) indicates that she herself made corrections to the second edition. The most significant correction concerns a speech of Mr. Price’s containing naval matters (see this page and this page, note 42). Other changes mostly involve punctuation, as well as in a few cases the alteration, omission, or addition of specific words. It cannot be known how many of these smaller changes were initiated by Austen herself, for printers often revised spelling and punctuation on their own (for more, see this page, note 32). Printers also made mistakes in typesetting, something seen in all contemporary editions of Austen’s novels. For these reasons, and due to the lack of any original manuscripts of the novels, there can never be certainty as to what Austen herself intended to write.
This edition of Mansfield Park adopts the usual practice of relying on the 1816 edition, since it is clear that at least some of the differences between it and the earlier edition are due to Austen’s own choices. It follows the 1816 text as closely as possible, altering it only in a small number of cases, mostly involving punctuation, where it seems clearly wrong.