by Jane Austen
25. Early in this scene the stage direction reads, “He [Anhalt] places chairs, and they sit.” Since Fanny is playing Anhalt now, she would do that.
26. There is no point in the scene when the characters try not to embrace, so she means that Maria and Henry are trying to avoid embracing at the several points when their characters are supposed to do so. Some remaining sense of propriety, which would absolutely forbid even slight contact in their normal life, may inhibit them; it is also possible that they do embrace when rehearsing alone, but desist in the presence of others. Whatever the case, Mary’s description suggests that avoiding an embrace requires a struggle, one clear enough to an onlooker.
27. turned it off: altered the effect, gave it a different sense.
28. Agatha is Frederick’s mother, and her embraces thus are supposed to be maternal.
29. calculated: apt, likely.
30. In other words, her feelings of distress and jealousy at seeing Edmund and Mary speaking words of love to each other, even in the guise of other characters, make Fanny doubt that any criticism she offered could possibly be honest and fair. She also worries that she might inadvertently reveal some of her own feelings, which would mortify her; avoiding this is what is meant by “safety.”
31. Meaning his increasing animation under the influence of the scene.
32. regular: proper, formally organized.
33. They still follow the normal ritual of departure after dinner, but do so in a way that delays only a little their moving to the theater.
34. The lack of powerful spotlights at the time meant that illumination of the stage required a number of lights at different places. Theaters normally had footlights with candles, as well as candles or oil lamps on the sides of the stage. They needed to be fixed in place to minimize the danger of fire. Installation would require some effort, and the task has only been partially completed here.
35. conformity: compliance, acquiescence.
36. Mrs. Grant is playing Cottager’s wife, and their principal scenes occur early in the play.
37. Since Miss Crawford’s character never appears in the same scene with Cottager’s wife, she could easily read the part on this one occasion.
38. It would be her duty because it could arouse feelings of jealousy and resentment, which were sinful.
39. Many editions change “an usual” to “unusual,” assuming it was a printer’s error, which is certainly possible, because the noise turns out to be that resulting from Sir Thomas’s unexpected arrival—unusual after his having been away for two years. But it is also possible that “usual” is meant, as the same sort of noise would arise from anyone entering through the main door of the house. Since both these theories are plausible, this edition stays with the spelling present in both the editions published in Jane Austen’s lifetime.
40. Sir Thomas’s arrival forms a dramatic end to the first of the novel’s three volumes. It also occurs just as Fanny, after resisting so long, is finally about to be drawn into participating in the play. Thus it allows her to remain unsullied by it.
VOLUME II, CHAPTER I
1. appalling: dismaying, terrifying.
2. Their reaction suggests that, despite their earlier confidence and determination in embarking on the play, they almost all have an awareness of doing something wrong, or at least something their father would not at all approve.
3. This occurs in the first scene of the play, and before Cottager and his wife appear, so the appearance of Sir Thomas means the play is stopped before Fanny ever has to perform in it.
4. At one point in the scene the stage direction reads: “FREDERICK, with his eyes cast down, takes her hand, and puts it to his heart.” Agatha then narrates her history at length while Frederick, presumably with her hand still at his heart, listens. At the end of her longest speech, the stage directions read, “He embraces her.”
5. By continuing to hold her hand, even as Julia reveals that the rehearsal must be immediately terminated, he goes beyond what is required by the part, causing Julia to react so strongly and Maria, as described below, to be profoundly affected.
6. earnest: indication or pledge of what is to come.
7. The Crawfords demonstrate a basic sense of propriety that Mr. Yates lacks. Sir Thomas will perceive the difference, for while disapproving of Mr. Yates, he will come to like and appreciate the Crawfords.
8. confidence: privacy, intimacy.
9. Apology for not being able to stay and see Sir Thomas—the polite way to excuse themselves and avoid intruding on the family reunion.
10. penetrated her: pierced her heart, affected her deeply.
11. oppressed: overwhelmed.
12. quick: animated, lively.
13. awful: imposing; tending to inspire awe or fear.
14. fagged: wearied, exhausted.
15. The baleful effects of a hot climate on people’s health and appearance are a frequent theme in English writings of the time; one reason was the tendency of English people, due to their pale skin, to be burnt by the tropical sun.
16. information: communication.
17. Liverpool was, after London, the leading port in England at this time, and its position on the west coast made it especially prominent in trade with the Atlantic (see map).
18. The packet boats went on a fixed schedule (see this page, note 2). The private vessel was probably a merchant ship going between Antigua and England. Many ships made this voyage, for Antigua, like other colonies in the West Indies, exported most of what it produced and imported most of what it consumed. As the owner of a plantation engaged in export, Sir Thomas might also have already had commercial dealings with the merchant who owned this vessel.
19. Carpet work involved stitching threads of colored wool onto a canvas in order to make hangings, cushions, rugs, or coverings for furniture; the original meaning of “carpet,” still used in the eighteenth century alongside our current meaning, was a thick fabric covering, such as a tablecloth or a bedspread. Carpet work was a common activity at the time for wealthy ladies, especially older ones; in Emma the heroine anticipates engaging in it when she grows old. Bedcovers as well as other items often had elaborate fringes.
20. She contrasts here with the young people, who thus show themselves wiser than she is.
21. The butler, the highest-ranking male servant, would normally answer the door, or, if a footman had answered it, would have been summoned in the event of such an important arrival. In either case, the butler would then conduct Sir Thomas toward the drawing room. The standard ritual would be for the butler to announce him, while Sir Thomas waited and then entered, but Sir Thomas’s eagerness makes him hardly wait at all.
22. office: duty, task.
23. The housekeeper receives instructions regarding food, and the footmen bring it from the kitchen.
24. A privateer was a ship authorized by a government at war to capture enemy vessels and seize their contents; in effect, it was a legalized pirate ship. At this time Britain and France had been at war for twenty years, and the British navy had succeeded in destroying much of the French navy or blockading it in harbor. This was also true of French privateers, but a small number were still active.
25. Baddeley, as later revealed, is the butler. As an upper servant, he is called by his last name.
26. by way of: for the purpose of.
27. October 1 is the beginning of the legal season for shooting pheasants, one of the two principal game birds (the other, partridge, was the object of the September shooting mentioned earlier in the novel). It is now early to mid-October—see chronology, this page.
28. Easton, which is fictional and never mentioned elsewhere, is simply meant to be a nearby locale. A large estate like Sir Thomas’s would likely have more than one place where game abounded.
29. six brace: twelve. A brace means two birds.
30. Stocking the woods of an estate with plenty of game (through measures to encourage breeding) and preserving that stock were imperatives for
those who prized shooting. Improved methods of killing during this period, including better guns, meant that stocks of birds could easily become exhausted.
Pheasant shooting.
[From The Repository of arts, literature, fashions, manufactures, &c, Vol. VIII (1810), p. 243]
31. He means that Yates will be of help in explaining and justifying their acting scheme to Sir Thomas. This proves to be a miscalculation, a sign of Tom’s blindness with regard to his friend.
32. This spelling of “surprise” will continue throughout volume II, before volume III resumes our current spelling using an “s” (which already appeared in volume I). The variation reflects publishing practices of the day. Books were not, as they are today, copyedited by the publisher to correct mistakes and ensure uniform stylistic conventions. Instead, publishers sent authors’ manuscripts directly to the printer, which then corrected them for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Since each printer had its own house rules on these matters, and different printers were often employed for the same book, variation within the same text could result. The 1816 edition of Mansfield Park used a different printer for each volume, producing this inconsistency of spelling as well as other inconsistencies.
A number of words in the eighteenth century were spelled using “z” where “s” is now used. In the case of “surprise,” the “z” form was fading. This is reflected in Austen’s own letters and unpublished manuscripts: in her youth she used both spellings, but later only the current one. Both continued to appear in her published works (Emma, the novel published after this one, also has a division by volume, with the “z” spelling in the first two and the “s” in the last).
33. Candles were expensive, so they would never be left burning in an unused room; with the entire family gathered in the drawing room, Sir Thomas would not expect to see candles burning elsewhere.
34. accent: tone.
35. hallooing: shouting, especially to attract attention. Yates is practicing his part in the play in his usual exaggerated manner.
36. opposed to: opposite.
37. At four points in the play the stage directions specify that Mr. Yates’s character, the Baron, should “start” due to the surprising or shocking nature of something he has heard.
38. easy: unembarrassed, affable.
39. house: playhouse.
40. Tom’s habits have apparently led him to form quick acquaintances with many young men over the years, and to describe them as his good friends, despite barely knowing them.
41. As a guest in the presence of the owner of the house, Mr. Yates should be restrained and quiet, and let his host take the lead and set the tone.
42. Stucco in this context means plaster carved into shapes for interior decoration. Grand English houses of the time used plaster carvings extensively, especially around the tops of walls (see the picture); Sir Thomas looks at the stucco at the same time as the ceiling to ascertain if either has been damaged by the activity and alterations in the room.
43. His use of “friend” for Christopher Jackson, the estate carpenter, is typical of the time. It does not mean that Sir Thomas regards him as an equal or associates with him socially—he would certainly do neither—but that he regards him as a good acquaintance with whom he has friendly relations and toward whom he feels goodwill.
44. diffidence: modesty. The word was often used in a positive sense then.
45. A silent bow allows Sir Thomas to avoid the rudeness of not responding at all, for anything he said in reply would either be a lie or an indication of his disapproval.
46. He means what he earlier mentioned to Edmund, their reciting of speeches from plays in front of Sir Thomas when they were young—see this page.
47. views: plans, designs.
48. Meaning she imagines pleading for mercy for Edmund.
49. To bespeak, i.e., request, someone’s indulgence was a common phrase at the time, often in formal contexts such as an official address. Here the phrase fits with Mr. Yates’s preceding “give us the honour of your company.”
50. By “quick-sighted” he means quick or keen in perceiving the dangers of an activity like this, a keenness that his greater experience of life has given him.
51. sensible: conscious, cognizant.
52. elocution: manner or power of expression.
53. This incident is one more way the theatrical project affects the story. Mr. Rushworth’s denunciation of it, though motivated solely by jealousy of Henry Crawford, has helped to delay Sir Thomas’s discovery of the foolish character of his prospective son-in-law, and this delay will have critical consequences (see this page).
VOLUME II, CHAPTER II
1. Shaking hands was not done with any person one met; the gesture usually signified particular friendship and affection. In this case Sir Thomas probably uses it to indicate his forgiveness of Edmund and his hope that they can put the incident behind them.
2. Meaning the risk that, upon investigating their feelings, he might learn that they do not feel their error as they ought. Hence Sir Thomas, in avoiding possible bad news, keeps from learning more of the true moral and emotional state of his three more wayward children.
3. inconsiderate: rash, lacking in consideration.
4. There was a tendency to make allowances for youth in judging bad actions or decisions, along with a tendency to believe young people needed supervision and should not be allowed complete autonomy.
5. measures: plans, course of action.
6. ideas: thoughts.
7. Lady Bertram, as the mistress of the house, is in charge of household affairs, including decisions on purchases and spending as well as the supervision of servants. With Tom often away, Edmund is left to fulfill Sir Thomas’s place, and, given his mother’s complete indolence, he must take effective charge of many of her concerns. The “hints of distrust” would be regarding a bad servant. Mrs. Norris is consistently shown chastising servants or criticizing their behavior.
8. connection: engagement, and the connection with the whole family that will result. The use of “connection” to refer to an engagement or marriage reflects the view of marriage as a means of linking two entire families for their mutual advantage.
9. on the catch for him: waiting or looking for an opportunity to snare him as a husband.
10. Lady Bertram’s visit to Sotherton (see this page) was important in helping to form the engagement. It was described as being over “indifferent road.”
11. They probably went in a chaise, described elsewhere as the family carriage. A chaise usually was driven by two horses, but four would allow it to go faster and to perform better over difficult roads. They would also help to impress the Rushworths with the Bertrams’ wealth, making a match with Maria seem more desirable.
12. sit the box: sit on the box (the driver’s seat at the front of the carriage).
13. rheumatism: arthritis, specifically what is now called osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis was usually called rheumatic gout then.
14. Michaelmas: September 29. It was one of the dates used to divide the year into quarters; the others were Christmas, Lady Day (March 25), and Midsummer (June 24). Rents and other regular payments were often due on those days, and many contracts began and ended on one of them.
15. His arthritis might naturally worsen in the winter, especially since houses then could be cold and damp. Mrs. Norris was shown earlier giving medical advice. Her boast of curing is an exaggeration, for one cannot really cure arthritis, but she may have given the coachman something to relieve his symptoms.
16. Servants’ rooms were usually on the top floor of the house, unless they were in a separate wing. Wigs for men had ceased to be fashionable in the 1790s, but they still were often worn by coachmen.
17. Stephen and Charles are lower-ranking servants, who probably assist the coachman with the carriages and horses. An establishment with many horses would have a number of servants taking care of them. The “leaders” are the two horses in front; and Charl
es sits on one to help manage them. Horses pulling carriages, especially chaises, were often driven solely by a rider on one of the horses. In this case, they may be combining that with a driver on the carriage, which could make driving easier over rough conditions and would also look more impressive when they arrive at Sotherton.
18. Stoke was already mentioned as a nearby place.
19. The usual way to make ordinary roads then was to pile gravel or stones on top of flattened dirt; this could naturally become very uneven.
20. Horses were expensive, and they would eventually become exhausted from years of work and have to be retired. Hence lightening their labor would represent a small saving, though this, like many other of Mrs. Norris’s boasts, is a minor matter compared with the issue of the play.
21. manners: general conduct or behavior.
22. shining: distinguished, brilliant.
23. The steward was in charge of the whole estate, including the part leased out to tenant farmers. The bailiff, who was often under the steward, took charge specifically of the home farm, the smaller piece of land that the owning family farmed directly to produce food for their own consumption. Both of their jobs included keeping financial accounts, with which the computing described is probably concerned.
24. His plantations probably are areas of planted trees, the principal meaning of the term then. Trees helped beautify the land while also providing timber, a valuable product.
25. Northampton, the nearest large town, is his first stop on the way back to London. He may, after having been driven to Northampton in the Bertrams’ carriage, switch to a public coach.
26. The coachman uses sponges to clean the carriages, which could get very dirty under prevailing road conditions. If the painter used them to clean up paint, the sponges would no longer be useful for other cleaning.