by Jane Austen
46. in a way: likely, or on track.
47. Heading to the west would be more likely to mean a long cruise to more distant seas, since ships sailed westward toward most other parts of the world, and this would offer greater possibilities of glory and distinction, and of prize money. The distinction of such a cruise would be further increased if the Thrush were to accompany an enormous ship of the line like the Elephant.
48. The Texel Channel, east of Portsmouth, was the principal access for ships sailing from Holland, which was then occupied by France. Britain maintained a regular blockade there.
49. out of the way: absent.
50. “Had slipped her moorings” is a substitute for the first edition’s “was under weigh.” The latter expression is used when a ship is anchored to the bottom and then raises (or weighs) its anchor in order to sail. Ships in Portsmouth Harbor, however, were attached to moorings rather than anchored, and thus “slipped her moorings” is more accurate. One perceives here the exacting standards of experienced naval officers like Jane Austen’s brothers; the speaker, Mr. Price, would probably be just as particular in his choice of words.
51. The Platform is an ideal viewing spot; for more, see this page, note 7.
52. An “eight-and-twenty” is a ship with that number of cannons. Ships were rated by their quantity of guns. A twenty-eight-gun ship was the smallest type of frigate. Sloops had between eight and eighteen guns.
53. The Endymion and the Cleopatra were both frigates; Jane Austen’s brother Charles served as lieutenant on the first and captained the second. This sentence involves the most extensive of her changes between editions. The first edition has “lays just astern of the Endymion, with the Cleopatra at the larboard.” But a ship at anchorage does not position herself relative to ships at her side (“larboard” means port, or the left side of a ship when facing forward). Thus in the revised version the Thrush is simply “between” the other two ships, which could mean being behind one ship and in front of the other, the manner in which ships at anchorage are normally positioned.
54. A “sheer hulk” is a hulk, i.e., an old disused ship, that is now permanently moored and fitted with shears, an elaborate mechanical device used to hoist heavy equipment and to fit and remove masts on ships.
55. birth: berth.
56. Men connected with the navy were known for heavy drinking.
57. He needs to change into his uniform for going on board the ship, since he will now be on duty.
58. They are going to a local day school. This would be a private school, for no government schools existed.
59. Both editions published in Jane Austen’s lifetime have “talked to,” followed by a comma, instead of “talk to him.” That wording, which suggests her having talked to him when he was an infant rather than talking to him now, makes less sense, especially since the comma after “talked to” would make the remainder of the sentence ungrammatical. Moreover, the next sentence indicates that she is talking to the boy now. Therefore the original wording was likely a mistake in the first edition that was not noticed and corrected in the second.
60. A public office is a building or set of buildings for a governmental department.
61. An Indiaman was a merchant ship trading with the East Indies, especially a ship of the East India Company, a commercial company that governed the British possessions in India at this time. Serving on a merchant ship was less prestigious than serving in the navy. It is possible that the family had been unable to procure a naval berth for this brother, but that William’s promotion to lieutenant has made him better able to help Sam.
62. landing-place: landing on stairs.
63. This is two stories above the ground floor; that is why he needs to call out from the landing, to make himself heard far below. Urban houses tended to be narrow, with many floors.
64. This would be a key to a drawer or a storage box.
65. The hat is part of his new uniform; naval officers wore large and impressive hats when on duty.
66. waistcoat: vest.
67. hallooing: shouting.
68. Newspapers were costly, so he saves money by reading a neighbor’s, after the latter is finished. This is why he is reading it so late in the day.
69. propriety: appropriateness, adherence to what is right and proper.
70. A boatswain was responsible for the sails and rigging of the ship; he also supervised other activities on deck, and summoned the crew onto the deck and ensured they worked vigilantly. He was constantly barking out orders and instructions, as well as chastisements, and doing so under frequently very noisy conditions, so a loud voice was an essential qualification.
71. pipe: voice.
72. fagged: worn out.
73. The Prices have two servants. Though Rebecca is of higher status, and hence called the upper servant here, both are low-ranking in a general sense and so are called by their first names. Only in larger houses, with more servants and greater specialization of tasks, would some have enough status to be true upper servants entitled to be called by their last names.
74. activity: energy, vigor.
75. A mark of gentility for a woman was not needing to engage in basic household chores like boiling a kettle. Putting the kettle on the fire, in the room where tea is served, also marks a sharp difference with Mansfield Park. There the water was boiled in the kitchen by servants, out of sight of the family, and then brought into the drawing room in an urn.
76. Sally is the lesser servant just mentioned. Susan’s having to go into the kitchen and perform such chores marks a further distinction from life at Mansfield Park. Toast was made over an open fire.
77. At this time William is not wearing his full dress uniform, which included an epaulette on one shoulder, white lapels, and a little gold lace (higher ranks than lieutenants had even fancier trimmings), for that was worn only on formal occasions. But even the undress uniform worn most of the time featured an impressive blue coat with a narrow white trim, and white breeches.
78. dress: attire.
79. A sally port is an opening in fortifications. In Portsmouth that was where boats would embark for ships anchored at Spithead.
80. At this time shirtsleeves were often made separately from the body of a shirt; the two parts were sewn together by the purchaser. Buying them in separate pieces was cheaper. Mrs. Price is presumably looking for a shirtsleeve to do such sewing, most likely for a shirt for William. Jane Austen refers more than once in her letters to making shirts for her brothers, by which she meant sewing the pieces together.
81. One inspiration for Mrs. Price’s trouble with servants could be Jane Austen’s own experience in Southampton, when she, her mother, and her sister were living in fairly pinched material circumstances. In one of Austen’s letters from there she mentions one servant’s being inexplicably away during an important time, a second’s limited competence, and a third’s having to be dismissed for being “so very drunken and negligent” (Jan. 20, 1809).
82. depose: declare, testify.
83. She has been hired for a year.
84. Servants, like other paid workers, often left their existing employment to seek better jobs, especially in a family like the Prices who could not pay high wages and in an urban area where there were many other job opportunities. Servants also left if they decided to get married, and most servants tended to be young people who hoped to save up money through their work to enable them to marry.
85. A knife is a basic accessory for household tasks, which girls and women in a family like this, one that could not rely on servants for most of those tasks, would use frequently and strongly value. “Knife” did not have any aggressive connotation at this time: a blade used as a weapon was called a dagger.
86. A girl’s duty would be to honor her mother in her speech and behavior, whatever her mother’s faults. Susan’s speech also reveals a distinct lack of tenderness in her quickness to blame her mother and accuse her of unfairness.
87. Mrs. Price blat
antly takes one daughter’s side against another, which represents a transgression both of duty and of maternal tenderness.
88. The Prices probably had a connection with the wife, or widow, of Admiral Maxwell that induced her to become godmother to the girl.
89. This child, five years old, was born after the reconciliation of the Prices with Mrs. Norris and the Bertrams, allowing Mrs. Norris to be her godmother. It is possible she was named after Mrs. Norris, whose name is Elizabeth, one of the most common female names of the time.
90. A prayer book was a common possession that could be considered especially appropriate for a child. It could also be a suitable gift for a godmother.
91. went off: passed away, ceased.
92. Rum was a popular drink with sailors. Mr. Price could have acquired a taste for it while at sea, and it would be widely available in Portsmouth.
VOLUME III, CHAPTER VIII
1. lounges: strolls.
2. was sailed: had sailed. “To be” was sometimes used instead of “to have” to form the past tense, a legacy of an earlier time when “to be” was even more commonly used for this purpose.
3. The ramparts were the fortifications that surrounded Portsmouth, extending more than a mile. They had walks at the top, and the views they offered made them popular. Stairs at various points along the ramparts allowed access from below, and trees were planted along them to make them more attractive.
4. For the dockyards, the leading sight in Portsmouth, see this page, note 5.
5. want abilities: lack mental endowments or intelligence.
6. information: knowledge.
7. The navy list, or Steele’s Original and Correct List of the Royal Navy, was a publication that included a list of all the active ships in the navy, with their number of guns, current station, and (in most cases) commanding officer. It also contained a list of all naval officers, grouped according to rank and revealing the date they attained that rank. The publication, which had been coming out in regular updated versions for several decades, was sufficiently popular that in 1814, the year this novel was published, the navy began publishing its own list.
8. The Motherbank was an area of shallow water to the immediate south and southwest of Spithead. Ships would often anchor there.
9. gross: unrefined, uncultured.
10. fell to the ground: came to nothing, was given up.
11. The “instinct of nature” is her innate maternal tenderness, which in this case has not been reinforced by continuous contact over the years.
12. John and Richard were already described as being a clerk in London and serving on a merchant ship. This gives the Prices six boys and three girls, including Fanny; there was a fourth girl, Mary, who died.
13. behindhand: tardy (in the completion of her tasks).
14. That is, to be frugal and a good household manager.
15. contrivance: faculty of contriving; ingenuity.
16. regularity: orderliness.
17. engaging: gaining.
18. Managing servants was one of the most important tasks of the mistress of a household that could afford them. It would also require particular skill in a modest household like this where there were few servants and the mistress needed to be actively engaged in getting work done. In contrast, the Bertrams are able to afford a large staff of servants, each one able to specialize in particular tasks, and a highly professional housekeeper to manage the household well, despite the inability of Lady Bertram in this regard.
19. This praise of Mrs. Norris, as limited as it is, demonstrates Jane Austen’s realism and fairness regarding her characters. Mrs. Norris is perhaps the most odious of all characters in her novels, one whose nasty characteristics are constantly on display. But the author is still willing to admit that Mrs. Norris’s particular qualities could, within a certain context, prove useful and beneficial.
20. dawdle: dawdler, lazy person.
21. Meaning no ability or willingness to engage in worthwhile conversation.
22. Fanny’s harsh verdict on her parents, especially her mother, as well as her similar verdict on her family home, has been criticized by many readers and commentators as being snobbish and insensitive. But she is actually typical of Austen’s heroines in this regard. All, except the heroine of Northanger Abbey, have one or more parents who are fundamentally flawed, and all recognize these flaws. Their ability to do this and to make decisions on their own without parental guidance is presented as a mark of maturity and wisdom. If Fanny differs, it is only in having parents who are particularly faulty and a home that, partly due to the Prices’ relative poverty, inflicts greater misery on her. Moreover, all of Austen’s heroines combine knowledge of parental flaws with continuing love and concern for their parents, respect for their authority, avoidance of behavior that would challenge or dishonor them in public, and serious efforts to remedy any defects or dangers they cause. Fanny shows this here, too, though her longtime separation from her parents and her natural timidity render her less able to effect any improvement. Jane Austen lived with a similar situation. Her letters to her sister include critical comments about their mother, usually presented in a casual way that suggests that she and her sister had often exchanged similar opinions in person. But the letters also evince a strong love and concern for her mother, and by all accounts Jane Austen was always a dutiful and caring daughter.
23. foreign: alien, different.
24. His linen are his clothes, especially his shirts and undergarments. Her assistance probably includes sewing some of them, a skill she has often been shown exercising at Mansfield Park, though she probably makes mostly decorative items there.
25. Meaning ways of speaking to them or dealing with them that she had the vigor and assertiveness, as well as time, to try.
26. A half holiday, i.e., one for half the day, was common for schools on Saturday.
27. Her mother is in charge of teaching the child to read, which was standard practice, except in very wealthy homes that hired governesses from a young age for their children. The description suggests Mrs. Price has so far either refrained from doing so, due to the girl’s resistance, or done so badly.
28. Children often spent time with servants, but some writers warned of the bad effects of too much time so spent. Of course, any such harm would only be exacerbated by a child’s being encouraged to spy on the servants.
29. from affording any repose to herself: far from likely to furnish any repose to Fanny. Thus here Fanny, as at Mansfield Park, suffers neglect and isolation that further compounds the general difficulties of her situation, with the main difference being that here she has no Edmund to relieve her isolation.
30. inmates: inhabitants.
31. In this respect Sir Thomas’s design regarding Fanny is working; his expectation of her reaction to her home has proven more prescient than her idealistic hopes, mentioned again in the first sentence of the paragraph. Sir Thomas was wrong, however, to expect that she would be primarily affected by missing Mansfield Park’s affluence. Instead, more intangible moral qualities are what she mostly regrets, so her change does not foretell any necessary alteration in her attitude to Henry Crawford.
32. One effect of Fanny’s treatment is to teach her to appreciate the benefits of good breeding or manners. The Bertrams, along with the Crawfords, present a variety of cases in which politeness and outward refinement are accompanied by serious moral defects, most notably lack of concern for others. The Prices, however, with similar moral defects, demonstrate that lack of politeness significantly exacerbates them. In contrast, a woman like Lady Bertram, who almost never thinks of other people, much less does anything for them, still avoids inflicting misery on others, and provides at least benign companionship, because of her self-restraint and fine manners.
33. celibacy: a single or unmarried state.
34. The famous line is “Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures.” It is spoken by Princess Nekayah in Rasselas (1759), a philosophical novel by S
amuel Johnson on the inevitable disappointments and miseries of life that is set in an imaginary African kingdom.
VOLUME III, CHAPTER IX
1. This marks the beginning of a phase in which many of the plot developments are related by letter, because Fanny is now isolated from all the other important characters. Jane Austen also uses the letters to reveal character, something she does regularly in her other novels. An inspiration for this was the epistolary novel, one entirely told via letters, the mode in which a large proportion of eighteenth-century novels were written. In some of her stories Austen used the epistolary technique; the first version of either Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice may have been written in this way.
2. passionées: impassioned. Using this French word, Mary also follows the rule in French of placing the adjective after the noun it modifies.
3. In Mary’s earlier letters to Fanny she included brief greetings to Fanny from Henry, i.e., H.C.
4. His business would relate to the management of his estate there.
5. being travelling: traveling.
6. They presumably called on each other previously when the other party was either not there or not receiving visitors. A common custom, when people did not wish for visitors, was to have the servant tell callers that the person being sought was not at home; hence, by saying she was finally “at home” Mary may mean that on earlier occasions she was simply not receiving visitors. Etiquette dictated that when one called on another party who was not at home, one left a visiting card with one’s name on it; this ritual was especially prevalent in cities and towns. This is how Mary knows the other two women called on her earlier.
7. Meaning they displayed enthusiasm, which would be proper etiquette, though their real feelings were obviously more mixed. Mary’s placing quotation marks around the words “dear” and “dearest” may also signal her sense of the artificiality of their friendliness.
8. Maria was feeling jealousy of Fanny. It is probably especially galling to Maria that, though she is the eldest girl in a wealthy family and an acknowledged beauty, the man she fell in love with instead proposed to her socially insignificant cousin, whom Maria always condescended to and who was never considered a great beauty or likely to marry well. The extent of her jealousy is shown by her lack of self-possession, for not only does that violate the upper-class ideal of a calm and self-controlled demeanor, but it might also reveal her state of mind and lead to humiliating gossip.