Jane Austen’s Letters: Letter 61, Sun 20 Nov 1808, from Castle Square

Chawon, its gates open (from Miss Austen Regrets, 2008)

Dear friends and readers,

A letter preparing to go to Chawton: it includes a sudden visit from Frank, much on the Stoneleigh inheritance, one of the references to Edward Bridge’s probable proposal of marriage to Jane. I suggest that part of Charlotte Lucas’s character and her relationship to Jane Austen is modelled on Jane’s friendship with Martha Lloyd.

This is a letter without a certain tone. I wondered if some of it was cut. For some time now we have had all the letters Jane Austen wrote and now suddenly again we are missing central documents about the move to Chawton and the letter itself doesn’t make entire sense.

We have been reading these letters long enough to see that on average Jane wrote 2-3 times a week. The one big gap of 4 years (I suggested) who saw a breakdown in Jane but otherwise 2-3 a week. So we are again missing letters suddenly. What needs to be gotten rid of? Obviously much surrounding the coming move and all it entails and circumstances around it. Remember it’s to a bailiff’s cottage. Not exactly going up in the world, indeed going down. There is the issue of why they were not invited before, how to cope best with furnishing the place and making it suitable for gentlewomen (among other things they actually bricked up a window that faced front lest anyone think they looked out at the world or would look in), what help they would get — servants, food, income. We are back in John Dashwood territory probably with Edward either not offering what he should have out of blindness/obtuseness/cheapness/grief.

There are three topics: lots on the coming move (really a lot), the strong relationship with Martha keeps popping up throughout, and yes the Stoneleigh business and Leigh-Perrots are an understandable irritant. Smaller sudden upsurges: Edward Bridges and his marriage, her own anti-marriage animus (partly exacerbated by the knowledge of Bridges marriage and how she knows she is regarded and an “old maid,” poor and not very useful). Note her comments like their floor in their Southampton lodgings flooded by rain so Jane writes:

I had some employment the next day in drying parcels &c I have now moved out of the way.

Here we might note what Cassandra does not destroy: Cassandra is not keen on Austen Leigh-Perrot either for she saves these comments nor did she try to hide Jane’s association with Edward Bridges.

Edward Bridges was her 2nd suitor (played by Hugh Bonneville in the 2008 Miss Austen Regrets)

Jane Austen and Cassandra’s lives are now useful to their family as women who did not marry and thus may be called upon to cope in place of a dead wife, always to remain available to the men as their sisters living respectably with the mother. We might stop and remember that for sure Jane had had two suitors: Tom Lefroy and Edward Bridges. The first Austen was forced to give up; the second she decided against but remained liking the man very much. Harris Bigg-Wither occurred during or just before the devastating 4 year break, so (I suggest) did the sea-side romance. The match Mrs Lefroy tried to get up of Blackall got nowhere; it’s not clear Jane really rejected him out of hand but since he did her, we have our portrait of Mr Collins is my guess.

Becoming Janes make Lefroy a central presence in her life

She has been thwarted altogether of her desire to live a lesbian spinster life in a group of women — for the one partner we see her want to be with thus far beyond Cassandra has been Martha Lloyd. We’ve also seen signs of identification with, and trying to help Anne Sharpe, the ex-governess at Godmersham and now paid companion of other women.

Note we have no movie going over Jane’s story as an old maid living in Bath, no movie of her love for Martha, no images of Martha that are attractive, no actress that has played her, or Anne Sharpe, or any of the single women we’ve seen her meet over the years since she left Steventon.

We are reminded too in this last of eagerness – or dominating tone that Jane Austen cannot know as we do that she will gird her loins, rewrite her stuff and publish at least one of her books. at last even at the risk of spending what money she has. — and Be Somebody. I just love Nuala O’Faolain’s autobiographical books. The first is called “Are you somebody?” Jane Austen is not yet. I am interested in her choice: Sense and Sensibility. In my published paper on the calendar to this novel I suggested chapters 1-6 were late rewrites reflecting this move to Chawton cottage. So gentle reader go there to see more fully what Jane was feeling.

The 1981 BBC S&S: John Dashwood (Peter Gale) persuaded by his wife, Fanny (Amanda Boxer), to do very little, especially not give his sisters and mothers money. Fanny is use his father never intended that.

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In Miss Austen Regrets, Edward and Henry Austen pay an unexpected visit to Chawton cottage to tell the Austen women of Henry’s bankruptcy; unfortunately this movie includes no sense of Frank as a presence at all

We begin. Something is up. Jane is writing to tell Cassandra of a coming unexpected visit from Frank. Remember the
importance of that letter “F” — Elinor and Ferrars, Jane and Frank in Emma, Anne and Frederick in Persuasion, the destroyed 3 packets of letters.

Cassandra wrote something in that destroyed letter that occurred after letter 60 that upon reading Austen feels she must tell her Frank is on the way. He has resolved this immediately upon getting yet another letter by Cassandra – this getting leave, getting off is no small thing for a man trying to be promoted in that corrupt navy.

But he did not want Cassandra to know. He wanted to spring on her — and catch her unawares.

He is confronting her over something, determined to stop something, to intervene. He is going since she will not be at Godmersham. This being outside that place is what gives him the space to act.

Notice Jane’s loyalties. She tells. It is indeed “a hateful predicament” as she calls it. Also because her letter is beside the point. Frank will beat her to it, but she’s going to try.

I surmise Jane is for whatever Frank is against but does not dare tell Frank. Like a soap opera I know but let’s face it soap operas are like life intensified:

Your letter my dear Cassandra, obliges me to write immediately, that may have the earliest notice of Frank’s intending if possible to go Godmersham exactly at the time now fixed for your visit to Goodnestone. He resolved almost directly on the receipt of your former letter, to try for an extension of his Leave of absence that he might be able to go down to you for two days, but charged me not to give you notice of it, on account of the uncertainty of success …

Why is she snitching, doing what he said not to do. Because he got the leave. He’s really headed there.She is saying you stand warned, Cassandra.

Now however, I must give it, & now perhaps he may be giving it himself — for I am just in the hateful predicament of being obliged to write what I now will somehow or other be of no use. – He meant to ask for five days more, & if they were granted, to go down by Thursday-night’s Mail & spend friday & saturday with you;-& he considered his chance of succeeding, by no means bad. – I hope it will take place as he planned, that your arrangements with Goodnestone may admit of suitable alteration.

Now why tell? If Cassandra knows ahead, she will alter some plan she has to do at Goodnestone.

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Chawton, an early 20th century photo of the building from the rear

After her “hateful” task of warning her sister against her brother’s arrival (uselessly), she turns to Edward Bridges’s marriage to Harriet Foote:

Your news of Edw: Bridges was quite news, for I have had no letter from Wrotham. — I wish him happy with all my heart, & hope his choice may turn out according to his own expectations, & beyond those of his Family — And I dare say it will. Marriage is a great Improver-& in a similar situation Harriet’ may be as amiable as :Eleanor.-As to Money, that will come You may be sure, because they cannot do without it. – When you see him again, pray give him our Congratulations & best wishes. — This Match will certainly set John & Lucy going.

In fact John and Lucy did not marry. It seems to me odd to speak of Eleanor Bridges as “amiable” in this casual way as she’s dead (since 1806) but it does seem the Eleanor Austen refers to. (As usual LeFaye is no help on this, not in the 3rd or 4th editions of the letters.) Wrotham is the place George Moore lived in with Harriet Bridges his wife. Austen suggests they were embarrassed and did not want to mention this as if she, Jane, would be hurt so she hastens to say she wishes the new couple the best. Why she thinks a couple will have money because they need it I don’t know except that she’s sure the family does have the connections or income to provide it.

It’s a temptation to linger here and wonder what sort of man he was who did like her and whom she was tempted by. This is what we have seen in the letters:

Austen liked him. I said it was worth while to ask why she was tempted enough to get into their original relationship. she enjoys dancing with him, he goes out of his way to be decent to her when they are losing status. He is tactful, cordial, a reader, intelligent, kind, not a snob. Austen didn’t marry him because by that time she didn’t want to marry. He would have kept her endlessly pregnant.

The sudden switch in topic is not unlike Austen but I can’t resist wondering if there wasn’t a line cut here, for now the plans for Chawton begin:

There are six Bedchambers at Chawton; Henry wrote to my Mother the other day, & luckily mentioned the number; — which is just what we wanted to be assured of. He speaks-also of Garrets for Storeplaces, one of which she immediately planned fitting up for Edward’s Manservant-& now perhaps it must be for our own — for she is already quite reconciled to our keeping one. The difficulty of doing without one, had been thought of before. – His name shall be Robert, if you please

Robert was apparently seen as a low class name – like Rafe. LeFaye quotes the snobbish Fanny Austen Knight calling “Robert” “hideous” (also Susan). Again it’s a pleasure to see Austen not participate in such ontological snobbery.

I also like to note that these women are taking the Bailiff’s house, they may have servants but they are living in quarters hitherto occupied by Servants and would be occupied by servants again late in the 19th century. Chawton was knocked up into smaller flats for people well below the gentry in the 2nd half of the 19th century.

Then this marriage of a cousin to Catherine Macaulay (that on Austen-l Arnie P made so much of). If we look at the context, we see that what this is part of is a skein semi-ironic satiric discourse on more than one marriage. Very much in character and probably brought on by association with her refusal of Bridges. She does not regret not marrying; she does not want it. She’s sarcastic; because Mr Maxwell was Tutor to young Gregory’s the neighborhood’s (mindless) loyalty decides the couple must be super happy. And who wouldn’t because the lines tell us the man married her for her fortunate. These are connections Cassandra has as a de facto widow of Fowles (though they never were married and so as far as we can tell no sexual consummation). At the end we see Jane thought of herself in terms she makes fun of Emma for coopting. She Jane made the match – that is, she might have said how nice a couple they might make.

Before I can tell you of it, you will have heard that Miss Sawbridge is married. It took place I beleive on Thursday, Mrs Fowle has for some time been in the secret, but the Neighbourhood in general were quite unsuspicious. Mr Maxwell was Tutor to the young Gregorys — consequently they must be one of the happiest Couple in the World, & either of them worthy of Envy-for she must be excessively in love, & he mounts from nothing, to a comfortable Horne. — Martha has heard him very highly spoken of. — They continue for the present at Speen Hill. — I have a Southampton Match to return for your Kentish one, Capt. G. Heathcote & Miss A. Lyell; I have it from Alethea-& like it, because I had made it before.

It’s pointed out that Miss Sawbridge was a cousin of Catherine Macauley the historian. We have no evidence that Austen read the latter or connected the former to the historian.

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Paragon Buildings in Bath where the Perrot-Leighs resided. It’s worth noting that they do not invite the Austens to Scarlets (their fancy country estate) much

And now Jane turns to a really sore topic: the huge amounts of money the uncle is to get and how the aunt is so cheap and selfish as not to understand how privileged a woman she is. The value of going over the letter slowly is on first read I had not realized how long this section is; it’s the longest in the letter, and how irritated and pointed Jane is over this. More lines on this and emotion than anything else.

So how the aunt regards her servants as sheer instruments and
begrudges them any thing. No doubt in my mind this woman was the central source for Mrs Norris. The Aunt similarly seeks things to complain about bitterly. See her troubles, see all the fuss she is put to when her housemaid catches cold. And how she resents someone who refuses a place with her and puts it down to uppityness (racist talk). Jane says she likes the effect. She’s glad her aunt is irritated, serves her right. Mrs Austen professed to be shocked at this obtuseness. Jane says it’s par for the course, a sad commentary on human nature but the way people — some, especially this aunt – are.

Yes, the Stoneleigh Business is concluded, but it was not till yesterday that my Mother was regularly informed of it, tho’ the news had reached us on Monday Eveng by way of Steventon. My Aunt says as little as may be on the subject by way of information, & nothing at all by way of satisfaction. She reflects on Mr T. Leigh’s dilatoriness, & looks about with great diligence & success for Inconvenience & E~-among which she ingeniously places the danger of her new Housemaids catching cold on the outside of the Coach, when she goes down to Bath-for a carriage makes her sick. John Binns has been offered their place, but declines it-as she sup­poses, because he will not wear a Livery. — Whatever be the cause, I like the effect. — In spite of all my Mother’s long & intimate knowledge of the Writer, she was not up to the expectation of such a Letter as this; the discontentedness of it shocked & surprised her- but I see nothing in it out of Nature-tho’ a sad nature.

Of course Mrs and Jane Austen see the difference of these people and their own lives — for whom (they the Austens) the leigh-Perrots do nothing. Some of these complaints by the Leigh-Perrots are like those of John Dashwood in S&S, produced lest they be asked to help with the moving costs.

Anna Massey played the best Mrs Norris thus far because her behavior is plausible in context: here she says they should send a servant to fetch Fanny at a stop-over point. No use wasting money on this journey to them (1983 BBC Mansfield Park)

A separate line about how this mean old women regrets a servant’s death because it inconvenience her. Jane says that is not how the Leigh-Perrot quite put it in the letter to James but that is their real (ugly) feeling. And the line tells us the aunt owed the Chambers family money. The aunt’s payment was in arrears, but not a dime would these people get.

She does not forget to wish for Chambers, you may be sure — No particulars are given, not a word of arrears mentioned-tho’ in her letter to James they were in a general way spoken of. The amount of them is a matter of conjecture, & to my brother a most interesting one; she cannot fix any time for their beginning, with any satisfaction to herself, but Mrs Leigh’s death-& Henry’s two Thousand pounds neither agrees with that period nor any other.­ I did not like to own, our previous information of what was intended last July-& have therefore only said that if we could see Henry we might hear many particulars, as I had understood that some confidential conversation had passed between him & Mr T. L. at Stoneleigh.

Henry as sharp, alert, irritated about money as Jane. He often guesses or knows the amounts his relatives really have to spend at various moments of their lives (like the uncle Francis in one striking memory I’ve quoted in an earlier letter). Henry keeps up and gets beyond the lies, secresy and silence. And Austen wants to know too.

Unfortunately the actor (Adrian Edmondson) playing Henry Austen in Miss Austen Regrets is a gentle type, seemingly incompetent. The real Henry was closer to Austen’s Mr Knightley in understanding.

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11995: Charlotte Lucas (Lucy Scott).

I’ve wondered if the prudent calculating Charlotte (as we see her) represents some memories of Martha as she became. The real Martha disappointed Jane too, and they were parted.

I’d also like to note the presence of Martha Lloyd in this letter: with a distinct change. I do not think she is mocking Martha but when Austen says of Mr Maxwell (marrying Miss Sawbridge”) that “Martha has heard him very highly spoken of” it’s not clear for sure that Martha is joining in on Austen’s mockery or has herself solemnly averred this and is thus become a butt.

With Martha’s withdrawal from Southampton, her reluctance to go live at Chawton and preference to live a conventional life either as a companion or wife (there are references, often ironic, about how she is wanting to marry a particular man, Austen is beginning to distance herself from Martha. Unreciprocated strong affection/love gives out after a while. I’ve suggested a strong lesbian component in Austen’s Charlotte: Austen’s woman does not want to marry so it does not matter who she does marry as long as he has an income, respectability, will not beat her, and leaves her to herself. See my “Some thoughts on Charlotte Lucas and the paired women in Austen films.”

We have been as quiet as usual since Frank & Mary left us;-Mr Criswick called on Martha that very morng in his way horne again from Ports­mouth, & we have had no visitor since.

An amusing contemporary-specific reference here: Lefaye refers to Mrs Criswick as belonging to Highclere. how? as a servant? Highclere Castle is the great house being filmed for _Downton Abbey_. Neither the 3rd or 4th edition lists Highclere Castle or tells us anything about it. Well, here is a promotional shot from this popular mini-series from BBC/WBGH:

I suggest Mr Criswick was a minor functionary, perhaps upper servant kind of person, suitable to visit Martha by now in effect a paid companion of another rich woman.

We called on the Miss Lyells one day, & heard a good account of Mr Heathcote’s canvass, the success of which of course exceeds his expectation. — Alethea in her Letter hopes for’ my interest, which I conclude means Edward’s-& I take this opportunity therefore of requesting that he will bring in Mr Heathcote. Mr Lance told us yesterday that Mr H. had behaved very handsomely & waited on Mr Thistlethwaite to say that if he (Mr T.) would stand, he Mr H. would not oppose him; but Mr T. declined it, acknowledging himself still smarting under the payment of late Electioneering Costs.-

Here are Elinor Dashwood’s tones. When Lucy sends her a letter Elinor recognizes is meant for Mrs Jenkins’s eyes, she gives it to Mrs Jenkins. Aletha writes as if asking for Jane’s interest. What interest? Jane has none. So Jane writes to Cassandra telling to tell Edward his help is wanted. What for I can’t say as the notes are wholly inadequate (non-existent). There are notes on the Lance family but nothing about their electioneering, what party they were part of, what they wanted. The note on Thistlewaite is a line and one half. The biographies don’t go down to this kind of detail. This is what editions are for.

To make this emphastic, in this section Jane Ausetn is writing of a coming local election. I now have LeFaye’s fourth edition on hand and yes on first look, it’s very disappointing. The 3rd edition has no details whatsoever on the Heathcote election, not who was running, what for, what Edward’s interest was worth, nothing, not in the notes to this letter or either index. The fourth edition simply reprints the scanty details in the index to the letter and the same material on the Heathcote family. I am glad I paid only $28 altogether.

Austen’s comment does tell us something — more than LeFaye here too — to contextualize it in Austen’s life. LeFaye says Mrs Lyell was a widow — so here is another woman without a man Jane is friendly with. One of Mrs Lyell’s daughters married Gilbert Heathcote. The details about the family supplied by LeFaye tell nothing about the politics but Austen herself says the costs of these elections are what are driving their decisions. That’s what they care about. Mr T does not want to pay the necessary bribes so Mr Heathcote can have the office. Now if Edward will only come out for Heathcote then the electors will go for him in the hope of pleasing Edward.

No wonder the French tried for a revolution; this kind of petty narrow dealing with no relief for anyone outside these family circles would not be broken into until 1832. Austen’s couple of sentences does show this sordid world of patronage. Petty and narrowly aggrandizing as can be.

Then visitors:

The Mrs Hulberts, we learn from Kinthury, com to Steventon this week, & bring Mary Jane Fowle with them, in her way to Mrs Nunes;­she returns at Christmas with her Brother.

This is all for Cassandra who regards herself as a pseudo-widow of Tom Fowles still.

Our brother Brother we may perhaps see in the course of a few days-& we mean to take the opportunity of his help, to go one night to the play. Martha ought to see the inside of the Theatre while she lives in Southampton. & I think she will hardly want to take a second veiw. —

A good editor would have combed the playbills and tried to find what plays were played in Southampton, who was the company, who the players. LeFaye does none of this.

James is meant; he still shows his literary bents (despite the wife’s disapproval). We see that Austen was very aware of the local provincial theaters and didn’t think very much of them and yet feels Martha ought to go at least once. So Martha hasn’t gone at all. They were readers of plays not goers except in London.

The reference to Martha is the second and she suddenly is felt as a presence as Austen gives us a genuine physical sense of her life and its doings — Martha by her side. The lines here remind me of the intense feelingfulness of those describing Fanny Price’s walk in Portsmouth that Sunday Henry Crawford visited.

The day was uncommonly lovely. It was really March; but it was April in its mild air, brisk soft wind, and bright sun, occasionally clouded for a minute; and everything looked so beautiful under the influence of such a sky, the effects of the shadows pursuing each other on the ships at Spithead and the island beyond, with the ever-varying hues of the sea, now at high water, dancing in its glee and dashing against the ramparts with so fine a sound, produced altogether such a combination of charms for Fanny, as made her gradually almost careless of the circumstances under which she felt them … (MP, 3:Ch 42)

It’s not a Henry but a Martha who cheers this woman’s heart and body. The reference to “blowing” reminds me that the revolutionary term for one of the later winter early spring months was blow-y month. And the details at the end of hardship from flood further reminds us of Fanny Price in Portsmouth:

The Furniture of Bellevue [? – we are told nothing about this] is to be sold tomorrow, & we shall all take it in our usual walk if the Weather be favourable. How could you haved a wet Thursday? — with us it was a Prince of days, the most delightful we have had for weekes, soft, -bright; with a brisk wind from the South west; — ‘everybody was out & talking of spring~ &: Martha & I did not know how to turn back. — on friday Eveng we have some very blowing weather — from 6 to 9, I think we never heard it worse, even here.– And one night we had so much rain that it forced its’ way again into the Storecloset -& tho’ the Evil was comparatively slight, & the Mischeif nothing, I had some employment the next day in drying parcels &c.

Bellevue was perhaps an auction, a painful one. Their lodgings are not only cold downstairs but easily wet. A high wind and rain and they are flooded and Austen has to spend her time trying to dry out their things. Again film adaptations recently have onely begun to show the real level of Austen’s life (the 2008 S&S and Miss Austen Regrets)

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The 1983 BBC Mansfield Park film included sequences meant to evoke a realistic looking Portsmouth: here Henry rounds a corner by the ramparts with Fanny and Susan by his side
And so she concludes:

Martha sends her best Love, & thanks you for admitting her to the knowledge of the pros & cons about Harriet Foote-she has an interest in all such matters.-I am also to say that she wants to see you.-Mary J ane9 missed her papa & mama a good deal at first, but now does very well without them.-I am glad to hear of little John’s being better;­& hope your accounts of Mrs Knight will also improve. Adeiu. Remem­ber me affecte1y to everybody, & beleive me

No info from LeFaye on what precisely are Martha’s hopes with respect to the Bridges and Foote clan. Martha thanks Cassandra for sending “in” information — long since cut of course. Austen herself doesn’t ask about it. In this passage she projects a level of too much decency for this level of digging about other people.

Martha is aware she is not coming across as well so there now a line where she asks Jane to tell Cassandra she misses her (as she had wanted Edward reassured). At this moment I suggest that Martha is sitting next to Jane as Jane writes.

On to the children: Frank and Mary left their little girl with Jane and her mother. She now “does very well without them.” No false sentiment here. By association Jane asks about the child at Godmersham who was not well apparently (Cassandra is functioning as mother-nursemaid) and a remembrance of good Mrs Knight.

A note of genuine affection for them all ends the letter — with
Martha next to her whom she has so enjoyed her walk with.

But then again letters are missing — about Frank’s visit, about
Chawton, about Frank and Mary, about Martha? lots to hide.

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So Letter 61 has two sections on Chawton cottage. Here we count Frank’s rushed visit to Cassandra as relating to the coming move to Chawton as well as the setting up of the cottage with a room for the owner, Edward. It could also be about Frank being loathe to see them give up the Southampton living arrangement and wanting to explain about his wife. it has one on Edward Bridges’s marriage.

We have a very long section on the aunt and uncle, interspersed with some details signalling her usual irritation at the hypocrisies of marriage (some in the Bridges’s section, the cause for the citiations of Miss Sawbridge and Aletha Bigg’s gossip).

Austen includes Henry’s information about the exact sums of who is getting what from the Stoneleigh legacy, and how they are waiting for him to supply further information from “confidential” talk with Mr T.L. at Stoneleigh” which will correct his previous guesses. Henry’s sum of 2000 pounds is now seen not to “agree” with the period it had been thought to cover or any other.

It then turns to happy matter: here and now with Martha which seems what Austen holds to most.

Susan (Eryle Marnard) and Fanny (Sylvestre le Tousel) laughing together in their room at Portsmouth (1983 BBC Mansfield Park)

Letters 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 & 59, 60.

Ellen