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Notes
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Mansfield Park Learn what those weird words and phrases mean here! I've tried to explain anything I thought wasn't clear for a modern audience, but if you think I've missed anything, please let me know. For use with the text version of Mansfield Park found on this site. These notes are copyright © Austen for Beginners 2008 and may not be reproduced without permission. Huntingdon Town in eastern England, about 60 miles north of London. Used to be the county town of Huntingdonshire, but this county was absorbed into Cambridgeshire in a reorganisation of local government about 30 years ago, much to the annoyance of its inhabitants. Famous residents include Oliver Cromwell (UK's only non-royal head of state, back in the 17th century) and John Major (prime minister 1990 to 1997). For more information, click here. Northampton Town in the Midland area of England, about 40 miles west of Huntingdon. The county town of Northamptonshire. baronet First degree of peerage. A baronet is titled 'Sir Thomas Bertram' (or whatever) and his wife would be 'Lady Bertram' (not Lady Maria Bertram, since she holds her title purely because of her husband). Used exactly the same as a knight - who would also be addressed as Sir Thomas Bertram and his wife as Lady Bertram. The difference is that the title of baronet is inherited (i.e. the baronet's eldest son would in due course be known as Sir Thomas Bertram, or whatever other first name he had), whereas a knight cannot pass on his title to his son. Example here is Sir John Lucas in Pride and Prejudice. A baronet can also make the distinction clear by using the suffix 'Bt.' (short for Baronet) after his name. For example, 'Sir Thomas Bertram, Bt.' His wife cannot do this, however; she is always 'Lady Bertram.' The full title of 'Sir Thomas Bertram' would only be used in writing or when referring to the gentleman in his absence; anyone addressing him would use 'Sir Thomas'. He would NEVER be described as 'Sir Bertram', either in writing or verbally - it is simply incorrect and never used. Sorry, one of my pet peeves. Rant over. Miss Ward The eldest unmarried daughter of a family would be known as Miss X (where X is the family surname) and younger daughters as Miss Y (where Y is the first name). It is clear therefore that Miss Ward, who married the Reverend Norris, was the eldest of the three, and that Miss Maria (who became Lady Bertram) and Miss Frances (who became Mrs Price) were younger. in the common phrase Meaning 'to put it simply'; a common way of expressing it. to disoblige her family Meaning 'to annoy her family, or 'to do what her family did not approve of.' lieutenant of marines A lieutenant of the Royal Navy. interest Influence in high places. Woolwich Now an area in south-east London, close to the Thames. The Woolwich Dockyard was its main claim to fame at this time and finally closed in 1869. Woolwich also has a long association with the Army, and at the time when Jane Austen was writing was home to the Royal Military Academy, which trained Army officers. The RMA was closed at the start of World War II in 1939 and reopened in Sandhurst, Berkshire in 1947. East This was generally used to mean India at this time. pug Pug dog. For more information, click here. frank To 'frank' a letter was a privilege reserved for Members of Parliament (meaning the House of Commons, or lower house) and members of the House of Lords (upper house). Sir Thomas Bertram would not have been a member of the House of Lords (who were all either hereditary 'Lords' or else bishops of the Church of England) so he must have been the local Member of Parliament for Huntingdon at the time. 'Franking' consisted solely of signing the corner of the letter across one corner and allowed it to be sent via the mail system free of charge. It was supposed to be reserved for letters on matters of business relevant to Parliamentary or other official proceedings, but in practice was used by all who were so privileged to send all the letters from their household. ruled her lines Meaning that he drew horizontal lines across the paper to help her to write straight. half a guinea under the seal A guinea was a golden coin worth twenty-one shillings (= one pound and a shilling). A shilling consisted of twelve pence; a half-guinea (also a golden coin, but smaller) was therefore ten-and-a-half shillings, or ten shillings and sixpence. To put a coin 'under the seal' (and therefore concealed from everyone until the recipient broke the circular wax seal and opened the letter) was a reasonably safe way of sending money through the post without it being too obvious and therefore vulnerable to theft. rusticities Countrified ways; manners that betrayed a lower class of upbringing. Isle of Wight Island off the south coast of England, between Portsmouth and Southampton. Commonly known even now as 'the Island' by those who live there. town Here meaning London, where Parliament sits. Eton Famous boarding school west of London. For more information, click here. Oxford Meaning Oxford University. Sons of well-to-do families went to university either here or to Cambridge. living The post of parish priest. It was often funded by the local landowner and so it was up to them who to appoint to the post. Here Mr Norris (the previous holder) has died, so it is Sir Thomas' responsibility to appoint his successor. tack on my patterns Meaning to pin paper patterns to fabric, to ensure accurate cutting. offices Here meaning domestic 'offices', such as the housekeeper's room and the pantry. five thousand pounds The money referred to here is Mrs Grant's fortune which she would have brought to her husband on marriage. The implication is that she had only a small fortune, and therefore could not have been from a particularly superior family. horses to hire When Mrs Norris took the girls out to a party or other amusement, she was able to use the horses and carriages belonging to the Bertram family, and therefore was spared the expense of hiring some, since she had none of her own. in equity Meaning here 'in fairness'. Since Maria is engaged to be married, an eligible single gentleman like Mr Crawford would naturally become Julia's escort. claret Red wine from the French Bordeaux region. reversion To have the reversion of something in the sense used here, is to expect to inherit it at some time in the future; here, Mansfield Park will revert to Tom on Sir Thomas's death. gentlemen's seats A 'seat' was the country home (i.e. the ancestral home) of a gentleman, particularly those with titles. The family might well own other property, including a house in London, but the family seat would be the main landed estate belonging to the family and usually their main source of income. Most estates would be inherited from previous generations; only those who had made their money via other means would actually buy their own estate, and were generally looked down upon by those with inherited wealth ('new' money versus 'old' money). is she out Miss Crawford is asking if Fanny is officially 'out' in society; is she to be treated as an adult, or as a schoolgirl? acre Measure of area of land. An acre is equivalent to 4840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. In metric terms, an acre would be just under 4047 square metres. A large estate would be severa hundred acres in size; at half an acre, Mrs Norris's garden would be very large by today's standards. burlesque A comedy. water meadows The water meadows would have been the fields immediately next to the river, prone to flooding at times and so wet for most of the rest of the year that they were only fit for grazing cattle or sheep, rather than growing crops. avenue Double line of trees enclosing a road or drive, such as the main approach to a large house. The 'modern' approach at this time was to open up the landscape, and traditional avenues might be sacrificed in the interests of fashion. Elizabeth's time In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603. Twickenham Town on the Thames, south-west of London, across the river from Richmond. At the time it would have been viewed as a countrified place, but nowadays it is a suburb of London. king's service The Royal Navy (as opposed to being at sea in a merchant's vessel, or being a fisherman). Rears and Vices Rear-admirals and Vice-admirals (both lower ranks in the Navy than an Admiral). tambour frame Frame used to hold material when doing embroidery. At this period they were usually round and often mounted on a stand, especially if a large piece of work was being done. turn to account To turn something to account is to make good use of it. Here, the implication is that everything that occurs is useful. wine and water Ladies in particular might prefer to drink their wine with water added. Edmund clearly knows exactly how Fanny likes it and mixes it accordingly. demesnes Meaning domain, extent of the estates. poor basket Sewing basket containing work to be done for the poor of the parish - the calico referred to in the next sentence was a coarse material often used for making clothes by the less well-off. aromatic vinegar Pungent vinegar carried around by ladies in a vinaigrette (small smelling bottle) and used if they felt faint or, as in Fanny's case, were suffering from a headache. Madeira Strong wine, similar to port, from the Portuguese island of Madeira. disengaged Meaning having no other appointment for that day. barouche A barouche was a four-wheeled carriage, seating four people inside. There was room for an extra person on the box, the platform at the front where the driver sat. postchaise Closed carriage smaller than a barouche. at her tongue's end Old-style version of the phrase 'on the tip of her tongue'. capital freehold Property held freehold (i.e. not leased or rented) and with capital (i.e. no mortgages or other debt secured on it). ancient manorial residence The estate had been held by the family since medieval times, when they were Lords of the local manor. The lord of the manor held rights of jurisdiction over the local population. Here's the text from Wikipedia: At a very early time the lords of manors exercised or claimed certain jurisdictional franchises. Of these the most important was the view of frankpledge and its attendant police jurisdiction. Some time in the later middle ages the court baron when exercising these powers gained the name of leet, and, later, of court leet. The quo warranto proceedings of Edward I established a sharp distinction between the court baron, exercising strictly manorial rights, and the court leet, depending for its jurisdiction upon royal franchise. The court leet was a court of record, and its duty was not only to view the pledges but to present by jury all crimes that might happen within the jurisdiction, and punish the same. The steward of the court acted as judge, presiding wholly in a judicial character, the ministerial acts being executed by the bailiff. The court leet began to decline in the 14th century, being superseded by the more modern courts of the justices, but in many cases courts leet were kept up until nearly the middle of the 19th century. The courts leet survived for formal purposes until abolished in 1998 (sic). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_leet almshouses Small houses built either by charities or the local landowner for the use of the respectable poor who had fallen on hard times. Frequently inhabited by elderly widows. Almost every town and village in the country would have had their almshouses, and many still do. steward Person employed by a landowner to supervise the estate. The steward would deal with most day-to-day business himself so to most tenants he was a very important figure. lodge-gates Main gates to the property, with either an entrance lodge or a pair of lodges next to them. curricle Two-wheeled open carriage, drawn by two horses and seating two people including the driver. Generally driven by sporting gentlemen - the equivalent of a sportscar in today's language. damask Fabric where the pattern is in the weave - might be silk (used for curtains) or linen (for table linen). prospect Here meaning view of the outside scenery. window-tax Literally a tax on windows; the more windows a house had, the higher the tax. Some householders went as far as blocking up unnecessary windows to avoid it. blown by the night wind of heaven Quote from Sir Walter Scott's poem "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" Scottish monarch sleeps below Also a quote from the same Scott poem. James the Second James II of England and VII of Scotland, succeeded his brother Charles II as king in 1685 and deposed by his daughter Mary II and her husband William of Orange (William III) in 1689. wainscot Wooden panelling. Cheaper pews might be made of it instead of carved mahogany, which is what they have been replaced with in the Rushworth's chapel. Blair Hugh Blair, Scottish Presbyterian preacher, who published five volumes of sermons at the end of the 1700s. furlong One eighth of a mile. ha-ha Ditch dug between the grounds of a park and its surrounding animal grazing, to prevent animals wandering too near the house. The side of the ditch nearest the house was higher than the other side, to prevent animals jumping across. knoll Small hill. heath Here meaning a heather. second table The second dining table in the servants' hall, where the lower servants would eat. packet A packet steamer, meaning the ship he would take to cross the Atlantic. It was a regular service carrying mail and other goods, hence the term 'packet.' green goose A goose that is twelve weeks old. Arcturus The third brightest star in the northern hemisphere, its name translates to 'the guardian of the Bear' which it is found close to in the sky. The Bear or Great Bear is often referred to as The Big Dipper. Cassiopeia Constellation of stars found in the northern hemisphere near the edge of the Milky Way. It forms the shape of a W. glee Song for a small group of singers. Weymouth Town on the south coast of England. For more information, click here. beginning of September The beginning of the game shooting season. rubber Meaning here a rubber or game of whist, a card game. table Meaning here a card table. Whist requires four players; Mrs Norris, Dr Grant and Mrs Rushworth make three, so to make up a table they need a fourth person. fringe Lady Bertram is occupied in knotting a fringe, probably using silk or wool. half-crowns The half-crown coin was worth two shillings and sixpence, or one eighth of a pound. A half-guinea is ten shillings and sixpence (a guinea was worth one pound and one shilling) so was a good deal more valuable than a half-crown. independence An independent income i.e. he did not have to work for a living. jointure Income bequeathed to someone for their lifetime. Shylock or Richard III Both characters in Shakespeare plays - Shylock appears in The Merchant of Venice, and Richard III gets his own play. cut capers Caper about, leap about. afterpiece It was customary after the main play of the evening was shown at the theatre, for a separate, shorter play to be shown afterwards. figure-dance A dance containing steps consisting of figures i.e. a set pattern to follow. A cotillion would be a good example. to be'd and not to be'd From Shakespeare's Hamlet: "To be, or not to be: that is the question:" my name was Norval From the poem 'Douglas' by John Home, published in 1756. understrappers Underlings, inferior people. duenna Chaperone, usually an older lady. Hamlet, nor Macbeth, nor Othello All Shakespeare plays. The Gamester Play by Susannah Centlivre, first performed in London in 1705. The Rivals Play by Richard Sheridan, first performed in London in 1775. It was set in Bath in the 18th century and became famous both in England and in the US. Its most famous character is Mrs Malaprop, and the word 'malapropism', meaning the using of sophisticated words incorrectly, derives from this. The School for Scandal Also by Sheridan and first performed in London in 1777. Wheel of Fortune Play by Richard Cumberland, first performed in 1795. Heir at Law Play by George Colman the Younger, first performed in 1808. Lord Macartney George Macartney, Earl Macartney, first British envoy to China in 1793. The novel is set considerably later than this, so Fanny must presumably be reading an account of his life, or his memoirs. Crabbe's Tales Written by George Crabbe, a writer born in Suffolk in 1754 who became successively a doctor and a minister. He turned to writing later in life and published several volumes of 'Tales' of rural eighteenth century life. Idler Presumably referring to Samuel Johnson's 'The Idler', a series of essays by Johnson and others published between 1758 and 1760. Hawkings Browne's 18th century poet who wrote 'A Pipe of Tobacco', a collection of imitations of well-known poets. cipher Here meaning a parody or imitiation. eclaircissement Here meaning clarification of something. slave-trade The trading of slaves from Africa to the West Indies was still going on at the time of the novel, and Sir Thomas's estate in Antigua was likely to be run using slave labour. Tunbridge Tunbridge Wells in Kent, a fashionable spa town southeast of London. For more information, click here. Cheltenham Another fashionable spa town at the time, now better known for its racecourse but still has many fine buildings dating from Jane Austen's time. For more information, click here. Bath Probably the most famous spa town in England. Not as fashionable by the time Mrs Rushworth went there as it had once been, but still attracting large numbers of visitors. For more information, click here. salts Smelling salts, to revive her in case of fainting or hysterics. See vinaigrette above. Brighton Seaside resort on the south coast of England, made fashionable by the Prince Regent. For more information, click here. Doge The Doge of Genoa (elected leader) who came to Paris in 1685 to apologise to King Louis XIV for supporting the Spanish enemy during the Franco-Dutch war. The Doge supposedly said, on entering the newly completed Galerie des Glaces at Versailles, that he 'saw no wonder in the place equal to seeing myself in it.' I've been trying to find where this quote comes from, without success, so if anyone knows, please tell me! Westminster or St Paul's Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral, both in London, are two of the most prestigious cathedrals in England, and to be dean (priest-in-charge) or either would be a much sought-after job for a clergyman. myrtle Evergreen plant usually found in warmer climates than that in England, where it would have to be kept indoors or in a greenhouse during the winter. hunters Horses used for fox-hunting. re-assembled in the drawing room The ladies would leave the dining room first after dinner, to allow the gentlemen to drink port or brandy and smoke their cigars, if they chose, before rejoining the ladies. equinox The 21st September, often associated with gales at sea. make ducks and drakes Meaning to spend recklessly or foolishly. Derives from the game of skimming stones across water, known as 'ducks and drakes'. menus plaisirs Meaning literally 'small pleasures'. tablets Meaning notepads. tout ensemble Here meaning complete self or overall appearance. Channel The English Channel, between England and France. Spithead Large area of sheltered water in the English Channel, between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Often used as an anchorage for naval ships when there was no room for them in Portsmouth dockyard itself. Portsmouth would be easily reached from the ship in a small rowing boat, as William does here. midshipman Non-commissioned officer in the Royal Navy, usually filled by young men with ambitions to become commissioned officers. Fanny's head Most likely a reference to her hairstyle. mount him Meaning to provide him with a horse. round game Also a card game, but less formal than whist, each player playing on his or her own, rather than with a partner. speculation Card game involving gambling. Popular, noisy game. First Lord First Lord of the Admiralty, the goverment department in charge of the Royal Navy. The First Lord would be in charge of all promotions, and his private secretary would be a most useful person to know for someone like William Price, a junior officer looking for promotion. lieutenant At this time, the rank of lieutenant in the Navy was the next rank up from midshipman. It was achieved by examination and was open only to those midshipmen who had been at sea for at least six years. made Here meaning promoted, or 'made up'. hand-organ Organ commonly used by street performers, cranked by hand. Otherwise known as barrel organs. Peterborough Town a little north of Huntingdon. travelling post To travel post was to go by hired postchaise - a carriage was hired at the point of departure, and the men to drive it; the horses were changed at each 'stage' so that the traveller got to his destination as quickly as possible. It was an expensive way of travelling and William Price would normally have travelled by stagecoach (similar to today's long-distance bus, where the fare was paid and the traveller sat on the coach in his appointed seat along with other travellers), or by mail coach, where the traveller paid to sit on the coach carrying the mail. going up with despatches To go up to London (where the heads of the Army and Navy were based) with the messages and other paperwork from the military or naval campaign just completed. Usually such messages would be considered urgent, and whoever was sent with them was likely to be provided with the means to travel quickly. Portsmouth coach If William travelled up to London via the mail coach, he would be likely to arrive early in the morning, at the same time more or less when the stagecoaches or mail coaches for Portsmouth would be likely to depart. snipe-shooting Snipe are a species of game bird. con amore Italian, meaning 'with love'. cribbage Card game for two people. Cardinal Wolsey One of the principal characters in Shakespeare's play 'Henry VIII' - and a major historical figure of the Tudor period. liturgy Body of prayers and readings which make up the various orders of service in the church - here, the Church of England is meant. shewn Old-fashioned spelling of 'shown.' sages Judges. notes Bank-notes i.e. money. prize-money Money given to the crew of the ship when an enemy ship or property was captured, as a 'prize' or bonus. trollopy-looking Looking scruffy and not respectable. port-manteau Small travelling case, usually used as an overnight bag while the main part of the luggage was carried in a trunk. bandbox Ladies smaller version of a portmanteau. lounges To 'lounge' meant to relax, wander about, do one's own thing...Mr Price is clearly a man who had his own important errands to run which brought no income to his family and were no one's business but his own. sure of her Sure to marry her. navy-list Listing of the movements of navy ships and of their officers. Motherbank A sandbank off the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight, immediately southwest of Portsmouth. Dr Johnson's celebrated judgement Quote from Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784): "Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures." cards Here meaning 'invitation cards.' Wimpole Street Then a fashionable street in London, not far from Oxford Street. poor honourable An 'honourable' is the son or daughter of a peer. In this case the Honourable John Yates, Tom Bertram's friend, is clearly still admiring Julia, but has too little money to be really suitable for her, even though his family is perfectly respectable. pelisses A pelisse was a long coat with or without sleeves, worn by the well-off lady. Fanny almost certainly owns one or more, but, in deference to her family's lower social status, has not brought one with her to Portsmouth, or if she has, is not wearing it. 10/ Ten shillings - there were twenty shillings in a pound, so in modern terms this would be 50 pence. in propria persona Latin meaning to be her own person, acting on her own account. united kingdoms Here meaning the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland - the United Kingdom, in other words. In case you think Wales is missing, strictly speaking it is a principality, not a kingdom. three-deckers Naval ships with three decks, built to accommodate cannon. Three decks of guns was about the maximum that could be built and still have the ship be reasonably stable. HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, had three decks, as did most of the rest of the battleships in the Royal Navy at that time. eulogium A formal eulogy, praise or commendation. epicurism An epicure is a person who enjoys luxurious food and good living. Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith, (1728-1774), poet, novelist and playwright. epistolary line The art of writing letters. consumptive Meaning prone to consumption, or tuberculosis. This disease was very common at this time and was the greatest fear for any patient with some kind of lung problem, since it was a painful, lingering disease with no cure. Since it was so infectious, it often spread rapidly through any family unfortunate enough to experience it. Cowper's Tirocinium William Cowper's poem "Tirocinium, or A Review Of Schools" was written in 1784. Twickenham Town southwest of London, on the bank of the River Thames. Fashionable retreat from London at this time, now a suburb of London. Richmond Also southwest of London, just across the river from Twickenham. étourderie French meaning thoughtlessness. lists of Hymen Meaning that she had recently become a married woman. divorce A very expensive and time-consuming business at this time, requiring an Act of Parliament and a considerable amount of money, even in such clear-cut cases of adultery and abandonment as this. stall in Westminster A stall is a pew or seat in a church. Dr Grant has been appointed to a clergyman's post at Westminster Abbey, probably a canon or similar. It would be seen as a higher rank than that of an ordinary parish priest. apoplexy Old-fashioned term for a stroke. 20,000lTwenty thousand pounds. © Austen
for Beginners 2012
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