Austen for Beginners
Northanger Abbey - notes on the text
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Notes
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Northanger Abbey 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. Northanger Abbey is full of references to the Gothic novel, very popular at the time Jane Austen was writing, and many of these references are meant to be read as jokes. Some of these may be incomprehensible to a modern audience, but don't worry too much about it - this is not a novel that is meant to be taken too seriously. It's a fun read, so put your feet up and relax.... The opening paragraph begins by bemoaning the fact that Catherine Morland isn't cut out for her role as heroine - in accordance with the rules of novel-writing, her clergyman father should be poor, her mother should have died in childbirth and Catherine herself beautiful and ladylike rather than plain and a bit of a tomboy.... For use with the text version of Northanger Abbey found on this site. These notes are copyright © Austen for Beginners 2007 and may not be reproduced without permission. though his name was Richard Probably an Austen family in-joke. For some reason now lost in the mists in the time, Jane Austen considered Richard to be an unsuitable name for a gentleman. independence An independent source of income apart from earning a living. Mr Morland probably inherited a respectable sum of money from his family. livings A living was a clergyman's post in a parish providing him with his income and somewhere to live. These posts were usually in the gift of the local landowner. A 'good living' was one which paid well. Mr Morland has two such posts, so he has done very well. Beggar's Petition Poem published in 1769, written by the Reverend Thomas Moss. The Hare and Many Friends Children's fable published in 1727. spinnet A spinnet (more usually spelt spinet) was a smaller version of a harpsichord, an early keyboard instrument similar to a piano. lying-in The period of giving birth and resting afterwards (new mothers in those days were usually kept in bed for at least a week). Pope From the poem 'To the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady by Alexander Pope (English poet who lived 1688-1744). Gray From the poem 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard' by Thomas Gray (English poet who lived 1716-1771). Jane Austen quotes it incorrectly here: it should be 'sweetness' rather than 'fragrance.' Thompson From the poem 'Spring' by James Thomson (Scottish poet who lived 1700-1748). Shakespeare First quote is from Othello, the second from Measure for Measure and the third from Twelfth Night. As with the Gray quotation, they aren't quite correct. baronet Most junior rank of the titled aristocracy. A baronet isn't 'Lord' anything, he is 'Sir [first name] [surname]'. An example in Jane Austen's writing is Sir Thomas Bertram in Mansfield Park. Note that they are always referred to either by their full title (formal) or as 'Sir [first name]' - NEVER as 'Sir [surname]' - so we have 'Sir Thomas Bertram' or 'Sir Thomas' but NOT 'Sir Bertram'. Sorry, it's one of my pet hobbyhorses - I'll stop banging on about it now. Wiltshire County in southwest England, to the east of Bath. For more information, click here Bath Famous spa town in the west of England. Very fashionable in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Jane Austen lived here for a time. Click here for more. rooms Meaning the Assembly Rooms, where dances, receptions and so on were held regularly and which were the main source of social amusement in Bath at this time. They consisted of the Upper Rooms and the Lower Rooms - the distinction being that the Upper Rooms were further up the hill than the Lower, but not that they were any more important. ten guineas A guinea was worth one pound and one shilling, or twenty-one shillings - one pound and five pence in today's money. Ten guineas was therefore ten pounds ten shilings, or ten pounds fifty pence now. clogs Wooden shoes worn in muddy weather. card-room The gentlemen generally retired to these rooms to play cards rather than dancing or socialising with the ladies. high feathers The fashion for ladies was to wear their hair piled up on their heads with feathers and other ornaments stuck in the top - the more elaborate, the better. Such a hairstyle was known as a 'head.' pump-room Room where society gathered to drink the local water for its health benefits. Salisbury County town of Wiltshire, where the Morlands and Allens live. Mr Richardson Samuel Richardson, English novelist (lived 1689-1761). His most well-known novels are Pamela, Clarissa and Sir Charles Grandison and were all written in letter or episotolary form. The Rambler was a magazine of the day. Merchant Taylor's Boys day school in London, founded in 1561. One of the nine great schools of England, according to the Clarendon Commission in 1864 (the others are Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Westminster and Winchester (boarding schools) and St Paul's (day school). quizzes A 'quiz' here means an oddity, a peculiar looking person. Tunbridge Tunbridge Wells, a spa town in Kent in the south-east of England. divine service Church service - in this case sounds like a regular Sunday morning service. Crescent The Royal Crescent, one of the principal streets in Bath. curricle A two-wheeled carriage, normally drawn by two horses. The modern analogy would be to a sports car. pinned up each other's train The long train of a dancing dress had to be pinned up out of the way before a lady could dance without causing her partner to trip over her dress. divided in the set Dances were generally danced in sets, or groups of around 8 couples. The gentlemen would line up on one side of the set and their lady partners on the other. Isabella and Catherine preferred to be next to each other in the line. The dances were what we might now call country dances - waltzes and similar dances were not yet commonly seen. History of England This may refer to Oliver Goldsmith's History of England, published in 1771 and 'abridged' or amended in 1774. Jane Austen may also be giving a sly dig at her own juvenile work here, A History of England which she wrote between 1790 and 1792. Milton, Pope and Prior John Milton (1608-1674, poet and author of Paradise Lost), Alexander Pope (1688-1744, poet) and Matthew Prior (1664-1721, poet and diplomat). Spectator Magazine founded in 1711 and published daily until 1712. It was revived for six months in 1714 as a three-times weekly publication, then died again. The current magazine of that title was founded in 1828 and is the oldest continuous publication in the English language. Jane Austen died in 1817, so we can be sure that she is referring here to the earlier version. Sterne Laurence Sterne (1713-1768), author of Tristram Shandy. His work tended to insult public figures and consequently he was a controversial figure, in spite of being a clergyman. Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda Cecilia was published in 1782 and Camilla in 1796; both are by Fanny Burney. Belinda was published in 1801 and was written by Maria Edgeworth. Milsom Street One of the main shopping streets in Bath. coquelicot Shade of bright red, almost orange. Udolpho The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Ratcliffe (sometimes spelt Radcliffe). The text of the novel is available here. The reference to the black veil is here. Castle of Wolfenbach The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons, first published in 1793. Clermont Clermont, by Regina and Maria Roche, first published in 1798. Mysterious Warnings The Mysterious Warning, A German Tale, by Eliza Parsons, first published in 1796. Necromancer of the Black Forest The Necromancer, or The Tale of the Black Forest, by Karl Friedrich Kahlert, first published in 1794. Midnight Bell The Midnight Bell: A German Story, by Francis Lathom, first published in 1798. Orphan of the Rhine The Orphan of the Rhine, by Mrs Eleanor Sleath, first published in 1798. Horrid Mysteries Horrid Mysteries, by Karl Grosse, first published in 1796. netting Fine knitting. Presumably to net a cloak would have taken a considerable amount of time - netting was usually used to make small items such as scarves or purses. Probably one of Jane Austen's jokes. Sir Charles Grandison History of Sir Charles Grandison, by Samuel Richardson, first published in 1753-1754. Edgar's Buildings Row of houses in George Street, Bath. Cheap Street Street running east-west in Bath, which at that time linked the main road to London and Bristol (running approximately north-east to west) and the main road to Oxford (running north towards Gloucester then veering east). millinery Ladies' hats. gig Modest open carriage with one pair of wheels, seating two people and drawn by a single horse. servant Here a groom who was either perched on the back of the gig or mounted on his own horse, and under instruction to jump down if the gig stopped and to assist his master by looking after the horses while he was otherwise occupied. devoirs Here meaning social duties or obligations (i.e. he bowed to her, greeted her politely and so on). scrape The action of drawing a leg back while bowing at the same time ('making a leg'). A simple bow would involve keeping the feet together - the 'scrape' added a further degree of respect. There were complicated rules on when and how a lady might expect a gentleman to bend his knee to her and when it would be acceptable not to. Tetbury A market town in Gloucestershire, roughly 20 miles from Bath. For more information, click here. Walcot Church Close to the main London-Bath road on the outskirts of Bath. Christchurch Christ Church, one of the colleges of Oxford University. John Thorpe and James Morland met at Oxford where they are both studying. curricle A two-wheeled carriage, normally drawn by two horses. The modern analogy would be to a sports car. Magdalen Bridge Famous bridge in Oxford on the main London Road. Also the name of another college - Magdalen College, pronounced 'maudlin'. To pronounce either the bridge or the college as 'mag-dal-en' in Oxford immediately marks you out as a non-native or someone who isn't 'in the know'. Now you do know - so if you go there, don't be caught out! fifty guineas A guinea was one pound and one shilling (or one pound and five pence in today's decimal coinage) - so fifty guineas was fifty pounds and fifty shillings (fifty pounds plus two pounds and fifty pence = fifty-two pounds fifty). Oriel Another Oxford college. Lansdown Hill Hill to the north of Bath. Also the site of a famous battle between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War in 1643. Tom Jones Novel by Henry Fielding, published in 1749. The Monk Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. Camilla Novel by Fanny Burney (click here) rattle Someone who 'rattles' on i.e. talks a lot about nothing in particular. Usually applied to a man. muff and tippet Fur accessories - a muff is a handwarmer and a tippet a scarf or collar. Octagon Room One of the rooms at the Upper Rooms or Assembly Rooms. Now part of the Bath Museum of Costume. engaged here meaning busy or occupied. importunate Insistent or pleading. stand up To dance. join the set Most dancing at this time was in a 'set' or group of four or more couples. quiz To stare at, point out. Claverton Down Hill to the east of Bath. At the time of the book it would have been open countryside - now it is a suburb of Bath and the site of Bath University. rattle Someone (usually a young man) who talks a lot about nothing in particular, with a large helping of nonsense. the spotted, the sprigged, the mull and the jackonet Muslins (plain woven cotton) could be obtained with different patterned textures. 'Spotted' is a pattern of spots, obviously. 'Sprigged' means a pattern of sprigs of flowers. 'Mull' was another variation of cotton, sometimes mixed with silk and used for petticoats. 'Jackonet' or 'jaconet' was a thin, soft kind of muslin. field Here meaning the hunting field, rather than the farming type of field. Leicestershire County in central England, famous at this period for its good hunting country. Many gentlemen went there for the hunting season during the winter, and those who could afford it rented or bought a house (frequently known as a 'hunting box' for the purpose, rather than staying at an inn. Bristol Major port about 20 miles to the northwest of Bath. Clifton Then a village west of Bristol, now a suburb. Kingsweston Further west from Clifton, Kingsweston is the site of a ruined Roman villa. Blaize Castle Now known as Blaise Castle, this is actually a folly built in 1766 - in other words, it was built as a romantic ruin, rather than becoming one by falling down. James Thorpe's subsequent declaration that it is the oldest in England is therefore complete nonsense, in tune with the rest of the nonsense he talks! For more information about Blaise Castle, click here: Blaise Castle phaeton An open, two-seated, four-wheeled carriage drawn by one or two horses. cattle Here meaning horses. Wick Rocks Picturesque valley near the village of Wick, about 4 miles north of Bath. commerce Card game. Bedford A well-known coffee-house in Covent Garden, London. Crescent Here referring to the afternoon's walk along the Royal Crescent, one of the most famous streets in Bath (pictured below in 1804).  Beechen Cliff Hill to the south of Bath, which can be reached by walking along the banks of the River Avon. Julias and Louisas Common names for novel heroines at the time. Emily Heroine of The Mysteries of Udolpho sampler Square of material embroidered to show off a young girl's skills. Designs often included the letters of the alphabet, numbers, the girl's name and perhaps a proverb or motto. Johnson and Blair Samuel Johnson, eighteenth century writer who produced one of the first English dictionaries, and Hugh Blair, another writer of the eighteenth century who was professor of rhetoric at Edinburgh University. Mr Hume or Mr Robertson David Hume, eighteenth century philosopher who wrote a History of Great Britain, and William Robertson, eighteenth century author. sister author Here referring to Fanny Burney (1752-1840), who was writing around the same time as Jane Austen. duodecimo Pages measuring 5 inches across by 7.75 inches high, formed by folding a standard printing sheet into twelve leaves. frontispiece Full page illustration at the start of the book, before the text, usually opposite the title page. St George's Fields Area in London previously used as an assembly point for riots. Bank The Bank of England in Threadneedle Street in London. Tower The Tower of London. shillings One pound consisted of twenty shillings, each shilling being broken down into twelve pence. spars Minerals polished up as ornaments. sarsenet Fine, soft silk. Richmond Town south-west of London on the bank of the River Thames, then in the countryside, now a suburb of London. Popular with the well-off who wished to spend time outside London, but even at this time, it was not a 'retired village' as Isabella describes it. eight parts of speech English grammar has eight parts of speech: verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection. If you want to learn more about these, click here: English Grammar tickets Here meaning visiting cards. old enough Here meaning that James must be at least twenty-four years old, as that was the minimum age for being ordained as a priest, which must take place before he can take up the living. se'ennight A 'seven-night' - in other words, a week. middle seat A chaise would usually seat two people, but there was a central seat that could be pulled out to accommodate a third person if necessary. writing-desk Not a desk as we know it now, but a lap-desk with a folding lid, used when travelling. Petty France Village in Gloucestershire. Dorothy A reference to the housekeeper in The Mysteries of Udolpho, who was called Dorothee. Rumford A new type of fireplace at the time, much narrower and more convenient than the very wide fireplaces seen in medieval times, which presumably is what Catherine had been expecting to find at Northanger. habit Here meaning an outdoor coat. linen package Bundle of essentials for an overnight stay, before Catherine's main luggage arrives. fender Edge of the fireplace, separating it from the main floor area. faggot Bundle of kindling wood to light the fire. hair-powder, shoe-string and breeches-ball Hair-powder - in earlier days when powdering the hair to white or grey was fashionable, no gentleman or lady would have been seen out (particularly in the evening) without having their hair or wig powdered. Shoe-string - what we would now call shoe-laces Breeches-ball - used to clean marks from men's breeches or trousers. breakfast set China used at breakfast. Staffordshire County in England well-known for its manufacture of china. netting-box A sewing box. pattened With pattens on her feet - these were wooden soles tied over the wearer's shoes to enable him/her to walk over muddy ground. Commonly worn by servants. morning and afternoon service It was common practice, up to the mid 18th century, for there to be two church services on a Sunday - the morning service and the afternoon. By the time Northanger Abbey was written, many clergymen held more than one living (in other words, they were the parish priest for more than one parish) so it would be impossible for them to hold two services in more than one parish. The second service was therefore dropped in many places. It was both morally and socially obligatory to attend church on a Sunday, but by this time, attending only one Sunday service rather than two was perfectly acceptable. General Tilney here clearly takes his church attendance very seriously - but Catherine, being the daughter of a clergyman, would not find this at all strange and would be perfectly happy to attend two Sunday services. cold meat Although servants did not have the whole of Sunday off, they too would be expected to attend church, and therefore the serving of cold meat (rather than a hot meal) was acceptable on Sunday. japan A type of lacquer from the Orient (Far East including Japan). eat their mutton Meaning to have their dinner. half a buck Not half a dollar, but half a (male) deer - i.e. venison. bow Bow window i.e. one built out from the main wall. coxcomb Flirt, show-off, full of himself (always applied to a man) spire The spire of Salisbury Cathedral, still a landmark today.  chaise and four Private carriage drawn by four horses. Only owned by the wealthy - the less wealthy would hire something similar (and a lot less grand) known as a hack post-chaise. Mechlin Lace (alternatively spelt Mechelin). marriage settlements On her marriage, Henry's mother's dowry or other money inherited by her would have been settled on her children - in other words, would bypass her husband and be held in trust for her children in the future. The documents drawn up at the time of marriage were known as marriage settlements, and described the financial arrangements for the security of both the new wife and her future children. Mrs Tilney now being dead, her children would either have inherited money from her on her death, or more likely (as seems to be the case here) would receive it when they married themselves, or reached a certain age. ©
Austen
for Beginners 2012
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