The Jane Austen Handbook (2 page)
Read The Jane Austen Handbook Online
Authors: Margaret C. Sullivan
Well-bred young ladies must acquire a store of
accomplishments that are of no practical use and are, therefore, quite attractive to gentlemen. However, one certainly is not born with the ability to play concertos upon the pianoforte, translate Italian love songs, paint tables, cover screens, net purses, and perform all the other talents of the accomplished lady. These skills are acquired through an intensive training process that begins in childhood and continues until the triumphant day of marriage, whereupon one can rest comfortably on one’s laurels.
•
Study several languages
. Become well-versed in French, certainly, and Italian, so you can read
music and translate love songs. There is no need to learn Latin or Greek, however—you’ll be thought a bluestocking.
•
Acquire a basic grasp of
geography and
history
. One need only concentrate on the fundamentals in formal study, but if you want to learn more, the books in your father’s library will provide an opportunity to do so.
•
Become a proficient musician
. A lady who can sing and play upon the pianoforte, or better yet, the harp, will always attract a husband, because he’ll think she will be able to entertain him and his guests in the evenings. Many women give up music entirely once they are married, but fortunately the gentlemen never seem to catch on.
•
Draw or paint the picturesque
. Pencil drawing and watercolor painting are ladylike endeavors. Choose picturesque subjects for your art (see “
The ‘Picturesque’
”): Concentrate on ruins (the more tumbledown the better); dead trees; and rough or rustic landscapes. If no picturesque elements are present in real life, add them from your imagination.
•
Master the art of needlework
. To be an accomplished woman, you must know how to do fancy needlework as well as the more mundane aspects of sewing for the family, even though you will contract out the vast majority of the utilitarian work once you are married. A married woman’s primary sewing tasks are to make her husband’s shirts and cravats and do the family mending. When company is present, she will display impressive embroidery and decorative needle arts.
•
Learn to dance gracefully
. The ballroom is the center of a young lady’s life. When you are not dancing at balls, you will no doubt be longing for the opportunity. Practice with your sisters until you are officially “out” (see “
Coming Out
”).
A GENTLEMAN’S EDUCATION
Boys learned to read and write from their parents, the family governess, or the village parson. Once they reached the age of ten, they received a more formal education in Latin and Greek, mathematics, history, and literature. Private tutors could be hired; these gentlemen might have several boys come to them or might live with a family like a male governess. Other boys attended a public school, such as Eton or Rugby.
A young man who wished to take holy orders, or who just liked learning, might have spent a few terms or earned a degree at Oxford or Cambridge. In the late eighteenth century, a young male heir to great estates embarked upon the “grand tour,” a one- to five-year trip to the Continent, though this tradition was interrupted by the Napoleonic Wars from 1803 to 1815. He would learn languages and absorb culture, keep a travel diary, and acquire
objets d’art
.
Apprenticeships were available for young men destined for professions. Aspiring barristers could read law under a member of the bar. The Royal Navy took on boys as young as eight as unpaid “captain’s servants,” who would live aboard ship and learn the art of command. They would become midshipmen, the most junior officers, and work their way up the ranks.
A LADY’S EDUCATION
Most young women were educated by a combination of teachers, all working toward the ultimate goal of producing an elegant creature who would take the
ton
by storm—or at least escape becoming a spinster. Here are some of those responsible for her lessons.
•
Parents
. In some households, a girl’s mother taught her to read and write and do basic arithmetic, and perhaps some rudimentary French. Her father also might have been involved in her instruction, particularly if he were a member of the clergy. This may have been all the formal education a young woman received, unless her parents hired a governess or sent her to school around age ten.
•
A governess
. A good governess taught a young lady history, geography, and languages; to write in an elegant hand; to draw, sew, and do fancy needlework; to play the pianoforte and possibly the harp; and to carry herself with confidence and elegance. The governess stayed with the family until all the young ladies of the house were married, and sometimes she remained in a family’s employ as a companion to the mother or unmarried
daughters.
•
Masters
. Visiting masters supplemented a young woman’s education with advanced instruction in
music, drawing, languages, and dancing. The very best masters were found in the city, but even country neighborhoods usually boasted a few masters who tended to the young ladies in the area.
•
School
. If her parents preferred to not engage a governess, or if a young woman was orphaned or otherwise in need of a settled place to live, a girl might have been sent away to school from age ten to around age eighteen (if she was deemed ready to make her debut in society, she could be withdrawn as much as two years earlier). Schools in London or Bath, often known as young ladies’ seminaries, tended to be more formal and fancy. A young lady educated in such an establishment could command an impressive array of accomplishments, including music, drawing, fancy needlework, and a polished and fashionable way of dressing, moving, and behaving. This polish sometimes came at the expense of the young lady’s health or gave her a falsely inflated sense of self-worth. The luckiest girls were sent to a good old-fashioned boarding school that provided a less stringent education, but from which they were more likely to emerge healthy and happy and good-natured—such women could always catch up on their education with extensive reading in their fathers’ library.
QUALITY”
A
NNE
E
LLIOT
:
“My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”
M
R
. E
LLIOT
:
“You are mistaken,” said he gently, “that is not good company; that is the best. Good company requires only birth, education, and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice.”
—
P
ERSUASION
While snobbery of
rank should be avoided, everyone knows everyone else’s place in the
social order. Information on such matters allows one to recognize the most interesting people and enjoyable company. If you are unsure of a particular person’s rank, consider the following questions.
•
Who is his or her family?
If he or she is related to
nobility, then the person in question is most likely a person of
breeding and
gentility. But even if he or she is related to vulgar persons, it does not immediately follow that he or she is vulgar—the relation may have come through an unwise marriage in the family.
•
Does he or she have a title?
Do not expect to meet real aristocracy—that is, lords and ladies—for they mingle only with the very best gentry families. However, one might meet a baronet whose ancestor purchased the title from Charles II or someone who was knighted for making an address to the Crown. One might even meet the grandson of an earl, though one might have to break through barriers
of pride and vanity, as well as one’s own prejudices, to
truly
know him.
•
How long has his or her family lived in one place?
If the family of the individual in question has been living on the same estate for many generations, they are certainly a member of the gentry; however, if the family has little gentility, it might be unpleasant to spend much time in their company. Some members of the family might determine to live and behave in a better way, and an acquaintance with these individuals can be pleasant if one is not overly troubled with the rest of the family.
•
Does he or she own an estate or large house, or at least rent one
? Many a fine fortune has been made in trade. This is acceptable once some of the fortune has been converted to land, or at least a good house, allowing the tradesmen to live and entertain properly.
•
Does he or she work for a living?
If he or she engages in an acceptable profession, such as the church, the military, or the law,
employment is not necessarily a fault; after all, even in the best families, younger sons must be provided for. However, those working in trade or farming land not their own are not the type of people who can expect acceptance among the first families of a place, unless they are particularly genteel or the gentry are particularly liberal in their notions.
•
Does he or she live and behave in a genteel manner?
This is probably the most important consideration. Gentility and good breeding can overcome deficiencies of background, and a person might qualify as “good company” in every other respect, but no one wants to spend time with those who have unpleasant manners. Elegance of manner
and person, education, and lifestyle can overcome a great deal and admit those who possess them to the very best company indeed.
•
Is he or she rich?
This is not as important as one might think. Money goes a long way, but breeding is more important. Impecunious gentlewomen of good background can be educated, interesting people, as can cash-poor landed gentlemen and younger sons with proper professions. One must be very rich indeed to overcome a suspect background.
FIELD GUIDE TO THE SOCIAL ORDER
Royalty:
King George III, Queen Charlotte, and their numerous and dissolute progeny.
Aristocracy:
Those entitled to sit in the House of Lords and their families, as well as untitled persons who are very rich, of very old families, or related to peers of the realm. They tend to confine themselves to Georgette Heyer novels and Regency romances, rarely venturing into Jane Austen’s settings.
Gentry:
Old, established families with estates of all sizes. Nearly all of Jane Austen’s characters are drawn from this group. Genteel background is more important than fortune; working in certain professions—the law, the military, or the church—is permissible if one has the proper breeding. Those who have made a fortune in trade and purchased estates can be admitted to this group as long as they give up their shop or warehouse and live in a good sort of way.
Tradesmen and Yeoman
Farmers:
In many cases indistinguishable from the gentry, except that they work for a living. If they are very rich and genteel, they might mingle with the more enlightened of their betters, but for the most part they keep to themselves to avoid being considered vulgar social climbers.
The Great Unwashed:
Laborers, servants, criminals; they rarely appear in Jane Austen’s novels except for expositional purposes.
Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year
. —
P
RIDE AND
P
REJUDICE
In a society in which one is judged by one’s fortune, ensuring an income that will keep one in the common necessaries of life is vital. Fortunately, you have a variety of ways in which to provide for yourself.
•
Inherit it
. A truly grand fortune includes at least one large estate that provides an ongoing income from rents and the sale of produce, as well as funded
money that produces interest. Ladies can inherit estates, but they are often entailed away from the female line (see “
Who Died & Made Mr. Collins the Heir of Longbourn?
”). Inheriting an estate does not ensure a carefree existence, however, as one must manage it properly and pay it close attention or one stands in danger of losing it.
•
Earn it
. There are a few genteel professions in which a gentleman might engage: the church, the military, or the law (see “
Acceptable Men’s Professions
”). Ladies are better off employing one of the other methods described here, as the few professions open to them are poorly paid (see “
How a Lady Might Earn a Living (If Necessary)
”).
•
Put your money to work
. Ladies who inherit a cash fortune are wise to put the principal in the Funds and live off the interest, which could be as much as 4 or 5 percent per year. Even gentlemen who have not yet purchased their estate can make an excellent income using this method, and many inheritances include funded money as well as landed estates.
•
Marry it
. This is not as easy to do as one might think; one great fortune tends to look out for another great fortune. However, even ladies whose expectations are only one-fifth of four thousand pounds can make matches that will keep them in carriages and pin-money. Some claim that it is a young lady’s duty to marry well, but to marry solely for situation or fortune is rarely a good idea unless one’s expectations are particularly untoward or one’s partner particularly easy to control. However, if the partner in question is not repulsive, marriage is an educated woman’s pleasantest preservative from want, and a younger son might find it prudent to supplement his own income by marrying a lady of fortune.