Jane Austen Quotes

We must be merciful

Returning to Jane's letters this week!

"Poor Mrs Stent!  It has been her lot to be always in the way; but we must be merciful, for perhaps in time we may come to be Mrs Stents ourselves, unequal to anything & unwelcome to everybody."

letter to Cassandra
April 21, 1805 [44]

Cassandra was staying with the Lloyds at Ibthrop, and Mrs. Stent was an old friend who lived with them.  Evidently she was up in years and had little to live on.

Warren's indifference

"Assure her also as a last & indisputable proof of Warren's indifference to me, that he actually drew that Gentleman's picture for me, & delivered it to me without a Sigh."

letter to Cassandra
January 14, 1796 [2]

Jane was referring to John Warren (who is portrayed in Becoming Jane as Jane's incredibly awkward suitor, a la Mr. Collns).  Others thought he might be in love with her but she believed him to be just a friend.  The picture he delivered was one of Tom Lefroy. 

The last reference Jane made to Tom was here, where she talks about "flirting her last" with him.

I've now posted every quote about Tom from Jane's early letters. There's actually very little.   We will never really know how much her heart was involved -- although, of course, it's a fun story to tell and fun to speculate.

If you've seen Becoming Jane I would love to know what you thought.

How to be particular

"Mr. H. began with Elizabeth, and afterwards danced with her again; but they do not know how to be particular.  I flatter myself, however, that they will profit by the three successive lessons which I have given them."

letter to Cassandra
January 9, 1796

Jane was joking about dancing three times with Tom Lefroy at the ball the night before.  I believe dancing with anyone more than twice would provoke talk.

This is Jane's first surviving letter.

Poor Marianne Mapleton

"You will be sorry to hear that Marianne Mapleton's disorder has ended fatally; she was beleived out of danger on Sunday, but a sudden relapse carried her off the next day.--So affectionate a family must suffer severely; & many a girl on early death has been praised into an Angel I beleive, on slighter pretensions to Beauty, Sense & Merit than Marianne."

letter to Cassandra
May 21, 1801 [37] (emphasis mine)

The spelling here is Jane's.  She continually got her i's and e's mixed up. 

The Miss Mapletons

“I do not see the Miss Mapletons very often, but just as often as I like; We are always very glad to meet, & I do not wish to wear out our satisfaction.”

letter to Cassandra
June 19, 1799 [22]

Let us hope it is not the latter...

“Dr. Hall [is] in such very deep mourning that either his Mother, his Wife, or himself must be dead.”

letter to Cassandra, about a mutual acquaintance Jane had run into at Bath
May 17, 1799 [19]

The poor Miss Blackstones

"I do not like the Miss Blackstones; indeed I was always determined not to like them, so there is less merit in it."

letter to Cassandra
January 9, 1799 [17]

The danger of a reputation that precedes you

"Mrs. Portman is not much admired in Dorsetshire; the good-natured world, as usual, extolled her beauty so highly, that all the neighbourhood have had the pleasure of being disappointed."

letter to Cassandra
November 17, 1798 [11]

Oh, that's harsh...

"Mrs. Hall of Sherbourn was brought to bed yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she expected, oweing to a fright.--I suppose she happened unawares to look at her husband."

letter to Cassandra
October 27, 1798