Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

landowners were always in possession of the better
portion of the national wealth-that is, they were is
possession of the majority of landed estates-the
eighteenth century coupled that landed wealth with
political power and put a majority of monied wealth into
the hands of the merchant class. Spring emphasizes that
large estate landowners "owned the greater part of
English land . . . [and] formed the ruling class,
exercising great influence upon law, politics and upon
social manners and ideas" (Law, Land and Family 4-5).
The rise of the merchant and professional classes
made possible the accumulation of land for any and all
who had money or marriage-ability, thus allowing them
access to power. Once the exclusive birthright of the
aristocracy, landed estates now became symbolic goals for
the immensely wealthy merchant gentry.
Making money to buy land was the primary
motivation of the merchant class, but another way to
enter the aristocratic ranks and estates was to marry
into them. If the aristocracy was disconcerted about
their lands being bought up by the gentry, they were more
than alarmed at the prospect of the gentry marrying into
their families. Tension between the two was never far