Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

y will, and "few self-made men [were] ready to give up
their power over their property while they lived" (Law,
Land and Family 129). The will itself enumerates the
business of the family. They were involved in "East
India traffic," and "successful voyages," with
"unexpected benefits from . . . new-found mines," and
most importantly, Grandfather Harlowe points out that the
men have "marriage portions of their own" (L4 53).
Little or no real estate seems to have been involved in
the initial making of this family, at least on the
Harlowe side. Therefore, Lamf s assertion that
Grandfather Harlowe's will was "incoherent" and "violates
the rules for inheritance of property" cannot be
justified in light of the legal possibilities of the day;
many wealthy merchants settled their estates in much the
same way. The majority of the estate fell to the hands
of James Harlowe, Jr., through the act of strict
settlement. Grandfather Harlowe knew the men in his
family well enough to know they would contest any
individual will that gave away land that could feasibly
be used to "raise the family." Spring goes on to explain
that, historically, primogeniture meant to have the
eldest male child inherit land if there was an eldest
male child. However, in the case of a family only having