A Memoir of Jane Austen

More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.com
Fore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com
228
Explanatory Notes
23 April 1805. The autograph was bequeathed by Cassandra to Charles
Austen’s family, on the strength of its references to Charles’s services to
Lord Balgonie, at that time a naval officer. Balgonie’s parents were the
seventh Earl of Leven and his wife. Several items of interest to Austen
biographers are omitted from the extracts JEAL presents: in particular,
JA’s reference to the Austens’ intention of joining households with Martha
Lloyd whose mother had just died (‘I am quite of your opinion as to
the folly of concealing any longer our intended Partnership with Martha,
& whenever there has of late been an enquiry on the subject I have always
been sincere; & I have sent word of it to the Mediterranean in a letter to
Frank.–– None of our nearest connections I think will be unprepared for
it; & I do not know how to suppose that Martha’s have not foreseen it’,
Letters, 105); and her evident weariness at Bath society (‘I shall be glad
when it is over, & hope to have no necessity for having so many dear
friends at once again’, ibid. 106).
63 Mrs. Stent: See JEAL’s note at p. 55.
a Mr.L., Miss B.: a misreading of the original, which has ‘a M r & Miss B’,
though here and throughout the letter JA writes in full the names that
JEAL signals by initials only. In this case, ‘B’ is ‘Bendish’. See Letters,
103–6.
64 Miss A.: presumably the Miss Armstrong met at Lyme Regis during the
previous summer and whose mother darned stockings during JA’s visit
(see p. 60 above). In Bath society, the connection is clearly less desirable.
I have been: JA wrote ‘that we have been’ (Letters, 105).
Lady Roden: Juliana Anne, Lady Roden, an aquaintance or connection,
either through Hampshire society or the Navy (Letters, 383, n. 6).
to say himself what was untrue: JA wrote ‘tell a lie himself’ (Letters, 105).
65 the Rev. George Leigh Cooke: (1779–1853). His father had married JA’s
mother’s first cousin and was JA’s godfather.
Before the end of 1805 . . . Southampton: JEAL’s dates are wrong here,
with the result that he overestimates the length of the Austens’ time in
Southampton: it was closer to two and a half than four years. They
moved there in October 1806, taking a lease on the house in Castle
Square in February 1807. Here Mrs Austen, Cassandra, Jane, and Martha
Lloyd remained until spring 1809, sharing for much of that time with
Frank and his new wife.
I have no letters . . . at Southampton: see note to p. 50 above.
66 I will record them: Le Faye (Fam. Rec., 149) conjectures a date of September
1808, when James Austen and his family visited Southampton, for
JEAL’s childhood memories. He would have been almost 10 years old.
The well-appointed . . . Embark his royalty: Shakespeare, King Henry V,
III. Chorus, 4–5.
second Marquis . . . in the title: John Henry Petty (1765–1809), second