_Observations on the Novels_.
It is not the object of these memoirs to attempt a criticism on Jane
Austen's novels. Those particulars only have been noticed which could be
illustrated by the circumstances of her own life; but I now desire to
offer a few observations on them, and especially on one point, on which
my age renders me a competent witness--the fidelity with which they
represent the opinions and manners of the class of society in which the
author lived early in this century. They do this the more faithfully on
account of the very deficiency with which they have been sometimes
charged--namely, that they make no attempt to raise the standard of human
life, but merely represent it as it was. They certainly were not written
to support any theory or inculcate any particular moral, except indeed
the great moral which is to be equally gathered from an observation of
the course of actual life--namely, the superiority of high over low
principles, and of greatness over littleness of mind. These writings are
like photographs, in which no feature is softened; no ideal expression is
introduced, all is the unadorned reflection of the natural object; and
the value of such a faithful likeness must increase as time gradually
works more and more changes in the face of society itself. A remarkable
instance of this is to be found in her portraiture of the clergy. She
was the daughter and the sister of clergymen, who certainly were not low
specimens of their order: and she has chosen three of her heroes from
that profession; but no one in these days can think that either Edmund
Bertram or Henry Tilney had adequate ideas of the duties of a parish
minister. Such, however, were the opinions and practice then prevalent
among respectable and conscientious clergymen before their minds had been
stirred, first by the Evangelical, and afterwards by the High Church
movement which this century has witnessed. The country may be
congratulated which, on looking back to such a fixed landmark, can find
that it has been advancing instead of receding from it.
The long interval that elapsed between the completion of 'Northanger
Abbey' in 1798, and the commencement of 'Mansfield Park' in 1811, may
sufficiently account for any difference of style which may be perceived
between her three earlier and her three later productions. If the former
showed quite as much originality and genius, they may perhaps be thought
to have less of the faultless finish and high polish which distinguish
the latter. The characters of the John Dashwoods, Mr. Collins, and the
Thorpes stand out from the canvas with a vigour and originality which
cannot be surpassed; but I think that in her last three works are to be
found a greater refinement of taste, a more nice sense of propriety, and
a deeper insight into the delicate anatomy of the human heart, marking
the difference between the brilliant girl and the mature woman. Far from
being one of those who have over-written themselves, it may be affirmed
that her fame would have stood on a narrower and less firm basis, if she
had not lived to resume her pen at Chawton.
Some persons have surmised that she took her characters from individuals
with whom she had been acquainted. They were so life-like that it was
assumed that they must once have lived, and have been transferred bodily,
as it were, into her pages. But surely such a supposition betrays an
ignorance of the high prerogative of genius to create out of its own
resources imaginary characters, who shall be true to nature and
consistent in themselves. Perhaps, however, the distinction between
keeping true to nature and servilely copying any one specimen of it is
not always clearly apprehended. It is indeed true, both of the writer
and of the painter, that he can use only such lineaments as exist, and as
he has observed to exist, in living objects; otherwise he would produce
monsters instead of human beings; but in both it is the office of high
art to mould these features into new combinations, and to place them in
the attitudes, and impart to them the expressions which may suit the
purposes of the artist; so that they are nature, but not exactly the same
nature which had come before his eyes; just as honey can be obtained only
from the natural flowers which the bee has sucked; yet it is not a
reproduction of the odour or flavour of any particular flower, but
becomes something different when it has gone through the process of
transformation which that little insect is able to effect. Hence, in the
case of painters, arises the superiority of original compositions over
portrait painting. Reynolds was exercising a higher faculty when he
designed Comedy and Tragedy contending for Garrick, than when he merely
took a likeness of that actor. The same difference exists in writings
between the original conceptions of Shakspeare and some other creative
geniuses, and such full-length likenesses of individual persons, 'The
Talking Gentleman' for instance, as are admirably drawn by Miss Mitford.
Jane Austen's powers, whatever may be the degree in which she possessed
them, were certainly of that higher order. She did not copy individuals,
but she invested her own creations with individuality of character. A
reviewer in the 'Quarterly' speaks of an acquaintance who, ever since the
publication of 'Pride and Prejudice,' had been called by his friends Mr.
Bennet, but the author did not know him. Her own relations never
recognised any individual in her characters; and I can call to mind
several of her acquaintance whose peculiarities were very tempting and
easy to be caricatured of whom there are no traces in her pages. She
herself, when questioned on the subject by a friend, expressed a dread of
what she called such an 'invasion of social proprieties.' She said that
she thought it quite fair to note peculiarities and weaknesses, but that
it was her desire to create, not to reproduce; 'besides,' she added, 'I
am too proud of my gentlemen to admit that they were only Mr. A. or
Colonel B.' She did not, however, suppose that her imaginary characters
were of a higher order than are to be found in nature; for she said, when
speaking of two of her great favourites, Edmund Bertram and Mr.
Knightley: 'They are very far from being what I know English gentlemen
often are.'
She certainly took a kind of parental interest in the beings whom she had
created, and did not dismiss them from her thoughts when she had finished
her last chapter. We have seen, in one of her letters, her personal
affection for Darcy and Elizabeth; and when sending a copy of 'Emma' to a
friend whose daughter had been lately born, she wrote thus: 'I trust you
will be as glad to see my "Emma," as I shall be to see your Jemima.' She
was very fond of Emma, but did not reckon on her being a general
favourite; for, when commencing that work, she said, 'I am going to take
a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.' She would, if asked,
tell us many little particulars about the subsequent career of some of
her people. In this traditionary way we learned that Miss Steele never
succeeded in catching the Doctor; that Kitty Bennet was satisfactorily
married to a clergyman near Pemberley, while Mary obtained nothing higher
than one of her uncle Philip's clerks, and was content to be considered a
star in the society of Meriton; that the 'considerable sum' given by Mrs.
Norris to William Price was one pound; that Mr. Woodhouse survived his
daughter's marriage, and kept her and Mr. Knightley from settling at
Donwell, about two years; and that the letters placed by Frank Churchill
before Jane Fairfax, which she swept away unread, contained the word
'pardon.' Of the good people in 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Persuasion' we
know nothing more than what is written: for before those works were
published their author had been taken away from us, and all such amusing
communications had ceased for ever.