Transcriber's Note
Italic font is indicated by _underscores_.
Superscripted letters are indicated thus: M^r, M^{rs}.
FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL
By JANE AUSTEN
_Second Impression 1925_
FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL
WRITTEN BY
JANE AUSTEN
January-March 1817
[Illustration]
NOW FIRST PRINTED FROM
THE MANUSCRIPT
[Illustration]
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1925
Oxford University Press
_London_ _Edinburgh_ _Glasgow_ _Copenhagen_
_New York_ _Toronto_ _Melbourne_ _Cape Town_
_Bombay_ _Calcutta_ _Madras_ _Shanghai_
Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University
Printed in England
PREFACE
The fragment of a novel, written by Jane Austen in the first three
months of the year in which she died, has no name; but it has long
been known to members of her family as _Sanditon_.
The manuscript passed into the possession of Jane Austen’s
niece Anna (Mrs. Ben Lefroy); and it was known to Mrs. Lefroy’s
half-brother, James Edward Austen-Leigh, the author of the _Memoir
of Jane Austen_ first published in 1870. In the second edition
(1871) Mr. Austen-Leigh added the cancelled chapter of _Persuasion_,
the fragment called _The Watsons_, and _Lady Susan_, and in his
concluding chapter gave an account of ‘The Last Work’.
Such an unfinished fragment cannot be presented to the public;
but I am persuaded that some of Jane Austen’s admirers will be
glad to learn something about the latest creations which were
forming themselves in her mind; and therefore, as some of the
principal characters were already sketched in with a vigorous
hand, I will try to give an idea of them, illustrated by extracts
from the work.
In the account which follows, the fragment is described in some
detail; the _verbatim_ quotations amount to perhaps twenty pages of
this edition. The present owner[1] of the manuscript has reached
the conclusion that, since so much has long been before the public,
it is right that the whole should no longer be withheld.
[Footnote 1: A grand-daughter of Anna Lefroy.]
Some explanation may be thought necessary of the way in which the
fragment is printed. It approximates to the manner of 1817, and
the result is somewhat less in bulk than one of the three volumes
in which Mr. Egerton or Mr. Murray would doubtless have issued the
work if it had been completed for publication. The printer, however,
would have made certain departures from his copy: he would have
expanded the contractions; he would have broken up the chapters
into paragraphs; and he would, in a greater or less degree, have
regularized the spelling and the punctuation. It has seemed best not
to do this in 1925, but to print the author’s manuscript as nearly
as possible in the last form it attained. It may be thought pedantic
to reproduce irregularities which the author would not have wished
to retain; but it seemed more important to avoid another danger.
To have smoothed out the manuscript into a specious semblance of
finality would have been to prejudice, in some degree, the question
how far it did, in fact, represent the author’s final intention.
This edition, printed as it is, is open to no such objection. It
is, for critical purposes, virtually a facsimile of all that Miss
Austen wrote and did not erase.
It will be seen from the textual notes, printed at the end of the
volume, that the manuscript contains a very large number of erasures
and interlineations. It is so neat, and so uniformly spaced, that
it is almost everywhere possible to distinguish what was first
written from what was added, or substituted, between the lines. These
corrections are not such as could have resulted from subsequent
revision of a fair copy previously made. In very many places the
author has changed her mind _currente calamo_; has begun a sentence
in one form and finished it in another. The number and nature of
such changes create a presumption, at least, that we are dealing
with a first draft.
The manuscript consists of three quires. The first and second, which
are sewn together, are of 16 and 24 leaves respectively, measuring
7½ in. × 4¹¹⁄₁₆ in. The watermark, which occurs several times in
both quires, is KENT 1812.
The first quire contains Chapters 1-3. The third chapter appears to
end, on f. 16^v, with an incomplete sentence; but the concluding
words, _that Loveliness was complete_, were written at the foot of
f. 1^r. The second quire contains Chapters 4-8 and part of Chapter
9.
The third quire (marked 2 on the first page) is of 40 leaves, 6⅜
in. × 4 in. It bears a large ornamental watermark, and also the
name JOSEPH COLES and the date 1815. Folios 21-40, i. e. the latter
half of the quire, are blank; a fact which suggests that no part
of the manuscript is lost. This quire contains the remainder of
Chapter 9 (beginning with the words _with a thousand regrets_--p.
117 of this edition) and Chapters 10-12.
The dates added by Miss Austen are:
(1) at the top of the first page of the first quire, _Jan: 27.-1817_
(2) at the top of the first page of the third quire, _March 1^{st}_
(3) at the end of the last sentence (the last page of the third
quire), _March 18_.
Part of the second quire was originally written in pencil, and
afterwards inked over. The passage so written is that printed on
pp. 99-101 of this edition (from _cried Lady D--_ to _so seriously
that Charlotte_). The author of the _Memoir_ writes, on this point:
The chief part of this manuscript is written in her usual firm
and neat hand, but some of the latter pages seem to have been
first traced in pencil, probably when she was too weak to sit
long at her desk, and written over in ink afterwards.
But the manuscript as such does not bear out this implication of
a progressive decline. The place at which pencil was used is in
fact not much later than the middle; and the latter part of the
manuscript shows no change in legibility or in accuracy.
FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL
CHAPTER 1.
A Gentleman & Lady travelling from
Tunbridge towards that part of the
Sussex Coast which lies between Hastings
& E. Bourne, being induced by
Business to quit the high road, &
attempt a very rough Lane, were overturned
in toiling up it’s long ascent
half rock, half sand.--The accident
happened just beyond the only Gentleman’s
House near the Lane--a House,
which their Driver on being first required
to take that direction, had conceived
to be necessarily their object,
& had with most unwilling Looks been
constrained to pass by--. He had
( 2 )
grumbled & shaken his shoulders so
much indeed, and pitied & cut his
Horses so sharply, that he might have
been open to the suspicion of overturning
them on purpose (especially as
the Carriage was not his Masters own)
if the road had not indisputably become
considerably worse than before,
as soon as the premises of the said
House were left behind--expressing
with a most intelligent portentous
countenance that beyond it no wheels
but cart wheels could safely proceed.
The severity of the fall was broken by
their slow pace & the narrowness of
the Lane, & the Gentleman having
scrambled out & helped out his companion,
they neither of them at first
felt more than shaken & bruised. But
the Gentleman had in the course of the
extrication sprained his foot--& soon
becoming sensible of it, was obliged in
( 3 )
a few moments to cut short, both his
remonstrance to the Driver & his congratulations
to his wife & himself--&
sit down on the bank, unable to stand.
--“There is something wrong here,
said he--putting his hand to his ancle--
But never mind, my Dear--(looking up
at her with a smile)--It c^d not have
happened, you know, in a better place.--Good
out of Evil--. The very thing
perhaps to be wished for. We shall
soon get releif.-- _There_, I fancy lies
my cure”--pointing to the neat-looking
end of a Cottage, which was seen
romantically situated among wood on
a high Eminence at some little Distance
--“Does not _that_ promise to be
the very place?”--His wife fervently
hoped it was--but stood, terrified &
anxious, neither able to do or suggest
anything--& receiving her first real
comfort from the sight of several persons
( 4 )
now coming to their assistance.
The accident had been discerned from
a Hayfield adjoining the House they
had passed--& the persons who approached,
were a well-looking Hale,
Gentlemanlike Man, of middle age, the
Proprietor of the Place, who happened
to be among his Haymakers at the
time, & three or four of the ablest of
them summoned to attend their Master
--to say nothing of all the rest of the
field, Men, Women & Children--not
very far off.--M^r Heywood, such was
the name of the said Proprietor, advanced
with a very civil salutation--
much concern for the accident--some
surprise at any body’s attempting that
road in a Carriage--& ready offers of
assistance. His courtesies were received
with Goodbreeding & gratitude & while
one or two of the Men lent their help
to the Driver in getting the Carriage
( 5 )
upright again, the Travellor said--
“You are extremely obliging Sir, &
I take you at your word.--The injury
to my Leg is I dare say very trifling,
but it is always best in these cases to
have a surgeon’s opinion without loss
of time; and as the road does not seem
at present in a favourable state for
my getting up to his house myself, I will
thank you to send off one of these good
People for the Surgeon.” “The Surgeon
Sir!--replied M^r Heywood--I am
afraid you will find no surgeon at hand
here, but I dare say we shall do very
well without him.”--“Nay Sir, if _he_ is
not in the way, his Partner will do
just as well--or rather better--. I w^d
rather see his Partner indeed--I would
prefer the attendance of his Partner.
--One of these good people can be with
him in three minutes I am sure. I need
not ask whether I see the House;
( 6 )
(looking towards the Cottage) for excepting
your own, we have passed none
in this place, which can be the abode
of a Gentleman.”--M^r H. looked very
much astonished--& replied--“What
Sir! are you expecting to find a Surgeon
in that Cottage?--We have neither
Surgeon nor Partner in the Parish I
assure you.”--“Excuse me Sir--replied
the other. I am sorry to have the
appearance of contradicting you--but
though from the extent of the Parish
or some other cause you may not be
aware of the fact;--stay--Can I be
mistaken in the place?--Am I not in
Willingden?--Is not this Willingden?”
“Yes Sir, this is certainly Willingden.”
“Then Sir, I can bring proof of your
having a Surgeon in the Parish--
whether you may know it or not. Here
Sir--(taking out his Pocket book--)
if you will do me the favour of casting
( 7 )
your eye over these advertisements,
which I cut out myself from the Morning
Post & the Kentish Gazette, only
yesterday morn^g in London--I think
you will be convinced that I am not
speaking at random. You will find it
an advertisement Sir, of the dissolution
of a Partnership in the Medical Line--
in your own Parish--extensive Business
--undeniable Character--respectable
references--wishing to form a
separate Establishment--You will find
it at full length Sir”--offering him the
two little oblong extracts.--“Sir--said
M^r Heywood with a good humoured
smile--if you were to shew me all the
Newspapers that are printed in one
week throughout the Kingdom, you
w^d not persuade me of there being a
Surgeon in Willingden,--for having
lived here ever since I was born,
Man & Boy 57 years, I think I must
( 8 )
have _known_ of such a person, at least
I may venture to say that he has not
_much Business_--To be sure, if Gentlemen
were to be often attempting this
Lane in Post-chaises, it might not be
a bad speculation for a Surgeon to get
a House at the top of the Hill.--But
as to that Cottage, I can assure you
Sir that it is in fact--(in spite of its
spruce air at this distance--) as indifferent
a double Tenement as any in
the Parish, and that my Shepherd lives
at one end, & three old women at the
other.” He took the peices of paper
as he spoke--& having looked them
over, added--“I beleive I can explain
it Sir.--Your mistake is in the place.--
There are two Willingdens in this
Country--& your advertisements refer
to the other--which is Great Willingden,
or Willingden Abbots, & lies 7
miles off, on the other side of Battel
( 9 )
--quite down in the Weald. And _we_
Sir--(speaking rather proudly) are not
in the Weald.”--“Not _down_ in the
Weald I am sure Sir, replied the
Traveller, pleasantly. It took us half
an hour to climb your Hill.--Well Sir
--I dare say it is as you say, & I have
made an abominably stupid Blunder.--
All done in a moment;--the advertisements
did not catch my eye till the last
half hour of our being in Town;--
when everything was in the hurry &
confusion which always attend a short
stay there--One is never able to
complete anything in the way of Business
you know till the Carriage is at
the door--and accordingly satisfying
myself with a breif enquiry, & finding
we were actually to pass within a mile
or two of a _Willingden_, I sought no
farther ... My Dear--(to his wife)
I am very sorry to have brought you
( 10 )
into this Scrape. But do not be alarmed
about my Leg. It gives me no pain
while I am quiet,--and as soon as these
good people have succeeded in setting
the Car^{ge} to rights & turning the
Horses round, the best thing we can
do will be to measure back our steps
into the Turnpike road & proceed to
Hailsham, & so Home, without attempting
anything farther.--Two hours take
us home, from Hailsham--and when
once at home, we have our remedy at
hand you know.--A little of our own
Bracing Sea air will soon set me on
my feet again.--Depend upon it my
Dear, it is exactly a case for the Sea.
Saline air & immersion will be the very
thing.--My sensations tell me so already.”
--In a most friendly manner
M^r Heywood here interposed, entreating
them not to think of proceeding
till the ancle had been examined, &
( 11 )
some refreshment taken, & very cordially
pressing them to make use of
his House for both purposes.--“We
are always well stocked, said he, with
all the common remedies for Sprains
& Bruises--& I will answer for the
pleasure it will give my Wife & daughters
to be of service to you & this
Lady in every way in their power.”--
A twinge or two, in trying to move his
foot disposed the Travellor to think
rather more as he had done at first of
the benefit of immediate assistance--
& consulting his wife in the few words
of “Well my Dear, I beleive it will be
better for us.”--turned again to M^r
H-- & said--“Before we accept your
Hospitality Sir,--& in order to do
away any unfavourable impression
which the sort of wild goose-chace you
find me in, may have given rise to--
allow me to tell you who we are. My
( 12 )
name is Parker.--M^r Parker of Sanditon;
--this Lady, my wife M^{rs} Parker.
--We are on our road home from
London;--_My_ name perhaps--tho’ I
am by no means the first of my Family,
holding Landed Property in the Parish
of Sanditon, may be unknown at this
distance from the Coast--but Sanditon
itself--everybody has heard of Sanditon,
--the favourite--for a young &
rising Bathing-place, certainly the
favourite spot of all that are to be
found along the coast of Sussex;--the
most favoured by Nature, & promising
to be the most chosen by Man.”--
“Yes--I have heard of Sanditon. replied
M^r H.--Every five years, one
hears of some new place or other
starting up by the Sea, & growing the
fashion.--How they can half of them
be filled, is the wonder! _Where_ People
can be found with Money or Time to
( 13 )
go to them!--Bad things for a Country;
--sure to raise the price of Provisions
& make the Poor good for nothing--as
I dare say you find, Sir.” “Not at
all Sir, not at all--cried M^r Parker
eagerly. Quite the contrary I assure
you.--A common idea--but a mistaken
one. It may apply to your
large, overgrown Places, like Brighton,
or Worthing, or East Bourne--but _not_
to a small village like Sanditon, precluded
by its size from experiencing
any of the evils of Civilization, while
the growth of the place, the Buildings,
the Nursery Grounds, the demand for
every thing, & the sure resort of the
very best Company, those regular,
steady, private Families of thorough
Gentility & Character, who are a blessing
everywhere, excite the industry of
the Poor and diffuse comfort & improvement
among them of every sort.--
( 14 )
No Sir, I assure you, Sanditon is not
a place----” “I do not mean to take
exceptions to _any_ place in particular
Sir, answered M^r H.--I only think our
Coast is too full of them altogether--
But had we not better try to get you”
----“Our Coast too full”--repeated
M^r P.--On that point perhaps we
may not totally disagree;--at least
there are _enough_. Our Coast is abundant
enough; it demands no more.--
Every body’s Taste & every body’s
finances may be suited--And those
good people who are trying to add
to the number, are in my opinion
excessively absurd, & must soon find
themselves the Dupes of their own
fallacious Calculations.--Such a place
as Sanditon Sir, I may say was
wanted, was called for.--Nature had
marked it out--had spoken in most
intelligible Characters--The finest,
( 15 )
purest Sea Breeze on the Coast--
acknowledged to be so--Excellent
Bathing--fine hard sand--Deep Water
10 yards from the Shore--no Mud--
no Weeds--no shiney rocks--Never
was there a place more palpably designed
by Nature for the resort of the
Invalid--the very Spot which Thousands
seemed in need of.--The most
desirable distance from London! One
complete, measured mile nearer than
East Bourne. Only conceive Sir, the
advantage of saving a whole Mile, in
a long Journey. But Brinshore Sir,
which I dare say you have in your
eye--the attempts of two or three
speculating People about Brinshore,
this last Year, to raise that paltry
Hamlet, lying, as it does between
a stagnant marsh, a bleak Moor &
the constant effluvia of a ridge
of putrifying sea weed, can end in
( 16 )
nothing but their own Disappointment.
What in the name of Common
Sense is to _recommend_ Brinshore?--
A most insalubrious Air--Roads proverbially
detestable--Water Brackish
beyond example, impossible to get a
good dish of Tea within 3 miles of the
place--& as for the Soil--it is so cold &
ungrateful that it can hardly be made
to yeild a Cabbage.--Depend upon it
Sir, that this is a faithful Description
of Brinshore--not in the smallest degree
exaggerated--& if you have heard it
differently spoken of----” “Sir, I
never heard it spoken of in my Life
before, said M^r Heywood. I did not
know there was such a place in the
World.”--“You did not!--There my
Dear--(turning with exultation to his
Wife)--you see how it is. So much
for the Celebrity of Brinshore!--This
Gentleman did not know there was
( 17 )
such a place in the World.--Why, in
truth Sir, I fancy we may apply to
Brinshore, that line of the Poet Cowper
in his description of the religious Cottager,
as opposed to Voltaire--“_She_,
never heard of half a mile from home.”
--“With all my Heart Sir--Apply any
Verses you like to it--But I want to
see something applied to your Leg--
& I am sure by your Lady’s countenance
that she is quite of my opinion
& thinks it a pity to lose any more
time--And here come my Girls to
speak for themselves & their Mother.
(two or three genteel looking young
Women followed by as many Maid
servants, were now seen issueing from
the House)--I began to wonder the
Bustle should not have reached _them_.--
A thing of this kind soon makes a Stir
in a lonely place like ours.--Now Sir,
let us see how you can be best conveyed
( 18 )
into the House.”--The young
Ladies approached & said every thing
that was proper to recommend their
Father’s offers; & in an unaffected
manner calculated to make the Strangers
easy--and as M^{rs} P-- was
exceedingly anxious for relief--and
her Husband by this time, not much
less disposed for it--a very few civil
scruples were enough--especially as the
Carriage being now set up, was discovered
to have received such Injury
on the fallen side as to be unfit for
present use.--M^r Parker was therefore
carried into the House, and his Carriage
wheeled off to a vacant Barn.--
( 19 )