Aug102010
?Sir, you do me honour,? was Crawford?s answer,...
?Sir, you do me honour,? was Crawford?s answer, with a bow of
mock gravity
Both gentlemen had a glance at Fanny, to see if a word of accordant
praise could be extorted from her; yet both feeling that it could
not beHer praise had been given in her attention; that must content
them
Lady Bertram?s admiration was expressed, and strongly too?It
was really like being at a play,? said she?I wish Sir Thomas had
been here
Crawford was excessively pleasedIf Lady Bertram, with all her
incompetency and languor, could feel this, the inference of what
her niece, alive and enlightened as she was, must feel, was elevating
?You have a great turn for acting, I am sure, MrCrawford,? said
her ladyship soon afterwards; ?and I will tell you what, I think you
will have a theatre, some time or other, at your house in NorfolkI
mean when you are settled thereI think you will fit up
a theatre at your house in Norfolk
?Do you, ma?am?? cried he, with quickness?No, no, that will
never beYour ladyship is quite mistakenNo theatre at Everingham!
Oh no!? And he looked at Fanny with an expressive smile, which
evidently meant, ?That lady will never allow a theatre at
Everingham
Edmund saw it all, and saw Fanny so determined not to see it, as
to make it clear that the voice was enough to convey the full meaning
of the protestation; and such a quick consciousness of compliment,
such a ready comprehension of a hint, he thought, was rather
favourable than not
The subject of reading aloud was farther discussedThe two young
men were the only talkers, but they, standing by the fire, talked omega seamaster fake over
the too common neglect of the qualification, the total inattention
to it, in the ordinary school-system for boys, the consequently natural,
yet in some instances almost unnatural, degree of ignorance and
294
Mansfield Park
uncouthness of men, of sensible and well-informed men, when suddenly
called to the necessity of reading aloud, which had fallen within
their notice, giving instances of blunders, and failures with their
secondary causes, the want of management of the voice, of proper
modulation and emphasis, of foresight and judgment, all proceeding
from the first cause: want of early attention and habit; and Fanny
was listening again with great entertainment
?Even in my profession,? said Edmund, with a smile, ?how little
the art of reading has been studied! how little a clear manner, and
good delivery, have been attended to! I speak rather of the past,
however, than the presentThere is now a spirit of improvement
abroad; but among those who were ordained twenty, thirty, forty
years ago, the larger number, to judge by their performance, must
have thought reading was reading, and preaching was preachingThe subject is more justly consideredIt is felt that
distinctness and energy may have weight in recommending the most
solid truths; and besides, there is more general observation and taste,
a more critical knowledge diffused than formerly; in every congregation
there is a larger proportion who know a little of the matter,
and who can judge and criticise
Edmund had already gone through the service once since his ordination;
and upon this being understood, he coco chanel designer had a variety of questions
from Crawford as to his feelings and success; questions, which
being made, though with the vivacity of friendly interest and quick
taste, without any touch of that spirit of banter or air of levity which
Edmund knew to be most offensive to Fanny, he had true pleasure in
satisfying; and when Crawford proceeded to ask his opinion and give
his own as to the properest manner in which particular passages in
the service should be delivered, shewing it to be a subject on which he
had thought before, and thought with judgment, Edmund was still
more and more pleasedThis would be the way to Fanny?s heartShe
was not to be won by all that gallantry and wit and good-nature together
could do; or, at least, she would not be won by them nearly so
soon, without the assistance of sentiment and feeling, and seriousness
on serious subjects
?Our liturgy,? observed Crawford, ?has beauties, which not even
a careless, slovenly style of reading can destroy; but it has also re295
Jane Austen
dundancies and repetitions which require good reading not to be
feltFor myself, at least, I must confess being not always so attentive
as I ought to be? (here was a glance at Fanny); ?that nineteen times
out of twenty I am thinking how such a prayer ought to be read,
and longing to have it to read myselfDid you speak?? stepping
eagerly to Fanny, and addressing her in a softened voice; and upon
her saying ?No,? he added, ?Are you sure you did not speak? I saw
your lips moveI fancied you might be going to tell me I ought to
be more attentive, and not allow my thoughts cartier tank watch to wanderAre not
you going to tell me so??
?No, indeed, you know your duty too well for me to?even supposing??
She stopt, felt herself getting into a puzzle, and could not be prevailed
on to add another word, not by dint of several minutes of
supplication and waitingHe then returned to his former station,
and went on as if there had been no such tender interruption
?A sermon, well delivered, is more uncommon even than prayers
well readA sermon, good in itself, is no rare thingIt is more difficult
to speak well than to compose well; that is, the rules and trick
of composition are oftener an object of studyA thoroughly good
sermon, thoroughly well delivered, is a capital gratificationI can
never hear such a one without the greatest admiration and respect,
and more than half a mind to take orders and preach myselfThere
is something in the eloquence of the pulpit, when it is really eloquence,
which is entitled to the highest praise and honourThe
preacher who can touch and affect such an heterogeneous mass of
hearers, on subjects limited, and long worn threadbare in all common
hands; who can say anything new or striking, anything that
rouses the attention without offending the taste, or wearing out the
feelings of his hearers, is a man whom one could not, in his public
capacity, honour enoughI should like to be such a manI never listened to a distinguished preacher in
my life without a sort of envyBut then, I must have a London
audienceI could not preach but to the educated; to those who were
capable of estimating my compositionAnd I do not know that I
should be louis vuitton gm bag fond of preaching often; now and then, perhaps once or
296
Mansfield Park
twice in the spring, after being anxiously expected for half a dozen
Sundays together; but not for a constancy; it would not do for a
constancy
Here Fanny, who could not but listen, involuntarily shook her
head, and Crawford was instantly by her side again, entreating to
know her meaning; and as Edmund perceived, by his drawing in a
chair, and sitting down close by her, that it was to be a very thorough
attack, that looks and undertones were to be well tried, he
sank as quietly as possible into a corner, turned his back, and took
up a newspaper, very sincerely wishing that dear little Fanny might
be persuaded into explaining away that shake of the head to the
satisfaction of her ardent lover; and as earnestly trying to bury every
sound of the business from himself in murmurs of his own, over the
various advertisements of ?A most desirable Estate in South Wales?;
?To Parents and Guardians?; and a ?Capital season?d Hunter
Fanny, meanwhile, vexed with herself for not having been as motionless
as she was speechless, and grieved to the heart to see
Edmund?s arrangements, was trying by everything in the power of
her modest, gentle nature, to repulse MrCrawford, and avoid both
his looks and inquiries; and he, unrepulsable, was persisting in both
?What did that shake of the head mean?? said he?What was it
meant to express? Disapprobation, I fearBut of what? What had I
been saying to displease you? Did you think me speaking improperly,
lightly, irreverently on the subject? Only tell me if I chanel white bag wa
?Sir, you do me honour,? was Crawford?s answer, with a bow of
mock gravity
Both gentlemen had a glance at Fanny, to see if a word of accordant
praise could be extorted from her; yet both feeling that it could
not beHer praise had been given in her attention; that must content
them
Lady Bertram?s admiration was expressed, and strongly too?It
was really like being at a play,? said she?I wish Sir Thomas had
been here
Crawford was excessively pleasedIf Lady Bertram, with all her
incompetency and languor, could feel this, the inference of what
her niece, alive and enlightened as she was, must feel, was elevating
?You have a great turn for acting, I am sure, MrCrawford,? said
her ladyship soon afterwards; ?and I will tell you what, I think you
will have a theatre, some time or other, at your house in NorfolkI
mean when you are settled thereI think you will fit up
a theatre at your house in Norfolk
?Do you, ma?am?? cried he, with quickness?No, no, that will
never beYour ladyship is quite mistakenNo theatre at Everingham!
Oh no!? And he looked at Fanny with an expressive smile, which
evidently meant, ?That lady will never allow a theatre at
Everingham
Edmund saw it all, and saw Fanny so determined not to see it, as
to make it clear that the voice was enough to convey the full meaning
of the protestation; and such a quick consciousness of compliment,
such a ready comprehension of a hint, he thought, was rather
favourable than not
The subject of reading aloud was farther discussedThe two young
men were the only talkers, but they, standing by the fire, talked omega seamaster fake over
the too common neglect of the qualification, the total inattention
to it, in the ordinary school-system for boys, the consequently natural,
yet in some instances almost unnatural, degree of ignorance and
294
Mansfield Park
uncouthness of men, of sensible and well-informed men, when suddenly
called to the necessity of reading aloud, which had fallen within
their notice, giving instances of blunders, and failures with their
secondary causes, the want of management of the voice, of proper
modulation and emphasis, of foresight and judgment, all proceeding
from the first cause: want of early attention and habit; and Fanny
was listening again with great entertainment
?Even in my profession,? said Edmund, with a smile, ?how little
the art of reading has been studied! how little a clear manner, and
good delivery, have been attended to! I speak rather of the past,
however, than the presentThere is now a spirit of improvement
abroad; but among those who were ordained twenty, thirty, forty
years ago, the larger number, to judge by their performance, must
have thought reading was reading, and preaching was preachingThe subject is more justly consideredIt is felt that
distinctness and energy may have weight in recommending the most
solid truths; and besides, there is more general observation and taste,
a more critical knowledge diffused than formerly; in every congregation
there is a larger proportion who know a little of the matter,
and who can judge and criticise
Edmund had already gone through the service once since his ordination;
and upon this being understood, he coco chanel designer had a variety of questions
from Crawford as to his feelings and success; questions, which
being made, though with the vivacity of friendly interest and quick
taste, without any touch of that spirit of banter or air of levity which
Edmund knew to be most offensive to Fanny, he had true pleasure in
satisfying; and when Crawford proceeded to ask his opinion and give
his own as to the properest manner in which particular passages in
the service should be delivered, shewing it to be a subject on which he
had thought before, and thought with judgment, Edmund was still
more and more pleasedThis would be the way to Fanny?s heartShe
was not to be won by all that gallantry and wit and good-nature together
could do; or, at least, she would not be won by them nearly so
soon, without the assistance of sentiment and feeling, and seriousness
on serious subjects
?Our liturgy,? observed Crawford, ?has beauties, which not even
a careless, slovenly style of reading can destroy; but it has also re295
Jane Austen
dundancies and repetitions which require good reading not to be
feltFor myself, at least, I must confess being not always so attentive
as I ought to be? (here was a glance at Fanny); ?that nineteen times
out of twenty I am thinking how such a prayer ought to be read,
and longing to have it to read myselfDid you speak?? stepping
eagerly to Fanny, and addressing her in a softened voice; and upon
her saying ?No,? he added, ?Are you sure you did not speak? I saw
your lips moveI fancied you might be going to tell me I ought to
be more attentive, and not allow my thoughts cartier tank watch to wanderAre not
you going to tell me so??
?No, indeed, you know your duty too well for me to?even supposing??
She stopt, felt herself getting into a puzzle, and could not be prevailed
on to add another word, not by dint of several minutes of
supplication and waitingHe then returned to his former station,
and went on as if there had been no such tender interruption
?A sermon, well delivered, is more uncommon even than prayers
well readA sermon, good in itself, is no rare thingIt is more difficult
to speak well than to compose well; that is, the rules and trick
of composition are oftener an object of studyA thoroughly good
sermon, thoroughly well delivered, is a capital gratificationI can
never hear such a one without the greatest admiration and respect,
and more than half a mind to take orders and preach myselfThere
is something in the eloquence of the pulpit, when it is really eloquence,
which is entitled to the highest praise and honourThe
preacher who can touch and affect such an heterogeneous mass of
hearers, on subjects limited, and long worn threadbare in all common
hands; who can say anything new or striking, anything that
rouses the attention without offending the taste, or wearing out the
feelings of his hearers, is a man whom one could not, in his public
capacity, honour enoughI should like to be such a manI never listened to a distinguished preacher in
my life without a sort of envyBut then, I must have a London
audienceI could not preach but to the educated; to those who were
capable of estimating my compositionAnd I do not know that I
should be louis vuitton gm bag fond of preaching often; now and then, perhaps once or
296
Mansfield Park
twice in the spring, after being anxiously expected for half a dozen
Sundays together; but not for a constancy; it would not do for a
constancy
Here Fanny, who could not but listen, involuntarily shook her
head, and Crawford was instantly by her side again, entreating to
know her meaning; and as Edmund perceived, by his drawing in a
chair, and sitting down close by her, that it was to be a very thorough
attack, that looks and undertones were to be well tried, he
sank as quietly as possible into a corner, turned his back, and took
up a newspaper, very sincerely wishing that dear little Fanny might
be persuaded into explaining away that shake of the head to the
satisfaction of her ardent lover; and as earnestly trying to bury every
sound of the business from himself in murmurs of his own, over the
various advertisements of ?A most desirable Estate in South Wales?;
?To Parents and Guardians?; and a ?Capital season?d Hunter
Fanny, meanwhile, vexed with herself for not having been as motionless
as she was speechless, and grieved to the heart to see
Edmund?s arrangements, was trying by everything in the power of
her modest, gentle nature, to repulse MrCrawford, and avoid both
his looks and inquiries; and he, unrepulsable, was persisting in both
?What did that shake of the head mean?? said he?What was it
meant to express? Disapprobation, I fearBut of what? What had I
been saying to displease you? Did you think me speaking improperly,
lightly, irreverently on the subject? Only tell me if I chanel white bag wa
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