Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 30

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

Teaching Companion Print Adapt for your student

Copywork

Elizabeth soon perceived, that though this great lady was not in the commission of the peace for the county, she was a most active magistrate in her own parish, the minutest concerns of which were carried to her by Mr. Collins; and whenever any of the cottagers were disposed to be quarrelsome, discontented, or too poor, she sallied forth into the village to settle their differences, silence their complaints, and scold them into harmony and plenty.

Colonel Fitzwilliam, who led the way, was about thirty, not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman. Mr. Darcy looked just as he had been used to look in Hertfordshire, paid his compliments, with his usual reserve, to Mrs. Collins; and whatever might be his feelings towards her friend, met her with every appearance of composure. Elizabeth merely courtesied to him, without saying a word. Colonel Fitzwilliam entered into conversation directly, with the readiness and ease of a well-bred man, and talked very pleasantly; but his cousin, after having addressed a slight observation on the house and garden to Mrs. Collins, sat for some time without speaking to anybody.

Read both passages aloud. Which person does the narrator let you see least clearly?

For the educator Two passages from the narrator: Lady Catherine’s rule of the village, and the gentlemen’s call at the Parsonage. The first is one long sentence, and everything after “Elizabeth soon perceived,” is what Elizabeth saw; the comma before “that” is the punctuation of Austen’s day. A “though” clause says what Lady Catherine is not, “in the commission of the peace for the county”, before the main clause says what she is anyway, “a most active magistrate in her own parish”. After the semicolon come two lists of three. The first, “quarrelsome, discontented, or too poor”, names faults of temper and then slips in poverty as if it were one. The second climbs from “settle” to “silence” to “scold” and lands on a result that scolding cannot produce, “harmony and plenty”. Here the “commission of the peace” is the appointment of a justice of the peace, “minutest” means smallest, and “sallied forth” means set out briskly. The second passage is four sentences. The first ends on a “not … but” turn, “not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman”, where “address” means manner with people. The second gives Darcy three verbs, “looked”, “paid” and “met”, and holds the third back behind a clause that refuses to tell: “whatever might be his feelings towards her friend”. The third is short and flat: Elizabeth “merely courtesied”, the old spelling of curtsied. The fourth sets the cousins on either side of a semicolon and “but”; the long phrase “after having addressed a slight observation on the house and garden to Mrs. Collins” delays Darcy’s verb, so the reader waits through his one remark to reach his silence. For mechanics, notice the paired commas around “who led the way” and “with his usual reserve”, and the semicolons that divide the long sentences. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who picks Darcy, whose feelings the narrator raises and then hides behind “every appearance of composure”; one who picks Elizabeth, whose curtsey comes with no thought attached; and one who picks Lady Catherine, seen only through what Elizabeth “perceived”. No answer may say what Darcy feels; the passage keeps it back.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in a few sentences, from Sir William’s week at Hunsford to the gentlemen going away. Then pick the one sentence that matters most, and say why.

Charlotte keeps the ladies in a back room so that Mr. Collins will stay in his own, which looks onto the road. Who gains more from that arrangement, Charlotte or her husband? Inference
Most days, Mr. Collins walks to Rosings, and Charlotte goes too. To Elizabeth this is “the sacrifice of so many hours.” Would Charlotte call it a sacrifice? Character
Lady Catherine seems “almost angry” that Charlotte and Elizabeth have already seen a good deal of Darcy. Why should that bother her? Character
When Darcy comes in, Elizabeth “merely courtesied to him, without saying a word.” Who is that silence for? Inference
Colonel Fitzwilliam is “not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman.” By that measure, how does Darcy do on this visit? Character

Make a Connection Think of a small world, in your own life or in a book, where one person keeps an eye on everything. How do the others live with it?

Vocabulary

commission: though this great lady was not in the commission of the peace for the county, An official grant of power to do a job, or the group of people who hold it (from Latin committere, to entrust; related to commit and committee). To be “in the commission of the peace” was to be appointed a justice of the peace, a local judge for the county. Lady Catherine is not, yet she acts as “a most active magistrate in her own parish”. The word marks the gap between power someone has been given and power someone simply takes.
unfrequently: She not unfrequently stopped at the Parsonage, Seldom; rarely (un-, not, added to frequently, often; today the usual form is infrequently). Miss De Bourgh “not unfrequently stopped at the Parsonage”: two negatives that together mean fairly often. Saying a thing is not rare, instead of saying it is common, is understatement, and it keeps the narrator’s voice cool while the reader does the counting.
well-bred: with the readiness and ease of a well-bred man, Brought up to good manners; polished and at ease with people (well, added to bred, raised). Colonel Fitzwilliam talks “with the readiness and ease of a well-bred man”. In Austen’s world good breeding shows most in conversation, and the word sets a standard for every man in the small parlour, his silent cousin included.

Critical thinking

Elizabeth knows Darcy has never seen Jane in London, but she asks anyway, to see whether he gives something away. Is that a fair way to learn the truth?
Charlotte thinks Darcy came to the Parsonage for Elizabeth’s sake, and Elizabeth thinks only of catching him out about Jane. Which reading of his visit does the chapter better support?