Chapter I: Front Matter

JANE AUSTEN AND HER TIMES

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

A BACHELOR GIRL IN LONDON

THE GIFTS OF ENEMIES

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK OF LONDON

JANE AUSTEN
AND HER TIMES

BY

G. E. MITTON

WITH TWENTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS

METHUEN & CO.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

_First Published in 1905_

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. PRELIMINARY AND DISCURSIVE 1
II. CHILDHOOD 22
III. THE POSITION OF THE CLERGY 34
IV. HOME LIFE AT STEVENTON 49
V. THE NOVELS 80
VI. LETTERS AND POST 105
VII. SOCIETY AND LOVE-MAKING 117
VIII. VISITS AND TRAVELING 148
IX. CONTEMPORARY WRITERS 161
X. A TRIO OF NOVELS 176
XI. THE NAVY 196
XII. BATH 212
XIII. DRESS AND FASHIONS 229
XIV. AT SOUTHAMPTON 249
XV. CHAWTON 266
XVI. IN LONDON 278
XVII. FANNY AND ANNA 296
XVIII. THE PRINCE REGENT AND _EMMA_ 303
XIX. LAST DAYS 313
INDEX 327

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

MORNING EMPLOYMENTS _Frontispiece_
From a Painting by BUNBURY.

THE REV. GEORGE AUSTEN _Facing page_ 16
From a Family Miniature.

THE REV. JAMES AUSTEN „ „ 16
From a Family Miniature.

JUVENILE RETIREMENT „ „ 26
From a Painting by JOHN HOPPNER.

THE VICAR RECEIVING HIS TITHES „ „ 42
From a Drawing by H. SINGLETON.

JANE AUSTEN „ „ 58
From a Portrait by her Sister CASSANDRA.

THE HAPPY COTTAGERS „ „ 74
From a Painting by GEORGE MORLAND.

MISS BURNEY (MADAME D’ARBLAY) „ „ 96
From a Portrait by EDWARD BURNEY.

FROM A SUMMER’S EVENING „ „ 156
From a Drawing by DE LOUTHERBOURG.

TRAVELLERS ARRIVING AT EAGLE TAVERN, STRAND „ „ 159
From an Old Engraving.

DOMESTIC HAPPINESS „ „ 170
From a Painting by GEORGE MORLAND.

COWPER „ „ 192
From a Painting by GEORGE ROMNEY, in the
possession of B. Vaughan Johnson, Esq.

VICTORY OF LORD DUNCAN (CAMPERDOWN), 1797 „ „ 208
From a Painting by J. S. COPLEY.

FAÇADE OF THE PUMP ROOM, BATH, IN THE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY „ „ 220
From a Contemporary Engraving.

DRESSING TO GO OUT „ „ 230
From a Drawing by P. W. TOMKINS.

INIGO JONES, HON. H. FANE, AND C. BLAIR „ „ 246
From a Painting by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

A PLATE FROM THE GALLERY OF FASHION „ „ 260

CHARING CROSS, 1795 „ „ 285
From an Engraving in the Crace Collection.

THE LITTLE THEATRE, HAYMARKET „ „ 291
From an Engraving by WILKINSON in _Londina
Illustrata_.

THE REV. GEORGE CRABBE „ „ 293
From a Drawing by Sir F. CHANTREY, in the
National Portrait Gallery.

THE GARDEN OF CARLTON HOUSE „ „ 304
From a Painting by BUNBURY.

JANE AUSTEN AND HER TIMES