Love and Friendship, and Other Early Works, Jane Austen [bts books to read txt] 📗

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and Other Early Works

 

also spelled

LOVE AND FREINDSHIP

A collection of juvenile writings

 

by Jane Austen

 

[ A few very small changes have been made to this version:

Italics have been converted to capitals. The British ‘pound’

symbol has been converted to ‘L’; but in general the author’s

erratic spelling, punctuation and capitalisations have been

retained.]

*

CONTENTS.

 

Love and Freindship

 

Lesley Castle

 

The History of England

 

Collection of Letters

 

Scraps

*

LOVE AND FREINDSHIP

TO MADAME LA COMTESSE DE FEUILLIDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER

OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT

THE AUTHOR.

 

“Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love.”

 

LETTER the FIRST

From ISABEL to LAURA

 

How often, in answer to my repeated intreaties that you would

give my Daughter a regular detail of the Misfortunes and

Adventures of your Life, have you said “No, my freind never will

I comply with your request till I may be no longer in Danger of

again experiencing such dreadful ones.”

 

Surely that time is now at hand. You are this day 55. If a

woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determined

Perseverance of disagreeable Lovers and the cruel Persecutions of

obstinate Fathers, surely it must be at such a time of Life.

Isabel

 

LETTER 2nd

LAURA to ISABEL

 

Altho’ I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never

again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have

already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or

ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and

may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions

of my past Life, prove to her a useful lesson for the support of

those which may befall her in her own.

Laura

 

LETTER 3rd

LAURA to MARIANNE

 

As the Daughter of my most intimate freind I think you entitled

to that knowledge of my unhappy story, which your Mother has so

often solicited me to give you.

 

My Father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my

Mother was the natural Daughter of a Scotch Peer by an italian

Opera-girl—I was born in Spain and received my Education at a

Convent in France.

 

When I had reached my eighteenth Year I was recalled by my

Parents to my paternal roof in Wales. Our mansion was situated

in one of the most romantic parts of the Vale of Uske. Tho’ my

Charms are now considerably softened and somewhat impaired by the

Misfortunes I have undergone, I was once beautiful. But lovely

as I was the Graces of my Person were the least of my

Perfections. Of every accomplishment accustomary to my sex, I was

Mistress. When in the Convent, my progress had always exceeded my

instructions, my Acquirements had been wonderfull for my age, and

I had shortly surpassed my Masters.

 

In my Mind, every Virtue that could adorn it was centered; it was

the Rendez-vous of every good Quality and of every noble

sentiment.

 

A sensibility too tremblingly alive to every affliction of my

Freinds, my Acquaintance and particularly to every affliction of

my own, was my only fault, if a fault it could be called. Alas!

how altered now! Tho’ indeed my own Misfortunes do not make less

impression on me than they ever did, yet now I never feel for

those of an other. My accomplishments too, begin to fade—I can

neither sing so well nor Dance so gracefully as I once did—and I

have entirely forgot the MINUET DELA COUR.

Adeiu.

Laura.

 

LETTER 4th

Laura to MARIANNE

 

Our neighbourhood was small, for it consisted only of your

Mother. She may probably have already told you that being left

by her Parents in indigent Circumstances she had retired into

Wales on eoconomical motives. There it was our freindship first

commenced. Isobel was then one and twenty. Tho’ pleasing both

in her Person and Manners (between ourselves) she never possessed

the hundredth part of my Beauty or Accomplishments. Isabel had

seen the World. She had passed 2 Years at one of the first

Boarding-schools in London; had spent a fortnight in Bath and had

supped one night in Southampton.

 

“Beware my Laura (she would often say) Beware of the insipid

Vanities and idle Dissipations of the Metropolis of England;

Beware of the unmeaning Luxuries of Bath and of the stinking fish

of Southampton.”

 

“Alas! (exclaimed I) how am I to avoid those evils I shall never

be exposed to? What probability is there of my ever tasting the

Dissipations of London, the Luxuries of Bath, or the stinking

Fish of Southampton? I who am doomed to waste my Days of Youth

and Beauty in an humble Cottage in the Vale of Uske.”

 

Ah! little did I then think I was ordained so soon to quit that

humble Cottage for the Deceitfull Pleasures of the World.

Adeiu

Laura.

 

LETTER 5th

LAURA to MARIANNE

 

One Evening in December as my Father, my Mother and myself, were

arranged in social converse round our Fireside, we were on a

sudden greatly astonished, by hearing a violent knocking on the

outward door of our rustic Cot.

 

My Father started—“What noise is that,” (said he.) “It sounds

like a loud rapping at the door”—(replied my Mother.) “it does

indeed.” (cried I.) “I am of your opinion; (said my Father) it

certainly does appear to proceed from some uncommon violence

exerted against our unoffending door.” “Yes (exclaimed I) I

cannot help thinking it must be somebody who knocks for

admittance.”

 

“That is another point (replied he;) We must not pretend to

determine on what motive the person may knock—tho’ that someone

DOES rap at the door, I am partly convinced.”

 

Here, a 2d tremendous rap interrupted my Father in his speech,

and somewhat alarmed my Mother and me.

 

“Had we better not go and see who it is? (said she) the servants

are out.” “I think we had.” (replied I.) “Certainly, (added my

Father) by all means.” “Shall we go now?” (said my Mother,) “The

sooner the better.” (answered he.) “Oh! let no time be lost”

(cried I.)

 

A third more violent Rap than ever again assaulted our ears. “I

am certain there is somebody knocking at the Door.” (said my

Mother.) “I think there must,” (replied my Father) “I fancy the

servants are returned; (said I) I think I hear Mary going to the

Door.” “I’m glad of it (cried my Father) for I long to know who

it is.”

 

I was right in my conjecture; for Mary instantly entering the

Room, informed us that a young Gentleman and his Servant were at

the door, who had lossed their way, were very cold and begged

leave to warm themselves by our fire.

 

“Won’t you admit them?” (said I.) “You have no objection, my

Dear?” (said my Father.) “None in the World.” (replied my

Mother.)

 

Mary, without waiting for any further commands immediately left

the room and quickly returned introducing the most beauteous and

amiable Youth, I had ever beheld. The servant she kept to

herself.

 

My natural sensibility had already been greatly affected by the

sufferings of the unfortunate stranger and no sooner did I first

behold him, than I felt that on him the happiness or Misery of my

future Life must depend.

Adeiu

Laura.

 

LETTER 6th

LAURA to MARIANNE

 

The noble Youth informed us that his name was Lindsay—for

particular reasons however I shall conceal it under that of

Talbot. He told us that he was the son of an English Baronet,

that his Mother had been for many years no more and that he had a

Sister of the middle size. “My Father (he continued) is a mean

and mercenary wretch—it is only to such particular freinds as

this Dear Party that I would thus betray his failings. Your

Virtues my amiable Polydore (addressing himself to my father)

yours Dear Claudia and yours my Charming Laura call on me to

repose in you, my confidence.” We bowed. “My Father seduced by

the false glare of Fortune and the Deluding Pomp of Title,

insisted on my giving my hand to Lady Dorothea. No never

exclaimed I. Lady Dorothea is lovely and Engaging; I prefer no

woman to her; but know Sir, that I scorn to marry her in

compliance with your Wishes. No! Never shall it be said that I

obliged my Father.”

 

We all admired the noble Manliness of his reply. He continued.

 

“Sir Edward was surprised; he had perhaps little expected to meet

with so spirited an opposition to his will. “Where, Edward in

the name of wonder (said he) did you pick up this unmeaning

gibberish? You have been studying Novels I suspect.” I scorned

to answer: it would have been beneath my dignity. I mounted my

Horse and followed by my faithful William set forth for my

Aunts.”

 

“My Father’s house is situated in Bedfordshire, my Aunt’s in

Middlesex, and tho’ I flatter myself with being a tolerable

proficient in Geography, I know not how it happened, but I found

myself entering this beautifull Vale which I find is in South

Wales, when I had expected to have reached my Aunts.”

 

“After having wandered some time on the Banks of the Uske without

knowing which way to go, I began to lament my cruel Destiny in

the bitterest and most pathetic Manner. It was now perfectly

dark, not a single star was there to direct my steps, and I know

not what might have befallen me had I not at length discerned

thro’ the solemn Gloom that surrounded me a distant light, which

as I approached it, I discovered to be the chearfull Blaze of

your fire. Impelled by the combination of Misfortunes under

which I laboured, namely Fear, Cold and Hunger I hesitated not to

ask admittance which at length I have gained; and now my Adorable

Laura (continued he taking my Hand) when may I hope to receive

that reward of all the painfull sufferings I have undergone

during the course of my attachment to you, to which I have ever

aspired. Oh! when will you reward me with Yourself?”

 

“This instant, Dear and Amiable Edward.” (replied I.). We were

immediately united by my Father, who tho’ he had never taken

orders had been bred to the Church.

Adeiu

Laura

 

LETTER 7th

LAURA to MARIANNE

 

We remained but a few days after our Marriage, in the Vale of

Uske. After taking an affecting Farewell of my Father, my Mother

and my Isabel, I accompanied Edward to his Aunt’s in Middlesex.

Philippa received us both with every expression of affectionate

Love. My arrival was indeed a most agreable surprise to her as

she had not only been totally ignorant of my Marriage with her

Nephew, but had never even had the slightest idea of there being

such a person in the World.

 

Augusta, the sister of Edward was on a visit to her when we

arrived. I found her exactly what her Brother had described her

to be—of the middle size. She received me with equal surprise

though not with equal Cordiality, as Philippa. There was a

disagreable coldness and Forbidding Reserve in her reception of

me which was equally distressing and Unexpected. None of that

interesting Sensibility or amiable simpathy in her