Jane Austen Quote of the Week 215

This week I had the fortune to visit the christmas market at Winchester. The market was located just behind Winchester cathedral, the site of Jane's burial. In 2007 I wrote a post with information regarding Cassandra's response to her death, read it here.

The market was beautiful and I kept thinking about Jane and how the cathedral was "a building she admired so much" (written in a letter from Cassandra Austen in 1817, XCV, Winchester: Sunday )

I have chosen to quote a poem Jane wrote three days before her death in Winchester:

When Winchester races

When Winchester races first took their beginning

It is said the good people forgot their old Saint

Not applying at all for the leave of Saint Swithin

And that William of Wykeham's approval was faint.

The races however were fixed and determined

The company came and the Weather was charming

The Lords and the Ladies were satine'd and ermined

And nobody saw any future alarming.--

But when the old Saint was informed of these doings

He made but one Spring from his Shrine to the Roof

Of the Palace which now lies so sadly in ruins

And then he addressed them all standing aloof.

'Oh! subjects rebellious! Oh Venta depraved

When once we are buried you think we are gone

But behold me immortal! By vice you're enslaved

You have sinned and must suffer, ten farther he said

 

These races and revels and dissolute measures

With which you're debasing a neighboring Plain

Let them stand--You shall meet with your curse in your pleasures

Set off for your course, I'll pursue with my rain.

Ye cannot but know my command o'er July

Henceforward I'll triumph in shewing my powers

Shift your race as you will it shall never be dry

The curse upon Venta is July in showers--'.

For your information the roman name for Winchester was Venta. St Swithin's Day is 15th July, the day this poem was written and always associated with rain. I find it so amazing that she was writing such inspiring poetry days before her death, and funny too - rain does not make the best conditions for a race!

Pic: Winchester Cathedral

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 191

Here are my musings about our dear Jane, as I was pondering what to post.  I thought that she wrote some things other than her novels.    Then I remembered that I had on my shelf some Austen poetry books, namely:  "Jane Austen, Collected Poems and verse of the Austen Family", edited by David Selwyn and "Jane Austen, Poems and Favourite Poems" edited by Douglas Brooks-Davies.   Hm, there should be a list somewhere and wouldn't that be nice to have. Next I recollected that Henry Churchyard has a page at Pemberley which contains almost (if not all) all of her writings.  You can visit that site here:  http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html

I will give you a sample of her verse by quoting this one titled "Song":

That Damon was in love with me

     I once thought & beleiv''d

But now that he is not I see,

     I fear I was deceiv'd.
 
Happy hunting among the aforementioned pages.  Another astounding fact I stumbled across is that I was amazed to see what a store house of quotes and information we have here at "Becoming Jane Fansite" since 2007.  We have covered a lot of subjects and had some adventures too.  Geez, how time flies when you are having fun.
 
Yrs aff'ly,
Linda the Librarian

Pix: Cover to 'The Poetry of Jane Austen and the Austen Family' from Amazon.com

‘Jane’s Marriage’, by Ruyard Kipling

Jane Odiwe (thanks, Jane!) directed me again to the poem of Ruyard Kipling (1865-1936) titled ‘Jane’s Marriage’. Kipling might be one of the first people who understood Jane’s longing for the love of her own. He also detected a subtle autobiographical story of Jane Austen herself in Persuasion. Here’s the poem, taken from the Jane Austen Centre. Thank you, Kipling, for remembering Jane in such a beautiful way.

Jane's Marriage

Jane went to Paradise:
That was only fair.
Good Sir Walter met her first,
And led her up the stair.
Henry and Tobias,
And Miguel of Spain,
Stood with Shakespeare at the top
To welcome Jane --

Then the Three Archangels
Offered out of hand,
Anything in Heaven's gift
That she might command.
Azrael's eyes upon her,
Raphael's wings above,
Michael's sword against her heart,
Jane said: "Love."

Instantly the understanding Seraphim
Laid their fingers on their lips
And went to look for him.
Stole across the Zodiac,
Harnessed Charles's Wain,
And whispered round the Nebulae
"Who loved Jane?"

In a private limbo
Where none had thought to look,
Sat a Hampshire gentleman
Reading of a book.
It was called Persuasion,
And it told the plain
Story of the love between
Him and Jane.

He heard the question
Circle Heaven through --
Closed the book and answered:
"I did -- and do!"
Quietly but speedily
(As Captain Wentworth moved)
Entered into Paradise
The man Jane loved!

The following is the epitaph of the opening of Kipling’s story ‘The Janeites’.

Jane lies in Winchester -- blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made!
And while the stones of Winchester, or Milsom Street, remain,
Glory, love, and honour unto England's Jane!

Hmmm...Kipling also thought that Milsom Street was rather important for Jane. Anyway, back to the first poem: is it not touching?

"Who loved Jane?"

In a private limbo
Where none had thought to look,
Sat a Hampshire gentleman
Reading of a book.
It was called Persuasion,
And it told the plain
Story of the love between
Him and Jane.

I don’t know, will never know perhaps, if Kipling was aware of the failed love story between Jane and Tom Lefroy. The Memoir of Jane Austen had been published by the time Kipling was a teenager. As the Memoir only brushed a very bit of Tom Lefroy, Kipling might not see it. But, even if he did not, he guessed it almost right. Having visited Hampshire several times, the Irish Tom Lefroy could be called ‘a Hampshire gentleman’ as well…

Pic 1: A close up of Revd. Clarke’s sketch of Jane Austen

Pic 2: The Wedding, by scubagrl.net

Pic 3: Ruyard Kipling, from Wikipedia