Tom Lefroy Quote Week 34

Apologies for being late... but I hope it's okay!

 My apologies for being late with the quote; totally forgot about it. I had a busy weekend; we had three dinners with friends in three consecutive nights (invited friends on Friday night and Sunday nights and attended dinner at a friend’s place on Saturday night). Must remind myself to ask Rachel to Whatsapp me in case I haven’t sent any quotes by Sunday morning on my turns. Otherwise, I will always be late... But I hope the Tom Lefroy quote here made it up.

From The Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy, page 33. A letter from Tom to his son Anthony:

“I hope you are attentive to your business, and get your lessons, not merely so as to pass, but so as to understand them as perfectly as you can, and above all things that you don’t loiter and waste time. When you play,– play, – but when you read, read and don’t play.”

Well, I often feel that I don’t have enough time for myself lately. Been chased around by deadlines. However, I am pleased to report that I did not work at all on Saturday, and only worked on an email briefly for 10 minutes on Sunday. Last weekend was still very busy, admittedly. But still, I played. Of sort.

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 250

 

I have stumbled across a most Delightful and Insightful book, namely: The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman" by Lori Smith.

 

I am so excited I can hardly stand myself!!  Lori has analysed Jane's books and covered a multitude of 'womanly' subjects.  I only wish I had had this book some 60 years ago, because I would hope that it would have literally changed my life.  Jane was so intelligent about so many things including "women".  Lori has quoted extensively from Jane's books to prove her points.  Every woman should read this book - and LEARN !

 

So I will only quote for you the same quote from last week from The Loiterer, Issue No. 9 where Jane, as Sophia Sentiment' says:

 

I am a great reader...."

 

You can check out Lori's book at Amazon here:  "The Jane Austen Guide to Life".   You can also check out Lori's own web site here:  Lori Smith, writer.  Now I also am anxious to read her other book "A walk with Jane Austen: a journey into adventure, love, and faith".

 

Enjoy !!

 

Linda the Librarian

 

 

 

Pic: Jane Austen guide to life- Lori Smith

Jane Austen novels rewritten for the modern audience

It has been reported that four authors are going to be re-writing Austen's novels for modern-day readers.

Alexander McCall Smith, best known for his No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, is writing a version of Emma.
Sense and Sensibility will be recreated by Joanna Trollope, Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid and Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld.

You can read more in the Guardian article here.

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 249

The Loiterer, available from Amazon

Dear Readers, first let me quote from James Austen's "The Loiterer" No. 9 where I believe is a letter to the Editor written by Jane herself:

 

You must know, Sir, I am a great reader, and not to mention some hundred volumes of Novels and Plays, have, in the last two summers, actually got through all the entertaining papers of our most celebrated periodical writers, from the Tatler and Spectator to the Microcosm and the Olla Podrida.

 

I wish to recommend some excellent books written by my friend, Linden Salter, for our Great Readers here at Becoming Jane.

 

Here are the titles of her 3 books:  The Lady and the Luddite, The Major's Minion, and Freedom in my Love.  You can find the descriptions and links to purchase them at her web site here:  Linden Salter

 

I was honored to offer a few suggestions during the writing of Freedom in my Love and Linden was kind enough to mention my name on the Acknowlegements page.  That was a "first" for me.

 

Linden is now working on having her latest book published as a e-book.  I am so looking forward to that one.  Oh, and her special interest is the French Revolution.  Enjoy!

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Tom Lefroy Quote of the Week 33

I am so amazed that when I am to post a quote, there is something going on in my life that prompts me to look up a certain subject and - Lo and Behold - I always find something in Jane or Tom's writings that addresses that subject.

 

So, lately I have been pondering 2 subjects, namely, the study habits of my grandchildren and what Jane and/or Tom thought about their God.  I found both subjects in "The Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy" in a letter he wrote to his wife in Chapter 4, Page 86:

 

I hope my dear namesake [his eldest son] is not forgetting his October Examination; every hour he labours now is an advance in preparing him for those duties honourable to himself and useful to the public, in which I hope to see him engaged hereafter, and I can tell him that the present exercise of his mind and the formation now of habits of close application is the way to fit him for usefulness and distinction in the future life.  May God bless you all, my darling earthly treasures, and may He make us all sensible of the value of having the Lord for our God no imaginary God, but He who has made Himself known to us in His Word and by His dear Son, all others are but idols, and as John says, so say I, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John v. 21.

 

Now, there we have Tom's admonishment to study hard and pay attention to our Godly studies also. Oh, and there are many mentions of "God" in the Memoir which tells me a lot about Tom's own religious beliefs.  To top that off, Tom wrote about this some 200 years ago.  Will we ever learn?  Sigh.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

 

Pic: Tom Lefroy

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 248

Alan Rickman as my favourite Col. Brandon from Sense & Sensibility 1995

 I was looking for a quote about friendship just now when I was attracted to the bold quote below. I found it here; the expanded quote is from Pemberley. From Sense & Sensibility, Chapter 31, when my dear Colonel Brandon (the Alan Rickman version in my head) visited Elinor after Marianne received the horrible letter from Willoughby:

"I met Mrs. Jennings in Bond Street," said he, after the first salutation, "and she encouraged me to come on; and I was the more easily encouraged, because I thought it probable that I might find you alone, which I was very desirous of doing. My object -- my wish -- my sole wish in desiring it -- I hope, I believe it is -- is to be a means of giving comfort; -- no, I must not say comfort -- not present comfort -- but conviction, lasting conviction to your sister's mind. My regard for her, for yourself, for your mother -- will you allow me to prove it, by relating some circumstances, which nothing but a very sincere regard -- nothing but an earnest desire of being useful -- -. I think I am justified -- though where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?" He stopped. 

"I understand you," said Elinor. "You have something to tell me of Mr. Willoughby, that will open his character farther. Your telling it will be the greatest act of friendship that can be shewn Marianne. My gratitude will be insured immediately by any information tending to that end, and hers must be gained by it in time. Pray, pray let me hear it." 

While we know it was the right thing for Brandon to disclose Willoughby's secrets, Brandon's words did leave me wondering. I hope I will remember it whenever I find myself trying so hard to prove that I'm right. I could be right, but who knows, I could be wrong too...

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 247

This week I was on an introductory teacher training course and it was really interesting. Lots was discussed, including the historical view that boys were first in line for an education.

I have chosen a quote from Chaper 1 of Mansfield Park:




“Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody. ”

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Pic: Mansfield Park

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 246 by Linda

The ITV Mansfield Park 2007 from fanpop.com

For quite a while now I have been thinking about the subject of "families" particularly about how family members should treat each other.  So I checked to see if Jane Austen had anything to say on the subject.  Fortunately, I stumbled onto Lori Smith's blog and web site.  She also has a book I want to read titled "The Jane Austen Guide to Life".  Now that sounds interesting!

Her blog on Jane Austen Quotes has one titled 'Family squabbling'.  That is where I found my Jane Austen Quote from "Mansfield Park", volume 1 chapter 13:

Family squabbling is the greatest evil of all...

The bottom line is that we should treat family members the same way we should treat everyone elso on earth - with kindness, respect, helpfulness and so on.  Well, that thought led me to go see what the Bible has to say on that subject and I landed at Galatians 6:1-2:

1.  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

And all that boils down to the old saying "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Oh my goodness, I looked that one up in the Bible and found Luke 6:27-38.  Wow, I had quite forgotten all the 'ins and outs' to that simple "do unto others..." but those verses sure spell it all out.  Now, if only we all followed that advice, what a wonderful world it would be!  No wars, etc.!

As Jane would say, "I leave it for you to determine."  I am looking forward to your thoughts on this subject since it is so dear to my heart.

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Tom Lefroy Quote of the Week 32

The Lefroy family crest

A few days ago I viewed the movie "P.S. I Love You" with one of my favorite actors, Gerard Butler.  He has a lovely Irish accent, oops, I just checked and his accent is Scottish.  Oh, well, I can't tell the difference at any rate.  Anyway part of the film is set in Ireland which of course makes me think of our dear Tom.

 

That film made me think of "Ireland" itself and just exactly why was Tom in that country.  Let me quote from the "Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy" first.  This is from Chapter 1:

 

Thomas Langlois Lefroy was born on the 8th of January, 1776.  He was the eldest son of Anthony Lefroy, Lieut.-Colonel of the 9th Light Dragoons- the descendant of a Huguenot family, who were obliged to fly from Cambray, at the period of the Duke of Alva's persecution in the Netherlands, and took refuge in England.  The following inscription, on a monument in the Parish Church of Petham, Kent, to the memory of Thomas Lefroy. the great great grandson of Antoine Loffroy, who first emigrated from Cambray, furnishes an interesting record of the circumstances under which the Lefroy family first came to adopt England as their country:

 

Sacred is

THOMAS LEFROY,

OF CANTERBURY,WHO DIED THIRD DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1723, AGED 43

OF A CAMBRESIAN FAMILY,

THAT PREFERRED RELIGION AND LIBERTY

TO

THEIR CONTRY AND THIER PROPERTY,

IN THE

TIME OF THE DUKE OF ALVA'S PERSECUTION.

 

Lieut.-Colonel Lefroy, the father of the subject of this memoir, entered the army in 1763 as Ensign in the 33rd Regiment, then quartered in Ireland, and at the early age of twenty-three married Anna, daughter of Thomas Gerorge Gardner, Esq., of Doonass, in the County of Clare....

 

Jane referred to Tom as "my Irish friend" which led me to believe that he truly was all "Irish".  After looking at the above few details, I began to wonder "just how much "Irish" is he?"  The very name "Lefroy" reminds me of it being 'French' from my studies of French in school.  So his ancestors did indeed come from the French area and landed in England.  I have not followed the exact lineage, but some of those might have married an English woman.  And as it turns out, Tom's father did indeed marry an Irish lady.  So in essence Tom is part French and part Irish.

 

So, on that information I rest my case that Tom was not all Irish, and by that it leads me to wonder about his personal character as defined by his ancestors.  I say that because in my studies of my own ancestors I have noticed certain characteristics that are inherited due to the nationalities of my ancestors.

 

Another subject along these lines is the question "What on earth was the British army doing in Ireland?"  But that is a question for another day!

 

Yrs aff'ly

Linda the Librarian

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 245

Part of the reason for our slow posting of last weeks quote was due to the fact that I was in Wales on a camping weekend. It was a spiritual adventure and very uplifting for the mind, body and soul. The setting was a shelter deep in a valley surrounded by wooded gorges, mountains and a waterfall - pure bliss. I spent a lot of time there meditating and appreciating my surroundings, there is a quote which can be found in Chapter 23 of Persuasion which links to these feelings:

At last Anne was at home again, and happier than any one in that house could have conceived. All the surprise and suspense, and every other painful part of the morning dissipated by this conversation, she re-entered the house so happy as to be obliged to find an alloy in some momentary apprehensions of its being impossible to last. An interval of meditation, serious and grateful, was the best corrective of everything dangerous in such high-wrought felicity; and she went to her room, and grew steadfast and fearless in the thankfulness of her enjoyment.


Pic: Welsh landscape

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 244

I apologise for the lack of quote last weekend, we all have been very busy.

Linda has provided the following:

 

Since my Granddaughter expressed an absolute loathing this week for the subject of History, I was led to explore "The Loiterer" for some idea of the feelings on that subject by the Austen Family.  I found the following in Issue No. 7, subtitled "Use and Advantages of Studying History", and I quote

the first sentence which sets the tone and ideas:

 

If the respective merits of our different studies are to be settled by the pleasure which arises from their pursuit, or the utility which results from their attainment, historic knowledge will justly claim the highest rank amongst our literary acquirement.

 

James then goes on the cover the multitude of problems, and accomplishments of the world.  I heartily recommend reading the entire issue for your enlightment.  You may read it HERE.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

 

Pic: Firsttutors

Death Comes To Pemberley production

 

There a new BBC production of Death Comes To Pemberley in the pipeline. It is said to be the Christmas drama and stars Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Becoming Jane! and Bleak House) in the leading roles. The story "picks up with Elizabeth and Darcy years after their wedding, where they have two young sons and are preparing for the annual ball at their home."

It is the 2011 sequel to Pride and Prejudice written by the acclaimed P.D. James who is known for crime writing. This will be a three-part drama staring a whole host of reputable british actors and actresses.

How exciting!

Find out more HERE and HERE

Pic: Death Come To Pemberley cover

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 243

Kindly Linda has provided this weeks quote:

 

I recently ran across this Jane Austen Quiz which allows you determine which Jane Austen character you are. I was amazed at the answer I got which was very helpful indeed. You can take the quiz yourself at this link: CLICK HERE.

 

I do hope you find someone you like rather than a less than lovely person. Good luck.

I will add this: my character had a very hopeful meaning for me personally. The further description said: "Don't worry if you think you missed an opportunity in life - you'll find out that second chances do exist." And I am certainly counting on those 'second chances'.

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

 

Pic: Anne Elliot from Persuasion

 

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 242

The post this week has been inspired by our recent email contact with Mariana who has made some great observations based on reports about the confirmation that Jane Austen is to be the new face on
the £10 note here in the UK.
 

Hello dear friends,

As I’m on vacation for few days, I found some more time to dedicate to old friends and reading. I don’t know if you followed the news regarding the threats and hostile tweets addressed to Caroline Criado-Perez after she ran that successful campaign for a women - Jane Austen, to appear on the £10 banknote. For the past few days, Caroline was criticized for taking a stand and asked to stop 'shouting back' not only by men, but as I read in disbelief, by many women, blaming her for the threats she receives. You will probably need to read these articles first and then the quotes from Jane Austen’s books to understand why I cannot and will never agree with, or understand people, especially women who are blaming the victims - I refer here also to those few Janeites who readily agreed (and wrote articles in support of this idea) with a man saying "it seems fairly clear that Jane made all the running" in her youthful romance with Tom Lefroy.

The connection between Austen and the threat of rape

http://bodymattersblogdotcom.wordpress.com/

"The man who discovered evolution has been traded for a bitchy marriage-broker who never married."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2381041/Jane-Austen-banknote-So-dull-So-rated-Jane-Austen-doesnt-deserve-10-note.html

This quotation is from Northanger Abbey, first draft written as we know it in 1798- 99, a short time after Jane Austen met Tom Lefroy: "You will allow, that in both [matrimony/dancing], man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal"

It was his choice to invite Jane Austen so many times to dance with him when he knew what people will start gossiping. I’m really amazed how Janeites could write such articles as the one posted on JASNA by Joan Klingel Ray ("The One-Sided Romance of Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy" http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol28no1/ray.htm) and others embrace the idea without giving a second thought to the many constraints for the women at that time.

 

 A few key quotes: 

Northanger Abbey

“A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.”

 

“To come with a well-informed mind is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others”

          Persuasion

“I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy.” 

“Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman's fickleness. But perhaps, you will say, these were all written by men."

"Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story.”

“Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything."

"We never shall. We never can expect to prove anything upon such a point. It is a difference of opinion which does not admit of proof.”

“We each begin, probably, with a little bias towards our own sex; and upon that bias build every circumstance in favour of it which has occurred within our own circle; many of which circumstances (perhaps those very cases which strike us the most) may be precisely such as cannot be brought forward without betraying a confidence, or, in some respect, saying what should not be said."

Wishing you a sunny & joyful Summer!

Lots of hugs,

Mariana

Pic: Jane Austen on £10 note

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 241

Icha has unfortunately been unable to post her quote today so I am posting it for her after just returning from seeing Sense and Sensibility at Nyman's National Trust property in West Sussex. The production was performed by the team at Chapterhouse and really was excellent. It is rather coincidental, but apt, that Icha has chosen a quote this week from Sense and Sensibility. Her email sent below: 

 

This week’s quote is a shortie due to my bad internet connection (and I might have to ask Rachel to post it for me…thanks Rachel!). It also reflects my current journey to places I’ve never been before in Sumatra. I have been traveling for six days, and I won’t be home before this coming Friday. It’s the longest non-stop trip I’ve ever done in like, forever, that I found myself trepidating and stressful before the journey began. But now that I’m in Day Six, and I have ‘only’ four days to go, I find myself getting relaxed. All will be well. There will be challenges, of course, but I believe help is always on the way, as I have encountered so far.

 

So, here’s Sense & Sensibility Chapter 6, first paragraph. The Dashwood ladies were traveling to Devonshire for the first time, and dare I say their journey was definitely not embraced pleasantly in the beginning. But as we know later, it was for a good cause that they moved to Devonshire.

“The first part of their journey was performed in too melancholy a disposition to be otherwise than tedious and unpleasant. But as they drew towards the end of it, their interest in the appearance of a country which they were to inhabit overcame their dejection, and a view of Barton Valley as they entered it gave them cheerfulness.”

I dedicate this quote for myself, and for anyone who is embarking on a totally new journey for the first time in your life. May you find your journey surprisingly pleasant, enriching, and help is always around.

thanks and have a nice weekend,
Icha

Pic: John Dashwood being introduced to Mrs Jennings

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 240

In the UK this week we have had excellent weather and an abundance of strawberries. I was making an Eton Mess this afternoon and thought I would use a quote from Chapter 42 of Emma which is uplifting and really makes me smile:

"Mrs. Elton, in all her apparatus of happiness, her large bonnet and her basket, was very ready to lead the way in gathering, accepting, or talking—strawberries, and only strawberries, could now be thought or spoken of.—"The best fruit in England—every body's favourite—always wholesome.—These the finest beds and finest sorts.—Delightful to gather for one's self—the only way of really enjoying them.—Morning decidedly the best time—never tired—every sort good—hautboy infinitely superior—no comparison—the others hardly eatable—hautboys very scarce—Chili preferred—white wood finest flavour of all—price of strawberries in London—abundance about Bristol—Maple Grove—cultivation-beds when to be renewed—gardeners thinking exactly different—no general rule—gardeners never to be put out of their way—delicious fruit—only too rich to be eaten much of—inferior to cherries—currants more refreshing—only objection to gathering strawberries the stooping—glaring sun—tired to death—could bear it no longer—must go and sit in the shade."

 

Pic 1:  Mrs Elton from Emma (1996)
Pic 2: Strawberries

Tom Lefroy Quote of the Week 31

 

Thomas Langlois Lefroy by George Engleheart

I wish to quote the next sentence after the one posted about Tom concerning his 'fatherly' attributes made in my last "Tom" quote.  It is in the first paragraph of the "Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy" by his son Thomas Lefroy.  As I said before you can read the Memoir HERE.  The sentence gives us a wonderful picture of his enduring character:

 

To those who did know him, it will be interesting to retrace some of the steps of one who, through all the arduous duties of professional, political, and judicial life, seemed to live in constant communion with Him who was the source of that singularly unruffled peace of mind which characterized his whole career.

 

Yrs aff'ly,

Linda the Librarian

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 239

Darcy & Elizabeth in argument (PP 2005)

My apologies of this week’s belated quote. I had some reflective moments on my own, and it took me some time to get the right quote for my reflections. I eventually ended up with the discourse between Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Chapter 11 of Pride and Prejudice. The following quote is taken from Pemberley.com, starting from Lizzy’s narrative:

``I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise.''

``No'' -- said Darcy, ``I have made no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. -- It is I believe too little yielding -- certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. -- My good opinion once lost is lost for ever.''

``That is a failing indeed!'' -- cried Elizabeth. ``Implacable resentment is a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well. -- I really cannot laugh at it; you are safe from me.''

``There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.''

``And your defect is a propensity to hate every body.''

``And yours,'' he replied with a smile, ``is wilfully to misunderstand them.''

I used to write a quote focusing on the famous ‘My good opinion once lost is lost for ever’. But now, I want to focus on the whole narrative above. Both Lizzy and Darcy have defects; Lizzy being wilfully misunderstanding people, while Darcy has the inclination to lose his good opinion forever. Everyone has defects. We try to live with them, we try to overcome them.

But one thing made me realise last night. One of the reasons of the different opinions or take on life between Darcy and Lizzy is because of their different personal histories. Certainly, Darcy being rich and Lizzy being a middle class woman owned to their different personal histories. But personal histories are made of much more than the money one has, or wealth one has not. Many things composed a person’s personal history. 

Now I realise that when I interact with someone, I don’t only interact with that person. There’s a big chance that I will interact with his or her personal history, as she/he will interact with my personal history. My take on a topic can be different from this person’s take on a topic because we have different journeys that took us to this point in life.

Darcy and Lizzy had different journeys that took them to that point in life in Pemberley. All of us do. And that’s where the term ‘I understand where you’re coming from’ came from. Not that you came from a rich family or poor, from Europe, USA, Asia or Africa... not just that. The entire history of a person is encapsulated in that person. At times, we will interact not just with that person; but also with that person’s history. 

And that’s where clashes can emerge. Because we often don’t realise that our different takes on a topic can be the result of our different personal histories. 

It happened to me last night. I was having a conversation with a friend, and then things went south because she wondered why I reacted so strongly to a topic, while to her it’s not really a big deal. I then said something which actually referred to the possibility that we had different takes on this topic because of our different personal histories/backgrounds. That time, she was the one who misunderstood me. 

I am sorry that I had an argument with my friend. I will write to her expressing my regret; explaining that we indeed can see things differently because of different things that had happened in our lives prior to this moment. And it’s okay to agree to disagree, without diminishing one’s own feelings or opinions about a certain topic. 

I hope I can patch things up with her. 

And this is why I’m writing you this now. Because, at times, we forget that our arguments and differences are because of the different journeys that have taken us to this point in life. And it’s okay to own them, while at the same time striving to overcome them as well.

Jane Austen to be the new face on the £10 note!

In the United Kingdom, there has been many reports suggesting that Jane Austen is to become the new face on the £10 notes.

There has been recent concern as Elizabeth Fry (social reformer) will be removed from the current £5 note. This has caused much controversy, including protest from Caroline Criado-Perez, a women’s rights campaigner, who has launched an online petition to keep a woman on British banknotes.

Sir Mervyn King (Economist and Governor of the Bank of England) has stated “Whenever we launch a new note, we always have two notes running in parallel – the figure we are using and a reserve figure in case there are any technical issues ... The figure we have been working with for two years [on the £10 bank note], I have said before is a woman and I can tell you today it’s Jane Austen. The Jane Austen note has been up and running internally for the last two years.”

How fantastic! Great news for us Jane fans and for famous females!

Pic 1: Daily Mail Charles Darwin on £10 note

Pic 2: Huffington Post Jane Austen on note

Information taken from Telegraph article