There is, perhaps, nothing more enigmatic than Jane Austen’s view of the clergy if we consider how the characters are presented in her novels. Her portrayals and opinions are often less than flattering and, in many cases, beg the question of what her true feelings about the life of a clergyman may have been.
David Bamber as Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice 1995
Her family was deeply entrenched in “the living”; her father was a fellow at Oxford College when he met her mother, Cassandra Leigh, who was the daughter of a clergyman employed by one of the colleges, as well as the niece of the Master of Balliol College. The living when George Austen took over Steventon Rectory in 1768 was purchased for him by a relative and was supplemented with tithes paid by parishioners and income from “glebe lands” that were farmed. He opened an informal boarding school for boys at the rectory for additional income. Later it was settled on her brother, who inherited the living when Jane’s father retired.
We have every reason to believe that Jane had a close relationship with her father as evidenced by this support of her creative pursuits from a young age. He provided her with the three expensive notebooks for her writing efforts in her early years, had a propensity for reading novels himself, and delighted in his family’s creative pursuits. However, it is fair to wonder if she felt a sense of betrayal when he chose to retire and move the family to Bath. Jane lost prized possessions including access to an extensive library when she was uprooted to live in an environment that she found less than agreeable when compared to the idyllic country life to which she was accustomed. She did maintain a close relationship with her brothers and visited Steventon often, but one must ponder whether this disruption colored her opinion of the life of a clergyman. After her father’s death, Jane, her mother, and sister led a nomadic existence passing from one residence to another and relying on the generosity of her brothers for financial support before finally settling at the cottage in Chawton.
Were Jane’s true feelings about the life of the clergy expressed in Mansfield Park by Mary Crawford whose growing affection for Edmund Bertram was obviated by the prospect of becoming the wife of a clergyman? After insinuating that Edmund chose to take orders because of entitlement, he responded with a question as to how the church would attract men to take orders without one. To this she replies “take orders without a living! No, that is madness, indeed, absolute madness.”
She continues her diatribe against the clergy saying, “Oh! No doubt he is very sincere in preferring an income ready made to the trouble of working for one,” and adding another scathing comment: “A clergyman has nothing to do but to be slovenly and selfish – read the newspaper, watch the weather, and quarrel with his wife. His curate does all the work, and the business of his own life is to dine.” Edmund was forced to admit her opinion was a “common-place censure”. In his defense, Fanny remarks that “A sensible man like Dr. Grant, cannot be in the habit of teaching others their duty every week, cannot go to church twice every Sunday and preach such very good sermons in so good a manner as he does, without being the better for it himself.” To this Mary replies, “I wish you a better fate Miss Price, than to be the wife of a man whose amiableness depends upon his own sermons…” The exchange raises the question whether these comments represent Jane’s actual opinion or was she showcasing her wit and teasing her relations by surfacing a popular misapprehension?
Jane Austen is more kindly disposed to Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility and Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey. In Edward’s case, his resolute commitment to be steadfast to his youthful indiscretion of getting secretly engaged to Lucy Steele, caused his mother to disinherit him. This forced him to consider his options as described by Anne Steele to Elinore. “If he was to go into orders, as he had some thoughts, he could get nothing but a curacy, and how was they to live on that?” The income of a curate was fifty pounds a year. Banished by his family, he was saved by the offer of “a living” at Delafort by Colonel Brandon, who had taken pity on his plight. The preferment included a small house and two hundred pounds a year and taking orders was just the kind of role that suited Edward’s personality and inclinations, despite his mother’s early ambitions for his career and marriage. When opportunistic Lucy broke the engagement with him to marry his brother, Robert, he was finally free to marry his beloved Elinor and had the means to support her.
We learn early on in Northanger Abby that Catherine Moreland is the daughter of a clergyman “with considerable independence besides two good livings” who was raising ten children. When he sent her off to Bath with wealthy neighbors, she met Henry Tilney, who was “a clergyman and of a very respectable family in Gloucestershire.” Although his father, General Tilney, was an insidious character, Mr. Tilney is considered one of Jane Austen’s most attractive heroes. When we’re first introduced to him, he is not only is an expert in “true Indian muslin” he is also good natured, sweet tempered, amusing, and patient. He later goes on to defy his father and seek out Catherine Moreland after she had been unceremoniously dismissed from Northanger Abbey in the middle of the night and forced to return home unescorted via post. He followed her and proposed marriage despite not having his father’s permission and was eventually allowed to marry our heroine. One can only presume he was an excellent and much beloved clergyman and perhaps delivered amusing sermons.
Persuasion features another rather benign view of clergyman, Charles Hayter. He was the love interest of Henrietta Musgrove until Captain Wentworth appeared on scene and became the object of attraction to sisters Henrietta and Louisa. Despite the fact he was to inherit the property of Winthrop, Mary Musgrove looked down on him as “nothing but a country curate” and was certain Wentworth would choose Henrietta as a wife. When Charles meets his competitor and observes this apparent change of heart, he withdrew for a few days until Henrietta and her brother, Charles Musgrove, called on the Hayter estate during a long family excursion. This olive branch appeared to settle the matter and later in the novel, Henrietta discussed her hopes that the rector of Uppercross would retire, and Charles could take over the living.
Jane was less than generous in the portrayals of clergy in two of her novels. Was it Jane’s intention to ridicule Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice or generate distain for Mr. Elton in Emma? Was she maligning these characters purposefully or were they merely a plot device? Was she poking fun at her relations or their contemporaries whom she observed as the family moved through various echelons of society? We can never know for sure, but we can enjoy these foils to the potential happiness of our heroines for their humor and conceit.
The unctuous, obsequious, vain Mr. Collins provided comic relief when he presented himself as a prospective husband for one of the five Bennet sisters. Some of the most humorous lines in any of the novels are uttered by him and teased by his audience including Mr. Bennet. As the heir apparent to the Bennet family estate and grateful recipient of the approbations of his benefactress, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Mr. Collins was convinced he could have his pick of the five daughters. His cloying manners and small conceits were most offensive to the object of his advances, Elizabeth, whose rejection of his proposal came as a shock since he was persuaded that “my proposals will not fail of being acceptable”, reminding her there was no assurance she would ever receive another proposal. Who could not enjoy this bumbling yet determined suitor, eager to please his patron, and ready to condemn anyone who strays from the path of propriety, such as Lydia Bennet. He was ever so lucky to find a patient wife.
How could Emma have been so wrong? She is so caught up in her elevated position in society that she does not recognize the vaunting ambition of Mr. Elton and instead determines to promote him as the love interest to her friend, Harriet. Not only does she misread his intentions she also interferes in the courtship of Harriet and Mr. Martin to the great consternation of Mr. Knightly. Mr. Elton does all he can to insinuate himself into the good graces of Emma, mistaking her attention on Harriet’s behalf as growing affection for him. When he finally revealed his distain of Harriet as a social nobody and his hopes for an attachment to Emma, she dismissed him with shock and revulsion. Supremely slighted, rejected, and mortified, he removed himself to Bath and had the great satisfaction of returning with an equally vain wife of good social standing and independent fortune. He and his wife became the vexation of Emma’s existence in Highbury until she finally reconciled with her failure at matchmaking and instead made a match for herself with Mr. Knightly.
How are we to evaluate these various portrayals of the clergy and what it represents of Jane Austen’s feelings towards the career chosen by beloved members of her family? There appears to be no attachment to religion itself, the focus is on financial rewards and placement in society whether it’s the comical Mr. Collins or the hopeful Charles Hayter. It’s a living, a secure role in society at a time when pastoral care involved Sunday sermons and performing the weddings, baptisms, and funerals required by the community. Taking orders didn’t require years of attendance at a school of divinity or proof of piety. The living, whether a preferment such as Colonel Brandon provided to Edward Ferrars, or an inheritance such as Edmund Bertram received meant income, housing, and a respectable way of life in the community.
Then what are we to make of the diatribe by Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park? It’s anybody’s guess but my own is that there is a little bit of truth in all of it. Jane circulated in gentry circles even though her own family didn’t qualify as gentry. One of her brothers had been adopted by wealthy relatives and inherited extensive properties which were often visited by Jane and her family. She had an opportunity to meet many types of people who were enamored with their own status or preferment within wealthy echelons of society and as an outsider looking in, she had an opportunity to observe and be amused by the foibles and vanities of that society. Perhaps she overheard the type of diatribe espoused by Mary Crawford amongst those social elite and rather than be offended by it, she chose parody to lampoon it. I believe she had high regard and respect for her father, brothers, extended family, and friends who were all clergymen, but she wrote for her own amusement.