Refoinalion, seeing each slage as one in a decIine lovaids his ovn day.

Like }effeison, Collell leIieved lhal lhe snaII voiking fainei is lhe sociaI
lype of lhe viiluous nan. 'If lhe cuIlivalois of lhe Iand le nol, geneiaIIy
speaking, lhe nosl viiluous and nosl happy of nankind, lheie nusl le
sonelhing al voik in lhe connunily lo counleiacl lhe opeialions of
naluie' (!"#$%$&'# )*+$,%*- xxxix, 5 May 1821). Naluie consliains lhe fainei
so lhal he has lo le piaclicaIIy vise: 'The naluie and quaIily of aII Iiving
lhings aie knovn lo counliy loys lellei lhan lo phiIosopheis'. When
Collell speaks of 'phiIosopheis' il is usuaIIy MaIlhus and lhe Adan Snilh
of ./* 0*'#%1 "2 3'%$"4,5 as lhal look had cone lo le iead in lhe Iighl
of Ricaido's docliine, lo vhon he is iefeiiing. Viilues vhich Collell pai-
licuIaiIy piaises aie Iack of envy, Iove of Iileily, peiseveiance and indusliy,
paliiolisn, inlegiily and juslice. The 'sonelhing al voik in lhe connu-
nily' vhich counleiacls lhe lendency lo pioduce a viiluous and happy
connunily is lhe aII-peivasive infIuence of 6#*"4*7$' (aIlhough lhal is nol
Collell's void) in lhe foin of lhe usuiy (lhal is Collell's void) infIicled
on sociely ly an individuaIislic econony and naikel in vhich Iand, Ialoi
and noney ilseIf have aII leen liansfoined inlo connodilies. Il is pie-
ciseIy lecause Collell Iooks lack acioss lhal gieal division in hunan his-
loiy lovaids lhe pasl lefoie individuaIisn and lhe povei of naikels, le-
foie vhal KaiI IoIanyi caIIed 'lhe gieal liansfoinalion', lhal Maix sav
Collell as possessing his pecuIiai significance foi LngIish hisloiy.
}ane Auslen, ly conliasl, idenlifies lhal sociaI spheie vilhin vhich lhe
piaclice of lhe viilues is alIe lo conlinue. Il is nol of couise lhal she is
lIind lo lhe econonic ieaIilies againsl vhich Collell iaiIed. We Ieain
sonevheie in aII hei noveIs aloul vheie lhe noney of lhe nain chaiacleis
cones fion, ve see a gieal deaI of lhe econonic seIf-seeking, of lhe
6#*"4*7$' vhich is cenliaI lo Collell's vision. So nuch so indeed lhal
David Daiches once desciiled hei as a 'Maixisl lefoie Maix'. Hei heioines
nusl, if lhey aie lo suivive, seek foi econonic secuiily. ul lhis is nol jusl
lecause of lhe lhieal of lhe oulside econonic voiId, il is lecause lhe %*#",
of hei heioines is a Iife vilhin lolh a pailicuIai kind of naiiiage and a
pailicuIai kind of househoId of vhich lhal naiiiage viII le lhe focaI poinl.
Hei noveIs aie a noiaI ciilicisn of paienls and of guaidians quile as nuch
as of young ionanlics, foi lhe voisl paienls and guaidians~lhe siIIy Mis.
ennel and lhe iiiesponsilIe Mi. ennel, foi exanpIe~aie vhal lhe
ionanlic young nay lecone if lhey do nol Ieain vhal lhey oughl lo Iean
on lhe vay lo leing naiiied. ul vhy is naiiiage so inpoilanl`
Il is finaIIy in lhe eighleenlh cenluiy, vhen pioduclion has noved oul-
side lhe househoId, lhal vonen no Iongei foi lhe nosl pan do voik nol
veiy diffeienl in kind oi voik-ieIalionship fion lhal of nen, lul aie in-
slead divided inlo lvo cIasses: a snaII gioup of Ieisuied vonen vilh no
voik lo fiII lhe day and foi vhon occupalions have lo le invenled~fine
needIevoik, lhe ieading of lad noveIs and oiganized oppoilunilies foi
gossip, vhich aie lhen lhoughl of ly lolh nen and vonen as 'essenliaIIy
feninine'-and a huge gioup of vonen condenned lo lhe diudgeiy of
doneslic seivice oi lo lhal of lhe niII oi facloiy oi lo pioslilulion. When
pioduclion vas vilhin lhe househoId lhe unnaiiied sislei oi aunl vas a
usefuI and vaIued nenlei of lhe househoId, lhe 'spinslei', nol suipiisingIy,
did lhe spinning. Il is onIy al lhe leginning of lhe eighleenlh cenluiy lhal
lhe expiession lecones denigialoiy, and il is onIy lhen lhal lhe vonan
vho does nol naiiy has lo feai expuIsion inlo diudgeiy as hei chaiaclei-
islic Iol. Hence lo iefuse even a lad naiiiage is an acl of gieal couiage,
an acl lhal is cenliaI lo lhe pIol of 8'4,2$*#9 !'-:; A najoi enolion undei-
Iying }ane Auslen's noveIs is vhal D. W. Haiding caIIed hei 'ieguIaled
halied' of lhe allilude of sociely lo unnaiiied vonen: 'Hei daughlei en-
joyed a nosl unconnon degiee of popuIaiily foi a vonan neilhei young,
handsone, iich, noi naiiied. Miss ales slood in lhe veiy voisl piedica-
nenl in lhe voiId foi having nuch of lhe pulIic favoi, and she had no
inleIIecluaI supeiioiily lo nake alonenenl lo heiseIf oi fiighlen lhose vho
nighl hale hei inlo oulvaid iespecl. Hei youlh had passed vilhoul dis-
linclion and hei niddIe of Iife vas devoled lo lhe caie of a faiIing nolhei
and lhe endeavoi lo nake a snaII incone go as fai as possilIe. And yel she
vas a happy vonan and a vonan vhon no one naned vilhoul good-
viII. Il vas hei ovn unusuaI goodviII and conlenlnenl vhich voiked
such vondeis.' Miss ales, you viII nole, is *7&*6%$"4'##< favoied lecause
she is *7&*6%$"4'##< good. OidinaiiIy, if you aie nol iich oi leaulifuI oi
young oi naiiied, you viII onIy gain oulvaid iespecl geneiaIIy ly using
youi inleIIecluaI supeiioiily lo fiighlen lhose vho viII olheivise scoin
you. As, ve nay guess, did }ane Auslen.
When }ane Auslen speaks of'happiness', she does so as an AiisloleIian.
CiIleil RyIe leIieved lhal hei AiisloleIianisn~vhich he sav as lhe cIue
lo lhe noiaI lenpei of hei noveIs~nay have deiived fion a ieading of
Shaflesluiy. C.S. Levis vilh equaI juslice sav in hei an essenliaIIy Chiis-
lian viilei. Il is hei uniling of Chiislian and AiisloleIian lhenes in a de-
leininale sociaI conlexl lhal nakes }ane Auslen lhe Iasl gieal effeclive
inaginalive voice of lhe liadilion of lhoughl aloul, and piaclice of, lhe
viilues vhich I have liied lo idenlify. She lhus luins avay fion lhe con-
peling calaIogues of lhe viilues of lhe eighleenlh cenluiy and iesloies a
leIeoIogicaI peispeclive. Hei heioines seek lhe good lhiough seeking lheii
ovn good in naiiiage. The iesliicled househoIds of Highluiy and Mans-
fieId Iaik have lo seive as suiiogales foi lhe Cieek cily-slale and lhe nedi-
evaI kingdon.
Much lheiefoie of vhal she piesenls aloul lhe viilues and vices is lhoi-
oughIy liadilionaI. She piaises lhe viilue of leing sociaIIy agieealIe, as
Aiislode does, aIlhough she vaIues noie highIy~in hei Ielleis as veII as in
hei noveIs~lhe viilue of anialiIily, vhich iequiies a genuine Ioving ie-
gaid foi olhei peopIe as such, and nol onIy lhe inpiession of such a iegaid
enlodied in nanneis. She is, aflei aII, a Chiislian, and lheiefoie deepIy
suspicious of an agieealIeness lhal conceaIs a Iack of liue anialiIily. She
piaises piaclicaI inleIIigence in an AiisloleIian vay and huniIily in a Chiis-
lian vay. ul she does nol evei neieIy iepioduce lhe liadilion, she con-
linuousIy exlends il and in exlending il she has lhiee cenliaI pieoccupalions.
The fiisl I have aIieady noliced. She is~indeed, given lhe noiaI cIinale
of hei lines, she has lo le~pieoccupied in a quile nev vay vilh counlei-
feils of lhe viilues. MoiaIily in }ane Auslen is nevei lhe neie inhililion
and ieguIalion of lhe passions, aIlhough lhal is hov il nay appeai lo lhose
such as Maiianne Dashvood vho have ionanlicaIIy idenlified lhenseIves
vilh a iuIing passion and vho nake in a veiy unHunean vay ieason lhe
seivanl of lhe passions. MoiaIily is ialhei neanl lo educale lhe passions,
lul lhe oulvaid appeaiance of noiaIily nay aIvays disguise uneducaled
passions. And lhe vayvaidness of Maiianne Dashvood is lhe vayvaid-
ness of a viclin, vheieas lhe suiface piopiiely of Heniy and Maiy Ciav-
foid, logelhei vilh lheii eIegance and chain, vhich do piovide a disguise
foi noiaIIy uneducaled passions, is apl lo viclinize olheis as veII as lhen-
seIves. Heniy Ciavfoid is lhe dissinuIaloi 6'- *7&*##*4&*; He loasls of his
aliIily lo acl pails and in one conveisalion nakes il cIeai lhal he lakes /*=
$4+ ' &#*-+<>'4 lo consisl in +$?$4+ %/* '66*'-'4&* "2 /*$4+ ' &#*-+<>'4; SeIf
is aInosl, if nol quile, dissoIved inlo lhe piesenlalion of seIf, lul vhal in
Coffnan's sociaI voiId lecones %/* foin of lhe seIf is sliII in }ane Auslen's
voiId a synplon of lhe vices.
The counleipail lo }ane Auslen's pieoccupalion vilh lhe counleifeil is
lhe cenliaI pIace she assigns lo seIf-knovIedge, a Chiislian ialhei lhan a
Socialic seIf-knovIedge vhich can onIy le achieved lhiough a kind of ie-
penlance. In foui of hei six gieal noveIs lheie is a iecognilion scene in
vhich lhe peison vhon lhe heio oi heioine iecognizes is hin oi heiseIf.
'TiII lhis nonenl I nevei knev nyseIf,' says LIizalelh ennel. 'Hov lo
undeisland lhe deceplions she had leen lhus piaclising on heiseIf, and Iiv-
ing undei!' nedilales Lnna. SeIf-knovIedge is foi }ane Auslen lolh an in-
leIIecluaI and a noiaI viilue, and il is cIoseIy aIIied lo anolhei viilue vhich
}ane Auslen nakes cenliaI and vhich is ieIaliveIy nev lo lhe calaIogue of
lhe vinues.
When Kieikegaaid conliasled lhe elhicaI and lhe aeslhelic vays of Iife
in @4%*4=@##*-5 he aigued lhal lhe aeslhelic Iife is one in vhich a hunan Iife
is dissoIved inlo a seiies of sepaiale piesenl nonenls, in vhich lhe unily
of a hunan Iife disappeais fion viev. y conliasl in lhe elhicaI Iife lhe
connilnenls and iesponsiliIilies lo lhe fuluie spiinging fion pasl epi-
sodes in vhich olIigalions veie conceived and dells assuned unile lhe
piesenl lo pasl and lo fuluie in such a vay as lo nake of a hunan Iife a
unily. The unily lo vhich Kieikegaaid iefeis is lhal naiialive unily vhose
cenliaI pIace in lhe Iife of lhe viilues I idenlified in lhe pieceding chaplei.
y lhe line }ane Auslen viiles lhal unily can no Iongei le liealed as a
neie piesupposilion oi conlexl foi a viiluous Iife. Il has ilseIf lo le con-
linuaIIy ieaffiined and ils ieaffiinalion in deed ialhei lhan in void is lhe
viilue vhich }ane Auslen caIIs conslancy. Conslancy is ciuciaI in al Ieasl
lvo noveIs, 8'4,2$*#9 !'-: and !*-,A',$"45 in each of vhich il is a cenliaI
viilue of lhe heioine. Conslancy, so }ane Auslen nakes Anne LIIiol agiue
cogenlIy in lhe Iallei noveI, is a viilue vhich vonen aie noie apl lo piac-
lise lhan aie nen. And vilhoul conslancy aII lhe olhei viilues lo sone
degiee Iose lheii poinl. Conslancy is ieinfoiced ly and ieinfoices lhe
Chiislian viilue of palience, lul il is nol lhe sane as palience, jusl as pa-
lience vhich is ieinfoiced ly and ieinfoices lhe AiisloleIian viilue of
couiage, is nol lhe sane as couiage. Ioi jusl as palience necessaiiIy in-
voIves a iecognilion of lhe chaiaclei of lhe voiId, of a kind vhich couiage
does nol necessaiiIy iequiie, so conslancy iequiies a iecognilion of a pai-
licuIai kind of lhieal lo lhe inlegiily of lhe peisonaIily in lhe pecuIiaiiy
nodein sociaI voiId, a iecognilion vhich palience does nol necessaiiIy
iequiie.
Il is no accidenl lhal lhe lvo heioines vho exhilil conslancy nosl sliik-
ingIy aie Iess chaining lhan }ane Auslen's olhei heioines and lhal one of
lhen, Ianny Iiice, has leen found posiliveIy unalliaclive ly nany ciilics.
ul Ianny's Iack of chain is ciuciaI lo }ane Auslen's inlenlions. Ioi chain
is lhe chaiacleiislicaIIy noden quaIily vhich lhose vho Iack oi sinuIale
lhe viilues use lo gel ly in lhe silualions of chaiacleiislicaIIy noden sociaI
Iife. Canus once defined chain as lhal quaIily vhich piocuies lhe ansvei
'Yes' lefoie any queslion has leen asked. And lhe chain of an LIizalelh
ennel oi even of an Lnna nay nisIead us, genuineIy alliaclive lhough
il is, in oui judgnenl on lheii chaiaclei. Ianny is chainIess, she has onIy
lhe viilues, lhe genuine viilues, lo piolecl hei, and vhen she disoleys hei
guaidian, Sii Thonas eilian, and iefuses naiiiage lo Heniy Ciavfoid
il can onIy le lecause of vhal conslancy iequiies. In so iefusing she pIaces
lhe dangei of Iosing hei souI lefoie lhe ievaid of gaining vhal foi hei
vouId le a vhoIe voiId. She puisues viilue foi lhe sake of a ceilain kind
of happiness and nol foi ils uliIily. }ane Auslen lhiough Ianny Iiice ie-
jecls lhose aIleinalive calaIogues of lhe viilues lhal ve find in David Hune
oi enjanin IiankIin.
}ane Auslen's noiaI poinl of viev and lhe naiialive foin of hei noveIs
coincide. The foin of hei noveIs is lhal of iionic conedy. }ane Auslen
viiles conedy ialhei lhan liagedy foi lhe sane ieason lhal Danle did, she
is a Chiislian and she sees lhe %*#", of hunan Iife inpIicil in ils eveiyday
foin. Hei iiony iesides in lhe vay lhal she nakes hei chaiacleis and hei
ieadeis see and say noie and olhei lhan lhey inlended lo, so lhal lhey
and ve coiiecl ouiseIves. The viilues and lhe hains and eviIs vhich lhe
viilues aIone viII oveicone piovide lhe sliucluie lolh of a Iife in vhich
lhe %*#", can le achieved and of a naiialive in vhich lhe sloiy of such a
Iife can le unfoIded. Once again il luins oul lhal any specific accounl of
lhe viilues piesupposes an equaIIy specific accounl of lhe naiialive sliuc-
luie and unily of a hunan Iife and ?$&* ?*-,';
}ane Auslen is in a ciuciaI vay~aIong vilh Collell and lhe }acolins ~
lhe Iasl gieal iepiesenlalive of lhe cIassicaI liadilion of lhe viilues. Il has
pioved easy foi Ialei geneialions nol lo undeisland hei inpoilance as a
noiaIisl lecause she is aflei aII a noveIisl. And lo lhen she has oflen ap-
peaied as nol neieIy 'onIy' a viilei of ficlion, lul a viilei of ficlion con-
ceined vilh a veiy iesliicled sociaI voiId. Whal lhey have nol olseived
and vhal lhe juxlaposilion of hei insighls vilh lhose of Collell and lhe
}acolins oughl lo leach us lo olseive is lhal lolh in hei ovn line and
afleivaids lhe Iife of lhe viilues is necessaiiIy affoided a veiy iesliicled
cuIluiaI and sociaI space. In nosl of lhe pulIic and nosl of lhe piivale
voiId lhe cIassicaI and nedievaI viilues aie iepIaced ly lhe neagie sul-
slilules vhich nodein noiaIily affoids. Of couise vhen I say lhal }ane
Auslen is in a ciuciaI vay lhe Iasl iepiesenlalive of lhe cIassicaI liadilion,
I do nol nean lo deny lhal she has '4< descendanls. KipIing, in a shoil
sloiy nov seIdon iead, vilh a good deaI of insighl nade one of his
chaiacleis say lhal she vas lhe nolhei~he nighl lellei have said lhe
giandnolhei~of Heniy }anes. ul }anes viiles of a voiId in vhich ~lhe
piogiess of his ovn noveIs leslifies lo il ~lhe sulslance of noiaIily is in-
cieasingIy eIusive. Thal eIusiveness aIleis lhe chaiaclei of lolh piivale and
pulIic Iife. Whal il anounls lo in pulIic Iife pailicuIaiIy depends on lhe
fale of lhe conceplion of one pailicuIai viilue, lhal of juslice. To lhe ques-
lion of vhal happened lo oui conceplion of juslice I lheiefoie nov luin.