“there seem to be very few, in the style of a Novel, that you can read with safety, and yet fewer that you can read with advantage.”- Sermons to Young Women, James Fordyce, 1766
It’s no secret that Jane Austen’s family were novel readers during an age when such books were considered frivolous and not worthy of reading. (Writing a novel was considered an even worse offense!) Enter Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. In her delightful book, Jane created a satiric scene in which Mr. Collins confirmed Mr. Bennet’s opinion of his young cousin’s foolishness. After he enjoyed the younger man’s inanity for a while, Mr. Bennet proposed that Mr. Collins read to the group. The girls chose a novel, of which Mr. Collins disapproved:
John Opie, “A Moral Homily”
Mr. Bennet’s expectations [regarding Mr. Collins] were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.
By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the drawingroom again, and, when tea was over, glad to invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book was produced; but on beholding it (for everything announced it to be from a circulating library), he started back, and begging pardon, protested that he never read novels. Kitty stared at him, and Lydia exclaimed.—Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce’s Sermons. Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with—
“Do you know, mamma, that my uncle Philips talks of turning away Richard; and if he does, Colonel Forster will hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday. I shall walk to Meryton to-morrow to hear more about it, and to ask when Mr. Denny comes back from town.”
Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her tongue; but Mr. Collins, much offended, laid aside his book, and said—
“I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess;—for, certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to them as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young cousin.”
John Opie, “A Tale of Romance”
One cannot but help enjoy the irony of the situation. During his lifetime, Dr Fordyce was considered an excellent orator and his sermons were much appreciated, but by the time Jane Austen began to write her novels his luster had dimmed and novel reading was becoming more acceptable. These wonderful paintings by John Opie represent both sides of the sermon/novel story. In the first painting the governess is reading boring homilies to her charges in the hope of educating them. She is completely unaware of their expressions. One girl yawns, another can barely keep her eyes open, and a third looks pensively at the viewer as if to say, “Can you believe this?” Two of the youngest children entertain each other by playing cat’s cradle, and the girl sitting nearest the reader is about to fall asleep. What a wonderful tableau! One can imagine that the Bennets must have looked much like this ensemble before Lydia blurted out her question.
The second painting depicts the delight that the ensemble takes in listening to a tale of romance. They are all engaged and smiling and hanging onto every word from the reader. A kitten is left to play with a wool ball by itself.
Jane Austen employed words to create an ironic tone; John Opie used images. Both used their respective mediums to make a memorable point. Today, Dr. Fordyce’s sermons are largely forgotten. The following excerpt from Sermon VIII, Volume 2 demonstrates why he was considered dull and stodgy even 200 years ago:
Sermons to Young Women, Volume 2, James Fordyce, 1767. You can download the volume as an ebook at this link.
Jane Austen's World 
You know, I’m a devout Christian and do enjoy reading about believers before me, but this idea that the only proper reading material for a family to read or listen to is sermons is ludicrous. Jane’s own father was a reverend himself and he found no fault in reading novels. My favorite enjoyment comes from reading a good novel, particularly by Jane Austen. They are page-turners. I try to balance that with nonfiction, but that is usually about JA’s times and all things that relate to those times. I read Christian books and enjoy them and profit from them a lot. But to be bound to just sermons? Can you imagine living in the household of a vicar who believed as Mr. Collins did? Who would want to be a Christian if this was what was portrayed to them as the pattern of the Christian life?
This smacks more to me of trying to control people into being moral rather than sharing the goodness that is God that results in being moral as well as other delightful things.
I love these paintings! I’ve not seen these before and the contrast between them is wonderful – they say every picture tells a story, and these are a wonderful illustration of that.
I’ve visited the home of devout Christians who restrict their sons’ reading matter. There’s nothing around but the Bible and Christian books that comment on the Bible. It’s a fact that children whose parents read widely and have varied books around and get lots of magazines do better in school. I’ll bet that Jane read even the latest louche novels.
Thanks Vic! I am going to share it!
Thank you, Adriana!
I came from a strict religious home but we always had other books around too, we didn`t have a televison until I was 9 and that gave me a great love of reading. I remember being in trouble for reading “Misty” a comic for teenage girls with spooky stories in and super natural, not very suitable for a good Protestant Christian girl to read, I enjoyed sneaking them in and reading them late at night under the pillow with a torch.
thanks Vic for the lovely pics and one of my favourite passages from P&P. Iv’e always loved this tension that existed and still exists between works of fiction and moralising texts.The story is the same here in India where, as in other countries, the greatest piece of luck lies in the fact that hefty volumes of morally edifying tales or sermon-types are always bigger in size and can accommodate slimmer volumes of passion and love in their generous proportions…. may they always exist for the redemption of genuine devotees…hahaha!
Wonderful paintings! I get the impression from the first, though, that the governess isn’t enjoying herself, either! The way she’s got her head slumped in her hand doesn’t look like she’s too riveted!
Is it me, or do you just hate reading the old style ‘s’ as written in the Fordyce excerpt at bottom? I can’t help but read ‘f’ all the time! ‘Pleafure and amufement!’ It aboundf in trafhy novelf!
Thanks, Vic! Great article, as always. :D
Actually the governess herself seems to be remaining awake by an effort of will.
These are indeed delightful paintings and I want to thank you for including them in this article. The artist has certainly caught the attitudes of the young women in both depictions.
I can’t imagine that any young woman of that era, or any era for that matter, would find much of interest in moral sermons.
I was raised by my maternal grandparents (and great-grandmother) who did not believe in too much religious instruction for children. They also believed in reading and my grandpa taught me to read when I was four. I was reading Jane Austen and more contemporary novels by age nine, having exhausted all the juvenile fiction available (in 1948).
I know that I would have been horribly bored by having someone read to me because even then I was a rapid reader and most people read too slow for me.