Chapter 1
Synopsis of chapter 1
Tess of the d'Urbervilles opens with Tess's father returning from market, somewhat the worse for wear after drinking. He is overtaken by Parson Tringham, a clergyman who has taken an interest in the ancient families of the area and their fortunes over the centuries. He addresses Mr Durbeyfield as Sir John.
It turns out that he has discovered the Durbeyfields are really descended from an aristocratic family dating back to William the Conqueror's time, the D'Urbervilles. They are buried in a church in the south of the county.
The news goes to Durbeyfield's head. He orders a horse and carriage to take him home, with food and drink to go with it. The chapter closes with him waiting for the carriage, sitting by the roadside.
Commentary on chapter 1
William the Conqueror: French Norman king who invaded England in 1066. He gave great estates to his Norman followers in exchange for their allegiance.
Battle Abbey roll: Lists of William's knights who fought with him at the Battle of Hastings, and their estates. Battle Abbey is near the actual battle site in Sussex.
Pipe rolls: Lists of revenues derived from these estates kept by the Exchequer.
King Stephen; King John; Edward the Second: descendants of William who reigned 1135-54; 1199-1216; and 1307-27 respectively.
Knights Hospitallers: A religious order of knights, which was founded in the twelfth century (during the time of the Crusades to the Holy Land), in order to care for and protect Christian pilgrims. They are also known as the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.
Oliver Cromwell; Charles the Second: Cromwell was Lord Protector (1653-58) after the English Civil War. Charles II (1660-1685) regained the throne after Cromwell's death.
Knights of the Royal Oak: The knights who fought with Charles II at the Battle of Worcester (1650). Charles II had an award made, and a list of intended recipients, but since it was thought not to be politically prudent at the time, they never received the honour.
‘how are the mighty fallen': from 2 Samuel 1:19-25. David laments the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan. The quotation is repeated in ch 54.
Time
It is important in reading the novel to keep a list of the various times and seasons, as they are carefully patterned and sometimes used symbolically. Here, the time is late May, although Hardy gives no idea of the year.
Place
Shaston: Shaftesbury, Dorset. This town is mentioned frequently. One of its features is that it is a hill town, and the market town for the north-east part of the county.
Marlott: Marnhull, some six miles to the south-west of Shaftsbury.
Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor: Blackmoor Vale has a dog-leg shape, running north-south, then partly turning west-east round Marnhull. Hardy is careful to give alternative names to many actual places.
South-Wessex: Dorset
Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill: Bere Regis, in the southern part of Dorset.
Sherton, Millpond, Lullstead, Wellbridge: Hardy's own names for the various other estates the family once owned in the area.
Purbeck-marble: Purbeck is in south-east Dorset. Its marble is some of the finest in the world.
The Pure Drop; Rolliver's: see ch 4 for notes on the village pubs.
Vocabulary
antiquary: or antiquarian. A local historian.
black-pot: black pudding, a sausage made mainly of blood and suet
chitterlings: small intestines of pig
club-walking: see ch 2
effigies: in some churches, there are to be found marble or stone figures of those buried underneath
genealogist: someone who traces family trees (see antiquary)
haggler: a market trader
hereditary: some titles are passed down from father to son, such as the title of Baronet.
lamb's fry: a fry of sheep's organs.
lustre: fame, nobility
mendacious: lying, untruthful
parson: vicar, clergyman. The title is mainly used in country parishes only.
pedigrees: aristocratic family lines
skellingtons: skeletons
switch: flexible rod or cane
vamp: tramp, walk
wold: old
Investigating chapter 1
- First chapters are always very important and need studying closely.
- What are your first impressions of the characters in ch 1?
- What events might be anticipated?
- What is the effect of the Bible quotation?
- Hardy maybe thinking of some of his own forbears as having done well here, for example, Captain Hardy who was with Lord Nelson at Nelson's death.
- How does Tess's father react to the news of his more famous ancestors?
- What does this chapter tell us about the English class system and nineteenth century class consciousness?
- How does the chapter lead us in to the story?
- Think in terms of plot, setting and character.
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
1After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. 4And David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead. 5Then David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead? 6And the young man who told him said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here I am. 8And he said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9And he said to me, Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers. 10So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord. 11Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13And David said to the young man who told him, Where do you come from? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite. 14David said to him, How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? 15Then David called one of the young men and said, Go, execute him. And he struck him down so that he died. 16And David said to him, Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed. 17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: 19Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
1Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; 2It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. 3And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 4And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 5And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? 6And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. 8And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. 11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 14And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed? 15And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 16And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed. 17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: 18(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) 19The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 24Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 25How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 26I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
Someone ordained as a priest, deacon or bishop to teach, conduct religious services, administer the sacraments and provide pastoral care within the Christian Church. Until recently, only men could be so ordained.
(1642-51). Series of military conflicts which rose out of religious, political and financial tensions between King Charles I and Parliament, which was increasingly influenced by Puritan sympathies.
In the Old Testament the second king of Israel, after Saul, anointed by Samuel to be king.
1. Term for a worshipping community of Christians.
2. The building in which Christians traditionally meet for worship.
3. The worldwide community of Christian believers.
1. A substitute, representative, or proxy.
2. Title given to priest responsible for caring for a parish. In the Middle Ages many rectors (who had the right to the income from a parish church) appointed vicars to care for the parish in their place.
Someone ordained as a priest, deacon or bishop to teach, conduct religious services, administer the sacraments and provide pastoral care within the Christian Church. Until recently, only men could be so ordained.
Area with its own church, served by a priest who has the spiritual care of all those living within it.
