Volume 1, Chapter 10

Synopsis of Volume 1, Chapter 10

Anne contemplates the developing relationships between the Musgrove girls and Captain Wentworth. She concludes that the girls are more infatuated with him than in love. The Captain seems unaware of Charles Hayter's interest in Henrietta, and Charles Hayter withdraws from competing for her.

Anne overhears Captain Wentworth and Louisa Anne, Mary and Charles Musgrove, the Musgrove sisters and Captain Wentworth, take a long walk in the direction of Winthrop. As she walks, Anne contemplates the beauty of the autumn day. She is distracted by the conversation between Frederick and Louisa. Despite Mary's objections, Charles Musgrove and Henrietta pay a visit to the Hayters. While she waits, Anne overhears Frederick and Louisa discussing the merits of a firm mind. She is distressed when the conversation seems to allude to her own refusal of Charles' offer of marriage.

Charles Musgrove and Henrietta return from Winthrop accompanied by Charles Hayter, who is happy to be reunited with Henrietta. As they continue their walk, the Crofts come upon them in their gig. Captain Wentworth quietly arranges for Anne to ride home with them as he knows she is tired. Her encouragement at his expression of concern for her is tempered by the conversation she has just overheard. Anne is amused to observe the dynamics between the Crofts as they drive her home, with Mrs. Croft subtly guiding the reins.

Commentary on Volume 1, Chapter 10

some of the evils they were exposing themselves to Anne Elliot is keenly aware that the Captain's ignorance of his attractiveness to the girls, alongside their flirtatious behaviour, could have dramatic consequences for them all. ‘Playing the field' was a dangerous pastime.

junction Juncture, state of affairs.

lieve Archaic spelling of lief (rarely used today), meaning willingly.

a gleaning of nuts Nuts gathered together. The originates from the verb to glean, which was the practice in biblical times, of collecting grain left at the edges of a field for the poor to gather up (Leviticus 23:22).

she very soon heard Captain Wentworth and Louisa in the hedge-row behind her This is the first of two very important overheard conversations that are used to reveal Anne and Captain Wentworth's opinions on the theme of persuasion and thus advance the plot.

spread a little more canvas A nautical metaphor referring to the unfurling of sails to make the ship go faster. Admiral Croft wishes that Frederick would hurry up and choose one of the Musgrove sisters for his wife.

Investigating Volume 1, Chapter 10

Explain Anne's reaction upon overhearing the conversation between Louisa and Captain Wentworth on firmness of resolve.
Make notes on how the theme of persuasion is explored and developed in this chapter through the conversation between Captain Wentworth and Louisa.
This chapter contains some unusually descriptive and symbolic language (for Jane Austen) about autumn. How does it relate to Anne's age and marital status?
- How does it relate to Jane Austen's stage of life at the time of writing?

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. ³Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places. ⁴These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. ⁵In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover. ⁶And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. ⁷On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. ⁸But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. ⁹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, ¹¹and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. ¹²And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. ¹³And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. ¹⁴And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ¹⁵You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. ¹⁶You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. ¹⁷You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. ¹⁸And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁹And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. ²⁰And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. ²¹And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. ²²And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. ²³And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord. ²⁶And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁷Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. ²⁸And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. ²⁹For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. ³²It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath. ³³And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁴Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. ³⁵On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. ³⁶For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. ³⁷These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, ³⁸besides the Lord's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord. ³⁹On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. ⁴⁰And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. ⁴¹You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴²You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, ⁴³that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. ⁴⁴Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.

¹And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ²Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. ³Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. ⁴These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. ⁵In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. ⁶And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. ⁷In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. ⁸But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. ⁹And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: ¹¹And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. ¹²And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. ¹³And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. ¹⁴And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ¹⁵And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: ¹⁶Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. ¹⁷Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. ¹⁸And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the LORD. ¹⁹Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. ²⁰And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. ²¹And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. ²²And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. ²³And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ²⁴Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. ²⁵Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. ²⁶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ²⁷Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. ²⁸And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. ²⁹For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. ³⁰And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. ³¹Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³²It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. ³³And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ³⁴Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ³⁵On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. ³⁶Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. ³⁷These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: ³⁸Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. ³⁹Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. ⁴⁰And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. ⁴¹And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴²Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. ⁴⁴And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

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Persuasion Contents

Volume 1, Chapter 10

Synopsis of Volume 1, Chapter 10

Commentary on Volume 1, Chapter 10

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