Sleepy History - The Sleepy Bookshelf: Just Jane - Mansfield Park, Part 1 of 36

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

In the first episode of a brand-new show from Slumber Studios, Elizabeth reads chapters 1 and 2 of Mansfield Park, first published in 1814. 📖 😴 Watch, listen & follow on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ and ⁠Spotify⁠. Sweet dreams! ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone. We have some exciting news. We're launching a new show, the sleepy bookshelf, Just Jane, where host Elizabeth Grace will be reading Jane Austen's entire catalogue, starting with Mansfield Park. We're sharing the first episode right here. To continue the story, just tap the link in the show notes. The first three episodes are already waiting. Good evening. And welcome to the sleepy bookshelieu. shell, just Jane, where we put down our worries from the day and pick up a good Jane Austen book. I'm your host, Elizabeth, and I'm so pleased you joined us tonight for this first season of our new show. Now if you've been around for a while, you might know that we started

the Sleepy Bookshelf in 2021. one. And since then, we've been keen to find some new ways to help you get a good night's sleep. Now, we know that you enjoy Jane Austen, because you often return to her classics like Pride and Prejudice and Emma. So, we decided to create this dedicated space for all things Jane. And here we are. format of the show will remain very similar. We'll start with a brief introduction, a deep breath to calm our minds, and a recap of the last episode, so you don't need to worry about drifting off and missing anything important. Then we'll get into the story just as before. So let's take that

moment now tonight to have the deepest breath you've had all day in through your nose and out through your mouth wonderful now tonight we're going to be beginning mansfield park it's a story about a young girl named fanny price who leaves her modest home to go to stay with her wealthy relatives in the grand halls of mansfield park it's full of jane osseville park it's full of jane or Justin's characteristic wit as she pokes fun at the upper classes of Regency England. It's got some interesting and complicated romances, and it's going to be perfect for us. Can't wait to begin. So, why don't you sit back and relax?

And soon enough, you'll be fast asleep. while I turn to the first pages of Mansfield Park. Chapter 1. About 30 years ago, Miss Mariah Ward of Huntingdon, with only £7,000, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park in the county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised to the rank of a baronet's lady, with all the comforts and consequences of a handsome house and large income. All Huntington exclaimed on the greatness of the match, and her uncle, the lawyer himself, allowed her to be at least £3,000 short

of any equitable claim to it. She had two sisters to be benefited by her elevation, and such of their acquaintance as thought Miss Ward and Miss Francis, quite as handsome as Miss Mariah, did not scruple to predict their marrying with almost equal advantage, but there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them, Miss Ward, at the end of half a dozen years, found herself obliged to be attached to the Reverend

Mr. Norris, a friend of her brother-in-law with scarcely any private fortune, and Miss Francis fared yet worse. Miss Ward's match, indeed, when it came to the point, was not contemptible, Sir Thomas being happily able to give his friend an income in the living of Mansfield. And Mr and Mrs. Norris began their career of conjugal felicity, with very little less than a thousand a year. But Miss Francis married, in the common phrase, to disoblige her family, and by fixing on a lieutenant of Marines without education, fortune or connections, did it very thoroughly.

She could hardly have made a more untoward choice. Sir Thomas Bertram had interest, which, from principle as well as pride, from general wish of doing right and a desire of seeing all that were connected with him in situations of respectability, he would have been glad to exert for the advantage of Lady Bertram's sister. But her husband's profession was such as no interest could reach,

and before he had time to devise any other method of assisting them, an absolute breach between the sisters had taken place. It was the natural result of the conduct of each party, and such as a very imprudent marriage almost always, produces. To save herself from useless remonstrance, Mrs. Price never wrote to her family on the subject till actually married. Lady Bertram, who was a woman of very tranquil feelings and a temper remarkably easy and indolent, would have contented herself with merely giving up her sister and thinking no more of the matter. But Mrs. Norris had a spirit of activity which could not be satisfied

till she had written a long and angry letter to Fanny to point out the folly of her conduct and threaten her with all its possible ill consequences. Mrs. Price, in her turn, was injured and angry, and an answer which comprehended each sister in its bitterness and bestirms and bestirmed, showed such very disrespectful reflections on the pride of Sir Thomas as Mrs. Norris could not possibly keep to herself, put an end to all intercourse between them for a considerable period. Their homes were so distant, and the circles in which they moved, so distinct, as almost to preclude the means of ever hearing of each other's existence during the eleven following years, or at least to make it very wonderful to Sir Thomas, that Mrs Norris should ever have it in her power to tell them, as she now and then did in an angry voice,

that Fanny had got another child. By the end of 11 years, however, Mrs Price could no longer afford to cherish pride or resentment or to lose one connection that might possibly assist her. A large and still increase, family, a husband, disabled for active service, but not the less equal to company and good liquor, and a very small income to supply their wants, made her eager to regain the friends she had so carelessly sacrificed. And she addressed Lady Bertram in a letter which spoke so much

contrition and despondence, such a superfluity of children and such as superfluity of children and such a want of almost everything else as could not but dispose them all to a reconciliation. She was preparing for her ninth, lying in, and after bewailing the circumstance and imploring their countenance as sponsors to the expected child, she could not conceal how important she felt they might be to the future maintenance of the eight already in being. Her eldest was a boy of ten, a fine, spirited fellow who longed to be out in the world. But what could she do? Was there any chance of his being hereafter useful to Sir Thomas in the concerns of his West Indian property?

No situation would be beneath him, or what did Sir Thomas think of Woolwich, or how could a boy be sent out to the east? the letter was not to unproductive. It re-established peace and kindness, Sir Thomas sent a friendly advice and professions. Lady Bertram dispatched money and baby linen, and Mrs Norris wrote the letters. Such were its immediate effects, and within a 12-month a more important advantage to Mrs. Price resulted from it. Mrs. Norris was often observing to the others that she could be,

not get her poor sister and her family out of her head. And that as much as they had all done for her, she seemed to be wanting to do more. And at length, she could not but own it to be her wish that poor Mrs. Price should be relieved from the charge and expense of one child entirely out of her great number. What if they were among them to undertake the care of her eldest daughter? a girl now nine years old, of an age to require more attention than her poor mother could possibly give. The trouble and expense of it to them would be nothing, compared with the benevolence of the action. Lady Bertram agreed with her instantly. I think we cannot do better, said she.

Let us send for the child. Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and unquestionable. qualified a consent. He debated and hesitated. It was a serious charge. A girl so brought up must be adequately provided for, or there would be cruelty instead of kindness in taking her from her family. He thought of his own four children, of his two sons, of cousins in love, etc. But no sooner had he deliberately begun to state his objections than Mrs. Norris in terms. interrupted him with a reply to them all, whether stated or not. My dear Sir Thomas, I perfectly comprehend you and do justice to the generosity and delicacy of your

notions, which indeed are quite of a piece with your general conduct. And I agree with you in the main as to the propriety of doing everything one could by way of providing for a child one had, in a manner, taken in to one's own hands. And I am sure I should be the last person in the world to withhold my might upon such an occasion. Having no children of my own, who should I look to in any little matter I may ever have to bestow, but the children of my sisters? And I am sure Mr. Norris is too just, but you know I am a woman of few words and professions. Do not let us be frightened from a good deed by a trifle.

give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well without farther expense to anybody. A niece of ours, Sir Thomas, I may say, or at least of yours, would not grow up in this neighbourhood without many advantages. I don't say she would be so handsome as her cousins. I dare say she would not, but she would be introducing. into the society of this country under such very favourable circumstances, as in all human probability, would get her a creditable establishment.

You are thinking of your sons, but do not know that, of all things upon earth, that is the least likely to happen brought up as they would be, always together, like brothers and sisters. It is morally impossible. I never knew an instance of it. It is, in fact, the only sure way of providing against the connection. Suppose her a pretty girl, and seen by Tom or Edmund, for the first time, seven years hence. And I dare say there would be mischief. The very idea of her having been suffered to grow up at a distance from us all in poverty and neglect would be enough to make either of the deal.

dear, sweet-tempered boys in love with her. But breed her up with them from this time, and suppose her even to have the beauty of an angel, and she will never be more to either than a sister. There is a great deal of truth in what you say, replied Sir Thomas, and far be it from me to throw any fanciful impediment in the way of a plan which would be so consistent with the relative situations of each,

I only mean to observe that it ought not to be lightly engaged in, and that to make it really serviceable to Mrs Price and creditable to ourselves, we must secure to the child or consider ourselves engaged to secure to her hereafter, as circumstances may arise. The provision of a gentlewoman, if no such establishment, should offer as you are so sanguine and expecting. I thoroughly understand you. cried Mrs. Norris. You are everything that is generous and considerate, and I am sure we shall never disagree on this point. Whatever I can do, as you well know, I am always ready enough to do for the

good of those I love, and though I could never feel for this little girl the hundredth part of the regard I bear your own, dear children, nor consider her in any respect so much my own. I should hate myself if I were capable of neglecting her. Is not she a sister's child? And could I bear to see her want while I had a bit of bread to give her? My dear Sir Thomas, with all my faults, I have a warm heart, and poor as I am, would rather deny myself the necessaries of life than do an ungenerous thing. So if you are not against it, I will write to you. to my poor sister tomorrow and make the proposal. And as soon as matters are settled, I will engage to get the child to Mansfield.

You shall have no trouble about it. My own trouble you know I never regard. I will send Nanny to London on purpose and she may have a bed at her cousin, the Sadlers, and the children be appointed to meet her there. They may easily get her from Portsmouth to town by the coach under the care of any creditable person that may chance to be going. I dare say there is always some reputable tradesman's wife or other going up. Except to the attack on Nanny's cousin, Sir Thomas no longer made any objection,

and a more respectable, though less economical rendezvous being accordingly substituted, everything was considered as settled, and the pleasures of so benevolent, a scheme were already enjoyed. The division of gratifying sensations ought not in strict justice to have been equal, for Sir Thomas was fully resolved to be the real and consistent patron of the selected child, and Mrs Norris had not the least intention of being at any expense whatever in her maintenance. As far as walking, talking and contriving reached, she was thoroughly benevolent and nobody knew better how to dictate liberality to others. But her love of money was equal to her love of directing, and she knew quite as well

how to save her own as to spend that of her friends. Having married on a narrower income than she had been used to look forward to, she had, from the first, fancied a very strict line of economy necessary. And what was begun as a matter of prudence soon grew into a matter of choice, as an object of that needful solicitude which there were no children to supply. Had there been a family to provide for, Mrs. Norris might never have saved her money. But having no care of that kind, there was nothing to impede her frugality or lessen the comfort of making a yearly addition to an income which they had never lived up to. Under this infatuating principle, counteracted by no real affection for her sister, it was impossible for her to aim at more than the credit of projecting and arranging so expensive a child. charity. Though perhaps she might so little know herself as to walk home to the parsonage after

this conversation in the happy belief of being the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world. When the subject was brought forward again, her views were more fully explained, and in reply to Lady Bertram's calm inquiry of, Where shall the child come to you first, sister, to you order? to us. Sir Thomas heard with some surprise that it would be totally out of Mrs. Norris's power to take any share in the personal charge of her. He had been considering her as a particularly welcome addition at the parsonage as a desirable companion to an aunt who had no children of her own, but he found himself wholly mistaken. Mrs. Norris was sorry to say that the

little girls staying with them, at least as things then were, was quite out of the question. Poor Mr. Norris's indifferent state of health made it an impossibility. He could no more bear the noise of a child than he could fly. If, indeed, he should ever get well of his gouty complaints, it would be a different matter. She should then be glad to take her turn and think nothing of the inconvenience. But just now, poor Mr. Norris took up every moment of her time, and the very mention of such a thing she was sure would distract him. Then she had better come to us, said Lady Bertram with the utmost composure. After a short pause, Sir Thomas added with dignity, Yes, let her home be in this house.

We will endeavour to do our duty by her, and she will at least have the advantage of companions of her own age and of a regular instructor's. Very true, cried Mrs Norris, which are both very important considerations. And it will be just the same to Miss Lee whether she has three girls to teach or only two. There can be no difference. I only wish I could be more useful. But you see, I do all in my power. I'm not one of those that spare their own trouble and nanny shall fetch her. However, it may put me to inconvenience to have my chief counsellor away for three days. I suppose, dear sister, you will put the child in the little white attic near the old nurseries. It will be much the best place for her, so near Miss Lee and not far from the girls, enclosed by the housemaids,

who could either of them help to dress her, you know, and take care of her clothes? For I suppose you would not think it fair to expect Ellis to wait on her as well as the others. Indeed, I do not see that she could possibly place her anywhere else. Lady Bertram made no opposition. I hope she will prove a well-disposed girl. continued Mrs. Norris, and be sensible of her uncommon good fortune in having such friends. Should her disposition be really bad? said Sir Thomas. We must not, for our own children's sake, continue her in the family. But there is no reason to expect so great and evil.

We shall probably see much to wish altered in her and must prepare ourselves for gross ignorance, some meanness of opinions, and very distressing vulgarity of manner. But these are not incurable thoughts, nor I trust can they be dangerous for her associates. Had my daughter's been younger than herself, I should have considered the introduction of such a companion as a matter of very serious moment. But, as it is, I suppose, there can be nothing to fear for them and everything to hope for her, from the association. "'That is exactly what I think,' cried Mrs. Norris. "'And what I was saying to my husband this morning, "'it would be an education for the child,' said I,

"'only being with her cousins. "'If Miss Lee taught her nothing, "'she would learn to be good and clever from them.' "'I hope she will not tease my poor pug,' said Lady Bertram. I have but just got Julia to leave it alone. There will be some difficulty in our way, Mrs. Norris, observed Sir Thomas, as to the distinction proper to be made between the girls as they grow up, how to preserve in the minds of my daughters the consciousness of what they are

without making them think too lowly of their cousin, and how without depressing her spirits too far to make her. her remember that she is not a Miss Bertram. I should wish to see them very good friends, and would on no account authorise in my girls the smallest degree of arrogance towards their relation. But still, they cannot be equals. Their rank, fortune, rights and expectations will always be different. It is a point of great delicacy, and you must assist us in our endeavours to choose exactly the right line of conduct. Mrs. Norris was quite at his service, and though she perfectly agreed with him as to

its being a most difficult thing, encouraged him to hope that between them it would be easily managed. It will be readily believed that Mrs. Norris did not write to her sister in vain. Mrs. Price seemed rather surprised that a girl should be fixed on when she had so many fine boys, but accepted the offer most thankfully, assuring them of her daughter's being a very well-disposed, good-humoured girl, and trusting they would never have cause to throw her off. She spoke of her father as somewhat delicate and puny,

but was sanguine in the hope of her being materially better for the change of air. Poor woman. She probably thought the change of air. might agree with many of her children. Chapter 2. The little girl performed her long journey in safety, and at Northampton was met by Mrs. Norris, who thus regaled in the credit of being foremost to welcome her,

and in the importance of leading her to the others and recommending her to their kindness, Fanny Price was at this time just ten years old, And though there might not be much in her first appearance to captivate, there was at least nothing to disgust her relations. She was small of her age, with no glow of complexion, nor any other striking beauty, exceedingly timid and shy, shrinking from notice. But her air, though awkward, was not vulgar.

Her voice was sweet, and when she spoke her countenance was pretty. Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram received her very kindly, and Sir Thomas, seeing how much she needed encouragement, tried to be awe that was conciliating, but he had to work against a most untoward gravity of deportment, and Lady Bertram, without taking half so much trouble, or speaking one word where he spoke ten, by the mere aid of a good-humoured smile, became immediately the less awful character of the two. The young people were all at home and sustained their share in the introduction very well, with much good humour and no embarrassment, at least on the part of the sons, who at 17 and 16 and tall of their age, had all the grand,

of men in the eyes of their little cousin. The two girls were more at a loss from being younger and in greater awe of their father, who addressed them on the occasion with rather an injudicious particularity. But they were too much use to company and praise to have anything like natural shyness, and their confidence increasing from their cousins' total want of fear. they were soon able to take a full survey of her face and her frock in easy indifference. They were a remarkably fine family. The sons, very well-looking, the daughters decidedly handsome,

and all of them well-gowned and forward of their age, which produced as striking a difference between the cousins in person, as education had given to their address, and no one would have supposed the girls so nearly of an age as they really were. There were, in fact, but two years between the youngest and Fanny. Julia Bertram was only 12, and Mariah but a year older. The little visitor, meanwhile, was as unhappy as possible, afraid of everybody, ashamed of herself, and longing for the home she had left. She knew not how to look up and could scarcely speak to be heard, or without crying. Mrs. Norris had been talking to her the whole way from Northampton of her wonderful good fortune

and the extraordinary degree of gratitude and good behaviour which it ought to produce, and her consciousness of misery was therefore increased by the idea of its being a wicked thing for her not to be happy. The fatigue, too, of so long a journey became soon no trifling evil. In vain were the well-meant condescensions of Sir Thomas, and all the officious prognostications of Mrs Norris that she would be a good girl, In vain did Lady Bertram smile and make her sit on the sofa with herself and pug. And vain was even the sight of a goose-breed heart towards giving her comfort. She could scarcely swallow two mouthfuls before tears interrupted her.

And sleep, seeming to be her likeliest friend, she was taken to finish her sorrows in bed. "'This is not a very promising beginning,' said Mrs Norris when Fanny had left the room. "'After all that I said to her as we came along, I thought she would have behaved better. "'I told her how much might depend upon her acquitting herself well at first. "'I wish there may not be a little sulkiness of temper. "'Her poor mother had a good deal, but we must make allowances for such a child. And I do not know that her being sorry to leave her home is really against her, for with all its faults it was her home,

and she cannot as yet understand how much she has changed for the better. But then there is moderation in all things. It required a longer time, however, than Mrs Norris was inclined to allow to reconcile Fanny to the novelty of Mansfield Park and the separation from everybody she had been used to. Her feelings were very acute, and too little understood to be properly attended to. Nobody meant to be unkind,

but nobody put themselves out of their way to secure her comfort. The holiday allowed to the Miss Bertrams the next day, on purpose to afford leisure for getting acquainted with and entertaining their young cousin, produced little union. They could not but hold her cheap on finding that she had but two sashes, and had never learned French, and when they perceived her to be little struck with the duet they were so good as to play, they could do no more than make her a generous present of some of their least valued toys

and leave her to herself while they adjorned to whatever might be the favourite holiday sport of the moment, making artificial flowers, or wasting gold paper. Fanny, whether near or from her cousins,

whether in the schoolroom, the drawing room, or in the shrubbery, was equally forlorn, finding something to fear in every person and place. She was disheartened by Lady Bertram's silence, awed by Sir Thomas's grave looks, and quite overcome by Mrs Norris's admonitions.

Her elder cousins mortified her by reflections on her size, and abashed her by noticing her shyness. Miss Lee wondered at her ignorance, and the maid servants sneered at her clothes. And when to these sorrows was added the idea of the brothers and sisters among whom she had always been important as a playfellow, instructress and nurse, the despondents that sunk her little heart was severe.