Jessica Mandaville, or The Woman of Fortitude, in five volumes, by Miriam Malden
Author Details
Surname:Malden
First Names:Miriam
Gender:Female
Anonymous:No
Publication Details
Publisher:Printed by and for G.A. Wall; and sold by Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, London, 1804.
Place:Richmond
Date:1804
Novel Details
Genre:Courtship; didactic/moralising; Gothic
Setting:Devon, country house; London
Period:Contemporary
Plot
A study of fortitude in which the heroine diplays incredible virtue, honour, and integrity and thus personifies morality for her readers. The story begins with her mother, Miranda, being disowned by her (Miranda's) father, Lord Armodale, when she refuses an arranged marriage. He forgives her on his deathbed, but she has already married Mandaville. She has ason, Orlando, and a daughter, Jessica. Miranda and Mandaville both die young, so Jessica is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, the Cantwell's, who treat her as a burden to be married off as soon as possible. Jessica refuses an arranged marriage, and runs away, thus setting in train a series of Gothic-style adventures. Surviving these, and following her mother's lead in bearing misfortune with grace and dignity, she eventually, after many trials, and some very dignified poverty, marries her sweetheart.
Overview of the Dialect
More social than anything, but some Devon and some Cockney (including v/w transposition) scattered through.
Speaker #1:Narrator (third person) - Individual
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Narrator (third person)
Gender:Unknown
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Central
Dialect Features:Metalanguage
Social Role
Social Role Description:
Social Role Category:
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:
Place of Origin Category:Unspecified
Extract #1 dialect features: Metalanguage
Speakers: All , Narrator (third person)
Vain of her person and her accomplishments (superficial as they were) and of every thing that belonged to herself , she grew so intolerably affected that it became a fatigue to her even to speak, and it was with difficulty she could pronounce her words.
(Vol. 1,p. 124)Speaker #2:Rough men - Bailiffs
Individual or Group:Group
Primary Identity:Rough men
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Grammar, Orthographical Contraction
Social Role
Social Role Description:Bailiffs
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:assumed local to setting of text - Devon - but not specified.
Place of Origin Category:Devon, South West England, England
"I don't know," replied one of the men, "what you calls inexorable, but I am sure he desired us to do our duty, and not quit the premises till we had got the money, or secur'd our prisoner."
(Vol. 1,p. 89)Speaker #3:Mrs Figgins - Greengrocer's wife
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Greengrocer's wife
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - middle aged
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Greengrocer's wife
Social Role Category:Trade or craft
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Kensington, London
Place of Origin Category:London, South East England, England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Speakers: All , Mrs Figgins
"Dear me! Is it gone so far as that?" cried Mrs. Figgins. " Well!" I could never ave given credit to this report, if I aa'nt eard it from such good hauthority . Mr. Humphry Gargle is such a demure looking young gentleman--so modest be-aved too--I protest it's werry singular ."
(Vol. 2,p. 197-8)Speakers: All , Mrs Figgins
"You're very obliging, Ma'em, but they shan't be so rude and unmannerly. I ates to see children so huntaught ."
(Vol. 3,p. 2-3)Extract #3 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Speakers: All , Mrs Figgins
"And, pray Miss, ow do you like our town? Don't you find it a little dullish after living in Lunnun ?"
"Not at all, Ma'am, I was never partial to much company."
"Indeed! well that's very hodd --for young people generally likes company."
(Vol. 3,p. 4)"Not at all, Ma'am, I was never partial to much company."
"Indeed! well that's very hodd --for young people generally likes company."
Extract #4 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Speakers: All , Mrs Figgins
"Bless me! no Ma'am, " replied Mrs. Figgins; "I didn't even know they wisited one another."
[narrative omitted]
" Indeed! Lord bless me!" cried Mrs. Figgins, taking in the full extent of the insinuation, "Who could ave thought it? Why I'm sure Miss Patty Strap is as modest a looking young woman, as any in the neighbourhood, and as for Mr. Umphrey Gargle, I should'nt ave ad no idea of is conducting impself in so unseemly a manner."
[narrative omitted]
"I don't know what you call hinjury ," retorted Mrs. Figgins, "if urting a young woman's reputation an't such; for my own part I think it is the greatest arm a female can sustain."
(Vol. 2,p. 195)[narrative omitted]
" Indeed! Lord bless me!" cried Mrs. Figgins, taking in the full extent of the insinuation, "Who could ave thought it? Why I'm sure Miss Patty Strap is as modest a looking young woman, as any in the neighbourhood, and as for Mr. Umphrey Gargle, I should'nt ave ad no idea of is conducting impself in so unseemly a manner."
[narrative omitted]
"I don't know what you call hinjury ," retorted Mrs. Figgins, "if urting a young woman's reputation an't such; for my own part I think it is the greatest arm a female can sustain."
Speaker #4:Betty Bumpkin - Servant
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Servant
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Servant
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:London
Place of Origin Category:London, South East England, England
Speakers: All , Betty Bumpkin
[Writing] Onered Madum ,
I rites by the desire of Mrs. Boyce, my mises , to let you no as ow she as bin despert ill for some days past. The doctor says, as ow there's no ope of her getting over it. She bid me to rite these fu lines to begg you, onered Madum , to condesend to see her wuns more before she dies. she says as ow she would not ax such a favor , but she nos you be so good, that you never refuses a poor boddy anything, and this as made her so bold; for she says she can't die in peace, if she don't see her deer young lady wuns more, and if it pleases you, you must make haste, or you wont see her alive. I am onered Madum , hopping you'll ackuse my bouldness for riting ,
Your humble servant to command, Betty Bumpkin.
P.S. Mises bids me say as ow she as changed her ouse and lives in ______ Street, No 10
(Vol. 4,p. 126)I rites by the desire of Mrs. Boyce, my mises , to let you no as ow she as bin despert ill for some days past. The doctor says, as ow there's no ope of her getting over it. She bid me to rite these fu lines to begg you, onered Madum , to condesend to see her wuns more before she dies. she says as ow she would not ax such a favor , but she nos you be so good, that you never refuses a poor boddy anything, and this as made her so bold; for she says she can't die in peace, if she don't see her deer young lady wuns more, and if it pleases you, you must make haste, or you wont see her alive. I am onered Madum , hopping you'll ackuse my bouldness for riting ,
Your humble servant to command, Betty Bumpkin.
P.S. Mises bids me say as ow she as changed her ouse and lives in ______ Street, No 10
Speaker #5:Post chaise driver - Driver
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Post chaise driver
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Driver
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Unspecified, but presumably England
Place of Origin Category:England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Speakers: All , Post chaise driver
[S]he grew apprehensive the driver had mistaken his way, so letting down the glass, she called out to enquire if he were right?
"Ees, to be sure ," answered the fellow in a surly tone, "I warr'nt I knaws my road as well as arne a po cha driver in the country; but, curse me, if I'd a knawn the dirt and mire I war to go through, I wouldn't have come for a trifle."
[narrative omitted]
"Why what be ye a-feard-o ?" asked the driver. " I tells ye I knaws the road blind fold; and we shall come to the right pleuce anon."
(Vol. 5,p. 36)"Ees, to be sure ," answered the fellow in a surly tone, "I warr'nt I knaws my road as well as arne a po cha driver in the country; but, curse me, if I'd a knawn the dirt and mire I war to go through, I wouldn't have come for a trifle."
[narrative omitted]
"Why what be ye a-feard-o ?" asked the driver. " I tells ye I knaws the road blind fold; and we shall come to the right pleuce anon."