"Louisa Burton was naturally ill-tempered and Cunning; but she had been taught to disguise her real Disposition, under the appearance of insinuating Sweetness, by a father who but too well knew that to be married would be the only chance she would have of not being starved, and who flattered himself that with such an extraordinary share of personal beauty, joined to a gentleness of Manners, and an engaging address, she might stand a good chance of pleasing some young man who might afford to marry a girl without a Shilling." -- Jane Austen, Lesley Castle (1792)

    The seeming preoccupation with money in connection with marriage in Jane Austen's work may mislead modern readers. While there is no lack of greed and shallow materialism on the part of some characters, even sensible people must devote serious thought to this topic, since it is rather foolhardy to marry without having a more-or-less guaranteed in come in advanced --not only was marriage for life, but there was no social security, old age pensions, unemployment compensation, health insurance, etc. (as pointed out by Craik) -- it is only the ridiculous Edward in Love and Friendship who extolls "the Luxury of living in every Distress that Poverty can inflict, with the object of your tenderest Affection".

    Jane Austen's sister Cassandra was engaged for several years without being able to marry, due to lack of money on the part of her and her fiancé (and their families). So though Wickham is a rogue, even a sincere man with his limited income might be deterred by financial reasons from marrying Elizabeth (this more or less what happened to Jane Austen herself once).

    Jane Austen wrote a satirical charade (word-puzzle) on the resulting "marriage market", where personal attraction are weighed against financial considerations (here "my whole" is the word to be guessed, "my first" is its first syllable, and "my second" its second syllable):

    You may lie on my first on the side of a stream,

    And my second compose to the nymph you adore,

    But if, when you've non of my whole, her steem

    And affection diminish --think of her no more!

    The groom's income, and the money that the bride may have had "settled" on her (such as Georgiana Darcy's ? 30.000), was frequently augmented by contributions form one or both of their families (in line with the view of marriage as an "alliance" between the two families).

    Passages in Pride and Prejudice dealing with money and marriage:

• Mr. Collins: Elizabeth's "portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of [her] loveliness and amiable qualifications", and prevent her from ever receiving another offer of marriage.
• Mrs. Bennet to Elizabeth: "If you go on refusing every offer of marriage, you will never get a husband -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead."
• Mrs. Gardiner to Elizabeth: "affection" for Wickham would be "so very imprudent" because of his "want of fortune".
• Elizabeth to Mrs. Gardiner: "we see every day that where there is affection, young people are seldom withheld by immediate want of fortune from entering into engagements with each other."
• Elizabeth is willing to allow that Wickham's transferring his attentions from her (to a recent heiress of ?10.000) is a "wise and desirable measure for both"; "handsome young men must have something to live on, as well as the plain".
• Elizabeth to Mrs. Gardiner: "what is the difference, in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive?"
• Colonel Fitzwilliam: "there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money".
• Jane, on hearing of Lydia's elopement with Wickham: "So imprudent a match on both sides!... my father can giver her nothing".

* Accomplishments / * Feminism in Jane Austen / * Marriage and the alternatives: the status of women / * Legalities of marriage / * "Settlements" / * Entail and Inheritance / * Male Progeniture Succession / * Legal motivation for entails / * Legal aspects of entails / * Attitudes to the entail in Pride and Prejudice / * "Sister" and "Brother"; "Alliance" / *Return