Category Archives: Mr. Collins

July 2, 2012 · 7:48 am

Not a sensible man

MR. COLLINS was not a sensible man . . . The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.

Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 15

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Filed under Humility, Money, Mr. Collins, Power, Pride, Pride and Prejudice, Wealth

July 1, 2012 · 7:44 am

Her charming daughter

“I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. — These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay.”

Mr. Collins

Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 14

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Filed under Flattery, Lady Catherine, Money, Mr. Collins, On being a lady, Power, Pride and Prejudice, Wealth

June 29, 2012 · 7:32 am

Ready to make amends

“I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends . . .”

Mr. Collins, in his letter to Mr. Bennet

The Bennet girls will not want his amends.

Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 13

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Filed under Inheritance, Money, Money and Marriage, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice

June 28, 2012 · 3:20 pm

Entails, a most iniquitous affair

“It certainly is a most iniquitous affair,” said Mr. Bennet, “and nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn.”

Rational Mr. Bennet, being somewhat irrational for the sake of appeasing his wife, regarding the entail that cuts his five daughters out of inheriting the family home

Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 13

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Filed under Inheritance, Money, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice

June 5, 2012 · 7:00 am

Marry? Mr. Collins?

“Mr. Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want. This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.”

on Charlotte Lucas’s marrying Mr. Collins
Pride & Prejudice, Volume 1, Chapter 22

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Filed under Charlotte Lucas, Marriage, Men, Money, Mr. Collins, Poverty, Pride and Prejudice

February 20, 2008 · 11:47 am

Your excellent judgment, cousin Elizabeth


One of our favorites from dear Mr. Collins…

“‘My dear Miss Elizabeth, I have the highest opinion in the world of
your excellent judgment in all matters within the scope of your
understanding . . .”

Mr. Collins to Lizzy, when he insists on speaking to Mr. Darcy though they have not been introduced, and she tries to stop him
Pride & Prejudice, volume 1, chapter 18

Image from bbc.co.uk

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Filed under a Woman's mind, Elizabeth Bennet, Insults, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice

November 30, 2007 · 8:00 am

It is by no means certain…

Mr. Collins and his dreadful proposal…

“You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your
refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for
believing it are briefly these: — It does not appear to me that my
hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer
would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my
connections with the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your
own, are circumstances highly in its favor; and you should take it into
farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is
by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made
you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood
undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I
must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of
me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by
suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.”

Pride and Prejudice, volume 1, chapter 19

Thanks to Mollands for the illustration.

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Filed under Elizabeth Bennet, Money, Money and Marriage, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice, Proposals

July 19, 2007 · 7:00 am

For what do we live?

Today’s quote is not new, but rather a correction — thanks to Laura, who pointed out the error. I always thought this was “make sport FOR our neighbors,” but when I went to post it the first time, I doublechecked my Signet classic and it said “make sport OF our neighbors,” which I thought was not nearly as good. Turns out the Signet classic is wrong! Mags at AustenBlog confirms that her Oxford edition says “FOR” — so here is the corrected version!

Still love that word “missish.”

“But, Lizzy, you look as if you did not enjoy it. You are not going to be missish, I hope, and pretend to be affronted at an idle report. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”

Mr. Bennet, upon reading Lizzy the letter from Mr. Collins, which hints that she may be engaged to Mr. Darcy and warns them that Lady Catherine will never approve
Pride & Prejudice, Volume 3, Chapter 15

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Filed under Elizabeth Bennet, Humor, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Neighbors, Pride and Prejudice

February 9, 2007 · 8:00 am

I am not romantic

One last thought from Charlotte on marriage:

“‘I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.'”

Charlotte Lucas to Lizzy, after her engagement to Mr. Collins
Pride and Prejudice, volume 1, chapter 22

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Filed under Character, Charlotte Lucas, Marriage, Money, Money and Marriage, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice

December 21, 2006 · 7:00 am

Christian forgiveness, a la Mr. Collins

“‘You ought certainly to forgive them as a Christian, but never to admit them in your sight, or allow their names to be mentioned in your hearing.’ That is his notion of Christian forgiveness!”

Mr. Bennet, reading a letter from Mr. Collins on the scandal of Lydia and Wickham, who were finally forced to marry
Pride & Prejudice, Volume 3, Chapter 15

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Filed under Christianity, Lydia Bennet, Morality, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice, Wickham