Três cartas de Jane Austen mencionam Tom Lefroy. Colocarei uma em cada post e grafarei em negrito as partes que se referem a Tom ou que achei interessante. Não traduzirei a carta inteira, somente trechos ou palavras e farei comentários.

A primeira carta é datada 9 de janeiro de 1796, sábado, mas os dois últimos parágrafos foram escritos no domingo (veja grifo em Sunday). Uma forma muito interessante de escrever – acrescentado os acontecimentos até o último momento antes de despachar a correspondência.

Steventon: Saturday (January 9).

In the first place I hope you will live twenty-three years longer. Mr. Tom Lefroy’s birthday was yesterday, so that you are very near of an age.

After this necessary preamble I shall proceed to inform you that we had an exceeding good ball last night, and that I was very much disappointed at not seeing Charles Fowle of the party, as I had previously heard of his being invited. In addition to our set at the Harwoods’ ball, we had the Grants, St. Johns, Lady Rivers, her three daughters and a son, Mr. and Miss Heathcote, Mrs. Lefevre, two Mr. Watkins, Mr. J. Portal, Miss Deanes, two Miss Ledgers, and a tall clergyman who came with them, whose name Mary would never have guessed.

We were so terrible good as to take James in our carriage, though there were three of us before, but indeed he deserves encouragement for the very great improvement which has lately taken place in his dancing. Miss Heathcote is pretty, but not near so handsome as I expected. Mr. H. began with Elizabeth, and afterwards danced with her again; but they do not know how to be particular. I flatter myself, however, that they will profit by the three successive lessons which I have given them.

You scold me so much in the nice long letter which I have this moment received from you, that I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and I behaved. Imagine to yourself everything most profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together. I can expose myself however, only once more, because he leaves the country soon after next Friday, on which day we are to have a dance at Ashe after all. He is a very gentlemanlike, good-looking, pleasant young man, I assure you. But as to our having ever met, except at the three last balls, I cannot say much; for he is so excessively laughed at about me at Ashe, that he is ashamed of coming to Steventon, and ran away when we called on Mrs. Lefroy a few days ago.

We left Warren at Dean Gate, in our way home last night, and he is now on his road to town. He left his love, &c., to you, and I will deliver it when we meet. Henry goes to Harden to-day in his way to his Master’s degree. We shall feel the loss of these two most agreeable young men exceedingly, and shall have nothing to console us till the arrival of the Coopers on Tuesday. As they will stay here till the Monday following, perhaps Caroline will go to the Ashe ball with me, though I dare say she will not.

I danced twice with Warren last night, and once with Mr. Charles Watkins, and, to my inexpressible astonishment, I entirely escaped John Lyford. I was forced to fight hard for it, however. We had a very good supper, and the greenhouse was illuminated in a very elegant manner.

We had a visit yesterday morning from Mr. Benjamin Portal, whose eyes are as handsome as ever. Everybody is extremely anxious for your return, but as you cannot come home by the Ashe ball, I am glad that I have not fed them with false hopes. James danced with Alithea, and cut up the turkey last night with great perseverance. You say nothing of the silk stockings; I flatter myself, therefore, that Charles has not purchased any, as I cannot very well afford to pay for them; all my money is spent in buying white gloves and pink persian. I wish Charles had been at Manydown, because he would have given you some description of my friend, and I think you must be impatient to hear something about him.

Henry is still hankering after the Regulars, and as his project of purchasing the adjutancy of the Oxfordshire is now over, he has got a scheme in his head about getting a lieutenancy and adjutancy in the 86th, a new-raised regiment, which he fancies will be ordered to the Cape of Good Hope. I heartily hope that he will, as usual, be disappointed in this scheme. We have trimmed up and given away all the old paper hats of Mamma’s manufacture; I hope you will not regret the loss of yours.

After I had written the above, we received a visit from Mr. Tom Lefroy and his cousin George. The latter is really very well-behaved now; and as for the other, he has but one fault, which time will, I trust, entirely remove — it is that his morning coat is a great deal too light. He is a very great admirer of Tom Jones, and therefore wears the same coloured clothes, I imagine, which he did when he was wounded.

Sunday. — By not returning till the 19th, you will exactly contrive to miss seeing the Coopers, which I suppose it is your wish to do. We have heard nothing from Charles for some time. One would suppose they must have sailed by this time, as the wind is so favourable. What a funny name Tom has got for his vessel! But he has no taste in names, as we well know, and I dare say he christened it himself. I am sorry for the Beaches’ loss of their little girl, especially as it is the one so much like me.

I condole with Miss M. on her losses and with Eliza on her gains, and am ever yours,

J. A.

To Miss Austen,
Rev. Mr. Fowle’s, Kintbury, Newbury.

No primeiro parágrafo:

Em primeiro lugar eu espero que você viva mais 23 anos. Ontem foi o aniversário do senhor Tom Lefroy, de forma que você está muito perto de uma (certa) idade.

Jane brinca com a idade irmã, primeiro desejando que ela viva mais 23 anos e depois considerando que Cassandra está envelhecendo (se apanhei direito o significado) e aproveita para mencionar o aniversário de Tom. Eu não sei se naquela época eles comemoravam os aniversários com algum tipo de festa mas de todo modo era algo lembrado e comentado, como podemos ver pela carta de Jane.

No quarto parágrafo:

Você ralhou tanto comigo nesta longa e deliciosa carta que acabo de receber, que estou quase com medo de lhe contar como eu e meu amigo irlandês nos comportamos. Imagine você tudo de mais libertino e chocante na maneira de dançar e sentar juntos. Entretanto eu posso expor-me mais uma vez, pois ele deixará o país logo depois da próxima sexta-feira, dia no qual nós teremos uma dança (baile) em Ashe. Ele é um rapaz muito educado, bonito, um jovem agradável posso assegurar isso para você.  Mas tendo jamais nos encontrado antes, exceto nos último três bailes, eu não posso dizer muito; ele foi motivo de muitas risadas em relação a mim em Ashe tanto que ficou envergonhado de vir até Steventon e fugiu quando nós fomos fazer uma visita para a senhora Lefroy [em Ashe] poucos dias depois.

Jane conta com bom-humor sobre os últimos bailes e pelo visto flertou muito com Tom Lefroy, não sem deixar de admirar os belos olhos, ou seriam “fine eyes” do senhor Benjamin Portal, “cujos olhos continuam belos como sempre”. Ao mesmo tempo ela deixa claro que não sabia muito sobre Tom, pois o conhecimento deles resumia-se apenas a três bailes. Mesmo assim foram motivo de piadas por terem ficado muito juntos nesses unicos encontros. Lendo Orgulho e preconceito, parece-me que as moças deveriam distribuir muito bem suas danças para não ficarem comprometidas. Jane Bennet foi tida quase como noiva por haver dançado mais de duas vezes com o senhor Bingley e senhor Collins tratou de assegurar as duas primeiras danças com Lizzy quando ainda imaginava que iria casar com ela. Sobre Tom ter fugido de Jane quando ela visitou a reitoria de Ashe posso compreender perfeitamente o embaraço do pobre rapaz!

No nono parágrafo:

Depois do que eu escrevi acima, recebemos a visita do Sr. Tom Lefroy e seu primo George. Este último muito bem-comportado agora, e quanto ao outro, tem apenas um defeito, que o tempo, eu espero, eliminará totalmente – que é o seu casaco matutino, excessivamente claro. Ele é um grande admirador de Tom Jones, e por isso usa as mesmas roupas coloridas, imagino eu, as quais vestia quando foi ferido.

Tom Lefroy continuava tímido, tanto que levou o primo como companhia, mas retribui a visita a Steventon! Não tenho certeza da tradução da última parte “which he did when he was wounded” que traduzi como “as quais vestia quando foi ferido”. E mais, não sei quem era o ferido: Tom Lefroy ou Tom Jone?

Até a próxima carta!

Links da série completa de posts sobre Jane Austen e Tom Lefroy:
Jane Austen e Tom Lefroy – parte 1 | parte 2 | parte 3 | parte 4 | parte 5 | parte 6 | parte 7 | Amor, inocência e pouco substantivo

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