Here is an intriguing quote from an early work by Jane Austen (Catharine, or The Bower):
They retired to their rooms in high Spirits on Wednesday night, but Kitty awoke the next morning with a violent Toothake. It was in vain that she endeavoured at first to deceive herself; her feelings were witnesses too acute of it's reality; with as little success did she try to sleep it off, for the pain she suffered prevented her closing her Eyes. She then summoned her Maid and with the Assistance of the Housekeeper, every remedy that the receipt book or the head of the latter contained, was tried, but ineffectually; for though a short time relieved by them, the pain still returned. She was now obliged to give up the endeavour, and to reconcile herself not only to the pain of a Toothake, but to the loss of a Ball; and though she had with so much eagerness looked forward to the day of its arrival, had received such pleasure in the necessary preparations, and promised herself so much delight in it, Yet she was not so totally void of philosophy as many Girls her age, might have been in her situation. She considered that there were Misfortunes of a much greater magnitude than the loss of a Ball, experienced every day by some part of Mortality, and that the time might come when She would herself look back with Wonder and perhaps with Envy on her having known no greater vexation. By such reflections as these, she soon reasoned herself into as much Resignation and Patience as the pain she suffered, would allow of, which after all was the greatest Misfortune of the two, and told the sad Story when she entered the Breakfast room, with tolerable Composure.
This is a fine example of philosophy as the sweet milk of adversity, a notion which Austen might have inherited from her immersion in the works of Shakespeare. There's nothing abstruse or academic here, just everyday reflection on one's situation in search of practical wisdom and emotional equilibrium.
By the way, having recently gone on a Jane Austen binge, I plan to write an essay on the theme of self-knowledge in her novels. In his book After Virtue, Alasdair MacIntyre claims that Austen advocated "Christian self-knowledge" as opposed to "Socratic self-knowledge", but I am skeptical that the distinction is valid and suspect that, as a committed Thomist, MacIntyre might have been engaged in a bit of motivated reasoning. We'll see what the text reveals...
(Cross-posted at Beautiful Wisdom.)
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