anachronism watch, subclass Austen imitators

[Laurence Horn]

On May 19, 2012, at 11:57 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> At 5/19/2012 10:38 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>> Just finished the aforementioned _Death Comes to
>> Pemberley_, the recent (2011) Austenian pastiche
>> by P. D. James in which the planning for an
>> annual ball at the estate of Mr. Darcy and
>> Elizabeth Darcy née Bennet is rudely interrupted
>> by a murder in the woods.  It's not _Pride and
>> Prejudice and Zombies_, the slightly less recent
>> best-seller, but it's not really Austen.  I
>> found it interesting to see what James, who is
>> an intelligent but not always careful writer,
>> would get wrong, since the narration as well as
>> the dialogue is clearly intended to be in the
>> language of _Pride and Prejudice_ (plus 5
>> years), thus set in 1803 (Boney is on the
>> march).  For example, she took what I assumed to
>> be the trouble of referring to the Darcys
>> "wedding journey" rather than "honeymoon"; the
>> latter is attested for the relevant period in the OED, but just barely.
>> ...
>> A non-obvious (to me) lapse:
>> (4) "police":  several instances, but a couple
>> of decades too early (Amy West, p.c.); this is
>> one I wouldn't have thought to check on myself.
>
> Larry will have to tell me what use of "police"
> is anachronous here.

Yes, as you surmise below, it seemed to me (and to Amy, who was the conduit for my noticing this particular case) that the earlier occurrences of sense 5a were restricted to the official naval police, not for city and other civil authorities, such as those summoned for a killing in the woods or the conveying of a prisoner to the gaol.  The 1829 cite was my motivation for saying James was only off by a couple of decades on this one. I was assuming the Scottish use was not a sanction for James's use of "police" for the local constabulary, but YMMV.  I acknowledge that this case is closer than those of "contact (v.)", "in touch", or "lifestyle".

LH

>  I find in OED3 (Sept. 2006):
>
> "5. a. The civil force of a state responsible for
> maintaining public order and enforcing the law,
> including preventing and detecting crime; (with
> pl. concord) members of a police force, police
> officers; the local constabulary.
>     The earliest use in this sense occurs in
> Marine Police (see marine n. 6), the name given
> to the force instituted c1798 (originally by
> private enterprise) to protect merchant shipping
> on the River Thames in the Port of London. The
> police force established for London in 1829 was
> for some time known as the New Police (see New
> Police n. at new adj. and n. Special uses 2a).
> 1798   Duke of Portland Let. 16 May in P.
> Colquhoun Treat. Commerce & Police R. Thames
> (1800) 160 (note)    The expence of the Marine
> Police Establishment, which appeared to me ought to be borne by Government.
> 1800   P. Colquhoun Treat. Commerce & Police R.
> Thames 219   To place their Vessels..under the protection of the Police."
>
> Is James's error applying "police" to a
> land-based force, which did not arrive until 1829?
>
> There is also:
> "†4. orig. Sc. A department of a government or
> state concerned with maintaining public order and
> safety, and enforcing the law. Obs.In later use passing into sense 5a.
> 1740   C. Cibber Apol. Life C. Cibber ix.
> 184   We are so happy, as not to have a certain
> Power among us, which in another Country is call'd the Police.
> 1774   T. Pennant Tour Scotl. 1772 128   The
> police of Glasgow consists of three bodies; the
> magistrates with the town council, the merchants house, and the trades house.
> 1781   C. Johnstone Hist. John Juniper I.
> 110   An insinuation so injurious to the honour
> of my country; which is governed by so supremely vigilant and wise a police."
>
> Perhaps this is what James took as sanction,
> although it does seem different from the "New Police".
>
> Joel
>
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