The Last Chronicle of Barset · Chapter
Barchester Cloisters explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Harding lies on his deathbed, visited by his granddaughter Posy and attended by his daughters and sons-in-law. Dr. Filgrave pronounces the end near. The archdeacon reflects on Mr. Harding's pure and guileless life. Mr. Harding dies peacefully, and his funeral is held in the cathedral cloisters, attended by the bishop and many townspeople, including the blind bedesman John Bunce.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Duty
Mr. Harding's daughters and sons-in-law gather at his bedside, fulfilling their familial duties in his final hours.
Clergy and Morality
The archdeacon praises Mr. Harding's guileless, God-fearing life, contrasting it with his own sterner ambitions.
Gossip and Public Opinion
The townspeople's posthumous affection for Mr. Harding and Dr. Filgrave's formulaic remarks reflect the role of public opinion in Barchester.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Harding
Lying on his deathbed, he grows weaker and dies peacefully, surrounded by family.
- Posy
Sits with her grandfather on his bed and later says goodbye, leaving a lasting memory.
- Mrs. Arabin
Attends her father in his final hours and grieves deeply after his death.
- Archdeacon Grantly
Reflects on Mr. Harding's character and mourns his passing, later walks in the funeral procession.
- Dean Arabin
Present at Mr. Harding's bedside and participates in the funeral.
- Bishop Proudie
Attends the funeral unexpectedly, looking old and worn, marking a reconciliation.
Key passages
“I feel sure that he never had an impure fancy in his mind, or a faulty wish in his heart. His tenderness has surpassed the tenderness of woman; and yet, when an occasion came for showing it, he had all the spirit of a hero.”
The archdeacon declares that Mr. Harding was entirely pure in thought and heart, combining extraordinary gentleness with heroic courage when needed.
Archdeacon Grantly's eulogy for Mr. Harding.
“The sweetness of his voice has been in my ears almost daily since I was born.”
Mrs. Arabin says she has heard her father's kind voice every day of her life.
Mrs. Arabin's grief over losing her father.
“There is nothing left for me to wish, my dears;—nothing.”
Mr. Harding tells his daughters and sons-in-law that he has no remaining desires.
Mr. Harding's final words to his family.