It's great (and also a bit worrying, according to some people) how I can relate JA to almost anything! ;-)
Today in Constitutional Law class we were talking about constitutionalism in England and Parliament was, of course, brought up.
My mind started making connections (and wandering off, I must say to the English countryside) and I remembered S&S. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I recall that Mr. Palmer was preparing himself to go into Parliament (at least in S&S2; was he in the book?).
However, that would mean he was preparing for a seat in the House of Commons: only aristocrats had a seat in the House of Lords, and he didn't have a noble title, right? Does anyone know how people "prepared" themselves to go into Parliament? Also correct me if I'm wrong here because I don't know but were clergymen allowed to go into the Parliament during JA's time? If so, were they also in the House of Commons?

By the looks of Mr. Palmer in S&S2, it certainly must have been stressful (although having a wife like Charlotte could certainly add up to the stress factor). ;-)