castle rackrent-第4章

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ows　and　a　variety　of　care　with　courage；　and　an　ever…reviving　gift　of　spirited　interest。　　Her　history　is　almost　unique　in　its　curious　relationships；　its　changes　of　step…mothers；　its　warm　family　ties；　its　grasp　of　certain　facts　which　belong　to　all　time　rather　than　to　the　hour　itself。　　Miss　Edgeworth　lived　for　over　eighty　years；　busy；　beneficent；　modest；　and　intelligent　to　the　last。　　When　she　died　she　was　mourned　as　unmarried　women　of　eighty　are　not　often　mourned。

The　present　owner　of　Edgeworthstown　told　us　that　he　could　just　remember　her；　lying　dead　upon　her　bed；　and　her　face　upon　the　pillow；　and　the　sorrowful　tears　of　the　household；　and　how　he　and　the　other　little　children　were　carried　off　by　a　weeping　aunt　into　the　woods；　to　comfort　and　distract　them　on　the　funeral　day。　　He　also　told　us　of　an　incident　prior　to　this　event　which　should　not　be　overlooked。　　How　he　himself；　being　caught　red…handed；　at　the　age　of　four　or　thereabouts；　with　his　hands　in　a　box　of　sugar…　plums；　had　immediately　confessed　the　awful　fact　that　he　had　been　about　to　eat　them；　and　he　was　brought　then　and　there　before　his　Aunt　Maria　for　sentence。　　She　at　once　decided　that　he　had　behaved　Nobly　in　speaking　the　truth；　and　that　he　must　be　rewarded　in　kind　for　his　praiseworthy　conduct；　and　be　allowed　to　keep　the　sugar…　plums！

This　little　story　after　half　a　century　certainly　gives　one　pleasure　still　to　recall；　and　proves；　I　think；　that　cakes　may　be　enjoyed　long　after　they　have　been　eaten；　and　also　that　there　is　a　great　deal　to　be　said　for　justice　with　lollipops　in　the　scale。　But　what　would　Rosamond's　parents　have　thought　of　such　a　decision？　　One　shudders　to　think　of　their　disapproval；　or　of　that　of　dear　impossible　Mr。　Thomas　Day；　with　his　trials　and　experiments　of　melted　sealing…wax　upon　little　girls'　bare　arms；　and　his　glasses　of　tar…water　so　inflexibly　administered。　　Miss　Edgeworth；　who　suffered　from　her　eyes；　recalls　how　Mr。　Day　used　to　bring　the　dose；　the　horrible　tar…water；　every　morning　with　a　'Drink　this；　Miss　Maria！'　　and　how　she　dared　not　resist；　though　she　thought　she　saw　something　of　kindness　and　pity　beneath　all　his　apparent　severity。

Severity　was　the　order　of　those　times。　　The　reign　of　sugar…plums　had　scarcely　begun。　　It　was　not；　as　now；　only　ignorance　and　fanaticism　that　encouraged　the　giving　of　pain；　it　was　the　universal　custom。　　People　were　still　hanged　for　stealing；　women　were　still　burntso　we　have　been　assuredin　St。　Stephen's　Green；　though；　it　is　true；　they　were　considerately　strangled　first。　　Children　were　bullied　and　tortured　with　the　kindest　intentions；　even　Maria　Edgeworth　at　her　fashionable　school　was　stretched　in　a　sort　of　machine　to　make　her　grow；　Mr。　Day；　as　we　know；　to　please　the　lady　of　his　affections；　passed　eight　hours　a　day　in　the　stocks　in　order　to　turn　out　his　knock…knees。　　One　feels　that　a　generation　of　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　submitted　to　such　inflictions　surely　belonged　to　a　race　of　heroes　and　heroines；　and　that；　if　the　times　were　difficult　and　trying；　the　people　also　were　stronger　to　endure　them；　and　must　have　been　much　better　fitted　with　nerves　than　we　are。

Miss　Edgeworth's　life　has　been　so　often　told　that　I　will　not　attempt　to　recapitulate　the　story　at　any　length。　　She　well　deserved　her　reputation。　　Her　thoughts　were　good；　her　English　was　good；　her　stories　had　the　charm　of　sincerity；　and　her　audience　of　children　was　a　genuine　audience；　less　likely　to　be　carried　away　by　fashion　than　more　advanced　critics　might　be。　　There　is　a　curious　matter…of…fact　element　in　all　she　wrote；　combined　with　extraordinary　quickness　and　cleverness；　and　it　must　be　remembered；　in　trying　to　measure　her　place　in　literature；　that　in　her　day　the　whole　great　school　of　English　philosophical　romance　was　in　its　cradle；　George　Eliot　was　not　in　existence；　my　father　was　born　in　the　year　in　which　THE　ABSENTEE　was　published。　　Sir　Walter　Scott　has　told　us　that　it　was　Miss　Edgeworth's　writing　which　first　suggested　to　him　the　idea　of　writing　about　Scotland　and　its　national　life。　　Tourgenieff　in　the　same　way　says　that　it　was　after　reading　her　books　on　Ireland　that　he　began　to　write　of　his　own　country　and　of　Russian　peasants　as　he　did。　　Miss　Edgeworth　was　the　creator　of　her　own　special　world　of　fiction；　though　the　active　Mr。　Edgeworth　crossed　the　t's　and　dotted　the　i's；　interpolated；　expurgated；　to　his　own　and　Maria's　satisfaction。　　She　was　essentially　a　modest　woman；　she　gratefully　accepted　his　criticism　and　emendations。　　Mr。　Clark　Russell　quotes　Sydney　Smith；　who　declared　that　Mr。　Edgeworth　must　have　written　or　burst。　　'A　discharge　of　ink　was　an　evacuation　absolutely　necessary　to　avoid　fatal　and　plethoric　congestion。'　　The　only　wonder　is　that；　considering　all　they　went　through；　his　daughter's　stories　survived　to　tell　their　tale；　and　to　tell　it　so　well；　with　directness　and　conviction；　that　best　of　salt　in　any　literary　work。　　A　letter　Maria　wrote　to　her　cousin　will　be　remembered。　　'I　beg；　dear　Sophy；'　she　says；　'that　you　will　not　call　my　stories　by　the　sublime　name　of　my　works；　I　shall　else　be　ashamed　when　the　little　mouse　comes　forth。'

Maria's　correspondence　is　delightful；　and　conveys　us　right　away　into　that　bygone　age。　　The　figures　rapidly　move　across　her　scene；　talking　and　unconsciously　describing　themselves　as　they　go；　you　see　them　all　through　the　eyes　of　the　observant　little　lady。　　She　did　not　go　very　deep；　she　seems　to　me　to　have　made　kindly　acquaintance　with　some；　to　have　admired　others　with　artless　enthusiasm。　　I　don't　think　she　troubled　herself　much　about　complication　of　feeling；　she　liked　people　to　make　repartees；　or　to　invent　machines；　to　pay　their　bills；　and　to　do　their　duty　in　a　commonplace　and　cheerfully　stoical　fashion。　　But　then　Maria　Edgeworth　certainly　did　not　belong　to　our　modern　schools；　sipping　the　emetic　goblet　to　give　flavour　to　daily　events；　nor　to　that　still　more　alarming　and　spreading　clique　of　DEGENERES　who　insist　upon　administering　such　doses　to　others　to　relieve　the　tedium　of　the　road　of　life。

Perhaps　we　in　our　time　scarcely　do　justice　to　Miss　Edgeworth's　extraordinary　cleverness　and　brightness　of　apprehension。　　There　is　more　fun　than　humour　in　her　work；　and　those　were　the　days　of　good　rollicking　jokes　and　laughter。　　Details　change　so　quickly　that　it　is　almost　impossible　to　grasp　entirely　the　aims　and　intentions　of　a　whole　set　of　people　just　a　little　different　from　ourselves　in　every　single　thing；　who　held　their　heads　differently；　who　pointed　their　toes　differently；　who　addressed　each　other　in　a　language　just　a　little　unlike　our　own。　　The　very　meanings　of　the　words　shift　from　one　generation　to　another；　and　we　are　perhaps　more　really　in　harmony　with　our　great…great…　grandfathers　than　with　the　more　immediate　generations。

Her　society　was　charming；　so　every　one　agrees；　and　her　acquaintance　with　all　the　most　remarkable　men　of　her　time　must　not　be　forgotten；　nor　the　genuine　regard　with　which　she　inspired　all　who　came　across　her　path。

'In　external　appearance　she　is　quite　the　fairy　of　our　nursery　tale；　the　WHIPPETY　STOURIE；　if　you　remember　such　a　sprite；　who　came　flying　through　the　window　to　work　all　sorts　of　marvels；'　writes　Sir　Walter。　　'I　will　never　believe　but　what　she　has　a　wand　in　her　pocket；　and　pulls　it　out　to　conjure　a　little　before　she　begins　those　very　striking　pictures　of　manners。'

Among　others　Sir　William　Hamilton　has　left　a　pleasing　description　of　Miss　Edgeworth。　　'If　you　would　study　and　admire　her　as　she　deserves；　you　must　see　her　at　home；'　says　he；　'and　hear　her　talk。　She　knows　an　infinite　number　of　anecdotes　about　interesting　places　and　persons；　which　she　tells　extremely　well；　and　never　except　when　they　arise　naturally　out　of　the　subject。　。　。　。　To　crown　her　merits；　she　seemed　to　take　a　prodigious　fancy　to　me；　and　promised　to　be　at　home；　and　made　me　promise　to　be　at　Edgeworthstown　for　a　fortnight　some　time　next　vacation。'　　We　owe　to　him　also　an　amusing　sketch　of　some　other　collateral　members　of　the　family；　the　fine　animated　old　lady；　who　immediately　gets　him　to　explain　the　reason　why　a　concave　mirror　inverts　while　a　convex　mirror　leaves　them　erect；　the　young　ladies；　one　of　whom　was　particularly　anxious　to　persuade　him　that　the　roundness　of　the　planets　was　produced　by　friction；　perhaps　by　their　being　shaken　together　like　marbles　in　a　bag。

There　is　also　an　interesting　letter　from　Sir　W。　Hamilton　at　Edgeworthstown　on　23rd　September　1829。　　Wordsworth　is　also　staying　there。　　'After　some　persuasion　Francis　and　I　succeed　in　engaging　Mr。　Wordsworth　in　many　very　interesting　conversations。　Miss　Edgeworth　has　had　for　some　time　a　very　serious　illness；　but　she　was　able　to　join　us　for　dinner　the　day　that　I　arrived；　and　she　exhibited　in　her　conversations　with　Mr。　Wordsworth　a　good　deal　of　her　usual　brilliancy；　she　also　engaged　Mr。　Marshall　in　some　long　conversations　upon　Ireland；　and　even　Mr。　Marshall's　son；　whose　talent　for　silence　seems　to　be　so　very　profound；　was　thawed　a　little　on　Monday　evening；　and　discussed　after　tea　the　formation　of　the　solar　system。　　Miss　Edgeworth　tells　me　that　she　is　at　last　employed　in　writing　for　the　public　after　a　long　interval；　but　does　not　expect　to　have　her　work　soon　ready　for　publication。'　　＇There　is　a　curious　criticism　of　Miss　Edgeworth　by　Robert　Hall；　the　great　preacher；　which　should　not　be　passed　over。　'As　to　her　style；'　he　says；　'she　is　simple　and　elegant；　content　to　convey　her　thoughts　in　their　most　plain　and　natural　form；　that　is　indeed　the　perfection　of　style。　。　。　。　In　point　of　tendency；'　he　continues；　'I　should　class　her　books　among　the　most　irreligious　I　ever　read。　。　。　。　She　does　not　attack　religion　nor　inveigh　against　it；　but　makes　it　appear　unnecessary　by　exhibiting　perfect　virtue　without　it。　。　。　。　No　works　ever　produced　so　bad　an　effect　on　my　own　mind　as　hers。'＇

Besides　Wordsworth　and　Sir　William　Hamilton　and　Mr。　Marshall；　we　presently　come　to　Sir　John　Herschell。　　'I　saw　your　admirable　friend　Miss　Edgeworth　lately　in　town；'　he　writes　to　Hamilton；　'she　is　a　most　warm　admirer　of　yours；　and　praise　such　as　hers　is　what　any　man　might　be　proud　of。'　　Later　on　Miss　Edgeworth；　corresponding　with　Sir　W。　Hamilton；　tells　him　she　is　ill　and　forbidden　to　write；　or　even　to　think。　　This　is　what　she　thinks　of　THINKING：　　'I　am　glad　to　see　that　the　severe　sciences　do　not　destroy　the　energy　and　grace　of　the　imagination；　but　only　chasten　it　and　impart　their　philosophical　influence。'


V

Certain　events　are　remembered　and　mourned　for　generations；　so　there　are　others；　happy　and　interesting　in　themselves；　which　must　continue　to　give　satisfaction　long　after　they　are　over；　and　long　after　those　concerned　in　them　have　passed　away。　　And　certainly　among　things　pleasant　to　remember　is　the　story　of　Sir　Walter　Scott's　visit　to　Ireland　in　July　1825；　when　he　received　so　warm　a　greeting　from　the　country　and　spent　those　happy　hours　with　Miss　Edgeworth　at　Edgeworthstown。　　Fortunately　for　us；　Lockhart　was　one　of　the　party。　　Anne　Scott；　and　Walter　the　soldier；　and　Jane　Scott　the　bride；　were　also　travelling　in　Sir　Walter's　train。　　The　reception　which　Ireland　gave　Sir　Walter　was　a　warm…hearted　ovation。　　'It　would　be　endless　to　enumerate　the　distinguished　persons　who；　morning　after　morning；　crowded　to　his　levee　in　St。　Stephen's　Green；'　says　Lockhart；　and　he　quotes　an　old　saying　of　Sir　Robert　Peel's；　'that　Sir　Walter's　receptio