castle rackrent-第6章

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alter。　　'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　reception　in　the　High　Street　of　Edinburgh　in　1822　was　the　first　thing　that　gave　him　（Peel）　a　notion　of　the　electric　shock　of　a　nation's　gratitude。'　'I　doubt　if　even　that　scene　surpassed　what　I　myself　witnessed；'　continues　the　biographer；　'when　Sir　Walter　returned　down　Dame　Street　after　inspecting　the　Castle　of　Dublin。'

From　ovations　to　friendship　it　was　Sir　Walter's　inclination　to　turn。　　On　the　1st　August　he　came　to　Edgeworthstown；　accompanied　by　his　family。　　'We　remained　there　for　several　days；　making　excursions　to　Loch　Oel；　etc。　　Mr。　Lovell　Edgeworth　had　his　classical　mansion　filled　every　evening　with　a　succession　of　distinguished　friends。　　Here；　above　all；　we　had　the　opportunity　of　seeing　in　what　universal　respect　and　comfort　a　gentleman's　family　may　live　in　that　country；　provided　only　they　live　there　habitually　and　do　their　duty。　。　。　。　Here　we　found　neither　mud　hovels　nor　naked　peasantry；　but　snug　cottages　and　smiling　faces　all　about。　。　。　。　Here　too　we　pleased　ourselves　with　recognising　some　of　the　sweetest　features　in　Goldsmith's　picture　of　〃Sweet　Auburn！　　loveliest　village　of　the　plain。〃'　Oliver　Goldsmith　received　his　education　at　this　very　school　of　Edgeworthstown；　and　Pallas　More；　the　little　hamlet　where　the　author　of　THE　VICAR　OF　WAKEFIELD　first　saw　the　light；　is　still；　as　it　was　then；　the　property　of　the　Edgeworths。

So　Scott　came　to　visit　his　little　friend；　and　the　giant　was　cheered　and　made　welcome　by　her　charming　hospitality。　　It　was　a　last　gleam　of　sunshine　in　that　noble　life。　　We　instinctively　feel　how　happy　they　all　were　in　each　other's　good　company。　　We　can　almost　overhear　some　of　their　talk；　as　they　walk　together　under　the　shade　of　the　trees　of　the　park。　　One　can　imagine　him　laughing　in　his　delightful　hearty　way；　half　joking；　half　caressing。　Lockhart　had　used　some　phrase　（it　is　Lockhart　who　tells　us　the　story）　which　conveyed　the　impression　that　he　suspects　poets　and　novelists　of　looking　at　life　and　at　the　world　chiefly　as　materials　for　art。　　'A　soft　and　pensive　shade　came　over　Scott's　face。　　〃I　fear　you　have　some　very　young　ideas　in　your　head；〃　he　says。　　〃God　help　us；　what　a　poor　world　this　would　be　if　that　were　the　true　doctrine！　　I　have　read　books　enough；　and　observed　and　conversed　with　enough　eminent　minds　in　my　time；　but　I　assure　you　I　have　heard　higher　sentiments　from　the　lips　of　poor　uneducated　men　and　women；　exerting　the　spirit　of　severe　yet　gentle　heroism；　or　speaking　their　simple　thoughts；　than　I　ever　met　with　out　of　the　pages　of　the　Bible。　　We　shall　never　learn　to　feel　and　respect　our　real　calling　unless　we　have　taught　ourselves　to　consider　everything　as　moonshine　compared　with　the　education　of　the　heart；〃'　said　the　great　teacher。　　'Maria　did　not　listen　to　this　without　some　water　in　her　eyes；her　tears　are　always　ready　when　a　generous　string　is　touched；but　she　brushed　them　gaily　aside；　and　said；　〃You　see　how　it　is：　　Dean　Swift　said　he　had　written　his　books　in　order　that　people　should　learn　to　treat　him　like　a　great　lord；　Sir　Walter　writes　his　in　order　that　he　might　be　able　to　treat　his　people　as　a　great　lord　ought　to　do。〃'

Years　and　years　afterwards　Edward　Fitzgerald　stayed　at　Edgeworthstown；　and　he　also　carries　us　there　in　one　of　his　letters。　　He　had　been　at　college　with　Mr。　Frank　Edgeworth；　who　had　succeeded　to　the　estate；　and　had　now　in　1828　come　to　stay　with　him。　　The　host　had　been　called　away；　but　the　guest　describes　his　many　hostesses：　　'Edgeworth's　mother；　aged　seventy…four；　his　sister；　the　great　Maria；　aged　seventy…two；　and　another　cousin　or　something。　　All　these　people　were　pleasant　and　kind；　the　house　pleasant；　the　grounds　ditto；　a　good　library；　so　here　I　am　quite　at　home；　but　surely　must　go　to　England　soon。'　　One　can　imagine　Fitzgerald　sitting　in　the　library　with　his　back　to　the　window　and　writing　his　letters　and　reading　his　thirty…two　sets　of　novels；　while　the　rain　is　steadily　pouring　outside；　and　the　Great　Authoress　（so　he　writes　her　down）　as　busy　as　a　bee　sitting　by　chattering　and　making　a　catalogue　of　her　books。　　'We　talk　about　Walter　Scott；　whom　she　adores；　and　are　merry　all　day