castle rackrent-第4部分

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says　his　daughter；　'without　ostentation　to　give　any　of　the　proofs　I　might　record　of　my　father's　liberality。　Long　after　they　were　forgotten　by　himself；　they　were　remembered　by　the　warm…hearted　people　among　whom　he　lived。'

Mr。　Edgeworth　was　one　of　those　people　born　to　get　their　own　way。　Every　one　seems　to　have　felt　the　influence　of　his　strong　character。　　It　was　not　only　with　his　family　and　his　friends　that　he　held　his　ownthe　tenants　and　the　poor　people　rallied　to　his　command。　　To　be　sure；　it　sounds　like　some　old　Irish　legend　to　be　told　that　Mr。　Edgeworth　had　so　loud　a　voice　that　it　could　be　heard　a　mile　off；　and　that　his　steward；　who　lived　in　a　lodge　at　that　distance　from　the　house；　could　hear　him　calling　from　the　drawing…room　window；　and　would　come　up　for　orders。

In　1778；　says　Miss　Edgeworth　retrospectively；　when　England　was　despatching　her　armies　all　over　the　world；　she　had　no　troops　to　spare　for　the　defence　of　Ireland　then　threatened　with　a　French　invasion；　and　the　principal　nobility　and　gentry　embodied　themselves　volunteers　for　the　defence　of　the　country。　　The　Duke　of　Leinster　and　Lord　Charlemont　were　at　the　head　of　the　'corps　which　in　perfect　order　and　good　discipline　rendered　their　country　respectable。'　　The　friends　of　Ireland；　profiting　by　England's　growing　consideration　for　the　sister　country；　now　obtained　for　her　great　benefits　for　which　they　had　long　been　striving；　and　Mr。　Grattan　moved　an　address　to　the　throne　asserting　the　legislative　independence　of　Ireland。　　The　address　passed　the　House；　and；　as　his　daughter　tells　us；　Mr。　Edgeworth　immediately　published　a　pamphlet。　　Miss　Edgeworth　continues　as　follows；　describing　his　excellent　course　of　action：　　'My　father　honestly　and　unostentatiously　used　his　utmost　endeavours　to　obliterate　all　that　could　tend　to　perpetuate　ill…will　in　the　country。　　Among　the　lower　classes　in　his　neighbourhood　he　endeavoured　to　discourage　that　spirit　of　recrimination　and　retaliation　which　the　lower　Irish　are　too　prone　to　cherish。　　They　are　such　acute　observers　that　there　is　no　deceiving　them　as　to　the　state　of　the　real　feeling　of　their　superiors。　　They　know　the　signs　of　what　passes　within　with　more　certainty　than　any　physiognomist；　and　it　was　soon　seen　by　all　those　who　had　any　connection　with　him　that　my　father　was　sincere　in　his　disdain　of　vengeance。'　　Further　on；　describing　his　political　feelings；　she　says　that　on　the　subject　of　the　Union　in　parliamentary　phrase　he　had　not　then　been　able　to　make　up　his　mind。　　She　describes　with　some　pride　his　first　speech　in　the　Irish　House　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when　the　wearied　members　were　scarcely　awake　to　hear　it；　and　when　some　of　the　outstretched　members　were　aroused　by　their　neighbours　to　listen　to　him！　　'When　people　perceived　that　it　was　not　a　set　speech；'　says　Miss　Edgeworth；　'they　became　interested。'　　He　stated　his　doubts　just　as　they　had　occurred　as　he　threw　them　by　turn　into　each　scale。　　After　giving　many　reasons　in　favour　of　what　appeared　to　be　the　advantages　of　the　Union；　he　unexpectedly　gave　his　vote　against　it；　because　he　said　he　had　been　convinced　by　what　he　had　heard　one　night；　that　the　Union　was　decidedly　against　the　wishes　of　the　majority　of　men　of　sense　and　property　in　the　nation。　　He　added　（and　surely　Mr。　Edgeworth's　opinion　should　go　for　something　still）　that　if　he　should　be　convinced　that　the　opinions　of　the　country　changed；　his　vote　would　be　in　its　favour。

His　biographer　tells　us　that　Mr。　Edgeworth　was　much　complimented　on　his　speech　by　BOTH　sides；　by　those　for　whom　he　voted；　and　also　by　those　who　found　that　the　best　arguments　on　the　other　side　of　the　question　had　been　undoubtedly　made　by　him。　　It　is　a　somewhat　complicated　statement　and　state　of　feeling　to　follow；　to　the　faithful　daughter　nothing　is　impossible　where　her　father　is　concerned。　　This　vote；　I　believe；　cost　Mr。　Edgeworth　his　peerage。　'When　it　was　known　that　he　had　voted　against　the　Union　he　became　suddenly　the　idol　of　those　who　would　previously　have　stoned　him；'　says　his　devoted　biographer。　　It　must　not；　however；　be　forgotten　that　Mr。　Edgeworth　had　refused　an　offer　of　L3000　for　his　seat　for　two　or　three　weeks；　during　that　momentous　period　when　every　vote　was　of　importance。　　Mr。　Pitt；　they　say；　spent　over　L2；000；000　in　carrying　the　measure　which　he　deemed　so　necessary。


IV

As　a　rule　people's　books　appeal　first　to　one's　imagination；　and　then　after　a　time；　if　the　books　are　good　books　and　alive；　not　stuffed　dummies　and　reproductions；　one　begins　to　divine　the　writers　themselves；　hidden　away　in　their　pages；　and　wrapped　up　in　their　hot…press　sheets　of　paper；　and　so　it　happened　by　chance　that　a　printed　letter　once　written　by　Maria　Edgeworth　to　Mrs。　Barbauld　set　the　present　reader　wondering　about　these　two　familiar　names；　and　trying　to　realise　the　human　beings　which　they　each　represented。　　Since　those　days　Miss　Edgeworth　has　become　a　personage　more　vivid　and　interesting　than　any　of　her　characters；　more　familiar　even　than　'Simple　Susan'　or　'Rosamond　of　the　Purple　Jar。'　　She　has　seemed　little　by　little　to　grow　into　a　friend；　as　the　writer　has　learnt　to　know　her　more　and　more　intimately；　has　visited　the　home　of　that　home…loving　woman；　has　held　in　her　hands　the　delightful　Family　Memoirs；　has　seen　the　horizons；　so　to　speak；　of　Maria　Edgeworth's　long　life。　　＇Now　published　and　edited　by　　Mr。　Hare　（Nov。　1894）。＇　　Several　histories　of　Miss　Edgeworth　have　been　lately　published　in　England。　　Miss　Zimmern　and　Miss　Oliver　in　America　have　each　written；　and　the　present　writer　has　written；　and　various　memoirs　and　letters　have　appeared　in　different　magazines　and　papers　with　allusions　and　descriptions　all　more　or　less　interesting。　　One　can　but　admire　the　spirit　which　animated　that　whole　existence；　the　cheerful；　kindly；　multiplied　interest　Maria　Edgeworth　took　in　the　world　outside；　as　well　as　in　the　wellbeing　of　all　those　around　her。　　Generations；　changes；　new　families；　new　experiences；　none　of　these　overwhelmed　her。　　She　seemed　to　move　in　a　crowd；　a　cheerful；　orderly　crowd；　keeping　in　tune　and　heart　with　its　thousand　claims；　with　strength　and　calmness　of　mind　to　bear　multiplied　sorrows　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　tha