castle rackrent-第3章

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f　her　little　step…daughter；　all　this　had　been　hers；　and　now　all　this　is　coming　to　an　end；　and　the　poor　lady　lying　on　her　death…bed　imploring　her　husband　to　marry　her　sister　Elizabeth。　　Accordingly　Mr。　Edgeworth　married　Elizabeth　Sneyd　in　1780；　which　was　also　the　year　of　poor　Andre's　death。

There　is　a　little　oval　picture　at　the　National　Gallery　in　Dublin；　the　photograph　of　a　sketch　at　Edgeworthstown　House；　which　gives　one　a　very　good　impression　of　the　family　as　it　must　have　appeared　in　the　reigns　of　King　George　and　the　third　Mrs。　Edgeworth。　　The　father　in　his　powder　and　frills　sits　at　the　table　with　intelligent；　well…informed　finger　showing　some　place　upon　a　map。　He　is　an　agreeable…looking　youngish　man；　Mrs。　Edgeworth；　his　third　wife；　is　looking　over　his　shoulder；　she　has　marked　features；　beautiful　eyes；　she　holds　a　child　upon　her　knee；　and　one　can　see　the　likeness　in　her　to　her　step…daughter　Honora；　who　stands　just　behind　her　and　leans　against　the　chair。　　A　large　globe　appropriately　stands　in　the　background。　　The　grown…up　ladies　alternate　with　small　children。　　Miss　Edgeworth　herself；　sitting　opposite　to　her　father；　is　the　most　prominent　figure　in　the　group。　　She　wears　a　broad　leghorn　hat；　a　frizzed　coiffure；　and　folded　kerchief；　she　has　a　sprightly；　somewhat　French　appearance；　with　a　marked　nose　of　the　RETROUSSE　order。　　I　had　so　often　heard　that　she　was　plain　that　to　see　this　fashionable　and　agreeable　figure　was　a　pleasant　surprise。

Miss　Edgeworth　seems　to　be　about　four…and…twenty　in　the　sketch；　she　was　born　in　1767；　she　must　have　been　eleven　in　1778；　when　Mr。　Edgeworth　finally　came　over　to　Ireland　to　settle　on　his　own　estate；　and　among　his　own　people。　　He　had　been　obliged　some　years　before　to　leave　Edgeworthstown　on　account　of　Mrs。　Honora　Edgeworth's　health；　he　now　returned　in　patriarchal　fashion　with　Mrs。　Elizabeth　Edgeworth；　his　third　wife；　with　his　children　by　his　first；　second；　and　third　marriages；　and　with　two　sisters…in…　law　who　had　made　their　home　in　his　family。　　For　thirty…five　years　he　continued　to　live　on　in　the　pretty　old　home　which　he　now　adapted　to　his　large　family；　and　which；　notwithstanding　Miss　Edgeworth's　objections；　would　have　seemed　so　well　fitted　for　its　various　requirements。　　The　daughter's　description　of　his　life　there；　of　his　work　among　his　tenants；　of　his　paternal　and　spirited　rule；　is　vivid　and　interesting。　　When　the　present　owner　of　Edgeworthstown　talked　to　us　of　his　grandfather；　one　felt　that；　with　all　his　eccentricities；　he　must　have　been　a　man　of　a　far…　seeing　mind　and　observation。　　Mr。　Erroles　Edgeworth　said　that　he　was　himself　still　reaping　the　benefit　of　his　grandfather's　admirable　organisation　and　arrangements　on　the　estate；　and　that　when　people　all　around　met　with　endless　difficulties　and　complications；　he　had　scarcely　known　any。　　Would　that　there　had　been　more　Mr。　Edgeworths　in　Ireland！

Whatever　business　he　had　to　do；　his　daughter　tells　us；　was　done　in　the　midst　of　his　family。　　Maria　copied　his　letters　of　business　and　helped　him　to　receive　his　rents。　　'On　most　Irish　estates；'　says　Miss　Edgeworth；　'there　is；　or　there　was；　a　personage　commonly　called　a　driver；a　person　who　drives　and　impounds　cattle　for　rent　and　arrears。'　　The　drivers　are；　alas！　　from　time　to　time　too　necessary　in　collecting　Irish　rents。　　Mr。　Edgeworth　desired　that　none　of　his　tenants　should　pay　rent　to　any　one　but　himself；　thus　taking　away　subordinate　interference；　he　became　individually　acquainted　with　his　tenantry。　　He　also　made　himself　acquainted　with　the　different　value　of　land　on　his　estate。　　In　every　case　where　the　tenant　had　improved　the　land　his　claim　to　preference　over　every　new　proposer　was　admitted。　　The　mere　plea；　'I　have　been　on　your　Honour's　estate　so　many　years；'　was　disregarded。　　'Nor　was　it　advantageous　that　each　son；'　says　Miss　Edgeworth；　'of　the　original　tenant　should　live　on　his　subdivided　little　potato　garden　without　further　exertion　of　mind　or　body。'　Further　on　she　continues：　　'Not　being　in　want　of　ready　money；　my　father　was　not　obliged　to　let　his　land　to　the　highest　bidder。　　He　could　afford　to　have　good　tenants。'　　In　the　old　leases　claims　of　duty…fowl；　of　duty…work；　of　man　or　beast　had　been　inserted。　　Mr。　Edgeworth　was　one　of　the　first　to　abolish　them。　　The　only　clause　he　continued　in　every　lease　was　the　alienation　fine；　which　was　to　protect　the　landlord　and　to　prevent　a　set　of　middlemen　from　taking　land　at　a　reasonable　rent；　and　letting　it　immediately　at　the　highest　possible　price。　　His　indulgence　as　to　the　time　he　allowed　for　the　payment　of　rent　was　unusually　great；　but　beyond　the　half　year　the　tenants　knew　his　strictness　so　well；　that　they　rarely　ventured　to　go　into　arrears；　and　never　did　so　with　impunity。　　'To　his　character　as　a　good　landlord；'　she　continues；　'was　added　that　he　was　a　real　gentleman；　this　phrase　comprises　a　good　deal　in　the　opinion　of　the　lower　Irish。'　　There　is　one　very　curious　paragraph　in　which　Miss　Edgeworth　describes　how　her　father　knew　how　to　make　use　of　the　tenants'　prejudices；　putting　forward　his　wishes　rather　than　his　convictions。　　'It　would　be　impossible　for　me；'　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