The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth Volume II Part 6

Qui que ce soit, voici ton maitre, Il est, le fut, ou le doit etre.

f.a.n.n.y and Harriet say that Macintosh has far surpa.s.sed their expectations. The two new persons f.a.n.n.y wished most to see in England were Ricardo and Macintosh: she has seen them in the best possible manner, in their own families, at leisure not only to be wise and good, but agreeable. Harriet and she have heard more of their conversation than they could in a whole season in London. Think how happy I must feel in seeing them quite satisfied. Sir James and Lady Macintosh seem to like them, and I and they delight in Miss Macintosh: she is one of the best-informed and most unaffected girls I ever knew, with a sweet voice and agreeable conversation.

GROVE HOUSE, KENSINGTON,

_Jan. 27, 1822_.

As if wakening from a long dream, I find myself sitting in exactly the same comer, on the same chair, in the same room where f.a.n.n.y, and Honora, and I were three years ago! Lady Elizabeth Whitbread [Footnote: Eldest daughter of the first Earl Grey.] looks better than she did when we left her, though much thinner: her kindness and the winning dignity of her manners the same as ever. She was at breakfast with us at half-past nine this morning, when she went to her church and we to Kensington--Mrs.

Batty's pew--Harriet and I. f.a.n.n.y stayed at home for the good of her body, and Lady Elizabeth left with her, for the good of her soul, that wicked _Cain_. [Footnote: Lord Byron's _Cain_, which was preached against in Kensington Church by Mr. Rennel.]

Miss Grant will be here on Monday, absent a fortnight nursing Mrs.

Nesbitt. A new dog, Jubal: Lady Elizabeth heard one of the little Battys say, "Lion has _hatched_ a new dog," and the sister correcting her, "Oh, my dear! _hatched!_ you mean _laid!_" Jubal is very like Lion, only younger and handsomer: milk-white, and shorn poodle fashion.

_To_ MRS. RUXTON.

GROVE HOUSE, _Feb. 1822_.

I am glad you like the preface to _Frank_: the engineer and the scientific part will tire you--skip and go on to the third volume.

Delightful breakfast to-day at Mr. Ricardo's. We have this last week seen all Calcott's princ.i.p.al pictures, and those by Mulready, an Irish artist: one of a messenger playing truant; the enraged mistress, and the faces of the boys he is playing with, and the little child he had the care of asleep, all tell their story well; but none of these come near the exquisite humour and ingenuity of Hogarth. I have the face of that imbecile, round-eyed, half-drunk friend of ours in the corner of the "Election Dinner" now before me, and I can never think of it without laughing.

We have seen Sir Thomas Lawrence's magnificent picture of the King in his coronation robes, which is to be sent to the Pope. [Footnote: Now in the Lateran Palace.] He flatters with great skill, choosing every creature's best. An admirable picture of Walter Scott; ditto ditto of Lady Jersey and Lady Conyngham. Lord Anglesea came in while we were with Sir Thomas: he is no longer handsome, but a model for the "nice conduct"

of a wooden leg. It was within an inch of running through Walter Scott's picture, which was on the floor leaning on the wall; but, by a skilful sidelong manoeuvre, he bowed out of its way. His gray hair looks much better than His Majesty's flaxen wig--bad taste.

_To_ MRS. EDGEWORTH.

KENSINGTON GORE, _Feb. 6, 1822_.

A dreadful storm two nights ago, which blew down two fine old trees in the park, and a miserable wet day, in which we made our way to the dentist's.

Colonel Talbot dined here--cast in the same mould as all the other Talbots I have ever seen: his face has been bronzed by hardships, and _scorched_ by the reflection from American _snows_: his manner of speaking slow--not too slow, only slow enough to be calmly distinct; and when relating wonders and dangers, gives you at once the certainty of truth, and the belief in his fort.i.tude and intrepid presence of mind. He related the visit from his European friend, when he had built his log house, and was his own servant-of-all-work; and gave us an account of an attack of the Indians upon Fort Talbot. He gives me the idea of the most cool courage imaginable. I could not help looking at him, as if he were Robinson Crusoe come to life again, and continuing stories from his own book. He has now a very good house, or palace I should say; for he is not only lord of all he surveys, but actually king.

Do you recollect American Mrs. Griffith writing to tell me that Mr.

Ralston would come to see us, and my extreme disappointment at his finding in Dublin that Miss Edgeworth was not at home, and so not going down to Edgeworthstown, and not seeing Lovell's school? He has found us out now, and Lady Elizabeth invited him here. He has travelled over half Europe and is going to Spain; but upon my giving him a note to Macintosh, with a draft upon him for five minutes' conversation, and notes to some other celebrated people, he, like a sensible man, determined to delay his journey on purpose to see them. Lady Elizabeth has been so kind to ask him to dine here to-day, and commissioned me to invite whoever I pleased to meet him. First we wrote to your brother, but be could not come; and then to Dr. Holland, but he was engaged to Holland House. In his note to me he says, "I have seen Mr. Ralston several times, and have been greatly pleased with his ingenuousness, acquirements, and agreeable manners." His father and mother are grand--and what is rather better, most benevolent--people in Philadelphia. Meantime I must go and write a letter of introduction for him to Count Edouard de la Grange, who is just returned from Spain to Paris, and may serve him. But I forgot to finish my sentence about the invitations to dinner. My third invitation was to Mr. Calcott, the painter, with whom we made acquaintance a few days ago. He has been more civil than I can tell you, promising us his ticket for the Exhibition, and preparing the way for our seeing pictures at Lord Liverpool's, Sir John Swinburne's, etc.; so I was glad to have this opportunity of asking him, and he breaks an engagement to the Academy to accept of Lady Elizabeth's invitation.

Now I must "put on bonnet" to go to Lady Grey's. She is the most touching sight! and Lady Elizabeth's affection and respect for her! She has desired to see f.a.n.n.y and Harriet to-day.

_Feb. 9_.

Like a child who keeps the plums of his pudding for the last, but who is so tedious in getting through the beginning, that his plate is taken away before he gets to his plums, _so_ I often put off what I think the plums of my letters till "the post, ma'am," hurries it off without the best part.

In my hurried conclusion I forgot to tell you that Mr. Ralston has lately become acquainted with Mr. Perkins, the American, who has tried experiments on the compressibility of water, the results of which have astonished all the scientific world.

Wollaston, as Mr. Ralston affirms, has verified and warrants the truth of these experiments, which have not yet been published. The most wonderful part appeared to me incredible: under a great degree of compression the water, Mr. Ralston said, _turned to gas_!

_Feb. 20_.

Lady Lansdowne was here yesterday while I was in town; she heard that f.a.n.n.y and Harriet were at home: got out and sat with them: very agreeable. Lady Bathurst has been here, and Lady Georgiana: asked us to a select party--Princess Lieven, etc.,--but we declined: could not leave Lady Elizabeth. I do not know that there is any truth in the report that Lady Georgiana is to marry Lord Liverpool: I should think not; for when we were at Cirencester, Lady Bathurst read out of a letter, "So I hear Lady Georgiana is to be our Prime Minister," which she would not have done if the thing were really going on; and when I went to Lord Liverpool's a few days ago, he was in deep mourning, the hatchment still up on his house, his note-paper half an inch black border. If he were _courting_, surely the black border would diminish, and the hatchment would be taken down. I wish it were true, for I like both parties, and think it would be remarkably well suited.

_Feb. 24_.

Yesterday Captain Beaufort walked here to see us, and then walked with Harriet and me to Lady Listowel's, _ci-devant_ Lady Ennismore, looking just the same as when we saw her at Kilkenny: excessively civil to us.

Two curious pictures there done by an Irish boy, or man, of the name of Grogan, of Cork: one of these is an Irish wake; there is a great deal of original humour and invention in it, of the Wilkie, or, better still, of the Hogarth style.

But all this time you would be glad to know whether I am likely to have a house over my head or not? it cannot be decided till Tuesday--8, or 12, Holles Street.

Yesterday we went to see Mrs. Moutray at Mr. Sumner's most comfortable and superb house. She had been to see the poor Queen's pictures and goods, which are now for sale: a melancholy sight; all her dress, even her stays, laid out, and tarnished finery, to be purchased by the lowest of the low. There was a full-length picture of her when she was young and happy; another, beautiful, by Opie or Lawrence, standing s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up a harp with one hand, and playing with her little daughter with the other.

_To_ MRS. RUXTON.

8 HOLLES STREET, _March 9_.

We are comfortably settled in this good central situation. We were last Monday at a select early party at Mrs. Hope's. The new gallery of Flemish pictures given to Mr. Hope by his brother is beautifully arranged.

I have had the greatest pleasure in Francis Beaufort [Footnote: Brother of the fourth Mrs. Edgeworth.] going with us to our delightful breakfasts at Mr. Ricardo's--they enjoy each other's conversation so much. It has now become high fashion with blue ladies to talk Political Economy, and make a great jabbering on the subject, while others who have more sense, like Mrs. Marcet, hold their tongues and listen. A gentleman answered very well the other day when asked if he would be of the famous Political Economy Club, that he would, whenever he could find two members of it that agree in any one point. Meantime, fine ladies require that their daughters' governesses should teach Political Economy. "Do you teach Political Economy?" "No, but I can learn it." "O dear, no; if you don't teach it, you won't do for me."

Another style of governess is now the fashion,--the _ultra-French_: a lady-governess of this party and one of the Orleans' or _liberaux_ met and came to high words, till all was calmed by the timely display of a ball-dress, trimmed with roses alternately red and white,--"Garniture aux prejuges vaincus." This should have been worn by those who formerly invented in the Revolution "Bals aux victimes."

Yesterday we breakfasted at Mrs. Somerville's, and sat in her painting-room. Left her at one o'clock, and went by appointment to Lansdowne House. Lady Lansdowne quite affectionate to f.a.n.n.y and Harriet; had fire and warm air in the superb new statue saloon on purpose for them. Mrs. Kennedy,--Sir Samuel Romilly's daughter,--came in, invited to meet us, very pleasing manners. Mrs. Nicholls,--Lady Lansdowne's niece,--"I like that you should know all I love."

Then we went with Captain and Mrs. Beaufort to Belzoni's tomb,--the model first, and then the tomb as large as life, painted in its proper colours,--a very striking spectacle, but I need not describe it; the book represents it perfectly.

Next door to the tomb are the Laplanders, the man about my size, at work, intently, but stupidly, on making a wooden spoon. The wife was more intelligent: a child of five years, very quiet gray eyes. In the middle of the apartment is a pen full of reindeer,--very gentle and ravenously eager for moss, of which there was a great basket. This moss, which they love as well as their own, has been found in great quant.i.ties on Bagshot Heath.

We went one night to the House of Commons: Mr. Whitbread took us there.

A garret the whole size of the room--the former chapel--now the House of Commons; below, _kitcats_ of Gothic chapel windows stopped up appear on each side above the floor: above, roof-beams. One lantern with one farthing candle, in a tin candlestick, all the light. In the middle of the garret is what seemed like a sentry-box of deal boards and old chairs placed round it: on these we got and stood and peeped over the top of the boards. Saw the large chandelier with lights blazing, immediately below: a grating of iron across veiled the light so that we could look down and beyond it: we saw half the table with the mace lying on it and papers, and by peeping hard two figures of clerks at the further end, but no eye could see the Speaker or his chair,--only his feet; his voice and terrible "ORDER" was soon heard. We could see part of the Treasury Bench and the Opposition in their places,--the tops of their heads, profiles, and gestures perfectly. There was not any interesting debate,--the Knightsbridge affair and the Salt Tax,--but it was entertaining to us because we were curious to see and hear the princ.i.p.al speakers on each side. We heard Lord Londonderry, Mr. Peel, and Mr. Vansittart; and on the other side, Denman, Brougham, and Bennett, and several hesitating country gentlemen, who seemed to be speaking to please their const.i.tuents only. Sir John Sebright was as much at ease as in his own drawing-room at Beechwood: Mr. Brougham we thought the best speaker we heard, Mr. Peel next; Mr. Vansittart the best language, and most correct English, though there was little in what he said. The Speaker, we were told, had made this observation on Mr.

Vansittart, that he never makes a mistake in grammar. Lord Londonderry makes the most extraordinary blunders and _mal-a-propos_. Mr. Denman speaks well. The whole, the speaking and the interest of the scene surpa.s.sed our expectations, and we felt proud to mark the vast difference between the English House of Commons and the French Chambre des Deputes. _Nevertheless_, there are disturbances in Suffolk, and Lord Londonderry had to get up from dinner to order troops to be sent there.

_To_ MRS. EDGEWORTH.

8 HOLLES STREET, _March, 1822_.

Your brother Francis is kind to us beyond description, and lets us take him where we will; he dined with us at Mrs. Weddell's,--this dear old lady copied last year in her seventy-second year a beautiful crayon picture of Lady Dundas,--and here we met Lady Louisa Stuart, Mr. Stanley of Alderley, and many others.

Yesterday we went the moment we had swallowed our breakfast,--N.B.

superfine green tea given to us by Mrs. Taddy,--by appointment to Newgate. The private door opened at sight of our tickets, and the great doors and the little doors, and the thick doors, and doors of all sorts, were unbolted and unlocked, and on we went through dreary but clean pa.s.sages, till we came to a room where rows of empty benches fronted us.

A table on which lay a large Bible. Several ladies and gentlemen entered and took their seats on benches at either side of the table, in silence.

Enter Mrs. Fry in a drab-coloured silk cloak, and plain borderless Quaker cap; a most benevolent countenance,--Guido-Madonna face,--calm, benign. "I must make an inquiry,--Is Maria Edgeworth here? and where?" I went forward; she bade us come and sit beside her. Her first smile as she looked upon me I can never forget.

The prisoners came in, and in an orderly manner ranged themselves on the benches. All quite clean, faces, hair, caps, and hands. On a very low bench in front, little children were seated and were _settled_ by their mothers. Almost all these women, about thirty, were under sentence of transportation, some few only were for imprisonment. One who did not appear was under sentence of death,--frequently women when sentenced to death become ill, and unable to attend Mrs. Fry; the others come regularly and voluntarily.