The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 1Edgeworth, Maria
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The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 1
Edgeworth, Maria
Edgeworth, Maria, 1768-1849; Novelists, Irish -- 19th century -- Biography
_15th._--We breakfasted with Madame de l'Aigle, sister to the Due de
Broglie. (Now Madame Gautier is putting on her bonnet, to take us to La
Bagatelle.) I forgot to tell you that Prince Potemkin is nephew to _the_
famous Potemkin. He has just returned from England, particularly pleased
with Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, and struck by the noble and useful manner in
which he spends his large fortune. This young Russian appears very
desirous to apply all he has seen in foreign countries to the advantage
of his own.
After our breakfast at Madame de l'Aigle's, we went home, and met Prince
Edmond de Beauveau by appointment, and went with him to the Invalides;
saw the library, and plans and models of fortifications, for which the
Duc de Coigny, unasked, had sent us tickets, and there we met his
secretary, a warm Buonapartist, whom we honoured for his gratitude and
attachment to his old master.
We dined at Passy, and met Mrs. Malthus, M. Garnier, and M. Chaptal--the
great Chaptal--a very interesting man. In the evening we were at the
Princesse de Beauveau's and Lady Granard's.
Sunday with the Miss Byrnes to Notre Dame, and went with them to
introduce them to Lady (Sidney) Smith; charming house, gardens, and
pictures. To Madame de Rumford's, and she was very agreeable this
morning. Dined at Mr. Creed's under the trees in their garden, with Mr.
and Mrs. Malthus, and Mrs. and Miss Eyre, fresh from Italy--very
agreeable.
Now we have returned from a very pleasant visit to La Bagatelle. What
struck me most there was the bust of the Duc d'Angoulême, with an
inscription from his own letter during the Cent Jours, when he was
detained by the enemy: _J'espère--j'exige même--que le Roi ne fera point
de sacrifice pour me revoir; je crains ni la prison ni la mort._
Yesterday we went to Sevres--beautiful manufacture of china, especially
a table, with views of all the royal palaces, and a vase six feet and a
half high, painted with natural flowers.
Louis XV. was told that there was a man who had never been out of Paris;
he gave him a pension, provided he never went out of town; he quitted
Paris the year after! I have not time to make either prefaces or moral.
We breakfast at Mr. Chenevix's on Monday, and propose to be at Geneva on
Saturday.
_To_ MISS LUCY EDGEWORTH.
PASSY, _July 23, 1820._
I hope this will find you under the tree in my garden, with Sophy Ruxton
near you, and my mother and Sophy and Pakenham, who will run and call my
aunts, for whom Honora will set chairs; and Lovell will, I hope, be at
home too; so I picture you to myself all happily assembled, and you have
had a good night, and all is right, and Honora has placed my Aunt Mary
with her back to the light--AND Maria is very like Mr. Fitzherbert, who
always tells his friends at home what _they_ are doing, instead of what
he is doing, which is what they want to know.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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