The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 1Edgeworth, Maria
General
The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 1
Edgeworth, Maria
Edgeworth, Maria, 1768-1849; Novelists, Irish -- 19th century -- Biography
Professor Marc-Auguste Pictet, of Geneva, visited the Edgeworths this
summer, coming over from Mr. Tuite's, of Sonna, where he was staying
with Mr. Chenevix. He afterwards published an interesting account of his
visit to Edgeworthstown in the _Bibliothèque Britannique_, as well as in
his _Voyage de trois mots en Angleterre_, which was published at Geneva
in 1802. Of Maria Edgeworth he says:
* * * * *
I had persuaded myself that the author of the work on Education, and of
other productions, useful as well as ornamental, would betray herself by
a remarkable exterior. I was mistaken. A small figure, eyes nearly
always lowered, a profoundly modest and reserved air, with expression in
the features when not speaking: such was the result of my first survey.
But when she spoke, which was too rarely for my taste, nothing could
have been better thought, and nothing better said, though always timidly
expressed, than that which fell from her mouth.
* * * * *
M. Pictet's account of the society at Paris induced Mr. Edgeworth to
determine on going there. He set out in the middle of September, with
Mrs. Edgeworth, Maria, Emmeline, and Charlotte. Emmeline left the rest
of the family at Conway, and went to stay with Mrs. Beddoes at Clifton,
where she was married to Mr. King (or Konig, a native of Berne), a
distinguished surgeon.
In London Mr. Edgeworth purchased a roomy coach, in which his family
travelled very comfortably.
* * * * *
MARIA EDGEWORTH _to_ MISS SOPHY RUXTON.
LOUGHBOROUGH, _Sept. 25, 1802._
I calculate, my dear Sophy, that you have accused me at least a hundred
times of being lazy and good-for-nothing, because I have not written
since we left Dublin; but do not be angry, I was not well during the
time we were in Dublin, nor for two or three days after we landed: but
three days' rest at Bangor Ferry recovered me completely, and thanks to
Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman, I am now in perfectly good
plight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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