DEATH OF MARGARET SOMERVILLE--LETTER FROM MRS. SOMERVILLE TO THE REV.
DR. SOMERVILLE--LIFE AT CHELSEA--THE NAPIERS--MARIA EDGEWORTH--TOUR IN
GERMANY.
Our happy and cheerful life in Hanover Square came to a sad end. The
illness and death of our eldest girl threw Somerville and me into the
deepest affliction. She was a child of intelligence and acquirements far
beyond her tender age.
[The long illness and death of this young girl fell very heavily on
my mother, who by this time had lost several children. The following
letter was written by her to my grandfather on this occasion. It
shows her steadfast faith in the mercy and goodness of God, even
when crushed by almost the severest affliction which can wring a
mother's heart:--]
MRS. SOMERVILLE TO THE REV. DR. SOMERVILLE.
LONDON, _October_, 1823.
MY DEAR FATHER,
I never was so long of writing to you, but when the heart is
breaking it is impossible to find words adequate to its relief. We
are in deep affliction, for though the first violence of grief has
subsided, there has succeeded a calm sorrow not less painful, a
feeling of hopelessness in this world which only finds comfort in
the prospect of another, which longs for the consummation of all
things that we may join those who have gone before. To return to the
duties of life is irksome, even to those duties which were a delight
when the candle of the Lord shone upon us. I do not arraign the
decrees of Providence, but even in the bitterness of my soul I
acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of God, and endeavour to be
resigned to His will. It is ungrateful not to remember the many
happy years we have enjoyed, but that very remembrance renders our
present state more desolate and dreary--presenting a sad contrast.
The great source of consolation is in the mercy of God and the
virtues of those we lament; the full assurance that no good
disposition can be lost but must be brought to perfection in a
better world. Our business is to render ourselves fit for that
blessed inheritance that we may again be united to those we mourn.
Your affectionate daughter,
MARY SOMERVILLE.
* * * * *
Somerville still held his place at the army medical board, and was now
appointed physician to Chelsea Hospital; so we left our cheerful,
comfortable house and went to reside in a government house in a very
dreary and unhealthy situation, far from all our friends, which was a
serious loss to me, as I was not a good walker, and during the whole
time I lived at Chelsea I suffered from sick headaches. Still we were
very glad of the appointment, for at this time we lost almost the whole
of our fortune, through the dishonesty of a person in whom we had the
greatest confidence.
All the time we lived at Chelsea we had constant intercourse with Lady
Noel Byron and Ada, who lived at Esher, and when I came abroad I kept up
a correspondence with both as long as they lived. Ada was much attached
to me, and often came to stay with me. It was by my advice that she
studied mathematics. She always wrote to me for an explanation when she
met with any difficulty. Among my papers I lately found many of her
notes, asking mathematical questions. Ada Byron married Lord King,
afterwards created Earl of Lovelace, a college companion and friend of
my son.
Somerville had formed a friendship with Sir Henry Bunbury when he had a
command in Sicily, and we went occasionally to visit him at Barton in
Suffolk. I liked Lady Bunbury very much; she was a niece of the
celebrated Charles Fox, and had a turn for natural history. I had made a
collection of native shells at Burntisland, but I only knew their vulgar
names; now I learnt their scientific arrangement from Lady Bunbury. Her
son, Sir Charles Bunbury, is an authority for fossil botany. The first
Pinetum I ever saw was at Barton, and in 1837 I planted a cedar in
remembrance of one of our visits.
Through Lady Bunbury we became intimate with all the members of the
illustrious family of the Napiers, as she was sister of Colonel,
afterwards General Sir William Napier, author of the "History of the
Peninsular War." One day Colonel Napier, who was then living in Sloane
Street, introduced Somerville and me to his mother, Lady Sarah Napier.
Her manners were distinguished, and though totally blind, she still had
the remains of great beauty; her hand and arm, which were exposed by the
ancient costume she wore, were most beautiful still. The most sincere
friendship existed between Richard Napier and his wife and me through
life; I shall never forget their kindness to me at a time when I was in
great sorrow. All the brothers are now gone. Richard and his wife were
long in bad health, and he was nearly blind; but his wife never knew it,
through the devoted attachment of Emily Shirriff, daughter of Admiral
Shirriff, who was the comfort and consolation of both to their dying
day.
Maria Edgeworth came frequently to see us when she was in England. She
was one of my most intimate friends, warm-hearted and kind, a charming
companion, with all the liveliness and originality of an Irishwoman.
For seventeen years I was in constant correspondence with her. The
cleverness and animation as well as affection of her letters I cannot
express; certainly women are superior to men in letter-writing.
[The following is an extract from a letter from Maria Edgeworth to a
friend concerning my mother:--]
MARIA EDGEWORTH TO MISS .....
BEECHWOOD PARK, _January 17th, 1822_.
We have spent two days pleasantly here with Dr. Wollaston, our own
dear friend Mrs. Marcet, and the Somervilles. Mrs. Somerville is the
lady who, Laplace says, is the only woman who understands his works.
She draws beautifully, and while her head is among the stars her
feet are firm upon the earth.
Mrs. Somerville is little, slightly made, fairish hair, pink colour,
small, grey, round, intelligent, smiling eyes, very pleasing
countenance, remarkably soft voice, strong, but well-bred Scotch
accent; timid, not disqualifying timid, but naturally modest, yet
with a degree of self-possession through it which prevents her being
in the least awkward, and gives her all the advantage of her
understanding, at the same time that it adds a prepossessing charm
to her manner and takes off all dread of her superior scientific
learning.
* * * * *
While in London I had a French maid for my daughters, and on coming to
Chelsea I taught them a little geometry and algebra, as well as Latin
and Greek, and, later, got a master for them, that they might have a
more perfect knowledge of these languages than I possessed. Keenly alive
to my own defects, I was anxious that my children should never undergo
the embarrassment and mortification I had suffered from ignorance of the
common European languages. I engaged a young German lady, daughter of
Professor Becker, of Offenbach, near Frankfort, as governess, and was
most happy in my choice; but after being with us for a couple of years,
she had a very bad attack of fever, and was obliged to return home. She
was replaced by a younger sister, who afterwards married Professor
Trendelenburg, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Berlin.
Though both these sisters were quite young, I had the most perfect
confidence in them, from their strict conscientiousness and morality.
They were well educated, ladylike, and so amiable, that they gained the
friendship of my children and the affection of us all.
As we could with perfect confidence leave the children to Miss Becker's
care, Sir James Mackintosh, Somerville and I made an excursion to the
Continent. We went to Brussels, and what lady can go there without
seeing the lace manufactory? I saw, admired,--and bought none! We were
kindly received by Professor Quetelet, whom we had previously known,
and who never failed to send me a copy of his valuable memoirs as soon
as they were published. I have uniformly met with the greatest kindness
from scientific men at home and abroad. If any of them are alive when
this record is published, I beg they will accept of my gratitude. Of
those that are no more I bear a grateful remembrance.
The weather was beautiful when we were at Brussels, and in the evening
we went to the public garden. It was crowded with people, and very gay.
We sat down, and amused ourselves by looking at them as they passed. Sir
James was a most agreeable companion, intimate with all the political
characters of the day, full of anecdote and historical knowledge. That
evening his conversation was so brilliant that we forgot the time, and
looking around found that everybody had left the garden, so we thought
we might as well return to the hotel; but on coming to the iron-barred
gate we found it locked. Sir James and Somerville begged some of those
that were passing to call the keeper of the park to let us out; but they
said it was impossible, that we must wait till morning. A crowd
assembled laughing and mocking, till at last we got out through the
house of one of the keepers of the park.
At Bonn we met with Baron Humboldt, and M. Schlegel, celebrated for his
translation of Shakespeare. On going up the Rhine, Sir James knew the
history of every place and of every battle that had been fought. A
professor of his acquaintance in one of the towns invited us to dinner,
and I was astonished to see the lady of the house going about with a
great bunch of keys dangling at her side, assisting in serving up the
dinner, and doing all the duty of carving, her husband taking no part
whatever in it. I was annoyed that we had given so much trouble by
accepting the invitation. In my younger days in Scotland, a lady might
make the pastry and jelly, or direct in the kitchen; but she took no
part in cooking or serving up the dinner, and never rose from the table
till the ladies went to the drawing-room. However, as we could not
afford to keep a regular cook, an ill-dressed dish would occasionally
appear, and then my father would say, "God sends food, but the devil
sends cooks."
In our tour through Holland, Somerville was quite at home, and amused
himself talking to the people, for he had learnt the Dutch language at
the Cape of Good Hope. We admired the pretty quaint costumes of the
women; but I was the only one who took interest in the galleries. Many
of the pictures of the Dutch school are very fine; but I never should
have made a collection exclusively of them as was often done at one time
in England. Lord Granville was British Minister at the Hague, and dining
at the Embassy one day we met with a Mrs.----, who, on hearing one of
the attachés addressed as Mr. Abercromby,[9] said, "Pray, Lord
Granville, is that a son of the great captain whom the Lord slew in the
land of Egypt?'"
I never met with Madame de Staël, but heard a great deal about her
during this journey from Sir James Mackintosh, who was very intimate
with her. At that time the men sat longer at table after dinner than
they do now; and on one occasion, at a dinner party at Sir James's
house, when Lady Mackintosh and the ladies returned to the drawing-room,
Madame de Staël, who was exceedingly impatient of women's society, would
not deign to enter into conversation with any of the ladies, but walked
about the room; then suddenly ringing the bell, she said, "Ceci est
insupportable!" and when the servant appeared, she said: "Tell your
master to come upstairs directly; they have sat long enough at their
wine."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 9: Afterwards Sir Ralph Abercromby, later Lord Dunfermline,
minister first at Florence, then at Turin.]