[1] Memoirs of the late R. L. Edgeworth, Esq. begun by himself, and
finished by his Daughter, Maria Edgeworth. 2 vols. London, 1820.
The first volume contains such part of the memoirs of Mr Edgeworth
as was written by himself, and is of a very different complexion
from the second from the pen of his daughter. We see in every page
of the former, evidence of that abundance of animal spirits, and
healthy activity of body and mind, which often changed their channel
of direction in the course of his life, without ever relaxing their
innate spring, or losing any of their pristine force of impulse.
It is indeed Mr. Edgeworth's boast, corroborated by his daughter's
testimony, that he was unchanged by age, or events.--He seems to
have had a ready and quick feeling for every thing that happened,
just as the bulrush has a rapid sympathy with the breeze that passes
over it, and raises its head exactly into its old position the
instant it is gone by. Mr. Edgeworth began to marry at twenty, and
continued the practice till late in life. In fact, matrimony and
mechanics seem to have monopolized his fidelity: with dancing he
was desperately enamoured at first, but his taste soon tired of it,
though he is careful to assure us his legs never did. Gambling and
dissipated companions possessed him for a time, but neither sullied
his mind, nor permanently influenced his habits. Telegraphs and
one-wheeled chaises, however, kept stronger hold of him: he was the
first to send poetry across the channel by a chain of signals; and
he contrived for himself a carriage in which his "_legs were warned
to lift themselves up_," to escape being broken by posts, and in
which he sat "_pretty safe_ from wet," his feet being "secured by
leathers which folded up like the sides of bellows."
One of his exploits in this commodious vehicle, he records in a tone
of exultation with which we entirely sympathize:--
"On my road to Birmingham, I passed through Long-Compton, in
Warwickshire, on a Sunday. The people were returning from church,
and numbers stopped to gaze at me. There is or was a shallow ford
near the town, over which there was a very narrow bridge for
horse and foot passengers, but not sufficiently wide for wagons or
chaises. Towards this bridge I drove. The people, not perceiving
the structure of my one-wheeled vehicle, called to me with great
eagerness to warn me, that the bridge was too narrow for carriages.
I had an excellent horse, which went so fast as to give but little
time for examination. The louder they called, the faster I drove,
and when I had passed the bridge, they shouted after me with
surprise. I got on to Shipton upon Stour; but, before I had dined
there, I found that my fame had overtaken me. My carriage was put
into a coach-house, so that those who came from Long-Compton, not
seeing it, did not recognize me; I therefore had an opportunity of
hearing all the exaggerations and strange conjectures, which were
made by those who related my passage over the narrow bridge. There
were posts on the bridge, to prevent, as I suppose, more than one
horseman from passing at once. Some of the spectators asserted, that
my carriage had gone over these posts; others said that it had not
_wheels_, which was indeed literally true; but they meant to say
that it was without any wheel. Some were sure that no carriage ever
went so fast; and all agreed, that at the end of the bridge, where
the floods had laid the road for some way under water, my carriage
swam on the surface of the water."
Mr. Edgeworth was also, about the commencement of his career in
mechanics, lucky enough to contrive a wheel which "should carry on a
man _as fast as he could possibly walk_," that is to say, provided
he "_plied his legs with energy_." On the first experiment being
made, it answered its purpose so well as to give the lad within
scarcely time "_to jump from his rolling prison before it reached
the chalk-pit_; but the wheel went on with such velocity as to
outstrip its pursuers, and rolling over the edge of the precipice
it was dashed to pieces."
To recompense himself for this misfortune, he invented "_a sailing
carriage_."
"The carriage was light, steady, and ran with amazing velocity.
One day when I was preparing for a sail in it, with my friend and
schoolfellow, Mr. William Foster, my wheel-boat escaped from its
moorings, just as we were going to step on board. With the utmost
difficulty I overtook it, and as I saw three or four stage coaches
on the road, and feared that this sailing chariot might frighten
their horses, I, at the hazard of my life, got into my carriage
while it was under full sail, and then, at a favourable part of
the road, I used the means I had of guiding it easily out of the
way. But the sense of the mischief which must have ensued, if I had
not succeeded in getting into the machine at the proper place, and
stopping it at the right moment was so strong, as to deter me from
trying any more experiments on this carriage in such a dangerous
place. Such should never be attempted except on a large common,
_at a distance from a high road_. It may not however be amiss to
suggest, that upon a large extent of iron rail-way, in an open
country, carriages properly constructed, might make profitable
voyages from time to time with sails instead of horses; for though
a constant or regular intercourse could not be thus carried on, yet
goods of a certain sort, that are saleable at any time, might be
stored till wind and weather were favourable."
One more of Mr. Edgeworth's ingenious inventions is all we can allow
to this subject:--he offered for a wager to produce a _wooden horse
that should carry him safely over the highest wall in the country_!
"It struck me, that, if a machine were made with eight legs, four
only of which should stand upon the ground at one time; if the
remaining four were raised up into the body of the machine, and if
this body were divided into two parts, sliding, or rather rolling on
cylinders, one of the parts, and the legs belonging to it, might in
two efforts be projected over the wall by a person in the machine;
and the legs belonging to this part might be let down to the
ground, and then the other half of the machine might have its legs
drawn up, and be projected over the wall, and so on alternately.
This idea by degrees developed itself in my mind, so as to make me
perceive, that as one half of the machine was always a road for the
other half, and that such a machine never rolled upon the ground,
a carriage might be made, which should carry a road for itself. It
is already certain, that a carriage moving on an iron rail-way may
be drawn with a fourth part of the force requisite to draw it on a
common road. After having made a number of models of my machine,
that should carry and lay down its own road. _I took out a patent
to secure to myself the principle_; but the term of my patent has
been long since expired, without my having been able to unite to my
satisfaction in this machine strength with sufficient lightness,
and with regular motion, so as to obtain the advantages I proposed.
As an _encouragement to perseverance_, I assure my readers, that I
never lost sight of this scheme during _forty years_; that I have
made considerably above _one hundred_ working models upon this
principle, in a great variety of forms; and that, _although I have
not yet been able to accomplish my project, I am still satisfied
that it is feasible_."
Justice, however, will not permit us to go to other matters
contained in these most entertaining biographical notices, without
cautioning the reader not to take the standard of the utility and
intelligence of Mr. Edgeworth's mechanical pursuits, from these
specimens of his achievements in this line. He effected much of a
more useful nature, and appears to have had very considerable talent
in his way--but so in fact had _King Corny_.
Mr. Edgeworth's first marriage was the only unsuitable one of
the several it was his fortune to make; and not finding his wife
cheerful at home, he says, led him to seek cheerful company abroad.
In fact, before the death of his father, we find him quite involved
in the vortex of dissipation and fashion. His picture of the
_beau monde_ of those times is not without its charm. "Among the
ladies who visited the Mrs. Blakes, was a Miss Dalton, the famous
"Fanny, blooming fair," whom Lord Chesterfield has celebrated.
He was ingenious enough to detect the legerdemain tricks of the
"celebrated Comus." Miss D. told him that her relation, the famous
Sir Francis Blake Delaval, had also discovered these secrets, and
believed himself to be the only man in England who possessed them.
This brought about an acquaintance, or rather intimacy, between Mr.
Edgeworth and Sir Francis, from the description of the incidents of
which we derive much amusement. They arranged together the house in
Downing street, where Sir Francis lived, for the representation of
conjuring tricks.
"The ingenuity of some of the contrivances, that were employed in
our deceptions, attracted the notice not only of those who sought
mere amusement, but of men of letters and science, who came to our
exhibitions. This circumstance was highly grateful to Sir Francis,
and advantageous to me. I, by these means, became acquainted with
many men of eminence, to whom I could not at any period of my life
have otherwise obtained familiar access. Among the number were
Dr. Knight, of the British Museum: Dr. Watson; Mr. Wilson; Mr.
Espinasse, the electrician; Foote, the author and actor, a man, who,
beside his well known humour, possessed a considerable fund of
real feeling; Macklin, and all the famous actors of the day. They
resorted to a constant table, which was open to men of genius and
merit in every department of literature and science.--I cannot say
that his guests were always "unelbowed by a player;" but I can truly
assert, that none but those who were an honour to the stage, and who
were admitted into the best company at other houses, were received
at Sir Francis Delaval's.
They got up the tragedy of the Fair Penitent here, to allow the
late Duke of York, who afterwards died suddenly at Rome, to play
Lothario; and "he was as warm, as hasty, and as much in love, as the
fair Calista could possibly wish." A pleasant supper-party, he says,
they had at the King's Arms, Covent Garden, after the performance.
"Macklin called for a nightcap, and threw off his wig. This, it was
whispered to me, was a signal of his intention to be entertaining.
Plays, play-wrights, enunciation, action, every thing belonging to
eloquence of every species, was discussed. Angelo, the graceful
fencing-master, and Bensley, the actor, were of the party.--Angelo
was consulted by Bensley, on what he ought to do with his hands
while he was speaking. Angelo told him, that it was impossible to
prescribe what he should always do with them; but that it was easy
to tell him what should _not_ be done--"he should not put them into
his breeches' pockets"--a custom to which poor Bensley was much
addicted. Pronunciation was discussed; the faults in our language
in this particular were copiously enumerated. "For instance," said
Macklin, "_Pare_ me a _pair_ of _pears_." You may take three words
out of this sentence, of the same sound, but of different meanings,
and I defy any man to pronounce them in such a manner as to
discriminate the sounds, or to mark to any ear by his pronunciation
the difference between the verb _to pare_, the noun of number, _a
pair_, and the fruit, _pear_. The pompous Bensley undertook that
Powel, who was remarkable for a good ear, should do this. Bensley,
who mouthed prodigiously whilst he spoke, was put behind a curtain,
that the motion of his lips might not assist Powel in judging what
meaning he intended to express by each of the words as he pronounced
them. One of the company was placed behind the curtain, and to
him Bensley was previously to communicate, whether he proposed to
pronounce the word denoting the action, the noun of number, or the
fruit. Bensley failed so often, and so ridiculously, that he became
quite angry, and charged Powel with wilful misapprehension. To
defend himself, Powel proposed that Holland should try his skill;
but Holland had no better success. During these trials, I concerted
by signs with Sir Francis, a method of pointing out my meaning, and
I offered to try my skill. The audience with difficulty restrained
their contempt: but I took my place behind the curtain, and they
were soon compelled to acknowledge, that I had a more distinct
pronunciation, or that Sir Francis had more acute hearing, than
the rest of the company. Out of twenty experiments, I never failed
more than two or three times, and in these I failed on purpose,
to prevent suspicion. I had made my confederate understand, that
when I turned my right foot outward, as it appeared from beneath
the curtain, I meant to say _pare_, to cut; when I turned inward,
_pair_, a couple; and when it was straight forward, _pear_, the
fruit. We kept our own counsel, and won unmerited applause. Amidst
such trifling as this, much sound criticism was mixed, which
improved my literary taste, and a number of entertaining anecdotes
were related, which informed my inexperienced mind with knowledge of
the world."
One of the many excellent anecdotes which Mr. Edgeworth
introduces relative to the extraordinary man of the town with
whom he was now passing his time, we shall give as a sample.
Sir Francis had contrived to represent the borough of Andover,
in several Parliaments, by practising a series of tricks on his
constituents:--but at length, he sustained a reverse of fortune, and
his electioneering success terminated.
His attorney's bill was yet to be discharged. It had been running
on for many years; and though large sums had been paid on account,
a prodigious balance still remained to be adjusted. The affair came
before the King's Bench. Among a variety of exorbitant and monstrous
charges, there appeared the following article.
"To being thrown out of the window at the George Inn, Andover--to my
leg being thereby broken--to surgeon's bill, and loss of time and
business--all in the service of Sir F. B. Delaval.--Five hundred
pounds.
"When this curious _item_ came to be explained, it appeared, that
the attorney had, by way of promoting Sir Francis' interest in the
borough, sent cards of invitation to the officers of a regiment in
the town, in the name of the mayor and corporation, inviting them
to dine and drink his Majesty's health on his birthday. He, at the
same time, wrote a similar invitation to the mayor and corporation,
in the name of the officers of the regiment. The two companies met,
complimented each other, eat a good dinner, drank a hearty bottle
of wine to his Majesty's health, and prepared to break up.--The
commanding officer of the regiment, being the politest man in
company, made a handsome speech to Mr. Mayor, thanking him for his
hospitable invitation and entertainment. "No, Colonel," replied the
mayor, "it is to you that thanks are due by me and by my brother
aldermen for your generous treat to us." The colonel replied with
as much warmth as good breeding would allow: the mayor retorted
with downright anger, swearing that he would not be choused by the
bravest colonel in his Majesty's service.--"Mr. Mayor," said the
colonel, "there is no necessity for displaying any vulgar passion on
this occasion. Permit me to show you, that I have here your obliging
card of invitation."--"Nay, Mr. Colonel, here is no opportunity for
bantering, there is your card."
Upon examining the cards, it was observed, that notwithstanding an
attempt to disguise it, both cards were written in the same hand by
some person, who had designed to make fools of them all. Every eye
of the corporation turned spontaneously upon the attorney, who, of
course, attended all public meetings. His impudence suddenly gave
way, he faltered and betrayed himself so fully by his confusion,
that the colonel, in a fit of summary justice, threw him out of
the window. For this Sir Francis Delaval was charged five hundred
pounds.--Whether he paid the money of not, I forget."