life; and Miss Edgeworth has accordingly which life can be made tolerable to those who dedicated her two best tales to the delinea- have nothing to wish for. Born on the very tion of their symptoms. The history of "Lord pinnacle of human fortune, "he had nothing Glenthorn" is a fine picture of ennui-that of to do but to sit still and enjoy the barrenness "Almeria" an instructive representation of of the prospect." He tries travelling, gaming, the miseries of aspirations after fashion. We gluttony, hunting, pugilism, and coach-driv do not know whether it was a part of the fair ing; but is so pressed down with the load of writer's design to represent these maladies as life, as to be repeatedly on the eve of suicide. absolutely incurable, without a change of He passes over to Ireland, where he receives condition; but the fact is, that in spite of the a temporary relief, from the rebellion-and best dispositions and capacities, and the most from falling in love with a lady of high charpowerful inducements to action, the hero of acter and accomplishments; but the effect of ennui makes no advances towards amend- these stimulants is speedily expended, and ment, till he is deprived of his title and estate! he is in danger of falling into a confirmed and the victim of fashion is left, at the end of lethargy, when it is fortunately discovered the tale, pursuing her weary career, with fa- that he has been changed at nurse! and that, ding hopes and wasted spirits, but with in- instead of being a peer of boundless fortune, creased anxiety and perseverance. The moral he is the son of a cottager who lives on potause of these narratives, therefore, must consist toes. With great magnanimity, he instantly in warning us against the first approaches of gives up the fortune to the rightful owner, evils which can never afterwards be resisted. who has been bred a blacksmith, and takes These are the great twin scourges of the to the study of the law. At the commenceprosperous: But there are other maladies, of ment of this arduous career, he fortunately no slight malignity, to which they are pecu- falls in love, for the second time, with the liarly liable. One of these, arising mainly lady entitled, after the death of the blackfrom want of more worthy occupation, is that smith, to succeed to his former estate. Pover perpetual use of stratagem and contrivance- ty and love now supply him with irresistible that little, artful diplomacy of private life, by motives for exertion. He rises in his profes which the simplest and most natural transac- sion; marries the lady of his heart; and in tions are rendered complicated and difficult, due time returns, an altered man, to the posand the common business of existence made session of his former affluence. to depend on the success of plots and counter- Such is the naked outline of a story, more plots. By the incessant practice of this petty rich in character, incident, and reflection, than policy, a habit of duplicity and anxiety is in- any English narrative which we can now call fallibly generated, which is equally fatal to to remembrance-as rapid and various as integrity and enjoyment. We gradually come the best tales of Voltaire, and as full of prac to look on others with the distrust which we tical good sense and moral pathetic as any of are conscious of deserving; and are insensibly the other tales of Miss Edgeworth. The Irish formed to sentiments of the most unamiable characters are inimitable ;-not the coarse caselfishness and suspicion. It is needless to ricatures of modern playwrights-but drawn say, that all these elaborate artifices are worse with a spirit, a delicacy, and a precision, to than useless to the person who employs them; which we do not know if there be any paral and that the ingenious plotter is almost always lel among national delineations. As these are baffled and exposed by the downright honesty tales of fashionable life, we shall present our of some undesigning competitor. Miss Edge- readers, in the first place, with some traits of worth, in her tale of "Manoeuvring," has given an Irish lady of rank. Lady Geraldine-the a very complete and most entertaining repre- enchantress whose powerful magic almost sentation of "the by-paths and indirect crook'd raised the hero of ennui from his leaden slumways," by which these artful and inefficient bers is represented with such exquisite liveli people generally make their way to disap-ness and completeness of effect, that the pointment. In the tale, entitled "Madame de Fleury," she has given some useful examples of the ways in which the rich may most effectually do good to the poor-an operation which, we really believe, fails more frequently from want of skill than of inclination: And, in "The Dun," she has drawn a touching and most impressive picture of the wretchedness "As Lady Geraldine entered, I gave one involun which the poor so frequently suffer, from the tary glance of curiosity. I saw a tall, finely-shaped unfeeling thoughtlessness which withholds woman, with the commanding air of a person of from them the scanty earnings of their labour. rank: she moved well; not with feminine timidity, Of these tales, "Ennui" is the best and the yet with ease, promptitude, and decision. She had most entertaining-though the leading char- of feature. The only thing that struck me as really fine eyes, and a fine complexion, yet no regularity acter is somewhat caricatured, and the dé-extraordinary, was her indifference when I was innouement is brought about by a discovery which shocks by its needless improbability. Lord Glenthorn is bred up, by a false and indulgent guardian, as the heir to an immense English and Irish estate; and, long before he is of age; exhausts almost all the resources by reader can scarcely help imagining that he has formerly been acquainted with the original. Every one, at least we conceive, must have known somebody, the recollection of whom must convince him that the following description is as true nature as it is creditable to art: troduced to her. Every body had seemed extremely desirous that I should see her ladyship, and that her ladyship should see me; and I was rather surprised by her unconcerned air. This piqued me, began to converse with others. Her voice was and fixed my attention. She turned from me, and agreeable, though rather loud: she did not speak with the Irish accent; but, when I listened ma- Geraldine exclaimed, 'That cousin Craiglethorpe Eiously, I detected certain Hibernian inflexions- of mine is scarcely an agreeable man: The awknothing of the vulgar Irish idiom, but something wardness of mauvaise-hont might be pitied and parthat was more interrogative, more exclamatory, and doned, even in a nobleman,' continued her ladyship, perhaps more rhetorical, than the common language if it really proceeded from humility; but here, of English ladies, accompanied with infinitely more when I know it is connected with secret and inordianimation of countenance and demonstrative ges-nate arrogance, 'tis past all endurance. As the ture. This appeared to me peculiar and unusual, but Frenchman said of the Englishman, for whom even not affected. She was uncommonly eloquent; and his politeness could not find another compliment, yet, without action, her words were not sufficiently "Il faut avouer que ce Monsieur a un grand talent rapid to express her ideas. Her manner appeared pour le silence ;"-he holds his tongue till people foreign, yet it was not quite French. If I had actually believe that he has somothing to say-a been obliged to decide, I should, however, have mistake they could never fall into if he would but pronounced it rather more French than English. speak. It is not timidity; it is all pride. I would To determine which it was, or whether I had ever pardon his dulness, and even his ignorance; for one, seen any thing similar, I stood considering her lady as you say, might be the fault of his nature, and the ship with more attention than I had ever bestowed other of his education: but his self-sufficiency is his on any other woman. The words striking-fasci- own fault; and that I will not, and cannot pardon. nating-bewitching, occurred to me as I looked at Somebody says, that nature may make a fool, but her and heard her speak. I resolved to turn my a coxcomb is always of his own making. Now, eyes away, and shut my ears; for I was positively my cousin (as he is my cousin, I may say what I determined not to like her; I dreaded so much the please of him,)-my cousin Craiglethorpe is a idea of a second Hymen. I retreated to the farthest solemn coxcomb, who thinks, because his vanity is window, and looked out very soberly upon a dirty not talkative and sociable, that it's not vanity. fish-pond. What a mistake!'"-i. 146-148. "If she had treated me with tolerable civility at first, I never should have thought about her. Highborn and high-bred, she seemed to consider more what she should think of others, than what others thought of her. Frank, candid, and affable, vet opinionated, insolent, and an egotist: her candour and affability appeared the effect of a naturally good temper; her insolence and egotism only that of a spoiled child. She seemed to talk of herself purely to oblige others, as the most interesting possible topic of conversation; for such it had always been to her fond mother, who idolized her ladyship as an only daughter, and the representative of an ancient house. Confident of her talents, conscious of her charms, and secure of her station, Lady Geraldine gave free scope to her high spirits, her fancy, and her turn for ridicule. She looked, spoke, and acted, like a person privileged to think, say, and do, what she pleased. Her raillery, like the raillery of princes, was without fear of retort. She was not ill-natured, yet careless to whom she gave offence, provided she produced amusement; and in this she seldom failed; for, in her conversation, there was much of the raciness of Irish wit, and the oddity of Irish humour. The singularity that struck me most about her ladyship was her indifference to flattery. She certainly preferred frolic. Miss Bland was her humble companion; Miss Tracey her butt. It was one of Lady Geraldine's delights, to humour Miss Tracey's rage for imitating the fashions of fine people. Now you shall see Miss Tracey appear at the ball to-morrow, in every thing that I have sworn to her is fashionable. Nor have I cheated her in a single article: but the tout ensemble I leave to her better judgment; and you shall see her, I trust, a perfect monster, formed of every creature's best: Lady Kilrush's feathers, Mrs. Moore's wig, Mrs. O'Connor's gown, Mrs. Leighton's sleeves, and all the necklaces of all the Miss Ormsbys. She has no taste, no judgment; none at all, poor thing; but she can imitate as well as those Chinese painters, who, in their drawings, give you the flower of one plant stuck on the stalk of another, and garnished with the leaves of a third.' "-i. 130-139. This favourite character is afterwards exhibited in a great variety of dramatic contrasts. For example: "Lord Craiglethorpe was, as Miss Tracey had described him, very stiff, cold, and high. His manners were in the extreme of English reserve; and his ill-bred show of contempt for the Irish was sufficient provocation and justification of Lady Geraldine's ridicule. He was much in awe of his fair and witty cousin and she could easily put him out of countenance, for he was, in his way, extremely bashful. Once, when he was out of the room, Lady These other traits of her character are given, on different occasions, by Lord Glenthorn: and intent solely upon her own amusement; but I "At first I had thought her merely superficial, what could have been expected in one who lived so soon found that she had a taste for literature beyond dissipated a life; a depth of reflection that seemed inconsistent with the rapidity with which she thought; and, above all, a degree of generous indignation against meanness and vice, which seemed incompatible with the selfish character of a fine lady; and which appeared quite incomprehensible to the imitating tribe of her fashionable companions." 64 i. 174. little arts, and petty stratagems, to attract attention. This may suffice as a specimen of the high life of the piece; which is more original and characteristic than that of Belinda-and altogether as lively and natural. For the low life, we do not know if we could extract a more felicitous specimen than the following description of the equipage in which Lord Glenthorn's English and French servant were compelled to follow their master in Ireland. "From the inn yard came a hackney chaise, in a most deplorably crazy state; the body mounted up to a prodigious height, on unbending springs, nodding forwards, one door swinging open, three blinds up, because they could not be let down, the perch tied in two places, the iron of the wheels half off, half loose, wooden pegs for linch-pins, and ropes for harness. The horses were worthy of the harness; wretched little dog-tired creatures, that looked as if they had been driven to the last gasp, and as if they had never been rubbed down in their lives; their bones starting through their skin; one lame, the other blind; one with a raw back, the "Ah! didn't I compass him cleverly then? Oh the villain, to be browbating me! I'm too cute for him yet. See, there, now, he's come too; and I'll be his bail he'll go asy enough wid me. Ogh! he has a fine spirit of his own; but it's I that can match him. Twould be a poor case if a man like me couldn't match a horse any way, let alone a mare, which this is, or it never would be so vi cious.'"-i. 68, 69. The most delectable personage, however, in the whole tale, is the ancient Irish nurse Ellinor. The devoted affection, infantine simplicity, and strange pathetic eloquence of this half-savage, kind-hearted creature, afford Miss Edgeworth occasion for many most original and characteristic representations. We shall scarcely prepossess our English readers in her favour, by giving the description of her cottage. other with a galled breast; one with his neck poking down over his collar, and the other with his head dragged forward by a bit of a broken bridle, held at arms length by a man dressed like a mad beggar, in half a hat, and half a wig, both awry in opposite directions; a long tattered coat, tied round his waist by a hay-rope; the jagged rents in the skirts of this coat showing his bare legs, marbled of many colours; while something like stockings hung loose about his ankles. The noises he made, by way of threatening or encouraging his steeds, I pretend not to describe. In an indignant voice I called to the landlord I hope these are not the horses-I hope this is not the chaise, intended for my servants. The innkeeper, and the pauper who was preparing to officiate as postilion, both in the same instant exclaimed-Sorrow better chaise in the county!' Sorrow!' said I-what do you mean by sorrow?' That there's no better, plase your honour, can be seen. We have two more to be sure-but one has no top, and the other no bottom. Any way, there's no better can be seen than this same. And these horses!' cried I-' why this "It was a wretched looking, low, mud-walled horse is so lame he can hardly stand.' Oh, plase cabin. At one end it was propped by a buttress of your honour, tho' he can't stand, he'll go fast loose stones, upon which stood a goat reared on his enough. He has a great deal of the rogue in him. hind legs, to browse on the grass that grew on the plase your honour. He's always that way at first housetop. A dunghill was before the only window, setting out.' And that wretched animal with the at the other end of the house, and close to the door galled breast! He's all the better for it, when was a puddle of the dirties of dirty water, in which once he warms; it's he that will go with the speed ducks were dabbling. At my approach, there came of light, plase your honour. Sure, is not he Knocke-out of the cabin a pig, a calf, a lamb, a kid, and two croghery? and didn't I give fifteen guineas for him, geese, all with their legs tied; followed by cocks, barring the luckpenny, at the fair of Knockecrog- hens, chickens, a dog, a cat, a kitten, a beggarhery, and he rising four year old at the same time?' man, a beggar-woman, with a pipe in her mouth; Then seizing his whip and reins in one hand, children innumerable, and a stout girl, with a pitchhe clawed up his stockings with the other so with fork in her hand; altogether more than I, looking one easy step he got into his place, and seated him- down upon the roof as I sat on horseback, and self, coachman-like, upon a well-worn bar of wood, measuring the superficies with my eye, could have that served as a coach-box. Throw me the loan possibly supposed the mansion capable of containing. of a trusty, Bartly, for a cushion,' said he. AI asked if Ellinor O'Donoghoe was at home; but frieze coat was thrown up over the horse's heads. the dog barked, the geese cackled, the turkeys Paddy caught it. Where are you, Hosey!' cried gobbled, and the beggars begged with one accord, he to a lad in charge of the leaders. Sure I'm so loudly, that there was no chance of my being only rowling a wisp of straw on my leg,' replied heard. When the girl had at last succeeded in ap Hosey. ''Throw me up,' added this paragon of peasing them all with her pitchfork, she answered. postilions, turning to one of the crowd of idle by- that Ellinor O'Donoghoe was at home, but that s'e standers. Arrah, push me up, can't ye?'-A was out with the potatoes; and she ran to fetch her, man took hold of his knee, and threw him upon the after calling to the boys, who was within in the room horse. He was in his seat in a trice. Then cling-smoking, to come out to his honour. As soon as ing by the mane of his horse, he scrambled for the bridle which was under the other horse's feet, reached it, and, well satisfied with himself, looked round at Paddy, who looked back to the chaisedoor at my angry servants, secure in the last event of things. In vain the Englishman, in monotonous anger, and the Frenchman in every note of the gamut, abused Paddy. Necessity and wit were on Paddy's side. He parried all that was said against his chaise, his horses, himself, and his country, with invincible comic dexterity; till at last, both his adversaries, dumb-founded, clambered into the vehicle, where they were instantly shut up in straw and darkness. Paddy, in a triumphant tone, called to my postilions, bidding them get on, and not be stopping the way any longer.'"-i. 64, 65. By and by the wheel horse stopped short, and began to kick furiously. 44 4 'Never fear,' reiterated Paddy. I'll engage I'll be up wid him. Now for it, Knockecroghery! Oh the rogue, he thinks he has me at a nonplush; but I'll show him the differ.' they had crouched under the door, and were able No, It is impossible, however, for us to select any thing that could give our readers even a vague idea of the interest, both serious and comic, that is produced by this original character, without quoting more of the story than we can now make room for. We cannot "After this brag of war. Paddy whipped, Knock-leave it, however, without making our ac ecroghery kicked, and Paddy, seemingly unconscious of danger, sat within reach of the kicking horse, twitching up first one of his legs, then the other, and shifting as the animal aimed his hoofs, escaping every time as it were by miracle. With a mixture of temerity and presence of mind, which made us alternately look upon him as a madman and a hero, he gloried in the danger, secure of sucand of the sympathy of the spectators. cess, knowledgments to Miss Edgeworth for the handsome way in which she has treated our country, and for the judgment as well as liberality she has shown in the character of Mr. Macleod, the proud, sagacions, friendly, and reserved agent of her hero. There is infinite merit and powers of observation even in her short sketch of his exterior. He was a hard-featured, strong built, perpen. dicular man, with a remarkable quietness of deportment: he spoke with deliberate distinctness, in an accent slightly Scotch; and, in speaking, he made use of no gesticulation, but held himself surprisingly still. No part of him but his eyes, moved; and they had an expression of slow, but determined good sense. He was sparing of his words; but the few that he used said much, and went directly to the point."-i. 82. culcate. To some readers they may seem to want the fairy colouring of high fancy and romantic tenderness; and it is very true that they are not poetical love tales, any more than they are anecdotes of scandal. We have great respect for the admirers of Rousseau and Petrarca; and we have no doubt that Miss Edgeworth has great respect for them ;-but the world, both high and low, which she is But we must now take an abrupt and reluct- labouring to mend, have no sympathy with ant leave of Miss Edgeworth. Thinking as this respect. They laugh at these things, and we do, that her writings are, beyond all com- do not understand them; and therefore, the parison, the most useful of any that have come solid sense which she presses perhaps rather before us since the commencement of our too closely upon them, though it admits of recritical career, it would be a point of conscience lief from wit and direct pathos, really could with us to give them all the notoriety that they not be combined with the more luxuriant orcan derive from our recommendation, even ifnaments of an ardent and tender imagination. their execution were in some measure liable We say this merely to obviate the only objecto objection. In our opinion, however, they tion which we think can be made to the exeare as entertaining as they are instructive; cution of these stories; and to justify our and the genius, and wit, and imagination they decided opinion, that they are actually as display, are at least as remarkable as the just perfect as it was possible to make them with ness of the sentiments they so powerfully in-safety to the great object of the author. (July, 1812.) Tales of Fashionable Life. By Miss EDGEWORTH, Author of "Practical Education," "Belinda," "Castle Rackrent," &c. 3 vols. THE writings of Miss Edgeworth exhibit so singular an union of sober sense and inexhaustible invention-so minute a knowledge of all that distinguishes manners, or touches on happiness in every condition of human fortune-and so just an estimate both of the real sources of enjoyment, and of the illusions by which they are obstructed, that it cannot be thought wonderful that we should separate her from the ordinary manufacturers of novels, and speak of her Tales as works of more serious importance than much of the true history and solemn philosophy that come daily under our inspection. The great business of life, and the object of all arts and acquisitions, is undoubtedly to be happy; and though our success in this grand endeavour depends, in some degree, upon external circumstances, over which we have no control, and still more on temper and dispositions, which can only be controlled by gradual and systematic exertion, a very great deal depends also upon creeds and opinions, which may be effectually and even suddenly rectified, by a few hints from authority that cannot be questioned, or a few illustrations so fair and striking, as neither to be misapplied nor neglected. We are all, no doubt, formed, in a great degree, by the circumstances in which we are placed, and the beings by whom we are surrounded; but still we have all theories of happiness-notions of ambition, and opinions as to the summum bonum of our own-more or less developed, and more or less original, according to our situation and character-but influencing our conduct and feelings at every moment of our lives, and leading us on to disappointment, 12mo. pp. 1450. Johnson. London: 1812. and away from real gratification, as powerfully as mere ignorance or passion. It is to the correction of those erroneous theories that Miss Edgeworth has applied herself in that series of moral fictions, the last portion of which has recently come to our hands; and in which, we think, she has combined more solid instruction with more universal entertainment, and given more practical lessons of wisdom, with less tediousness and less pretension, than any other writer with whom we are acquainted. When we reviewed the first part of these Tales which are devoted to the delineation of fashionable life, we ventured to express a doubt, whether the author was justifiable for expending so large a quantity of her moral medicines on so small a body of patientsand upon patients too whom she had every reason to fear would turn out incurable. Upon reflection, however, we are now inclined to recall this sentiment. The vices and illusions of fashionable life are, for the most part, merely the vices and illusions of human nature presented sometimes in their most conspicuous, and almost always in only their most seductive form;-and even where they are not merely fostered and embellished, but actually generated only in that exalted region, it is very well known that they drop upon the place beneath," and are speedily propagated and diffused into the world below. To expose them, therefore, in this their original and proudest sphere, is not only to purify the stream at its source, but to counteract their pernicious influence precisely where it is most formidable and extensive. To point out the miseries of those infinite and laborious Edgeworth, however, we think, is not in any pursuits in which persons who pretend to very imminent danger of being disabled by be fasionable consume their days, would be this ingenious imputation; since, if we were but an unprofitable task; while nobody could to select any one of the traits that are indibe found who would admit that they belong-cated by her writings as peculiarly characed to the class of pretenders; and all that teristic, and peculiarly entitled to praise, we remained therefore was to show, that the should specify the singular force of judgment pursuits themselves were preposterous; and and self-denial, which has enabled her to reinflicted the same miseries upon the unques- sist the temptation of being the most brilliant tioned leaders of fashion, as upon the hum- and fashionable writer of her day, in order to blest of their followers. For this task, too, be the most useful and instructive. Miss Edgeworth possessed certain advantages of which it would have been equally unnatural and unfortunate for her readers, if she had not sought to avail herself. We have said, that the hints by which we may be enabled to correct those errors of opinion which so frequently derange the whole scheme of life, must be given by one whose authority is not liable to dispute. Persons of fashion, therefore, and pretenders to fashion, will never derive any considerable benefit from all the edifying essays and apologues that superannuated governesses and preceptors may indite for their reformation;-nor from the volumes of sermons which learned divines may put forth for the amendment of the age; nor the ingenious discourses which philosophers may publish, from the love of fame, money, or mankind. Their feeling as to all such monitors is, that they know nothing at all about the matter, and have nothing to do with personages so much above them; and so they laugh at their prosing and presumption-and throw them aside, with a mingled sense of contempt and indignation. Now, Miss Edgeworth happens fortunately to be born in the condition of a lady-familiar from early life with the polite world, and liable to no suspicion of having become an author from any other motives than those she has been pleased to assign. But it is by no means enough that we should be on a footing, in point of rank, with those to whom we are moved to address our instructions. It is necessary that we should also have some relish for the pleasures we accuse them of overrating, and some pretensions to the glory we ask them to despise. If a man, without stomach or palate, takes it into his head to lecture against the pleasures of the table—or an old maid against flirtation-or a miser against extravagance, they may say as many wise and just things as they please but they may be sure that they will either be laughed at, or not listened to; and that all their dissuasives will be set down to the score of mere ignorance or envy. In the same way, a man or woman who is obviously without talents to shine or please in fashionable life, may utter any quantity of striking truths as to its folly or unsatisfactoriness, without ever commanding the attention of one of its votaries. The inference is so ready, and so consolatory-that all those wise reflections are the fruit of disappointment and mortification -that they want to reduce all the world to their own dull level-and to deprive others of gratifications which they are themselves incapable of tasting. The judgment of Miss The writer who conceived the characters, and reported the conversations of Lady Delacour-Lady Geraldine-and Lady Dashfort (to take but these three out of her copious dramatis persona), certainly need not be afraid of being excelled by any of her contempora ries, in that faithful but flattering representa tion of the spoken language of persons of wit and politeness of the present day—in that light and graceful tone of raillery and argument-and in that gift of sportive but cutting médisance, which is sure of success in those circles, where success is supposed to be most difficult, and most desirable. With the consciousness of such rare qualifications, we do think it required no ordinary degree of fortitude to withstand the temptation of being the flattering delineator of fashionable manners, instead of their enlightened corrector; and to prefer the chance of amending the age in which she lived, to the certainty of enjoying its applauses. Miss Edgeworth, however, is entitled to the praise of this magnanimity — For not only has she abstained from dressing any of her favourites in this glittering drapery, but she has uniformly exhibited it in such a way as to mark its subordination to the natural graces it is sometimes allowed to eclipse, and to point out the defects it still more frequently conceals. It is a very rare talent, certainly, to be able to delineate both solid virtues and captivating accomplishments with the same force and fidelity; but it is a still rarer exercise of that talent, to render the former both more amiable and more attractive than the latter-and, without depriving wit and vivacity of any of their advantages, to win not only our affections, but our admiration away from them, to the less dazzling qualities of the heart and the understanding. By what resources Miss Edgeworth is enabled to perform this feat, we leave our readers to discover, from the perusal of her writings;-of which it is our present business to present them with a slender account, and a scanty sample. These three new volumes contain but three stories;-the first filling exactly a volume, the second half a volume, and the last no less than a volume and a half. The first, which is entitled "Vivian," is intended to show not only into what absurdities, but into what guilt and wretchedness, a person, otherways estimable, may be brought by that "infirmity of purpose" which renders him incapable of resisting the solicitations of others,-of saying No, in short, on proper occasions. The moral, perhaps, is brought a little too constantly for ward; and a little more exaggeration is admitted into the construction of the story, than |