New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
ny CHARLES T. ooSopoN.
RICHARD LOWELL EDGEwoRTH.

r,v,,uobt IL down only to 1852 mus coinpie'ou Wy
tbe MONS care of one of the most aiiecfiona'e Vi
daughters. the hook was originally puDnsheu III
1s1e THE third edition with Preface was pub
i;shed in 1s44 In this Miss Edgeworth says: " And
now in nv seventy-seventh year-this being prob
h,v the last time that shall address the public-l
tate leave of my kind readers with feelings oil the
most sincere respect and gratitude When was
how the book was rather rare one at least In TINS
country but as educational theories happened 10
he n good deal discussed in my presence, often
heard it alluded to. In this paper | follow Bent
ley's edition, vol. Svo.. London, 1874.
Edgewortb. who was man of an uncommoniy
speculative turn, explains TO us that he writes MS
life nos because it contains extraordinary adven-
lures. any uncommon series of good or bad fortune
INV instances of superior talents but because from
habits acquired in educating a largo family ne
conld develop with certainty the circuui-
stances which had formed his character anu lnhu-
pnced his conduct" He gives beautiful reason
for the candor and veracty to which he promises 10
adhere HIS daughter Maria, at his earnest request
had promised to revise. complete and publish the
book We're she" he SAYS, to perceive any ex'
tenuation on the one hand, or exaggeratlon on the
o,ber. it would wound her feelings she would be
obliged to alter or omit what she did not approve
and her affection for her friend and parent wonld
be diminished" Can the public have a better
gurety than this for the accuracy of these memors'
When she came to complete the book, Miss Edge
worth said No fact. opinion or sentiment Ia the
preceding memoirs has been altered oy the enitor'
adding: Far more than his protecting kindness.
regret at this moment, the want OF his guid'ns
Judgment now when it is most important 10 me-
She missed the gentle hand which had castl9ated
kbe paees and reformed the construction of Harry
and Lucy" of Frank" ana OF Inc raio"'
Assistant"
The Edgeworths, originally English went to Ire
land in 1888. One of them became Bishop OF Down
and Connor in 1893, and from this rrelate Richard
was lineay descended. HIS grandfather. Coionel
Francis Edgeworth, was q great gambler ohe
night having lost all his money, he staked MS
vife's diamond earrings, and went into an adJon-
Ing room where she sitting In company. To ask
her to lend them to him. she took them from her
bars and gave them to him, saving that she Kht"
for what purpose he wanted them and that be was
welcome to them. They were played for and ne
won back all that be had lost He was so grateful
10 his wife that he swore to play at any
rame with cards or dice But the ruling passion re-
g,yed. He managed to crafty 1t and to keep his
path Tor soon he was found with friend III hay
yard pulling straws out of rick. and betting
which should be the longest
Richard Lowell Edgewcrth was born at Bath in
l744 He speaks with the utmost affection OF MS
mother who by some Acknowledgement at his oiitn
read and he SO lent his little soul to the business"
that he read huently before he was six years old.
His first books were the Old Testament and Esops
Fables He saws of the latter that the frogs and
their kings the fox ard the bunch of grapes, con-
fused his understanding; but when he came 10 me
lion and the mouse he " was charmed with the gen.
erous conduct of the and with the gratitude OF
the other One feature of the maternal tenderness
young Edgeworth did not so much relish His
mother herself great invalid. was nervous aooui
the health of her boy. Though he naturally
strong and active. he was compelled to take
course of physc twice year, every spring and
autumn For nine successive days he was obliged
TO swallow potions of small beer and rhubarb to
forttfy his stomach and to kill imaginary worms.
He was muffled uD against the Incemency OF the
weather; his I" feet brushed the dew, nor was
his head ever exposed to the wind or sun" " For
tupatelyp he SAYS "my mothers knowledge of the
human mind far exceeded her skill in medicine
She seems thoroughly to have understood her sons
character for when she was dying she SAID to him:
sYour inventive faculty will lead you eagerly into
new plans; and you may be dazzled by some new
scheme before you have fpsheu fairly tried
what you have begun. Resolve to fnish never
N procrastnate." Mr.. Edgeworth says that he never
neglected this salutary admontion. AT any rate he
never finished the Autobiography.
Young Edgeworth entered Trinity College, Dub
lin in 1891 before he was seventeen years old. lie
says that he totally neglected study. and passed his
time in disslpa of every Kind so that his father
prudently removed him to Corpus Christi College,
Oxford. During one of his vacations he went to
Bath where he saw Beau Nash, and tie remains
of Lord Chesterfield" looked IN vain." he SAYS.
@for that fire which expect TO see in the eye of
man of wit and genius. He was obviously nm
happy and melancholy spectacle" There. too, he
saw the wise and good Lord Lyttleton. In the
ballroom the young philosopher watched the ladies,
and soon found out that those who made the Uest
figure there not always qualified TO please In
conversation" He saw also that beauty and grace
were sometimes accompanied by frivolous charac
ter by disgusting envy or despicable vanity"
Wherefore this young gentleman. hardly eighteen
years old ran away 70 Scotland with the daughter
of Mr. Elers his fathers friend. He took his wife
to Edgeworth Town. and had a son before he was
twenty AL his life. as we shall see he had a
passion Tor marrying. worthy of John Buncle him
self For year after his marriage his father
wisely kept him in ireland, during which time lac
read some law and much science. In l7G5 he re-
turned to England to keep his terms before being
called to tho har Bnt he does not appear to have
had any particular liking for law. Then, as during
his whole life. he devoted to mechanical ex-
perinlents. some of them successful, but most OF
them turning out to be merely whimsical or i'm
practicable. few of them may be here conyen-
iently mentioned without regard TO chronology
Edgeworth seems to have been among the first OF
moderns to revive the idea swift communication by
the old and disused semaphoric telegraph. He had
occasion once to show that he practised this method
IN 1867 long before it was ever attempted In
France. He once undertook to find man who
should with the assistance OF machinery walk
faster than any other person that could be pro.
duced. He specifies that he intended to employ q
huge hollow wheel, made very light, within side Of
which, in barrel of six feet diameter, mar
should walk. Whilst he stepped thirty inches, the