many prejudices entertained against the followers of Christ, and in causing numbers to join the church.
EDGEWORTH, MARIA,
Descended from a respectable Irish family, was born in Oxfordshire, January 1st., 1767. Her father was Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Esq., who, succeeding to an estate in Ireland, removed thither when Maria was about four years old. The family residence was at Edgeworthstown, Longford county; and here the subject of our sketch passed her long and most useful life, leaving an example of literary excellence and beneficent goodness, rarely surpassed in the annals of woman.
Mr. Edgeworth was a man of talent, who devoted his original and very active mind chiefly to subjects of practical utility. Mechanics and general literature were his pursuits, in so far as he could make these subservient to his theories of education and improvement; but his heart was centred in his home, and his eldest child, Maria, was his pride. She early manifested a decided taste for literary pursuits; and it appears to have been one of her father's greatest pleasures to direct her studies and develope her genius. This sympathy and assistance were of invaluable advantage to her at the beginning of her literary career; and sweetly did she repay these attentions when her own ripened talents outstripped his more methodical but less gifted intellect!
The father and daughter wrote, at first, together, and several works were their joint productions. The earliest book thus written in partnership was "Practical Education;" the second bore the title of "An Essay on Irish Bulls," which does not sound significantly of a young lady's agency, yet the book was very popular, because, with much wit, there was deep sympathy with the peculiar virtues of the Irish character, and pathetic touches in the stories illustrating Irish life, which warmed and won the heart of the reader. Miss Edgeworth was an earnest philanthropist, and herein lay the secret strength of her literary power. She felt for the wants and weaknesses of humanity; but as she saw human nature chiefly in Irish nature, her thoughts were directed towards the improvement of her adopted country, rather more, we suspect, from propinquity, than patriotism. Be this as it may, her best novels are those in which Irish character is pourtrayed; but her best books are those written for the young, because in these her genuine philanthropy is most freely unfolded.
From the beginning of the century, 1800, when Miss Edgeworth commenced her literary career, till 1825, almost every year was the herald of a new work from the pen of this distinguished lady. "Castle Rackrent," "Belinda," "Leonora," "Popular Tales," "Tales of Fashionable Life," "Patronage," "Vivian," "Harrington and Ormond," followed each other rapidly, and all were welcomed and approved by the public voice. In 1817, Mr. Edgeworth died, and Maria's profound sorrow for his loss suspended for some time her career of authorship. She did not resume her tales of fiction until she had given expression to her filial affection and gratitude to her father for his precious care in training her mind and encouraging her talents, and also to her deep and tender grief for his loss, by completing the "Memoir," he had commenced of his own life. This was published in 1820. Then she resumed her course
