Richard Lovell Edgeworth | Page 2

for we then find ourselves brought into close contact
with a very intelligent and vigorous mind, keen to take part in the
scientific experiments of the day, while his upright moral character and
earnest and well-directed efforts to improve his Irish property win our
admiration; and when we remember that he married in succession four
wives, and preserved harmony among the numerous members of his
household, our admiration becomes wonder, and we would fain learn
the secret of his success. One element in his success doubtless was that
he kept every one around him usefully employed, and in the manner
most suited to each. He knew how to develop innate talent, and did not
crush or overpower those around him. He owed much to the early
training of a sensible mother, and he gives an anecdote of his early
childhood, which I will quote:--
'My mother was not blind to my faults. She saw the danger of my
passionate temper. It was a difficult task to correct it; though perfectly
submissive to her, I was with others rebellious and outrageous in my
anger. My mother heard continual complaints of me; yet she wisely
forbore to lecture or punish me for every trifling misdemeanour; she
seized proper occasions to make a strong impression upon my mind.
'One day my elder brother tom, who, as I have said, was almost a man
when I was a little child, came into the nursery where I was playing,
and where the maids were ironing. Upon some slight provocation or
contradiction from him, I flew into a violent passion; and, snatching up
one of the boxirons which the maid had just laid down, I flung it across
the table at my brother. He stooped instantly; and, thank God! it missed
him. There was a redhot heater in it, of which I knew nothing until I
saw it thrown out, and until I heard the scream from the maids. They

seized me, and dragged me downstairs to my mother. Knowing that she
was extremely fond of my brother, and that she was of a warm
indignant temper, they expected that signal vengeance would burst
upon me. They all spoke at once. When my mother heard what I had
done, I saw she was struck with horror, but she said not one word in
anger to me. She ordered everybody out of the room except myself, and
then drawing me near her, she spoke to me in a mild voice, but in a
most serious manner. First, she explained to me the nature of the crime
which I had run the hazard of committing; she told me she was sure
that I had no intention seriously to hurt my brother, and did not know
that if the iron had hit my brother, it must have killed him. While I felt
this first shock, and whilst the horror of murder was upon me, my
mother seized the moment to conjure me to try in future to command
my passions. I remember her telling me that I had an uncle by the
mother's side who had such a violent temper, that in a fit of passion one
of his eyes actually started out of its socket. "You," said my mother to
me, "have naturally a violent temper; if you grow up to be a man
without learning to govern it, it will be impossible for you then to
command yourself; and there is no knowing what crime you may in a
fit of passion commit, and how miserable you may, in consequence of
it, become. You are but a very young child, yet I think you can
understand me. Instead of speaking to you as I do at this moment, I
might punish you severely; but I think it better to treat you like a
reasonable creature. My wish is to teach you to command your
temper--nobody can do that for you so well as you can do it for
yourself."
'As nearly as I can recollect, these were my mother's words; I am
certain this was the sense of what she then said to me. The impression
made by the earnest solemnity with which she spoke never, during the
whole course of my life, was effaced from my mind. From that moment
I determined to govern my temper.'
Acting upon the old adage that example is better than precept, his
mother taught him at an early age to observe the good and bad qualities
of the persons he met. The study of character she justly felt to be most
important, and yet it is not one of the subjects taught in schools except

by personal collision with other boys, and incidentally in reading
history. When sent to school at Warwick, he learned not only the first
rudiments of grammar, but