She sailed upon her voyage home about the twentieth of December. On this occasion a circumstance occurred, that deserves to be recorded. While they were on their passage, they fell in with a French vessel3, in great distress4, and in daily expectation of foundering5 at sea, at the same time that it was almost destitute6 of provisions. The Frenchman hailed them, and intreated the English captain, in consideration of his melancholy7 situation, to take him and his crew on board. The Englishman represented in reply, that his stock of provisions was by no means adequate to such an additional number of mouths, and absolutely refused compliance8. Mary, shocked at his apparent insensibility, took up the cause of the sufferers, and threatened the captain to have him called to a severe account, when he arrived in England. She finally prevailed, and had the satisfaction to reflect, that the persons in question possibly owed their lives to her interposition.
When she arrived in England, she found that her school had suffered considerably in her absence. It can be little reproach to any one, to say that they were found incapable10 of supplying her place. She not only excelled in the management of the children, but had also the talent of being attentive11 and obliging to the parents, without degrading herself.
The period at which I am now arrived is important, as conducting to the first step of her literary carreer. Mr. Hewlet had frequently mentioned literature to Mary as a certain source of pecuniary12 produce, and had urged her to make trial of the truth of his judgment13. At this time she was desirous of assisting the father and mother of Fanny in an object they had in view, the transporting themselves to Ireland; and, as usual, what she desired in a pecuniary view, she was ready to take on herself to effect. For this purpose she wrote a duodecimo pamphlet of one hundred and sixty pages, entitled, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. Mr. Hewlet obtained from the bookseller, Mr. Johnson in St. Paul’s Church Yard, ten guineas for the copy-right of this manuscript, which she immediately applied14 to the object for the sake of which the pamphlet was written.
Every thing urged Mary to put an end to the affair of the school. She was dissatisfied with the different appearance it presented upon her return, from the state in which she left it. Experience impressed upon her a rooted aversion to that sort of cohabitation with her sisters, which the project of the school imposed. Cohabitation is a point of delicate experiment, and is, in a majority of instances, pregnant with ill-humour and unhappiness. The activity and ardent15 spirit of adventure which characterized Mary, were not felt in an equal degree by her sisters, so that a disproportionate share of every burthen attendant upon the situation, fell to her lot. On the other hand, they could scarcely perhaps be perfectly16 easy, in observing the superior degree of deference17 and courtship, which her merit extorted18 from almost every one that knew her. Her kindness for them was not diminished, but she resolved that the mode of its exertion19 in future should be different, tending to their benefit, without intrenching upon her own liberty.
Thus circumstanced, a proposal was made her, such as, regarding only the situations through which she had lately passed, is usually termed advantageous20. This was, to accept the office of governess to the daughters of lord viscount Kingsborough, eldest21 son to the earl of Kingston of the kingdom of Ireland. The terms held out to her were such as she determined22 to accept, at the same time resolving to retain the situation only for a short time. Independence was the object after which she thirsted, and she was fixed23 to try whether it might not be found in literary occupation. She was desirous however first to accumulate a small sum of money, which should enable her to consider at leisure the different literary engagements that might offer, and provide in some degree for the eventual24 deficiency of her earliest attempts.
The situation in the family of lord Kingsborough, was offered to her through the medium of the rev9. Mr. Prior, at that time one of the under masters of Eton school. She spent some time at the house of this gentleman, immediately after her giving up the school at Newington Green. Here she had an opportunity of making an accurate observation upon the manners and conduct of that celebrated25 seminary, and the ideas she retained of it were by no means favourable26. By all that she saw, she was confirmed in a very favourite opinion of her’s, in behalf of day-schools, where, as she expressed it, “children have the opportunity of conversing27 with children, without interfering28 with domestic affections, the foundation of virtue29.”
Though her residence in the family of lord Kingsborough continued scarcely more than twelve months, she left behind her, with them and their connections, a very advantageous impression. The governesses the young ladies had hitherto had, were only a species of upper servants, controlled in every thing by the mother; Mary insisted upon the unbounded exercise of her own discretion30. When the young ladies heard of their governess coming from England, they heard in imagination of a new enemy, and declared their resolution to guard themselves accordingly. Mary however speedily succeeded in gaining their confidence, and the friendship that soon grew up between her and Margaret King, now countess Mount Cashel, the eldest daughter, was in an uncommon31 degree cordial and affectionate. Mary always spoke32 of this young lady in terms of the truest applause, both in relation to the eminence33 of her intellectual powers, and the ingenuous34 amiableness35 of her disposition36. Lady Kingsborough, from the best motives37, had imposed upon her daughters a variety of prohibitions38, both as to the books they should read, and in many other respects. These prohibitions had their usual effects; inordinate39 desire for the things forbidden, and clandestine40 indulgence. Mary immediately restored the children to their liberty, and undertook to govern them by their affections only. The consequence was, that their indulgences were moderate, and they were uneasy under any indulgence that had not the sanction of their governess. The salutary effects of the new system of education were speedily visible; and lady Kingsborough soon felt no other uneasiness, than lest the children should love their governess better than their mother.
Mary made many friends in Ireland, among the persons who visited lord Kingsborough’s house, for she always appeared there with the air of an equal, and not of a dependent. I have heard her mention the ludicrous distress of a woman of quality, whose name I have forgotten, that, in a large company, singled out Mary, and entered into a long conversation with her. After the conversation was over, she enquired41 whom she had been talking with, and found, to her utter mortification42 and dismay, that it was Miss King’s governess.
One of the persons among her Irish acquaintance, whom Mary was accustomed to speak of with the highest respect, was Mr. George Ogle43, member of parliament for the county of Wexford. She held his talents in very high estimation; she was strongly prepossessed in favour of the goodness of his heart; and she always spoke of him as the most perfect gentleman she had ever known. She felt the regret of a disappointed friend, at the part he has lately taken in the politics of Ireland.
Lord Kingsborough’s family passed the summer of the year 1787 at Bristol Hot–Wells, and had formed the project of proceeding44 from thence to the continent, a tour in which Mary purposed to accompany them. The plan however was ultimately given up, and Mary in consequence closed her connection with them, earlier than she otherwise had purposed to do.
At Bristol Hot–Wells she composed the little book which bears the title of Mary, a Fiction. A considerable part of this story consists, with certain modifications45, of the incidents of her own friendship with Fanny. All the events that do not relate to that subject are fictitious46.
This little work, if Mary had never produced any thing else, would serve, with persons of true taste and sensibility, to establish the eminence of her genius. The story is nothing. He that looks into the book only for incident, will probably lay it down with disgust. But the feelings are of the truest and most exquisite47 class; every circumstance is adorned48 with that species of imagination, which enlists49 itself under the banners of delicacy50 and sentiment. A work of sentiment, as it is called, is too often another name for a work of affectation. He that should imagine that the sentiments of this book are affected51, would indeed be entitled to our profoundest commiseration52.
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1
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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foundering
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| v.创始人( founder的现在分词 ) | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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pecuniary
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| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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eventual
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| adj.最后的，结局的，最终的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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amiableness
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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prohibitions
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| 禁令，禁律( prohibition的名词复数 )； 禁酒； 禁例 | |
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inordinate
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| adj.无节制的；过度的 | |
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clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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42
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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43
ogle
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| v.看；送秋波；n.秋波，媚眼 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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45
modifications
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| n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变 | |
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46
fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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47
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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49
enlists
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的第三人称单数 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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50
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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51
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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52
commiseration
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| n.怜悯，同情 | |
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