Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
Murad the Unlucky and Other Tales By: Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) |
---|
![]()
Contents: Introduction
Murad the Unlucky
The Limerick Gloves
Madame de Fleury
INTRODUCTION
Maria Edgeworth came of a lively family which had settled in Ireland in
the latter part of the sixteenth century. Her father at the age of five
and twenty inherited the family estates at Edgeworthstown in 1769. He
had snatched an early marriage, which did not prove happy. He had a
little son, whom he was educating upon the principles set forth in
Rousseau's "Emile," and a daughter Maria, who was born on the 1st of
January, 1767. He was then living at Hare Hatch, near Maidenhead. In
March, 1773, his first wife died after giving birth to a daughter named
Anna. In July, 1773, he married again, Honora Sneyd, and went to live in
Ireland, taking with him his daughter Maria, who was then about six years
old. Two years afterwards she was sent from Ireland to a school at
Derby. In April, 1780, her father's second wife died, and advised him
upon her death bed to marry her sister Elizabeth. He married his
deceased wife's sister on the next following Christmas Day. Maria
Edgeworth was in that year removed to a school in London, and her
holidays were often spent with her father's friend Thomas Day, the author
of "Sandford and Merton," an eccentric enthusiast who lived then at
Anningsley, in Surrey. Maria Edgeworth always a little body was conspicuous among her
schoolfellows for quick wit, and was apt alike for study and invention.
She was story teller general to the community. In 1782, at the age of
fifteen, she left school and went home with her father and his third
wife, who then settled finally at Edgeworthstown. At Edgeworthstown Richard Lovell Edgeworth now became active in the
direct training of his children, in the improvement of his estate, and in
schemes for the improvement of the country. His eldest daughter, Maria,
showing skill with the pen, he made her more and more his companion and
fellow worker to good ends. She kept household accounts, had entrusted
to her the whole education of a little brother, wrote stories on a slate
and read them to the family, wiped them off when not approved, and copied
them in ink if they proved popular with the home public. Miss
Edgeworth's first printed book was a plea for the education of women,
"Letters to Literary Ladies," published in 1795, when her age was eight
and twenty. Next year, 1796, working with her father, she produced the
first volume of the "Parent's Assistant." In November, 1797, when Miss
Edgeworth's age was nearly thirty one, her father, then aged fifty three,
lost his third wife, and he married a fourth in the following May. The
fourth wife, at first objected to, was young enough to be a companion and
friend, and between her and Maria Edgeworth a fast friendship came to be
established. In the year of her father's fourth marriage Maria joined
him in the production of two volumes on "Practical Education." Then
followed books for children, including "Harry and Lucy," which had been
begun by her father years before in partnership with his second wife,
when Thomas Day began writing "Sandford and Merton," with the original
intention that it should be worked in as a part of the whole scheme. In the year 1800 Miss Edgeworth, thirty three years old, began her
independent career as a novelist with "Castle Rackrent;" and from that
time on, work followed work in illustration of the power of a woman of
genius to associate quick wit and quick feeling with sound sense and a
good reason for speaking. Sir Walter Scott in his frank way declared
that he received an impulse from Miss Edgeworth's example as a
story teller. In the general preface to his own final edition of the
Waverley Novels he said that "Without being so presumptuous as to hope to
emulate the rich humour, pathetic tenderness, and admirable tact, which
pervade the works of my accomplished friend, I felt that something might
be attempted for my own country of the same kind with that which Miss
Edgeworth so fortunately achieved for Ireland something which might
introduce her natives to those of the sister kingdom in a more favourable
light than they had been placed hitherto, and tend to procure sympathy
for their virtues and indulgence for their foibles... Continue reading book >>
|
Genres for this book |
---|
Fiction |
Literature |
Short stories |
Teen/Young adult |
eBook links |
---|
Wikipedia – Maria Edgeworth |
Wikipedia – Murad the Unlucky and Other Tales |
eBook Downloads | |
---|---|
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader |
Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle |
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser |
Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac |
Review this book |
---|