“‘Well Sir, and has the minute, and the laborious, and the indefatigable, and the prying, and the investigating Malone found this out?’
“Miss Edgeworth said, almost under her breath,
“‘It was too large for him to see!’
“Is not that good Epigram? I think it is. Edgeworth gave her the advantage of taking her into France with his Wife and others of his family during the short peace, and they were persons to improve such an opportunity. Miss Edgeworth’s Madame Fleury, in the Fashionable Tales is form’d on a true story which she learn’d there. You will think this no description unless you know what her figure is, and face &c. &c. I think her very good looking and can suppose that she was once pretty. Imagine Miss Wilmot at about 43 years old for such I suppose Miss E. to be, with all the Intelligence of her Countenance perhaps encreas’d and the Sensibility preserv’d but somewhat reduc’d, the figure very smart and neat as it must be if like Miss W’s but some of its beautiful redundancies retir’d upon a peace Establishment.
“Such is Miss Edgeworth but take her for all in all, there is nothing like her to be seen, or rather to be known, for it is impossible to be an hour in her Company without recognizing her Talent, benevolence and worth.
“An interesting anecdote occurs to me that Edgeworth told us and forc’d her to produce the proof of.
“Old Johnson of St. Paul’s Churchyard London has always been her bookseller and purchas’d her Works at first experimentally and latterly liberally. He died a few months ago and rather suddenly and a few hours before his death he sent for his nephew to whom he bequeath’d his property and who succeeded him in his business and told him that he felt he had done Miss E. injustice in only giving her £450 for Fashionable Tales and desir’d him to give her £450 more. He died that day and the next the Nephew sent her an account of the Transaction and the £450. This story only requires to be told by Miss E. I read the original letter.
“Adieu beloved Nan. I have scribbled very much but since I left town I have no other opportunity of chatting to you.
“Ever your
C. K. B.”