SYDNEY SMITH CHAPTER I EDUCATION-SALISBURY PLAIN-EDINBURGH A WORTHY tradesman, who had accumulated a large fortune, married a lady of gentle birth and manners. In later years one of his daughters said to a friend of the family, "I dare say you notice a great difference between papa's behaviour and mamma's. It is easily accounted for. Papa, immensely to his credit, raised himself to his present position from the shop; but mamma was extremely well born. She was a Miss Smith-one of the old Smiths, of Essex." It might appear that Sydney Smith was a growth of the same majestic but mysterious tree, for he was born at Woodford; but further research traces his ancestry to Devonshire. "We are all one family," he used to say, "all the Smiths who dwell on the face of the earth. You may try to disguise it in any way you like-Smyth, or Smythe, or Smijth1-but you always get back to Smith after all-the most numerous and most respectable family in England." When a compiler of pedigrees asked permission to insert Sydney's 1 For this remarkable variant, see Burke's Peerage, BowyerSmijth, Bart. A The sum of $5000 was given by FREDERICK ATHEARN interest only to be expended in the purchase of books for the Library." |