Barbara Hofland

Moderation is a tale of Charles Carysford, the Rector of Ravenhill, and the rest of his handsome family consisting of three daughters, Harriet, Emma and Sophia; with Harriet being the eldest and Sophia the youngest. Like the writing of many other authors during her time, Barbara Hofland's last sentence in chapter one of Moderation is very lengthy, but it does a good job of summarizing what the novel is really about. In its examination of the three daughters she provides: "A pious and tender father, an elegant, high born, and accomplished mother had superintend their education and it is certain that their minds were cultivated and their manners suasive in general; but in all honesty there are rehearsals behind the scenes in which in general give way to the individual traits of character, and the honest chronicler of human nature must give shadows as well as lights, in order to produce the portrait which truth will own or that which it will be useful for us to contemplate."

A lot of detail is given to Charles Carysford's past, which is important because many of the characters from it pop up throughout the novel. Furthermore, several characters have the same name, so it can be quite confusing to a reader who does not pay close attention. Among those characters, a woman named Lady Lyster, a close friend of Charles Carysford, played match-maker in wedding him in a very happy union with a woman named Harriet Tintagell. When the measles seized their newly born daughter Alathea, both she and her mother (Harriet) died. This took a great toll on Charles and left him with the desire and need to be close to his children. Four of Mrs. Carysford's children survived her and her fortune was settled on her eldest son, named Charles after his father. Charles was sent to Cambridge and Emma played the main role of nurse in attending her father. Harriet Tintagell s sister became attached to the eldest daughter Harriet and became sponsor to the son Charles. Early on Emma often stayed with her father s sister Miss Carysford. Charles was too engaged in his studies to leave his father and Sophia was too troublesome to be placed under the care of others.

In the early years of the beginning of the novel, the youngest daughter Sophia questioned and even defied Christianity and her father's religious doctrines. This greatly upset Harriet and caused her to see Sophia as a disgrace to the family, a pest in the village, a canker that was eating the very heart of her father, and a person in short who ought to be turned out of the house. Despite Harriet's contempt towards Sophia, Emma provided a defense for Sophia in her sincerity and conscientiousness and suggested that they must approve of her zeal and partake her feelings. She believed that since their father could put up with Sophia's peculiarities, they should be able to endure them as well. Even early on, moderation can be seen in Emma. At the same time, Harriet's faults are made visible early on, when she refuses to accompany Emma to visit some troubled friends of the family, the Wilmingtons, and then questions her own judgment in using words of reproach and ill humor towards a sister so gentle, yet so active, and whose heart she well knew to be as ardent in affection, as generous in action, as that of any human being...

Emma lends twelve hundred pounds to the Wilmington s to assist them with their troubles. Emma knew that they were good for it and felt comfort in helping, but expected opposition in doing so from Harriet, and she was right. Harriet contested that she would lose all the money, because they were unlucky and foolish people and that her money would do them no good. Furthermore, Harriet, charged Emma with a gross indelicacy and said that the only reason she was helping was to earn the respect and attention of the Wilmington's son, Frank. Emma had only met him once and this was not the reality of the situation at all, as she was merely doing a favor, and returning the same kindness the Wilmingtons had always shown her family. Harriet argued that she believed girls in this country to be very subject to these things, much given to falling in love. Upon further thought, Emma justifies her actions in assuring herself she is not a foolish and romantic creature and has no interest in Frank Wilmington. These are silent assertions though.

Mr. Carysford always lived within his income and Emma learned from this and it contributed to all that was most solid and estimable in her character that substituted meekness of religious obedience for the mere external gentleness of manners; tempered the fire of youth and the acuteness of sensibility with sober reflection and calm resolution; subduing a vivid imagination and the generous enthusiasm of a noble spirit, and a refined taste, a devout, pious, and charitable heart, to the dictates of moderation.

Mr. Carysford also loved his people sincerely, but they relied on him too heavily for his weak state to occupy. His sister Miss Carysford took great consideration into the future of her nieces and set aside fifteen hundred pounds for each of them, with an extra thousand for Emma since she was her god daughter. They each received one hundred pounds per annum.

The son Charles meets a beautiful woman named Eulalie Mortimer. She saw Charles Carysford as the most handsome man she knew, and as good tempered, generous, genteel, well cultivated and mannered, but she found a major drawback in him not being a soldier. She did not speak these sentiments with anyone as they seemed somewhat inexplicable even to herself. She was inclined to him, but feared encouraging him. She later decides to tell her case to Emma, who provides that she is too young to meet a soldier, as there is now a state of peace in their country and that there are unlikely to be military heroes there for years. Eulalie then questions Charles love for her being enough to quit his intentions of going into the church. Emma tells her he does, but they won t have money. She also reminds her that she loves to spend money and doesn t know what it would be like to be without a lot of it. On the other hand she assists, in confidence, that Charles uncle Lord Alfreton is very ill and that if he became his heir he might not enter the church. Through that information, Eulalie comes to realize that would be unworthy and begins to abandon the wish of him relinquishing his profession and accepting her love for him despite everything else.

Next, Charles departs back to Cambridge and with the severity of the cold weather Mr. Carysford becomes sick. In order to look out for the well being of the other residents in which he was in close contact with and did not want to bring sickness too, along with the increasing lavish expenditures of his household, he sought to settle his debts and depart the country for the time being. Harriet was spending far beyond her income on clothing and other financial burdens were taking a toll, as well. Mr. Carysford asks for help from his son Charles who had been left with the bulk of his mothers wealth, but was informed that Charles had encountered debt himself and could not offer much help. This surprised him and increased his great anxiety even more. When Harriet became informed, she dismissed her own faults and placed the blame on Charles, assuming he must have been making big mistakes. The wealth of the family is reassessed and Emma provides that she and Harriet must step forward and supply the money required. This becomes a topic of debate.

Harriet comes forth and says that she cannot assist her father financially and reveals that the reason she cannot is that she is engaged to Frank Wilmington. She incriminates herself further by telling Emma that Frank mistook her as the one who lent his father money and that gave him a prepossession in favor of all of the family. Harriet's words don't get any kinder, and they start to assume that Emma is jealous and upset towards her. Emma bursts into tears and exclaims that she is not concerned with her and that she is leaving to attend to relieving her father.

As Mr. Carysford's health got worse, the doctor advised that they should seek the help of celebrated Doctor Basillie, who would send them to Nice or Lisbon. With Charles' studies being too important for him to take leave, Emma's nursing skills made her the obvious choice to accompany him. Before their departure, though, it was a must that Mr. Carysford saw his people and preached once more. Curiosity and anxiety brought out the whole neighborhood to his final service. It was met with a great deal of emotion and sobbing by everyone; they were deeply and strangely affected.

One last affecting trial occurred before their departure when, Sophia addressed him as 'a dying father, and besought him to have compassion upon a child, who had offended him, wounded and injured him irreparably, yet had done all for conscience sake.' She was of course kindly forgiven and he soothed the sorrows of Sophia. They then left accompanied by a male servant who had long been with the family and understood Mr. Carysford's habits well.

The voyage was long, tedious and dangerous but they arrived safely to mild weather with a promise of early spring. They then established themselves in a hotel most likely to accommodate English travelers. During their stay, they consistently visited churches examining things in them such as the architecture and paintings and listening to the orchestras. In a short time however, Mr. Carysford's bad symptoms returned and they were forced to stay in for awhile. Letters from home informed them that Harriet had married Captain Wilmington and Mr. Bennison who was replacing Mr. Carysford in the church was doing a great job and was well liked by everyone, including Sophia surprisingly enough.

As time passed, Emma took great pleasure in keeping her father happy and she did a great job of doing so. Time passes quite uneventfully until the servant, James who had been suspecting of the crime and violence of Lisbon, is stabbed by strangers, causing him to be confined for a few weeks. It is soon discovered by Charles Melville a Lieutenant of the Marines, that defended James and rescued him from the violence, that James had been aiding and abetting those who were avoiding the musquetry of the French Revolution who were subject to the bayonet and that if he hadn t of stopped them, James would have been murdered.

Charles Melville becomes a dear friend to them as he stays and procures them the best surgical aid. He reveals to Mr. Carysford that he had met them once before prior to this occurrence at the house of Miss Tintagell's and that he remembered Harriet to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. They also learned that he was in Lisbon to help an uncle attend to a very amiable cousin.

The wound in James' back, the initial cause of alarm, healed very quickly, but his leg threatened incurable lameness and his general health suffered from knowing he was a burden to the beloved Carysfords who needed his services. Mr. Carysford's health continued to suffer. Emma became quite worrisome. All the while she hadn't received a letter from Harriet since her marriage and felt quite neglected; even Sophia had written and sent money to provide assistance. Sophia also informed her that her brother Charles had set out to join them in Lisbon.

When Charles Melville became aware of Emma's anxiety and financial worries, he took great interest in doing anything he could to help and was questionably intimate with her in the process. He also relieved her by informing her that all of her brother's debts were taken care of by a Mr. Evans. Mr. Carysford joins them, and is pleased to see the two of them alone together prior to his entrance and seems to see things in a new light and says a blessing for them. Charles Melville then informs them that he must set sail for Madeira, which his uncle had long requested but now a dear invalid no longer objected. This among other things led Emma to believe that he was bound by ties more strong than those of blood--that his friendship was of the most ardent kind...

In the days before Melville's departure Emma hid from him the majority of the time and when her father said things that she believed suggested that she was interested in him, she made attempts at refuting them, avoiding any possible moment of awkwardness. Melville still soothed her, with each word he spoke. His departure was difficult for everyone; Mr. Carysford saw him as a son. He left once and then returned again to have final words with him.

Upon his final departure, Emma was quite sad and agitated, so her father attempted to soothe her in a heart to heart talk. He told her that in his final days he wished he could see his other son Charles, his sister Miss Tintagell, and his other children too, but only briefly for they could not console him in the same way that she does. He then fell asleep for quite some time and slept more peacefully and with less fever than he had in months. Emma wondered if it was possible that some big internal change was occurring. When he awoke, he was in a confused state and thought the Emma was his dead beloved wife Harriet. When Emma informs him that it is her and that he had been in a deep sleep, he explains that he had dreamt that he had died. He soon began to feel very weak again and spoke his last words, telling her what to tell his beloved people who were not there, as he died in her arms.

James was among those in Mr. Carysford's last words, as he was seeing the Melvilles off during his death. Later on that night, when Emma heard someone enter their hotel, she thought it was James, but it was really Charles Melville. Upon hearing of Mr. Carysford's death, James procured a boat, followed them and got him to return. He then professes his love to her and offers his full devotion to her in her time of great need. She was still confused. Although she was now aware that he loved her, she believed he loved another as well and bid him to leave and attend to them instead.

Upon attending the funeral, Emma thought of her sister Sophia and began planning to go back home to comfort her, realizing that she had always been sort of alienated and was likely to be in need of a friend during this difficult time. Before her return she received a disappointing letter from Harriet, mostly full of complaints and poor excuses for her absence and long silence. In the letter, she enclosed one of two hundred pounds their brother Charles had gave her to send four months before and an explanation of how she was going to borrow the other hundred, along with discussion of how they need to get into their dead mother's strong box and see if there is more money in it.

Emma then became very disgusted at Harriet's ability to rob both her and her brother Charles in such a desperate time of despair. She then explains to her sister Sophia how her faults don t compare to those of Harriet and how she will lead to the ruin of her husband, Frank Wilmington. That is immediately confirmed by letters from Frank himself along with those from others angry at their union and Harriet's foolishness.

On the way back home from Lisbon, when talking to James, Emma discovers it is a young woman who is sick that Charles Melville is attending to and she becomes very sad and again deceived in his love to her. She thinks that Charles has betrayed her, but wonders if perhaps James is mistaken. The bulk of her thoughts lead her to believe that if Charles cousin who he always spoke so vaguely of is a woman, that he certainly must be in love with her. She calms herself with the thought that her first love wouldn't necessarily have to be her last.

On the long sail home, depression again set in and Emma became sick and forced to stop and rest. Death was even pronounced a possibility by the nurse who attended on her, because she was too good for this world. Sophia and Mrs. Wilmington came to visit and were met with great delight. Sophia is quite sad however, for her behavior and disbelief of her father, but very grateful for Emma and her moderation in dealing with her reproaches and defending of her sincerity.

Their sister Harriet stops by and joins them. She accepts blame and gets sentimental about her behavior but only briefly. She soon remembers that she came to see the papers left by her mother and see if there was in fact more money for her. An embarrassing scene is thrust upon Harriet, as Mr. Wilmington apologizes for her behavior and a mockery is made of her that everyone but her seems to understand.

After Harriet leaves Miss Tintagell assures Emma that she will take care of her and never leave her. They discuss the Melville family and Emma explains that she only knew Charles. Miss Tintagell tells her about the source of curiosity, Marianne Melville and how she has been very sick since age ten. The discussion ends before any of Emma's lingering questions are answered, but they do not seem to any longer be among the most prevalent topics in her mind.

Emma and Sophia are then brought to Miss Tintagell's house in London, for Emma to receive medical advice. She got better soon and was surrounded with elegancies in Miss Tintagell's home. Her brother Charles came to visit soon and he was also doing quite well. He was now the possessor of the estates of Lord Alfreton, who died a few weeks prior.

Miss Tintagell explains to Emma why she never married, but expresses that she believes that Emma should get married and confesses that she knows about her secret love for Charles Melville. She follows it by saying that if his cousin gets well they will probably get married. She then suggests she marry a man by the name of Lord Hatchlands and tells her to think about it. A year passes in which Emma says she devoted to thinking about the future and she tells Miss Tintagell that she will meet her next recommendation with more cordiality than she had the last. In the meantime, Charles(brother) married Eulalie and Sophia married the new Rectory, Mr. Bennison.

The novel concludes when James brings to Emma's attention a visitor, Sir Geoffrey Melville, Charles' father. He brings her a gift, straight from Charles' cousin Marianna, a casket of jewels, and says, "my Marianne sent you this, 'tis the gift--the legacy of an angel." He then explains that Charles has told him he has done wrong by her. Charles then arrives and speaks of the blessing her father put upon them. He explains that he was now aware of her curiosity towards Marianna and that he had always regarded her as a sister, but her uncle wished them to unite if she recovered and it was all too much for him to handle at once. He asks for her forgiveness and she receives it and they both experience the greatest of happiness. Emma sees this fortunate occurrence as a result of her great moderation.

-Prepared by Benjamin Javorsky, University of Nebraska, December, 2002.