He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who
committed herself to his care, and after the interment of his friend he
conducted her to Geneva, and placed her under the protection of a
relation. Two years after this event Caroline became his wife. When my father became a husband and a parent, he found his time so
occupied by the duties of his new situation, that he relinquished many
of his public employments, and devoted himself to the education of his
children. Of these I was the eldest, and the destined successor to all
his labours and utility. No creature could have more tender parents than
mine. My improvement and health were their constant care, especially as
I remained for several years their only child. But before I continue my
narrative, I must record an incident which took place when I was four
years of age. My father had a sister, whom he tenderly loved, and who had married
early in life an Italian gentleman. Soon after her marriage, she had
accompanied her husband into her native country, and for some years my
father had very little communication with her. About the time I
mentioned she died; and a few months afterwards he received a letter
from her husband, acquainting him with his intention of marrying an
Italian lady, and requesting my father to take charge of the infant
Elizabeth, the only child of his deceased sister. “It is my wish,” he
said, “that you should consider her as your own daughter, and educate
her thus. Her mother’s fortune is secured to her, the documents of which
I will commit to your keeping. Reflect upon this proposition; and decide
whether you would prefer educating your niece yourself to her being
brought up by a stepmother.”

My father did not hesitate, and immediately went to Italy, that he
might accompany the little Elizabeth to her future home. I have often
heard my mother say, that she was at that time the most beautiful child
she had ever seen, and shewed signs even then of a gentle and
affectionate disposition. These indications, and a desire to bind as
closely as possible the ties of domestic love, determined my mother to
consider Elizabeth as my future wife; a design which she never found
reason to repent. From this time Elizabeth Lavenza became my playfellow, and, as we grew
older, my friend. She was docile and good tempered, yet gay and playful
as a summer insect. Although she was lively and animated, her feelings
were strong and deep, and her disposition uncommonly affectionate. No
one could better enjoy liberty, yet no one could submit with more grace
than she did to constraint and caprice. Her imagination was luxuriant,
yet her capability of application was great. Her person was the image of
her mind; her hazel eyes, although as lively as a bird’s, possessed an
attractive softness. Her figure was light and airy; and, though capable
of enduring great fatigue, she appeared the most fragile creature in the
world. While I admired her understanding and fancy, I loved to tend on
her, as I should on a favourite animal; and I never saw so much grace
both of person and mind united to so little pretension. Every one adored Elizabeth. If the servants had any request to make, it
was always through her intercession. We were strangers to any species of
disunion and dispute; for although there was a great dissimilitude in
our characters, there was an harmony in that very dissimilitude. I was
more calm and philosophical than my companion; yet my temper was not so
yielding. My application was of longer endurance; but it was not so
severe whilst it endured. I delighted in investigating the facts
relative to the actual world; she busied herself in following the aërial
creations of the poets. The world was to me a secret, which I desired to
discover; to her it was a vacancy, which she sought to people with
imaginations of her own. My brothers were considerably younger than myself; but I had a friend
in one of my schoolfellows, who compensated for this deficiency. Henry
Clerval was the son of a merchant of Geneva, an intimate friend of my
father. He was a boy of singular talent and fancy. I remember, when he
was nine years old, he wrote a fairy tale, which was the delight and
amazement of all his companions. His favourite study consisted in books
of chivalry and romance; and when very young, I can remember, that we
used to act plays composed by him out of these favourite books, the
principal characters of which were Orlando, Robin Hood, Amadis, and St.
George. No youth could have passed more happily than mine. My parents were
indulgent, and my companions amiable. Our studies were never forced; and
by some means we always had an end placed in view, which excited us to
ardour in the prosecution of them. It was by this method, and not by
emulation, that we were urged to application. Elizabeth was not incited
to apply herself to drawing, that her companions might not outstrip her;
but through the desire of pleasing her aunt, by the representation of
some favourite scene done by her own hand. We learned Latin and English,
that we might read the writings in those languages; and so far from
study being made odious to us through punishment, we loved application,
and our amusements would have been the labours of other children. Perhaps we did not read so many books, or learn languages so quickly, as
those who are disciplined according to the ordinary methods; but what
we learned was impressed the more deeply on our memories. In this description of our domestic circle I include Henry Clerval; for
he was constantly with us. He went to school with me, and generally
passed the afternoon at our house; for being an only child, and
destitute of companions at home, his father was well pleased that he
should find associates at our house; and we were never completely happy
when Clerval was absent. I feel pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before
misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of
extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self. But,
in drawing the picture of my early days, I must not omit to record those
events which led, by insensible steps to my after tale of misery: for
when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion, which
afterwards ruled my destiny, I find it arise, like a mountain river,
from ignoble and almost forgotten sources; but, swelling as it
proceeded, it became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away
all my hopes and joys. Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I desire
therefore, in this narration, to state those facts which led to my
predilection for that science. When I was thirteen years of age, we all
went on a party of pleasure to the baths near Thonon: the inclemency of
the weather obliged us to remain a day confined to the inn. In this
house I chanced to find a volume of the works of Cornelius Agrippa.