1786. 185 walk out in the evening, or fleep alone. It is a pity but this practice were utterly abolifhed, and other ftories from hiftory and common experience, equally entertaining, fubftituted in their room; that inftead of a race of weak, ignorant, credulous bigots, we may fhew to pofterity fons that may re flect honour on ourfelves, and ennoble the ages they adorn, inftil the manly fpirit of our ancestors in their veins, give ardour to the caufe of truth, and revive the drooping bloffoms of virtue and Christianity. The Affecting Hiftory of Mifs Amelia Nevil. dicine reftore him to his former health and happiness. On the contrary, whenever they appear to the perfon while in perfect poffeffion of all his fenfitive faculties, he is of courfe already prepared to receive them with out feeling thofe fudden attacks of terror and furprize. The vifion which appeared to the Duke of Buckingham's steward, previous to that nobleman's death, happened at a time when he was perfectly awake, his fenfes were as keen and entire as the moft public time of day-light could have made them; and this is evidently the reason why he bore the attack with fuch courage and unconcernedness, as even to venture to fleep alone after the old Duke had appeared twice before to him, and without even mentioning fo extraordinary a circumftance. Among the innumerable ftories that have circulated in every part of the world relating to ghofts and hobgoblins, I remember not one that is even faid to have appeared in the day-time. I mention this, in order to remark the fingu lar opinion which Locke feems to have entertained concerning thefe traditions. "The ideas of goblins and fpirits (fays he) have really nomore to do with darknets than light; yet let but a foolish maid inculcate thefe often on the mind of a child, and raise them there together, poffibly he never fhall be able to feparate them as long as he lives, but darknefs fhall ever after bring with it thofe frightful ideas, and they shall be so joined, that be can no more bear the one than the other." This is a ftrange deviation from common opinions; and, were it not advanced on the authority of fo eminent a writer on the fubject of ideas in general, would long fince have been buried in the ruins of oblivion. And I ftill believe that the fame author of this opinion, had he been put to the teft, could not have illuftrated it with a fingle example. In darknefs and folitude the mind is naturally inclined to feel thefe impreffions of horror and fear. At the fhaking of a bramble, or the whiftlings of a breeze, we are startled at the ridiculous apprehenfion of fomething that relates to fpirits, and fo terrified, that even darkness itself becomes a peft to our imagination; or, as Virgil nobly expreffes it, Horror ubique animos, fimul ipfa filentia terrent. All things are full of horror and affright, And dreadful ev'n the filence of the night. There is, it is true, in the above quotation, a very juft and pertinent obfervation, relating to the terror which children naturally conceive againft darknefs, arifing from the various tales which parents and nurfes impofe upon their tender and credulous minds. It may be owing chiefly to this, that children in particular difcover a ftrong averfion to The affecting History of Mifs Amelia Nevil: [From a Philofophical Essay on Old Maids.]• M daughter of a ruftic merchant, who, RS. Winifred Wormwood was the by the happy union of many lucrative trades, The more fprightly Winifred, whose heart was a perfect ftranger to genuine love, furmounted the mortification of feeing many fuitors difcarded; and, by the infenfate ava rice of her father, fhe was naturally led into habits of artifice and intrigue. Poffeffing an uncommon fhare of very threwd and piercing wit, with the moft profound hypocrify, the contrived to please, and to blind, her plodding old parent, who perpetually harangued on the difcretion of his daughter, and believ ed her a miracle of referve and prudence, at the very time when she was fufpected of fuch conduct, as would have difqualified her, had it ever been proved, for the rank the now Bb 2 holds holds in this effay. She was faid to have amused herself with a great variety of amorous adventures, which eluded the observation of her father; but of the many lovers who fighed to her in fecret, not one could tempt her into marriage, and, to the furprize of the public, the rich heiress of Mr. Wormwood reached the age of thirty-feven, with out changing her name. Juft as fhe arrived at this mature feafon of life, the opulent old gentleman took his leave of a world, in which he had acted a bufy part, pleafed with the idea of leaving a large fortune, as a monument of his industry, but wanting the fuperior fatisfaction, which a more generous parent would probably have derived from the happy establishment of a daughter. He gained, however, from the hypocrify of Winifred, what he could not claim from her affection, the honour of being lamented with a profufion of tears. She diftinguished herfelf by difplaying all the delicate gradations of filial forrow; but recovered, at a proper time, all the natural gaiety of her temper, which the had now the full opportunity of indulging, being miftrefs of a magnificent manfion, within a mile of a populous town, and enabled to enliven it with all the arts of luxury, by inheriting fuch accumulated wealth, as would fafely fupport the utmost efforts of provincial fplendor. Mifs Wormwood now expected to fee every batchelor of figure and confequence a fuppliant at her feet. She promised to herfelf no little entertainment in fporting with their addreffes, without the fear of fuffering from a tyrannical husband, as she had learned caution from her father, and had privately refolved not to truft any man with her mo ney; a refolution the more difcreet, as fhe had much to apprehended, and very little to learn from fo dangerous a mafter! The good-natured town, in whofe environs the rich Winifred refided, very kindly pointed out to her no less than twenty lively beaux for her choice; but, to the fhame or the ho, neur of thole gentlemen, they were too ti mid, or too honeft, to make any advances. The report of her youthful frolicks, and the dread of her farcaftic wit, had more power to repel, than her perfon and her wealth had to attract. Paling her fiftieth year, the acquired the serious name of Miftrefs, without the dignity of a wife, and without re ceiving a tingle offer o: marriage from the period in which fhe became the poffeffor of fo opulent a fortune. Whether this mortifying disappointment had given a peculiar afperity to her temper, or whether malevolence was the earlier characteristic of her mind, I will not pretend. to determine; but it is certain, that from this autummal, or rather wintry feafon of her Life, Mrs. Wormwood made it her chief occupation to amufe herself with the moft fubtle devices of malicious ingenuity, and to fruftrate every promifing scheme of affection and delight, which she discovered in the wide circle of her acquaintance. She feemed to be tormented with an inceffant dread, that youth and beauty might fecure to themselves that happiness, which the found wit and fortune were unable to bestow; hence fhe watched, with the most piercing eye, all the lovely young women of her neighbourhood, and often infinuated herself into the confidence of many, that the might penetrate all the fecrets of their love, and privately blaft its fuccefs. She was enabled to render herfelf intimate with the young and the lovely, by the opulent fplendor in which the lived, and by the bewitching vivacity of her converfation. Her talents of this kind were, indeed, extraordinary. Her mind was never polished or enriched by literature, as Mr. Wormwood fet little value on any books, excepting thofe of his counting-house; and the earlier years of his daughter were too much engaged by duplicity and intrigue, to leave her either leisure or inclination for a voluntary attachment to more improving ftudies. She read very little, and was acquainted with no language but her own ; yet a brilliant understanding, and an uncommon portion of ready wit, fupplied her with a more alluring fund of converfation, than learning could beftow. She chiefly recommended herself to the young and inexperienced, by the infinuating charm of the most lively ridicule, and by the art of feasoning her difcourfe with wanton innuendos of fo fubtile a nature, that gravity knew not how to object to them. She had the fingular fa culty of throwing fuch a foft and dubious twilight over the moft licentious images, that they captivated curiofity and attention, without exciting either fear or difguft. Her malevolence was perpetually difguifed under the mafk of gaiety, and fhe completely poffeffed that plaufibility of malice, fo difficult to at tain, and fo forcibly recommended in the words of Lady Macbeth : Your hand, your tongue; look like the in"Bear welcome in your eye, But be the ferpent under it !" nocent flower, With what fuccefs the practifed this danger ous leffon, the reader may learn from the following adventure. It was the cuftom of Mrs. Wormwood to profefs the most friendly folicitude for female youth, and the highest admiration of beauty; the withed to be confidered as their patronefs, becaufe fuch an idea afforded her the faireft opportunities of fecretly mortifying their infufferable prefumption. With a peculiar refinement in malice, the first encouraged, 1786. couraged, and afterwards defeated, those amufing matrimonial projects, which the young and the beautiful are fo apt to entertain. The higheft gratification, which her ingenious malignity could devife, confifted in torturing fome lovely inexperienced girl, by playing upon the tender paffions of an open and unfufpecting heart. The Affecting Hiftory of Mifs Amelia Nevil. Accident threw within her reach a moft tempting subject for such fiend-like diverfion, in the perfon of Amelia Nevil, the daughter of a brave and accomplished officer, who, clofing a laborious and honourable life in very indigent circumftances, had left his unfortunate child to the care of his maiden fifter. The aunt of Amelia was such an Old Maid as might alone fuffice to rescue the fifterhood from ridicule and contempt. She had been attached, in her early days, to a gallant youth, who unhappily loft his own life in preferving that of his dear friend, her brother. She devoted herself to his memory with the moft tender, unaffected, and invariable attachment; refufing feveral advantageous offers of marriage, though her income was fo narrow, that neceffity obliged her to convert her whole fortune into an annuity, just before the calamitous event happened, which made her the only guardian of the poor Amelia. This lovely but unfortunate girl was turned of fourteen on the death of her father. She found, in the house of his fifter, the most friendly afylum, and a relation, whofe heart and mind made her moft able and willing to form the character of this engaging orphan, who appeared to be as highly favoured by nature, as the was perfecuted by fortune. The beauty of Amelia was fo ftriking, and the charms of her lively understanding began to difplay themselves in to enchanting a manner, that her affectionate aunt could not bear the idea of placing her in any lower or der of life: She gave her the education of a gentlewoman, in the flattering and generous hope, that her various attractions muft fupply the abfolute want of fortune, and that the fhould enjoy the delight of feeing her dear Amenia fettled happily in marriage, before her death expofed her lovely ward to that poverty, which was her only inheritance. Heaven difpofed it otherwife. This amiable woman, after having acted the part of a moft affectionate parent to her indigent niece, died before Amelia attained the age of 20, The poor girl was now apparently deftitute of every refource; and expofed to penury, with a heart bleeding for the lofs of a moft indulgent protector. A widow lady of her acquaintance very kindly afforded her a refuge in the first moments of her distress, and propofed to two of her opulent friends, that Amelia fhould refide with them by turns, dividing her year between them, and paffing four months with each. 187 As foon as Mrs. Wormwood was informed of this event, as the delighted in those oftentatious acts of apparent beneficence, which are falfely called charity, fhe defired to be admitted among the voluntary guardians of the poor Amelia. To this propofal all the parties affented, and it was fettled that Amelia fhould pafs the last quarter of every year, as long as the remained fingle, under the roof of Mrs. Wormwood. This lovely orphan had a fenfibility of heart, which rendered her extremely grateful for the protection fhe received, but which made her feverely feel all the miseries of dependence. Her beauty attracted a multitude of admirers, many of whom, prefuming on her poverty, treated her with a licentious levity, which always wounded her ingenuous pride. Her perfon, her mind, her manners, were univerfally commended by the men; but no one thought of making her his wife. "Amelia," they cried, "is an enchanting creature; but who, in thefe times, can afford to marry a pretty, proud girl, fupported by charity?" Though this prudential question was never uttered in the prefence of Amelia, fhe began to perceive its influence, and fuffered the painful dread of proving a perpetual burden to thofe friends, by whole generofity the fubfifted: She wifhed, a thousand times, that her affectionate aunt, inftead of cultivating her mind with fuch dangerous refinement, had placed her in any ftation of life where fhe might have maintained herself by her own manual labour. She fometimes entertained a project of making fome attempt for this purpofe; and the once thought of changing her name, and of trying to fupport herself as an actress on one of the public theatres; but this idea, which her honeft pride had fuggefted, was effectually fuppreffed by her modefty; and the continued to wafle the moft precious time of her youth, under the mortification of perpetually wishing to change her mode of life, and of not knowing how to effect it. Almost two years had now elapfed fince the death of her aunt, and, without any profpect of marriage, he was now in her fecond period of refidence with Mrs. Wormwood. Amelia's understanding was by no means inferior to her other endowments; fhe began to penetrate all the artful disguife, and to gain a perfect and very painful infight into the real character of her prefent hoftefs. This Lady had remarked, that, when, Mifs Nevil refided with her, her houfe was much more frequented by Gentlemen than at any other feafon. This, indeed, was true; and it unluckily happened, that these visitors often forgot to applaud the fmart fayings of Mrs. Wormwood, in contemplating the fweet countenance of Amelia; a circumstance full fufficient to awaken, in the neglected wit wit, the moft bitter envy, hatred, and malice, In truth, Mrs. Wormwood detefted her lovely gueft with the moft implacable virulence; but she had the fingular art of difguifing her deteftation in the language of flattery. She understood the truth of Pope's maxim, "He hurts me most who lavishly commends ;" and the therefore made use of lavish commendation, as an inftrument of malevolence towards Amelia; the infulted the tafte, and ridiculed the choice, of every new-married man, and declared herfelf convinced, that he was a fool, because he had not chofen that most lovely young woman. To more than one gentleman fhe faid, You must marry Amelia; and, as few men chuse to be driven into wedlock, fome offers were poffibly prevented by the treacherous vehemence of her praife. Her malice, however, was not fufficiently, gratified by obferving that Amelia had no profpect of marriage. To indulge her malignity, fhe refolved to amufe this unhappy girl with the hopes of fuch a joyous event, and then to turn, on a fudden, all these splendid hopes into mockery and defufion. Accident led her to pitch on Mr. Nelion, as a perfon whofe name fhe might with the greatest safety employ, as the inftrument of her infidious defign, and with the greater chance of fuccefs, as the obferyed that Amelia had conceived for him a particular regard. Mr. Nelfon was a gentle man, who, having met with very fingular events, had contracted a great, but very amiable fingularity of character. He was placed, early in life, in a very lucrative commercial fituation, and was on the point of fettling happily in marriage with a very beautiful young Lady, when the house, in which the refided, was confumed by fire. Great part of her family, and among them defined bride, was buried the ruins. Mr. Nelfon, in lofing the object of his ardent affection by fo fudden a calamity, loft for fome time the ufe of his reafon; aid when his health and fenfes returned, he ftill continued under the oppreffion of the profoundeft melancholy, till his fond devotion to the memory of her, whom he had loft in fo fevere a manner, fuggefted to his fancy a fingular plan of benevolence, in the profecution of which he recovered a great portion of his former fpirits. This plan confifted in fearching for female objects of charity, whofe diftreffes had been occafioned by fire. As his fortune was very ample, and his own private expences very moderate, he was able to relieve many unfortunate perfons in this condition; and his affectionate imagination delighted itself with the idea, that in thefe uncommon acts of beneficence he was guid ed by the influence of that lovely angel, whofe mortal beauty had perished in the flames. Mr. Nelfon frequently vifited a married fifter, who was fettled in the town where Mrs. Wormwood refided. There was alfo, in the fame town, an amiable elderly widow, for whom he had a particular efteem. This Lady, whofe name was Melford, had been left in very fcanty circumstances on the death of her husband, and, residing at that time in London, fhe had been involved in additional diftrefs by that calamity, to which the attentive charity of Mr. Nelfon was for ever directed. He more than repaired the lofs which the fuftained by fire, and affifted in fettling her in the neighbourhood of his sister. Mrs. Melford had been intimate with the aunt of Amelia, and was still the most valuable friend of that lovely orphan, who paid her frequent visits, though the never refided under her roof. Mr. Nelfon had of ten feen Amelia at the house of Mrs. Melford, which led him to treat her with particular politenefs, whenever he vifited Mrs. Wormwood; a circumstance on which the latter founded her ungenerous project. She perfectly knew all the fingular private history of Mr. Nelfon, and firmly believed, like all the reft of his acquaintance, that no attractions could ever tempt him to marry; but the thought it poffible to make Amelia conceive the hope, that her beauty had melted his refolution; and nothing, the fuppofed, could more effectually mortify her gueft, than to find herfelf derided for fo vain an expectation. Account of the India Guide: or, A Journal of a Voyage to the Eaft-Indies in the Year 1780. In a Poetical Epifle to ber Mother. By Mifs Emily Brittle. Printed at Calcutta in 1785. THIS Publication, which is generally attributed to George Dallas, Efq: of the Bengal Establishment, and dedicated by him to Mr. Anftey, is far from being the worst of the numerous copies which have appeared of that Gentleman's celebrated BATH GUIDE. Indeed, there is a novelty in the fcenery, as well as in the delineation of manners which our author defcribes, which amply atones for his deficiency in ftrength, vivacity, and correctnefs. Mifs Brittle, in her paflage on board an Indiaman from the Cape of Good Hope, and from Madras to Bengal, paints her terrors and difagreeable fituation at fea, the characters of the Officers and paflengers, the manners of the Dutch at the Cape, and the peculiarities of her reception, and of fociety at Madras. As the work has not been re-printed in this country, and is not therefore generally known, we fhall probably gratify the curiofi ty Thofe intrufive familiarities fo repugnant decorum, and thofe vulgar freedoms of unpolifhed fociety, by which female deliay is fo often wounded during a fix months finement on a voyage to the Eaft-Indies, re thus defcribed by our author; and the rufal of which we particularly recommend fuch female adventurers as are defirous of taking their fortunes in a matrimonial way a the Eaft-Indies. IF Cape Town, July 15, 1785. you, my dear Mother, had e'er been at fea, (me; On a trip to the Indies you ne'er had fent Ehalf what I fuffer'd I e'er had fuppos'd, The voyage in itfelf I'd have flatly oppos'd. What tho 'tis too late to repent I left home, Tis not fo to grieve that I ventur'd to roam: Nor would I yield up my confent e'er again, To plough diftant feas in purfuit of a Swain! With toffing and tumbling my bones were fo fote, (before; Such an up and down motion I ne'er felt Many days had elaps'd e'er I first got a no(motion. That to keep on my legs I muft humour the For the space of fix weeks not an eye could tion I clofe, 189 Again, in my fleep I late fpied from afar One ploughing the waves in a burnish'd shell car ; 'Twas Neptune the god! whom all mermaids adore, And who feem'd to have rifen from Stygia's black fhore: Our veffel he ftop'd, and he mounted the fide, (his bride; And vow'd, when he faw me, he'd make me Then bow'd at my feet, and his trident up gave, (cave! And hail'd me the Goddefs of Ocean's dark All preffing, careffing, he call'd me his love, As gentle and foft as bright Venus's dove! But when I intreated his distance he'd keep, With barbarous speed was I borne to the deep! In vain did I ftruggle, and ftrive to escape A fecond edition of Proferpine's rape. 'Gainst the ruffian defpoiler-fay, what could I do? By force, not by love, did the tyrant fubdue! All flutter'd with fear, and with rage in my face, (brace; I fhriek'd, and recoil'd from his briny em And when I emerg'd from his lawless controul, (bowl." "I fhook my poor ears like mouse in a But O! with what rapture my fparklers did gleam, (a dream! When I woke and difcover'd all this was O! how fhall I picture, in delicate strain, The fcene which enfu'd when I first crofs'd the main; bewail to conceal a Or, how fhall my mufe in clean numbers (pail. My early hard lot, when reclin'd o'er a I was rack'd by fea-fickness and pains in my head, (dead! Which gave me fuch torture I wish'd myself Forgive the chafte nymph, fhou'd the with (feel; All the rifings and fwimmings too often I For whenever it happens the weather's not mild, (child. I'm as fick and as fqueamish as Jenny with You have feen bales of goods and mercantile (of stairs; Rais'd by pullies to windows up two pairs So ftuck in a chair, made on purpose for this, (Mifs: Sailors hoift upon deck ev'ry India-bound When pois'd in the air, I happen'd to show Too much of my legs to the boat's crew wares below; Who laughing, occafion'd the blush of diftrefs. Indeed, dear Mama, I'm oblig'd to confefs, That indecency fo much on fhip-board prevail'd, (fail'd. I fcarce heard aught elfe from the moment I The noife in the fhip from every quarter, Almoft fplit the brain of your poor little daughter: Twice |