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tion, and frequently expreffed a regret for having committed the rash act that had occafioned them he faid, however, that he was thoroughly convinced, that, as he fancied he had acted from a divine impulfe, God would receive him into the manfions of the bleffed, and that the angels would rejoice at his triumphant entry into paradife: these were nearly his own words. He feemed, however, to feel much mental pain, from an opinion that his conduct would be condemned by mankind, and his memory held in execration. He lived to fee the third day, when the ambaffador's furgeon having called to fee him, he found no pulfe in his arm, and just a thread of pulfe towards the head. He then broke to his patient, in the most judicious manner be was able, the difmal tidings that his diffolution must be near at hand. The major was furprized at the news, and feemed not to believe it; for the violent pains that had tortured him for the two preceding days had totally fubfided; and he faid he felt a moft fweet tranquillity of body however, it was the mortification of the parts lately affected, that had deprived them of fenfibility. The furgeon juft went out of the room, to order fomething to wet his patient's mouth; and when he returned, in le than three minutes, he found him fpeechlefs, and his eyes fixed: in a little time after he expired. The body was to have been opened the evening of the morning on which he died; but fo careful is the police of this city, that though death was produced by violent means, and there was not even the shadow of ground to fuppofe a poffibility of recovery, fill the lieutenantgeneral of the police fent an order that the body should not be opened for twenty-four hours more. At the end of that time the operation was performed, and it was found that the fword had cut through an artery, and pierced the liver; fo that the wound was ab Initio mortal, and it was a matter of furprize how he could live to long after having received it. The ambassador took poffeffion of his effects, for the use of the family of the deceased, and fealed up every thing with his own feal; his grace behaving from the beginning in a manner that did him much honour, and ought to endear him to his countrymen. He provided for the funeral in a decent manner, and the remains of this unhappy gentleman were depofited in the fame burying ground where thofe of Mr. Maddifon had been laid a few weeks betore. From the papers found in his trunks, it was easy to fee that the major's heart had been one of the very beft: his great object feemed to be of ufe to mankind; and even the most onfortunate, and criminal, did not efcape his attention. Among other papers, was found a memorial to the Comte de Vergennes, in favour of the galley flaves whom he had seen at Maríciles;

it contained a plan by which their fufferings might be alleviated, by means that would prove highly beneficial to fociety.What pity that a wrong head fhould deftroy a heart that beat with univerfal philanthropy !

A TRAVELLER.

The LIFE and LAMENTATIONS of TITLE-PAGE VAMP, a POOR STARVED AUTHOR.

SIR,

To the PRINT E R.

VERY man is eafily perfuaded into a belief that he has

E either feen or heard fomething which it might be useful

for the world to know, that his experience has exceeded that of his neighbours, and that from a recital of the hardships which he has fuffered, or the advantages which he has gained, others might learn in their turn to avoid the fame paths to evil, or to purfue the good by ways in which he has already fucceeded.In pointing out advantages to others, he hopes ultimately to benefit himself, and thus expects either reputation or a dinner, as want has made him hungry, or ambition infpired him with a thirst for pre-eminence. By which of these motives I am actuated in writing, you will eafily guefs; I have been too long the dupe of fortune, to expect any thing more from her af fiftance and my ambition has been for fo long a time gradually declining, that if the following lines procure me five fhillings, they will answer all the prefent expectations of, Sir,

Your obedient fervant,

TITLE-PAGE VAMP.

"Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climb

The fteep where Fame's proud fummit fhines afar,
Ah! who can tell how many a foul fublime
Hath felt the influence of malignant ftar,
And wag'd with fortune an eternal war !
Check'd by the fcoff of pride, and envy's frown,
And poverty's unconquerable bar,

In life's low vale remote hath pin'd alone,
Then funk into the grave unpitied and unknown."

"Wits live obfcurely, men care not how, or die obfcurely,

VOL. II. 46.

men care not when."

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AS I doubt not but, after my deceafe, there will be as many fheets ready to claim the honour of my birth, as there were of old cities in the cafe of my great predeceffor, Homer, I have too much respect for the world to leave that matter undecided: it were indeed but an act of charity to my brethren of the quill to leave it in the dark, by way of legacy, as a proper fubject for future fixpenny pamphlets, and a refpectable provifion for future dinners but I have alfo fome compaffion for my own memory, and therefore inform the world, that I hrft faw light in it in the polite part of Newgate-ftreet, which is precifely that end of it neareft to Cheapfide. My mother died in giving me birth. Of the first years of our lives fo little can be remembered with bonour, that mankind feem univerfally to agree to let them país without that minuteness of relation which decorates the hiftory of after-times. I fhould therefore have been readily excuted for the omiffion, had I forgot to tell the world that the feren years of my infancy were paffed under the direction of a nurse and a governess, without any extraordinary emanations of reafon, or any prefages of future excellence.

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My father was a bufy little man, who had raifed himself, as he frequently declared, from nothing; and as a retrospect of life afforded him a view of no brighter days than he then enjoyed, he was fufficiently pleafed both with himself and the world to be merry in it. He was in poffeffion of a reputable branch of trade, which was, perhaps, at first raised with litte trouble, and was fupported with little attention.-Between his pleafures and his bufinefs, he found little leifure to attend to me: no expence, however, was fpared; and he feemed willing, by a fort of profufion, to recompence his own negligence.

At feven years old I was removed to a boarding-fchool in the neighbourhood of London. In a few years I became a tokr able proficient in claffical learning, and foon after made fo rapid a progrefs, that I was at once the pride of the mafter, and the envy of the fcholars. Applaufe fo liberally bettowed, heightened my natural avidity-I read while others played-apped myfelf to my studies with the most perfevering ardour of attention-and in a fhort time was well acquainted with every subject of elegant and polite literature. At feventeen I had as much real learning as many men at twenty--had read the greater part of the best books in our own language, and underflood very well the character of others. With fuch qualifications, my father was foon convinced that I was fit for trade, and acquiefced with the wishes of my master and myself, by fending me to the univerfity, which I entered at the age of eighteen.

Senfible

Senfible minds are easily elated or depreffed-even those whom frequent difappointment might be fuppofed to have rendered callous, enter upon every new undertaking with new ardour and new expectations-they conceive to themselves all that can animate industry, or excite genius; all that can gratify ambition, or foothe the paffions, as lying within the reach of their endea vours.When the profpect is fo pleafing, the eye of reason is foon divelled of its keennefs, and imagination is fuffered to wan der alone into new regions, where every breath is pleasure, and every gale the zephyr of popularity.-Hope neceffarily implies doubt; and where doubt is admitted, fear will generally enter. Whoever hopes to obtain any thing, feels at the fame time the danger of lofing it; and his anxiety encreafes or diminthes, as the object of his wishes becomes of more or lefs importance. By fear, therefore, we are first recalled from the delufions of fancy; and before experience has convinced us of the folly of our defires, we have foreseen every difficulty, and anticipated difappointment. The dream, however, is ftill indulged; and though all admit the uncertainty of fuccefs, few are deterred from endeavouring to attain it; for the greatest part of mankind rush forward into adventure, not because they have fortitude to furmount difficulty, but becaufe for a time they hope to avoid it; and thus, without difmay, follow each other into the arms of deftruction, in the vain hope that they fhall escape dangers which others have encountered, and overcome difficulties under which others have despaired.

With a mind thus agitated between hope and fear, I entered the univerfity.Cato's foliloquy recurred to my memory :

"The wide, the unbounded profpe&t, &c. &c."

Applaufe, I conceived, could not long be withheld from merit, and I expected every day to be diftinguifhed by honours; which, as they had been long contemplated, I had learned to confider without emotion. Some time, however, paffed, before my name was perfectly known to all the members of my own college no enquiries had been made, either as to my character or qualifications; and I was fuffered to live undisturbedly, without any intrufions from refpectful curiofity, or any vifits but from rioters and loungers.-To thefe, as they neither gratified my vanity, nor afforded improvement, I gave no encourage ment; and after having been disturbed by a few nocturnal fatlies, they quietly abandoned me to my fate, with the character of a ftupid fellow, who had no talte for life, and no relish for its amufements.-Hitherto I had no opportunity of displaying my qualifications; I therefore checked my impatience, by reflect3 N 2

ing

ing that no merit could be known 'till it had been tried; and that to hope for reward, where no proofs had been given that it was deferved, was to expect an harvest without the trouble of cul tivation. Occafions, I believed, must foon present themelvet, in which my learning or genius would find fuficient means of exerting themselves, and I refolved to wait patiently the events of time and chance, 'till fuccefs fhould crown my hopes, or expe rience fhew that they had been ill-founded. My exercifes, as far as they were known, were received with applaufe; which, how ever, afforded my vanity no gratification, because it was equaly the lot of many others; and I now, for the first time, dikovered that I was but one of a large number who were all ea gaged in the fame purfuit, with the fame expectations of fuc cefs, and the fame pretenfions to distinction. Reputation, there fore, if acquired at all, could only be obtained by long labour, and patient application-by labour of which 1 was already weary and application which might perhaps be exerted in vain.. -Thus ended the first year, in which I loft the viva city of hope, the ardour of diligence, and the confidence of sa• periority, 'till then uncontefted.

[To be continued.]

ANECDOTES of the CELEBRATED BARCLAYS, of URIë, in SCOTLAND.

A

Mile north of Stonhaven lies Urie, the feat of Robert Barclay, Efq; great grandson of the famous apologi, and the first and moft diftinguifhed improver in the country. David Barclay, of Mathers, the apologift's father, ferved as a colouel under the great Guftavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, and when the troubles broke out in Charles the Firft's time, did not remain neuter. In that fluctuating period he became a quaker, and, when he retired to live upon his estate, withed to improve his perfonal farm. But as he knew nothing of agri culture, he was obliged to trust all to his fervants. Having dif covered that he had an unfkilful ploughman, he was at much pains to recommend better methods of plowing, from what he had obferved among his neighbours; but the fellow was oblinate, and would go on in his own way. "Thou knowed, friend, (faid Mr. Barclay,) that I feed and pay thee to do my work in a proper manner; but thou art wife in thine own eyes, and regardeit not the admonitions of thy employer. I have hi therto fpoken to thee in a file thou understandeft not, for verily

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