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and Dumb, a comedy, from the French, very successful, 1801. 16. The Tale of Mystery, an after-piece from the French, 1802. 17. Hear Both Sides, a comedy, 1803. 18. The Vindictive Man, a comedy, 1806.

Mr. Holcroft also produced three novels: Anna St. Ives, published in 1792; Hugh Trevor in 1794; and Brian Perdue, in 1807. Of his style, it may be remarked, in general, that it is harsh, coarse, and vulgar; but not without force. The general cast of his sentiments is objectionable. His novel of Hugh Trevor, in particular, excites no feelings but those of discontent and disgust. It may be regarded as an attempt to prove, that a man cannot embrace any one of the liberal professions, without becoming a rogue, and every thing that is disgraceful and infamous. The church, especially, is most foully calumniated by this SOI-DISANT reformer.

Among the numerous translations, which, at times, employed Mr. Holcroft's pen, may be mentioned:-1. The Private Life of Voltaire, 12mo. 2. The Remains of Baron Trenck, in 3 vols. 12mo. 3. The Secret History of the Court of Berlin, by the Count de Mirabeau, 2 vols. 8vo. 4. Tales of the Castle, by Madame de Genlis, 5 vols. 12mo. 5. The Posthumous Works of Frede ric II, king of Prussia, 13 vols. 8vo. 6. An Abridged Display of the Physiognomy of Lavater, 3 large vols. 8vo.

In 1794, Mr. Holcroft, who had long been a distinguished member of the Corresponding and other seditious societies, was indicted for high treason; and, with a degree of firmness and intrepidity which is not very common, he voluntarily surrendered himself. The result of the ensuing state trials is well known: no doubt existed of a certain degree of guilt attaching to the prisoners, but of the crime of high treason they were acquitted.

Mr. Holcroft spent the principal part of the years 1799, 1800, and 1801, in Germany and France, and the observations he collected in his travels, were afterwards published by him in two volumes quarto.-He died March 23.-The surviving wife of Mr. Holcroft, is the niece of the celebrated Mercier, author of the Tableau de Paris, and a member of the French legislature. By this lady Mr. Holcroft has left six young children, the eldest

of whom is only nine years of age: these are unprovided for; but we understand that the widow, and an unmarried daughter of Mr. H. by a former marriage, have engaged in the management of a school for their support.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF MISS ANN SEWARD.

MISS ANN SEWARD, distinguished in the literary world by her poetical writings, was daughter of the late reverend Thomas Seward, rector of Eyam in Derbyshire, prebendary of Salisbury, and canon residentiary of Lichfield. Mr. Seward had graceful manners, great hilarity of spirit, and active benevolence. His poetic talents were not inconsiderable; and he studied with discriminating taste, in their original languages, the Greek, Latin, and English bards. He was known to the world of letters as principal editor of Beaumont and Fletcher's plays, published in 1750; also, as author of a learned and ingenious tract on the conformity between paganism and popery. To Dodsley's collection he sent a few elegant little poems, which may be found at the close of the second volume.* At the village of Eyam, situated among the highest of the peak mountains, Mr. Seward passed the first eight years after his marriage. In the second year his eldest daughter, the subject of this memoir, was born. She had several sisters and one brother, but all died in their infancy except the second daughter, who lived till she was nineteen, and then died on the eve of her nuptials. In Miss Seward's seventh year her family removed from Eyam to Lichfield; and in her thirteenth they became inhabitants of the bishop's palace, which continued to be her home during life. Mrs. Seward, who died at sixty-six, in the year 1780, was a woman of strong sense, and had possessed extraordinary beauty, a large portion of which she retained to the last. Without taste for literary pursuits herself, she had never encouraged them in her daughters. For

* By mistake they were printed anonymously. These poems commence with "The Female Right to Literature," written at Florence, and sent thence to Miss Pratt, afterwards lady Camden, the " Athenea" of the verses. To that succeed some lines on Shakspeare's monument at Stratford.

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the delight they took in books, they were indebted to their father's early instruction. Fancying that he saw the dawn of poetic genius in his eldest girl, he amused himself with its culture, though not from any idea or desire that she should ever become an authoress. Her ear for poetic recitation, in which he himself excelled, inspired the pleasure he felt in fostering her talents. At three years old, before she could read, he had taught her to lisp the Allegro of Milton; and in her ninth year she was enabled to speak by rote the three first books of the "Paradise Lost," with varied accent and just melody. Miss Seward has herself remarked, "That its sublime images, the alternate grandeur and beauty of its numbers, perpetually filled her infant mind with delight, while she performed the parental task, by daily committing a portion of them to memory." It has been already observed, that Miss Seward's progress in the composition of verse met the chillness of maternal discouragement, and her father, as she grew up to womanhood, was induced to withdraw the animating welcome he had given her early muse. Nothing could restrain, however, the ardour she felt to peruse, with discriminating attention, the writings of our finest poets. Miss Seward's productions were confined to the perusal of her more intimate friends, till she became accidentally acquainted with the late lady Miller, of Bath Easton, by whose persuasion she was induced to write for the poetic institution of that villa and to become a candidate for its myrtle wreath: she obtained it repeatedly. The prize poems were published and adapted from the Bath Easton volume into other public prints, with the names of the authors; and thus the Rubicon was passed. Early the next year, 1780, her elegy on captain Cook was given to the world, with an Ode to the Sun subjoined, on the bright unwintered year 1779. These poems meeting a flattering reception, she was encouraged to lament the cruel fate of her gallant and amiable friend, major Andre. Her Monody on him, and also her Elegy on captain Cook, involving a series of events the most important in the lives of their heroes, formed a new species of funeral song. Doctor Darwin often told her, she was the inventress of epic elegy. In 1782 appeared her poem to the memory of lady Miller, who died in July 1781, in the me

ridian of her days. In 1784 she published the poetical novel intituled "Louisa," which is perhaps the most popular of all her compositions; and in 1787 her " Epic Ode on the return of general Elliott from Gibraltar." These, with her "Llangollen Vale and other poems," in 1790, the "Life of Darwin," in 1806, and contributions to the Gentleman's Magazine, and other periodical publications, form, we believe, the whole of her works. As a writer few women have exhibited more strength of intellect, or more genuine delicacy of taste, than Miss Seward. Her poetry is particularly distinguished by beauty of imagery and vigour of sentiment; yet is not wholly free from affectation. Her life of Dr. Darwin cannot but be accurate, from her intimate acquaintance with that gentleman. In private life Miss Seward was much respected, her friends were very numerous, and they composed no small part of the virtue and genius of the times. Miss Seward we understand, has bequeathed her manuscripts published and unpublished, with 1007 to Walter Scott, esq. and her collections of letters from and to the most eminent literary characters of her age, to Mr. Constable, the bookseller, who, we believe, is to select and publish two volumes of them annually. The remainder of her income, with the exception of some handsome legacies, she leaves to her relations by her father's side. She was aged sixty-six.

MISCELLANY.

Death of an extraordinary Person.

A few months ago, died at Stamford in England, Mr. Daniel Lambert, long celebrated in sporting annals, and not less famous for his bulk and weight, he being confessedly the heaviest man in Europe. This extraordinary person was born at Leicester in the year 1769: his father was keeper of the bridewell of that town, to which situation he succeeded, and kept it till by a new re

gulation that place of confinement was merged into the new jail. Having lost his employment, and having been all his life too generous to be very provident, he fell under the pressure of pecuniary want from which his friends relieved him. He was advised to see company, or in other words to show himself for his future emolument; an expedient to which though he was extremely averse, he at last consented. He arrived at Stamford on a Tuesday, and that evening sent a message to the office of a newspaper called the Stamford Mercury, requesting that "as the mountain could not wait on Mahomet-Mahomet would go to the mountain," or in other words, that the printer would call upon him, and receive an order for executing some handbills, announcing Mr. Lambert's arrival and desire to see company.―The orders he gave showed no presentiment that they were to be his last, but were delivered with his usual cheerfulness. He was in bed ("Ossa upon Olympus and Pelion upon Ossa,") fatigued with his journey. He had no indisposition but drowsiness which he ascribed to fatigue; but before nine o'clock the next morning was dead. His corpulency had increased till the machinery of life clogged with flesh and fat stood still. Upon being weighed by the famous Caledonian balance, he was found to be fifty two stone and eleven pounds, fourteen pound to the stone,* being ten stone eleven pounds more than the great Edward Bright, of Essex, whose picture is in the print shops, ever weighed. His coffin in which he was with great difficulty placed, was six feet four inches long-four feet four inches wide-and two feet four inches deep. It consisted of one hundred and twelve superficial feet of elm, and was fixed upon two axle-trees and four 'clog wheels, and on that he was rolled to the grave.

Mr. L's great bulk did not arise from want of exercise, for he was on the contrary remarkably active, took great pleasure in field sports, and particularly delighted in shooting.

To the breed of dogs Mr. Lambert paid the most marked attention, and the delight he received from that celebrated Leicestershire Nimrod, Mr. Maynell, first impressed him with the love of that faithful and sagacious animal. Mr. Lambert perceived fhat there was no hound in Mr. Maynell's park, whose tongue

Seven hundred and twenty-eight pounds

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