they took one for granted: they fometimes gave me orders which it was impoffible to execute, and punished me for not obeying them; they changed the hours of fervice and of eating; they deranged, without my knowledge, the whole cloifiral order; and with all the attention I could beftow. I was every day culpable, and every day punished.

"I had courage; but there is no degree of fortitude that can fupport defertion, folitude, and perfecution. Things came to fuch a height, that they made a port of tormenting me; it was the amufement of a band of fifty perfons: It is impoffible to enter into a minute detail of their malicious tricks: they prevented me from fleeping, from watching, and from praying. One day they ftole fome of my clothes; another day they carried off my keys, or my breviary; my lock was fpoiled: they hindered me from doing my duty; and what I did they never fail ed to derange. They afcribed to me actions and fpeeches of which I was not the author; they made me responsible for every thing; and my life was one continued fcene of real or pretended faults, and

of chaftifements.

"My health was not proof against fo long and fevere trials. I fell into a Itate of dejection, spleen, and melancholy. At first I had recourfe to the altar for energy of mind, and I found fome at times. I wavered between refignation and defpair; fometimes fubmitting to all the rigour of my fate, at other times meditating my deliverance by violent means. There was a deep well at the bottom of the garden. How often have I looked at it! There was by the fide of the well a stone

feat.

How often have I fat upon it, with my head leaning upon the brink! How often, in the tumult of my ideas, have I fuddenly got up and refolved to put an end to my fufferings! What prevented me? Why did I then prefer lanentation, crying aloud, trampling my veil under my feet, tearing my hair, and macerating my face with my nails ?"

After a variety of unheard-of perfecutions and hardships, our Nun is removed to another convent, where the experiences as extraordinary kindness. The Superior, however, is reprefented as irregular and careless in her difcipline,and licentious in her morals. In confequence of difappointment in an improper attachment to the beroine of the ftory, fhe becomes infane, and dies the terrible victim of guilt and defpair. The Nun is foon after accufed of forcery by an aged and fuperftitious Superior, who fucceeds, and who believes her predeceffor to have been deluded and deftroyed by it. The old vexations and perfecutions are renewed, and the Nùn is perfuaded by a young benedictine to elope from the houfe. By his affiftance the fucceeds in her fcheme; and after repelling fome attempts which he makes on her virtue in their flight, finds herself at laft with a Madame Marun, from whofe house her correfpondence with the Marquis de Croifmare commences.

Of all the establishments of which France has been deprived, none will be lefs regretted than its monafticinftitutions. The good they may have once generated has paffed away for ever; and they could only be the feats of tyrannical dominion, the nurjeries of indolence and apathy.

R. R.

The Influence of Local Attachment with reSpet to Home; a Porm. 8vo. Johnfon. 1796. THIS is a pleafing Poem on a pleafing fubjeat. Mr. Polwhele, who is the author of it, fets out with obferving, that it is natural to prefer our own home to the reft of the world, and that neither philosophy nor sensuality have power to destroy this local attachment. He then enquires whence this preference, whence the pleasure we derive from it? and illuftrates his fentiments on the fubject by inftances drawn from nations oppofite to each other in manners, customs, laws, and climate. The Second Part fhews, that local attachment may be feen, ift, on the fpot where it originates; 2dly, during absence from that (pot; and 3d, on our return to that fpot after abfence. The subject is interesting; and we agree with Mr.

from two parts of the late novel of the Monk; one part of which, however, feems to have been derived from Smol. let's Count Fathom; and forms, on the whole, an exhibition interefting and grand. The fcenery is beautiful and pic turefque; the dreffes fuperb, and the machinery ingenious and well defigned. The contrivance of the whole is by Mr. Farley, who in fpectacles of this kind promiles much future entertainment, The mufic is by Mr. Reeve.

APRIL 8. This evening, after the performance of Lady Teazle, in the School for Scandal, Mifs Farren took leave of the Stage. The Houfe was exceffively crouded, and at the conclufion of the play Mr. Wroughton came for ward, and, instead of the ufual lines which terminate the play, delivered the following Addrefs before the curtain dropped, all the performers remaining on the ftage, and Mifs Farren herfelt, apparently in a ftate of much agitation, fupported by Mr.King and Mifs Miller.

But, ah! this night, adieu the mirthful mien,

When Mirth's lov'd fav'rite quits the mimic fcene ![Looking towards Mijs Farren.] Startled Thalia would affent refufe, But Truth and Virtue fued and won the Mafe. [Great applaufe.]

Aw'd by fenfations it could ill exprefs, Tho' mute the tongue, the bofom feels not lefs;

Her fpeech your kind indulgence oft has known,

Be to her filence now that kindness shewn:

Ne'er from her mind th' endear'd record will

part,

But live, the proudest feeling of a grateful

heart!

This Addrefs was received with burfts of applaufe; after which Mifs Farren came forward, and made her curtfey firft to the right, then to the left, and laftly, to the front of the Houfe. The curtain then dropped, and the Lady's theatrical life terminated.

Mifs Farren may be now spoken of as a departed actrefs. Her father is faid to have been a furgeon in Cork, whose fondness for the Stage induced him to quit his profeffion, and join a ftrolling company, where he afterwards married, and had a number of children. Mils Farren was early initiated on the Stage; and after performing at Liverpool was engaged by Mr. Colman, at the Haymarket. Her first appearance there was on the 9th of June 1777, in Mifs Hardcaftle, in "She Stoops to Conquer." She foon was engaged at Drury-lane Theatre, where the has ever fince continued, except a few performances at Coventgarden during the coalition between the Managers of the two Houfes. On the feceffion of Mrs. Abingdon fhe took poffeffion of all her characters; and it is but justice to fay, that the performed them in a manner to leave no regret on the minds of the Public for the lofs of her predeceffor. She leaves, however, no performer equal to fucceed her, and retires to rank and affluence with the applaufe and regret of every one who has been delighted with her performances.

fears,

tears,

And-Spare me! Oh! fpare me!" he

fobs.

But ah! 'tis in vain that he strives to ap pease

The mifcreant! in vain does he cling round

his knees,

And fue in soft accents for life; Unmov'd by his forrow-unmov'd by his

pray r,

Fierce Ofric has twifted his hand in his hair, And aims at his bofom a knife.

But e'er the steel blushes with blood, ftrange to tell,

Self-ftruck, does the tongue of the hollowton'd bell

The prefence of midnight declare : And while, with amazement, his hair briftles high,

Hears Ofric a voice, loud and terrible, cry,

In sounds heart-appalling—“ Forbear!"

Straight curfes and fhrieks thro' the chambers refound,

With hellish mirth mingled; the walls shake around;

The groaning roof threatens to fall; Loud bellows the thunder; blue lightnings still flash;

The cafements they clatter; chains rattle ; doors clash;

And flames spread their wayes through the hall.

The clamour increases; the portals expand; O'er the pavement's black marble now rushes a band

Of dæmons all dropping with gore ; In vifage fo grim, and fo monstrous in height,

That Carloman fcreams as they burst on his fight,

And finks without fenfe on the floor.

Not fo his fell Uncle: he fees that the throng Impels, loudly fhrieking, a female along,

And well the fad fpe&re he knows: The dæmons with curfes her steps onward

urge;

Her shoulders with whips form'd of serpents they scourge,

And faft from her wounds the blood flows,

"Oh! welcome," the cry'd, and her voice spoke despair; [fhare, "Oh! welcome, Sir Ofric, the torments to Of which thou haft made me the prey :