Traits for the Life of the late Athenian on account of its interruption of his pur Stuart. JAMariner of an inferior nation, at whole JAMES STUART, Efq; was the fon of death his wife and four children, of whom Mr. Stuart was the eldeft, were totally unprovided for: he exhibited at a very early period of life the feeds of a ftrong imagination, brilliant talents, and a general thirst of knowledge: drawing and painting were his earliest occupations; and these he purfed with fuch unabated perfeverance and industry, that, while yet a boy, he contribated very effentially to the fupport of his willowed mother and her little family, by defigning and painting fans for the late Goupee of the Strand. Some time after, he placed one of his fifters under the care of this perfon as his fhopwoman, and for many years continued to pursue the fame mode of maintaining the reft of his family. Notwithstanding the extreme preffure of fuch a charge, and notwithstanding the many inducements which conftantly attract a young man of lively genius and extenfive talents, he employed the greateft part of his time in thofe ftudies which tended to the perfecting himself in the art he loved. He attained a very accurate knowledge of anatomy; he became a correct draftiman, and rendered himself a master of geometry, and all the branches of the mathematics; fo neceffary to form the mind of a good painter and it is no lefs extraordinary than true, that neceffity and application were his only inftructors; he has often confefled that he was firft led into the obligation of ftudying the Latin language by the defire of understanding what was written under prints published after pictures of the ancient mafters. As his years increased, fo his information accompanied their progrefs; he acquired a great proficiency in the Greek language, and his unparallelled ftrength of mind carried him into the familiar affociation with moft of the sciences, and chiefly that of architecture. His ftature was of the middle fize, but athletic; of robuft conftitution, and a natural courage invincible by terror; and a bold p ríeverance, unfhaken by the moft poignant difficulties. The following fact may serve as a proof of his fortitude: A wen had grown to an inconvenient fize upon the front of his forehead. One day being in converfation with a furgeon, whofe name I much regret the having forgotten, he afked how it could be removed. The furgeon acquainted him with the length of the process; to which Mr. Stuart objected fuits, and asked if he could not cut it out, and then it would be only neceffary to heal mative, but mentioned the very excruciatthe part. The furgeon replied in the affir ing pain and danger of fuch an operation. Upon which Mr. Stuart, after a minute's reflection, threw himself back in his chair, and faid, "I'll fit till, do it now." The operation was performed with fuc cels. With fuch qualifications, though yet almoft in penury, he conceived the defign of feeing kome and Athens; but the ties of filial and fraternal affection made him protract the journey till he could enfure a certain provifion for his mother, and his brother and fecond fifter. His mother died: he had foon after the good fortune to place his brother and fifter in a fituation likely to produce them a comfortable fupport; and then, with a very fcanty pittance in his pocket, he set out on foot upon his expedition to Rome; and thus he performed the greatest part of his journey; travelling through Holland, France, &c. and ftopping through neceflity at Paris, and feveral other places in his way, where, by his ingenuity as an artift, he procured fome moderate fupplies towards profecuting the reft of his journey. When he arrived at Rome, he made himfelf known to the late Mr. Dawkins and Sir Jacob Bouveric, whose admiration of his great qualities and wonderful perfeverance fecured to him their patronage; and it was under their aufpices that he went on to Athens, where he remained several years. During his refidence here, he became a mafter of architecture and fortification; and, having no limits to which his mind could be reftricted, he engaged in the ar my of the Queen of Hungary, where he ferved a campaign voluntarily as chief engineer. On his return to Athens, he applied himfelf more closely to make drawings, and take the exact measurements of the Athenian architecture, which he afterwards publifhed on his return to England, after fourteen years absence; and which work, from its claffical accuracy, will ever remain as an honour to this nation, and as a lasting monument of his skiil *. -This work, and NO the T E. He travelled five years over Greece in company with Mr. Revett the famous Architect from 1750 to 1755; and publifhed in 1762 the refult of their accurate obfervations and measurements in "The An"tiquities of Athens; of which the fecon I volume was left by him completed at the prefs; and the plates fe forward, that the publick the long walk the author took in order to cull materials to compofe it, have united themselves as the two moft honourable lines of defcent from whence he derived the title of ATHENIAN STUART, accorded to him by all the learned in this country. Upon his arrival in England, he was received into the late Mr. Dawkins's family; and, among the many patrons which the report of his extraordinary qualifications acquired him, the late Lord Anfon led him forward to the reward moft judicioufly calculated to fuit his talents and purfuits: it was by his Lordship's appointment that Mr. Stuart became Surveyor to Greenwich Hofpital, which he held till the day of his death with univerfal approbation.-He conftantly received the notice and efteem of Lord Rock ingham, and most of the nobility and gentry of tafte and power. Besides his appointment at Greenwich Hofpital, all the additions and rebuildings of that part which was deftroyed by the fire there were conducted under his direction; he built several other houfes in London-Mr. Anfon's in St. James's Square, Mrs. Montague's in Portman Square, &c. &c. &c. Whatever new project he engaged in he purfued with fuch avidity, that he feldom quitted it while there was any thing further to be learnt or understood from it. thus he rendered himself skilful in the art of engraving; likewife of carving; and his enthufiaftical love for antique elegance made him alfo an adept in all the remote researches of an antiquary.But in this difplay of his talents, let me not omit to offer a juft tribute to his memory as a man. Those who knew him intimately, and had opportunities of remarking the nobleness of his foul, will join in claiming for him the title of Citizen of the World; and, if he could be charged with poffeffing any partiality, it was to Merit in whomfoever he found it. Raifed by his own abilities and integrity, from the utmost abyfs of penury to the most pleafing condition of refpectable affluence, without fervility, without chicane, without any ftratagem, but by the bold efforts of unconquerable perfeverance, prudence, and an independent mind! Reader, can we refrain from praise ? But with fuch a mind fo occupied, and fuch an expedition in the younger part of his life, it is no impeachment to his feelings if they efcaped fo long the influence of the belle paffion. We have now conducted him to his 72d year; a time when most men have fallen fo long into their own ways, as to dread the thought of female interruption, and content themfelves with rallying the smiles of the world upon their fullen celibacy. Mr. Stuart on the contrary now found himself the mafter of a very comfortable income, which he longed to divide with a companion, to whom his long feries of events would be amufing, and whose fmiles would add comfort to his latter days, of which he always reflected, but did not feel the approach. About the year 1781, being on a visit at Sitingbourne in Kent, he became acquainted with a young lady there about twenty years of age, whofe perfonal qualifications were the univerfal admiration of every one who had ever felt the happinefs of feeing her. The old Athenian, having always fudied the fine arts, was a fenfible judge and difcriminator of the juft line of beauty-Though the experience of years had increased his knowledge, yet it had not impaired the vigor of his robuft conftitution-Difparity of age was no obftacle with the lady; and Mr. Stuart, at the age of feventy-two, felt and returned all the happiness of an accepted lover. The parties were foon after married; and the lady and her father and mother accompanied Mr. Stuart to his house in LeicesterFields, where the parents found a welcome beyond their utmost hopes. The fruits of this marriage are four children. Mr. Stuart died poffeffed of a confiderable fortune, amaffed, as we have feen, by upright affiduity alone, and has left an example to his family, and the world, to be for ever revered. The Tragical Hiftory of Ludovifio Carantani, a Milanese, and his Two Daughters. There is no Species of Domeftic Tyranny fo iniquitous and oppreffive, as that which unreasonable Parents frequently exercise over their Children, in Popish Countries, by forcing them into a State of Life to which they have no Call. The following Story affords a ftriking Example of the fatal Confequences of fuch Compulfion, and is too well attefted to admit any Doubt of its being true. tive of Varefe, a city of the Milanefe, UDOVISIO CÁRANTANI, a nahad only two daughters by a wife who had brought him a confiderable fortune: but that parental affection which ought to have been divided between them, was confined to the eldeft, whole name was Victoria, though the was not near fo amiable as Olympia, her younger fifter. This capricious preference was evident even in their infancy." Victoria enjoyed enjoyed all the careffes of her father, nor could her fifter obtain the least token of his tenderness or affection. Her mother's love, indeed, made her fome amends for this indifference; but death having deprived her of this confolation, she was expofed to numberlefs contradictions, and fuffered continual illtreatment. Victoria's beauty, and the for tune which fhe might expect from the wealth and partiality of her father, foon drew about her a great number of fuitors; and Carantani, that he might marry his favourite with the greater advantages, was determined to facrifice to her intereft the happiness of Olympia, whom he accordingly put into a convent, and caused a report to be spread, that he had refolved upon a religious life. This report gained credit; the number of Victoria's lovers increafed, among whom were geutlemen of the beft families in the country. The father already congratulated himself upon the fuccefs of his fcheme. As he had always treated the amiable Olympia with feverity, he was perfuaded that he would be foothed by the tranquility of a convent, and think herfelf happy to have escaped the rude nefs and neglect which the fuffered at home. Nor was he altogether mistaken; for at the felicitation of several of her relations who were devotees, and had been gained over by her father, the confented to take the habit of a novice or probationer in the monaftery of San Martino. But there is a time of life when nature speaks a language very different from that of monaftick devotion. Olympia, al though young, lively, aud of a complexion naturally amorous, was on the point of be coming the victim of her father's ambition, and her own inexperience; but on the very day of the ceremony, the faw amongst the company affembled as ufual on these occafions, an amiable cavalier, who had made a deep impreffion upon her heart. Immediately the thoughts of a convent became into lerable: and the reflected with horror upon the facrifice which she was just about to make, of all the advantages which he might promife herself in the world. The nuns and her devout relations, who foon perceived the alteration, endeavoured in vain to bring her back to her first refolution. All the answer that they received from her, was, that her circumstances being equal to thofe of her fifter, fhe had no inch nation to facrifice herself to her ambition, or to the partiality of her father; that her defign was to marry, and that the entreated them to prevail upon her father to give her to a young cavalier of a very good family, by whom the knew he was beloved. It is not eafy to imagine the astonishment of Carantani, when he was acquainted with a resolution which quite frustrated the fcheme Gent. Mag. March, 1788. he had formed for raising the fortune of his dear Victoria. He earnefly entreated the nuns and his kinfwomen, to redouble their endeavours to make Olympia after her refolution. But thefe endeavours only inflamed her paffion, and increased her difgaft for a monaftick life; nor did the conceal her fentiments even from her father, who came frequently to fee her, in order to difcover the effect of the remonftrances of his friends; to these he added his own; but perceiving that this expedient did not fucceed, he had recourfe to menaces, and affured her, that if the did not refolve npon a religious life, he would take her home again, where the might expect to be the moft wretched of women. Olympia, who knew her father's unkindnefs by a long and cruel experience, did not doubt but he would keep his word. Yet the endeavoured to mollify him by the most tender and pathetic expoftulations: bat neither arguments, intreaty, nor tears made the leaft impreffion upon his heart. As by this charin Olympia's refolution, the match of his victoria was in danger of being broken off, her lover growing cold and indifferent, in proportion as her fortune became precarious, Carantani was so much enraged, that the next time he visited Olym pia he told her, in a tranfport of fury, that if he did not take the veil, as foon as her noviciate expired, he would put her to death with his own hand. If I die it fhall not be by four hand, replied his amiable daughter calmly. I have often represented to you my averfion to a monaftic life, yet you com mand me to facrifice myself to the fortune of my fifter, and to that exceflive fondnefs which you have always fhewn for her; and if it be impoffible for me to prevail upon you to retract this command, you fhall be obeyed, fmce my obedience will fpare you the crime which you threaten to commit against me; but you and my fifter will have perpetual caufe to regret the cruel facrifice which you oblige me to make you. She added, that he right, whenever he thought proper, order the neceffary preparations for the ceremony; after which the withdrew. Carantani, who probably did not know to what lengths defpair might carry a young maid, when love has once feized on her heart, pleafed himself with the thoughts of having made her change her refolution. He went with an air of triumph to carry the news to his dear Victoria and her lover, who were then together. They exulted greatly upon it, and now thought themfelves happy. As the time appointed for Olympia to take the veil was now near, Signior Carantani made the usual preparations, and, as if he thought the unhappy victim knew not to whom he was to be facrificed, he took meaS fures fures for folemnizing the marriage of his eldeft daughter at the fame time, On the day preceding that which was fixed for this double ceremony, Olympia thought it het duty to make a laft effort to foften her father, and if poffible divert him from fo bar barous a fact For this purpofe fhe again reafoned, the expoftulated, the intreated; but Carantani was equally deaf to the voice of reason, nature and religion; he continued inflexible in his purpose, and confirmed his threatnings by the most horrible oaths. Ah! my dear father, faid the amiable Olympia, with a look of unutterable tenderness aud grief, consider well what you are about, confider that your answer to me is either life or death, and be affured, that if you facrifice ine to my fifter's fortune, you will repent when it is too late; the phantoms that now mislead you will vanish at once; you will perceive with horror the effects of your delufion, and feel the pangs of remorse when they are aggravated by defpair; but further converfation will only ratify my deftruction by increafing your refentment; permit me therefore to withdraw, and do not give your final anfwer till to-morrow. But remember that if I perifh you will be wretched, and that in refufing mercy to your daughter, you give fentence against yourself.-With thefe words the left the parlour. Carantani, whofe eyes the laft fentence might have opened, disregarded it as one of thofe wild menaces which are ufually the laft refource of a paflion increased by oppofition, and exasperated by defpair. The preparations for Victoria's marriage engrossed his attention, and he thought of nothing but how to render it fplendid and magnificent. The relations who were invited to this double ceremony, were already affembled in the church of the convent, and Olympia was dressed in her richeft apparel, and most splendid ornaments, which at these times are put on only to be renounced for ever with the greater foleinnity. The dreadful moment arriven in which this blooming victim was to be con ducted to the altar then knowing that fe had nothing further to hope, yet concealing her despair, she asked leave of the nuns who were about her to go up into her cell under pretence of recollecting herself for a few minutes, and meditating in private upon the important affair which the was about to trant act. This was readily granted, and Olympia went up, not into her cell, but into a garret which was over it, and after having deplored her misfortunes, and prayed to God for pardon, the faftened to one of the beams acord, which he had taken from one of the nuns, who used it for a girdle, put it about her neck, threw herself from a little bench on which the flood, and in a few miPoterexpired. In the mean time the company, who had been almost an hour affembled in the church, waited with impatience for the beginning of the ceremony. The abbefs was acquainted with it, who was equally furprized at the delay, and asking the nuns the reason of it, was informed of Olympia's requeft: they waited almost an hour longer, but still Olympia did not appear. They then went to feek her in her cell, but there fhe was not to be found; other parts of the convent were fearched, but without fuccefs. At length, after much time spent in a fruitless enquiry, one of the nuns thought of going up into the garret. What a mournful! what a horrid fpectacle was there!The unfortunate Olympia hanging in the fatal cord with which the had put an end to her life. Seized with horror at the ghaftly fight, the ran precipitately down stairs, and rushing into the choir where the nuns were affembled, the filled them with terror and astonishment by her outcries and lamentations. The. alarm foon fpread itfelf from the choir to the church, where all the relations, with the utmoft confternation, received the news of the fudden death of the unhappy Olympia, the moft fhocking cireumftances of which the abbefs prudently concealed. At first they would not believe it; they demanded a fight of her, and going out of the church in a body, the ladies and Carantani himself (this privilege being granted to fathers) entered the convent, notwithstanding the refiftance of the abbess and nuns. What a fpectacle was this for a father, for a sister, for a whole family! One of the most amiable young women, the victim of a violent despair, all the horror of which was yet visible in her countenance ! Great as Carantani's obduracy had hitherto been, he now burft into tears, and became frantic with despair. He accufed himself too late as the murderer of his daughter, and stung with this tormenting thought, which was but too much the fuggeftion of truth, he fled from the convent, and even from the city, with the greatest precipitation. He mounted his horfe with a defign to conceal his fhamé, his grief, and his remorfe, in the obfcurity of a country feat. But heaven defigned him for a public example. He had fearce rode fix miles, when his horse taking fright, threw him, and his foot hanging in the ftirrup, he fuffered a death yet more dreadful than that of his unhappy daughter. Dragged by his horfe, which ran full speed, every limb was broken, and his body covered with wounds and bruifes. But divine justice feemed to extend itself even to his carcafe after he was dead, the head and arms of which were intirely torn off; nor did the horfe ftop till he got home. Who can con ceive the horror and confternation of his family, 1 family, when they faw the horse furiously Igaloping, and dragging after him the torn and bloody trunk! Victoria, who was an eye witnefs of this dreadful event, could not fuftain the complicated calamity, which was thus heaped upon her, on the very day in which the expected to have been compleatly happy. The death of her fifter, and of her father, attended with uncommon circumftances of horror, and the lofs of her tover, who refused to enter into an alliance with a family which suicide had dishonoured, made fo deep an impreffron upon her mind, that he died two days after, and clofed that series of difaftrous events, which afford an ever-memorable inftruction to parents with refpect to their conduct towards their children. SIR, To the Editor. LAMENT very fincerely that no em It is not fo much from the manner in which the punishments of this country are inflicted, as from the nature of the punishments themselves, that the evil arifes. Death is the penalty to fo many offend, that the law does and muft extend it, mercy to many who are perhaps jar objects of punishment The victims it now offers are fufficient, if fuch facrifices had any avail. The punishments inferior to death are in general more likely to corrupt than to reform the offender; or, if his punishment has taught him the folly as well as the wickedness of his conduct, in what manner can he teftify his reformation? His character has received a ftain which excludes him from employment and confidence. When, therefore, we observe, that so many criminals, to whom mercy has been extended, have returned to their former wickedness, it is not, perhaps, because their hearts were corrupt, but be I convicts, caule all honeft methods procuring which may render them ferviceable to the ftate, and worthy to be again reftored to that fociety they had injured by their of fences. The great defect in the punishments of this, and perhaps of every other country, I apprehend to be this, that they anfwer very imperfectly either of the purposes for which punishments are principally intended, the reformation of the offender, or deterrence from the offence. The noife and buftle of a public execution, and the crimes which are committed at the very foot of the gallows, are too evident proofs, that little impreffion is made upon thofe for whofe henefit it is particularly appointed. In those inftances where the convict braves his fate, death lofes its terror; and in those, where he meets it with compofure and refignation, he is an object of compaffion, or even of envy; rather than of deteftation and dreadThe horrors which fome experience, muft inftil in the minds of the spectators more fear of punishment than the execution of the numbers who feem willingly to submit themfelves to their fentence. Yet, inefficacious as I think a public execution is, in its fent frequency,, to the reformation of the guilty, or the prevention of crimes, I cannot agree that a private execution, and a public expofure of the dead body, would have a better effect. The mind would recoil from indulging the idea of fuch an execution, or, if the idea were indulged, compaflion for the imagined fufferings of the offender, would intirely obliterate all abhorrence of his offence; and befides, the evils which were experienced by the unfortunate Sicilians under the government of Verres, might poffibly be experinced is this country under fome avaricious executioner: a bribe might be neceffary to accelerate the ftroke of death. fiftence were out of their power. There can be little doubt, if a criminal could once thoroughly enjoy the advantages of honeft labour, that he would prefer the quiet, the health, and the esteem, which attend induftry and integrity, to the precarious, and frequently the fcanty, fubfiftence he attain's from his dangerous and miferable course of life and if, when a criminal was inclined to fupport himfelf by labour, employment was given him, there is great reafon to hope that his punishment would make him a good citizen, and that the state would create (if £ may use the expreffion) a good fubject. It would, therefore, well become the wildom of the Legislature to provide such a punishment for the idle and the abandoned, as might break the force of former bad habits, and inculcate good ones; and, after the term of punishment is expired, to offer to the convict fome public employment, which the ftate only can provide, and which the ftate might offer with perfect safety. Places of punishment, upon a small fcale, have been adopted, where labour and folitude have broken the spirit of the most fe rocious, and where nothing was requifite to make the reformation compleat but the offer of employment after the term of punishment was expired. Could the fame mode of punishment be adopted upon a larger fcale, and employment provided for the convict at the expiration of his punishment, I should hope more confidently, from fuch a plan, for a reformation in the manners of the poor, than from any feverity with which the laws, as they ftand now, can be executed. Murder, and atrocious offences, muft fometimes demand the life of the offender: and, in fuch cafes, the execution fhould be particularly folemn and aweful: but inferior offe |