great truth of him, one single instance excepted, which shall be mentioned. He joined to the noblest and strictest principles of honour and generosity the tenderest sentiments of benevolence and compassion; and as he was naturally warm, he could not even hear of an injustice or a baseness, without a sudden indignation, nor of the misfortunes or miseries of a fellow-creature, without melting into softness, and endeavouring to relieve them. This part of his character was so universally known, that our best and most satirical English poet says; When I confess, there is one who feels for fame, And melts to goodness, Scarb'rough need I name? He had not the least pride of birth and rank, that common narrow notion of little minds, that wretched mistaken succedaneum of merit; but he was jealous to anxiety of his character, as all men are who deserve a good one. And such was his diffidence upon that subject, that he never could be persuaded that mankind really thought of him as they did. For surely never man had a higher reputation, and never man enjoyed a more universal esteem. Even knaves respected him ; and fools thought they loved him. If he had any enemies, for I protest I never knew one, they could only be such as were weary of always hearing of Aristides the Just. He was too subject to sudden gusts of passion, but they never hurried him into any illiberal or indecent expression or action; so invincibly habitual to him were good nature and good manners. But, if ever any word happened to fall from him in warmth, which upon subsequent reflection he himself thought too strong, he was never easy till he had made more than a sufficient atonement for it. He had a most unfortunate, I will call it a most fatal kind of melancholy in his nature, which often made him both absent and silent in company, but never morose or sour. At other times he was a cheerful and agreeable companion; but, conscious that he was not always so, he avoided company too much, and was too often alone, giving way to a train of gloomy reflections. His constitution, which was never robust, broke rapidly at the latter end of his life. He had two severe strokes of apoplexy or palsy, which considerably affected his body and his mind. I desire that this may not be looked upon as a full and finished character, writ for the sake of writing it; but as my solemn deposit of the truth to the best of my knowledge. I owed this small tribute of justice, such as it is, to the memory of the best man I ever knew, and of the dearest friend I ever had. Miscellanies. P. 179, l. 1. 1740. Lord Scarborough. The seventh earl, who committed suicide in P. 180, 1. 23. Of the direction of the intention, i.e. that the end justifies the means. P. 180, l. 27. P. 181, l. 10. P. 182, l. 6. Practicable. We should now use “ practical” in this sense. ROBERT PALTOCK. Robert Paltock is little more than a nominis umbra, but someone of the name who lived in Clement's Inn was connected with the authorship of Peter Wilkins. Whoever wrote it, wrote what has almost all the vividness and nature of Defoe with a treble portion of tenderness and grace. PETER'S COURTSHIP. As we talked and walked by the lake, she made a little run before me and sprung into it. Perceiving this, I cried out; whereupon she merrily called on me to follow her. The light was then so dim, as prevented my having more than a confused sight of her when she jumped in; and looking earnestly after her, I could discern nothing more than a small boat on the water, which skimmed along at so great a rate that I almost lost sight of it presently; but running along the shore for fear of losing her, I met her gravely walking to meet me; and then had entirely lost sight of the boat upon the lake.-"This," accosting me with a smile, " is my way of sailing, which I perceive by the fright you were in, you are altogether unacquainted with: and as you tell me, you came from so many thousand miles off, it is possible you may be made differently from me : but surely we are the part of the creation which has had most care bestowed upon it; and I suspect from all your discourse to which I have been very attentive, it is possible you may no more be able to fly than to sail as I do."-" No, charming creature, that I cannot, I'll assure you." She then stepping to the edge of the lake, for the advantage of a descent before her, sprung up into the air, and away she went, farther than my eyes could follow her. I was quite astonished. "So," said I," then all is over! all a delusion which I have so long been in! a mere phantom! Better had it been for me never to have seen her than thus to lose her again! But what could I expect had she staid? For it is plain she is no human composition.—But, she felt like flesh too, when I lifted her out at the door!" I had but very little time for reflection; for in about ten minutes after she had left me in this mixture of grief and amazement, she alighted just by me on her feet. Her return as she plainly saw filled me with a transport not to be concealed; and which as she afterwards told me was very agreeable to her. Indeed I was some moments in such an agitation of mind from these unparalleled incidents, that I was like one thunderstruck; but coming presently to myself, and clasping her in my arms with as much love and passion as I was capable of expressing, and for the first time with any desire, "Are you returned again, kind angel,” said I, “to bless a wretch who can only be happy in adoring you! Can it be, that you, who have so many advantages over me, should quit all the pleasures that nature has formed you for, and all your friends and relations to take an asylum in my arms! But I here make you a tender of all I am able to bestow-my love and constancy."-" Come, come," replied she, no more raptures; I find you are a worthier man than I thought I had reason to take you for, and I beg your pardon for my distrust, whilst I was ignorant of your imperfections; but now I verily believe all you have said is true; and I promise you as you have seemed so much to delight in me, I will never quit you till death, or other fatal accident shall part us. But we will now if you choose go home; for I know you have been some time uneasy in this gloom, though agreeable to me: for giving my eyes the pleasure of looking eagerly on you it conceals my blushes from your sight." Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins. 66 P. 183, l. 1. She. Youwarkee, the gawry or flying girl whom accident has brought to Peter, IN HENRY FIELDING. Henry Fielding was born at Sharpham in Somersetshire in 1707, and died at Lisbon in 1754. He divided his life between hard spending as a man of pleasure, and hard earning as a man of letters and a police magistrate. His four great novels put him, if not at the head of all English novelists, at least in a position shared only by Scott and Thackeray. PARTRIDGE AT THE PLAY. N the first row, then, of the first gallery, did Mr. Jones, Mrs. Miller, her youngest daughter, and Partridge, take their places. Partridge immediately declared, it was the finest place he had ever been in. When the music was played, he said, "It was a wonder how so many fiddlers could play at one time, without putting one another out." While the fellow was lighting the upper candles, he cried out to Mrs. Miller, "Look, look, madam, the very picture of the man in the end of the Commonprayer-book, before the gunpowder-treason service." Nor could he help observing, with a sigh, when all the candles were lighted, "That here were candles enough burnt in one night, to keep an honest poor family for a twelvemonth." As soon as the play, which was Hamlet Prince of Denmark, began, Partridge was all attention, nor did he break silence till the entrance of the ghost; upon which he asked Jones, what man that was in the strange dress? "Something," said he, "like what I have seen in a picture. Sure it is not armour, is it?" Jones answered, "That is the ghost." To which Partridge replied with a smile, "Persuade me to that, sir, if you can. |