nately wanting in room, I would have a building erected for the purpofe or rather two, one in town, and the other in the country, where perfons unhappily affected in their minds, by gaming, fhould be confined. One of thefe houfes I would have erected in or about St. James's Street, the other in or near that town which is partly in Suffolk and partly in Cambridgeshire, and is known by the name of Newmarker. To the town houfe I would confine all madmen, whofe ravings turn. moftly on cards, pharo, E O, and fuch games; and the country house might contain perfons deranged by runn'ng-horfes, bets,, and jockies. Proper perfons might be appointed, as keepers, nurfes, and phyficians, and none deemed curable unless thofe whofe fenfes feemed fo far to return, that they conceived the life of a profeffed gamefter as beneath the notice or purfuit of a rational creature, or an honest man. Incurables fhould be deemed those, who after having once recovered their fenfes, about the prime of life, become lunatic again in old age: thefe of courfe ought to be confined for the remainder of their days; for I cannot fee why other madmen fhould be confined merely becaufe they may ftike or beat people, or throw ftones, while these madmen of rank are allowed to contaminate the morals and corrupt the hearts of a whole people, and bring ruin and deftruction on their families and friends, and on all, who, catching the distemper from them, follow their example. But, as Nature has made nothing in vain, may not even thefe mad inen have their ufes in the great chain of creatures? As vermin and noxious animals are found useful in giving warning to man to promote cleanliness, which is fubfervient to health, may not thefe perfons we have been fpeaking of, ferve to wean us from attachment to high life, fince it is attended with a noxious contamination, from which it is al most impoffible to efcape; and to reconcile us to the moderate enjoy. ment of fuch wealth as industry procures, and economy keeps, and to convince us, that in every station of life, it is he who employs his wealth, his time, and his talents, like a rational creature, and an ufeful member of society, that posiefits real happiness, and is entitled to real eficem, Defcription of HOLDENBY PALACE, In NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. [With a View elegantly engraved.] TOLDENBY Palace is fituated fix miles fouth west of Northampton. It was built by fir Chrifto. pher Hatton, lord high chancellor of England, privy counfellor to queen Elizabeth, and knight of the garter. It is fituated on a pleasant hill commanding a delightful prof. pect, and called Holdenby-houfe, in remembrance of his great grandmother, heiress of that ancient fami ly the Holdenbys; but fir Chrifto. pher dying unmarried, left fir William Newport, knight, his fifter's fon, heir, who, in default of male iffue, gave his eftate to fir Chrifto. pher Hatton, his godfon and nearest kinfman: afterwards it became a palace to king Charles the First, and when he was delivered to the parlia ment, he was three months kept prifoner there. This palace was in the poffeffion of her grace the late duchefs dowager of Marlborough, and its remains, of which we have given a view, fhew that it was a very magnificent fracture. A correspondence was now fet:led between the two lovers. Don Pedro was defirous to be fill more intimate. He had long folicited permiffion to converfe with Celeftina through her latices; fuch is the cuftom in Spain; where the win ELESTINA, at feventeen, was CE the most admired beauty in Grenada. She was an orphan and heiress to an immenfe fortune, under the guardianship of an old and ava-dows are of much more ufe during ricious uncle, whofe name was Alonzo, and who paffed his days in counting ducats, and his nights in filencing ferenades nocturnally addreffed to Celestina. His defign was to marry her, for the fake of her great fortune, to his own fun, Henriquez, who had studied ten years in the university of Salamanca, and was now able to explain Cornelius Nepos tolerably well. Almost all the cavaliers of Grenada were in love with Celeftina. As they could only obtain a fight of her at mals, the church fhe frequented was filled with great numbers of the handsomeft and most accomplished youths of the country. One of the most diftinguished among these was Don Pedro, a captain of cavalry, about twenty, not very rich, but of one of the first families. Handfome, polite, and witty, he drew on himfelf the eyes of all the ladies of Grenada; though he himself paid attention to none but Celeftina: while fhe, not infenfible to his attachment, began, on her part, to take confiderable notice of her admirer. the night than the day. They are the places of rendezvous. When the ftreet is vacant and fill, the lover. wraps himfelf up in his cloak, and, taking his fword, invoking love and night to favour him, proceeds to fome low latice, grated on the fide. next the fireet, and fecured on the infide by shutters. He waits not long before the window opens, foftly, and the charming maid appears. She afks, in a tremu-. lous voice if any one is there. Her lover, transported at her condefcen- · fion, endeavours to difpel her fears: they talk in a whisper, and repeat the fame thing a hundred times. The gratings cannot hinder their interchanging vows; though they may prevent their kiffes. The lo.er curfes the envious bars, while his mistress thanks them for their friends ly interpofition. Day, at length, approaches, and they must feparate.. They are an hour in taking leave; and part, at last, without having faid half the tender things they intended. Celeftina's latice was on the ground floor, and opened into a narTwo months paffed away without row paflage, where the houses were the lovers daring to fpeak, though,ill buiit, and only inhabited by the nevertheless, they filently faid a lower clafs of people. Don Pedro's great deal. At the end of that time old nurfe happened to occupy a tene Don Pedro found the means of con- ment directly oppofite the window veying a letter to his miftrefs; which of Celestina. Pedro, therefore, reinformed her of what he knew be-paired to his nurfe. My good wo fore. The referved Celeftina had man, faid he, I have been much to VOL. XXII. 3 N blame blame to fuffer you to live fo long | box of jewels which had been left in this miferable habitation; but I am determined to make you amends by giving you an apartment in my own house. Come and refide in that, and leave me to difpofe of this. The honeft woman could not refrain from tears; and, for a long time, refufed; but, at laff, overcome by his folicitations, fhe confented to the exchange, with every expreffion of gratitude, for the kindness of her benefactor. Never did any monarch enter his palace with more fatisfaction than Don Pedro took poffeffion of the hovel of his nurse. Early in the evening Celeftina appeared at her latice. She promifed to repair thither every other day, and he kept her word. Thefe delightful interviews ferved only to increase the flame of love; and, very foon the lovers' nights were paffed in pleafing converfation, and their days in writing paffionate epiftles. At length they both arrived at that intoxication of delight and anxiety which is the last period of the paffion of love. Juft at this time Henriquez, the intended husband of Celeftina, arrived from Salamanca; bringing with him a declaration of his paffion in Latin, which had been written for him by the head of the college. The lovers confulted each other on this event at the latice; but in the mean time the old guardian had drawn up a contract of marriage, and a day was fixed on for the celebration of the nuptials of Celestina and Henriquez. Every one muft perceive that, under fuch circumstances, the only remedy was to fly into Portugal. This was determined on, and it was alfo fettled that the two lovers, on arriving at Lisbon, fhould first marry, and afterwards have recourse to the law against the guardian. Celestina was to carry with her her by her mother. Thefe were very valuable, and would le sufficient to maintain the happy couple till their law-fuit fhould be decided in their favour. No plan could ever be laid with more prudence. Nothing was now wanting but to contrive how to effect this efcape; and, for this purpose, it was neceffary to procure the key of the latice. In this Celeftina fucceeded. It was therefore refolved that the next night, at eleven, Don Pedro, after having ordered horfes to wait without the city, fhould come and fetch Ccleftina; who should defcend from the window into the arms of her lover, and immediately fet off for Portugal. Don Pedro spent the whole day in preparations for his departure. Ce ieftina, on her part, was equally bufy in getting ready the little box fhe was to take with her. She was very careful not to omit fecuring in it a very fine emerald, which had been given her by her lover. Celeftina and her box were ready by eight in the evening: and before ten, Don Pedro, who had already provided carriages on the road to Andalufia, arrived at the appointed fpot; his heart beating with pertur bation and hope. As he approached the place, he heard perfons calling for help, and perceived two men attacked by five affaffins, armed with fwords and bludgeons. The brave Pedro forgot his own affairs to defend the lives of the affaulted. He wounded two, and put the other three affaffins to flight. What was his farprise, on more attentively confidering those he had delivered, to perceive they were no other than Henriquez and Ćeleflina's guardian, Alonzo! Some defperate young cavalier of the city, who was in love with Ce'eftina, knowing it was intended that Henriquez fhould aefpoufe her, had hired bravos, a Species |