manner reflecting upon the great misfortunes and calamities incident to human life; among which there are none that touch fo fenfibly as thofe which befal perfons who eminently love, and meet with fatal interruptions of their happiness when they least expect it. The piety of children to parents, and the affection of parents to their children, are the effects of inftin&: But the affection between lovers and friends is founded on reafon and choice, which has always made me think the forrows of the latter much more to be pitied than thofe of the former. The contemplation of diftreffes of this fort foftens the mind of man, and makes the heart better. It extinguishes the feeds of envy and ill-will towards mankind, corrects the pride of profperity, and beats down all that fiercenefs and infolence which are apt to get into the minds of the daring and fortunate.

For this reafon the wife Athenians, in their theatrical performances, laid before the eyes of the people the greatest afflictions which could befal human life, and infenfibly polished their tempers by fuch reprefentations. Among the moderns, indeed, there has arofe a chimerical method of difpofing the fortune of the perfons reprefented, according to what they call poetical juftice; and letting none be unhappy but those who deferve it. In fuch cafes, an intelligent fpectator, if he is concerned, knows he ought not to be fo; and can learn nothing from fuch a tenderness, but that he is a weak creature, whofe paffions cannot follow the dictates of his underftanding. It is very natural, when one is got into fuch a way of thinking, to recollect thofe examples of forrow which have made the ftrongeft impreffion upon our imaginations. An inftance or two of fuch you will give me leave to communicate.

A young Gentleman and Lady of ancient and honourable houfes in Cornwall, had from their childhood entertained for each other a generous and noble paffion, which had been long oppofed by their friends, by reason of the inequality of their fortunes; but their conftancy to each other, and obedience to thofe on whom they de pended, wrought fo much upon their relations, that these celebrated lovers were at length joined in marriage. Soon after their nuptials, the bridegroom was obliged to

go

go into a foreign country to take care of a confiderable fortune, which was left him by a relation, and came very opportunely to improve their moderate circumftances. They received the congratulations of all the country on this occafion; and I remember it was a common fentence in every one's mouth, "You fee how faithful love is "rewarded."

He took this agreeable voyage, and fent home every poft fresh accounts of his fuccefs in his affairs abroad; but at last, though he defigned to return with the next fhip, he lamented in his Letters, that bufinefs would detain him fome time longer from home; because he would give himself the pleasure of an unexpected arrival.

The young Lady, after the heat of the day, walked every evening on the fea-fhore, near which the lived, with a familiar friend, her husband's kinfwoman; and diverted herself with what objects they met there, or up-on difcourfe of the future methods of life, in the happy change of their circumftances. They food one evening on the fhore together in a perfect tranquillity, obferving the fetting of the fun, the calm face of the Deep, and the filent heaving of the waves, which gently rolled towards them, and broke at their feet; when at a distance her kinfwoman faw fomething float on the waters, which fhe fancied was a cheft; and with a fmile told her, the faw it firft, and if it came afhore full of jewels, she had a right to it. They both fixed their eyes upon it, and entertained themselves with the fubject of the wreck, the coufin fill afferting her right; but promifing, if it was a prize, to give her a very rich coral for the child of which he was then big, provided the might be god-mother. Their mirth foon abated, when they obferved, upon the nearer approach, that it was a human body. The young Lady, who had a heart naturally filled with pity and compaffion, made many melancholy reflections on the occafion. Who knows, faid fhe, but this man may be the only hope and heir of a wealthy houfe; the darling of indulgent parents, who are now in impertinent mirth, and pleafing themfelves with the thoughts of offering him a bride they have got ready for him? or, may he not be the mafter of a family that wholly depended upon his life? There may, for aught we know, be half a dozen

16

a dozen fatherlefs children, and a tender wife, now expofed to poverty by his death. What pleasure might he have promised himself in the different welcome he was to have from her and them? But let us go away; it is a dreadful fight! The beft office we can do, is to take care that the poor man, whoever he is, may be decently buried. She turned away, when a wave threw the carcass on the fhore. The kinfwoman immediately fhrieked out, Oh, my cousin! and fell upon the ground. The unhappy wife went to help her friend, when fhe faw her own husband at her feet, and dropped in a fwoon upon the body. An old woman, who had been the Gentleman's nurfe, came out about this time to call the Ladies in to fupper, and found her child, as she always called him, dead on the fhore, her mistress and kinfwoman both lying dead by him. Her loud lamentations, and calling her young mafter to life, foon awaked the friend from her trance; but the wife was gone for ever.

When the family and neighbourhood got together round the bodies, no one asked any question, but the objects before them told the ftory.

Incidents of this nature are the more moving when they are drawn by perfons concerned in the catastrophe, notwithstanding they are often oppreffed beyond the power of giving them in a distinct light, except we gather their forrow from their inability to speak it.

I have two original letters written both on the fame day, which are to me exquifite in their different kinds. The occafion was this: A Gentleman who had courted a molt agreeable young woman, and won her heart, obtained alfo the confent of her father, to whom she was an only child. The old man had fancy that they fhould be married in the fame church where he himself was, in a village in Weftmorland, and made them fet out while he was laid up with the gout at London. The Bridegroom took only his man, and the Bride her maid: They had the moft agreeable journey imaginable to the place of marriage; from whence the Bridegroom writ the following Letter to his wife's father.

SIR,

March 18, 1672.

FTER a very pleasant journey hither, we are A preparing for the happy hour in which I am to "be your fon. I affure you the Bride carries it, in the eye of the Vicar who married you, much beyond her "mother; though he fays, your open fleeves, panta"loons, and fhoulder-knot, made a much better show "than the finical drefs I am in. However, I am con"tented to be the fecond fine man this village ever faw, "and shall make it very merry before night, because I "fhall write myself from thence,

Your most dutiful fon,

T. D.

"The Bride gives her duty, and is as handsome as an "angel-I am the happiest man breathing."

The villagers were affembling about the church, and the happy couple took a walk in a private garden. The Bridegroom's man knew his matter would leave the place on a fudden after the wedding, and feeing him draw his pistols the night before, took this opportunity to go into his chamber and charge them. Upon their return from the garden, they went into that room; and after a little fond raillery on the fubject of their courtship, the lover took up a piftol, which he knew he had unloaded the night before, and prefenting it to her, faid, with the moft graceful air, whilft fhe looked pleafed at his agreeable flattery; Now, Madam, repent of all thofe cruelties you have been guilty of to me; confider before you die, how often you have made a poor wretch freeze under your cafement; you fhall die, you tyrant, you fhall die, with all thofe inftruments of death and destruction about you, with that inchanting fmile, thofe killing ringlets of your hair-Give fire, faid fhe, laughing. He did fo and hot her dead. Who can fpeak his condition? But he bore it fo patiently as to call up his man. The poor wretch entered, and his mafter locked the door upon him. Will, faid he, did you charge thefe piftols?

He

He answered, Yes. Upon which he shot him dead with that remaining. After this, amidst a thousand broken fobs, piercing groans, and distracted motions, he writ the following Letter to the father of his dead miftrefs.

SIR,

46

Who two hours ago told you truly, I was the happiest man alive, am now the moft miferable. "Your daughter lies dead at my feet, killed by my hand, through a mistake of my man's charging my piftols unknown to me. Him have I murdered for it. "Such is my wedding day.I will immediately fol"low my wife to her grave: But before I throw myfelf upon my fword, I command my diftraction fo far as to explain my flory to you. I fear my heart will not keep together until I have ftabbed it. Poor good old "man!--Remember, he that killed your daughter, died for it. In the article of death I give you my thanks, and pray for you, though I dare not for my"felf. If it be poffible, do not curfe me."

་་

N° 83.

Thursday, October 20, 1709.

Senilis ftultitia, quæ deliratio appellari folet, fenum levium eft, non omnium. M. T. C. That which is ufually called dotage is not the foible of all old men, but only of fuch as are remarkable for their levity and inconftancy.

I

From my own Apartment, October 19.

T is my frequent practice to vifit places of refort in this town where I am leaft known, to obferve what` reception my Works meet with in the world, and what good effects I may promise myself from my labours:

And