The fubtle Seducer. The American Financier. Published as the Act directs by T.WALKER N 79 Dame Street · 1781. Hiflories of the Tete-a-Tete. 69 ficians, with a falary of 2001. per annum faying," he had nothing to do but go up fo many pair of ftairs to make himself whole again." In 1694 queen Mary was feized with the fmall-pox, which the court phyficians not being able to raise, Dr. Radcliffe was fent for by the council; upon perufing the recipes, he told them, without feeing her majefty, that "the was a dead woman, for it was impoflìble to do any good in her cafe, where remedies had been given that were fo contrary to the nature of the diftemper; yet he would endeavour to do all that lay in him, to give her fome eafe." Accordingly the puftules began to fill by a cordial julep he preferibed for her majefty, which gave fome faint hopes of her recovery; but thefe foon vahed, for fhe died on the 28th of December, 1694. ken; more than any other. He accepted the prefent, but declined the poft; one reafon for which feems to have been, that Radcliffe in bis political principles favoured the Jacobites, and confidered the government in an unfettled #tate. He is faid aho to have been of opinion, that he hould get more by being oceationally employed by his majefty, than by a fixed falary as his regular phyfician. And in this he appears not to have been mifta for as king William had but an infirm conftitution, and was fubject to dif, orders from a flux of rheum and an althma, Dr. Radcliffe, who was particularly diftinguished by his skill in the last mentioned diftemper, was very often called upon for his affiftance; fo that we are affured, he was more than once heard to declare, "That one year with another, for the firft eleven years of king William's reign, he cleared more than fix hundred gineas, for his bare attendance on his majetty's perfon, exclufive of his great officers." (To be continued.) Hiflories of the Tete-a-lete annexed: or, "Memoirs of the American Financier, and the Subtle Seducer. FRHAPS no period in the annals of the world has afforded fuch intances of hypocrity and impolition as the prefent. The duplicity of the fenator, the quirks of the lawyer, the machinations of the statesman, can at least be paralleled by the puff and pomp of the quack, the pride and bigotry of the priest. Nevertheless there are characters in each line that do honour to their rank; and our hero, though in many refpects a very fingular character, may, at least, by his admirers, be placed among the latter. 11691, William duke of Gloucefter being taken fo exceedingly ill that the physicians defpaired of his life, Dr. Radcffe, who was then at Epsom, being fent for by an exprefs, came up to town and attended his highnefs, whom he fo per fectly reftored, that queen Mary ordered ber chamberlain on that account to make bim a prefent of one thousand guineas. In 1692 our phyfician met with a very confiderable lofs. Among others he continted an acquaintance with Mr. Betterton; and this eminent tragedian, by the In the whole circle of our acquaintfolicitation of a friend, had depofited two ance with the cloth, whom we annually thousand pounds, or, as others fay, introduce to our readers, in order to exeght thousand, as a venture in an inter- piate the fins of the fleth for the precedloper that was bound for the East-Indies; ing twelve carnal as well as cal ndar and having a profpect of a large return, months, we do not think we have been be communicated the affair to Dr. Rad- able to produce fo perfectly qualified a chife, who readily laid down five thou- candidate for this office as the American fad pounds. The fhip was fuccefsful in Financier. Poffeffed of uncommon nathe outward bound paffage; but having, tural abilities, which have been improved to avoid the French privateers in her re- by a liberal education, he has been enaturn home, first put into Ireland, and bled to and forth, at once, the chamthen, finding no convoy ready, fet out pion for religion as well as liberty; and for England without one, fhe was taken though he never could be prevailed upon by the marquis de Nefmond, with all her to fubfcribe to the thirty nine articles, arep cargo, which amounted to 120,000l. greeable to the Rubric of the established Tas lofs, though an irreparable one to church, he has readily affented to Dr. Betterton, was not much regarded by Madan's tenets in his elaborate performRadcliffe for when the news of it was ance, entitled, Thelyphthora, as he is a brought him to the Bull-head tavern, in great advocate for the doctor's favourite Clare-market, where he was drinking text, increafe and multiply; and tho' he with feveral perfons of rank, who condol- is, in general, an enemy to fynonymous ed with him on the occafion, he, with a . expreffions, he cannot refrain from adoptfiling countenance, defired them to go ing the prefent approved one of our nowith their toating and merriment, dern Lexicographier, that population and depopu depopulation convey the fame identical But has it not been for many years the idea; else we should be greatly at a lofs to account for many of his arguments and deductions in his celebrated treatife upon that and other important fubjects. Another favourite maxim of our hero, in common with all the members of oppofition, is, that "fuccefsful rebellion becomes revolution," as he hopes the thirteen ftripes (if they do not recoil upon themfelves) will convince all the world. This outline of the character of the American Financier, will certainly point out with what propriety he is introduced at this very critical æra, in quality of a reformer, as well of our morals as our politics; and many frayed fheep having been marked by us in the course of lat year, we doubt not but such a paftor will be able to bring them back to his immaculate flock, and fecure them within the pale (if not of the church) at least of his conventicle. With regard to our hero's political principles, we may collect from his writings, that he has been a ftaunch partizan for the American caufe, notwithstanding he has lately refufed the invitation given him to vilit the fuppofed champions of liberty, and affist them with his counfels: but we shall endeavour to trace the caufe of this refufal to another fource than politics. That the American Financier bàs been betrayed into various errors in his calculations, either through ignorance or prejudice, cannot be denied; and many of these have been fo clearly refuted, that his greatest advocates and partizans are obliged to acknowledge them. Amongst others we cannot refrain noticing his eftimation of the current fpecie of Great Britain, which he rated fo low, that in a fhort time the light gold, only, that was paid into the bank, almoft equalled it. Speaking of the increase of buildings, and the decrease of the inhabitants, our hero makes this remark: The increase of buildings in London has, for feveral years, been the object of general obfervation. It deferves particular notice, that it is derived from the increase of luxury; an evil which while it flatters never fails to defroy. It has been fhewn from authentic accounts, that the decreafe of the lower people in London, has kept pace with the increafe of buildings." If we admit the fact, there must now be a far greater number of empty houfes than ever; and if this were the cafe, we should think that the rage of building would ceafe, and no man in his fenfes would chule to fling away his money, without the probability of a return of interest; and yet it continues to fpread on all fides. general complaint, that people of all ranks and profeflions flock to the capital, and thereby render the head by far too big and difproportionate to the body? Admitting, however, our hero's argument in its full latitude, fhould it not be taken into confideration, that we have now employed abroad, by land and sea, between three and four hundred thousand men. If then a proportionate draft be allowed from Middlefex, the number of whofe inhabitants, according to our author, does not much exceed half a million-may we not remain furprifed that to great a multitude of people is to be found in the metropolis? But as much more able pens have undertaken to refute many of our hero's arguments and erroneous deductions, we thall not detain our reader, herc-upon dry reasoning, but refer him to those matterly productions we have hinted at. As the American Financier is very fond of dealing in paradoxes, it would not be furprifing to hear him maintain, that it would be very judicious, and truly political, for Great Britain to grant America not only independence, but every thing the requires, on condition of paying off our national debt with her foft paper dollars. But we fear, however, as ipecious as our hero might render this doctrine, by his happy art of reafoning, and the fubtlety of his well turned periods, that he would have fome difficulty to perfuade the holders of Bank, or India íłock, to fell out upon thofe conditions. Our readers may, perhaps, think it almot time to introduce the heroine of thefe pages, known under the title of the Subtle Seducer. The lady is the daughter of an eminent under writer, who in the beginning of the prefent war was very fortunate in the alley, and had at one time realized near forty thoufinds; but fome late capital ftrokes of the enemy reduced his fortune to a very small pittance, and he was compelled fome time fince to waddle out as well as he could. Mifs P's perfon is remarkably agreeable and eng ging, which being much improved by a polite education, the may be pronounced a very accomplished woman. Upon finding her father's affairs taking a difagreeable turn, the judged it prudent to attempt making fome provifion for herself. Our heroine had frequented all public places for fome years, in the course if which time he had a number of admirers, fome of whom were men of rank and fanaly, but at the fame time they were, for the greater part, of a gay dif fpated turn, and had made free with their conftitutions as well as their fortes, and to repair both, they judged a Letrimonial plan would prove eligible? Mifs P was confidered, in moft polite circles, as a young lady of good furtune, and in this prefumption they paid their addreffes to her. The most ardent of her admirers was captain L- of the Fuards, who refolved to make a bold push, and gain her father's confent, as without t's approbation the business would be kry imperfectly transacted. in the captain's interview with Mr. P, be toon came to a point, telling bm briefly, that he believed he was not agreeable to his daughter, but that beg unwilling to do any thing in a clandelthe manner, asked the old gentleman's confent for offering Mifs P his Land Her father replied he had not the tour of being perfonally acquainted with the captain, but that he had heard te was of a good family, and should have to objection if his daughter agreed to the match. With thefe glad tidings he waited upon the young lady, who could not Conceal her fatisfaction upon the occa This intelligence greatly difconcerted Mr. L, who was much preffed for money, and had promised punctually to acquit fome debts of honour to a confiderable amount, immediately after his marriage. Soch was the ftate of this treaty, when the unfortunate news of Mr. P's capal lofs arrived, which put a period to the captain's vifits, and all thoughts of bar perfpective grandeur. Mr. P had at this period a house Hackney, where our hero was confidered as one of the family, and enteraited a very high opinion of Mifs P's accomplishments, though it is afferted, be never viewed her through any other medium than that of friendship. Mifs P was not infenfible to the American Financier's civility and politeDefs, as he often prefented her with trin cts and new years gifts, that plainly in 7፤ dicated the predilection he entertained for her refined fentiments and uncommon abilities; which, however, the did not ftrongly folicit to' come into play, or exert, as fhe had no defign whatever upon our hero. On the contrary, her views were far superior to thole of captivating a prieft, either by her perfonal or mental attractions, and therefore all his compliments had been hitherto returned with only polite coolnefs. But the fcene was now altered; the late derangement in her family affairs had brought her to a fenfe of reason, and the neceffity there was for laying fome plan for a future etablishment. She therefore now called forth all her accomplishments and attractions to captivate our hero; and having read all his works, the, by the affillance of her knowledge in figures, was capable of reafoning upon moft of his calculations, which the highly approved; a circumftance that failed not to add great force to her other allurements, and she was foon convinced of the complete conqueft she had made. It is faid that our hero was at this time upon the point of departing for America, in confequence of the invitat on given hima by Congrefs. His affection, however, for Mifs P made him decline the voyage, and he pleaded in excufe his age and infirmities: but in fact the Subtle Seducer had rivetted his chains, which confined him to this island. Some of our readers may be inclined to think that this connection is tinctured with fome feelings more amorous than fentimental; but notwithflanding our hero's opinion relative to Dr. Madan's late production, there is great reafon to believe it is truly Platonic, and, perhaps, for the very reafons he affigned for not accepting the invitation of Congress. An affecting Story. (From the Reverend Mr. Martin Sherlock's "New Letters," just published.) THE count de Peltzer, an Officer in Tthe Pruffian fervice, was the only fon of a widow near fixty years old. He was handfome, brave to an excefs, and deeply in love with mademoiselle de Benfkow. She was in her eighteenth year, gente:l, pretty, and born with an extreme fenfibility. Her lover, jutt turned of twenty, was loved with a paffion equal to his own, and the day was fixed to make them happy. It was the 20th of June, 1778. The Pruffian troops are always ready to take the field. On the 17th of June, at ten o'clock at night, the count's regi ment |