Jack Wildfire, was fo enraptured at having it in his power to obtain Mrs. Cleland's band, that he immediately accepted of the commiffion, and vowed ber for should either fall a facrifice to her juft refentment, or that he would not furvive the conflict. “Tell me but his Dame, be added, and I will go in purfuit of him this inftant." You will be furprifed, refumed Mrs. Cleland, when I tell you the Name of this bafe feducerhe is no other than Williams," "Williams!" faid he, with aftonishment. "Even fo," the replied. "After having carried off my daughter, and placed her out of my power of reaching her, he has returned back to fave appearances, and make the world believe he had no hand inter elopement." Wildfire, who knew Williams, began fomewhat to relax from his first eagernefs. "Madam, faid he, is not juftice open to you?' "Certainly, the replied, Ihould have taken that courfe had I been in poffeffion of evidences. In vain did I make the flricteft enquiry if any one could give me the leaft infight into this treacherous affair-I could trace nothing that would be of service to me. Therefore, I have no other means left than to avenge the infult myself, or at kaft to guide the arm that will stand forth in my caufe. You, Sir, I have fixed upon; and I repeat it, upon that condi. tion, my hand and my whole fortune fhall be yours." Thefe laft words again rouzed Wildfire's ambition, and he promised that ere to-morrow's dawn he would go in fearch of their common enemy. After this promife he retired. Mrs. Cleland paffed a night of greater tranquillity than the had done for fome time before. The hope of foon seeing her vengeance compleated, calmed for fome moments her impetuous and cruel soul. The fun had scarce appeared above the horizon before Wildfire fet forward in purfuit of Williams. He called in his way at Mrs. Cleland's, and fhe was already ftirring, and no fooner faw him than the enquired what news?" I fly, Madam, to obey your commands." Thefe words threw her into fuch extacy, that the flung her arms round his neck and tenderly embraced him, feemingly anxious of inflaming him ftill more in her caufe, and it had the defired effect. Such is the influence of dangerous women, that we become their flaves, facriSicing friendship and every focial tie, to their blind paffions. Wildfire rushing from her arms, feemed to fly upon the wings of love to certain victory. 31 Knowing Williams's great fondnefs of fhooting, he thought, as the weather was fo favourable fer this fport, he should certainly meet him in his ufual track. But, by fome accident, Williams did not go out that morning. Wildfire fruitlefly waited near his house for several hours fucceffively. At length, his patience being quite exhaufted, he went into an adjacent public house, and wrote as follows. "You have overwhelmed with shame and difgrace a family for whom I have a great efteem. It is with your blood that I muft wash away this dishonour, of which I participate. I expect to meet you by eight o'clock at the end of your garden wall. I fhall be alone." When Williams received this billet, he was with his father, who opened it. "Heavens! what do I read, faid the good old man every thing confpires to rend my heart in pieces. Read, my fon, and fee if you are capable of being guilty of what you are accufed." "No, father, replied Williams, I am calumniated-but my blood is required, and it must be fpilt, a mother, unworthy of being fuch, bas buried her daughter alive, but nothing less than my life can fatisfy her, but this female monfter's design is not yet accomplished. The wretch that is willing to lend his hand, may firft experience the effects of mine, being guided by love and honour." "What do you talk of honour? faid his father; in what does it confist ? Did it ever require us to cut one another's throats? more cruel than the moft ferocious animals, man makes true glory confift in fhedding the blood of his fellow creatures! Shocking and barbarous custom." Young Williams, refolving to obey the mandate, made no reply, but feemed to acquiefce in his father's reafoning, in order to conceal his intention. "Your will, Sir, is my law; I feel that my foul which was animated with falfe glory, yields implicitly to your reafoning. It does more, it defpifes the offence, and pities the offender." The air of fincerity with which this was expreffed, impofed upon the old man, who embraced his fon with great tenderness for yielding to his remonftrance; and young Williams, to complete the impofition, tore the biliet in pieces and threw it into the fire, Williams retired to his chamber earlier than ufual, left by quitting the house whilft his father might lee bim, fome fufpicions might arife. The windows of his apartment were low, and he could cafisly let let himself down, which he accordingly did. It was fcarce half past seven before he went to the spot of rendezvous, where he met Wildfire. "Come, Sir, let an explanation immediately take place, or fome may come in search of me." Saying this he drew his fword, and his antagonist had only time to do the fame, when they attacked each other with equal fury, and many lounges paffed before either was wounded. Mr. Williams, who was not fo athletic as his antagonist, began to faint with the fatigue; and he thought it neceffary, in his prefent critical fituation, to oppofe artifice to ftrength, Williams laid himself entirely open; Wildfire deceived by this fratagem, flew violently at him, and expofed himself by his want of fkill, which Williams profiting by, ran him through the body. Williams had no fooner withdrawn his fword than he made a precipitate retreat towards the garden wall; but before he reached the Gate he was furrounded by four men in masks, who immediately feized and difarmed him, then blinded his eyes and put him into a chaife that was waiting in an adjacent wood. Those kidnappers, who were employed by Mrs. Cleland, and were promifed a confiderable fum for executing her project, were to feize Williams in the manner juft mentioned, in cafe he fhould prove victorious. The chaife had driven fome miles before it ftopt. During the time Williams could obtain no answer from two of the ruffians, who were in the chaife with him. At length they alighted at a handfome house at fome diftance from the Road, the avenue of which was a narrow lane. Here he was conducted to a dark room that refembled one of the cells in the Baftile, the aperture of a window only tended to make darkness vifible." The door was locked upon him, and he was left to meditate upon his impending fate. A violent ftorm of hail, thunder and lightning arofe, which gratified his melancholy; for, as Zanga says. (Continued from our Appendix for 1783, p. 707.) It T was not at that time declared that they had received advice of the weaknefs of the garrifon at Arcot, and that they propofed taking advantage of it by making an unexpected attack upon the fort. Captain Clive, accordingly, made a forced march of near twenty miles to Conjeveram, at which place the garrifon of the pagoda furrendered without waiting for a fecond fummons; and, in a few hours, the conjecture that had been entertained of the enemy's defign was afcertained, advice being received that they were on full march towards Arcot. Captain Clive's troops were too greatly fatigued to pursue them inftantly; but the fucceeding day he followed them. Whilst they were on the road a letter was received from the commandant at Arcot, which brought advice that the enemy had entered the town and attacked the fort with mufquetry for fome hours; expecting that the gates would have been opened to them by two Officers of the Sepoys belonging to the English, with whom they had correfponded; but the scheme had been detected, and the enemy's fignals not being anfwered, had retired precipitately, and the route they had taken was unknown. In this ftate of uncertainty it was refolved to march with all poflible expedition to Arcot. The troops arrived within fight of Covrepauk towards the evening: when the front were marching on the main road, without fufpicion they were fired upon at a fhort distance by nine field pieces of the French artillery, which were pofted in a grove and concealed by thick trees, having a ditch and bank in front: fome mifchief was done before the fire could be avoided; but fortunately there was a water courfe at fome diftance from the "Horrors now were not difpleafing to road, wherein the infantry were com him;" and he faid with the Moor, • I like this rocking of the battlementRage on ye winds-burst clouds and waters roar. You bear a juft refemblance of my fortune, And fuit the gloomy habit of my foul" manded to shelter themselves; and the baggage was ordered back under an efcort and field pieces. Another platoon of Europeans with two field pieces and 200 Sepoys were detached to oppose Raja Saheb's cavalry, which were now extending themfelves on the plain westward of the water courfe. In the interim the remainder of the artillery posted on the right oppofed the enemy's fire from this grove. The French infantry entered the water course, add advancing in columns, the English forined in the like manner, and a fire was kept up for near hours by moon light. They continued in this fituation, without either making an attack with bayonets. The cavalry of the enemy made various attacks that proved unfuccefsful against their opponents, and the baggage which continued in the rear. Their artillery in the grove, however, be ing answered only by three field pieces, proved fuccessful in proportion to their fuperior ftrength; and either killed or wounded fuch a number of the English gunners, that it was prudent to make are treat, unle Is poff ffon could be gained of their artillery. Capt. Clive was not def titute of hopes that this attempt might he atchieved, and, accordingly, at night fent a ferjeant, who spoke the language of the country, with fome Sepoys to reconnoitre; upon his return, he brought intelligence that the enemy had pofted no guards in the rear of the grove. In confequence of this advice co picked Euro peans, with 400 Sepoys, were ordered to march to that fot under the command of heutenant Keene with the ferjeant, above mentioned, for their guide. The detachment was accompanied by captain Clive himfelf half way; who on his return found the troops who were engaged in the water courfe, fo greatly dejected by heutenant Keene's quitting them, that they were all ready to take flight, fome having fet the example. With much difficulty the captain rallied them, and the fire was renewed. In the interim lieutenant Keene taking a large circuit, arrived oppofite the rear of the grove, when he halted about 300 yards diftant, whilst enfign Symmonds went to reconnoitre the enemy's difpofition. He h..! not far advanced before he reached a deep trench, in which all the enemy's Sepoys, whofe attendance in the water courfe had not been required were feated, to avoid danger. They challenged the enfign and were upon the point of dispatching him, but fpeaking French Buently he paffed on as a French officer as far as the grove, where he observed, befides the men posted at the guns, about 100 Europeans ftationed for their fupport, who only kept a look out towards the field of battle; and on his return paffing to the right of the trench, where be had met with the Sepoys, he rejoined his own party, who directly marched by the fame route Symmonds had returned, and reaching the grove, without being perceived by the enemy, fired in a geneTal volley at about thirty yards diftance. Hib. Mag. Jan. 1784. The enemy were fo furprised that they did not return it with a tingle thot, but immediately abandoned their guns and took to flight. Several of them took fhelter in a choultry that was in the grove, where they were incapable of using their arms, being fo crouded. The English, after drawing up before the choultry, offered them quarter, which they eagerly accepted, and the French delivered up their arms and yielded themselves prifoners. The fudden filence of the enemy's artillery convinced the English, at the water courfe, of the fuccefs of their detachment; but the enemy's infantry were ignorant of the event till fome of their own people, who had escaped from the grove, made them acquainted with it. No fooner had they learnt this difafter, than they immediately took to flight, in the most precipitate manner, and the cavalry, at the fame time, difperf ed. The whole army now united, and continued under arms till day break, when they difcovered they were in poffeffion of nine field pieces, three cohorns, and had taken fixty French prifoners; £fty lay dead on the field, with at least 300 Sepoys who had been much more expofed than the Europeans. On the fide of the English forty were killed, befides 30 Sepoys, and the wounded were far more numerous. Some of the fugites took refuge in the adjacent fort of Covrepuk. The gover. nor, at firft, refufed furrendering it; but upon the fugitives retiring, he altered his refolution and furrendered. The troops marched from hence to Arcot, and the fucceeding day proceeded towards Velore, not with the view of reducing it, but in the expectation that fome fkirmishes would induce Mortiz, Ally to pay a contribution, or deliver up the baggage and elephants, which Raja Saheb had depofited in his fort after railing the fiege of Arcot : but ere the troops appeared in view of Velore, captain Clive received directions from the prefidency of Fort St. David to march to that place with the troops under his command, it having been refolved upon to fend that force to Tritchinopoly. He, accordingly, altered his route, and marching across the country reached the spot where N-zir-jing had been flain. Here Was a rfing town, the fruit of Mr. Dupleix's vanity to commemorate that bale action. It was called Dupleix Fatebad, or the town of Dupleix's victory. Iadeed, it was reported that a column with a pompous infeription was in hand to record this great deed, and that it might be known to many nations it was to be inE fcribed fcribed in no lefs than four different languages (French, Malabar, Perfic, and Indoftan) which was to be erected in the center of the town, at which place coins ftruck with fymbols of the victory, had been previously buried. This place was razed to the ground before the troops departed, after which they returned to Fort St. David. In the courfe of the march they did not meet with one detachment of the enemy's troops. The affair at Covrepauk following clofe tej their former difgraces, diminished and exbaufted their fpirits. Their cavalry either deferted, or joined the governors of the provinces who fill were dependant on Chunda Saheb; whilft the French troops, with their Sepoys, were ordered to Pondicherry, where Dupleix was fo enraged at Raja Saheb, that he banished him his prefence for feveral days. By thefe advanages obtained by the English in the Carnatic, Mahomed Ally recovered a diftrict nearly thirty miles in breadth, and fixty in length; and its annual revenue was eftimated at 400,000 pagodas, that of the famous pagoda at Tripaty inclufive. (To be continued) Memoirs of the Right Honourable William Pitt, firft Lord Commiffioner of the Treafury, and Chancellor of his Majefty's Exchequer. TH HERE is not in the whole world a nobler school of eloquence, patriotifm, and a proper knowledge of the world than the British houfe of commons. It affords the ampleft fcope to all the paf fons, and urges on the ambitious and vir tuous to inftances of perfonal eminence and public fpirit. On this theatre variety of new characters inceffantly coine forward, and, by their good or bad qualities, merit the approbation or cenfure of contemporaries. Here the arts of legislation are acquired, all the primary rights and claims of mankind accidentally compared, arranged and harmonized, and the great and complicated fcience of government at once taught and reduced to practice. It is in this famous fchool that the nu merous and illuftrious race of heroes and ftatefmen, who grace and immortalize the British annals, had the rudiments of all thofe virtues and qualities which gave ele-` vation and ftability to their characters. The genius of our conftitution ever according with the ardour, the magnanimity, and the enterprize of the fublimeft minds, has kindled from time to time, and kept alive thofe facred regards for the rights of humanity, and that generous contempt of danger and death which uniformly fecond and accompany all the exertions of patriotifm. Among thofe intrepid and confiftent af fertors of liberty and independence, one of the laft, and none of the leaft, was the celebrated father of the prefent premier. And while the hiftory of this country occupies the attention, or interests the hearts of men, the talents, the public fpirit, and the political measures of Chathani will be related with admiration, and remembered, with gratitude. This renowned ftatefman had two fons, the prefent Lord Chatham, and his brother, who occupies the important fituation of prime minister. He was the fondeft and molt affiduous of fathers. Amidst the greatest públic concerns, a complication of bodily infirmities, and the rapid decline of life, he tended their rifing minds, and cherished their opening understandings with the tendereft and moft anxious folicitude and delight. And from his own. habits of life, it was natural to draw their education as he did, with a steady attention to thofe general and public objects which had always poffeffed fo laudable a fhare of his own. mark their future conduct did not elcape The different talents which were likely to his penetration. The one from an invin cible modeity, which was apt to embarass him from his infancy, notwithitanding every prefage of a vigorous intellect, h●forefaw was not calculated to excel in the art of public fpeaking. In the other he perceived the rudiments of parts but little adapted to fucceed in any other sphere. To the tuition of a fon, whofe genius feemed fo very fimilar to his own, he therefore applied himself with much alacrity and fatisfaction. This very young and extraordinary ftatefman was born on the eighth of May, in the memorable year of 1759, when the glory of his father's administration was at its height, when the B.itish flag was every where triumphant, when our arms wel victorious, our merchants fuccessful, our enemies humbled, our dependencies fecure, and our people happy. Nor was the prefent firft commiffioner of the treafury perhaps the leaft extraordinary production of this wonderful year. more aufpicious to the birth of great taNo æra, however, could poffibly be lents. Nor did thofe difcover themselves by fuch puerilities as are calculated only Attention, affiduity and correctness in acor chiefly to flatter paternal fondness. complishing the feveral talks imposed for ftoring his young understanding with the various element of grammar and science, wire were the principal indications of genius which diftinguished his earlier years. But no fooner was his knowledge of the claffics deemed fufficient to qualify him for the higher walks of literature, and the fe veral branches of philofophy, than he was fent with that view to the univerfity of Cambridge. This was the choice of his father, for very obvious reafons: Oxford, the fifter univerfity, has been long branded with high prerogative principles, with meBaltic manners, and with fuch a tafte for a eertain fcholaftic mode of reafoning as is by no means adapted to the genius of popular eloquence. His father, who wifhed to render his own powers of excellence immortal by thofe of the fon, preferred Cambridge for its attachment to the old hig fyftem of politics, for its liberal attentions to the faculties of youth, and for a variety of qualities by which it appeared to him a much fuperior feminary of learning than the other. Indeed the reputation of both owes much to the prejudices and affiduities of the natives; as every language and branch of literature and fcience may be acquired with equal advantage, both in this and many other countries. It is by fuch petty preferences as these that the literati of one nation are fo generally the ridicule of another. It was here then that the character of Mr. Pitt began to form, and where the leffans he had received from his father took their firft effect. What specimens he had given of his elocution or political addrefs, is not generally known, but the gentlemen of the univerfity were foon pretty generally impreffed with an apprehenfion that he was deftined to be at the head of whatever line of life he fhould be inclined to prefer. Young and unexperienced as he then was, many of his most intimate contemporaries propofed him as no improper perfon to reprefent that anerent and learned body in parliament, This, however, being a contested election, he politely declined, and was chofen member for Poole. In the house of commons he was foon diftinguished both by his eloquence and his principles. He took an immediate and decided part with that illuftrious band of patriots, who, united by the great and imminent dangers which threatened the ountry, and animated by the enthusiasm of public fpirit, ftruggled fo long, fo ardently, and fo magnanimously, to recover the fallen credit, and reftore the expiring vigour of the British empire. The firit fpeech he delivered in parliament arrefted the attention and conciliated the fympathy of his honourable audience to a wonderful degree. Nothing had ever a finer or more immediate effect. It aftonighed and overpowered the house! The genius of his immortal father was, in foma refpects, recognized, and felt in the tropical language, the bold conceptions, the elegant manner, the animated fentiments, and the conftitutional regards of boy. That adminiftration, which had been fo long fupported by fecret influence, which had rafhly difmembered the empire, and deftroyed its unanimity, which had ruined our commerce, increased our debt and exhaufted our refources, was now evidently on the decline, and the eloquence and addrefs of our young orator and politician did not a little contribute to precipitate its downfall. All fides of the house were equal admirers of his powers. He was liftened to with admiration and rapture. The national spirit recovered with the name of Pitt. The miniftry faw their tottering fituation. The infpiration and impetuofity of a Chatham fhook their best defence to the base, though but announced by a boy. The numerous and refpectable admirers of the father were confequently, at leaft in this inftance, willing to bring for ward and even to exaggerate the promising merits of the fon. In return for the complaifance of the people, who immediately hailed him the faviour of a finking state, he entered warmly into their caufe, and publicly pledged himself the champion of their rights. His motion for a committee of the houfe to confider or confult the moft proper means of accomplishing a more equal reprefentation of them in parliament, did him the greateft credit. The propofitions, as might have been expected, were rejected, but it was attended with this good effect, that the fubject from that moment attracted and continues to attract the moft general and folicitous attention. He propofed a fimilar but more specific measure laft year, which, however, had no better fuccefs. It is moft earnestly to be wished, the friends of the people may never grow languid or indifferent in their caufe, and that an object fo near their hearts, and of fo much magnitude and intereft, may never lose the hold which it now has of the public enquiry, folicitude and concern, until the reasonable and conftitutional defires of the people be fubftantiated by the fanction of the legifla ture, and have their full effect. Mr. Pitt fufficiently evinced his fagacity and attention to his own importance in the change of adminiftration which happened in confequence of Lord North's dif miffion from the fervice of the public. He forefaw the revolution, and gave ever affiftance in his power to gratify the easf defires of the public, by an event w they had fo long and earnestly request vain. To the great leaders of this At E 2 |