Having uttered the few laft words with faltering accents, he fell back in his chair, and wept aloud.

Mr. Boyne was very much affected by his friend's laft fpeech; fill more was he moved by his tears. He made no reply to it, however. Inflead of returning any anfwer, he abruptly left the room; leaving the unhappy father to give a vent to that affliction which fathers only, and in his fituation, can endure.

The abrupt departure of Mr. Boyne was not occafioned by any want of fympathetic regard for his diftreffed friend; it was occafioned by the fincerest compaffion for him. Strongly affected by the laft expreffions, which he could hardly articulate, he went immediately to the houfe of him who had given birth to them. To Harry's houfe he went with the most commendable defign; with a view to make him not only forry for his behaviour to his father, but afhamed of it, with a view to animate him with an earneft defire to atone for the errors of his past, by the exemplariness of his future life.

Impelled by motives fo truly laudable, Mr. Boyne, as soon as he was admitted into Harry Sullivan's dreffing room, entered upon the bufinefs which engroffed his attention. He always hated delay; he was now more than ever inclined to difpatch. After having blamed his way of life in general, he dwelt particularly on his behaviour to his father, for which, he told him, he would ftand condemned by every man whose esteem was an honour.

Harry, whofe head was intoxicated with his genteel connections, would not hear of giving them up ; and as for the picture of his father's concern on his account, ftrikingly exhibited to him, in confequence of his licentioufnefs, and filial ingratitude, he was not in the least

touched by it. He behaved, indeed, with fuch a coolness and indifference, and difcovered fuch an infolent felf-fatisfaction, that Mr. Boyne was provoked at length to fay fome very fevere things to him. Finding, however, that he was not only difregarded, but fneered at, laughed at for his well-meant officioufnefs, he beheld the fon of his friend as an abandoned character, and retired.

By an obftinate and thoughtless perfeverance in his evil courfes, Harry increased the affliction of his father, the mifery of whofe mind in a fhort time injured his conftitution; he drooped and died.

When Harry was informed of his father's death, he was at a diftance from Dublin. Having greatly impaired his fortune, by affociciating with his expenfive and gaming companions, and not being able to bear the thoughts of leffening his appearance with them, he had taken lodgings in a town about a day's journey from the capital where he was altogether unknown, and, driven by neceffity, lived in a very frugal, not to fay contracted, manner. There, out of the reach of thofe people who had been his feducers, not his friends, his recollections were extremely painful. He there remembered, with the deepest regret, every thing he had done to render his father wretched, and, in the bitter moments of contrition, accufed himself of hav ing fhortened his days. His contrition, and his circumstances together (for his income was now a very slender one) operated fo powerfully upon his mind that he was half distracted.

A fecond exprefs, foon after the arrival of the first, informed him, that his father had only left him mourning. The letter was written by Mr. Boyne, the principal executor, to whom Mr. Sullivan had bequeathed

bequeathed the greateft part of his fortune.

This blow was feverely felt, but it did not ftun him; he was roufed by it. Smarting under the lafhes of repentance, It is what I have deferved," exclaimed he, tearing the letter which brought him the cutting intelligence; fo good a father merited very different treat ment from me. Existence now is a burden; but let cowards destroy thin felves. I do not wish to live; but I with rather to die fighting against the enemies of my king, than to be my own executioner. There are troops going to embark for America; I will accompany them as a volunteer, and in the first action in which I am engaged, I will throw my felf into the most dangerous fituation."

At the conclufion of this foliloquy, he made immediate preparations for his journey to the fea-port town, where the troops deftined to America were to embark.

While he was waiting there for a wind, an event happened which changed all his military refolutions. The only daughter of the richest citizen belonging to the town, with whom he danced at the aflembly-room, a few nights after his arrival, fell in love with him. As fhe was a very fine girl, and had a large fortune in her own hands, he thought it most prudent to avail himself of the ftrongly viable prepoffeflions in his favour; he therefore gave up Mars for Hymen; in plain English, he married her.

Harry, when he had made Mifs Baxter his wife, and got all her moveables into his power, felt all his former gay ideas revive, and he was feized with a violent deûre to figure again in Dublin. Spurred on by this defire, he carried his Sally to the capital in the moft expeditious mode of travelling, and endeavoured to inflame her mind

with ideas as magnificent as his own, by the fplendor of his descriptions relating to the first city in the kingdom, which the had never seen.

By wishing to return to Dublin, Harry was certainly governed by vanity and pride (two paffions which occafion much buftle, and fometimes bloodshed, in the world) but he could not have taken a more cenfurable ftep. At his return to Dublin, he renewed his acquaintance with all thofe young fellows whofe fociety had been detrimental to his affairs, and lived in fo extravagant a ftyle, that Mrs. Sullivan began to be alarmed; the rapid diminution of his fortune bath alarmed and distressed her. Intereft out of the question, the had the fincereft regard for him; and as fhe had reafon to believe, from the tenderness of his behaviour to her, that the fhould have fome influence over him, fhe took an opportuuity one day, when he was in high good -humour, to remonftrate against the indifcreetnefs of his proceedings. With an energy equal to her love, fhe conjured him to ftop before it was too late, and to make retrenchments in his way of living, fufficient to prevent the ruin with which they were threatened. She reafoned, the entreated, the kneeled, the wept, but to no purpose, her thoughtless Harry was irreclaimable.

Mrs. Sullivan, finding that all her efforts to induce her husband to pa a proper attention to œconomy, only ferved to deprive her of his company, ceafed to talk to him upon the fubje&t which lay nearest to her heart; be the fuffered extremely by keeping her thoughts on it to herself; they preyed upon her fpirits, and he fell into a very melancholy way.

Harry, not able to bear a melancholy wife, was now rarely at home; he was perpetually making expensive

expenfive excurfions with his diffipated friends.

While he was upon a party of pleasure with one of his moft fpirited companions, at his fporting feat, he received a letter which gave a confiderable check to his gaiety, as he found by it that there was an execution in his houfe, and that his wife had been obliged to remove to a fhabby apartment, in the most pitiable condition.

This intelligence, which he had not expected, though he had been fufficiently warned of his approaching ruin, completely opened his eyes, and he beheld himself with abhorrence. The reflections which crouded into his mind were hardly fupportable. In the keeneft language did he condemn himself for all the follies and vices which he had committed, and repeatedly exclaimed, "Had I not brought my Sally to mifery, I could stand this fhock, fevere as it is; but when I think of her condition, when 1 think of my behaviour to the kindeft, beft of fathers

Here he was interrupted by the noify entrance of a couple of his companions, in order to appeal to him about a difpute of the most trifing nature imaginable.

Harry, not at all in a humour to relish their mirth, confidered them as intruders, and their business ridiculous, and peevishly requested their abfence; finding, however, that they had recourfe to raillery, inftead of complying with his defires, he quitted the apartment, and,

without taking leave of any body, fet out poft for the village where his poor dear Sally (fo he now called her) was meanly accommodated, for whom he was doubly concerned, as he knew she was near her time.

When the chaife ftopped, he felt his blood run cold, and he trembled to fuch a degree when he quitted it, that he could fcarce walk up to the room to which he was directed by the perfon before; to which, indeed, he would not have been immediately admitted, had his arrival been forefeen.

The moment he entered the chamber he faw his Sally a corpfe, with her infant dead by her fide. He ftood for fome time at the feet of the bed aghaft, and funk down upon it without any figns of life; nor was he in the leatt fenfible of his removal into another apartment,

When he came a little to himfelf, he was informed that a gentleman wished to speak with him upon particular business. This gentleman was Mr. Boyne, who came in order to make over to him that fortune which his father had intended to leave him, if his disobedience and ingratitude had not made him bequeath it to his most intimate friend. Mr. Boyne, by this proceeding, acted a very noble part; but his generous defign was fruftrated, by the distraction of him who had, according to his idea of juftice, a right to the fortune he wished to transfer to him.

SIR,

AM not about to revile the cha

I am not about to revdl, to is the

fashion of the times, hold up the most innocent to public derifion, but prefent you with a character of myself.

During my juvenile years, I was remarkable for my dullness and

ftupidity; but when I grew up,

and began to buftle in the world, I had just fenfe enough to perceive how ignorant I really was. I now determined on a fudden to be a

man

man of letters. Within the fpace of fix months I learned the Greek alphabet, went through Clarke's Latin grammar, read fome fcraps of the claffics, and, before the expiration of the twelvemonth, actu· ally tranflated a French novel into English.

It is a juft obfervation, that real genius and merit are timid and doubtful of themselves, while ignorance and conceit are ever forward, bold, and affuming. Among the number of this laft clafs I unhappily make one I have read many things, but ftudied few; and have dipped into the whole circle of the fciences, without being able to speak with propriety on any. I have obliged the world with feveral curious publications, of which this blind and illiterate age has not yet been able to difcover the beauties. Ignorance and impudence are infeparable companions, and I am told they are fo in me. Indeed, 1 believe, I fhould hardly ever gain an argument, were it not for the invincible brafs, of which Nature has been lavish in my compofition. Nature has denied me a genius, and Fortune the affiftance of a gen teel education. Though publicly I affect to be thought eafy in point of circumftances, yet I have reason to fear, that every one knows the contrary; and the uneafinefs I have frequently felt from the want of current cash, has fo much foured my temper, that I have drawn on myfelf the title of Dickie Growler, by which I am now more known than by my real name.

In converfation, I always take care to introduce fome particular point of learning, of which I fuppofe every one in company knows as little as myfelf. By this good management I have, in fome few inftances, acquired the reputation of a profound fcholar; and fo well have I carried on this farce in a

patriotic fociety, that I am there confidered as a Cicero or Demo. thenes.

Though the ftudies of history and biography are undoubtedly useful to the last degree, yet there are fome inftances where they are prejudicial; and here again I am an unhappy example. An impartial hiftorian lays before us the characters of mankind, with all their virtures and defects, but often leaves us to ourselves to determine, which are worthy of imitation, and which ought to be fhunned. Very unfortunately, by fome means or other, I ftumbled on the Lives of the Roman Philofophers; and having read them, nothing would now ferve me but i must be a Roman philofopher.

From this moment I contracted my brow, affumed an air of gravity, and feldom gave an answer to a queftion the first time of afking. Öften have I fneaked into án obfcure public houfe, and feafted on a morfel of bread and cheese, rather than accept the invitation of a friend to an elegant repaft-this my Roman fpirit would not let me fubmit to. In every difpute I always take the wrong fide of the question

it is acting like a Roman to dif fer from the common herd of mankind. To my inferiors I am overbearing and infolent, to my fuperiors furly and morofe; and I have oftentimes expofed myself to the greatest inconveniences, merely for the fake of telling my betters their own; that truth is not to be spoken at all times is to me a moft diabolical doctrine.

I have many more things to add ; but I fear I have already intruded on your patience; I fhall therefore conclude with begging of you, for heaven's fake, (for furely you must be a wonderful man!) to tell me how I fhall get rid of the hateful DICKIE GROWLER.

name of

To

.

SIR,

THE

HE dying expreffions of the late Lord Lyttleton merit preservation in your repofitory. A kilful phyfician of Kidderminster, who attended his Lordship in his laft fickness, writes as follows:

"August 28, 1773. "On funday evening, the fymptoms of his Lordship's diforder, which for a week past had alarmed us, put on a fatal appearance, and his Lordship believed himself to be a dying man. From this time he fuffered by reftleffness rather than pain; and though his nerves were apparently much fluttered, his mental faculties never feemed ftronger when he was thoroughly awake.

"His Lordship's bilious and hepatic complaints feemed alone not equal to the expected mournful event his long want of fleep, whether the confequence of irritation in the bowels, or, which is more probable, of caufes of a different kind, accounts for his lofs of ftrength, and for his death, very fufficiently.

"Tho' his Lordship wifhed his approaching diffolution not to be lingering, he waited for it with refignation. He faid, it is a folly; a keeping me in mifery, now to attempt to prolong life; yet he was eafily perfuaded, for the fatisfaction of others, to do or take any thing thought proper for him. On Saturday he had been remarkably better, and we were not without fome hopes of his recovery.

"On Sunday, about 1 in the forenoon, his Lordship fent for me, and faid he felt a great hurry, and wished to have a little converfation with me in order to divert it. He then proceeded to open the fountains of that heart from whence

January, 1774.

good nefs had fo long flowed, as from a copious fpring. Doctor, faid he, you fhall be my confeffor. When I first fet out in the world, I had friends who had endeavoured to shake my belief in the Christian religion. I faw difficulties which ftaggered me; but I kept my mind open to conviction. The evidences and doctrines of chriftianity, studied with attention, made me a most firm and perfuaded believer of the chriftian religion. I have made it the rule of my life, and it is the ground of my future hopes. I have erred and finned; but have repented, and never indulged any vicious habit. In politics and public life, I have made public good the rule of my conduct. I never gave counfels which I did not at that time think the beft. I have feen that I was fometimes in the wrong; but I did not err defignedly. I have endeavoured in private life to do all the good in my power, and never for a moment could indulge malicious or unjust defigns against any perfon whatsoever.

"At another time, he faid, I muft leave my foul in the same ftate it was in before this illness: I find this a very inconvenient time for folicitude about any thing.

"On the evening, when the fymptoms of death came on, he faid, I fhall die; but it will not be your fault.-When Lord and Lady V―a came to fee his Lordfhip, he gave them his folemn benediction, and faid, Be good, be virtuous, my Lord; you must come to this. Thus he continued giving his dying benedictions to all around him. On Monday morning a lucid interval gave fome fmall hopes; but thefe vanifhed in the evening; F

and