Affeling Infiance of Parental Affien. cruelty; nor endeavour to appropriate to themfelves a fuperfluity which they cannot enjoy, and which is neceary to the fubfiftence of their neighbours. Every action contrary to the dictates of humanity fhould be laid before the public; and the authors, unless they immediately endeavour to repair the mifchief, expofed to the contempt and fcorn of the whole community. In one of the obfcure corners of this opulent city, lived an indigent but honeft mortal, with his wife and three children, who gained a mean fubfilence by felling greens, which he purchafed of a wealthy gardener in the neighbourhood, who had agreed to furnish him with what he wanted, on his promifing to pay him for them every week. This agree. ment was for fome time literally complied with, but at laft the wife and eldeft child falling fick, the unhappy man found it impoffible to fulfil his promife, and at the fame time procure the neceffaries requifite for his afflicted family. By this means he owed his greedy creditor the enormous fum of two and forty fhillings. The rich gardener, finding the poor man had not paid him the weekly fam, as ufual, flew to his houfe, and after having told him in a pcremptory tone, that he would ́no longer fupply him with greens, added, in the most imperious manner, that, if he did not inftantly pay his arrears, he would fend him that moment to prifon. The poor man pleaded for indulgence in the most pathetic terms, pointed to his wife and child, who lay in a very dangerous ftate, and begged he would be contented with half the fum due to him, for the prefent, as he hoped to be then able to furaith his little fhop, fupport his diftreffed family, and pay him the remainder in a reasonable time. All the efforts he made, however, to foften the ftony heart of his unrelenting creditor were ineffectual; he infifted apon his paying the whole immediately, without fhewing the leaft regard to the moving complaints of a VOL. X. 25 fellow creature in the most trying fituation. The poor man, finding all his folicitations fruitlefs, difcharged the debt, and by fo doing delivered up every thilling he was matter of. The inhuman creditor, having received the money, left this unfortunate family, and inftead of pitying, exulted over their misfortunes. The poor man as foon as he was alone, abandoned himfelf to the grief of his foul, and his defpondency, while he reflected that the inevitable ruin of his family, was changed to defpair. He was at length, however, routed from the melancholy fuggeftions of his mind, by the voice of his wife, who begged him to bring her a little water, and to provide fomething for the children, crying for bread. "My dear children," exclaimed he, 66 your wants fhall be fupplied, but it will coft your poor father dear." He knew that the parish was obliged to take care of diflreffed widows and orphans, and could think of no other method of preferving them from perifhing, than by depriving her of a husband, and them of a father, who was incapable of fupplying them with bread. Full of his terrible defign, he retired to a fmall clofet, in which he ufed to keep his herbs, determining to put it immediately in execution. The thoughts of a future ftate ftopped him for fome moments; but when he confidered that he could not by any other means fave his family, he addreffed himself to his Maker, befeeching him not to impute that to him as a crime which he was under a neceffity of performing, in order to preferve the lives of his innocent wife and children. He then placed about his neck the fatal cord, and had foon plunged himfelf into eternity, had not a woman, who lived in an adjoining apartment, heard the blows he gave the partition with his feet, during his ftruggles for life. She was at breakfast; and thinking that her fick fellow lodger stood very much in need of her affiftance, ran, with a knife in her hand, and, entering the clofet, E cut cut down the unhappy wretch, who | Henry the Eighth, for the benefit of had, probably, only a few minutes to Mrs. Bicknell. After having made live. Her cries brought the fick wo-his bow, he began, "Ladies and man, and a neighbouring furgeon to gentlemen, To-morrow" Here a her affittance: by which means the gentleman from the pit interrupted unfortunate man was recovered. him by faying, "To-morrow is Sunday, Sir." This addrefs threw poor Walker into confufion: however, re This remarkable action foon fpread over the neighbourhood, and happily reached the ears of a perfon of diftinc-calling, as well as he could, his feattion, remarkable for his humanity, tered fpirits, and making a fecond who ordered him to be brought to bow, he very fententiously delivered his house. After having placed the himself in the following manner : enormity of his criminal action in the On Monday night next will be permoft striking point of view, he gave formed the hiftorical play of King him money fufficient to furnish a fhop, Henry the Eighth, containing the diand to provide neceffaries for his fa- vorce of Anna Builen, the marriage of mily, ordering him, at the fame time, Queen Catherine, and the death of Mrs. to apply to him whenever he was again Bicknell, for the benefit of Cardinal reduced to diftrefs. The per man, Woljey." overflowing with gratitude, gave his lordship a faithful account of the whole tranfaction, and described the dreadful fituation he was in, upon feeing his children on the brink of perifhing with hunger, in fo affecting a manner, that his generous benefactor could not refrain from tears. How different muft the conduct of the cruel gardener, and of this humane nobleman, appear to the unprejudiced eye of every reader of this narrative! The former excites our contempt, and our abhorrence; the latter engages our warmest wishes for his happinefs Surely, the very wretches themselves, who have no regard for any thing but their own intereft, cannot help applauding this generous procedure, tho' their fordid fouls will not permit them to give affiftance to the needy, and to wipe away the drops of affliction from the brow of indigence. A curious SEA LION described. In Sir Humphrey Gilbert's voyage to Newfoundland, written by Mr. Edward Haies, who accompanied him in that expedition, the following account of a Sea Lion is very remarkable. N Saturday in the afternoon, the 31st of Auguft, 1583, we changed our courfe, and returned back for England; at that very inftant, even in winding about, there paffed along between us, and towards the land, which we now forfook, a very lion, to our feeming, in shape, hair, and colour, not fwimming after the manner of a beaft, by moving of his feet, but rather fliding upon the water, with his whole body, excepting his legs, in fight: neither yet diving under, and again rifing above the water, as the manner is of whales, dolphins, tunnies, porpoifes, and all other fish, but confidently fhewing himself above water without hiding, notwithstanding we prefented ourfelves in open view and gefture to aOM WALKER, the original maze him, as all creatures will be comTo and jovial Mackheath, once monly at a fudden gaze, op fight of gave out a play, in which he exhibited men. Thus he pafied along turning is happy tent for blundering. It his head to and fro, yawning und gapwas upon a Saturday night, the playing wide with ugly demonflrations of I ain, Sir, your's, &c. J. H. A whimfical Anecdote relating to the ori ginal MACHEATH. long Drefs of the Princess Elizabeth at her Wedding. 27 the lady Elizabeth, were married on bishop Valentine's day, in all the pomp and glory that fo much grandeur could exprefs. Her vestments were white, the emblem of innocency; her hair dishevelled, hanging down her back at length, an ornament of virginity; a crown of pure gold upon her head, the cognizance of majesty, be fining like a conitellation; her train fupported by twelve young ladies in long teeth, and glaring eyes, and to bid us farewel coming right againft the Hinde, he fent forth a horrible vece, roaring and bellowing as doth a lion, which fpectacle we all beheld fo far as we were able to difcern the fame, as men prone to wonder at any frange thing, as this doubtlefs was, to fee a lion in the ocean, or fith in the fhape of a lion. What opinioning all over befet with precious geris, others had thereof, and chiefly the general himself, I forbear to deliver; But he took it for bonum omen, rejoic-white garments, fo adorned with ing that he was to war against fuch jewels, that her paffage looked like an enemy if it were the devil." the milky way. She was led to The fea lion defcribed in Lord An- church by her brother prince Charles, fan's voyage is certainly a very dif- and the earl of Northampton, the ferent creature, unless we fuppofe, young batchelor on her right hand, that the fight of fo uncommon an am- and the old one on her left. And phibious animal terrified the beholders while the archbishop of Canterbury ia fuch a manner as to make them was folemnizing the marriage, fome imagine that it refembled a lion. corufcations and lightenings of joy ap That they did really fee a creaturepeared in her countenance, that exwhich in fome measure at leaft refem-prefied more than an ordinary smile, bied a lion is, I think, paft difpute, being almoft clated to a laughter. because the narrative from whence the above quotation is taken was published while many of the perfons were Living, and who would doubtless have publicly contradicted it, had they been confcious that no fuch creature was feen. If the defcription of this animal, as given by Mr. Haies, be juft, it feems to be one of thofe inhabitants of the deep that has not yet been defcribed by naturalists. If any of the readers of the Lady's Magazine have in any parts of the world feen creatures refemble that mentioned by the above gentleman, they may, by communicating their difcoveries and obfervations to Mr. Hamilton, make a no fmall addition to the entertainment which that Magazine, from its varie-oriental pearl, by the hands of the lord ty, contains. Defeription of the Dress worn by the [From WILSON'S Lfe of JAMES I.] "She returned from chapel between the duke of Lenox and the earl of Nottingham, lord high admiral, two married men. "To support the magnificence with: which this ceremony was attended, the king was obliged to demand aids of is fubjects, a custom ufual on these occafions, and though intermitted for more than a century, he received 20500 1. yet how enormous foever the fum may feem, it was infufficient to defray the expence, which amounted to almoft four times that fum. "The city of London, that with magnificence had feafted the prince Palatine and his noble retinue, prefented to the fair bride, a chain of mayor and aldermen, in their fearlet and gold chain accoutrements, of fuch a value, as was fit for them to give and her to receive, as it cofl no less than two thousand pounds. The TRUE POINT of HONOUR. In a Series of Letters. (Tranflated from the French.) By a LADY. (Continued from Page 703. Vol. IX. LETTER XXX. Frem ELIZA to the Countefs de SOLMES. IN He complains to me of the unhappinefs of having his heart pre-engaged with a paflion which renders him unworthy of one whom he esteems above all the world. He forms a contrast between me and my coufin; and if I can believe him, it is my own fault if I do not think that I am more amiable than her, even in his own eyes. But when he expatiates on the qualities which are effentially neceffary for a woman's making her husband happy, I affure you that he sheds tears, in fpite of his efforts to the contrary. 66 He re INDEED, my lady, I have appeared in parts, which are both fingu-croffes his arms, gazes at me, and exlar and new to me, fince the laft let claims "O! wretched Northon, what ter that I had the honour of writing to happinefs art thou forced to you. I am now the chief confident of nounce !" the younger Northon, and nothing can be more diverting than our converfations to a third perfon, who has no intereft in them. Every body here feem to confpire to promote a tele-àtéte between us, which produces fuch fcenes! If we walk in the garden, or the public walks, Mr. Northon the father, perfidioufly offers his hand to Mifs d'Erlac, and fupports a converfation with her for an hour, to give his fon time to difcourfe with me. As our intended marriage is no fecret, my dear friend links himself with the arm of my coufin, faying at the fame time, "We ought to let the young ones have an opportunity of knowing one another; let us not prevent the pleafure which they may take in converfing with each other." At firft my humble fervant was much puzzled to find out common places enough to fill up the time. He endeayoured now and then to fay fome halftender things; but he tells a falfehood very aukwardly. A child of four years old could not be deceived by him. I pitied him, and asked him about the manners and cuftoms of the Americans. He feemed to me to become more tender, from a principle of gratitude. Since the ecclairciffement he has made, he feems to be lefs perplexed. There is nothing more lively than his converfation; and I am certain you would never be able to guess the subject of it, Then, on a fudden, he gives me his hand, which he had fnatched from me, and fays, "the baron must look upon me as a monfter; I deferve it; and in his anger he will difpofe of your hand! If heaven fhould hear my prayers, you must be the happieft of women, as well as you are the moft virtuous and most amiable of girls. But charming Eliza, when enthroned in happiness, will you deign to caft an eye of pity on an unhappy wretch, who muft pine with grief in recollecting his lofs! promife me, at least, to think of me without horror." This is a difcourfe which I had with him about two days ago, and I endeavoured to keep that ten in reply, which you have recommended to me. "You take this affair in too ferions a light, faid I, affecting to look with that indifference to which my heart was a ftranger. We were not born for each other. I hope I shall be happy, though my father fhould difpofe of me in whatever manner foever he pleafes, for I am really perfuaded that happiness depends on ourselves, and that the fureft manner of obtaining it, is by doing our duty. What should hinder your enjoying the fame felicity with my coufin? We women have not that delicacy of judgment when we judge of the good qualities of those with whom we have the shadow of ri valry; notwithstanding I form a very The true Point of Honour. advantageous opinion of thofe of Mifs d'Erlac, efpecially as fhe knows how to pleafe a gentleman for whom I have the greatest efteem." 29 the caufe of my defpair, you will fay; but is it not a fpecies of folly to confume one'sfelfin an amour without hope? Is it not a degree of cowardice to lock "Your heart must be very calm, to upon it as incurable, in order to remake fo cruel fport with the misfor-frain from thofe efforts, which are retunes of an unhappy man, replied quifite to put an end to it? Believe Northon, in a peevish tone, I thought me, Sir, we can do what we will, with I was fure of your pity. I will even the fuccour of heaven, and, I myself, make you a confeffion, which you may though of a fex which is filed the think extravagant, which is, that there weakelt, I am perfectly affured, that I has been a time, in which I perfuaded can furmount a paffion, which might myfelf you would have obeyed the ba- render me criminal or unhappy." ron without reluctance. At another time, I have wished that you would have felt a thousandth part of the regret which originates from the unlucky accident that feparates us. With refpect to the qualities of Mifs d'Erlac, love has not blinded me fo much as to make me think her perfect: what is moft to be dreaded is, that I adore her fuch as fhe is; and that not being able to take her from the hands of duty, I must renounce all the happiness of life." "That is to fay," replied I fmiling, "you would wish to have been born at Conftantinople, that you might have married both of us. If that might fatisfy you, it would not me; a heart that is engaged would never fuffice me." This reply revived Northon's fpirits." Pardon me Mifs, faid he, I know that I forget myself, that I abafe your goodness. Let me at leaft excite your pity, your compaffion; for no one deferves them more, if they ought to be fhown to the greateft misfortunes, to misfortunes which, perhaps, never befell any one but myself." I pronounced thefe words with a vivacity that laid my fentiments too open; I was willing to palliate them, and added, "Believe me Sir, to be your friend; open your heart to your refpectable parent. perhaps you may prevail on him to coufent to your marriage with my coufin; but should you find him inflexible, go abroad. An abfence for one or two yearɛ may effect a cure, which, at prefent, appears to you impoffible." "I understand you, Mifs, replied Northon, you are tired of hearing an unhappy wretch. I fhall endeavour to free you from my importunities." He made a very low bow as he pronounced thefe words, and went his way without confidering that he left me alone at the extremities of the walk: he likewife paffed by the reft of the company without taking notice of them. Ar'nt you well? cried Mifs d'Erlac to him.- Pretty well,' faid he to her, pulling off his hat, and going forwards. His father followed him, and Northon faid to him, "iconjure you, dear Sir, to make my ex"I do not think, Sir, that you de-cufe to Mifs Eliza for the abrupt manferve them fo much as you imagine: I give no credit to invincible paffions. Either you have a well grounded hope of being united with my coufin, or you perceive invincible obftacles to your union. In the firft cafe, no one would take it in his head to pity you, for marrying the perfon whom you love. In the fecond, I think that you are a man of more honour, than to practice upon a girl of fashion, almoft engaged with a man of merit. That is ner in which I parted with her, and to offer her your hand: I fhall meet you in half an hour, for I actually have need to be alone." M. Northon, the father, took a turn to meet me, and afked me with fome emotion, what had happened, and what could have made his fon guilty of fo much rudenefs? Irepeated our converfation, and could hardly refrain from tears when I perceived that fatisfaction which appeared in his coun te |