The Generous Country-Maid; or; Difinterested Love fuppofing all fhame fhould abandon Angelica was fome time before the Banifh fuch fufpicions," replied de Clerville," they are injurious to me; I love you flatter me with an adequate return, and we can never be unhappy. Felicity is not to be expected from an illuftrious birth, and a fuperfluity of riches; these are gifts of fortune; you poffefs what I efteem in a much higher degree; your virtue, your beauty, would adorn a throne." "Alas! your love," replied Angelica, "has blinded your reafon. Reflect, Sir, we fhould not barter the happiness of a whole life for the enjoyment of a moment. This beauty you fo highly value, and which fancy has strangely magnified, is of fhort duration; the leaft accident is fuffi cient to deface it; and, even admit- you to The marquis, when he visited Angelica, was not abfolutely refolved to marry her; but the refiftance the made determined him.- -He ufed every argument in his power to perfuade her, but in vain. At length he told her," he would endeavour to obtain the interpofition of her father." "If you engage his autho rity in your favour," faid fhe, "I will immediately take the veil. I would rather facrifice myfelf than make you miferable, and expofe you to a repentance that would embitter the remainder of your life, and myfelf to the perpetual chagrin which would inevitably follow." De Clerville, more enamoured than ever, left her, and repaired to her father. Boiffart, furprized at what he heard, vifited his daughter, and carneftly entreated her to confent; but but the answered him in the fame manner the had done the marquis; and at last, certain that they would take her from the convent, declared, if they offered the leaft force, fhe fhould, on that inftant, become a nun, and confequently fhut herfelf up for ever. The marquis again went to fee her, and accused her of no longer loving him. She repeatedly affured him, "if fhe loved him lefs, the should act in a very different manner." De Clerville, finding nothing could fubdue her refolution, took leave of her, and repaired to Paris. He flattered himself, that, in a continual round of pleasure, he fhould foon lofe every idea of his love; but he was miftaken; his paffion was too deeply rooted to be thus eradicated. He returned to the country, and flew, I more enraptured than ever, to the convent. He found Angelica ftill the fame. She faw her lover with pleasure, but continued the fame. Vexed and diftreffed with her refiftance, he fell dangerously ill. She heard, with grief, the ftate of her beloved marquis: her father prevailed on her to leave the cloister. She faw de Clerville, and was affected at his fituation. Time and reflection, at length got the better of her delicacy. The health of the marquis was foon reftored; and Hymen joined the hands of these tender lovers. The marquis is now the happiest of men. He always finds in Angelica a tender, delicate and fenfible woman, a fincere friend and faithful wife, and feels no other pain than that which arifes from the thought of never being able to deserve her. To the EDITORS of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, Am forry to perceive, that the prefent fituation of public affairs is fuch (if authentically reprefented) as cannot fail to alarm, and engage the attention of every rational and contemplative individual, who is a native of the dominions of GreatBritain, and the territories thereunto belonging. While a civil war, or univerfal diffentions, have, for fometime paft, difturbed our tranquility at home, we are now threatened with foreign hoftilities from various quarters abroad. However, Sirs, our great men, who, at that time, prefided at the helm of national affairs, were pleafed to ridicule the populace for finding fault with, or criticifing on the terms of the negociation, they had thought fit (from motives best known to themfelves) to conclude with our enemies whom we had, with a vaft expence, and the lofs of many millions of our countrymen's lives, re Berwick upon Tweed, Sept. 12, 1768. Notwithstanding, Sirs, I have been frequently told, I have nothing to do with On the prefent Situation of public Affairs. with politics, by thofe infipid, and barren geniuffes, whofe narrow faculties are too contracted to contemplate, or exercise their reafon in any other sphere than that in which they have been bred; (and, perhaps, not very well in that neither) notwithftanding, I fay, Sirs, this pretended friendly advice, I have been excited to reaffume this fubject, from my reading in the periodical papers, a few days ago, the fubfequent paragraph: "We hear, that our minifter havirg lately made reprefentations at the French court, about the farther demolition of Dukirk, received for anfwer, that if any more complaints were made on that fubject, twenty thousand men should be fent to Dunkirk immediately, to reinstate thofe works which had already been demolished." -S, Surely, gentlemen, however wife we may think ourfelves, and whatever may be the abilities of our mthere is not a nation in Europe fo imperceptible of future events, fo eafily impofed upon, or fo dull to defcry, or anticipate the treachery, diffimulation, and fecret defigns of our enemies. It required, gentlemen, but very little penetration to discover, that the French, in the last war, fubmitted to make peace with us, from no other excitements than because they were not-as I have faid before-in a ca pacity of oppofing any longer the invafions of Great Britain :-and as we have been deceived by them fo often, it was as easy to forefee, that they would certainly, from our giving back almost every island we had taken from them, renew their affaults, as foon as ever they had repaired their fleets and armies; which it is now fif we have not loft all our fenfes, and I hope we have not) clearly demonftrable, was what excited them to put a stop to hoftilities for a time; wherefore, f -s, of no very exVOL. I tenfive wifdom, yet poffeffed of fome, and animated with a generous and ardent zeal for the welfare of their country, and the tranquility of their fellow-fubjects; fuch as of old dignified the Roman empires; would. have taken care to have bound fuch Slippery offenders in the ftrongest chains, in order to have secured them from so speedy a revolt. For I look upon the preceding impertinent anfwer to our ambaffador's reprefenta-tions (if true) to be a fufficient declaration of war.-- Instead of which, every intelligent perfon must allow,' that our peace has been abfolutely nothing more than a mere fufpenfion of arms, for the purposes, on the fide of our enemies, beforementioned;---while we, on our part, have very compofedly obferved them, ever fince, augmenting their fhipping, and increafing their forces, both by fea and land. The French and Spaniards have both very artfully (not much to our credit) amufed us, from time to time, with fpecious and fuperficial promifes of performing the treaty they had been neceffitated to fign, till they could accomplish their intentions, and fuficiently fortify themfelves to re-attack us ;---while we, like eafy fools, that can defcry no danger, 'till it overtakes us, have given credit to every thing they faid; and now, having enjoyed the length of time they wanted for their purpofe, when we urge the execution of their engagements, they very genteelly (to ufe a vulgar expreffion) bid us, k--fs their b--ck--des--which the populace predicted long ago. I fhould not at all wonder, if we should become (as I fear we are likely to do) the laughing-ftock of all the other powers of Europe.---The demolition of Dunkirk has, we are told, been now abfolutely refused us on the fide of the French; and the payment of the Manila ranfom wil it it is probable, in a few days more, be denied us by the Spaniards, with a reprimand, that (in the language of the French) if we make any more complaints on that fubject, twenty thoufand men fhall be fent immediately to invade England;---fo that we must be obliged to retake all thofe places we very good-naturedly made them a prefent of, after having been fo dearly purchased, before we fhall again bring them to know themfelves or calmly continue to put up with their infults ;---which I hope we are not, from any pre-engagements, under the unhappy neceffity of doing, A ft--tefm--n, it is true, may be very much careffed, pro tempore, for fubmitting to fuch accommodations, for putting an end to a war too detrimental to our enemies to be continued, and be elegantly entertained with a fumptuous bill of fare, and a few bottles of champaigne ;---but he ought certainly rather to confider, how much a whole nation will fuffer from his unjustifiable conduct, and the illegal gratification of his ambition. Whenever a m -11; -r, whoever he may be, makes an inglorious peace, if he does not do it from a want of wisdom to execute, with propriety, the truft repofed in him, he ought himself to be e- -d on Tand if he is really deftitute of common understanding, or the abilities requifite for his ftation, he ought not (tho’ he be the fon of a d--ke) to be charg ed with commiffions of fo great importance. Having, gentlemen, extended my obfervations to this length, it will, perhaps, be more convenient to you, if I communicate what I farther beg your indulgence of, in another letter. I am, Sir, your's, &c. W. R CK. To the EDITORS of the OXFORD MAGAZINE, Reflections on the private Manner in which the late Archbishop of Canterbury chofe to be buried; together with an Extract from the Will of the Reverend John Hales. THE private manner in which the late archbishop of Canterbury chofe to be interred, is an indication both of his merit and his goodness. It feems to have been the general method which men of fingular piety have pitched upon to freal into heaven, Numerous inftances may be produced in confirmation of this truth; but as it is a truth that stands in need of no confirmation, I fhall fingle out only one example, which is no lefs remarkable than it is laudable. In the will of the rev. John Hales, canon of Windfor, A. D. 1639, we have the following remarkable paffage, "As for my funeral, I ordain, that at the time of the next even-fong, after my departure (if conveniently may be) in the church-yard of the town of Eton (if I chance there to die) as near as may be to the body of my little godfon Jack Dickenfon the elder; and this to be done in a plain and fimple manner, without any fermon, ar ringing the bell, or calling the people together; without any unfeafonable commeffation, or compotation, or other folemnity on fuch occafions ufual. And I ftrictly command my execu trix, that neither of her own head, neither at the importunity or authority of any other, neither upon any other pretence whatfoever, to take upon herself to difpenfe with this point of my will. For as in my life I have done the church no fervice, fo will I not, that, in my death, the church do me any honour.” The above John Hales was an excellent divine and critic, and was ufually characterised by the title of ever-memorable; he was entered at the age of 13, at Corpus Chrifti college, Oxon, anno 1597; and was elected fellow, anno 1605. ( 103 ) To the PROPRIETORS of the OXFORD MAGAZÍNE. GENTLEMEN, LOOKING over fome manufcripts at the British Museum, I was not a little furprized and entertained with one, which was given by Dr. John Hickes, numbered 1845; and containing feveral mifcellanies, among which is one, number 7, with the following odd advertisement in Latin, "Seven verfes of the Pfalms to which is prefixed the following legendary anecdote " We are informed in the life of St. Bernard, abbot of Clarewell, that the Devil appeared to him once, faying, that he knew feven verfes in the Pfalms, which, if any one should repeat every day, it would be as meritorious as if he should read over the whole book of Pfalms. But when St. Bernard importuned the Devil to fhew him which they were, and he refufed it, the faint immediately replied, "I know how to be even with you; for I will read the whole book of Pfalms over every day, and fo fhall not mifs thofe verfes." When the Devil heard this, for fear the faint should do so much good, 109 re the fome he confented to fhew him which the verfes Hanies were. I fhould be glad if any of your Oxonian, or Cantab. correfpondents would be fo kind as to point out which these seven verfes are, to E. Coll. Jef. non ita pridem Schol. Yours, PHILALETHES. ous to evour bwod en L 1 boil; The title of this piece, and the anecdote, with are thus expreffed in the original. "Septent theme Pfalterii verfus, quibus præfigitur hæc rubrica, acziLegitur in vita S. Bernardi, abbatis Clarwellis, pade, quod Demon fibi femel apparuit, dicens feh o fcire feptem verfus in Pfalterio, quos qui cotidie ntry. diceret, tantum meriti acquireret ac fi totum nded Pfalterium Davidicum decantaflet. Et, cum cutbeatus Bernardus inftaret, ut fibi eofdem ver- way, fus oftenderet, ille vero hoc facere recufaret; acritum beatus Bernardus, "Scio, inquit, quid the faciam ; nam quotidie legam totum Pfalterium gret deinceps, ficque prædictos verfus non obmit- they tam. Quod cum audiffet Demon ne tantum ina bonum faceret, pctius fibi hos verfus oftendit m to Sunt autem qui fequuntur, &c.” To the EDITORS of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. IF the gentlemen concerned in the Oxford Magazine are pleased with the following letter, written to my certain knowledge with no view to publication, but entirely from a family mo tive, it is quite at their fervice: the infertion of it may, perhaps, encourage me to contribute more largely hereafter to their agreeable undertaking. Every thing which I may chance to fend you fhall be original. Yours, &c. DEAR SIR, IT is with much pain that I find, by every one's account, your conduct to be fo reprehenfible: flender is my expectation, that this fetter of advice will have its proper weight with you. He who can relish the low, the profligate, converfation of porters and chairmen, can renounce his pretenfions to a certain degree of respect as a gentleman, can be utterly improvident as to every lucrative advantage in an employment of credit; but far moft principally, he who can dare to break almost all the laws of that holy Being who alone gave him capacity to understand them---what are the hopes that fuch a one will attend to the fingle voice of a fellow-creature? And yet I muft fpeak to you: the love which I bear your brother---my amiable hufband---enjoins me to call upon you to reform a character which difgraces my connection with you. My amiable hufband! bleffed Providence! How does he differ from his fadly-erring brothers! Wherefore, dear Sir, wherefore, will you allow him thus to furpafs you? Surpafs you? To be, in plain truth, the only one of the latter branch of your family of whom the world is not ashamed? Yes, the world, whate ever vice there may be in it, always has ma nifefted, and always will manifeft, a con tempt of the votaries of idleness and fin elfe, why gives it not to you, as well as to him, the heart-felt titles of amiable and good? You know, you perfectly know, that he is every where refpected and loved; and I be- lieve you as certainly know, (elfe very feanty. your remarks) but if not, I tell it you---that you are defpifed: your conduct is too mean, and too uniformly iniquitous, to be ridiculed; to be laughed at would do it too much honour, would bring it for the time into notice; it is altogether defpifed. And can a young man, coming into life, calmly endure the thoughts to of general contempt? Can he, without an effort to unload himself of this most grievousof all burdens, fubmit to be every where flighted? If indeed you had the fortune of a Clive, you might fay, "I fhall not be at the trouble to deferve the commendation of mankind, I can purchase it; I can buy the applaufe of the multitude."---But, dear Sir, your fortune is as far below his, as your vir tue is beneath your brother's: five-and-twenty hundred, or three thousand, pounds will afford you a narrow maintenance: out of trade it is, © 2 a mereppi at |