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gular and exceflive can fcarcely be natural.

Having heard and obferved fo much of her delicate feelings for the irrational creation, I was naturally led to make inquiries concerning her behaviour in the more interefting attachments of private life. I expected to find that-fhe, of course,

Like the needle true,
Turn'd at the touch of joy or wo,
And turning, trembled too.

The following is the refult of my investigation. Her temper was fo various and violent that her husband was often obliged to leave his home in fearch of peace. I heard he had juft recovered from a fit of illness, during the whole of which fhe had feldom visited him, and fhewn no folicitude. She had fat weeping over a novel on the very day on which his fever came to a crifis, and the physicians had declared his recovery dubious. On his recovery he had gone on a voyage to the Eaft Indies, by her advice, for the improvement of his fortune. He took leave of her very affectionately; but he was dreffing to go and fee Mrs Siddons in Califta, and could not poffibly spend much time in a formal parting, which was a thing the above all things detefted! But, let it be remembered, the fainted away in the boxes on Mrs Siddon's first entrance, before the actrefs had uttered a fyllable!

Two fire little boys were left under her care, without controul, during their father's abfence. The little rogues had fine health and fpirits, and would make a noife, which he could not bear, as she was bufy in preparing to act a capital part in the Orphan, at a private theatre built by a man of fortune and fashion for his own amufement. She determined therefore to fend the brats to school. Indeed fhe declared in all companies, fhe thought it the firft of a mother's duties to take care that her children were well educated. She therefore fent them out

fide paffengers by the ftage-coach to an academy in Yorkshire, where the had ftipulated that they should not come home in the holidays, and indeed not till their father arrived; for fhe was meditating a new tragedy, under the title of the Diftreft Mother, or the Widowed Wife.

Though he was not very fond of her husband, who was a plain good man, without any fine feelings, and was difpleafed with her children, whofe noife interrupted her ftudies, yet I took it for granted, that fhe who fpoke fo feelingly of diftrefs, of benevolence, of humanity, of charity, and who fympathifed with the poor beetle that we tread upon, could not be but profufely beneficent to all her fellowcreatures in affliction who folicited her affiftance; but I was here alfo greatly miftaken. A workman in ftopping up her windows, in confequence of the late commutation tax, fell from a fcaffold three ftories high and broke his leg. The paffengers took him up, knocked at the door, aud defired he might be admitted till a furgeon could be fent for; but I heard her as I paffed by declaring, in a voice that might be heard from the ftair-cafe on which fhe ftood quite to the end of the ftreet-" He fhall not be brought "here-We shall have a great deal "of trouble with him. Take him to "the hofpital immediately; and fhut "the door, d'ye hear, John." The paffengers, left time should be loft, hurried the poor man to a neighbouring public houfe, where the honest landlord, with a pot of porter in his hand, and an unmeaning oath in his mouth, exclaimed, "Let him in ?—

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aye, and welcome. Here, Tom, fee "him laid on my own bed, and let "him have every thing neceffary; "and if he never pays me its no

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great matter.-Come, here's to his "getting well again foon. Poor man"I warrant now he has a wife and "family that muft ftarve till he gets "about again-but they fhan't nei"ther-I'll mention it to our club

"They

"They are all hearty ones, I know, "and will fubfcribe handfomely."

The truth was, that the man had a wife and family, as my landlord conjectured, and is commonly the cafe. I heard that he went next morning to Belinda with a petition, drawn up very pathetically by a lawyer, who never gave any thing himfelf. Belinda had given orders to the fervants to fay fhe was not at home if any body fhould call that week. For, indeed, the was exceedingly engaged in penning an elegy on the lap-dog, who had died of a loosenefs; and had intended to finish her addrefs to the Dutchefs on the hardships of the labouring poor.

I was fatisfied with thefe inquiries, and began to lofe my veneration for ladies and gentlemen of exquifite fenfibility, of delicate feeling, and the moft refined fentiment; believing firmly, that there is more good fenfe and true kindness in the plain motherly housewife, who is not above her domeftic duties, and in the honeft man of common fenfe, than in the generality of pretenders to more benevolent fenfations, or finer feelings, than belong to other people of equal rank, opulence, and education.

A Ramble of a Benevolent Man*.

Vir bonus eft qui prodeft quibus poteft,

nocet nemini. SIR,

THE HE weather was remarkably ferene, and I refolved to leave my book-room to enjoy the vernal feafon. I walked carelefsly from field to field, regaled with the fweet fmells which arose from the new-mown hay, and cheared by every appearance of plenty and tranquillity. External objects have a powerful effect in foothing the mind of man. I found myself

fympathizing with the appearance of happinefs around me. Every ruder pallion was hulled to reft, my heart glowed with benevolence, and I enjoyed for a fhort time a state of perfect felicity.

As I roamed without any settled purpofe, my feet carried me to the city. Curiofity led me with the crowd into the Seffions Houfe; and as I had just left a beautiful scene, in which all was peace, I could not but be particularly ftruck with the contrast of the prefent noife and tumult. I heard twe trials, in one of which a wretch was convicted of murder, and in the other a caufe was in debate which appeared to involve great numbers in the crimes of fraud and perjury. The altercation of the pleaders, and the prevarication of the witneffes, contributed to com. plete a fcene by no means adapted to infpire exalted ideas of human nature.

I haftily left the place, when, to my mortification, I found that in the very court of justice I had been robbed of my watch and handkerchief. While I was lamenting my lofs, and encouraging fome fentiments perhaps rather too unfavourable to my fpecies, I was fuddenly involved in a crowd, collected with eager curiofity to fee two hack ney-coachmen terminate a difpute by the exertion of their strength in fingle combat. The parties were nearly equal, and terrible was the conflict. The blows refounded at a great dif tance, and presently I beheld them both covered with blood and dirt, fhocking figures to the imagination. The fpectators expreffed no wish that the combatants might be feparated; but feemed delighted when a violent blow took place, and disappointed when it was spent in air. I wifhed to interfere, and promote an amicable adjuftment of the matter in difpute; but I found my efforts ineffectual. I ventured to propofe the feparation of the poor creatures, who were thus cruelly bruifing each other, to a jolly butcher,

From the fame.

fix

fix feet high and three feet broad; but he gave me an indignant look, and threatened to knock me down if I dared to interpofe. I found indeed that the combat afforded exquifite pleasure to the crowd. Some rubbed their hands with glee, fome filently grinned, while others vociforated words of encouragement, and others skipped for joy. Great pleasures are, however, of no long duration, and this amufement was terminated by one of the combatants ceafing to rife on receiving a violent ftroke on his left temple. Down he fell, and the ground fhook under him; and though he attempted three times to rife, he was unable to effect his purpose; and the whole circle agreed that he was as dead as a door nail. The conqueror had only loft three of his fore teeth and one eye, and all agreed that he had acquitted himself like a man. The crowd, which had been so much delighted with the fray, no fooner faw concluded, than with looks of difappointment they began to difperfe. I took the opportunity of examining the state of the vanquished party, and found him still alive, though almost in -need of the means which are used by the humane society to accomplish his complete revival. An officious acquaintance haftened to his affiftance with a dram of brandy, which contributed greatly to accelerate his recovery. He no fooner rofe than he poured forth a volley of dreadful imprecations on his limbs, which had already fuffered extremely. Inftead of thanking me, or any of the fpectators who had endeavoured to restore him, he swore if we did not stand out of his way he would fell us to the ground. We readily gave way, when the hero, putting on his cloaths, walked away, turned down an alley, and was seen by us no more.

My reflections on this fcene were fuch as tended to the degradation of my fpecies; and not being in very good spirits, I determined to enter a

coffee-house, and feek amusement by a perufal of the news-papers. I fat down, and happened to caft my eye over the laft column, which confifted in nothing but narratives of rapes, robberies, and murders. Tho' I knew that this was not at all uncommon, and that every day's paper of intelligence could furnish fomething of a fimilar hiftory, yet being in a melancholy mood, I was particularly ftruck by it, and haftily laying down the paper, and paying for my difh of coffee, I put on my hat, and resolved to walk to my little rural retirement, about four miles from this turbulent scene.

As I walked along, I could not help calling to my mind, with fentiments of extreme regret, the pleafing ideas with which I fet out in the morning. All was then tranquillity and benevolence. But I had feen, in the fpace of a few hours only, fuch pictures of human mifery and perverse. nefs, as could not but occafion uneafinefs in a mind not utterly destitute of fympathy.

Surely, faid I, nature, or the God of nature, never intended that man fhould be fo degraded. It is pafhon which deforms the beauty of the mo ral world; it is wickedness and the neglect of religion which renders man more miferable than the brute, who is happy in his infenfibility. What then can I think of those writers who argue in defence of immorality, and against revelation? What of those governors of the world, who bestow no attention in preferving the morals of the common people, and encouraging. the teachers of fuch doctrines as conduce to the raifing of the reptile man from the voluntary abasement in which his evil inclinations are able to involve him? Let the magiftrate, the clergy, the rich and powerful of every occupation, whofe example is irresistible, exert themselves in diffufing virtuous. principles and practices among the peo ple at large. Such benevolence, more beneficial than all pecuniary bounty,

confidered

confidered only as preventing temporal mifery, caufes man to approach nearer to his benignant Maker than any other conduct. To that Maker, faid I, let thofe who have charity apply themselves in prayer for the diminution of evil of all kinds, and the extenfion of happinefs and peace.

I was mufing on fuch fubjects, when I found myself at the door of my little cottage. The evening was beautiful. The clouds in the Weft were variegated with colours, fuch as no pencil has yet been able to imitate. My garden breathed odours, and difplayed the bloom of fhrubs, fuch as might adorn the Elyfian fields of the poets. All confpired to restore the tranquillity of the morning; and when I retired to reft, my fpirits being compofed, I foon funk into a fweet fleep, pleafingly interrupted in the morning by a dream, which, as it appeared to have fome connection with the ideas which I had entertained in the day, I fhall relate.

I thought I was on a large plain covered over with flocks of innumerable sheep. They appeared to ftraggle without a guide. Many had their fleeces torn by brambles, fome were loft in a barren wilderness, others were pursued by wolves, and not a few were conftantly engaged in annoying each other with their horns. There was a general bleating in a tone expreffive of great diftrefs. I pitied the poor creatures, but faw no hopes of affording them relief, till I turned my eyes to the eastern part of the plain, when I beheld a venerable fhepherd with his crook inviting the fheep into a fold,

through which ran a delightful ftream of clear water. Many rushed in, and began to drink with avidity. The alteration in their appearance was in the highest degree pleafing. The lambs played about without any fear of the wolf, and the fheep lay and basked in the funshine, or fought refreshment in the cool fhade. The fhepherd's looks were benevolent beyond expreffion. He made ufe of every enticement to bring the fheep into the fold, but many would not hear his voice, and fome feemed to hear it, but perverfely ram away from him. I faw thofe who were fo unhappy as to refufe to enter, perifh miferably by falling from rocks, by famine, by the violence of the wolf, and by difeafe. I turned from the painful profpect to fee the good fhepherd and his fold; and I thought at the clofe of the day he led the fheep into a green pafture, the verdure and fertility of which was increased by the gentle river which flowed thro the middle of it.

I was fo delighted with the fcene, that I was going to call out to the fhepherd in an extafy of joy, when I awoke.

I could not but lament the absence of so pleasing a vifion; but the avo cations and neceffities of life called me from my bed, which I left with refolutions of devoting the rest of my life to the alleviation of evil wherever I fhould find it, and to the fecuring of His favour who can lead me from the vale of mifery to the waters of comfort and the fountain of life.

I am, Sir, your's, &c.
A CONTEMPLATIVE RAMBLER,

Extracts from a Tour in Catalonia. By Aurthur Young, Efq; F. R. S. &c*.

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too much to the length of this paper to fpeak of them here; I fhall on an other occafion be particular in defcri bing the husbandry practifed in them, and at prefent ftop no longer than to mention the pafturage of Catalonian heep in them. By a little detour out of our direct road, and by palling Hofpital, which is the name of a folitary wretched inn, we gained the heights, but free from fnow, which the Spaniards hire of the French for the pafturage of their flocks. I must observe, that a confiderable part of the mountains belong in property to the communities of the respective parishes, and are difpofed of by what we should call the Veftry: they hire a very confiderable range of many miles. The French mountains, on which they pasture, are four hours diftant from Bagnere de Luchon, and belong to that town: thofe hours are more than 20 English miles, and are the most diftant part of the parish. To arrive at them, we followed the river Pique, which upon the maps is fometimes called the Nefte. The whole way it runs in a torrent, and falls in cafcades of many ftories, formed either by large pieces of rock, or by trees carried down, and stopped by ftones. The current, in process of ages, has worn itfelf deep glens to pafs through, at the bottom of which the tumbling of the water is heard, but can be feen only at breaks in the wood, which hang over and darken the scene. The road, as it is called, paffes generally by the river, but hangs, if I may ufe the expreffion, like a fhelf on the mountain fide, and is truly dreadful to the inhabitants of plains, from being broken by gullies, and floping on the edges of precipices: it is, however, paffable by mules, and by the horfes of mountains. The vale grows fo narrow at laft, that it is not above 100 yards wide in fome places. The general feene at laft has little wood. The mountains on the South fide finish in a pyramidical rock of micaceous fchiftus, which is conftantly tum

bling into the plain, from the attacks of the froft, and the melting of the fnows, the flope to the river being fpread with fragments. Met here with pieces of lead ore and manganefe. On the northern ridge, bearing to the Weft, are the paftures of the Spanish flocks. The ridge is not, however, the whole; there are two other mountains, quite in a different fituation, and the fheep travel from one to another, as the pafturage is fhort or plentiful. I examined the foil of these mountain-paftures, and found it in general ftony; what in the Weft of England would be called a stone brafh, with fome mixture of loam, and in a few places a little peaty. The plants are many of them untouched by the fheep: many ferns, narciffus, violets, &c. but burnet, (poterium finguiforha) and the narrow-leaved plantain (plantago lanceolata) were eaten, as may be fuppofed, clofe. I looked for trefoils, but found scarcely any. It was very apparent, that foil and peculiarity of herbage had little to do in rendering thefe heights proper for fheep. In the northern parts of Europe, the tops of mountains half the height of these, for we were above fnow in July, are bogs; all are fo which I have feen in our iflands; or, at least, the proportion of dry land is very trifling to that which is extremely wet. Here they are in general very dry. Now a great range of dry land, let the plants be what they may, will in every country fuit fheep. The flock is brought every night to one fpot, which is fituated at the end of the valley on the river I have mentioned, and near the port or paffage of Picada. It is a level fpot sheltered from all winds. The foil is 8 or 9 inches deep of old dung, not at all inclosed; and from the freedom from wood all around it, feems to be chofen partly for fafety against wolves and bears. Near it is a very large ftone, cr rather rock, fallen from the mountain. This the fhepherds have taken for a fheltes, and have built a hut

against

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