once from the highest elevation of hope and illufion, to the depths of defpair. Pride was the ruling paffion of Chatterton, and a too acute fenfe of fhame is ever found to accompany literary pride.

6.

Of Mrs Angel, with whom he laft refided, no enquiries have afforded any fatisfactory intelligence; but there can be little doubt that his death was preceded by extreme in digence. Mr Crofs, an apothecary in Brook-ftreet, informed Mr Warton, that while Chatterton lived in the neighbourhood, he frequently called at the fhop, and was repeatedly preffed by Mr Crofs to dine or fup with him in vain. One even ing, however, human frailty fo far prevailed over his dignity, as to tempt him to partake of the regale of a barrel of oysters, when he was obferved to eat moft voraciously. Mrs Wolfe, a barber's wife within a few doors of the houfe where Mrs Angel lived, has also afforded ample teftimony, both to his poverty and his pride. She fays, that Mrs Angel told her, after his death, that on the 24th of Auguft, as fhe knew he had not eaten any thing for two or three days, he begged he would take fome dinner with her; but he was offended at her expreflions, which feem ed to hint he was in want, and affured her was not hungry.' In thefe defperate circumftances, his mind reverted to what (we learn from Mr Thiftlethwaite, and other quarters) he had accustomed himfelf to regard as a last resource-Over his death, for the fake of the world,' fays the author of Love and Madness, would willingly, draw a veil. But this must not be. They who are in a condition to patronife merit, and they who feel a consciousness of merit which is not patronifed, may form their own refolutions from the catastrophe of his tale;-thofe, to lofe no opportunity of befriending genius; thefe, to feize every oppor

I

tunity of befriending themselves, and, upon no account, to harbour the moft diftant idea of quitting the world, however it may be unworthy of them, left defpondency should at laft deceive them into fo unpardonable a ftep. Chatterton, as appears by the Coroner's Inqueft, fwallowed arfenick in water, on the 24th of Augaft 1770, and died in confequence thereof the next day, at the age of feventeen years and nine months. He was buried in a shell, in the burying ground of Shoe-lane work-houfo.

The perfon of Chatterton, like his genius, was premature; he had a manlinefs and dignity beyond his years, and there was fomething about him uncommonly prepoffeffing. His most remarkable feature was his eyes, which, tho' gray, were uncom monly piercing; when he was warmed in argument, or otherwife, they fparkled with fire; and one eye, it is faid, was ftill more remarkable than the other. His genius will be moft completely estimated from his writings. He had an uncommon ardour in the purfuit of knowledge, and uncommon facility in the attainment of it. It was a favourite maxim with him, that man is equal to any thing, and that every thing might be atchieved by diligence and abstinence.' His imagination, like Dryden's, was more fertile than correct; and he feems to have erred rather through hatte and negligence, than through any deficiency of taste. He was above that puerile affectation. which pretends to borrow nothing he knew that original genius confifts in forming new and happy combinations, rather than in fearching after thoughts and ideas which never had occurred before; and that the man who never imitated, has feldom acquired a habit of good writing, It thofe poems, which pass under the name of Rowley, be really the productions of Chatterton, he pof-. feff ed

and attachment to his mother and relations. Every favourite project for his advancement in life was accompanied with promifes and encouragement to them; while in London, he continued to fend them prefents, at a time when he was known himself to be in want: and indeed, the unremitting attention, kindnefs, and respect, which appear in the whole of his conduct towards them, are deserving the imitation of thofe in more fortunate circumstances, and under the influence of better principles of faith than Chatterton poffefsed. It can never be fufficiently lamented, that this amiable propenfity was not more uniform in Chatterton. A real love for his relations ought to have arrefted the hand of fuicide; but when religion is loft, all uniformity of principle is loft.

By the accounts of all who were acquainted with him, there was fomething uncommonly infinuating in his manner and converfation. Mr Crols informed Mr Warton, that in Chatterton's frequent visits while he refided at Brook-street, he found his converfation, a little infidelity excepted, most captivating. His extenfive, though in many inftances fuperficial knowledge, united with his genius, wit, and fluency, muft have admirably accomplished him for

the pleafures of society. His pridė, which perhaps fhould rather be termed the ftrong consciousness of intellectual excellence, did not deftroy his affability. He was always acceffible, and rather forward to make acquaintance, than apt to decline the advances of others. There is reafon however to believe, that the inequality of his fpirits, affected greatly his behaviour in company. His fits of absence were frequent and long. He would often look ftedfaftly in a perfon's face without fpeaking, or feeming to fee the perfon, for a quarter of an hour or more.'

foldier is a pretty good initiation into the toils of his profeffion, I am fafe arrived at this place.

Chatterton had one ruling paffion which governed his whole conduct, and that was the defire of literary fame; this paffion intruded itself on every occafion, and abforbed his whole attention. Whether he would have continued to improve or the contrary, muft have depended in fome meafure on the circumftances of his future life. Had he fallen into profigate habits and connections, he would probably have loft a great part of his ardour for the cultivation of his mind; and his maturer age would only have diminished the admiration which the efforts of his childhood have so justly excited.

As we could not march many miles in a day, through the feverity of the weather, bad roads, and the shortnefs of the days, I am enabled to

give you fome little defcription of the country between this city and

Both fides of the river are very well fettled, which affords a pleafing profpect. The farms moftly lie clofe to the water-fide, and at fome diftance from each other, fo that each farmer has his poffeffions entirely diftinct from thofe of his neighbour's. But

But had an edict, which was paffed in the year 1745, when this province was under the French government, been obferved, it would have been one continued street from Quebec to this place, as it forbade the Canadians from extending their plantatious more than an acre and a half in front, and thirty or forty acres in depth; by which means indolent heirs would not have waited for the inheritance of their fathers, as they would have been under the neceflity of forming new plantations, and fuch vaft fpaces of wood would no longer have been feparated from each other.

But whether that indolence they then poffeffed proceeded from nature, or the rigor of their Government, they feem now to have entirely loft it, and are become more in duftrious; as I perceived, in many places, they were clearing away the woods to form new plantations.

Most of the farm houfes are built of stone, confifting of three or four rooms, which are heated with a ftove, nearly upon the fame conftruction as thefe I defcribed to you. Some of them have orchards annexed, though in general they are with out fuch an accommodation, but all have exceeding good kitchen gar

dens.

Every three leagues there is a church, with a kind of little village, confifting of the parfonage, the auberge, the fchool for boys and girls, and a few houfes belonging to tradesmen, thofe but few indeed, and fo thinly scattered, that it fcarcely gives you the idea of a village. Trade is confidered by any defcendant of the nobleje a difgrace, yet there are few inhabitants but what claim fome affinity to one Seigneur or another, who, though they think it no derogation to plow, fow, and reap upon their plantations, deem it ignominious in the extreme, to be a mechanic or tradefman. Notwithftanding which, I was much furpii

zed to find, that the principal inhabitant in each village, who generally belongs to fome nobleffe, was the post-mafter, and kept the only au berge in the place; nay, did not think his nobility offended, with providing horfes and entertaining travellers, which I remember to have heard you fay is the cafe in many parts of Italy.

Between each church, or village, there are feveral croffes put up on the road-fide, parallel to the fhores of the river, and which are common throughout Canada. They are made of wood, about fifteen or twenty feet high, and proportionably broad: In that fide towards the road is a fquare hole, in which they place fome wax images, either of our Saviour on the crufs, or of the holy Virgin, with the child in her arms, and before that, a piece of glafs to prevent its being injured by the weather. These croffes are ornamented with all the inftruments they think the Jews employed in crucifying our Saviour, fuch as the hammer, tongs, nails, 2 flask of vinegar, with many more things than one would fuppofe were really made ufe of, or even invented; and frequently the figure of a cock is placed at the top, which appeared to me rather fingular, as it could not have the leaft affinity to the crucifixion, and muft rather be fuppofed an allufion to the cock's growing when St Peter denied our Saviour.

Thefe croffes, however good the intention of erecting them may be, are continually the caufes of great delays in travelling, which to perfons not quite fo fuperftitiously dif pofed as the Canadians, are exceedingly unpleafant in cold weather; for whenever the drivers of the calathes, which are open, and nearly. fimilar to your one-horfe chaifes, come to one of them, they alight, either from their horfes or carriage, fall on their kaces, and repeat a long prayer,