eipfed the oppofite intereft, was at the as they never could extricate themselves revelation difmiffed from his poft of lau- from. Neither could the blandithments teat, and Mr. Shadwell fucceeding him in of wealth feduce him into the trammels it, he treated the latter with the utmost of wedlock, when the object who poffelscratempt, and in his Mac Flecknoe has ed it, had no other recommendation than tranfmitted his antagonist to pofterity in the mineral drofs, which never fails feduca very disadvantageous light; but notwith- ing the mercenary and avaricious: fo that tanding his poetical abilities were great- we find he ftill retained his heart, though inferior to thofe of Mr. Dryden, many furrounded by fo many different affailants. of the bet wits of that age have given We may, therefore, readily conclude he eir teftimony in favour of his comedies. baffled thofe attacks, which otherwife He died fuddenly on the 20th of Novem- would have been too powerful for him to ber, 1692, in the fifty-second year of his withstand by-variety. Thus armed with ge, as we are informed by the infcription this hield he could trace the melting eye in the tranfporting pan the monument, erected to his ho- of lady Bridget. Bar in Weltminiter abbey, by his fon leer of Matilda S; the dimple Dr. Shadwell. This monument is adorn- cheek, and pouting lip, of the honourable , in the fmiling captivat ed with his buft, crowned with a chaplet Mifs Bhys, and other decorations. He wrote ing Charlotte D; and the majefic -r, in the brilliant Eventeen plays, and feveral poems, among elegance of Mifs Spwhich is a tralation of the tenth fatire fately Nancy P of Juvenal. Dr. Nicholas Brady reprefents has a man of great honefty and grity, and fays, that he had a real lae of truth and fincerity, an inviolable fety and ftrictwefs to his word, an unale friendship wherefoever he pro- As foon as our hero came of age, and ted it had all the accomplishments had thrown off the fackles of his tutor which adorn a complete gentleman, and and guardians, he refolved upon a tour fuch a fenfe of religion, that he never to the continent, having already laid a took his dofe of opium, but he folemnly proper foundation for fuch improvements recommended himself to God by prayer. as he might derive from travelling. He of courfe vifited Paris; but neither the Hories of the Tete-a-Tete annexed: ΟΥ frivolity of the manners of the gay, fu Mirs of the Patriotic Senator and percilious inhabitants of that capital," NRcould feduce him to enter into their folHE Patriotic Senator is defcended lies and caprices, any farther than aflafrom an ancient family, who have bility and politencís demanded; neither Sealized themselves in the defence of could the coquettes upon the ton, entice Country: and he is nearly allied to him to lofe his money at play to purchase a nobleman, who does honour to his rank their fmiles, or even the favours, which and dguity by his hofpitality and benef- are often purchased too dear without any pecuniary recompence. He, nevertheless, frequently faw his countrymen fall a prey to their artifices, and the nominal milord Anglois, was often reduced to the ftate of a mendicant. Although he was greatly chagrined to find that English guineas were thus bartered for hypocrify, fhrugs, and grimace, in the men, and miles, dimples, and paint in the women; he could not fee an Englishman in diftrefs, without fympathetically dilating his purfeftrings in his fervice. Thus, like a frugal Connoiffeur, by fubitituting the copies for the original, ho had as complete a gallery of first-rate beauties as ever compofed an eaftern monarch's feraglio. ther cence. -ds. After our hero had received a claffical as well as genteel education, he was intuced into the polite circles at the wet end of the town, and was foon diftinguifhtd for the gracefulness of his perfon, his tegant addrefs, and his engaging and prepiring countenance. At this early peFad he found himself furrounded by innumerable beauties, who feemed all to aim at his heart; but though still in his teens, te had prudence fufficient not to facrifice bis future cafe and content to a fine face. It is true, he was far from being infenfible to their charms; but he thought the Parchale was too great, that of liberty (for which he was ever a tickler) for even a Venus de Medicis. He, however, met with the ufual fate of all Englishmen, which is almost inevitable, that is being fleeced by taylors, hofiers, frifeus and others, who find means to perfuade our travellers, that they are men of the greatest taste and judgment of any people in Europe, and With thefe fentiments, we may fuppofe matrimony had not thefe attractions in that therefore they always ftudy fashions, eye, which have often bewildered in order to lay the first tribute of their his the votaries of Hymen into fuch labyrinths invention at the feet of the English nobi lity, who are justly intitled, as the real patrons, of genius in every line, to be allowed all the merit that may be derived from the fertility of Frenchmen's brains. Although our hero was not fufceptible of fuch grofs flattery, and was armed against the impofitions that were defigned under this mask of Parifian politeffes, as he could not avoid employing thefe impoftors, he was compelled to pay, in fome degree, for their fulfome compliments. After quitting Paris, he paffed the Alps, and v fited Italy; but neither the vices of the climate, or the habitual luxury of the inhabitants, operated, in any degree, to corrupt the morals, or contaminate the fentiments of our hero. It is true, he was prefent at the Carnival at Venice, and many plans were laid by the courtezans of that city to entrap him into their snares, but his judgment operated more powerfully than their ftratagems, and after having visited Rome, Naples, and other capital places in Italy, he returned from that fink of corruption, as lord Chetterfield calls it, immaculate, and foon after made his appearance in England. Our hero, in the courfe of his tour, availing himfelf of every opportunity of gaining ufeful knowledge, and by comparing his theoretic acquaintance with the different countries which he visited, with ocular demonftration, he was enabled to form a competent judgment of the veracity of writers, and the exaggerations of travellers, whether their works were the effufions of a fertile imagination in the clofet, or the hyperbolical recitals of itinerant authors, who wrote as they travelled, and travelled as they wrotefor bread. With them the marvellous is abfolutely neceffary; for a bookfeller would no more purchase a collection of voyages, that related mere matters of fact, than Jonas would be requited for playing an excellent, though fair game at whift. The greedy public pay to be furprifed and aftonifhed, For lookers on have most delight, Soon after his arrival here, an opportunity prefented itself, by a vacancy, of his obtaining a feat in parliament, when his merit and connections prevailed. He foon convinced his conftituents that they had made a very eligible choice; that their intereft and that of his country form ed the basis of his conduct; and that as he had pledged himself to them, fo he appeared refolved never to lofe fight of thele great and important objects. It was confidently faid, that fome lures were thrown out to him from a certain quarter to changes fides, and give up fuch old fashioned, antiquated ideas, as patriotifm, the good of his country, and the welfare of the people, for a fnug place or fine-> cure. But the treatment of one of his near relations, a few years fince, by the machinations of the then administration, had given him fuch an abhorrence to miniterial faith, that had not his principles been fincere and immutable, from the confcioufnefs of the juftice of the cause he had engaged in, the recollection of that cruel and nefarious bufinefs would alone, have been fufficient to have deterred him from ever engaging under a fimilar banner. By the death of a member, a vacancy ensued for the reprefentation of a certain great county; and being invited by a very confiderable number of the electors to become their representative, he would willingly have embraced the honour that, was offered to him, and accordingly petitioned for the Chiltern hundreds, in order to vacate his prefent feat; but upon application to a great board, this request was refufed him, the Chiltern hundreds having been already granted to a certain court favourite, who was to step in for the county in our hero's room. minifterial manoeuvre was, however, frufThis trated: the indignation of the freeholders was fo great at this tyrannical act, as they confidered it, that they refolved, at a general meeting, not to fuffer the court candidate to gain his clection; nominated an elderly gentleman, of great integrity and abilities, to be elected as a locum tenens, till our hero's feat fhould be vacated, in the regular way, by the diffolution of Parliament. When this period arrived, he, with his colleague, was put in nomination, and declared duly elected without the fmaliest oppofition, fo thoroughly had he convinced his conftituents of the rectitude of his heart, and his inviolable patriotic fentiments. Since our hero has had the honour of reprefenting this county, he has feized every opportunity of diftinguishing himfelf as a firm friend to the conftitution of rights and privileges of his constituents. this kingdom, its true interefts, and the character, would, we think, be fufficient This miniature portrait of his public to convey a proper idea of the Patriotic Senator; but the subjoined platé, which we think is a ftriking likeaefs of our bero, fon out of all doubt cannot fail putting the identity of his perfore, now enter upon that alliance, which We fhail, therehas entitled him to a place in this department of our mifcellany. Notwithstanding Notwithstanding we have endeavoured, with much affiduity, to trace the genealogy of our heroine, we must acknowledge our efforts have been, in a great de, gree, frustrated, as we cannot, with any precfion, determine upon her pedigree. According to fome accounts (he was an orphan, who had been deprived of her fortase by her guardian; who having gained pelion of it, moit infamously defraudter of it, and appropriated it to his on emplument. From other quarters With refpe& to her perfon, it is graceful and perfectly genteel: in her countenance a group of Cupids feem to have taken up their refidence: her eyes are the mirroars of love; and her lips breathe a fragrance that furpaffes all the perfumes of Arabia, at the moment they difplay a fet of teeth that rival ivory. Such an angelic figure, with thofe accomplishments, could not fail commanding many admirer. One more adventurous than the reft, finding that he could not expect to fuc-> tred in his defign, but by ftratagem, enged a certain duenna to entice her into clutches, when captain M, her stended feducer, failed not to be in waiting to perpetrate his villainous deign. Our hero happened to be in the houfe when this horrid plot was upon the point being carried into execution. He overrd the young ladies fhrieks, her fupplications, her intreaties: he rushed into the room fword in hand, and rescued her from the brutal ravisher. He immediately conducted her to a feale acquaintance, on whofe integrity he could rely. After Mifs Rds had recovered from her fright, the inquired concerning the gentleman, who had acted beroically and nobly in her behalf. Be made acquainted with his character, and having already entertained fome ftrong Pepoffeffions in his favour, fhe was eafily Fevailed to remain with the lady, who ad afforded her an afylum; and it was without much difficulty, that Mifs R-da fuffered our hero's vifits, which foon became very frequent, and from a variety of circumftances, there is great reafon to believe the soft perfuafion of his mellifluous tongue has prevailed, aud that his oratory in love, has proved as powerful and ener getic, as that which fo frequently distin guifhes him in the fenate. Anecdote of Hogarth. A Little time before the auction for the er. He would have waved his right; and fome compliments paffed between him and our artift on the occafion. The event is known. The frames of these pictures alone are faid to have cofl 81. fo that the painter received only 201. for Ex of his most finished performances. Original Anecdote of the Tartuffe of Mo liere. Tof feveral of the dignified clergy in THE hypocrify, lewdnefs, and avarice France calling forth the pen of Moliere to expofe fuch characters on the ftage, he was induced to give his piece the name of Tartuffe, from the following circumftance. There was at that time in France an Ita lian prieft, diftinguifhed for an affected who, with other vices, was a remarkable appearance of gravity and religion, and epicure, yet conftantly vaunting of his regularity and abftemiousness: however, being one day preffed to go to a public dinner, and happening to fit near a ragout NOTE. *One of the conditions of fale was, that the company were not to bid by fpeaking; but to write down the fum they meant to offer on bits of paper, and depofit them in a kind of balloting box; a novelty which, perhaps, either To far difgufted or puzzled the public, as to occafion the thinness of the company that attended. |