"Yes, that may do bye and bye. But I should not wonder if she has to go through a great deal more before she finds her pride of much service to her. Those country girls are very different from the women here; when an affair of that sort is ended here, and a girl has lost her lover, she has nothing to do but to go to the theatres, or the opera, or Almack's, or any where else, and look out for another. But when such is the case in the country, they mope about, and walk amongst trees, and talk to the moon, and write sonnets; and, never seeing a man above once in seven years, have no chance of replacing the lost hero.' "But that is not the case with Miss Rivers, just at present; she has been in London and the neighbourhood for some months past.' "Where is she? I will go and call on her and console her.' "I had rather you would not, if you please, just at present; considering your connexion with me, I think it will be best to avoid it.' "Well, just as you please; I should like to have seen her. I always admired Miss Rivers; nay, I positively at one time had some wandering designs of marrying her myself.' "Had you, indeed? I wish with all my heart you had putthem in execution.' "Thank you for your good wishes; it is not too late now, perhaps, only that I have lost the inclination. Come, shall we walk?' "Mr. Waldegrave reached his hat, with something between a sigh and a yawn "This affair annoys me most confoundedly,' said he. "Oh, it's a bad business, beyond dispute; but you must try and forget it. You know there's nothing upon earth to be done, unless you mean to marry the girl.' 16 I can't marry her-it's quite impossible,' said Mr. Waldegrave impa tiently. "Well, then, come along, and say no more about it." " For examples of the author's powers of pathos, which are, we think, considerable, we must refer our readers to several of the descriptions near the conclusion, and especially to the last scene of all. Although we do not certainly estimate the work before us as the brilliant production of a powerful and original genius, its well conceived and conducted plot, its agreeable pleasantry, lively scenes, and amusing characters, are proofs of talent far above the average of that of novel writers. But it soars very far, indeed, above its whole class, with a few kindred exceptions, in the yet more valuable qualities of sound principle, amiable sentiment, and benevolent feeling. There is a gentleness and kindliness throughout, which tempt us to think that we are reading the production of a female pen; and to female pens, in this department of literature, we can trace an exquisite management of passion and feeling, and an edifying use of principle, which are very often wanting in the fictitious compositions of the other sex. There is a vein of sincere practical piety both skilfully and usefully introduced into the story; but although Mortimer and Louisa are humble, in the scriptural sense of the word, the author allows the heroine to die considerably short of repentance and humiliation. She does not, by any means, attribute her sufferings to her own errors, and something of her characteristic pride besets even her deathbed; for her expressions are not humble hopes of mercy, but confident expectations of a perfectly happy hereafter. This was surely not intended by the author. With this modification, we have not a fault to find with the principles of the present work. If it be consistent with a sound discretion, that the first tale of love, instead of being left to chance, shall be told to the young and innocent with perfect purity, and shall, moreover, address the imagination, strictly associated with the safeguards of honour, prudence, and virtue, "The Favourite of Nature," we sincerely think, ought to be a standard family novel. ART. VIII.-The following Sketches of Manners and Times are taken from Graydon's Memoirs of" A Life in Pennsylvania." "Or all the cities in the world, Philadelphia was, for its size, perhaps, one of the most peaceable and unwarlike; and Grant was not wholly without data for supposing that, with an inconsiderable force, he could make his way at least through Pennsylvania. So much had the manners of the Quakers, and its long exemption from hostile alarm, nourished this disposition, that a mere handful of lawless frontier men was found sufficient to throw the capital into consternation. The unpunished, and even applauded massacre of certain Indians at Lancaster, who, in the jail of that town, had vainly flattered themselves that they possessed an asylum, had so encouraged their murderers, who called themselves Paxton Boys, that they threatened to perpetrate the like enormity upon a number of other Indians, under the protection of government in the metropolis; and for this purpose they, at length put themselves in arms, and actually began their march. Their force, though known to be small in the beginning, continually increased as it went along, the vires acquirit eundo being no less the attribute of terror than of fame. Between the two, the invaders were augmented to some thousands by the time they had approached within a day or two's journey of their object. To the credit, however, of the Philadelphians, every possible effort was made to frustrate the inhuman designs of the banditti; and the Quakers, as well as others, who had proper feelings on the occasion, exerted themselves for the protection of the terrified Indians, who were shut up in the barracks, and for whose more immediate defence part of a British regiment of foot was stationed there. But the citadel or place of arms, was in the very heart of the city, all around and within the old court-house, and Friends' meeting-house. Here stood the artillery, under the command of Captain Loxley, a very honest, though little, dingy-looking man, with regimentals, considerably war-worn or tarnished; a very salamander or fire drake in the public estimation, whose vital air was deemed the fume of sulphureous explosion, and who, by whatever means he had acquired his science, was always put foremost when great guns were in question. Here it was that the grand stand was to be made against the approaching invaders, who, if rumour might be credited, had now extended their murderous purposes beyond the savages, to their patrons and abettors. Hence the cause had materially changed its complexion, and, instead of resting on a basis of mere humanity and plighted faith, it had emphatically become the cause of self-preservation little doubt being entertained that the capital would be sacked, in case of the predominance of a barbarous foe. In this state of consternation and dismay, all business was laid aside for the more important occupation of arms. Drums, colours, rusty halberts, and bayonets, were brought forth from their lurking-places; and as every good citizen who had asword had girded to his thigh, so every one who had a gun had placed it on his shoulder. In short, bella, horrida bella, war, destructive war, was about to desolate the hitherto peaceful streets of Philadelphia. "But with all this, the old proverb was not belied; and the benign influence of this ill wind was sensibly felt by us school-boys. The dreaded event was overbalanced in our minds by the holidays which were the effect of it; and so far as I can recall my feelings on the occasion, they very much preponderated on the side of hilarity. "As the defensive army was without eyes, it had of course no better information than such as common bruit could supply; and hence many untoward consequences ensued. One was the near extinction of a troop of mounted butchers from Germantown, who, scampering down Market street with the best intentions in the world, were announced as the Paxton Boys, and by this mistake, very narrowly escaped a greeting from the rude throats of Captain Loxley's artillery. The word FIRE was already quivering on his lips, but Pallas came in shape of something, and suppressed it. Another emanation from this unmilitary defect of vision was the curious order that every householder in Market street should affix one or more candles at his door before daylight, on the morning of the day on which, from some sufficient reason no doubt, it had been elicited that the enemy would full surely make his attack, and by no other than this identical route, on the citadel. Whether this illumination was merely intended to prevent surprise or whether it was that the commander who enjoined it was determined, like Ajax, that, if perish he must, he would perish in the face of day, I do not know; but certain it is that such a decree went forth, and was religiously complied with. This I can affirm, from the circumstance of having resided in Market street at the time. The sage precaution, however, proved superfluous, although, with respect merely to the nearness of the redoubted invaders, there was colour for it. It was soon ascertained that they had reached Germantown and a deputation of the least obnoxious citizens, with the olive branch, was sent out to meet them. After a parley of some days, an armis. tice was agreed upon, and peace at length so effectually restored, that the formidable stragglers who had excited so much terror, were permitted, as friends, to enter the city." "But it was not alone by hostile alarms that the good people of Philadel phia were annoyed. Their tranquility had been likewise disturbed by the uncitizenlike conduct of a pair of British officers, who, for want of something better to do, had plunged themselves into an excess of intemperance; and, in the plenitude of wine and hilarity, paraded the streets at all hours, 'A la clarté de cieux dans l'ombre de la nuit,' to the no small terror of the sober and the timid. The firm of this duumvirate was Ogle and Friend, names always coupled together, like those of Castor and Pollux, or of Pylades and Orestes. But the cement which connected them was scarcely so pure as that which had united those heroes of antiquity. It could hardly be called friendship, but was rather a confederacy in debauchery and riot, exemplified in a never ending round of frolic and fun. It was related of Ogle, that, upon hiring a servant, he had stipulated with him that he should never get drunk but when his master was sober. But the fellow sometime after requested his discharge, giving for his reason, that he had in truth no dislike to a social glass himself, but it had so happened, that the terms of the agreement had absolutely cut him off from any chance of ever indulging his propensity. 66 Many are the pranks I have heard ascribed, either conjointly or separately, to this par nobile fratrum. That of Ogle's first appearance in Philadelphia has been thus related to me by Mr. Will Richards, the apothecary who, it is well known, was, from his size and manner, as fine a figure for Falstaff as the imagination can conceive. "One afternoon," said he, "an officer in full regimentals, booted and spurred, with a whip in his hand, spattered with mud from top to toe, and reeling under the effects of an overdose of liquor, made his entrance into the coffee-bcuse, in a box of which I was sitting, perusing a newspaper. He was probably under the impression, that every man he was to meet would be a Quaker, and that a Quaker was no other than a licensed Simon Pure for his amusement; for no sooner had he entered, than, throwing his arms about the neck of Mr. Joshua Fisher, with the exclamation of Ah, my dear Broadbrim, give me a kiss,' he began to slaver him most lovingly. As Joshua was a good deal embarrassed by the salutation, and wholly unable to parry the assault or shake of the fond intruder, I interfered in his behalf, and effected a separation, when Ogle, turning to me, cried out, Hah! my jolly fellow, give me a smack of your fat chops,' and immediately fell to hugging and kissing me, as he had done Fisher. But, instead of the coyness he had shown, I hugged and kissed in my turn as hard as I was able, until my weight at length brought Ogle to the floor, and myself on top of him. Nevertheless I kept kissing away, until nearly mashed and suffocated, he exclaimed, For heaven's sake let me up, let me up, or you will smother me! Having sufficiently tormented him, and avenged Joshua Fisher, I permitted him to rise, when he seemed a good deal sobered, and finding that I was neither a Quaker, nor wholly ignorant of the world, he evinced some respect for me, took a seat with me in a box, and entering into conversation, soon discovered that, however he might be disguised by intoxication, he well knew what belonged to the character of a gentleman.”—“This," says Richards, "was the commencement of an acquaintance between us; and Captain Ogle sometimes called to see me, upon which occasions he always behaved with the utmost propriety and decorum." "Among the disaffected (royalists) in Philadelphia, Dr. Kearsley was preeminently ardent and rash.. An extremely zealous loyalist, and impetuous in his temper, he had given much umbrage to the Whigs; and, if I am not mistaken, he had been detected in some hostile machinations. Hence he was deemed a proper subject for the fashionable punishment of tarring, feathering, and carting. He was seized at his own door by a party of the militia, and, in the attempt to resist them, received a wound in his hand from a bayonet. Being overpowered, he was placed in a cart provided for the purpose, and, amidst a multitude of boys and idlers, paraded through the streets to the tune of the rogues' march. I happened to be at the coffee-house when the concourse arrived there. They made a halt, while the Doctor, foaming with rage and indignation, without his hat, his wig dishevelled and bloody from his wounded hand, stood up in the cart and called for a bowl of punch. It was quickly handed to him; when, so vehement was his thirst, that he drained it of its contents before he took it from his lips. What were the feelings of others on this lawless proceeding I know not, but mine, I must confess, revolted at the spectacle. I was shocked at seeing a late respected citizen so cruelly vilified, and was imprudent enough to say, that, had I been a magistrate, I would, at every hazard, have interposed my authority in suppression of the outrage. But this was not the only instance which convinced me that I wanted nerves for a revolution. It must be admitted, however, that the conduct of the populace was marked by a lenity which peculiarly distinguished the cradle of our republicanism. Tar and feathers had been dispensed with, and, excepting the injury he had received in his hand, no sort of violence was offered by the mob to their victim. But to a man of high spirit, as the Doctor was, the indignity, in its lightest form, was sufficient to madden him: it probably had this effect, since his conduct became so extremely outrageous, that it was thought necessary to confine him. From this city he was soon after removed to Carlisle, where he died during the war. "A few days after the carting of Mr. Kearsley, Mr. Isaac Hunt, the attorney, was treated in the same manner, but he managed the matter much better than his precursor. Instead of braving his conductors like the Doctor, * An uncle, probably, of Leigh Hunt.-Ed. P. F. Mr. Hunt was a pattern of meekness and humility; and at every halt that was made, he rose and expressed his acknowledgments to the crowd for their forbearance and civility. After a parade of an hour or two, he was set down at his own door, as uninjured in body as in mind. He soon after removed to one of the islands, if I mistake not, to Barbadoes, where, it was understood he took orders. "Not long after these occurrences, Major Skene, of the British army, ventured to show himself in Philadelphia. Whatever might have been his inducement to the measure, it was deemed expedient by the newly constituted authorities to have him arrested and secured. A guard was accordingly placed over him at his lodgings, at the city tavern. The officer to whose charge he was especially committed, was Mr. Francis Wade, the brewer, an Irishman of distinguished zeal in the cause, and one who was supposed to possess talents peculiarly befitting him for the task of curbing the spirit of an haughty Briton, which Skene undoubtedly was. I well recollect the day that the guard was paraded to escort him out of the city on his way to some other station. An immense crowd of spectators stood before the door of his quarters, and lined the streets through which he was to pass. The weather being warm, the window sashes of his apartment were raised, and Skene, with his bottle of wine upon the table, having just finished his dinner, roared out, in the voice of a Stentor, God save great George our King. Had the spirit of seventy-five in any degree resembled Jacobinism, to which it has unjustly been compared, this bravado would unquestionably have brought the major to the lamp post, and set his head upon a pike; but as, fortunately for him, it did not, he was suffered to proceed with his song, and the auditory seemed more generally amused than offended." ART. IX.-Poetry. THE POET. At morn, at noon, at eve, and middle night, From flower, tree, heath, and fountain. To his sight To the core, and every secret essence there To kindred, country, climate, class or kind, Then, as of old, might inspiration shed S. FOR THE PORT FOLIO. ADMONITION. On fairest flower the reptile vile, So reptile envy would defile VOL. II.—No. 3. 33 |