love and freindship-第17章

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ral　Children；　fortunately　for　him　his　eldest　son　Prince　Henry　died　before　his　father　or　he　might　have　experienced　the　evils　which　befell　his　unfortunate　Brother。

As　I　am　myself　partial　to　the　roman　catholic　religion；　it　is　with　infinite　regret　that　I　am　obliged　to　blame　the　Behaviour　of　any　Member　of　it：　　yet　Truth　being　I　think　very　excusable　in　an　Historian；　I　am　necessitated　to　say　that　in　this　reign　the　roman　Catholics　of　England　did　not　behave　like　Gentlemen　to　the　protestants。　　Their　Behaviour　indeed　to　the　Royal　Family　and　both　Houses　of　Parliament　might　justly　be　considered　by　them　as　very　uncivil；　and　even　Sir　Henry　Percy　tho'　certainly　the　best　bred　man　of　the　party；　had　none　of　that　general　politeness　which　is　so　universally　pleasing；　as　his　attentions　were　entirely　confined　to　Lord　Mounteagle。

Sir　Walter　Raleigh　flourished　in　this　and　the　preceeding　reign；　and　is　by　many　people　held　in　great　veneration　and　respectBut　as　he　was　an　enemy　of　the　noble　Essex；　I　have　nothing　to　say　in　praise　of　him；　and　must　refer　all　those　who　may　wish　to　be　acquainted　with　the　particulars　of　his　life；　to　Mr　Sheridan's　play　of　the　Critic；　where　they　will　find　many　interesting　anecdotes　as　well　of　him　as　of　his　friend　Sir　Christopher　Hatton。His　Majesty　was　of　that　amiable　disposition　which　inclines　to　Freindship；　and　in　such　points　was　possessed　of　a　keener　penetration　in　discovering　Merit　than　many　other　people。　I　once　heard　an　excellent　Sharade　on　a　Carpet；　of　which　the　subject　I　am　now　on　reminds　me；　and　as　I　think　it　may　afford　my　Readers　some　amusement　to　FIND　IT　OUT；　I　shall　here　take　the　liberty　of　presenting　it　to　them。

SHARADE　My　first　is　what　my　second　was　to　King　James　the　1st；　and　you　tread　on　my　whole。

The　principal　favourites　of　his　Majesty　were　Car；　who　was　afterwards　created　Earl　of　Somerset　and　whose　name　perhaps　may　have　some　share　in　the　above　mentioned　Sharade；　and　George　Villiers　afterwards　Duke　of　Buckingham。　　On　his　Majesty's　death　he　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Charles。


CHARLES　the　1st

This　amiable　Monarch　seems　born　to　have　suffered　misfortunes　equal　to　those　of　his　lovely　Grandmother；　misfortunes　which　he　could　not　deserve　since　he　was　her　descendant。　　Never　certainly　were　there　before　so　many　detestable　Characters　at　one　time　in　England　as　in　this　Period　of　its　History；　never　were　amiable　men　so　scarce。　　The　number　of　them　throughout　the　whole　Kingdom　amounting　only　to　FIVE；　besides　the　inhabitants　of　Oxford　who　were　always　loyal　to　their　King　and　faithful　to　his　interests。　The　names　of　this　noble　five　who　never　forgot　the　duty　of　the　subject；　or　swerved　from　their　attachment　to　his　Majesty；　were　as　followsThe　King　himself；　ever　stedfast　in　his　own　support　Archbishop　Laud；　Earl　of　Strafford；　Viscount　Faulkland　and　Duke　of　Ormond；　who　were　scarcely　less　strenuous　or　zealous　in　the　cause。　　While　the　VILLIANS　of　the　time　would　make　too　long　a　list　to　be　written　or　read；　I　shall　therefore　content　myself　with　mentioning　the　leaders　of　the　Gang。　Cromwell；　Fairfax；　Hampden；　and　Pym　may　be　considered　as　the　original　Causers　of　all　the　disturbances；　Distresses；　and　Civil　Wars　in　which　England　for　many　years　was　embroiled。　　In　this　reign　as　well　as　in　that　of　Elizabeth；　I　am　obliged　in　spite　of　my　attachment　to　the　Scotch；　to　consider　them　as　equally　guilty　with　the　generality　of　the　English；　since　they　dared　to　think　differently　from　their　Sovereign；　to　forget　the　Adoration　which　as　STUARTS　it　was　their　Duty　to　pay　them；　to　rebel　against；　dethrone　and　imprison　the　unfortunate　Mary；　to　oppose；　to　deceive；　and　to　sell　the　no　less　unfortunate　Charles。　　The　Events　of　this　Monarch's　reign　are　too　numerous　for　my　pen；　and　indeed　the　recital　of　any　Events　（except　what　I　make　myself）　is　uninteresting　to　me；　my　principal　reason　for　undertaking　the　History　of　England　being　to　Prove　the　innocence　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　which　I　flatter　myself　with　having　effectually　done；　and　to　abuse　Elizabeth；　tho'　I　am　rather　fearful　of　having　fallen　short　in　the　latter　part　of　my　scheme。　As　therefore　it　is　not　my　intention　to　give　any　particular　account　of　the　distresses　into　which　this　King　was　involved　through　the　misconduct　and　Cruelty　of　his　Parliament；　I　shall　satisfy　myself　with　vindicating　him　from　the　Reproach　of　Arbitrary　and　tyrannical　Government　with　which　he　has　often　been　charged。　　This；　I　feel；　is　not　difficult　to　be　done；　for　with　one　argument　I　am　certain　of　satisfying　every　sensible　and　well　disposed　person　whose　opinions　have　been　properly　guided　by　a　good　Educationand　this　Argument　is　that　he　was　a　STUART。

Finis　Saturday　Nov：　26th　1791。


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A　COLLECTION　OF　LETTERS


To　Miss　COOPER

COUSIN　Conscious　of　the　Charming　Character　which　in　every　Country；　and　every　Clime　in　Christendom　is　Cried；　Concerning　you；　with　Caution　and　Care　I　Commend　to　your　Charitable　Criticism　this　Clever　Collection　of　Curious　Comments；　which　have　been　Carefully　Culled；　Collected　and　Classed　by　your　Comical　Cousin

The　Author。

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A　COLLECTION　OF　LETTERS


LETTER　the　FIRST　From　a　MOTHER　to　her　FREIND。

My　Children　begin　now　to　claim　all　my　attention　in　different　Manner　from　that　in　which　they　have　been　used　to　receive　it；　as　they　are　now　arrived　at　that　age　when　it　is　necessary　for　them　in　some　measure　to　become　conversant　with　the　World；　My　Augusta　is　17　and　her　sister　scarcely　a　twelvemonth　younger。　　I　flatter　myself　that　their　education　has　been　such　as　will　not　disgrace　their　appearance　in　the　World；　and　that　THEY　will　not　disgrace　their　Education　I　have　every　reason　to　beleive。　　Indeed　they　are　sweet　Girls。　　Sensible　yet　unaffectedAccomplished　yet　Easy。　Lively　yet　Gentle。　　As　their　progress　in　every　thing　they　have　learnt　has　been　always　the　same；　I　am　willing　to　forget　the　difference　of　age；　and　to　introduce　them　together　into　Public。　This　very　Evening　is　fixed　on　as　their　first　ENTREE　into　Life；　as　we　are　to　drink　tea　with　Mrs　Cope　and　her　Daughter。　　I　am　glad　that　we　are　to　meet　no　one；　for　my　Girls　sake；　as　it　would　be　awkward　for　them　to　enter　too　wide　a　Circle　on　the　very　first　day。　　But　we　shall　proceed　by　degrees。Tomorrow　Mr　Stanly's　family　will　drink　tea　with　us；　and　perhaps　the　Miss　Phillips's　will　meet　them。　　On　Tuesday　we　shall　pay　Morning　VisitsOn　Wednesday　we　are　to　dine　at　Westbrook。　　On　Thursday　we　have　Company　at　home。　　On　Friday　we　are　to　be　at　a　Private　Concert　at　Sir　John　Wynna'sand　on　Saturday　we　expect　Miss　Dawson　to　call　in　the　Morningwhich　will　complete　my　Daughters　Introduction　into　Life。　　How　they　will　bear　so　much　dissipation　I　cannot　imagine；　of　their　spirits　I　have　no　fear；　I　only　dread　their　health。

This　mighty　affair　is　now　happily　over；　and　my　Girls　are　OUT。　　As　the　moment　approached　for　our　departure；　you　can　have　no　idea　how　the　sweet　Creatures　trembled　with　fear　and　expectation。　　Before　the　Carriage　drove　to　the　door；　I　called　them　into　my　dressing…　room；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　seated　thus　addressed　them。　　〃My　dear　Girls　the　moment　is　now　arrived　when　I　am　to　reap　the　rewards　of　all　my　Anxieties　and　Labours　towards　you　during　your　Education。　　You　are　this　Evening　to　enter　a　World　in　which　you　will　meet　with　many　wonderfull　Things；　Yet　let　me　warn　you　against　suffering　yourselves　to　be　meanly　swayed　by　the　Follies　and　Vices　of　others；　for　beleive　me　my　beloved　Children　that　if　you　doI　shall　be　very　sorry　for　it。〃　　They　both　assured　me　that　they　would　ever　remember　my　advice　with　Gratitude；　and　follow　it　with　attention；　That　they　were　prepared　to　find　a　World　full　of　things　to　amaze　and　to　shock　them：　　but　that　they　trusted　their　behaviour　would　never　give　me　reason　to　repent　the　Watchful　Care　with　which　I　had　presided　over　their　infancy　and　formed　their　Minds〃　　〃With　such　expectations　and　such　intentions　（cried　I）　I　can　have　nothing　to　fear　from　youand　can　chearfully　conduct　you　to　Mrs　Cope's　without　a　fear　of　your　being　seduced　by　her　Example；　or　contaminated　by　her　Follies。　　Come；　then　my　Children　（added　I）　the　Carriage　is　driving　to　the　door；　and　I　will　not　a　moment　delay　the　happiness　you　are　so　impatient　to　enjoy。〃　When　we　arrived　at　Warleigh；　poor　Augusta　could　scarcely　breathe；　while　Margaret　was　all　Life　and　Rapture。　　〃The　long…　expected　Moment　is　now　arrived　（said　sh