The Benevolent Society. 248 ject of his choice. The families at length beginning to precipitate matters he confeffed his refolution told the tale of our accidental interviewand intreated to be allowed at least to remain fingle, as affection for any other woman was not in his power. The ftorm now burft upon my miferable head: I was infulted, confined, tortured, and oppreffed. The unworthy Charlotte, by fome means or other, hearing of my wretchednels, with a cruelty which could alone be equalled by the injustice, flew to aggravate it. She laid open all my indifcretions, exaggerated beyond meafure every really unfavourable circumftance, and as all poffibility of detec tion was out of the question, dared to infinuate that the worst of evils bad befallen me.. -Thus am I now not only vilified, and fpurned by the authors of my existence, but contemned, where I was fo lately esteemed. How has my life been marked out by calamity neglected in my infancy, ! mifled in my earliest youth, and now barely nineteen, irreparably undone. O! fay, is it in the power of benevolence to foften ills like thefe? Can benevolence pity, can benevolence pardon, fuch errors as mine? Or is there a means on earth of refcuing from the moft diftressful of all fituations, Ladies, Your most unhappy AMELIA?" Mrs. Milnham and Lady Briftow, according to their general cuftom, kept their eyes upon the younger part of the fociety, during the perufal of this little hiftory. The features bore faithful teftimony to the heart. Mifs Briftow's humane fenfibility, Mifs Middleton's haughty contempt, and Mils Caroline Middleton's compathionate nature, were strongly depicted-the ladies exchanged a fignificant look. We cannot, faid Mrs. Milnham, at prefent enter into the merits of fo extraordinary a cause. Don't you think, madam, demanded Mifs Middleton, that it is very confident to publifh fuch fully and meanness ? O filter, faid Mifs Caroline, furely you and I have too recently experienced the mifery of an unprotected state, not to feel for the unfortunate.-This poor girl bad no Mrs. Milnham to point out to her the advantages of May propriety-no Lady Bristow to fhelter her from infult. Dear madam, added the, addreffing Mrs. Milnham, are we to be the only favoured beings in the creation? How amiable, returned Mrs. Milnham, is the emotion of humanity!— No, my good Caroline, if my power was but as extenfive as my will, not a diftrefs fhould be unrelieved. We will give a whole fucceeding meeting to the confideration of the affair what leffons of inftruction may not be derived from it!-not to cultivate is to deftroy, confequently, when parents fail in their duty, the errors, the misfortunes of children claim a double portion of compaffion. Mrs. Lloyd hastily catching up a letter from the opened packet, as it lay upon the table, infifted on its being immediately read. The attack, added fhe, is perfonal, the object of it myfelf-you cannot therefore be far. prized that I am impatient to hear it. To the BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. YOU must allow me to tell you, that it is far from genteel to fet up your fentiments as the ftandard of propriety, when at the fame time they fo feverely cenfure the fentiments of the beft bred people, in England. I beg to know your opinion of my mamma.—She has been twice married; yet as neither her age, or figure, exclude her from admiration, she does not fcruple to excite it by every possible improvement and difplay of her perfections.How fay you then, may not her heart be as valuable, and her principles as good, as even your celebrated Niobes, your amiable Mrs. Lloyds, notwithstanding the has been fuch an honour to her husband's memory by her inceffant fuivelling? For my part I do not fcruple to confels, whatever may be your opinions, that I think myself more rational when refolving to follow my mother's example, than if I could adopt your gloomy precepts. So withing you all imagi nable felicity in your elyfian of delicacy, I am Your humble fervant, FLORA." The lively unreflecting Flora, faid Mrs. Lloyd, how abundantly do I pity her. The fame filial partiality, un der 1769. The Benevolent Society: But how utterly, faid Mrs. Milnham, has the mistaken the fociety's motive for publishing their fentiments. If a young well-difpofed mind could have derived a happy hint from their experience, or have been confirmed in their judgment by their example 'twas all their aim-but the fhall hear from us hereafter. The third letter was of a very different nature. To the BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. "Ladies, IF the Benevolent Society is a reality, and if the members are actually fuch as described in the London Magazine, why should I hesitate to communicate my misfortunes. Youth and profperity once were mine, but the gloom of obfcurity, and the unceafing pangs of affliction, have blated the one, and deftroyed every fufceptibility of the other. After a few years of felicity, it was my fate to be united to one of the moft amiable of men. Our affection, our defire to promote each other's fatisfaction was almost unexampled. We had been married feventeen months, and had one fweet boy to claim our tender attention; when a friend and fchool-fellow of my hufband's returned from abroad, and most unfortunately made us a vifit. His heart I do believe was naturally good, but he had lived fo long in the land of gallantry, that to behold a woman, whofe perfon was not abfolutely fright ful, was to form the moft unwarrantable defigns upon her. My life had been fo retired a one, that I was of all others the leaft fufpicious of evil appearances unviolated, I looked no farther without the vanity, the defire of pleafing, I apprehended no fuch difagreeable confequence, nor was all his affiduity in any degree intelligible, until he daringly affronted me with a written declaration of love. It was then, and then only, I learned a proper idea of mafculine depravity. To profefs a guilty attachment, was to give proofs of admiration-and to infinuate a bold hope of being forgiven, the way to fubdue the refentment of offended virtue May, 1769. 249 my diftrefs is not to be defcribed. I knew my husband poffeffed an alarming warmth of temper, knew him unfpeakably tenacious, where honour was the queftion, and trembled at the bare imagination of the rage and anguifh his friend's conduct would excite in a breast like his. I committed the letter to the flames; and with the mild dignity of conscious propriety, looked the author into fhame and repentance. Never was behaviour more unexceptionable than his, never was the triumph of virtue more complete. It was, notwithstanding, a triumph that led to destruction. At a public hunt, fome years from the defcribed period, when intoxication had feized the reins, a profligate young fellow began to boast of his gallantries, declaring, that he had never yet met with a repulse. My husband's friend unguardedly afked him, if he was acquainted with me? he answered in the affirmative:Then for the honour of the fex, rejoined he, make an attack there. The glafs ftill continued circulating; one affertion brought on another, until in the fullness of his regard for female reputation, he confeffed all that had paffed between him and me, to frike them dumb for ever, My husband was not indeed of the party, but the converfation was inftantly conveyed to his ear. Aftonithment and displeasure fat on every feature. He dispatched a challenge to his friend, and returned home to interrogate me. Chilled with horror (for I felt all that enfued) I funk down at his feet. He fpurned me from him. All power of utterance was denied me. I endeavoured to hold him by his clothes; but he broke away-never, never more to hear me attempt my jus tification. In about two hours of fufpence and diftraction, I beheld him on a litter, and covered with blood, entering the court-yard. He expired, darting a look of deteftation and reproach upon me! Was there a confolation on earth for me? He died unknowing of my innocence, and by his death not only fixed an everlasting stain on my character, but lodged a dagger in my heart. Uafit for fociety, I have ever fince The dear babe foon followed him.-- I i fhunned 250 A Simile of Mr. Addison's latinifed. Your's, &c. MARINDA." The Benevolent Society have received and established this lady amongst them; her name, family, and other particulars, will be given the enfuing month, as well as their proceedings in confequence of the first prefented let ter, and answer to the fecond. [To be continued monthly.] To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SIR, TH MAGAZINE. HE following lines are a much admired fimile in Mr. Addison's celebrated poem called the Campaign. As when an angel by divine command, [land; With rifing tempefts fhakes a guilty (Such as of late o'er pale Britannia paft) Calm and ferene he drives the furious blast; And pleas'd th Almighty's orders to Attempted in Latin. Angelus baud aliter cælo fi miffus, iniquum Terreat borrendis ut tempeftatibus orbem; (Impia te nuper talis pavor Anglia firavit *) May The miferable State of the Slaves in Berbice, a Dutch Settlement in America. GRICULTURE, and all other A labour, in the colonies, is alr moft wholly performed by negroes (who are fufficiently known in England) as the white inhabitants undertake no laborious employment; and even the mechanics do but little more than overfee and direct the flaves, which are at leaft five times more numerous than the whites, and are therefore kept at a fubmiffive and humble distance by severity of difcipline, which not only contributes to the fafety of the white inhabitants, but even to the happiness of the flaves; the impoffibility of attaining, is ever found to deftroy the defire of enjoyment; and rigid treatment, by annihilating every hope of liberty, renders them content with the enjoyment of flavery. The late infur rection of the flaves in Berbice, who of all others were the most favoured, affords a recent example of the danger of too much indulgence to flaves, by which they are excited to attempt the perfect recovery of liberty. In this Rate there is no medium; either the minds of flaves must be depreffed by abject flavery, or the lives of their mafters are in imminent danger. For this reafon they have been oppreffed by many humiliating penalties and distinctions. Their evidence, relative to a white person, is of no validity; an attempt to ftrike a white inhabitant, is punished with death; and their masters, or overfeers, have not only the power of inflicting corporal punishment, but are in fome measure allow ed to exercise a right over their lives, fince the putting a negro to death, is attended only with a pecuniary puniment. In this fituation they are fubjected to many complicated fpecies of mifery, expofed to the tyranny of the imperious, and luft of the libidinous, and to an inceffant toil, which will have no period but with their lives. This treatment has the appearance of cruelty, and cannot be reconciled to the principles of justice and equity; many things, however, which are repugnant to humanity, mortalia corda Ille ferox rapidos agit in certamina ventos: T. I. Per gentes bumilis firavit pavor. Virg. Georg. lib. 1. 1. 330. may 1769. The unhappy State of Slaves in Berbice. may be excufed, on account of their neceffity, for felf-prefervation. The expence of maintaining the flaves in this climate, is very trifling. The first year that a flave is purchased, he is fupplied with food by his mafter, and is affigned a piece of ground, which on Sundays he clears from the wood, and plants with yams, plantins, edda's, caffava, ocro's, &c. but efpecially the former, which produce ten thousand pounds per acre. When the year is expired, he recurs to his planting ground for his future provifion, which he is ever after to keep fupplied with a fufficient ftock for his fuftenance, for which he is allowed every Sunday only; receiving, how. ever, from his master a weekly allow. ance of dried fith, to the amount of a pound and a half, which is all that his mafter contributes towards his food. The females receive the fame treatment, and the drink of both is nothing but water; yet from this water, and thefe farinaceous and efculent vegetables, with a morfel of dried fish, thefe people derive fufficient nutriment to fuftain the hardest labour in the moft enervating climate. The cloathing of the negroes (the houshold flaves excepted) is fcarce fufficient to answer the demands of modefty. Several modern compilers of the hiftory of our Weft-India fettlements have enumerated ftockings and fhoes among the articles of cloathing for the negroes, though nothing could more certainly betray their ignorance of this fubject, fince a flave in stock. ings and fhoes, in these countries, would be as uncommon a spectacle, as a negro inftructed in the principles of Chriftianity; and if any of them have either fhirts, breeches, or petticoats, they are the produce of their own private industry, as their masters furnifh only a piece of coarfe blue, or brown linen, which is applied to the middle in both sexes, and a blanket, with which the flave covers himself at night, fleeping on boards only. In thefe, as in all other Weft-India colonies, the flaves diminish in number, unless recruited by fucceffive fupplies from Africa. This decrease has been attributed to various causes, but 251 most commonly to hard labour and oppreffion, though with very little appearance of reafon, fince they are much more robuft, healthy, and vigorous than their mafters. They are, indeed, fpurred to induftry by the whip of correction, which is ever at their heels, and not fparingly exercifed; but coarfe food, with hard labour, are ever accompanied with the bleffings of increased health and vigour, which the pampered effeminate fons of luxu ry may juftly envy, but can never attain; and the true caufe of their want of increase refults from the intercourse of the whites with the young wenches, who derive no inconfiderable emolument therefrom; and as child-bearing would put an end to this commerce, they follicitoufly ufe every precaution to avoid conception; and if these prove ineffectual, they ever procure repeated abortions, which incapacitate them from child-bearing in a more advanced age, when they are abandoned by the whites. For effecting this, they have various means; but the most artful prepare themselves by a diet on ocro's, by which they lubricate the uterine paffages, and afterwards expel their contents ufually by the fenfitive plant; though in Barbadoes, a vegetable, called by the name of gulley-root, is commonly used for this purpose. This unnatural practice is very frequent, and of the higheft detriment to the planters, whofe opulence muft otherwise be immenfe, in a country where their flaves are fed with little or no expence to their mafters, and where winter neither interrupts their labour, nor renders cloathing neceflary. To avoid the difadvantages of this practice, many of the planters of this colony are endeavouring to encourage the wenches to child-bearing, by particular rewards and immunities, which, in feveral inftances, have proved fuccefsful. That this is the true caufe of their decrease, is farther evident, from obferving the fituation of Virginia and Maryland, where the flaves increase, without any addition by importation, because this pernicious copulation is there detested, as infamous and unnatural. 252 May The HISTORY of PARTY during the PRESENT REIGN. Continued from p. 206. UR laft number was concluded with a reflection on the very injudicious as well as very unreasonable demand which the prefent adminiftration thought fit to make on the gratitude of America, for having been inftrumental in the repeal of the stamp act we shall now proceed to the more active parts of oppofition to government, to thofe fprings which have poured in fuch a torrent of confufion upon the kingdom, and which will require not only more wisdom, but more fortitude, than any of the ftatesmen now employed feem to poffefs, before they can be expected to refume their original tranquillity. At the first adjuftment of the prefent administration, the name of Mr. Wilkes, who then refided an exile in France, began to be forgotten, notwithstanding all his former popularity; and the public attention being called off by the unexpected breach between Mr. P. and Lord T. that gentleman had poffibly funk into an immediate oblivion, if his old intimacy with the Duke of G. now advanced to office, and the fervices which the whole party in power were imagined to derive from his pen, had not furnished him with a probable expectation of being re-established in his own country. On the elevation therefore of his friends and patrons, Mr. Wilkes, whofe refidence abroad was rendered additionally difagreeable by the narrowness of his circumftances, applied to the duke of G. for a pardon, and entertained no doubt of his grace's readiness to oblige him with the whole exertion of his influence: here however Mr. Wilkes had the mortification of a difappointment; the duke either wanted the power or the inclination to ferve him; he either thought it too dangerous to folicit an indemnity for a man who had given perfonal difguft to the fovereign, or confidered him as mere adventurer in politics, who deferved to be deferted on account of his venality let the duke's motive be what it would, Mr. Wilkes fhared the common fate of all men who join a party not as principals, but as inftru a ments; the purposes of his faction were now compleatly answered, his affiftance was no longer neceffary, and he was confequently caft off to contempt. This was not all; to palliate their own conduct, they pleaded the immorality of his private character as an excufe for deferting, and mentioned the levity of his life with an affectation of horror, though that le vity was not confidered as the minuteft ftain, when they employed him as a writer against the government. But the fentiments of the great generally change with the nature of the times. Out of office, the most abandoned licentioufnefs is but the genuine mark of freedom. In office, the mere molehill imperfection of an enemy is inftantly aggravated to the magnitude of a mountain. This was Mr. Wilkes's cafe, when his affiftance was neceffary; the accufations of his enemies were treated by the duke of G. and Mr. P. with ridicule; the moft confpicuous errors of his practice they defended as the refult of extraordinary fire; the moft palpable mistakes of his pen they attributed to the ungovernable impulfe of too warm an imagination. In thort, he had no indifcretions which they could not excufe, and no faults which they could not mitigate. How different is the tone of these great perfonages, when Mr. Wilkes is no longer wanted to trumpet forth the misconduct of their enemies: he is then too arrogant to be heard, and too criminal to be pardoned; what they formerly extolled as his public fpirit, they now brand as his turbulence; and difcard him for the very actions, to which he was chiefly ftimulated by themfelves. A treament of this nature was but ill calculated to agree with the vindictive fpirit of Mr. Wilkes, who, if he merited no kindness at the hands of the newly appointed adminiftration, was at leaft entitled to no reproach. He therefore, as they might have reafonably expected, upbraided them with great acrimony for their infincerity, and in a printed letter to the duke of G. communicated a variety of |