I

A Reply from HISTORIOPHILUS.

AM very much obliged to the gentleman for his kind reproof in your laft: I beg pardon of him and the public, and particularly of the ingenious Mrs. Macauley, for having been guilty of fuch a fcandalous and impious crime as that of grouping her with the two Scotch hiftorians in your magazine. I was led into the miftake by her name, and by the report I have heard concerning the country

of Dr. Macauley, imagining that Mrs. Macauley was a native of the fame place. I must acknowledge that the meer fuggeftion of her being a Scotch hiftorian is a vice of a very black dye.--I know the patriotic principles of Mrs. Macauley too well to call them into question. I am Mrs. Macauley's, and her friend's friend, HISTORIOPHILUS.

The Complaint of Cleora.

HE man to whom I am married, is, horror, than of love, and is infinitely more calculated to excite fenfations of difguft, than feelings of affection. By fome misfortune, at his birth, his perfon is uncommonly deformed, and the trouble he takes, like the generality of those who labour under the fame defects, to fet himself off by dreffing on every occafion, in the utmost extremity of tafte, inftead of concealing, ferves only to render those defects additionally confpicuous. Yet tho' this confequence of his attention to drefs is fufficiently obvious to the whole world, he feems himself wholly unacquainted with it, and not only employs feveral hours of the day with his valet, but is constantly the first at all places of polite entertainment. Here, Sir, I am under an indifpenfible neceffity of attending him, and am frequently mortified, as well with the ridicule I fee aimed at him, as with the illiberal witticisms which are darted at myfelf. "Mind the little earl, cries one, boru proud be feems of bis wife.” Ay, returns another, but the lady does not feem altogether fo proud of ber bufband." "I wonder, do they live happily exclaims a third." "O that's a total impoffibility, continues a fourth, as she married bim entirely for an equipage and a title." In this manner are we jefted with in every place, and in this manner are thofe very pleafures in which I originally hoped to find the greatest felicity, perverted to a fource of anxiety and regret. The humane and fenfible confider me with pity; the thoughtlefs and the profligate mention me with derifion. Yet what pity do I deferve from the one, or what refpect am I entitled to from the other. married, as I often over-hear it obferved, on purpose to obtain an equipage and a title. promised love at the Altar of God, to a man whom I fecretly fhuddered to behold! and my

I

I

perjury is properly punished. I flighted, I recould not indulge me in the poffeffion of an ufelefs parade, or raife me to the glittering gewgaw of a coronet. And what esteem, what refpect does fuch a condu&t demand from the world? What is bafenefs, if this is not bafenefs? or what can the proflitute profeffed do more, than affume a fondness for the man the detefts? Alas! the prostitute profeffed is an innocent character, compared to the wretch who folemnly gives her hand where her heart is utterly estranged, and calls upon the Divine Being in the most facred of all forms, to witnefs her promise of eternal love, to the object of her eternal averfion.

Had I, however, nothing to complain of, but the occafional mortifications which I may receive at public places, in fuch reflections as I have already mentioned, my complaint might juftly be treated as infignificant.-Yet, Sir, though it is a galling circumftance to be the butt of univerfal ridicule, ftill the univerfal ridicule is by much the mott eligible part of my fituation. At home it is not my pride which is wounded, but my reafon; not the warmth of my vanity, but the fenfibility of my heart.-My lord, you must know, is paffionately fond of his wife, and those marks of tenderness, which every other woman is happy in receiving from her husband, plunges me into an actual agony of diftrefs.-I cannot feign a fatisfaction at his declarations of endearment, and am afflicted to the last degree if the worthy man perceives the leaft inftance of my difguft. His affiduity to please, his generofity in preventing even my wishes, deferve a return widely different from a fullen coldness, or a reluctant acquiefcence. And gratitude fhould teach me a wish of promoting bis felicity, who is thus unceasingly ftudious for the advancement of mine. But in fpite

of

of my utmoft endeavours to forget, the unfortunate storm still preffes on my imagination, I tremble as it approaches me, and time, inftead of leffening my terror, aggravates it continually. Every hour it becomes more and more hideous, and I am every hour more and more diffatisfied with my lot, instead of beholding that lot with an increase of tranquility. In vain do I try a thousand arts to lull the keenness of my reflection. If I drefs to go abroad, I inftantly remember who is to accompany me. Have I a party at my own houfe, I am then fure of my husband the whole evening. Do I read; he will read in

the fame room with me. Do I pine for the country; he blefies the first indication of my defire, and is rejoiced at the bare idea of walk ing with me thro' our woods. O, Sir, if young women confidered, when they think of marrying a man they can never like for a title, that the mifery of having the bufband, will foon remove every charm from the word ladyship, there would not be fo many facrifices of youth and beauty to be met with in every part of this kingdom: but women will not think till it is too late; and there muft confequently be numbers to bewail their own indifcretion like The miferable CLEORA.

Remarkable Inftances of a faithless Wife, and a perfidious Friend.

Tis really furprising, that cuftom has obtained fuch a prevalence over the judgments of the most fenfible, as to render fome offences to the laft degree infamous, while other crimes of the most atrocious nature, not only escape without any ftigma whatever, but are even looked upon as a proof of extraordinary accomplishments. Let the needy wretch, for instance, who fees a defpairing wife, and a helpless brood of innocents, perishing for bread, in the hour of fo piercing a diffs, make the finalleft infraction upon the a, and he is inftantly doomed either to banishment or death; but let the villain, whom we harbour in our bofom, and load with obligations, deftroy our everlasting peace of mind, by betraying the honour of our family, and inftead of hunting him from all commerce with mankind, we look with a kind of envy on his character; we fuppofe he muft poffefs fome qualities uncommonly agreeable to draw a woman of reputation from the paths of virtue; and, inftead of feeling an honeft abhorrence of his turpitude, we actually experience a fecret mortification, that we were not ourselves happy enough to be in his place.

I exprefs myfelf with warmth on this fubject; but when you know my melancholy ftory, you will think a much greater degree of vehemence might urge a reasonable claim to the indulgence of your readers. I am, Sir, a man of family and fortune, lately reduced from the highest pinnacle of happiness, to the lowest depth of mifery.-A faithlefs Wife, and a perfidious Friend, have not only covered me with wretchedness, but with difgrace and not only blafted all the tranquility of my future life, but held me up as a mark of eternal fcorn to fociety.-About four years. ago, I married a young lady no lefs confpicuous for her beauty than diftinguished for her birth, and flattered myfelf, as I loved her with the mos paffionate attachment, that the

confidered me with an equal degree of affection. In this opinion I was the more confirmed, as her choice was unconstrained, and as: fhe gave me a voluntary preference to feveral who were every way my fuperiors, both with regard to rank, and with refpect to perfonal recommendations. For three years we lived together in the most perfect harmony imaginable. My fole ftudy was to promote ber pleasure, ber only pleasure seemed the advancement of mine; the birth of two beautiful, prattlers promifed a lafting foundation to our felicity, and we were univerfally mentioned as a pattern of conjugal unity by our acquaintance. But, alas! let me turn away from the agreeable retrofpect of what I have been, to the excruciating recollection of what I am; let me wake from the tranfitory dream of delight, into the fureft certainty of anguish, and aggravate by the fresh remembrance of paft joys, the bleeding severity of present misfortunes..

My wife had juft bleffed me with a fecond fon, when an old fchooifellow of mine returned from his travels, and appeared fo exceedingly defirous of cultivating a close friendfhip with me, that I gave him an invitation to pass the fummer with me in Oxfordshire, which he readily accepted, and accordingly came down to me after the rifing of Parlia-" ment. I received him with all the frankness of cordial hofpitality, and little imagined he was labouring to engage my confidence, for a more eafy opportunity of ftabbing me to the heart. He had not been with me above three weeks, however, before I perceived he flood very well in the opinion of my wife.-This circumftance, nevertheless, I attributed wholly to her tenderness for me. The despicable pasfion of jealoufy had never taken the leaft root in my bofom, on the contrary, had I ever been capable of fufpicion, I ftill fhould have remembered the preference which Matilda had given me, when folicited by numbers, and I

fhould

A Letter from an unknown Friend, with the Anfwer.

fhould have exclaimed in the language of poor Othello, that

She bad Eyes and chofe me.

In this fituation matters continued during the principal part of the fummer, when going, at the defire of a fick relation, to pafs a day or two about twenty miles from my own houfe, I found all my fervants, on returning, in the greatest disorder and diftrefs: upon an enquiry into the caufe, I, with much difficulty, understood, that my wife had eloped with my barbarous friend the very evening I quitted home, and had not only carried off every article of value belonging to herself, but, as the housekeeper, who gave me the information, believed, feveral notes and fums of money to a confiderable amount. I could not credit the intelligence: it appeared an utter impoffibility either for Matilda to prove perfidious, or for her paramour to be unjust; but the abfence of both, the broken locks of the efcrutore, and the damning contents of a letter which the perjured woman had left behind her, too foon and too fenfibly ftung me into conviction. O, Sir, what would I not have given for some thunderbolt to strike them both that moment to the centre, though even I was myself to follow them the next. I ran diftracted from room to room, devoting both to deftruction, and uttering a vehement round of incoherent execrations; till at last, the agony of my foul becoming exceffive, I funk beneath the conflict, and loft myself in an Vunconfcious flood of tears.

As I grew compofed, I made a diligent enquiry after the affaffins of my peace, and found they had embarked for France. In France, Sir, they have been for fome months, during which I have endeavoured to fupport my fate with every poffible degree of fortitude, and fhould, I flatter myself, in time recover fome little fhare of chearfulness, was it not for the malignity of the world, which conftantly turns my misfortune into ridicule, and treats me with contempt, because I am guilty of being miferable. My Wife's infidelity is every where mentioned, with ludicrous comments on my perfon and conduct, and the merciless finger of laughter is pointed when

95

ever I appear in public, as if I was to blame, because he has been fatally criminal. In fhort, where I ought to find compaffion, I only meet with infult, and frequently where I expect to hear the foothing voice of confolation, an actual murder is committed on my fenfibility. The villain who has robbed me of what my foul held deareft, is, perhaps, mentioned with respect to my face, and even women whofe characters are unsullied, do not fcruple occafionally to pronounce, that tho' Bob Wilmot is rather loofe in his principles, he is nevertheless infinitely agreeable.

Several of my friends have urged me to profecute Mr. Wilmot judicially, but what can I recover from a younger brother, who scarcely poffeffes 1000l. a year? Or if I could recover the value of his whole fortune, it will neither reftore to me repofe, nor render him obnoxious to fociety. If I call him to a perfonal account, I only put it in his power to do me additional wrongs, and, at the fame time, expose two unhappy little ones, who have already loft a mother, to the danger of lofing a father too. No, my fweet innocents! deferted, inhumanly deferted, as you already are, by her who gave you being, you shall not be deprived of another parent to guard your tender age, and rear you up to honour. Let ridicule, let difgrace await your poor father wherever he turns, ftill he will bear all with patience for your fake, and, like the felf-denying Pelican, facrifice even his life for your profperity. But hold-let him ftifle conjecture.-Is he actually your father?-Is he the real author of your exiftence? When your shameless mother began her intercourfe with Wilmot, the feal of innocence was on her face, and fhe wore the modefty of Diana, though perhaps but newly reeking from the bed of luft? — Who then can anfwer, but I may have been all along deceived? Who can answer?— Snatch me, O gracious Heav'n from inftant diftraction Let me not rush upon that thought-it harrows up my foul-it is utterly infupportable--my miferable babes-minecan they be mine?-O mercy!--mercy!-mercy!

EGOTIST.

[96]

Charles Dingley's Epifle to the Freeholders of Middlefex, with Remarks.

To the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freebolders of the following (k); and I remained in the fame

I

the County of Middlefex. GENTLEMEN,

very dangerous fituation I was before. I I then thought there was no time to be loft; and in order to use the proper means of offering myfelf formally, I retreated, and wrote a letter to the Sheriffs, begging to have fafe convoy and fecurity for that purpofe. I likewife fent meliengers immediately on my retreat, requefting the Sheriffs to ftop the business, until I could come; and difpatched my letter, I believe, within a quarter of an hour, declaring the firmnefs of my refolution to be a candidate; which letter being produced, I flatter (1) myself will do me no difcredit. My meflengers being, it feems, known in the croud, were threatened, and prevented from getting to the Sheriffs, before a declaration was made, that Mr. Wilkes was duly elected; all which, I prefume, was within half an hour, whilst I had not conceived the least apprehenfion of fo fudden an end of the bufinefs. It refts now only to thank thofe Gentlemen, who came with the generous views of doing fervice to their king and country (m), and intended to give me their votes, which I understand, tho' upon fo fhort a notice, were to the number of 400 or 500 at least (n), and who were at a lofs what to do, as I was not put in nomination. I thank them with the warmeft gratitude, and every good and loyal fubject who wished me fuccefs (0). I declare, with all fincerity, that I have no view whatever (p), but that of the public good, and an honest ambition to prove myself,

Had warm hopes that fome Freeholder of much property and abilities (a) (though with a more willing mind, or a heart better difpofed to do fervice, I believe there is not -one) would have offered himself, to have reprefented you in Parliament, but as there was no fuch offer made publickly, and I know feveral who were applied to, I refolved on Tuefday afternoon to be the humble inftrument (b) of reftoring, if poflible, peace and union to the Freeholders of Middlesex. I immediately fent [nonfenfica!] paragraphs, which could only be inferted in two papers, and the next day, being that of the election, I advertifed, and made my public offer of fervice. I proceeded to the poll, attended by my fervants, got upon the huftings, and was endeavouring to advance, but was prevented, and I could plainly perceive a fixed (c) intention to crush me, or to do me fome perfonal injury. In this fituation, without any perfon to affift me, one or two of Mr. Wilkes's party, who knew me, begged of me to get off, if I valued my Life; which, without their advice, I must have been obliged to do (d). I ftayed without the huftings amidst the clamours of numbers (e), until the Sheriff's came, when i bubly (f) requested their protection, as I was a candidate for the day (g), and had agreed to pay half the expence of the booth (b). They told me I must do the (i) beft that I rould, and follow them. Alderman Halifax in particular, was very defirous of protecting me, but the Sheriffs, and Under-Sheriffs, hurried on; the fame party ftopped me from Golders-Hill, Hendon, March 17. (a) I am of Mr. Dingley's opinion-fuch a county as Middlefex ought to be represented by a man of abilities; is it not therefore furprizing, that Mr. Dingley fhould have prefumed to offer himself (b) A very humble instrument indeed !——(c) Is Mr. Dingley an English or Irishman?-He must have very penetrating eyes to perceive an intention.- -(d) Obliged to value his life he muft mean, if he means any thing. What egregious nonfenfe! Alas, poor Mr. Dingley! One would imagine thy head as thick as one of thy own inch deals, and that thou hadst had thy education in a faru-pit.- -(e) Elegantly expreffed!(ƒ) I commend him for his humility.- -(g) Erratum, for day read morient.- (b) I hope he will abide by his agreement, as it is not a contract for HEMP. -(i) And that would be bad enough.(k) Is this English ?- -(1) Indeed, Mr. Dingley, I am of opinion you do flatter yourself, from what I have feen of your epiftolary correfpondence.(m) Mr. Dingley, in this place, is returning thanks to Mr. Wilkes's friends.(n) Erratum, for 400 or 500 at least, read 4 or 5 at moft.) No good and loyal fubject wifhed him fuccefs.- -(p) Witnefs the

Saw-Mill.

GENTLEMEN,

Your moft faithful humble fervant,
CHARLES DINGLEY.

Advertisement from Cruphies.

RUPHIOS thus pays his refpects to the BRIGHT-EY'D

CHARLOTTE; he is old

Crough, as the herself has feen) to obferve many of the follies of mankind; but fo young,

that compliments will by no means affift him to find out his own. With her, he would gladly fubmit, ever to be guided by the rod of reason; and can thank, with fincerity, the friendly hand of correction.

The

The Healths of the following Gentlemen are drank in moft Public Companies, being Enemies to Oppreffion, and Friends to the Liberties of Englishmen.