I do not afk thy frolic hand Give me the mild perfuafive art, Shed thy own luftre o'er my face, Perplexing doubts my bofom tear: Oh! let me fan with veftal care Guard it from paffion's wild extreme, And bid its falutary beam With life alone expire* ! Having ⚫ Mrs. Prudentia is very forry that she has not abfolutely conformed to the opinion of the Reviewers, who bestowed fuch liberal praise upon her profe, by entirely banishing the vagrant Mufe. She has a most unlucky knack of hitching Having now gradually led my readers to that point where I at firft rather abruptly introduced them, I fhall endeavour to proceed ftrait forward during the remainder of my narrative. "hitching into rhyme;" and when the bantlings are produced, fhe had rather that they fuck on the top shelf of a book-cafe, than that they should be immediately committed to the flames. With regard to their advice of publifhing her poetical productions feparately, thé can only answer, that she has repeatedly made the unfortunate experiment. Her bookfellers all agree in one fentiment, "Poetry will not go off." CHAP. XII. As humorous as Winter, and as fudden SHAKESPEARE. LORD MONTEITH was one of those common characters which the world every day produces, and which a very little penetration will eafily unravel. His abilities were not confpicuous, and his application to the improvement of them had been as great as a rich heir, early become his own mafter, usually beftows. He poffeffed a great deal of good temper, and that open-hearted eafy generofity which always fucceeds in fecuring general good opinion. His paffions were naturally very strong; and never having been taught the neceffity VOL. I. K of of restraining them, they were increased by continual gratification, till they fomewhat refembled the impetuous torrent. Nature intended him to be humane and beneficent; but a neglect of difcipline and conftant indulgence had introduced an indolent felfishness. Yet ftill, if a good deed required no great exertion, or if an object in diftrefs luckily prefented itself at a moment when he was difengaged from any favourite pursuit, he would not only fhew a noble liberality, but also enjoyed a noble pleasure from the benevolent deed. A character like lord Monteith's rather fitted its poffeffor to follow others, than to be a leader. Unhappily for him, his birth and fortune obtruded him into notice, and placed him in fituations to which his natural talents were unequal. The fplendor of his rank and his reputed munificence furrounded him with parafites; and the impetuofity of his temper prevented him from having any directing friend. Lord W., at whofe house he lately refided, was a man of the world, very folicitous that his noble guest should form a proper matrimonial connexion; but extending the idea of propriety no farther than to the fortune, the family, or perhaps the perfonal graces of the lady; and though the young earl, during his paroxyfms of love, added to these allurements every angelic quality, he did not accurately define what those angelic quali ties really were. Such was the man whom the purblind god, in one of his capricious moments, felected to be the husband of the beautiful, animated, intelligent Geraldine Powerfcourt; whose feelings, exquifitely fufceptible, had been accustomed to the regular tepor of gentle manners, uniform conLiftent K 2 |