WE were so loth to divide the sweet lines written by Miss Rede On the Birth of Poesy, that we are obliged to defer the insertion of the Song by W. L. R. till our next Number. We hope Onesephiros will excuse our obliterating a few lines at the commencement of his Letter from Caroline. The request he made us shall certainly meet with attention relative to the publica- Persons who reside abroad, and who wish to be supplied with this Work every month, as published, may have it sent to them to New York, Halifax, Quebec, and to any part of the West Indies, by Mr. THORNHILL, of the General Post Office, at No. 21, Sherborne-lane; to the Brazil, Madeira, Gibraltar, Malta, and all parts of the Mediterranean; to Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal; and to France and Holland, at 17s. 6d. per Quarter, by Mr. CowIE, at the Foreign Newspaper Office, No. 22, Sherborne-lane. The money to be paid at the time of Subscribing, for either three, six, nine, or twelve months.-Orders also, post paid, on the above conditions, will be punctually attended to, if addressed to JOHN BELL,Proprietor of this Magazine, Weekly Messenger Office, No, 104, Drury-lane, and No. 4, Brydges-street, Covent- For JANUARY, 1821. A New and Improved Series, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. Number One Hundred and Forty-five, MRS. OPIE. JUSTLY may be classed amongst the illustrious and distinguished, those females who, to superiority of talent and great mental endowments, unites every charm that adorns domestic life, and whose conduct is guided by the truest principles of virtue. || Although Miss Alderson's productions in the literary style were many, we believe she never published any till after her marriage with Mr. Opie, which took place on the 8th of May, 1798. Her first publication was that excellent novel The Father and the Daughter, in 1801. Her Elegy to the memory of the late Duke of Bedford, and a volume of beautiful Poems, published in 1802, were justly admired, and esta. Such is the highly celebrated female whose Portrait embellishes our present Number, the relict of John Opie, Esq. Royal Academician, and Professor of Painting; an artist whose skill in his profes-blished her fame as a sweet and elesion gained him the meed of well deserved renown; but he needs no better biographer nor eulogist than his amiable widow, who, with her usual elegance of language, has published a short sketch of his life, to which are added his Lectures on Painting delivered at the Royal Academy. Mrs. Opie is a native of Norwich, and was born in the year 1771. She is the only daughter of Dr. Alderson, an eminent physician in that city: he was a gentleman of highly classical attainments, and he beheld in his daughter, when she was arrived at but a very early age, extraordinary mental powers; and so rapid were her acquirements that she far surpassed any one of her sex at that early period of life. Her poetic talents early evinced themselves; and a dramatic piece, entitled Adelaide, a tragedy of much merit, was performed, under her father's sanction, at Mrs. Plumtree's private theatre at Norwich, in 1791. gant writer. Her Adeline Mowbray, or The Mother and Daughter, her Simple Tales, her Memoir of Mr. Opie, her Tales of Real Life, her New Tales, and her last publication, entitled Tales of the Heart, which we noticed in our last Number, are all delightful; her novel, entitled Temper, &c. has less merit than any other of her works, but will be perused with that fond partiality which her name alone is sure to inspire. In her person Mrs. Opie stands much indebted to all-bountiful nature; her manner of holding her head is reckoned peculiarly graceful; her disposition is extremely lively; and her conversation animated and unreserved, free from all pedantry, but on some select subjects peculiarly energetic; and at times a little keen satire shews itself: this severe kind of wit has been supposed to proceed from over indulgence; and she is prompted to utter what she thinks, from the consciousness of having all she says ANCIENT ANECDOTE. THE Emperor Otho IV. being at Florence, saw, at a ball, the famous Gualdrada, who was then only fifteen years of age. Struck with her sprightliness and beauty, he asked whose daughter she was, and happened to put the question to her own father. The answer was as complying as possible, for the father offered to put immediately his daughter in his Imperial Majesty's possession. The girl hearing this, got instantly up, and said, before all the court, "Pray, father, do not be so liberal of a thing which belongs not to you; and give me leave to tell you, that no man shall ever have me, unless he be my lawful husband."-The Emperor was so surprized at this unexpected repartee, that he instantly sent for one of his Barons, called Guido, and ordered him to marry her upon the spot. He gave her for her portion the Caventino, with part of Romagna, and conferred the title of Count upon her husband, from whom the Couuts Guido are descended. THE LOFTINESS OF ANCESTRY. chief of that clan: they had served together in war, and their pursuits in peace were congenial. Brigadier Grant had an inflammatory fever, in which bleeding was prescribed; but in his delirium he resisted the operation. Argyle determined to try if his influence might avail, though physicians and friends advised and intreated him to shun the risk of infection. He put on a wrapping gown and night-cap, and was carried in a chair to the bedside of the invalid, who instantly knew his voice."My dear John,” said he, “ I have frightful dreams, I wish you would disperse them, as you have often caused the enemies of our country to fly. But how is this? a night-cap!"-" My friend," replied Argyle, "I am very ill; they wish me to have a vein opened, but I cannot agree unless my dear friend bleeds with me."-Brigadier Grant held out his arm, and the same surgeon bled both the heroes. Grant was cured, and Argyle escaped infection. MAGNANIMITY OF A GHOORKA. THIS untutored Indian of Nepaul had been encountered, in a sally from his fort, THE old Duchess of Queensberry was by an English officer, and after a severe allied to royalty, and valued herself upon conflict hand to hand, the Ghoorka was the blood of sovereigns "heaving her high || wounded so much as to disable him; but heart," as she expressed it. A very dis- he was carried off by his comrades, and in tant relation having obtained a title, she a few weeks recovered, and returned to his said—“ This fellow is powdered with the duty. In his struggle with the British dust of my ancestors." officer he tore off his epaulette, by which mark he recognized him as he lay spent with loss of blood in a recent engagement. JOHN, the great Duke of Argyle, had The Ghoorka singled him out from the the highest esteem and affection for Briga- other sufferers, staunched his wounds, dier-General Alexander Grant, son to the || brought water to restore his fainting spi THE FRIENDSHIP OF HEROES. |