would efpoufe her caufe, a helpless, useless load of grief and melancholy! with child! difgraced! her own relations either unable, or unwilling to relieve her. Thus was the detained by unhappy circumftances, and his prevailing arts to wear away three wretched years with him, in the fame house, though the moft folemnly protefts, and fhe has a right to be believed, that no perfuafion could ever again. reconcile her to his impious arms. Whenever the caft her eyes upon her fon, it gave a mortal wound to her peace: The circumftances of his birth glared full on her imagination; fhe faw him, in future, upbraided with his father's treachery, and his mother's misfortunes. Thus forfaken of all the world, in the very morning of her life, when all things fhould have been gay, and promifing, he wore away three wretched years. Mean time her betrayer had procured for himfelf a confiderable employment; the duties of which obliged him to go into the country where his firft wife lived. He took leave of his injured innocent, with much feeming tendernefs; and made the most facred proteftations, that he would not fuffer her, nor her child ever to want. イイ He endeavoured to perfuade her to accompany him into the country, and to feduce, and quiet her 1. confcience, fhewed her a celebrated piece written in defence of Polygamy, and Concubinage: When he was gone, he foon relapfed into his former extravagancies, forgot his promife of providing for bis child, and its mother; and inhumanly left them a prey to indigence and oppreffion. The lady was only happy in being releafed from the killing anguifh, of every day having before her eyes the object of her undoing.. When the again came abroad into the world, fhe was looked upon with cold indifference; that which had been her greatest misfortune, was imputed to her as the moft enormous guilt; and the was - every where fneered at, avoided, and despised. What pity is it, that an unfortunate, as well as a falfe ftep, fhould damn a woman's fame! In what respect was Mrs. Manley to blame? In what particular was the guilty? to marry her coufin, who paffionately profeffed love to her, and who folemnly vowed himself a widower, could not be guilt; on the other hand it had prudence and gratitude for its bafis. Her continuing in the house with him after he had made the discovery, cannot be guilt, for by doing fo, fhe was prevented from being expofed to fuch neceffities as perhaps would have produced greater ruin. When want and beggary ftare a woman in the face, especially one accustomed to the delicacies of life, then indeed is virtue in danger; and they who escape must have more than human affiftance. Our poetess now perceived, that together with her reputation, fhe had loft all the efteem, that her converfation and abilities might have elfe procured her; and fhe was reduced to the deplorable neceffity of affociating with those whose fame was blafted by their indifcretion, because the more fober and virtuous part of the fex did not care to risk their own characters, by being in company with one fo much fufpected, and against whom the appearance of guilt was too strong. Under this dilemma, it is difficult to point out any method of behaviour, by which fhe would not be expofed to cenfure: If he had ftill perfifted in folitude, the ill-natured world would have imputed to it a caufe, which is not founded on virtue; befides, as the means of fupport were now removed, by the perfidy of Mr. Manley, fhe muft have perifhed by this refolution. In this cafe, the reader will not be much furprized to find our authorefs, under the patronage of the duchefs of Cleveland, a miftrefs of king I Charles Charles the IId's, who was juftly reckoned one of the moft celebrated beauties of that age. Mrs. Manley was paying a vifit to a lady of her grace's acquaintance, when he was introduced into the favour of this royal courtezan; and as the duchefs of Cleveland was a woman of parts and genius, fhe could not but be charmed with the sprightlinefs of her converfation. She was fond of new faces, and immediately contracted the greateft intimacy with our poetefs, and gave her a general invitation to her table. The lady at whofe house the duchefs became acquainted with Mrs. Manley, foon perceived her indifcretion in bringing them together; for the love of novelty fo far prevailed on the duchefs, that herfelf was immediately difcarded, and the affection formerly bestowed upon her, was lavished on Mrs. Manley. This procured our poetefs an inveterate enemy; and the greatest blow that was ever ftruck at her reputation, was by that woman, who had been before her friend. She was not content to inform perfons who began to know and esteem Mrs. Manley, that her marriage was a cheat; but even endeavoured to make the duchefs jealous of her new favourite's charms, in refpect of Mr. Goodman the player, who at that time had the honour of approaching her grace's perfon, with the freedom of a gallant. As the duchefs of Cleveland was a woman of a very fickle temper, in fix months time she began to be tired of Mrs. Manley. She was quarelfome, loquacious, fierce, exceffively fond, or downright rude; when he was difgufted with any perfon, fhe never failed to reproach them, with all the bitterness of wit fhe was miftrefs of, with fuch malice, and ill-nature, that he was hated, not only by all the world, but by her own children and fervants: The extremes of prodigality, and covetoufnefs, of love, and hatred, of dotage, and fondnefs, met in her. A woman of this temper will be at no lofs for the means of effecting any one's ruin, and having. now conceived an averfion to our poetefs, she was refolved to drive her from her houfe, with as much reproach as poffible; and accordingly gave out, that he had detected Mrs. Manley in an intrigue with her own son, and as she did not care to give encouragement to fuch amours, the thought proper to discharge her. Whether or not there was any truth in this charge, it is impoffible for us to determine: But if Mrs. Manley's own word may be taken, in fuch a cafe, fhe was perfectly innocent thereof. When our authoress was difmiffed by the duchess, fhe was follicited by lieutenant-general Tidcomb, to pass fome time with him at his country feat; but the excufed herself by telling him, the muft be in love with a man, before she could think of refiding with him, which he could not, without a violation of truth, profefs for him. She told him her love of folitude was improved, by her difguft of the world, and fince it was impoffible for her to be public with reputation, she was refolved to remain in it concealed.' It was in this folitude fhe composed her first tragedy, which was much more famous for the language, fire, and tendernefs, than the conduct. Mrs. Barry diftinguifhed herfelf in it, and the author was often heard to exprefs great furprize, that a man of Mr. Betterton's grave fenfe, and judgment, should think well enough of the productions of a young woman, to bring it upon the ftage, fince the herfelf in a more mature age could hardly bear to read it. But as the play fucceeded, she received fuch unbounded incenfe from admirers, that her apartment was crowded with men of wit, and gaiety. There is a copy of verfes prefixed to her play, faid to be written by a very great hand which deferve notice. What! What all our fex in one fad hour undone ? Fire to our foul they fend, and paffion to our Needlefs was an addition to fuch arms, When all mankind were vaffals to your charms : Quote Ovid, now no more ye am'rous fwains, And nature fure does neareft touch the heart. They who had a regard for Mrs. Manley could not ..but obferve with concern, that her conduct was fuch, as would foon iffue in her ruin. No language but flattery approached her ear; the Beaux told her, that a woman of her wit, was not to be confined to the dull formalities of her own fex, but had a right to affume the unreferved freedom of the male, fince all things were pardonable to a lady, who knew to give laws to others, yet was not obliged to keep them herfelf, General Tidcomb, who feems to have been her fincereft friend, took the privilege of an old acquaintance to correct her ill tafte, and the wrong turn fhe gave her judgment, in admitting adulation from fuch wretches, whofe |