feveral prelates and temporal lords for three years, who banished his favourite, and on his return to England by the king's invitation contrary to their order, he was beheaded. On the 30th of October, 1312, the queen was brought to bed of a prince, afterwards Edward III. and the fame - month the order of the knights templars was abolished. In 1314 the king was defeated at Bannockburn, by the Scotch army; and in 1320 his two new favourites, the Spencers, were banished; but by Edward's efpouling their intereft, and reversing the decree of banishment in 1321, a war commenced between him and his nobility in 1322. The year following the queen, being offended at the king's proceedings, quitted the kingdom, and took with her the young prince. In 1325, the king by proclamation declared the queen and all her adherents traitors. She removed to Hainault in 1326, where the married her fon to Philippa, the Earl's daughter, and raised troops to oppofe the king. In September the fame year the landed in Effex, when the king retired to Wales, and the Prince declared guardian of the kingdom; foon after which the Spencers were taken and hanged. In January 1327, fix articles were drawn up againit the king, for male-adminiftration, the nobility publickly renounced all fealty and homage, and the king made a formal refignation of his crown to his fon, in the 19th year of a troublesome reign, and the forty-third of his age; and this was the firft initance in hiftory of any fovereign of England being depofed. After this he was treated in the moft cruel and ignominious manner, and underwent the greatest indignities from his keepers, being fhaved in the open fields with ftinking water taken from a ditch, which the unhappy man warmed with his tears; they lodged him in a small damp room, annoyed by ftinks, in Berkeley Caftle in Gloucestershire; where his cruel keepers, in conformity to an ambiguous letter, Tent by the knowledge of his queen and the bishop of Hereford, put an end to his miferable existence, by first nearly flifting, him with pillows, and then forcing th iron pipe up his body, through which was run a het iron rod. Thus ended the life of a man, the father and fon of the two greateft fovereigns that ever fwayed the English fceptre.

whofe fimplicity of construction, and rudenefs of workmanship, are visible demonftrations of the mall progrefs that elegancy had made in ornamental decorations. On the top of the uprights are two doves; the cradle itself is pendent on two staples driven into the uprights, linked by two rings to two ftaples faftened to the cradle, and by them it fwings. The fides and ends of the cradle are ornamented with a great variety of mouldings, whofe junctions at the corners are not mitred, but cut off fquare without any degree of neatness, and the fides and ends faftened together by rough nails. On each fide are three holes for the rockers. To fecure the uprights from falling, there is a strong rail near the bottom, and the whole is rendered steady by cross-pieces for feet, on which it stands. Its dimenfions are 3 feet 2 inches long; I foot 8 inches wide at the head, and i foot 5 inches wide, at the foot; 1 foot 5 inches deep; and from the bottom of the pillar to the pillar at the top of the birds is 2 feet 10 inches.

AMANTIUM IRÆ: or, THE LOVER'S RESENTMENT. An English Story.

The cut is ingraved from an accurate drawing of the cradle in which this unfortunate Prince was rocked; which piece of antiquity is in the poffeffion of the Rev. Mr. Ball, of Newland, in Gloucestershire, it defcended to him from his ancestors, to whom it became an honorary perquifite. This fingular piece is made of heart of oak, April, 1774.

BOUT the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, there lived at Rippon, in Yorkshire, a Gentleman whofe name was Stapleton. He was poffeffed of two good eftates; one his own patrimony, and the other derived to him by the will of his Wife's Father, who had bequeathed it to her iffue male; but in failure of that line, had devised it over to a Nephew of his, whose name was Melville then about five years old.

Mrs. Stapleton had no child, at the time of her Father's death; but soon after was brought-to-bed of a Daughter, to the great mortification and difappointment of the Mother; who not caring to trust to any future contingency, for infuring the inheritance, bribed the Midwife and the Nurse to proclaim the Child to be a Boy. In about a year after, fhe again lay-in of another Girl; but refting in her first advice, fhe attempted not to impofe any mystery on the fex of the latter.

Mr. Stapleton died, foon after the birth of this fecond child; and during her furvi vorship, which continued about ten years, the anxious Widow ufed all neceffary precautions to guard the fecret of her impof. ture from detection; the dressed and undreffed the heir apparent herself, kept Mafter Harry conftantly to fleep in her own chamber, and took the charge and trouble of his English education into her own hands, at home, not daring to venture him out to fchool, with other boys of his age.

F

But

But when young Stapleton had arrived to about the age of nine or ten years old, Mr. Mallet, the teftamentary guardian appointed to him by his Father's will, thinking it now full time that a young man of fuch pretenfions should receive more literary and liberal instructions than it could be in the power of a female preceptor to fupply him with, the then found herself under the neceffity of hiring a private tutor to attend him; whom, however, the infifted upon taking into the house, pleading that the thought it her peculiar duty to continue ftill to fuperintend the morals of the young man herself, 'till he might arrive to fufficient age and learning to require his being fent to finifh his ftudies at the University.

At the fame time, he thought proper to impose a peremptory injunction on this Pedagogue, to leave the article of whipping intirely out of his fcholaftic difcipline. Children," ," faid the, of a " cer.. tain rank and confideration in life, ought never to be treated like your poor "fcholars, or infignificant parish boys." So careful was this prudent Mother to guard every avenue, that might poffibly lead to a difcovery of the pupil's fex.

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Matters went on very profperously, this way, 'till Mrs. Stapleton happened to be feized with her lait illnefs; when finding herself given over by the Phyficians, her mind became highly perplexed about what to refolve on, in this critical affair. Into whole break could the venture to confide the fecret of her dear Ward's gender? Whofe fidelity could be depended upon? There was not any perfon who could have an intereft in concealing, whatever they might find in revealing it: None, indeed, except, alone, the ticklish object of her anxiety, itself.

Hefitation is foon at an end, when there appears but one meature only to pursue. Accordingly the immediately called the heirefs to her; and while the afflicted child flood weeping by her bed- fide, fhe, in a few words, metamorphofed Mafter Harry into Mifs Harriot, by acquainting her both with the story and policy of her present fituation and difguife.

How our aftonished Eqicane felt, upon fuch a transformation, I fuppofe no body alive can tell; for though Natural History affords us fome inflances of Women turning out Men, yet it is quite filent about the retort courteous, or reverfe of the miracle. The ftory of Tirefias is but an inge nious and arch fable; replete, however, with a molt excellent moral.

I shall not take up my Reader's time with an account of the intire change of fyftem, which muft naturally have taken place in the wondering Henrietta's mind,

upon this information, but haften on to a catastrophe, of another kind, which as naturally followed this difcovery.

Mr. Mallet, their guardian, immediately took the orphans home to his own house; and the heir or heiress (for a confufion of grammar is unavoidable, in the recital of fuch a itory) proved worthy of the confidence repofed in her; for, notwithstanding the ufual farcafm thrown out against Women in general, there are fome of them, now and then, capable of keeping their own fecrets, at least. Accordingly, all proper feemings were ftill continned to be preferved, as before.

When Henrietta had arrived at the age of nineteen, her Sifter a year younger, and both extremely handsome, and alike Mr. Melville, their Coufin, and reverfionary heir to their Grandfather's eftate, being juft returned from his travels, came to Rippon, to pay them a vifit; and without lofs of time, fell directly in love with Ethelinda, and entered alfo into a strong league of friendship with Henrietta.

Mr. Melville was poffeffed of every merit, to intitle him to fuccefs in his fuit; but a prior affection had pre-engaged Ethelinda's heart. Mr. Armitage, a young man of fortune, who had lately finished his ftudies at Glasgow, and whofe Father lived at Rippon, had conceived a paffion for her, confeffed his flame, was successful, and a private engagement was entered into between them, on condition of obtaining the concurrence of her Guardian and his Father.

This tranfaction happened a fhort time before Mr. Melville had become acquainted with the family; but Henrietta had not been made a confidant in the matter; Maria, daughter to Mr. Mallet the guardian, and Mr. Bruce, a College-friend of Mr. Armitage, and at that time on a vifit to him at Rippon, being the only witnesses of the fecret compact between them.

Mr. Melville paid his addreffes to the fair Ethelinda, for fome time, with great affiduity; but finding that they were only accepted as the ufual galantries of young men, and that he was not likely to obtain any further diftinction in his favour, than what he might have been otherwise intitled to from the common ties of affinity, or general dues of politeness or decorum, he revealed his paffion to Henrietta, and prayed her kind offices in his interest.

Henrietta fympathized in the concern of her friend, with perfect approbation of the alliance, and fincere affection for the perfon. She, accordingly, exerted all her influence with her Sifter, adding intreaty to argument; but ftill without effect. Ethelinda defended herfelf, by pleading

tkat

Though Henrietta's earnest interceffions had no operation on her Sifter's breaft, the warmth with which he had urged them, happened to make an impreffion on her own. Friendship between Men or Women, Philofophers fay, would natural ly become love, if either of the parties fhould change their fex. This metamorphole had already been effected between Henrietta and Melville, and the aforefaid confequence began now to obtain with her.

About this time, Mr. Armitage having gained his Father's confent, got him to propofe the match with Ethelinda, to her Guardian. Mr. Mallet had no objection to the alliance for his Ward; but before he returned an answer, thought it a fit compliment to take the opinion of Henrietta, as her elder brother, upon the occafion, which he did accordingly.

This hint afforded her fufficient reafon to argue a foregone conclusion from, that the Lovers had been privately of accord together before-hand, and to suspect that the fpecious moral philofophy which Ethelinda had fo pompously displayed, in their last converfation upon the subject, proceeded not fo much from the infpiration of fentiment, as from the instigation of paffion.

Upon the joint premiffes above specified in the two laft paragraphs, Henrietta immediately entered into debate with herfelf; for tho' Love is feldom a good reafoner, it is always a great arguer, "My "Sifter appears now to be quite out of "the queftion; and fince I cannot for"ward Melville's happiness with her, "why not endeavour my own with him? "Befides, not only my love prompts this "measure, but my juftice claims it, al"fo; as, by this means, the eftate he "has the fole right to, will immediately "devolve to him of course, and furely "a Love-fuit is at any time preferable to "a Law fuit."

She took her refolution accordingly :and going instantly in queft of her friend, acquainted him with the overture that had been made to Ethelinda, on the part of Mr. Armitage; but concealing from him her certainty of its foon taking place, told him he had prevailed on her Sister to put this contest between the lovers out of further difpute, by eatering into an engagement with him, that very night, which might not leave it in the power of her Guardian, who had already approved

of the propofal, to prevent or delay their happiness.

The happy Melville embraced his kind confidant, who returned the falute with more than friendly warmth; and the critical point was thus fettled between them, that in the dusk of the evening, the Lover fhould bring a Clergyman with him to the great church in Rippon, after all fervices for the day were over, where he should find the door open, and his Miftrefs there, alone, without lights or witneffes, and ready to exchange mutual vows with him at the foot of the altar.

Henrietta excufed herself from being prefent at the ceremony, on pretence of keeping clear from the refentment of her Guardian; and immediately retired. The impatient Melville, with his Parfon was punctual to the time and place; and Henrietta having dreffed herself in a female garb, which he had fecreated from her Sifter's wardrobe, perfonated the expected Bride, paffed through the tremendous ritual of for better for worse, and then parted, for that night, to prevent detection or fufpicion.

The next morning, Mr. Mallet having confulted his niece upon the fubject, and received her confent, declared his acceptance of Mr. Armitage's propofals; which left the enraptured Lover now at liberty to proclaim the fuccefs of his paffion to all his friends; which reaching the ears of the felf fecure Melville, naturally fo piqued his honour and his pride, that taking his friend and witnefs, the Chaplain, along with him, he went directly in fearch of his rival; whom having foon met with, he in a peremptory tone commanded to forbear his tranfports, upon fuch vain prefumption, and also refrain from any future vifits in that quarter, or expect the refentment of a perfon who had a right to impose fuch an injunction upon him

The warmth of Mr. Armitage, who was likewife as felf-fufficient, on his part rofe immediately to fuch an height, upon this challenge, that the moment might have proved fatal to one or other of the champions, if the prudence of Mr. Bruce, who happened luckily to be prefent, had not interpofed, and called for an explanation of the mystery.

Mr. Melville was too proud to give one himself, and the piqued Armitage was relapfing into cholar again, when the good Clergyman, forefeeing the unhappy confequences of their misunderstanding each other, without waiting for his friends permiffion, immediately flood forth, and related the tranfaction of the night before, in the manner the reader has already been made acquainted with.

Ff2

This

This worthy perfon being a man of a refpectable character, and undoubted veracity, his teftimony foon obviated all doubt in Mr. Armitage's mind, with regard to the truth of the fact. His furprize and refentment struggled which fhould predominate in his breaft, and thinking that he had now no further measures to preferve with his faithlefs mistress, he defired Mr. Bruce to deliver his knowledge and confidence with regard to his prior contract with the fame lady.

As foon as Mr. Bruce had finished his ftory, the astonished Melville quitted the place, and fet out forthwith in fearch of his friend and confidant Henrietta; while the enraged Armitage with equal hafte repaired to the houfe of Mr. Mallet, to ex - poftulate with, and reproach, the treacherous Ethelinda.

On his entrance, he found the innocent and unfufpecting victim and her friend Maria together; and at the fight of her Lover, the fond Ethelinda, her eyes fparkling with joy, thus addreffed herself to him : "Give me leave, my dear Armi"faid he, tage," to felicitate mylelf, at leaft, upon the fuccefs of your nego*ciations with both of our fuperiors; and "I should hope, added she, that your hap"pinefs, on this event, does not fall fhort "of mine."

"Worthlefs and difingenuous woman! "replied he, I came not hither, either to "offer or receive fuch congratulations as

you would now impofe on me. I had "often read, indeed, of the artifices of "Coquets, and the frauds of Jilts; but "having, hitherto, only met with them "in Novels, I, charitably, fuppofed "them to have been rather the fables of "invention, than the true hiftory of fe"male hearts; but you, madam, have "fo fully realized thefe fuppofed fictions, "in your own character, that my fole "errand in this vifit, is to release you "from any future embarraffment, on my account, and to declare my thorough abhorrence and contempt of your paft conduct.'

The harshness and feverity of thefe expreffions put it beyond the power of the unhappy and furprized Ethelinda to offer the leaft fyllable in her defence: She flood mute and motionlefs, without even attempting to ask a folution of this extravagance; and as the confufion which upbraided innocence is apt naturally to fall into, bears fometimes the femblance of guilt, the fuffered the miftaken Armitage to depart abruptly, with a thorough conviction of, her perfidy, leaving her and Maria in the utmost confternation.

While this fcene was paffing in one part of the house, the aftonished Melville had an interview with Henrietta, in another;

but their converfation, upon the fubject, may be fo easily imagined by the reader, who is already apprized of the particulars, that it were needlefs to waste his time, by repeating either the words, or the fubftance of it, here.

The diftreffed Henrietta was extremely alarmed at the confequences of her difingenuous ftratagem, which the blindness of her paffion had prevented her from foreseeing before; but collecting all her force together, the intreated the juftly provoked husband to fufpend his opinion and cenfure upon the matter, for a few hours; promifing, by that time, to refolve the cifficulty to both the parties, and fubmit the author of these mistakes to their refentment, or their mercy, according to their judgments of the offence.

Accordingly the intire Dramatis Perfo ne of our story were fummoned, by her, to meet that evening at Mr. Mallet's houfe, where they were all punctually affembled; and having been apprized by Mr. Melville of the occafion of this rendezvous, they remained staring at one another, in filent wonder, for fome time, impatient for a revelation of this hitherto inexplicable mystery.

At length Henrietta made her appearance, compleatly equipped in a fuit of her fifter's cloaths, with a hat and sword in her hand; which laying at the feet of Mr. Melville, and dropping her curtfey to the rest of the amazed groupe, the delivered herself before them, with a trembling voice, in these or other words to the fame purpose:

"I here refign my manhood, faid fhe, "but without prefenting you with any "metamorphofe. What I now appear to "be, I really am; but my too anxious "Mother had impofed my late femblance "on the world, from the moment of my "birth, for a reafon which must now be "fufficiently obvious to the wronged Mr. "Melville. I feconded his addreffes to

66 mong us, this day. The ftrength of my "paffion fuggefted the purpose to me, and "the frailty of my Sex led me into the ❝ unwarrantable artifice. But to fhew you "that I am poffeffed of fentiments not " unworthy of the habit I have fo long 66 worn, I here, faid fhe, addreffing her "fpeech to Mr. Melville, not only furren"der to you your eftate, but also release you from the engagement you have "been, unknowingly, deceived into, if your heart-fhall I venture to pronounce "it-fhould not, now in the light, accompany the hand you had pledged to "me in the dark."

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At these words, the admiring and approving Melville fprung forward and catched her in his arms, declaring that both her beauty, love and honour were fufficient inducements to make him ratify the contract: while the astonished and abarhed Armitage, with a coutenance of contrition, in a posture of fupplication, at the injured Ethelinda's feet, implored forgiveness of his error and injuftice.

His offence was so very excufable, from the validity of the teftimony at that time laid before him, that he had but to relate the circumftances of it, to infure his pardon. A general joy diffused itself throughout the company, upon thefe two happy occafions; and to compleat the jubilee, Mr. Armitage and Ethelinda were permitted to realize their former engagements, that very night; his Father and her Guardian being both prefent, and confenting to their union.

Having here gathered all my perfonages together at the end of my ftory, like the conclufion of a Comedy, I fhall now difmifs my audience without any other Epilogue than the wishing them a good night, and fubfcribing myself, their most humble and obedient fervant.

STRICTURES on the DISTRIBUTION of HAPPINESS, with fome REMARKS on the LIFE of CAMILLO the Unfortunate.

T is an affertion of fome philofophers in

taken together, the diftribution which heaven has made to its creatures of happiness here below is equal. Mr. Pope feems to have afferted fomething of the fame kind in his Effay on Man, where he intimates that it fignifics little in what ftation of life a man is placed, so he is possessed of virtue; and farther obferves that the difference between the rich and poor is little or nothing, fince the latter are placed in hope and the former in fear. Then he fuperadded, that true happiness “ iɛ no where to be found or every where; with much to the fame purpose."

Now thofe circumstances would indeed be very confolatory to the poor and afflic ted, could they be convinced of the truth of them; but I fear that will bear controverting, on the principles of reason and common experience.

I allow indeed, that much depends upon a contented mind; but I cannot believe that is always happily beftowed upon the afflicted, any more than the bleffing of hope which the philofophic poet fo much infifts upon.The paffions feem to me to be far more equally diftributed amongst mankind than either happiness or mifery is; and the reason is plain, that the former are women in the very temperature of human nature, while the latter depends greatly upon the uncertain actions of moral agents.

As to the reft, I can readily allow that the richest man in the world, may be unhappy he may feek his own unhappinefs; but as I have often faid an extremely poor man, i. e. one not poffeffed of the common neceffaries of life, cannot be happy.

What shall we think then of those who having feen better days, are reduced to the lowest ebb of diftrefs, even to the want of bread for themselves and their families can fuch avoid feeling, and if they do feel, and their days of afflictions have been infinitely more numerous, than the few fleeting moments during which they enjoyed in the funfhine of profperity, then where is the equal diftribution of happiness.

Camillo was a young man who once had good expectations in life; but faw them all blafted by unexpected misfortunes which happened to his parents.

At their death he had neither friends nor relations who were able and willing to affift him; the folly of a fond mother had prevented him from learning any business, he was intended for fome genteel profeffion, but even at this time when he was above eighteen years of age, no particular one had been fixed upon. He was inclined to the army, but money was wanting to purchase a commiffion; he had a tolerable education, knew fomething of the langua

-Though Camillo had great fpirit, yet thus fituated, he determined to learn a trade.

It was thought improper to bind him apprentice, but an acquaintance offered to teach him it.

He laboured in this cafe under many inconveniencies, when after three years he had acquired this trade, he found it much declining; and to complete his misfortunes, for want of his freedom, he was not fuffered to work at it in the city, in the out parts it was almost useless yet there he went on as well as he could, but the confequenco