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Alas! amiable Lucilla, ere long fhall we find, that even thou (fpotlefs as was thy foul, fpotlefs as was the foul of thy husband) wert born alfo to be wretched; and that, barely capable of evading the wiles of GUILT, but for thy own native virtues thou couldest hardly, even in thy own perfon, obtain an afylum on earth for INNOCENCE

In all countries, HONOUR is confidered as the peculiar characteristic of a Soldier; but when shall we have fuch a definition of the word, as to be able to afcertain, with any kind of precifion, in what honour-military honour, however, confifts? The Colonel under whom Florio ferved, was univerfally pronounced a man of the fritteft honour; and yet it was univerfally acknowledged alfo, that, in his tranfactions with the LADIES, there could not exift a man more UNPRINCIPLED. Not for the world would he injure one of his own fex-provided he interfered not with bis PLEASURES; but a woman a helpless, beautiful woman-he fcrupled not uniformly to confider as his lawful prey.

Hardly had the artlefs Lucilla arrived, when, viewing her with the eyes of a lascivious voluptuary, the demon of mischief pointed her out to him as a precious object of deftruction. Who fo polite to her, so attentive to her husband, as the gallant Colonel! -Lucilla thought him a jewel of a man; and Florio, unfufpicious as herfelf, actually confi. dered him as a father.

Soon, however, the prefence of Florio became offenfive to the Colonel; and foon alfo did Lucilla begin to perceive, with a WoMAN's eye, that in his conftant affiduities to her there was fomething more than mere FRIENDSHIP, especially as, in the whole of his behaviour to her husband, he was now as cool and referved, as, at firft, he had been warm, open, and generous.

As yet he had not dared plainly to reveal to her the intentions which continued every day more and more to agitate his guilty breaft; but at length-borne away by a paffion, which, having nothing in view but its own gratification, fet reason and virtue at defiance-he fcrupled not to use every fe ductive perfuafion, every unmanly stratagem, that might tend to inveigle her into his polluted arms.

In the conduct of Lucilla, at this crifis, there was a difplay of conjugal attachment, and, what is more, of conjugai magnanimity, which-unfashionable as it may appear in thete days of vicious diffipation and refinementwould have redounded to the glory of the moft unfullied matron of ancient Rome, while it was Rome's boat that the was VIRTUOUS.

undoer of her peace she nobly triumphed ; and the Colonel, mortified at the idea of being thus fpurned at, baffled and defied-defied too by a woman-presently contrived to level the whole fury of a heart fraught with diappointment and revenge at the luckless Florio, to whom nevertheless he bore no enmity, farther than as he appeared to be the only impediment to the completion of his wishes.

By accident, one day, the unhappy youth -in anxioufly fearching for a few fimples, which the indifpofed state of his Lucilla had, for fome time, feemed to render neceffary for her unwarily tranfgreffed the bounda ries allotted for the Garrison. — This offence

if an offence it could be called—was judg. ed by the Colonel a fufficient pretext for ordering Florio to prifon; and there, from the vile ftench and dampnefs of the place, he was feized with a fever, which communicating its baneful effects to Lucilla-whom no force could tear, one minute, from the loved partner of her bofom threatened foon to put a period to the miferable exist. ence of both.

While thus they remained in a dreary dungeon, oppreffed with sickness, and barely permitted to breathe, a letter was fecretly conveyed to Lucilla from the detefted author of her woes, intimating, that if she would at length confent to quit her husband, an elegant houfe should be at her command, and nothing omitted which might promote the recovery of her health, and the establishment of her happiness.

In answer to this letter, having with no fmall difficulty obtained the affistance of a pen and fome ink and paper. fhe wrote to him with a trembling hand what follows:

"Know, worthlefs man, that though I "were condemned to expire this inftant in "the midft of tortures, (and more excruci"ating ones there cannot be than those I al"ready feel) I yet would not accept of life, "with all the fplendour the world could be"ftow, if, in order to enjoy so paltry a blef❝fing, I fhould be forced, by facrificing my "own honour, to facrifice the honour of my "husband.-Think not-vainly think not, "that the principles of an incorruptible inte

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grity, and the pangs infeparable from a "fenfe of unmerited oppreffion, may not ex"ift together in one bofom-the bofom, too, "of a weak and unbefriended woman!"Yes, wretched feducer, in mine they do, "in mine they shall exift, while I exift my"felf. The infults I have experienced from you are the more bafe, as my heart tells me, and you must yourself be confcious, "that in the whole of my conduct I never Over all the infiduous mance.ures of the betrayed the leaft indifcretion, which could

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"poffibly encourage you to imagine me ca "pable of indulging a thought incompatible "with innocence, or injurious to my Florio. "Ceafe, then, to aggravate my woes with "importunities, odious to me as they are in. "famous in the fight of Heaven; and, above "all, let me conjure you avoid my prefente. "Enfeebled as this hand is, and little capable "of affording affiftance either to my husband For myfelf, yet (nerved by defperation) it "might, perhaps, be raised with fatal vengeance against the most abandoned of men, "should he dare, even in her dying moments, "to approach the eyes of

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LUCILLA."

This letter fpoke daggers to the very foul of the Colonel. His heart, naturally humane, and not yet wholly loft to the charms of innocence to every fentiment, in fine, that conftitutes the man of real probity and honour-was now torn with remorfe: nor could he obtain a moment's reft, till (yielding to the innate though long perverted nobleness of difpofition) he had dispatched a written meffage to the virtuous heroine, humbly begging her pardon, and the pardon of her injured husband, for his paft behaviour; and declaring to her, in terms of the most bitter contrition,

that 'till that moment he knew not the value of a fex, to which he was herself an ornament, and to which, he blushed to confefs, at length, he had through life acted, but unconfcioufly, acted as a VILLAIN.

With this meffage he fent an order for the immediate releasement of Florio, as alfo pofitive directions to afford both Lucilla and him every indulgence and accommodation which their illness might require, or which, at least, the fituation of the garrifon would permit.

It was likewife his intention to procure for Florio, without delay, the command of a company. But, alas! this intention was rendered fruitless by the termination of the fever, which still continued to prey upon them, and which, the very week after this fudden reverfe in their fortune, carried them both off, within two hours of each other, leaving to their departed fouls this single confolation (if a confolation it could be to them in Heaven), that their remains were deftined to be interred in one grave, amidst the fighs and lamentations of the most numerous concourfe of fpectators that ever graced the funeral of a deferving and truly martyred pair.

CASTALIO.

LEAVES collected from the PIOZZIAN WREATH lately woven to adorn the Shrine of Dr. JOHNSON. (Continued from Page 144)

DR. JOHNSON'S MOTHER. So excellent was her character, and so blame

lefs was her life, that when an oppreffive neighbour once endeavoured to take from her a little field the poffeffed, he could perfuade no attorney to undertake the cause against a woman fo beloved in her narrow circle: and it is to this incident he alludes in bis "Vanity of Human Wishes," calling her "The general favourite, as the general friend."

The DOCTOR WHEN A CHILD. At the age of two years, Mr. Johnson was brought up to London by his mother, to be touched by Queen Anne for the fcrophulous evil, which terribly afflicted his childhood. -As he had an aftonishing memory, I afked him, if he could recollect Queen Anne? -He had, he faid, a confufed, but fomehow, a fort of folemn recollection of a lady in diamonds, and a long black hood,

His epitaph upon the duck he killed, by freading on it, at five years old

Here lies poor duck

That Samuel Johnson trod on ; If it bad liv'd it had been good luck, For it would have been an odd one;

is a ftriking example of an early expansion of mind and the knowledge of language.

DR. JOHNSON'S WIFE.

I afked Dr. Johnson if he ever difputed with his wife (I had heard that he loved her paffionately). Perpetually (faid he): My wife had a particular reverence for cleanlinefs, and defired the praise of neatness in her drefs and furniture, as many ladies do, till they become troublefome to their best friends, flaves to their own befoms, and only figh for the hour of fweeping their bufbands out of the houfe as dirt and ufelefs lumber. A clean floor is fo comfortable! fhe would fay fometimes, by way of twitting; till at last I to'd her, that I thought we had had talk enough about the floor, we would now have a touch at the cieling.'

On another occafion I have heard him blame her for a fault many people have, of fetting the miseries of their neighbours, half unintentionally, half wantonly, before their eyes, thewing them the bad fide of their profeflion, fituation, &c. He faid, 'fhe would lament the dependence of pupillage to a young heir, &c, and once told a waterman ayho row'd her along the Thames in a wherry,

tha:

that he was no happier than a galley-slave, one being chained to the oar by authority, the other by want. I had however (faid he, laughing) the wit to get my daughter on my fide always before we began the difpute. She read comedy better than any body he ever heard (he faid); in tragedy the mouthed too much.'

Garrick told Mr. Thrale, however, that he was a little painted puppet, of no value at all, and quite difguifed with affectation, full of odd airs of rural elegance; and he made out fome comical scenes, by mimicking her in a dialogue he pretended to have overheard: I do not know whether he meant fuch stuff to be believed or no, it was fo comical; nor did I indeed ever see him reprefent her ridiculously, though my husband did. The intelligence I gained of her from old Levett was only perpetual illness and perpetual opium. The picture I found of her at Litchfield was very pretty, and her daughter, Mrs. Lucy Porter, faid it was like. Mr. Johnfon has told me, that her hair was eminently beau tiful, quite blonde like that of a baby; but that the fretted about the colour, and was always defirous to die it black, which he very judicioufly hindered her from doing. His account of their wedding he ufed to think ludicrous enough I was riding to church (fays Johnfon) and the following on another fingle horfe: fhe hung back, however, and I turned about to fee whether the could get her

fteed along, or what was the matter, I had, however, foon occafion to fee it was only co

quetry, and that I defpifed; fo quickening my pace a little, the mended her's; but I believe there was a tear or two-pretty dear

creature!

Dr. Taylor once related to Mr. Thrale, that when he loft his wife, the negro Francis ran away, though in the middle of the night, to Weitnuniter, to fetch Dr. Taylor to his mafter, who was all but wild with excets of forrow, and fearce knew him when be arrived: After fome minutes, however, the Ductor propofed their going to prayers, as the only rational method of calming the diforder this misfortune had occafioned in both their spirits. Time, and refignation to the will of God, cured every breach in His heart before I made acquaintance with him, though he always perfifted in faying he never rightly recovered the lots of his wife. It is in allufion to her that he records the obfervation of a female critic, as he calls her in Gay's life; and the lady of great beauty and elegance mentioned in the Criticifms on Pope's Epitaphs, was Mifs Molly Afton. The perfon fpoken of in his Strictures upon Young's Poetry, is the writer of thefe Anecdotes, to when he likewife addrefied the following

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IMPROVISATORI VERSES.

On another occafion I can boast verses from

Dr. Johnfon.-As I went into his room the moring of my birth-day once, 1 faid to him, Nobody fends me any verses now, becaufe I am five and thirty years old; and Stella was fed with them till forty-fix, I remember. My being juft recovered from ill

nefs and confinement will account for the manner in which he burst out fuddenly, for fo he did, without the leaft previous hefitation whatsoever; and without having entertained the malicit intention towards it half a minute before;

Oft in danger, yet alive,
We are come to thirty-five;
Long may better years arrive,
Better years than thirty-five.
Could philofophers contrive
Life to stop at thirty-five,
Time his hours fhould never drive
O'er the bounds of thirty-five.
High to foar, and deep to dive,
Nature gives at thirty-five.
Ladies, ftock and tend your hive,
Trifle not at thirty-five:
For howe'er we boat and ftrive,
Life declines from thirty-five.
He that ever hopes to thrive,
Muft, begin by thirty-five;
And all who wifely with to wive,
Mut look on Thrale at thirty-five.

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'And now (faid he, as I was writing them down) you may fee what it is to come for poetry to a dictionary-maker; you may obferve that the rhymes run in alphabetical order exactly.' And fo they do.

Mr. Johnson did indeed poffefs an almost Tuscan power of improvifation, when he called to my daughter, who was confulting with a friend about a new gown and dreffed hat the thought of wearing to an affembly, thus fuddenly, while the hoped he was not liftening to their conversation:

Wear the gown, and wear the hat,

Snatch thy pleasures while they last; Hadft thou nine lives like a cat,

Soon thofe nine lives would be past. It is impoffible to deny to fuch little fallies the power of the Florentines, who do not permit their verses to be ever written down, though they often deserve it, because, as they exprefs it, cofi fe perderebbe la poca gloria.

As for tranflations, we ufed to make him fometimes run off with one or two in a good humour. He was praising this fong of MeLaftafio,

Deb, fe piacermi vuoi,
Lafcia i fofpetti tuoi,
Non mi turbar conquesto
Moleflo dubitar:
Chi ciecamente crede,
Impegna a ferbar fede;

Chi fempre inganno aspetta,
Alletta ad ingannar.

'Should you like it in English (said he) thus?'

Would you hope to gain my heart,
Bid your teifing doubts depart;
He who blindly trufts, will find
Faith from every generous mind:
He who ftill expects deceit,
Only teaches how to cheat.

Mr. Baretti coaxed him likewife one day,
at Streatham, out of a tranflation of Emi-
rena's Speech to the falfe courtier Aquileius,
and it is probably printed before now, as I
think two or three people took copies; but
perhaps it has flipped their memories:
Ab tu in corte invecchiafti, e giurerei
Che fra i pochi non fei tenace ancora
Dell' antica onestà; quando bifugna,
Saprai fereno in volto

Vezzeggiare un nemico ; acci) vi cada,
Aprirgli innanzi un precipizio, e poi
Piangerne la caduta. Offrirti a tutti
E non effer che tuo; di falfa lodi
Veftir le accufe, ed aggraver le colpe
Nel farne la difefa, ognor dal trone
I buoni allontanar; d'ogni castigo
Lafciar l'odio alle feettro, e d'ogni deno
Il merito ufurpar; tener nafcofto
Sotto un zelo apparente un empio fine,
Ne fabbricar che full: altrui rouine.
EUROP. MAS.

Grown old in Courts, thou art not furely one
Who keeps the rigid rules of ancient honour ;
Well-fkill'd to foothe a foe with looks of
kindness,

To fink the fatal precipice before him,
And then lament his fall with feeming friend-
ship.

Open to all, true only to thyself,

Thou know'ft thofe arts which blast with
envious praife,

Which aggravate a fault with feign'd excuses,
And drive discountenanc'd Virtue from the
Throne;

That leave the blame of rigour to the Prince,
And of his every gift ufurp the merit;
That hide in feeming zeal their wicked pur-
pofe,

And only build upon another's ruin.",

We had got a little French print among us at Brighthelmstone, in November 1782, of fome people fkaiting, with these lines written under :

Sur un mince chrystal l'hyver conduit leurs pas,
Le precipice eft fous la glace;
Telle eft de nos plaifirs la legere surface,
Gliffez mortels; n'appuyez pas :

and I begged translations from every body.
Dr. Johnson gave me this :

O'er ice the rapid Skaiter flies,

With fport above and death below;
Where mischief lurks in gay disguise,
Thus lightly touch and quickly go.

He was, however, moft exceedingly enraged when he knew that in the course of the season I had asked half a dozen acquaintance to do the fame thing; and faid it was a piece of treachery, and done to make every body elfe look little when compared to my favou rite friends the Petyfes, whofe translations were unquestionably the beft. I will infert them, because he did fay fo. This is the diftich given me by Sir Lucas, to whom I owe more folid obligations, no less than the power of thanking him for the life he favel, and whose least valuable praife is the correctnefs of his taste >

O'er the ice as o'er pleasure you lightly should glide,

Both have gulphs which their flattering furfaces hide.

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O'er crackling ice, o'er gulphs profound, With nimble glide the Skaiters play; O'er treacherous Pleafure's flowery ground Thus lightly fkim, and hafte away.

AID GIVEN TO AUTHORS.

Dr. Johnson was liberal enough in granting literary affittance to others; innumerable are the prefaces, fermons, lectures, and dedications he made for people who begged of him. Mr. Murphy related in his and my hearing one day, and he did not deny it, that when Mr. Murphy joked him the week before, for having been fo diligent between Dodd's Sermon and Kelly's Prologue, that Dr. Johnfon replied, "Why, Sir, when they come to me with a dead ftay-maker and a dying parfon, what can a man do ?"--He faid, however, that "he hated to give away any literary performances, or even to fell them too cheaply. The next generation, added he, will accufe me of reducing the price of literature; one hates, befides, ever to give that which one has been accustomed to fell: Would not you, Sir, (turning to Mr. Thrale) rather give away money than porter?

MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS. When he talked of authors, his praise went to what was useful on common occafions, and obfervant on common manners. For example, NOT the two laff, but the two first volumes of Clarifa, he prized-for give me a fick-bed and a dying lady, and I'll be pathetic myfelf. But Richardjon had picked the kernel of lifewhile Fielding was content with the bujk!

Somebody oppofing Corneille to Shakfpeare, he faid, "Corneille is to Shakspeare, as a clipped hedge to a foreft."

Of Steele's Effays he faid, they were too thin for an Englishman's tafte; like the light French wines, they turn four for want of body, as they call it.

Rofe, of Hammersmith, talking of Scotch writers, and extolling Ferguson for his new manner-Johnfon faid, "I do not fee the value of this new manner;-it is only like Buckinger, who had no hands, and who wrote with his feet."

He never defired, he faid, to hear of the Punic War as long as he lived; fuch converfation was loft time; it carried one from common life, leaving no ideas behind which could ferve living wight as warning or di.

rection.

"How I fhould act is not the cafe,
"But how fhould Brutus in my place."

Once enquiring of the converfation powers of a certain gentleman, "He talked to me at a club one day, fays the Doctor, of Catiline's conspiracy ;-fo I withdrew my attention, and thought of Tom Thumb,"

Of a much-admired poem, when extolled as beautiful (he replied), "That it had indeed the beauty of a bauble; the colours were gay, but the substance flight." Of Harris's dedication to his Hermes, I have heard him obferve, "that though but fourteen lines long, there were fix grammatical faults in it."-A friend was praifing the ftile of Dr. Swift; Mr. Johnson did not find himself in the humour to agree with him: the critic was driven from one of his performances to the other. At least, you must allow me, faid the gentleman, that there are strong facts in the account of the Laft Four Years of Queen Anne." Yes, furely, Sir (replies Johnton), and fo there are in the Ordinary of Newgate's

account."

To a lady talking of his Preface to Shakfpeare being fuperior to Pope's, "I fear not, Madam, faid he; the little fellow has done wonders."

Of Dryden.-On its being said that the ridicule thrown on him in the Rehearfal had hurt his general character as an author :— "On the contrary, faid Mr. J. the greatness of Mr. D.'s reputation is now the only principle of vitality which keeps the Duke of Buckingham's play from putrefaction."

"Young's compofitions are but like bright stepping stones over a miry road.-Young froths, foams, and bubbles, fometimes very vigorously; but we must not compare the noite made by a tea-kettle with the roaring of the ocean."

The RAMBLER, IDLER, &C.

The fine Rambler on Procrastination was haftily compofed, in Sir Joshua Reynolds's parlour, while the boy waited to carry it to the prefs; and numberlefs are the inftances of his writing under immediate preffure of importunity and diftrefs.—He told me that the character of Sober in the Idler, was by bimfelf intended as his own portrait, and that he had" his own outfet in life" in his eye, when he wrote the eatern ftory of Gelaleddin. Of the allegorical papers in the Rambler, Labour and Reft was his favourite: but Serotinus, the man who returns late in life to receive honours in his native country, and meets with mortification instead of respect, was by him confidered as a masterpiece în the science of life and manners. The cha racter of Profpero, in the fourth volume, Garrick took to be his; and I have heard the author fay, that he never forgave the offence.

Sephron was likewise a picture drawn from reality; and by Gelidus, the philofopher, he meant to reprefent Mr. Coulfon, a mathematician, formerly living at Rochefter.

The

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