the world, she became a mother. She hoped that this event would soften the manners of her unkind husband; bat even the speechless eloquence of the beautiful little innocent made nó impression on his obdurate heart. He once deigned to look on it, but that in so indifferent a manner as to testify still farther his brutal disposition. Her only comfort now was to watch over the dear little Martha, for that was her name; as her cruel father said he detested Matilda, the name of her mother, it had become so familiar to his ears. For some months her life was despaired of. The cruelty and unfeeling conduct of all her relatives nearly overpowed her delicate constitution: yet, for the sake of her darling daughter, she invoked Heaven to spare her. Her prayers were heard: she recovered, and devoted her whole time in attendance on the sweet little cherub, who possessed the fragile form and tender constitution of her mother. Many a wearisome night did she sit by its sick couch, while its hard-hearted father slept undisturbed by its moanings, scarcely ever enquiring after it. No intelligence whatever reached Matilda of her brother. She one day ventured to enquire of the old friar what success the army met with in France, and whether the king and his brave followers were returned; but his answer was, in a stern manner, his lord had forbid his answering any questions, and he should firmly adhere to his commands. In the mean time her unhappy lover and brother had returned. A very plausible tale was invented, that she was married by her own choice, and despised her brother for imposing on her, by introducing Burns under a fictitious name; that in consequence she had united herself to the man of her heart, and had retired into the walks of private life, deter mining to see neither of them any more. Sydney, scarce giving credit to this, wrote a pathetic letter, reproaching his sister for so much duplicity in thus wounding his friend's peace of mind for ever, and much injuring him in his esteem, as he had placed such unbounded confidence in all he had said when he represented her as the very model of perfection; concluding by wishing her all the happiness she deserved. This reproach stung her very soul. For the first time she was convinced that Burns yet lived, as her brother never so much as onee mentioned his death. This letter, as usual, was intercepted by her husband, who, seeing the contents, purposely to favour his views, let her see it; and, answering it as if from her, wrote a very cold distant letter, saying, she hoped they would no more intrude on her time by their nonsense, as she was perfectly hap py, and despised all their endeavours to make her otherwise, by reminding her of a circumstance in her life which she now was perfectly ashamed of. Thus were Burns and Sydney persuaded that what she had done was her own act. Burns was distracted. To see her would not alleviate his distress. Since she treated him so disrespectfully, he vowed never more to trust her sex, since she had proved faithless. He resolved to live a life of celibacy, and in some foreign land; a life now become hateful, since the only person for whom he wished to live had deserted him, and that for a man who bore the basest character, who had no one qualification to recommend him but wealth and power, which had dazzled her eyes, and made her faithless to the most sacred vows. He went to his mother in Scotland, who could afford him no consolation. Elfrida too, what could she say? how could she account for her conduct, who had so sweet a disposition in her childhood? She endeavoured to pour into his bosom the balm of comfort, but in vain: he wandered from place to place as an outcast from society, a victim to hopeless love. (To be continued.) with lilae ribands, are in much request. The hair is worn curled on the forehead, and often in ringlets on the shoulders. Long Angola shawls of a bright amber colour, with rich and variegated borders, are much worn. LONDON FASHIONABLE FULL DRESS. (With an Engraving, elegantly coloured.) 1. DRESS of white satin or sarsenet, made strait and close over the bosom, enriched with lace and work; in the centre a sapphire or topaz broach, set with pearls; the waist confined with a silk cord and tassels, tied in a knot on the left side, and reaching to the knee: sleeves full plaited crosswise, and trimmed with lace; and the bottom of the dress ornamented with a rich border of flowers: cap of lace intermixed with white satin, and ornameated with flowers. Persian scarf shawl. White kid gloves and shoes. 2. Child's vest of cambric muslin, enriched with a worked Grecian border, and several narrow tucks; trowsers of the same, tucked and frilled to correspond. Necklace of blue beads; and blue kid shoes. PARISIAN FASHIONS. ROUND dresses of Italian crape, er Indian muslin, are much worn, with short full sleeves: the bosom round and cut low, with sometimes round it a deep fall of Mechlin lace. Turban hats, and conversation bonnets of chip, frequently trimmed VOL. XXX VIII, On the PROGRESS of SOCIETY and MANNERS in SCOTLAND. (From Stark's' Picture of Edinburgh.') IN the beginning of the eighteenth century, public amusements began to be introduced into Edinburgh in greater variety than formerly. Of these, music, dancing, and the theatre, were the chief; and perhaps had no small effect in the improvement of manners. Science also now began to dawn in the. Scottish capital with a distinguished lustre ; and industry and commerce, by the introduction of luxury, almost entirely changed the habits of the inhabitants. Still, however, the gloom with which rigid presbyterianism shaded all transactions till the middle of the eighteenth century was remarkably conspicuous in their aversion to stage performances, and other amusements. A paper published by Mr. William Creech, in the statistical account of Scotland, throws considerable light on the manners of this period. From this account it appears that in 1463 people of fashion dined at two o'clock, or a little after it, and business was attended to in the afternoon. It was a common practice at that time for merchants to shut their shops at one o'clock, and to open them again, after dinner, at two. Wine at this time was seldom seen, or in a small quantity, at the tables of the middle rank of people. It was the fashion for gentlemen to M m attend the drawing-rooms of the In 1763, according to Mr. Creech, no exe In the year 1763, there was no such amusement as public cockfighting, the establishments of this kind which were in the city before having been given up. A young man was termed a fine fellow who The weekly concert in 1763 began at six o'clock, and the performance was over at an early hour. The morality of stage plays was at this time much agitated, and several of the clergy were censured for attending the theatre. By those who attended this amusement without scruple, Saturday night was thought the most improper in the week for going to the play. Every thing improper, either in sentiment or decoram, would have been hissed at with indignation, at this period. In the dancing assembly-rooms in 1763, strict regularity with respect to dress and decorum, and great digwere observed. nity of manners, The profits of this assembly went to the charity workhouse. The company at the public assemblies met at five o'clock in the afternoon, and the dancing began at six, and ended at eleven, by public orders of the manager, which were never transgressed. In the year 1763 the accommodation of the inhabitants of Edinburgh was mean compared to what it now is. The city at that time was almost confined within the walls, and the suburbs were of small extent. With respect to lodging, the houses which, in 1763, were possessed by the first families, were twenty years after inhabited by tradesmen, or by people in humble life, Lord justice Clerk's house was possessed by a French teacher; Jord president Craigie's house, by a rouping wife (saleswoman of old furniture); and lord Drummore's house was left by a chair-man, for want of accommodation. In 1763 there were only two stage-coaches to the town of Leith; and the only other in the Scottish capital was one to London, which set off once a month, and was from twelve to sixteen days on the road. The hackney-coaches at this time were few in number, and, perhaps, the worst of the kind in Britain. But the want of these was less severely felt at this period from the great quantity of sedan-chairs, which were to be had at a very moderate price. In 1763 few coaches were made in Edinburgh, and the nobility and gentry in general brought their carriages from London. Perfumers' shops were not at this time known, and there was no such profession as a haberdasher. Hairdressers were numerous, but were hardly permitted to exercise their profession on Sundays, and many of them voluntarily declined it. There was no such thing known or used as an umbrella. The wages to maidservants at this period were from three pounds to four pounds a year. They dressed decently in blue or red cloaks, or plaids, suitable to their stations. Few families had men servants. The wages were from six pounds to ten pounds per annum. A stranger coming to Edinburgh was obliged to put up at a dirty uncomfortable inn, or to remove to private lodgings. There was no such place as a hotel; the word, indeed, was not known, or was only intelligible to persons acquainted with the French. The chief characteristic feature of the times we are speaking of seems to have been a formality, which those who recollect the period call decorum; an affected gravity, which has been called dignity; and a sanctimonious preciseness and regularity, the last remains of fanaticism, which has been named prudence and propriety. It is natural for those who spent the best part of their life about the time we have mentioned to look back with partiality to that period; and, when comparing it with the present, to look with less complacency upon that freedom of manners, unshackled with affected gravity or distant reserve, which marks the present age; but we do not choose to rank among those common-place declaimers, who think every succeeding age to be worse than the former. The gentleman from whose notes we have chiefly extracted the preceding state of the manners of the inhabitants of Edinburgh in 1763, has fortunately also given a statement of facts relating to the same subject in 1783. If this statement be correct (which we have no rea son to doubt), luxury and licentiousness, rapine and robbery, had, in the short space of twenty years, made a remarkable progress indeed. Happily, however, the current of vice has not increased with the same rapidity since that time, or we should by this time have been totally overwhelmed in it. In 1783, people of fashion and of middle rank dined at four or five o'clock; no business was done in the afternoon, dinner of itself having become a very serious matter. Every tradesman in decent circumstances presented wine after dinner, and many in plenty and variety. At this time the drawing-rooms were totally deserted; invitations to tea in the afternoon were given up; and the only opportunity gentlemen had of be ing in the company of the ladies, was when they happened to mess together at dinner or supper, and even then an impatience was sometimes shewn till the ladies retired. Cardparties after a long dinner, and also after a late supper, were frequent. Attendance on church, too, at this period, was greatly neglected, and particularly by the men; Sunday was by many made a day of relaxation; and young people were allowed to stroll about at all hours. Families thought it ungenteel to take their domestics to church with them; the streets were far from being void of people in the time of public worship, and in the evenings were frequently loose and riotous; particularly owing to bands of apprentice boys and young lads. Family worship was almost disused. The weekly collections at the church doors for the poor had greatly decreased in amount. In 1783 (says Mr. Creech), few masters would receive apprentices to lodge in their houses. If they attended their hours of business, masters took no further charge. The rest of their time might be passed, as too frequently happens, in vice and debauchery; hence they be come idle, ir solent, and dishonest. The wages to journeymen in every profession were greatly raised since 1763, and disturbances frequently happened or a still further increase: yet many of them riot on Sunday, are idle on Monday, and can afford to do this on five days labour. Visit ing and catechising by the clergy were disused (except by a very few); and if people do not choose to go to church, they may remain as ignorant as Hottentots, and the ten commandments be as little known as obsolete acts of parliament. At this time, likewise, although the law punishing adultery with death was unrepealed, church censure was dişused, and separations and divorces were become frequent. Even the women who were rendered infamous by public divorce had been, by some people of fashion, again received into society. Every quarter of the city and suburbs were infested with mul titudes of females abandoned to vice; and street-robbery, housebreaking, and theft, were astonishingly frequent. At one time, at this period, there was no less than six criminals under sentence of death in Edinburgh prison in one week; and upon the autumn circuit of this year (1783), no less than thirtyseven capital indictments were issued. In 1783 there were many public cock-fighting matches, or mains, as they are technically termed, and a regular cock-pit was built for this school of cruelty. A young man at this time was termed a fine fellow, who could drink three bottles of wine; who discharged all debts of honour (game debts and tavern bills), and evaded payment of every other; who swore immoderately, and before ladies, and talked of his word of honour; who ridiculed religion and morality as folly and hypocrisy (but without argument); who was very jolly at the table of his friend, and would lose no opportunity of seducing his wife, or of debauching his daughter; but, on the mention of such a thing being attempted to his own connections, would have cut the throat or blown out the braine |