IOIR OF HANNAH MORE. inguished advocate of Evangelical religion orality, was descended from a respectable born in the parish of Stapleton in Glouceshe year 1745. She was one of five sisters. from the information communicated by her rapher Mr Roberts, to whose labours and e are indebted for the materials of the prethat the grandfather of cur authoress had wed school near the village, which was her nd that her father (impoverished by the result of a lawsuit, in which considerable involved,) lived in seclusion, devoting his nts to the education of his daughters, with heir keeping school. The old man being varied and solid learning, taught the eleciples of Geometry and the rudiments of nguage, to the youthful Hannah, whose understanding, and quickness of apprehenh as to render his task an easy one. "Molliter studio fallente laborem. led of her as an anecdote prophetic of the er maturer years, that in the plays of her used to ride upon a chair and tell her dest of whom was then qualified to become Ss) that she would go to London to see nd bishops, and that she hoped one day to Tuire of paper. of twelve, Hannah was removed from the to the Boarding school of her sisters, at this intelligent girl had considerable adhich she eagerly availed herself, acquiring perfect acquaintance with the pronuntom of the French language, and s0 The Honest Miller of Gloucestershire King Dionysius and Squire Damocles Robert and Richard, or the Ghost of Poor Molly The Carpenter, or the Danger of Evil Company MEMOIR OF HANNAH MORE. THIS distinguished advocate of Evangelical religion and pure morality, was descended from a respectable family, and born in the parish of Stapleton in Gloucestershire, in the year 1745. She was one of five sisters. It appears from the information communicated by her elegant biographer Mr Roberts, to whose labours and researches we are indebted for the materials of the present sketch, that the grandfather of cur authoress had kept an endowed school near the village, which was her birthplace, and that her father (impoverished by the unfavourable result of a lawsuit, in which considerable property was involved,) lived in seclusion, devoting his time and talents to the education of his daughters, with a view to their keeping school. The old man being possessed of varied and solid learning, taught the elementary principles of Geometry and the rudiments of the Latin language, to the youthful Hannah, whose precocity of understanding, and quickness of apprehension were such as to render his task an easy one. "Molliter studio fallente laborem. It is recorded of her as an anecdote prophetic of the realities of her maturer years, that in the plays of her childhood, she used to ride upon a chair and tell her sisters (the eldest of whom was then qualified to become an instructress) that she would go to London to see booksellers and bishops, and that she hoped one day to buy a whole quire of paper. At the age of twelve, Hannah was removed from the paternal roof to the Boarding school of her sisters, at Bristol. Here this intelligent girl had considerable advantages of which she eagerly availed herself, acquiring in particular, a perfect acquaintance with the pronunciation and idiom of the French language, and so considerable were her powers of general conversation a sixteen, that Doctor Woodward, a physician and a eminent scholar, when one day attending her in an illness-and all her life she was of a delicate constitution, forgot in the fascinations of her discourse, the real purport of his visit, until he had nearly left the house; happily for his professional credit he returned from the stairs exclaiming, "Bless me! I forgot to ask the girl how she is!" and entered the room again, saying, "How are you to-day, my poor child ?" The first fruit of Hannah More's literary productions was the pastoral drama, entitled the "Search after Happiness," which she wrote, and we believe, published in 1762. This poem originated, it is said, in her anxiety to supply to the young, for the exercise of memory, more select and purer matter, than the publications of that day afforded. The class of useful rudimental works which has since issued in such prolific succession from the bookshops, and which are both the causes and effects of superior moral culture, was then unknown; and the power of the press, as it affects the intellectual character of females especially, was unrecognised and unfelt. At the age of twenty we find her exercising her mind in the study of the Italian and Spanish languages, and in occasional translations from both. Even at this period of her life, her literary character had spread abroad and was duly appreciated. Among the friends whose tastes and judgment, must have essentially aided in the development of her mental powers and in the selection of the best subjects, she had the happy privilege to reckon many characters of literary distinction and moral excellence, who honoured her with their intimacy to the close of life. Nor was this intellectual and fascinating woman without an admirer of a different and more tender character. Mr Turner, a gentleman of considerable property, but much older than the object of his admiration, proposed for and was accepted by Hannah, who in anticipation of the result, resigned her share in her sisters' school, and incurred expenses which embarrassed her. Circumstances which are not fully explained prevented this connexion from taking place. Mr Turner (whose temper appears to have been capricious, and who indisputably trifled with her feelings,) has shown that no blame could be attributable to her, by his having afterwards solicited a renewal of the engagement. On this being declined, he settled upon her an annuity, which by the intervention of Doctor Stonehouse, she was with difficulty prevailed upon to accept; and at his death he bequeathed to her the sum of one thousand pounds. The effect of this disappointment on the lady was, a resolution never again to risk a similar entanglement, and to this determination, she steadily adhered, although she was very soon afterwards pressed to abandon it. Hannah More, who was now in her twenty-second year, had all the enthusiasm natural to one of refined tastes and quick sensibilities. She was ardently anxious to witness the versatile and extraordinary powers of Garrick, who was now about to close his theatrical career. At this time persons who moved in the religious circles of society, did not entertain the same scruples about the propriety of attending plays, which now very fortunately prevail. She first saw this object of her admiration in "King Lear," and was powerfully affected. In the following year, she made another visit to London, and had the happiness to be introduced to Mr and Mrs Garrick, with whom she afterwards lived on terms of the most intimate friendship. At their house she became acquainted with Mrs Montagu, the vindicator of Shakspeare from the absurd criticisms of Voltaire, whom she describes as "delicate even to fragility, with a countenance the most animated in the world, blending the sprightly vivacity of fifteen with the wisdom of a Nestor, and as not ouly the finest genius but the finest lady she ever knew." There too she met and was made known to Samuel Johnson and Edmund Burke, those shining lights, the one of English literature, and the other of English statesmen. The great moralist has been usually represented as more to be respected than loved-but our authoress in her letters gives many very new and agreeable glimpses of his character. In writing to her sister Sarah, she thus describes her impressions on first visiting him with Miss Reynolds at his own house. "The most amiable and obliging of women ordered her coach to take us to Dr Johnson's own house; yes, |