The Life of the late John Elwes, Esq. 15 always travelled on horfeback-to rain was dropping through the ciel fee him fetting out on a journey was truly curious; his first care was to put two or three eggs, boiled hard, into his great-coat pocket, or any fcraps of bread which he found Baggage he never took-then, mounting one his hunters, his next attention was to get out of London, into that road where turnpikes were the fewest. Then, stopping under any hedge, where grafs prefented itIf for his horfe, and a little water for himself, he would fit down and refresh himself and his horfe together. Here prefenting a new fpecies of Bramin, worth five hundred thousand pounds. The chief refidence of Mr. Elwes, at this period of his life, was in Berkfhire, at his own fest, at Marcham. Here it was he had two fons born, who inherit the greatest part of his property, by a will made about the year 1785. He failed not, however, at this time, to pay very frequent vifits to fir Harvey, his uncle, and used to attend him in his daily amufement of partridge-fetting. Mr. Elwes was then fuppofed to have fome of the best setting dogs in the kingdom-their breed and colour were peculiar they were of a black-tan and more resembled a hound than a fetter. As a proof of their strength and speed, Mr. Elwes once told me, that one of them, in following him to London, hunted all the fields adjoining the road-a distance of fixty miles. ing upon the bed-he got up and moved the bed; but he had not laia long before he found the fame inconvenience. Again he got up, and again the rain came down. At length, after pufhing the bed quite round the room, he got into a corner where the cieling was better fecured, and he flept till morning. When he met his uncle, at breakfast, he told him what had happened-" Aye!-Aye!"-faid the old man I don't mind it myself; but to those who do, that's a nice corner in the rain!" On coming into Suffolk, it wasthat Mr. Elwes firit began to keep fox-hounds; and his stable of hunters, at that time, was faid to be the bett in the kingdom. Of the breed of his horfes he was fure, because he bred them himself; and, what never happens at prefent, they were not broke in till they were fix years old. The keeping fox-hounds was the only inftance. in the whole life of Mr. Elwes, of his ever facrificing money to pleasure, and may be felected as the only period when he forgot the cares, the perplexities, and the regret, which his wealth occafioned. But, even here, every thing was done in the most frugal manner. Scrub, in the Beaux Stratagem, when compared with Mr. Elwes' huntfman, had an idle life of it. This famous huntfman might have fixed an epoch in the Hiftory of Servants; for, in a morning, getting up at four o'clock, On the death of his uncle, Mr. Elwes then came to refide at Stoke, in Suffolk. Bad as was the manfion-he milked the cows-he then prehoufe he found here, he left one pared breakfaft for Mr. Elwes, or ftill worse behind him at Marcham; any friends he might have with of which the late colonel Timms, him; then, flipping on a green coat, his nephew, used to mention the he hurried into the ftable, fiddled following proof. A few days after ths horfes, got the hounds out of he went thither, a great quan ity of the kennel, and away they went inrain fell in the night-he had not to the field. After the fatigues of been long in bed before he felt him-hunting, he refreshed himself, by felf wet through; and putting his rubbing down two or three horfes as hand out of the clothes, found the quickly as he could; then running into the houfe to lay the cloth, and I ing heart, and which gives us, when it wait at dinner; then hurrying again into the ftable to feed the horfesdiverfified with an interlude of the cows again to milk, the dogs to feed, and eight hunters to litter down for the night. What may appear extraordinary, the man lived with him for fome years, though his mafter used often to call him-" an idle dog!"-and fay" he wanted to be paid for doing nothing!" (To be continued.) 68 The CENSOR; OR, FRIENDLY FEMALE MONITOR. On CANDOUR. "Quam temere in nofmet legem fancimus iniquam! : is wanting, many doubts of their humanity the liberal and open-hearted woman, must be thought by every impartial perfon of your own fex, much fuperior to her who is deftitute of either candour or fincerity; and I afk any of you, my fair readers, if thofe of our fex do not appear despicable who have none? Undoubtedly you think fo, and yet many amongst yourselves imagine it is of little or no confequence to your conduct. What an infatuation! - An ingenuous mind would fcorn to deceive, or indeed do any thing contrary to the delicacy of its fentiments, which are always free from thofe confined ideas, met with in perfons whom we fhould fuppofe, by their good fenfe and education, to have a more liberal method of thinking; but, we fall find, if observations are made on the manners of human nature, that good fenfe, improved by education, is not exempt from difgracing itself with illiberality and abufe; inftances of this kind are to be found in public print, where the individual, though perhaps a HOR. Sat. worthy character, has been facrificed to party rage, or malevolence.-I only mention this to fhew, that candour, or fincerity, are not the ufual attendants of the illiterate only, but alfo too frequently the companion of thofe poffeffing the greatest abili ties! Strange as this may appear, it is fact, and proves very plainly, that where we expect to find a good head, we must not always suppose the fame perfon poffeffes a feeling heart.-I think, with a great deal of impartiality, we may allow women to be our fuperiors in thofe virtues which are of the delicate kind; yet, with all thefe good qualities, many of your fex forget the tendernefs of their nature, and make themselves appear, by a fullen and morofe temper, as deftitute of candour or fenfibility; though caprice governs in a great variety of in Nam vitiis nemo fine nafcitur; optimus ille eft,' Qui minimis urgetur." How rafh, alas! do we decree UNWI NWILLING as I am to accufe the fair fex of any vice, yet, I fear, the want of candour is no uncommon cafe amougft many; 'to disguise your fentiments in fome cafes may be prudent, but to act with diffimuration where a different conduct fhould be pursued, is a very mistaken notion, contrary to that natural fenfibility, the chief fupport and ornament to the female character; and I am afraid, from this caufe, your friendships, one with another, are fo fluctuating! It is a pity women, fufceptible of tendernefs, fhould be without that candour, feldom feparate from the feel. ftances, The Cenfor; or, Friendly Female Monitor. 17 to a liberal way of thinking and reflection, would, in all her actions, nobly difdain every thing with the fances, however, it does by no means free you from the odium your want of candour deferves; for caprice can never be an excufe to re-appearance of duplicity! To her, too much praife cannot be givenas fuch the deferves from every one, who efteems a frank and open temper, before that of an oppofite tem let me not be understood as imagin.. ing it is in all inftances requifite, for there may be aftances where it proves improper, and in which your good fenfe will guide for inftance, you fhould not declare your real fentiments, though favourable to the man who pays his addreffes to you, because he might be a worthless being, pursuing for dishonourable intentions; but, on the con trary, it is is right and very proper, where you difapprove to imme the coquet, wantonly fport with an attachment you encourage, to be hereafter abandoned! It is my intention to make a distinction between the woman who is favourable from a fincere motive, and her who does it from a vain, or forced one. Her of the first character may be called an inconftant or fickle woman, for deferting a paffion fhe at first approv fufe candour, whenever fuch is required; and, in affairs of indifferent confequence, it fhould be attended to, as being the boud which ought to unite us one towards an-peranient. In fpeaking of candour, other in love affairs. I am forry to observe, the violation of it is too common with both fexes; the one, for dishonourable defigns, and the other to gratify a ridiculous caprice; but this is not generally the cafe; there are, and ever will be, thofe who neither deceive, nor wish to deceive, but proceed upon fuch principles as are conceived to be right; when these you meet, if lovers, and profeffing honourable intentions, it must be a piece of injustice on your part not to grant that candour whichdiately confess it; nor cruelly, like they merit; to be candid is what a feeling heart would fuggeft, and when you are once found without this, hafty conclufions will be drawn unfavourable to your humanity, which may never merit the reproach caft upon it. For can any one view a woman known poffeffing a good heart, who behaves in a haughty manner without the least reafon, or fuppofing the has any, not havinged; the fecond is an unfeeling or candour fufficient to acknowledge what has given offence-I fay, muft not an indifferent perfon's opinion be, that she is a proud, capricious, or unfeeling woman? Though it it no uncommon thing to behold fome conducting themselves in this peculiar manner! But how thefe different traits of charader are to be reconciled I cannot easily conceive, unless we allow its origin to a bad education, tutored only by the felfith opinions of the illiberal; or the vioAent effects of caprice, actuated by a foolish felf-vanity, too prevalent in giddy, unthinking minds!If I accuse numbers of your fex in being too prone to this evil, ftill I am convinced that the woman, accustomed VOL. XXL, vicious one, for encouraging hopes fhe never intended to confirm; but, when done from the latter motive, is more to be pitied than blamed, and is certainly more amiable for telling her difapprobation, than marry the man he cannot love t there are fome of this kind, who have very great ftruggles to contend with, being willing to try if they can conquer the indifference of their hearts, by complying with the wishes of their friends, yet I cannot perceive why they deferve any cenfure, for, after a forr fpace of time, declining the addreffes of a man they vainly endeavoured to love.-If the cafe is reverfed, we shall find them very much deferving reproach, as form. ing a connexion they knew must be relinquished, without fufficient refolution to go through with it, which is always the cafe of thofe who are of a fickle difpofition; but this has exceptions, for fome, through a timidity in their nature, are prone upon reflection or advice of friends, to change their inclinations: though this does not free them from accufation, it, however, in fome degree, palliates cheir inconftancy, according to the more or lefs candour observed on the occafion.There are other affairs wherein a candid conduct is neceffary to be purfued, and none more particularly than in your behaviour to thofe of your own fex, who, from impru dence, have once deferted the paths AVING had my mind ex of innocence; though they erred, Hpanded by a view of the ft if that error is repented, you fhould not treat them as objects beneath your attention; politenefs and humanity are their due, and candour fhould teach to pity what the beft are liable to-I fay the beft, for, it is but too true, that the feeling and generous heart falls a facrifice at the fhrine of feduction !—And is this thy lot, too lovely woman!-Bleft with a tender heart, fraught with every fweet fentiment of philanthropy art thou, whom I now behold fragrant as the morning ofe adorned with all is beauties, to find deceit under the title of an honourable paflion, corroding thy gentle bofom of peace and happinefs? No, exclaims my heart, it cannot, it muft not be, as humanity fhould fcorn to injure fo much fweetnefs. But in this I am mistaken-the practice of mot fhews humanity feldom attended to when women are the destined prey. Unhappy woman! accept what I can only beftow, a tear, and may thy forrows ever receive that affiftance the fostering hand of benevolence can give, fince thy beloved planted a thorn, thy days are confumed with affliction, Weftmoreland lakes, I refolved to vifit the neighbouring county of Cumberland; and from Cumberland, which I travelled through with much fatisfaction, I was natually led to cross the Solway Frith, and throw a glance on the adjacent part of Scotland. The place which there most occupied my thoughts was GratnaGreen, the Caledonian Paphos ; where so many fond lovers have been made happy, and fo many ill-paired couples plunged into into the deepest abyfs of mifery. I was willing to view things on the fair fide. But all the gay images of my playful imagination were clouded by the dark idea of the Blacksmith's fhop, commonly held up as the temple of Hymen. How agreably, therefore, was I undeceived, when I approached a fpacious hall, or place of general accommodation, not unworthy the Cyprian goddess !-and approached it through groves that would not have difgraced the Idalian Green. All my imagination was again afloat. I leaped from my faddle Gratna-Hall: a fentimental Sketch." 19 "In order to divert my paffion, and prevent confequences I was fent to London- "My lover, to whom I foon had made known my place of abode, fol- ' lowed me to town. But I was foclofe like a Mercury; and, kneeling, farmer in our neighbourhood, and worshipped the threshold of Venus. received from him a fond reSweet girls, rofe-buds of beauty! turnlifted me up, and conducted me into the hall. Loft in a kind of reverie, I ranged through different appartments, as if under the immediate influence of the prefiding goddess. "On that fofa," faid I," have fome fondly enamoured pair toldly watched, that I could find no op.) the'r love-tale, after having efcaped all the dangers of purfuits. In this bed have they fealed their mutual blifs, free from the annoyance of cruel parents or auftere guardians, and participated in tranfports too high for vulgar mortals to conceive. "Here, perhaps," exclaimed I, looking on another fet of couches, here has fome needy nobleman had the confolation of reftoring his ruined fortune, by the embrace of the only daughter of a rich tradefman. And there fome brawny footmin, for ever relieved from attendance, dependance, and the partycoloured coat, may have rioted in the arms of a woman of quality." In this manner was I running on, when the diligence from Carlifle ftopped at the door. A pretty girl, and a refpectable looking gentlewoman, whom I found to be her mother (both in the femblance of mourning) instantly drew my attention. I begged to have the honour of dining with them. It was grantcd; and before the cloth was lifted, I had received intelligence that threw into fhade all the illuminated painting of my vivid imagination, and very much altered my feelings. I had occafion to visit this place," faid the mother, "about twenty years ago." 16 I begged to know the cause. "You fhall," replied the, and proceeded thus. The eldest daugh ter of a gentleman of confiderable fortune in Yorkshire, I fell in love with Robert Lightfoot, a young portunity of feeing him alone. Diftracted at being denied a private interview with the man I adored, E ventured over my bed-chamber window. It was only one ftory high. Robert received me in his arms, and a poft-chaife fpeedily conveyed us to Gratna Green→→→→ "Here," continued fhe, "we perhaps enjoyed as much pleafure as any amorous couple that ever took the fame journey. But.fad experi ence foon convinced us, that fenfual delight is a wretched foundation for matrimonial happiness." "Abandoned by my relations, and tied to a man whofe converfation could afford me no entertainment, I gradually became a prey to melancholy. My husband, difap pointed in the countenance and fupport, which he expected from the al-> liance he had formed, early eyed me with an altered look, and afterward became furly and brutal-in his behaviour. I was little fitted for a farmer's wife. Our affairs fell into diforder; and, although privately fupplied with money by my n other, I experienced fituations of diftrefs and bad ufage too painful for me to deferibe. At length death relieved me from the infolesce and cruelty of a husband, whofe fondnefs I had flattered myself would make me fupremely happy." "You cannot be forry at the event," faid I. "I will not affirm that I am," replied fhe," though I wear a wi dow's weeds." "I am fure 7 am not !" cried the D 2 daugh, |