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Engraved for the Ladys Magazine.

The Pleasing Surprise.

THE

Lady's Magazine;

For JUNE, 1796.

To the EDITOR of the LADY's and refine the tafte. They, at the

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fame time, admitted that a species of melody did exist, of a characteristic directly the reverfe; and against the introducers of its effeinate and debafing airs they enacted the feverest penalties. The mufic performed at the folemnity I am now fpeaking of, there can be little doubt, is equal to the nobleft fpecimens the most po lifhed of thofe nations could have produced, and, as employed in our religious fervice, tends ftill more to enlarge the heart, and elevate the foul.

While prefent at this noble scene, I recollected with indignant contempt that there had been perfons fo loft to feeling, fo dead to generofity, as to offer frigid arguments against beftowing the rudiments of knowledge and cultivation on the children of the poor, on the base pretext that it unfits them to be flaves. Such men were born themselves with the fouls of flaves.-Yet they have humanity!-yes: they are willing to provide for the fubfiftence of the poor in fuch a manner that the breed may not become extinct, and extend to them the fame charity they exercife towards their cattle. To fecure the enjoyment of their luxury and wretched authority, as if fenfible how imperfect their title, and how un

I i2

fit

fit to endure the inveftigation of learn- exalt the fenfibility of our nature,ing, reafon, or common fenfe,-they and, if the expreflion may be emwould leave thoufands and tens of ployed, give more life to existence. thousands in the moft debafing ig- As natura.ifts have fuppofed that the norance, ignorance, as they truft, flux and reflux of the ocean was inyet greater than their own,--and on tended by nature to prevent the imthis goodly foundation erect their menfe body of the waters from fubclaim to pre-eminence. As yet, fiding into a putrid mafs, deftructive however, their narrow maxims are of the principle of motion and life in little regarded; the generofity of the all animated beings; fo the alternacountry derides their logic, by liberal tions of apprehenfion and hope, difdonations; and the way to mental appointment and fuccefs, purify the improvement, as far as the first rudi-foul, and prevent it from ftagnating ments of literature can lead to it, is ftill left open to the children of the poor.

in dull exiftence, devoid of feeling, and deftitute of reflection.

Frederic Courtenay was a youth I cannot conclude thefe obferva- of gay manners and a generous tions on the propriety and excellent heart. By his family connections, tendency of this public inftitution, allied to nobility and immenfe prowithout paying my fmall tribute to perty, both of which fortune might individual merit. The attention and confer upon him without appearing exertions of the gentleman who to depart much from the cuftomary regulated and directed this numerous courfe of events, he confidered himchoir ought not to pafs unnoticed. felf as authorised to live a little,The abilities of Mr. Page, as a mu- and, indeed, confiderably more than fician, are well known; but confi- a little,-beyond his actual means: derable labour, directed by judg-not, however, in low diffipation and ment, must have been neceffary in fenfelefs riot did he wafe his prothe inftruction of thefe juvenile per-perty with illiberal profufion: his formers, to attain the effect pro- luxuries were atoned for by his real duced. Patience, perfeverance, and génerofity and benevolence; and his that condefcenfion which is honour- errors appeared to be only the efferable to the heart, feem to have been vefcence of mifguided virtue. abfolutely indifpenfable to fuccefs in fuch a talk. In fine, the whole of this folemnity appeared to me conanted with that propriety which did equal honour to the young performers, their teachers, and their pations.

MUSIDORA.

London, June 3, 1796.

The PLEASING SURPRISE."
A TALE

(Embellished with an elegant
graving.)

THE

While he purfued this courfe of life, and while his credit continued undiminished, many were his friends, at leaft his oftenfible friends. He was the foul of every convivial affembly: the perfonal endowments nature had beftowed on him, his eafy and elegant manners, his native gaiety, genuine wit, and fuperior understanding, rendered him every where acceptable, and every where admired. But his finances rapidly diminishing, and debts accumu lating, it became neceffary to have En recourfe to fome expedient to relieve him from the immediate preffure of his embarraffed circumftances.

HE viciffitudes of fortune, and the oppofition of the fucceffive paffions they occafion, exercife and

Among his wealthy relations he had an uncle of the name of Mor

daunt,

ཞ །

daunt, with whom he had always
been, in fome degree, a favourite, and
to whofe ample property, eftimated,
including real and perfonal, at more
than a hundred thousand pounds, he
had, apparently, an extremely well-
founded expectation of being the
heir. To this gentleman, Frederic,
when the murmurs of his creditors
were no longer to be appeafed by the
plaufible profeffions of polite pro-
craftination, faw himself obliged to
intimate the pofture of his affairs.
Mr. Mordaunt, after a fhort lecture
on the value and beneficial nature of
economy and prudence, to the prac-
tice of which he earnefly exhorted
his nephew, enabled him to fatisfy
the most urgent demands made on
him; and, as he faid, to give him
employment, procured him a com-
million in the army.

Mr. Courtenay now lived in gaie-
ty and cafe; his gratitude to his
uncle caufed him to be affiduous in
his vifits of refpect; and his engaging
manners, and truly amiable qualities,
quickly advanced him to the higheft
degree of favour with Mr. Mordaunt,
who now determined to patronife
him to the utmost extent of his in-
fluence, and make him his fole heir.

latter, he pointed out to him a rich heirefs, to whom he recommended him to pay his addrefles, affuring him that nothing fhould be wanting, on his part, with refpect to any pecuniary advances or ftipulations which might be neceffary in the courfe of the negotiation of the hymeneal treaty.

This propofal was not received by Mr. Courtenay with any extravagant rapture; but, from refpect to his uncle, he confented that he should introduce him to the young lady, and began the operations of the amorous fiege at a convenient diftance. But he found her perfon unlovely, her understanding trivial, her converfation infipid, and her manners inelegant, and even grofs.

Slow was the progrefs,—or, rather, rapid was the retroceffion,-ol his love: yet, from his regard for, and gratitude to, his,uncle, who confidered the effecting of this union as a mafter-stroke of generalflip, which would complete the fortune of his nephew for life, and enable him to attain the most enviable ftations of wealth, honour, and power, he was inclined to fubmit to the yoke.

But fate had otherwife decreed: for another female, caft in a different mould, infpired him with a paffion he found it impoffible to vanquish. Maria Nugent was the daughter of a gentleman of inconfiderable fortune, but of the faireft character for probity and honour. To her, Nature had been lavifh of her bounty; her

Mr. Mordaunt was a man neither devoid of fenfe nor generofity.Nature had endowed him with an excellent understanding, which he had improved by literature. He had lived a life of elegant pleafure, and feen much of what is called the world, both in his native land and foreign countries. With respect to his moral philofophy, he had adopt-exterior charms were not eafily to be ed the fytem of a late courtly peer, defcribed, and her underftanding and held that all men were knaves or and heart were correfpondent to fools, and all women babies and their excellence. To her Mr Courproftitutes, as led by intereft or tenay in a fhort time united himself, paffion. There was no erior againft with all the rapture of affection; to which he more carefully endeavoured the great aftonifhment and indignato guard his nephew than that oftion of his uncle, who now found being made the dope of pretended that all his inft. uctions to his fafriendthip, or love; and, more cf-vourite nephew, all his lectures on fectually to protect him from the the neceflity of making intereft the

great

great fpring of every tranfaction of life, and the folly of yielding to the delufions of friendship or of love, were as water fpilled upon the ground; and, as he deemed now his fimplicity to be incorrigible, he fwore in his wrath that he would not encourage him in it, and that he Thould never receive a penny from him, neither while he continued in this world, nor when he had arrived at that which is to come.

ANECDOTE of Dr. CARYL, Mafir
of Jefus College, Cambridge.
(From Mr. Wakefield's Memoirs of
his own Life.)

election, contended with unN the occafion of an university common ardour and animofity on both fides, in which fervices Dr. In the mean time Mr. Courtenay Caryl was efteemed without an and his amiable bride were rich in equal for dextrous and prudent the treasure of love; in other re- management; after the committee, of which he was a member, had fpects they proposed to practise economy: but fuch refolutions, in cer- nefs on the pofture of affairs, he been deliberating with great feriouf. tain fituations of life, are much more easily made than carried into effect. obferved, on their feparation for Mr. Courtenay had the genteeleft adjournment, with inimitable folemconnections, and had been accuftom-nity, interpofing, as his cuftom was, ed to live at an expenfe greater than half a dozen feconds between every his income, by the encouragement of word,—— Gen-le-men !—we his uncle. He foon, therefore, faw himself involved in difficulties, and preffed by urgent demands.

fhall-either-lofe-this-elec

tion,-or-we-1
-fhall-win-this--
election"

Here a confiderable

paufe took place, and he feemed to labour with the pregnancy of the

fentiment. The committee looked at each other with a mixture of mer

Thefe he parried, by the affiftance of his friends, during three or four years, in which time his wife brought him two lovely boys; but,riment at length, one impatient creditor feized the whole of his effects; his wife was obliged to feek refuge in her father's houfe, and Mr. CourteDay to take the best measures he could to preferve the liberty of his perfon by concealment.

A few days after this event, Mr. Courtenay fuddenly entered the

riment and wonder, unable to fathom he profundity of this fage remark. that fine ridicule of the oracle-mongers They were reminded, I presume, of of antiquity:

"O Laërtiade! quicquid dicam, aut erit aut non."

"O fon of Laertes! whatever I fhall

apartment in which his wife was foretell, will either happen or not hap

fitting, with her fifters and her chil-pen."

dren, and exclaimed, to their great

but most pleafing furprife," My Their impatience, and propenfity angel! we are reftored to liberty, to laughter, interrupted the fpeaker happiness, and independence!" before the conclufion of his aflertion. How this happened, will be ex- He began afreth-- Genteplained by the account which he men!-we-fhall- either-lofe— gave his Maria, in the following nar-this-election,—or—we— - shall rative of his adventures, fince he had win-this-election,-by——a— laft feen her.

(To be continued.)

fingle-vite." ——A prediction exactly correfpondent to the event.

DESCRIP

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