ed at her. This marriage, we admit, was ill suited-nay it was ridiculous in its very circumstances. But would Lord Erskine have married this unfortunate woman, after the cohabitation of years, if he saw she had no virtues? True, he attempted a divorce soon after, but it was a proceeding he never remembered but with shame. Lord Erskine had a pension, but which died with him, and he had scarce any property beside, or a provision must have been made for his wretched widow. But is it well or worthy of this country, we ask, to let her starve-to let her, who bears the name, and shared the fortunes, of one of the greatest men and most consistent patriots of his day, expire in a garret of actual hunger? We do trust the affecting appeal will not be lost. That those who knew Erskine-in his day of pride and day of glory-who delighted in his accents, and rejoiced in his fame, will not suffer his hapless relict to perish in utter wantthat for the sake of him, whose great name she bears, and who is still the mother of his children, a charitable pious effort will be made to snatch her from destitution, and supply, by a subscription, even an humble fund, to give this miserable woman bread, and enable her to escape the jaws of famine, and die, at least, in decency and comfort. "At the Mansion House, on Tuesday last, a female, very shabbily dressed, but evidently accustomed to better society than that in which she appeared at the Justice Room, for she respectfully stood amongst the numerous petitioners to the Lord Mayor, presented herself to his Lordship, and mentioned that she stood in need of his advice, as she was, notwithstanding her undoubted claim to something like an independence, actually in want of the common necessaries of life. She was the widow of the celebrated Lord Erskine. The Lord Mayor requested that the unfortunate lady would walk into another room, when a conversation took place between them upon the subject of her distress, and his Lordship, after giving her immediate pecuniary relief, of which it was evident she stood in need, for she appeared to be actually faint with hunger, assured her, that he would, without delay, exert himself to procure an enquiry into the circumstances of which she complained, but without attaching the slightest blame to any individnal. From her statement it appeared that the late Lord Erskine had, soon after he lost his first wife, became intimate with the petitioner. His Lordship, who had commenced his acquaintance under a promise of marriage, performed that promise some years afterwards in Scotland, where, by the laws of that country, his children became legitimate. They lived very happily together, but his Lordship's death completely destroyed all chance of independence, although she had been assured some time afterwards, that his Majesty would settle a pension upon her, in consequence of the sudden and lamentable reduction in her circumstances. The trustees appointed upon the occasion were, she understood, Lords Roslyn and Duncannon, but she had never received any benefit, pecuniary or otherwise, on account of the pension, and she believed the reason of the rejection was, that she would not part with her youngest child. The Lord Mayor asked her whether the rest of his Lordship's family were aware of her distress? She replied, that they were-but that with every inclination to assist her, they really appeared to her not to have the means. How then do you contrive to support yourself now? asked his Lordship. The unfortunate lady said, she endeavoured to keep life within her by needlework, which was supplied to her very scantily. Her great object being to obtain a decent livelihood for the child that remained with her, she thought nothing of any difficulties she might encounter herself, or of any privation to which she might be exposed in performing her duty. The widow, with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude to the Lord Mayor, upon receiving his solemn assurance that he should cause inquiry to be made of the solicitor and gentlemen who were best acquainted with the affairs of her late husband. The conduct of the poor woman was unobtrusive in the extreme." Sheffield Iris, July 18, 1826. My Lord, XXXVIII. Letter to Lord Spencer. Thetford, May 28, 1827. Since I had the pleasure of sending to your Lordship the Dissertation on the most Celebrated Roman Poets by Mr. Addison, I have accidentally discovered in my small collection of books the following Work: "Poems on Several Occasions. With a Dissertation upon the Roman Poets. By Mr Addison. London, printed for E. Curll in Fleet Street, 1719. 80." The Dissertation is attached at the end of the Poems, and has the following title : "A Dissertation upon the most Celebrated Roman Poets. Written originally in Latin by Joseph Addison Esq. made English by Christopher Hayes Esq. London, printed for E. Curll in Fleet Street. 1718." This edition is the one which I mentioned to your Lordship as being in Dr Parr's Library, and in his copy the Poems are not prefixed. The book belonged to Mr Park the Antiquarian, who has prefixed some MS. notices, though they do not apply to the Dissertation upon the Roman Poets, except that in a loose paper, which is not in Mr Park's hand, there is a list of the different editions of Addison's Writings, and there I find these words: "Poems and Dissertations, 1719. 8o. 1776. "Dissertation on Roman Poets 1718. 8o. 1720. 1725. 1736." But there is no mention of the Discourse on Ancient and Modern Learning. I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant, To the Right Hon. Earl Spencer. E. H. BARKER. XXXIX. The Negro and the Fish. "A negro about to purchase a fish visited a shop, where seve ral were exposed for sale; but suspecting that one, which he intended to buy, was not altogether as fresh as he could wish, he presumed either to dissipate or confirm his suspicions by applying it to his nose. The fishmonger, conscious that it would not bear much examination, and fearing that other customers might catch the scent, exclaimed in a surly tone. How dare you to smell my fish?' 'Me no smell, me only talking to him, massa.' And what were you talking to him about?' 'Me ask him, massa, what the best news at sea ?' 'And what reply did he make you?' 'Oh, massa, he say he know no news, as he have not been there these 3 week." St. James's Chronicle, Dec. 13, 1827. XL. ON THE USE OF THE HISSING LETTER IN COLLINS AND POPE. "To what I have formerly said of his writings may be added, that his diction was often harsh, unskilfully laboured, and injudiciously selected. He affected the obsolete, when it was not worthy of revival; and he puts his words out of the common order, seeming to think, with some later candidates for fame, that not to write prose is certainly to write poetry. His lines commonly are of slow motion, clogged and impeded with clusters of consonants. As inen are often esteemed, who cannot be loved, so the poetry of Collins may sometimes extort praise, when it gives little pleasure." Dr. Johnson. But wherefore need I wander wide To old Ilissus' distant side, Deserted stream, and mute? Collins's Ode to pity. Its southern site, its truth complete Ibid. The buskin'd Muse shall near her stand, And sighing Ibid. Thou to whom the world unknown, With all its shadowy shapes is shown, Wrapt in thy cloudy veil, th' incestuous Queen Ibid. O thou, whose spirit most possest The sacred seat of Shakespeare's breast Ibid. Thy babe or Pleasure's, nurs'd the powers of song. In evening musings slow Ode to simplicity. With short shrill shriek flits by on leathern wing. Ode to Evening. To breathe some soften'd strain. Whose numbers, stealing through thy dark'ning vale, May not unseemly with its stillness suit, As musing slow Ibid. From the above examples it should seem that Collins had a sort of partiality for the hissing letter, and I am inclined to think that it sounded somewhat musically in his ear. This appears to have been also the feeling of Pope, who on two or three occasions has introduced the letters, where he designed the lines to flow most sweetly. 66 Having thus far shewn that blank verse has many advantages over rhyme; and that it leaves the poet infinitely more at large with respect to the sense, the sound, and the expres |