Aopped in order to procure reft and refreshment. As I was entering the house, my attention was arrested by a deep figh proceeding from a young woman feated on a turf bench near the window, her elbows leaning upon her knees, and her arms fupporting a face which appeared beautiful, though it was in fome meafure fhaded or concealed by a profufion of "nut brown" hair, hanging partly in ringlets, and partly in the diforder produced by neglect or exposure to the weather. There was no covering on her head; and her clothes appeared fcanty, foiled, and rather fine for a perfon feemingly in the state of men dicity. Curiofity induced me to approach and enquire into her fitua tion; and the polite but dejected manner with which the answered my questions and acknowledged my attention, encreased the emotions of interest and furprise. Her perfon was flender and handfome; her features in every refpect lovely; her dark eyes powerfully expreffive of the feelings of a wounded heart, and her whole appearance ftrongly marked the wretchednefs of a deftitute con dition, and the feverity of accumulated misfortune. She repeated a tale of distress, (frequently interrupt ed and obfcured by fighs and tears,) fufficient to excite the compaffion and provoke the indignation of those who poffefs any fenfibility for the forrows of humanity, any portion of the "milk of human kindness," and any of

"That foft fympathy which binds,

In magic chains fufceptive minds."The narration was delivered with the artless energy and fimplicity of truth, and it was fcarcely finished, when overcome by painful recollec tion and prefent weakness, fhe experienced a fhort oblivion to her, anguish in a fainting fit. This was the irresistible evidence of nature, and it penetrated to the heart.

An event, which it is unneceffary to mention, enabled me to complete a tale which produced confiderable intereft, with no finall degive of regret, and a repetition of it may perhaps ferve to diffipate the gloom of a difagreeable evening.

Ellen was the daughter of a curate refiding in the west of England, and in the neighbourhood of B→→→, manor; "A man he was to all the country dear "And paffing rich with forty pounds a

year;

who had educated her in a manner fuited to the humility of his ideas and fituation; had implanted in her infant mind the gems of virtue, of fimplicity, and of propriety; had inftructed her to pray neither for poverty nor riches; and had early inculcated the neceffity of exerting her industry and acquirements for support after his death, as the income of his cure was too contracted, to admit of laying up any worldly provision for futurity.

His manfion was fituated at the bottom of a steep hill, on the fea coaft, which was fringed by ftripes of indigenous trees, rather of the ftunted kind; among which the wild plumb mingling its fruits, and the black thorn its flowers, thickened the fhade, and afforded a place of inviolable refuge to numbers of finging birds, whofe melodious warblings formed a conftant and delightful amusement. A small rivulet, winding its course down the flope of the hill, was con ducted through a neat garden, communicating additional fertility to the foil, where the refpectable old man paffed many of his happieft hours. In the evenings of autumn he was accuftomed to repofe in the fhade of a large apple-tree in this garden, and he delighted to compare the colour of the fruit to the bloom of his Ellen's cheek, the fong of the nightingale to the melody of her voice, and the mild rays of the fetting fun to the benignity with which the God of his

fathers

fathers beheld the calm, happy, and innocent conduct, of his faithful and humble fervant. Yet, when he ob ferved the last faint gleam of light trembling on the guttering waves, the dark cloud of night extending its fhadowy wings over the face of nature, and the wild fowl in regular order wheeling their marshalled flight, with diffonant and fhrill fcreams, to nefts" inacceffible to mortals' tread," a melancholy prefentiment would banish his enjoyment, and fill his breast with anxiety, left, when the shadow of death obfcured the lait gleam of an existence rendered precarious by age and infirmity, his lovely Ellen fhould be expofed to the pangs of penury or the fnares of vice, without a friend to protect her innocence, patronife her induftry, or foothe the anguish of an orphan's forTOWS. But the comforts of religion affuaged his anxiety, and moderated his affliction. He trufted in the care of the Deity he had ferved with undeviating purity and faithfulness. He had, no doubt, feen inftances where villainy triumphed over virtue, but that triumph was only momentary; he had alfo witneffed juft punishment inflicted upon vice; he knew, that agonifing remorfe frequently embit tered moments which would other wife have been devoted to felicity; he adored, when unable to compre hend, the decrees of Omnipotence,

"Whose bounty fill the funfhine pours, "That gilds the morn and evening hours;"

and in repofing his doubts and apprehenfions in the bofom of Provi. dence, he enjoyed a degree of fup port from his confidence, and fatisfac tion from his piety, of which the fceptic and the " man of the world" are equally ignorant and incapable.

The lovelinefs of Ellen became every fucceffive day more apparent; and the beauty of her external appearance was only furpaffed by the

charms of her mind, the propriety of her fentiments, and the excellence of her difpofition. Her venerable father felt a renewal of his early years and youthful happiness in the vivacity and cheerfuluefs of his daughter; and as every with of his heart was centred in her improvement, the throb of pleasure never fo forcibly agitated his heart, as when he liftened to the praife and admiration of which Ellen was the object.

While Ellen thus continued to advance in beauty, in knowledge, and in accomplishments;-while the elastic power of fancy fun of the foul," repelled the flight impreffions of care and forrow ;-and while each fleeting hour augmented the age and increased the infirmities of her father, the patron of the parish requefted the curate to direct the course of his fon's ftudies during a few months that would elapfe previous to his vifiting the continent. Gratitude for former obligations, a dread of roufing the vengeance of fo powerful a per. fonage, and a with to obtain the friendship of the lady of the manor for his daughter, induced him to acquiefce in the demand, although it was contrary to his real defires; and Ferdinand B- was admitted as an inmate in a houfe which had ever been the afylum of peace, virtue, and happinefs of that peace, which proceeding from unfallied innocence, paffeth all understanding,-of that virtue, which arifing from moral excellence, is feldom difcovered in the halls of the rich, or the palaces of the grandee,-and of that happiness, which is occafioned by a pious confidence in the difpenfations of providence, a contented fubmiffion to the forrows of humanity, and a proper gratefulness in the moments of joy or profperity.

The accomplishments of Ferdinand B-were of the fuperficial kind ; yet it cannot create furprise that a young man of elegant appearance,

polished

ton, a fon.

8. In George's Square, the Hon. Mrs Charteris, a daughter.

9 Mrs McKenzie, of Devonshire Street, London, a daughter.

At London, the Lady of Brigadier-General Campbell, of the Sixth Reg, a fon. 11. At Lisbourn, the Lady of Lieut.-Col. Spence, of the 23d dragoons, a fon

At Exmouth, the Right Hon. Lady Charlotte Carr, a fon and heir.

23. The Lady of Alexander Jardine, Efq. younger of Applegarth, a fon.

24.

At Edinburgh, Mrs Hathorn of

Caftlewigg, a fon.

25. At Aberford, the Countefs of Errol, a daughter.

At Dormont, the Lady of William Carruthers, Efq. a daughter.

Lately at Cork, the Lady of Sir Charles Rofs Bart. a daughter.

March 1. At Ayr, Mrs Cathcart of Ge

15. At Sir John Whiteford's house, Canongate, Mrs Kennedy of Kirkmichael, a daughter.

- At Cluny, Mrs Colonel Macpherson, a daughter.

17. The Lady of Sir John Scott, Bart. of Ancrum, a daughter.

- Mrs Cruikshank of Langley Park, a fon.

18. At Mairlandfield, Mrs Colonel Mait, land, a fon.

19. At his houfe in St. Andrew's Square, the Lady of Sir William Rarifay, Bart, a fon. At Aldborough, the Lady of James Macrae, Efq. a daughter.

21. Mrs Haig of Bemerfyde, a fon.. 23. The Lady of the Hon. Col. Forbes, a daughter.

14. Rev. George Gordon, minister of late Rev. George Lawrie, minister of LouSorn to Mifs Anne Lawrie, daughter of the doun.

15 Lieut.-Col. Sharpe, of the 28th Light Dragoons, to Mifs Hofea of Portlandplace.

17. At Gretna Manfe, Mr Richard Bell, merchant in Glasgow, to Mifs Mary HopHopkins, Warwickshire. kins, daughter of the late Rev. Richard

At Liverpool, Mr George Irving, mer chant, to Mifs Mary Blackburn, daughter of Mr Hugh Blackburn.

20. Mr John Currie, fhipmafter in Rothfay, to Mifs Ann Jamiefon, youngest daughter of Mr John Jamiefon, in Ambusmore. tice, Efq. of Juftice-hall, to Mifs Elizabeth 22. At Tynemouth Church, James Juf Campbell of Whitby.

22. At Gainford, in the county of Durham, Mr Luke Seymour of Newfham, in the county of Durham, to Mrs Tod, widow of the deceased James Tod, Efq. of Bombay.

Diadem of 64 guns, to Mifs Sidley, daughAt Limerick, Lieut. M'Kenzie, of the ter to Mr Sidley of Kilrush.

At London, the Earl of Morton, to Lady Mary Howe, daughter of the late gallant

Admiral.

24. At York, Charles Constable Stanley, Efq. of Acklam, to Mifa M'Donald of that city.

Glasgow, to Mifs Elizabeth Scott, daughter Mr John Wright, manufacturer in

of Mr William Scott, manufacturer.

At Landguard Fort, James Brodie, Efq. Captain in the 4th or King's own regiment of Foot, to Mifs Ann Munro, eldest daugh ter of Lieut. Munro of the British Invalids.

25. At Aberdeen, Dugald Gilchrift, Efq. of Orpifdale, to Mifs Rofe, only daughter of Alex. Rofe, Efq. late of the Hon. East India Company's fervice.

26. Mr Alex. Dunlop, merchant in Glafter of Mr James Scott, fenior, merchant. gow, to Mifs Elizabeth Scott, eldest daugh

chant in Leith, to Mifs Magdalene Walker, March 3. Richard Scougall, Efq. mer. eldest daughter of the Rev. Mr Robert Walker, Canongate.

Mr Ifaac Watt, merchant, Dundee,

to Mifs Catharine Webster, youngest daughter of Mr Robert Webfter at Mains of Eroll.

March 4. At Edinburgh, Mr R. Ainflie, from America, to Mifs Elizabeth Telford.

5. At Aberdeen, John Harvey, Efq. of Guildford-street, London, to Mils Angelica Dingwall Fordyce, fourth daughter of Arthur Dingwall Fordyce, Efq. of Culfh.

10. Capt. Logan of the Berwickshire Light Dragoons, to Mifs Helen Home, only daughter of the late William Home, of Broomhouse, Esq.

11. At Edinburgh, Walter Riddel, Efq. Jedburgh, to Mifs Chriftian Somerville, eldest daughter of the Rev. Dr Somerville.

14. At Edinburgh, Mr James Cochrane, Printer, to Mifs Jeffy Milne, eldest daughter of John Milne, Efq.

18. At Edinburgh, John Corfe, Efq. of Buchtrigg, to Mifs Scott, eldeft daughter and heiress of the late Alex. Scott, Elq. of Sinton.

19. Mr John Burnthwaite, merchant, Glasgow to Mifs Mary Paul, youngest daughter of Mr John Paul, late one of the Magiftrates of that city.

24. At the house of Mr Dundas, at Wimbledon, the Right Hon. the Earl of Weftmoreland, to Mifs Saunders, youngest daughter of the late Dr Saunders, and niece to the late Sir Charles Saunders K. B.

27. At London, Francis Freeling, Efq, Secretary to the General Poft Office, to Mifs Newberry, daughter of Francis New berry, Efq. of St Paul's Church-yard.

28. At Edinburgh, Mr Andrew Crombie, folicitor, to Mifs Jeffamine Bartlet, daughter of Benjamin Bartlet, Storekeeper, Edinburgh Caftic.

DEATHS.

standing of the Hebrew, he added an extenfive and accurate knowledge both of the languages and literature of Greece and Rome. His learning he applied chiefly to the investigation of the Sacred Scriptures, being always of opinion, that an acquaintance with the languages in which thefe were originally written, was of fuperior value to the most laboured commenjary. For the ftudies of his youth he long retained a partiality, though his natural diffidence always prevented him from difplaying his information in mixed fociety. The strength of his intellectual powers, however, deelined with the lapfe of time, and the melancholy viciffitudes of his life; but his moral qualities brightened to the laft. His views were moderate and unambitious; and, having early formed a just estimate of human life, its changes furprized him not. They deeply affected his feeling heart, but they did not deftroy the balance of his mind.

The duties of his Sacred Office he performed with fingular fidelity. In the fincerity of his heart, he delivered to his hearers with impreffive tenderness fuch truths as he judged beft calculated for their inftruction in righteoufnefs; and his audience liftened with peculiar fatisfaction to their beloved paftor, recommending the duties of morality on the Sabbath, which he enforced by his practice through the week.

His life was one continued act of preparation for death. The pure principles of Chriftianity marked his whole deportment. Such was the rectitude of his conduct, that, during the long period of his incumbency, the tainted breath of calumny never dared to raife a fingle whifper to his difadvantage. His guilelefs fimplicity, warmth of affection, and goodness of heart, procured him univerfal etteem. His character was alike revered by the adherents to the Established Church, and by diffenters of every denomination; for his ingenuous mind wished to confider all fects as members of the Christian Church, all men as Brethren. In him the indigent found relief, and the afflicted a confoling friend.

His perfonal worth and virtue will continue to be remembered by all who intimately knew him, till themfelves bid a last farewell to time and the things of time.

Feb 1. At Alfracombe, Devonshire, Mr Alexander Baillie, merchant in Manchefter.

At Milldairie, Mrs Grant, relict of the late William Grant, Efq, of Aldvie.

2. At Birmingham, George Anderson, Eq. Paymafter to the 4th, or Queen's own Dragoons.

4. At Manfe of Fetteretto, the Rev. John Hutcheon, minuter of that parish, in the 68th year of his age, and 37th of his miniftry,

polished addrefs, and conciliating manners, fhould obtain an intereft in the affections of Ellen, whofe heart was warm, generous, and unskilled in the ways of the world. It is unneceffary to minute the attention, the refpect, and the kindness which his conduct evinced on every occafion; or the numerous and trivial incidents which in the morn of youth poffefs an inexpreffible power over the fenfibility of the children of nature; which are frequently recalled to the "mind'seye" with exquifite emotion; and thence acquire an intereft in the feelings, which they feldom merit, or, in any other circumftances or fituations, would receive. The vifions of imagination are too often deceitful in proportion to the delight they impart; but man is fond of being deceived, if the illufion be productive of pleafure; and when the paffions are foothed or agitated, reafon is neglected and defpifed.

Alas! when fancy fweeps her magic lyre, How fwift! how fweet! the happy moments fly

The pulfe of pleasure throbs with young

defire,

The tear of rapture gleams in beauty's

eye.

It is indeed unneceffary, (I muft repeat,) to enter into tuch a detail. Suffice it to obferve, that when Ferdinand embarked to visit a foreign country, he poffeffed the affectionate withes and efteem of the Curate, with the more endearing regard of the gentle Ellen.

"In the most brilliant of the foreign courts, Ferdinand acquired a perfect knowledge of the arts of intrigue, luxury, and diffimulation; and he finished his manners on the model of the Nobleffe of France, once the proudest, the moft fplendid, and the most powerful of the European arif tocracies; diflinguished by fuperior addrefs, infinuating condu&t, and confummate politeness, but now, (ah! quantum mutantur:) unknown in their

native country, their titles expunged, their poffeffions confifcated, and their lives forfeited!

After paffing several years in completing the grand tour, Ferdinand returned to Britain, eminently skil led,-not in the knowledge of Go. veraments, laws, and cuftoms, which might have enabled him to aspire to à diftinguished fituation in his native country to fupport the power and celebrity of his anceflors, or to command the applause of liftening fenates, but in the more valuable arts and fciences which rank high in fashionable eftimation, in the fciences of fimulation and feduction; in the arts of dreffing and dancing; in the philofophy of epicureans and fenfualifts; and in the honour and morality of " Men of the World."

During this period, the father of Ellen breathed his laft, in the arms of his daughter; and here we must fpread the veil of delicacy and comber of fick nefs, to describe the dying paffion. To penetrate into the chammoments of a truly virtuous man, and to paint the afflictions of an af fectionate child, would be a task of difficulty, although it might be an ufeful leffon to fociety. Those who are poffeffed of fenfibility will pic. ture fuch a scene in their own minds; but the pen is unable to trace it ; and to the coldminded and unfeeling it would prove unneceffary and useless.

Ellen refided for fome time in the

cottage of a neighbouring farmer, who had refpected her father, and refolved to protect and fupport the orphan of his friend; and one evening, while fhe indulged in the memory of the days that were gone, the hours when pleasure tingled in every vein, and when the pulfe of hope beat high,-fhe was aftonished at the appearance of Ferdinand, who (after the first moments of recollection) in terms of fympathy condoled with her on the death of his " refpected preceptor," expreffed his regret that

the