The audience, likewife, honoured me with the marks of their appro bation. As for Mr. Rich, he expressed as much triumph upon this occafion, as he usually did on the fuccefs of one of his darling pan

tomimes.

• The performers, who, half an hour before, had looked upon me as an object of pity, now crowded around me to load me with compli ments of gratulation. And Mr. Quin, in order to compenfate for the contempt with which he had treated me, was warmer, if poflible, in his eulogiums, than he had been in his farcafms. This, I own, appears to be a bold affertion, as the pungent falt of his fatire often got the better of the goodness of his heart; which I have reafon to think one of the belt that ever inhabited mortal's bosom.

"The novelty of fuch fuccefs attending a child (for from my ap pearance I could not be judged to be fo old as I really was) against the united force of a Garrick and a Cibber, attracted the notice of the public fo much, that the piece was performed three nights fucceffively. This was a fingular circumftance at that time, as the Orphan was an old play, much hackneyed, and fupported only by one character. For though Mr. Quin was moft jufly celebrated, as I have already obferved, in every character which his figure and time of life fuited, yet as he was now near fixty, and rather corpulent, he certainly was a very unfit brother for a girl of my age. So flattering a reception, it may naturally be fuppofed elated a heart rendered vain by praifes furpaffing my moft fanguine expectations.'

The friendship which grew up between Mrs. Bellamy and Mr. Quin was of the virtuous kind; and among many particulars which the furnishes of this diftinguifhed character, fhe gives us the following one which cannot be fufficiently admired.

• During the time he [Quin] had the chief direction at Covent Garden Theatre, he revived "The Maid's Tragedy," written by Beaumont and Fletcher. In it he played the character of Melanthus, Mrs. Pritchard Evandra, and myfelf Afpafia. One day, after the rehearsal was finished, he defired to fpeak with me in his dreffingroom. As he had always carefully avoided feeing me alone, I was not a little furprized at fo unexpected an invitation. My apprehen fions even made me fear that I had, by fome means or other, offended a man, whom I really loved as a father. My fears, however, were not of long duration. For as foon as I had entered his dreffingroom, he took me by the hand, with a smile of ineffable benignity, and thus addreffed me: "My dear girl! you are vaftly followed, I "hear. Do not let the love of finery, or any other inducement, prevail

upon you to commit an indifcretion. Men in general are rascals. "You are young and engaging, and therefore ought to be doubly "cautious. If you want any thing in my power, which money can purchafe, come to me, and fay, "James Quin, give me fuch a thing," and my purfe fhall be always at your fervice." The tear of gratitude food in my eye, at this noble inftance of generofity; and his own glistened with that of humanity and self-approbation."

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Of

Of Lord Digby Mrs. Bellamy gives an account that is not more fingular than agreeable.

'Lord Digby having been indifpofed, he refided for fome days at Mr. Calcraft's houfe, left his mother, whofe affection for him was unbounded, might be too much alarmed. But he removed, as foon as poffible, to enjoy, what he preferred to all human enjoyments, the felicity of making a mother happy. Having the most tender affection for his mother and brothers, he lived with them in a moderate regular manner, without indulging himself in thofe exceffes the juvenile part of the nobility generally run into. As this young nobleman might be truly denominated a miracle of nature, a rara avis, from the many great and good qualities he poffeffed, I must here dwell a little on his character, and give you an anecdote or two of him that greatly redound to his honour.

With a most beautiful figure, he was bleffed with the best of hearts. He was generous, without being oftentatious; and, though he had travelled, modeft to a degree. He fpoke little, but what he faid, declared that he poffeffed great good fenfe. He was never known to fay an unkind thing, nor to be guilty of an unkind action, to any perfon whatever. His lørdfhip's mother and my valuable friend, Mr. Fox, were twins; and the affection which fubfifted between them was as uncommon as the circumftances of their birth.

'Lord Digby came often to Parliament-street, and as I had by this means an opportunity of obferving his conduct, I could not help remarking a fingular alteration in his demeanour and drefs, which took place during the great feftivals. At Christmas and Eafter he was more than ufually grave, and then always had on an old shabby blue coat. I was led, as well as many others, to conclude, that it was fome affair of the heart which caufed this periodical fingularity. And this was no improbable fuppofition.

'Mr. Fox, who had great curiofity, wifhed much to find out his nephew's motive for appearing at times in this manner, as, in general, he was esteemed more than a well-dreffed man. Upon his expreffing an inclination for that purpofe, Major Vaughan and another gentleman undertook to watch his lordfhip's motions. They accordingly fet out; and obferving him to go towards St. George's Fields, they followed him at a distance, till they loft fight of him near the Marshalfea prison.

Wondering what could carry a perfon of his lordship's rank and fortune to fuch a place, they enquired of the turnkey, if a gentleman, defcribing him, had not entered the prison. "Yes, Masters!" exclaimed the fellow with an oath; "but he is not a man; he is an "angel. For he comes here twice a year, fometimes oftener, and "fets a number of prifoners free. And he not only does this, but "he gives them fufficient to fupport themfelves and their families till they can find employment." 66 This," " continued the man,

is one of his extraordinary vifits. He has but a few to take out "to-day." "Do you know who the gentleman is ?" enquired the major. "We none of us know him by any other marks," replied "but by his humanity and his blue coat." The gentlemen having gained this intelligence, immediately re

the man,

turned,

turned, and gave an account of it to Mr. Fox. As no man poffeffed more humanity, (of which I have already given a proof) than the Secretary at War, the recital afforded him exquifite pleasure. But fearing his nephew might be difpleafed at the illicit manner in which the information had been obtained, he requested that we would keep the knowledge of it a profound fecret.

'I could not refift my curiofity of making further enquiries relative to an affair from which I reaped fo much fatisfaction. I, accordingly, the next time his lordship had his alms-giving coat on, asked him what occafioned his wearing that fingular drefs? With a fmile of ineffable sweetness he told me, that my curiofity fhould foon be gra tified; for, as we were congenial fouls, he would take me with him when he next vifited the place to which his coat was adapted. A compliment more truly flattering, and more acceptable to me than any I ever had, or could receive.

The night before his intended vifit, his lordship requested that I would be in readiness to go with him the next morning. We then went together to that receptacle of mifery which he had fo often vifited, to the confolation of its inhabitants. His lordship would not fuffer me to enter the gate, left the noisomeness of the place fhould prove difagreeable to me; but he ordered the coachman to drive to the George Inn in the Borough, where a dinner was ordered for the happy wretches he was about to liberate. Here I had the pleasure of feeing near thirty perfons, refcued from the jaws of a loathfome prifon, at an inclement feafon of the year, it being Christmas; and not only releafed from their confinement, but restored to their families and friends, with fome provifion from his lordship's bounty for their immediate fupport. I will not pretend to defcribe the grateful tribute his lordship received upon the occafion from the band he had just fet free; nor the fatisfaction he reaped from the generous deed. I participated in the heavenly pleafüre; and never was witnefs to a more delightful scene.

'How fhall I tell the fequel of the tale !-But it must be told.Yet whilst I do it, I am almoft ready to accufe Heaven of unkindness in untimely cutting off so fair, fo fweet a flower: the pride of the English garden. His lordship went fome few months after these beneficent acts, to vifit his eftates in Ireland. Where, being obliged, by the mistaken hofpitality of the country, to drink more than he was accustomed to do, and that at a time when he was indisposed from a violent cold, a fever, attended with a putrid fore throat, was the fatal confequence. And drop not thou selfish tear!- my amiable young friend was removed to those realms, where alone his expanded heart could find its benevolent propenfities indulged and rewarded.

'By the death of this valuable young nobleman, the poor were deprived of a generous benefactor, his acquaintance of a defirable companion, and the community of one of its brightest ornaments. But to no one was his lofs more grievous than to Major Vaughan ; to whom he was an unknown patron. The Major regularly received a benefaction of fifty pounds every quarter, which he concluded to come from Earl Fitzwilliam; that nobleman, with whom he had been bred up, having always held him in great esteem. But, F 3 upon

upon the death of Lord Digby, the bounty was found to flow from his liberal purfe.'

As Mrs. Bellamy was much acquainted in high life, fhe was no indifferent obferver of political affairs. She has ventured to use her pencil in delineations of the famous Lord Holland and the no lefs celebrated Lord Chatham.

I will here attempt to give you the political characters of those two great competitors for glory, Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt. Their qualifications were as different as their perfons. Mr. Pitt's abilities, as an orator, were undoubtedly aftonishing. Yet, at times, put the matter he had uttered upon paper, and it appeared fuperficial; and it was often fatirical to a degree of abufe. His perfon claimed your admiration. With an elegance and grace which led your mind captive while he fpoke, and with eyes that darted fire, he generally began low; but at length gradually worked himself up, as well as his auditors, to a frain of enthufiafm. His voice was powerful, and at the fame time melodious; particularly the middle pitch of it, which fecured articulation, and prevented the laft word from being loft. He was likewife one of the best adors I ever faw. I will not even except Garrick, To evince which, I will relate a fcene I had the pleafure of being a witness to.

An honourable relation of Mr. Pitt's generally thought fit, during the time he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, to entertain the Houfe of Commons with founding forth his own praife. This egotist one day fpoke an euloge on himfelf, in which he too frequently repeated the word where. Mr. Pitt's patience being exhausted, he rofe from his feat with inexpreffible grace, and feemed to be making his way out of the houfe. But stopping fhort, when he came close to the minifter, who was ftill fpeaking, he fung aloud, with great humour, Gentle fhepherd, tell me where, tell me where; gentle *fhepherd, tell me where. And he continued to do fo till he reached the lobby. This occafioned an univerfal laugh; and the right honourable speaker retained the nickname of Gentle Shepherd for the remainder of his life. Whether it was from indifpofition, or to convince his hearers, that he could lead them with one hand, I know not; but Mr. Pitt often had his left hand in a fling. The natural grace he poffeffed, and the acquirements he was mafter of, put it however out of the power of any fituation or attitude to render him unpleafing.

"His cotemporary, Mr. Fox, neither equalled him in voice, manner, or perfon. But he greatly furpaffed him in folid judgement, quick difcernment, and an unbiaffed, unalterable amor patria. As he did not deal fo much in the flowers of rhetoric as Mr. Pitt, his fpeeches did not strike fo forcibly, till confidered. But they were founded on the firmeft bafis, truth. His voice was fonorous, but his delivery, at times, was not fo pleafing as it was at others.'

We fhall now fubmit to our readers the account given by Mrs. Bellamy of her attempt to deftroy herfelf, at a period when he was in the greateft extremity of want and wretchednefs.

'Unhappily in this moment of despair, every spark of that virtu ous confidence in heaven, fo forcibly recommended in the following lines, was extinguifhed in my bofom.

• Tho' plung'd in ills, and exercised in care,
"Yet never let the noble mind despair:
'When prefs'd by dangers, and befet with foes,
The gods their timely fuccour interpofe;

And when our virtue finks, o'erwhelm'd with grief,
By unforseen expedients bring relief."

Infpired by the black ideas which had got poffeffion of my mind, I, one night, left the house between nine and ten o'clock. As there was a door which led from the garden into the road, I went out unperceived; for I had not refolution to fpeak to my faithful attendant, whofe anxious eye might have difcovered the direful purpose of my heart impreffed upon my countenance.

6

Having affected, unobferved, my elopement, I wandered about the road and fields, till the clock was upon the point of striking eleven; and then made my way towards Westminster bridge. I continued to rove about till that hour, as there was then a probability that I fhould not be interrupted by any paffengers from carrying my defperate defign into execution. Indeed I was not without hopes of meeting in St. George's Fields with fome Freebooter, who would have prevented the deed of defperation I was about to perpetrate, by taking a life I was weary of. Nor would this have been an improbabable expectation, had I met with any of thofe lawless plunderers, that oftentimes frequent thofe parts; for their difappointment from finding me pennyleis, might have excited them to murder me. A confummation I then devoutly wifhed.

• Having reached the Bridge, I defcended the steps of the landing place, with a fad and folemn pace, and fat me down on the loweft tair, impatiently waiting for the tide to cover me. My defperation, though refolute, was not of that violent kind as to urge me to take the fatal plunge. As I fat, I fervently recommended my fpirit to that Being I was going to offend in fo unwarrantable a manner, by not bearing patiently the afflictions he was pleafed I fhoul fuffer, even dared to harbour the thought that a divine impulfe had given rife to the idea; as if the Everlafling had not fixed his canon 'gainst felf• flaughter!?

'The moon beamed faintly through the clouds, and gave juft light enough to distinguish any paffenger who might crofs the bridge; but as I was in mourning, there was not any great probability of my being discerned and interrupted. I had taken off my bonnet, and apron, and laid them befide me upon the stairs; and leaning my head. upon my hands, remained loft in thought, and almoft ftupified by forrow and the reflections which crouded upon my mind.

Here paufe a moment, and admire with me the ftrange viciffitudes of life. Behold your once lively friend, reduced from the enjoyment of eafe, affluence, esteem, and renown in her profeffion, to the most defperate state that human wretchedness will admit of—a prey to penury, grief, contumely, and defpair-standing tiptoe on the verge of this world, and impiously daring to rush, unbidden, into the pre

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fence