her with a casket, of which fhe gave her the key, requiring her, at the fame time, to fwear not to open it till fe fhould be no more. Sylvia pronounced the oath the required, and fet off with a heart full of grief. Vervanne waited with painful impatience for the return of his daughter. How diftreffing,' he would fay, to behave with the feverity of a hatred that is not felt, and to be cruel with a feeling heart! Ah! if to reflore her to life and health, nothing were wanting but to life all my refentment in her arms; if the had the courage to defire it, jealous and offended love, nay, even honour, unpitying honour, would attempt to ftop me in vain: I would go and fee her, I would go and fave the life of this unhappy woman.' name. Thefe feelings, fo natural to a good heart, and yet fo uncommon, acquired new force, when his daughter told him in what ftate fhe had left her mother, and repeated the tender words fhe was charged to fay in Hortenfia's Ah! my dear father,' added Sylvia, weeping, how is it pofiible that fo virtuous a woman, a woman who adores you, who has never ceafed to love you, who never speaks of you but with the highest esteem, who has told me a thousand times that my firft duty was to revere my father, to love him, and to make him happy; how is it poffible that the fhould languifh and die at a distance from her hufband? You have long ago inifted on my filence with respect to this myfterious feparation; and I have ever refpected the prohibition; but-.' At thefe words her father interrupted her: Daughter,' faid he, there are family fecrets, which at your age, it is proper you should be ignorant of Your mother expreffed no defire to fee me, did fhe?' Why, no, not abfolutely. Well! be fatisfied then, that between a man and wife, who retain fo much eeem for each other, there must be fome motive for fo long a feparation, which their children fhould not be folicitous to know,' ་ Sylvia, in obedience to her father's commands, forbore to urge him any further on the subject; but as foon as fhe was alone, tears and fighs came to her relief. The fervant who had accompanied her on the journey, had feen her w ep over the cafket, which the kept carefully on her knees. She o ferved that he was taken up with the fame object in her folitude, and that, without opening the casket, he kept her eyes mournfully fixed upon it, or kiffed it with the most affecting expreflions of tenderness and refpect. Uneafy at the cause and the effect of this continual affliction, the thought it her duty to mention it to the father; and the gave him an opportunity of furprising his daughter at the inftant, when, looking at the cafket with a tearful eye, the was repeating these words: Muft I then remain ignorant of her fecret, till the fhall be no more?' • Have Daughter,' faid the marquis, what is this little treasure, the fight of which produces fuch emotion?This treasure! fir,' fhe answered, yes, it is indeed a treasure; and I pray heaven that I may never be permitted to make it known. I promised my mother not to open the box till after-.' She could not finish: tears deprived her of utterance. you the key?' faid Vervanne. Yes, fir, I have; but I will never betray my mother's confidence.'-' Girls at your time of life, Sylvia, are apt to be curious.'-Oh! no, fir; at least, I dare anfwer for myself. You could, with ftill greater certainty,' faid he, by leaving the cafket in my care: the key fhall remain in yours.' Sylvia yielded and obeyed; but with that reluctance which we feel when we part with whatever we hold moft dear. · In any other fituation, the marquis would have thought himself bound to keep a fecret thus confided by a mother to her child, for ever inviolable. But with what irresistible force must the temptation of knowing the con tents tents of the cafket impel him? Affured that it could be nothing but a kind of will, and lait communication, what an intereft muft he feel in knowing in what manner the foul of Hortenfia would difplay ittelf to the eyes of her daughter, and what were the truths she would not revcal to her but from the grave! What regret might he not experience, one day or other, for having delayed to obtain this knowledge! It was impofiible for him to believe his wife innocent; but it would fti be pleafing to find her lefs criminal; and although the concern for having been unjust might be painful, yet he would have, defired nothing more earnestly than to be liable to fuch an accufation. He hofitated long, he fuggled with himself, he endeavoured to overcome this reprehenfible inclination, puthing the cafket twenty times away, and endeavouring to come to a refolution to return it to his daughter. But his hand, in fpite of himself, obeying a laft impulfe, he broke the lock; and it then becaine impodible for him not to read the fcroll written by Hortenfia herself, and contained in the casket. [To be concluded in our next.] REMARKS during a SIX WEEKS RESIDENCE in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, in 1792: In a Series of Letters to a Friend. LETTER VIII. Gloucefter, Sept. 1792. DEAR SIR, OUGHT to have added in my laft letter, that in the prefent dull feafon, (for Gloucefter at this time has no public amusements) the vicinity of Cheltenham affords the inhabitants of this city a temporary afylum from the miferies of uniformity. Excurfions are frequently made by parties, for a day or two, to partake of the amufements of Cheltenham, from whence, without encountering the ennui of a watering place, they return with additional fatisfaction, To reafon and their shop,' or, if you please, for I am not literally fpeaking of fhopkeepers, to their accustomed habits and old acquaintances. There is one defect in Gloucefter which is, in my mind, not calily compenfated; there are no public walks; yet there are many beautiful fituations capable of this improvement. The city is, upon the whole, rather grave, there being few public amufements, and thofe few to be enjoyed only for a fmail portion of the The theatre, I am told, is a imall, but elegant and commodious year. building, and the performers, in general, of the better kind. It is the fashion to think contemptibly of country players, and fuch a fashion might, perhaps, be confiftent, if we could forget the names of Siddons, Jordan, Dodd, Edwin, Wilfon, and many others who, on these despised boards, attained that perfection which recommended them to the London audiences. I cannot help remarking here, that the return of these players to their old fituations, has been attended with circumftances of peculiar hardship to their former brethren. When a performer has received the town famp, and is invited, at an exorbitant falary, to play a few nights in the country, he eats up the profits of the feafon and monopolizes the whole attention of the place, The Jociety in this city is very agreeable, that is, it is much to my tafle. You meet with men and women of well informed minds, caly, communicative, and hofpitable. To be received into one family is to be received into all. There is alfo lefs bigotry and illiberality than one generally meets with in cities, which a e the feat of hierarchy. I have heard Dr. Priestley acknowledge the liberality of the clergy and inhabitants of writing. His prebend was given him by his patron lord Thurlow, and is I believe worth about 300l. a year, exclufive of a house in which he now almoft conftantly refides. His father was a weaver in this place, and never in circumftances of affluence. Jofeph was educated at the public school, and has ever proved himself a most affec tionate fon. An anecdote of him which was mentioned yesterday in company, does him much honour. When the ceremony of his installation in the cathedral was over, and the clergy and gentry were addreffing him in terms of congratulation, he fingled out his father from the crowd, went to him, and embracing him affectionately, prefented him to his dignified friends. This was all an affair of the heart, for Dr. White has not an atom of dramatic show, and never, I am certain, would take the trouble to practife affectation. of Gloucefter, and his opinion I hold to be good authority in this cafe, few men being lefs difpofed to speak at random of churchmen, or to fing the praises of a dean and chapter.-There are numerous fects here of all perfuafions, diffenters, methodists, Jews, &c. and I cannot find that difference of opinion keeps them afunder.' The most distinguished churchmen belonging to the cathedral, are the venerable dean, Dr. Jofiah Tucker, whole numerous publications will hand him down to pofterity, as no fmall contributor to the welfare of his country; and Dr. Jofeph White, commonly called Bampton White, whofe volume of fermons, preached at that lecture, have never yet been exceeded, either for matter or manner, although men of undoubted talents have been appointed his fucceffors. The controverly they gave rife to, refpecting their originality, is now forgotten. He is himself to blame that it ever The population of Gloucefter has took place. That he was aflifted by not been lately afcertained. It is fupMr. Badcock, and by Dr. Parr, and pofed to be fomewhere between feven perhaps by others, no friend of his and eight thoufand. From mere conwill deny, nor did he ever deny it jecture, on viewing the city from the himfelf, although he did not think it tower of the cathedral, and other cirincumbent to mark every paffage with cumftances, Ifhould fuppofe the numthe name of him who wrote, or fug- ber to exceed eight thoufand. The gefted it. But it certainly must be houfes are about eight hundred and regretted that he did not acknowledge fixty. Thefe multiplied by five, which his obligations to his learned friends, is Dr. Price's mode of computation, in the preface, which he might have would give us no more than four thoudone in very general terms, and fand three hundred inhabitants, a cirfilenced his enemies for ever.-I need cumftance which has led me to dif fcarcely tell you that the people here truft computations of that kind. Whatfpeak of dean Tucker, as thinking ever the population is, it is certain him an honour to their cathedral. that it has been increafing, though His past labours, and his great age en- perhaps not in a degree proportionate title him to particular refpect. He to that of other cities more favourably was made dean of Gloucester in July fituated for trade and manufactures. 1758; he was then one of the pre- There are feveral houses now buildbendaries of Briftol, and rector of St. ing in the fuburbs, which seem neat Stephen's in that city. He refigned and commodious, the brick particuthe prebend, but, if I millake not, larly good, but the building rather holds the rectory. Dr. White is like-flight, not much unlike the temporary wife a favourite, and would be more accommodations of St. George's fields, fo, if he would preach a little oftener; that eternal difgrace to an opulent they think him fomewhat lazy; I fhould city. think himself of the fame opinion, for he contradicts it neither by word net There are a great many Jews in Gloucefter, who have a fynagogue. FOR APRIL, 1794. They travel from Bristol, and other places, vending those kinds of wares which, from price and quality (the former rifing as the latter decreafes) are experimentally known by the name of Jews' wares.-The methodists are very numerous, both of Wefley's and Whitefield's perfuafion; the latter gentleman, I believe I mentioned in a former epile, was a native of Gloucefter. There are feven churches belonging to the establishment, none of which have any thing remarkable in their history or ftructure. The remains of religious houses in and about What Gloucefter are confiderable. is left of Lanthony priory, about a mile from the city, is interefting to antiquaries. It was founded by Mi'o, earl of Hereford, in the year 1136, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. John Baptif, for the Black Canons of Lanthony in Monmouththire, who were expelled from their habitations by the Welch. What remains of it belongs to the duke of Norfolk, and is inhabited by a farmer. Without troubling you with a detail of the general conflitution of Gloucefter, its being governed by a mayor and aldermen, &c. I must remind you that it boasts an honour more exclufive. It was here that SundayYou fchools were first inftituted. know my fentiments refpecting the nature and utility of this inflitution. I trust that it will in time bring about the only revolution I ever with to fee, a revolution in the morals of the million. That it must be attended with the belt confequences to fociety, is not more obvious, than it is wonderful, that it should not have been thought of fooner. I dined yesterday with the worthy inflitutor, Mr. Robert Raikes, and, as Dr. Johnson would fay, we had much talk on the fubject. There are above five hundred fcholars in the feveral Sunday schools here, and the change which has taken place in the outward appearance of things, fince this inflitution, is very confiderable, and very encouraging. I was lately fhown a letter in a magazine, where an attempt is made to deprive Mr. Objections have been farted against this plan, the principal of which is that we fhall make gentlemen instead of fervants, of the child en of the poor. As an objection to Sunday fchools, this is perfectly futile, and fcarcely deferves an antwer, becaufe one of the chief objects of attention, is to inculcare on their minds humility and obedience to their fuperiors. As an abilract propofition, tending to difall education in the cafe of courage the poor, this objection is barbarous and difgraceful in the age we live in. The diffufion of knowledge among the lower claffes of people, is a duty incumbent on thofe who are able to communicate it, and cannot be attended with any hurtful confequences, because it is an acknowledged fact, that more than half the vices of the poor arife from fheer ignorance. Ignorance, indeed, is fo generally the parent of vice, meanness, and every fordid fentiment and action, that we never meet with an illiterate opulent tradefman, who is not generally mean, felfifa and illiberal. Knowledge, likewife, if we were to grant that it tended to make gentlemen of thefe poor scholars, is not given in fuch large portions, as might produce the effect. It goes no higher than to be able to read, and understand the duties enjoined by God and man. This, I conceive, would be accounted, in polite circles, but a fandy foundation for a gentleman, a poor ftock in trade to begin with. Will Will a poor lad be more inclined to difobedience, because he is taught to obey; or to vice, because it is early inculcated that honefty and industry are facred as well as civil obligations? On the contrary, will not a knowledge and conviction of this imprefs on his mind the necefiity and pleasure of virtue, in fuch a manner as to make him a confcientious fervant, and his fervice perfect freedom? It has not been thought amifs to inftruct the Indians whom we retain in flavery. Shall we be lefs attentive to our native fervants, whofe minds are better prepared to receive instruction? In a word, the question is thus fimplyA religious education, or none? Can any thinking man hefitate in giving the preference, where experience has always given it? But I must conclude - An excurfion has been propofed a little way into Herefordshire, and I am much miftaken if it will not be productive of matter for a longer letter than the prefent. We fet out an hour hence, and I have barely time to repeat that, I am, &c. ON IMMODERATE GRIEF. THERE HERE is no paffion or affection of our minds, more difficult to be analyzed or understood than grief. It is of the most mixed kind, leading, if we attempt to examine it, into a thousand confiderations, reflections, and we may add, perplexities of opinion. It appears, when taken in one view, to be rational, affectionate and juft; when taken in another, to approach to madness, cruelty, and abfurdity. It differs from every other paflion, by producing more fevere, painful, and lafting effects, and by interrupting the happiness and bufinel. of life in a greater degree. We alike blame the total abfence, and the excels of it, but opon very different grounds. The degree proper to be indulged is known to few, and where known cannot be practifed; becaufe it will always operate according to the previous flate of weafaefs or firm nefs, effeminacy or manliness, thought lesliefs or ferioufnefs, in the general difpofition. SHAKSPEARE. and differs from what we are fpeaking of, by exciting us to fuch active meafures as may alleviate the misfortune, or entirely remove it; whereas the other, and all its operations, are merely an affection of the mind of the furvivor, and are wholly unavailing to any ufeful purpose. Indeed, it has its ufes in the general fyllem; it is part of that affection which connects us together, generates kindness, and mutual forbearance; and the total abience of it we confider as the fign of an unfeeling mind. The death of a friend of long-tried and reciprocal affection is undoubtedly one of thefe afflictions, againt which we in vain oppofe the firm.nefs of philofophy, and the corfolations of Chritianity. The courage of man is weaknefs, when inclination is averse to become a party. Of all loffes, thofe which are irreparable are the hardest to bear, and of all fuch loffes, the death of a friend whom we have loved, and who has loved us, cannot be anThe chief caufe of grief, of that ticipated without horror, and cangrief which is attended with the most not be experienced without anguish. violent effects, is the death of fome Friendthip is the richest, the mon palabeloved friend, or relation. Grief table, the most innocent, and the mott for the misfortunes of others, may wholefome ingredient in the, cup of Lore properly be termed fympathy, life. When it is goae, we think all |