Continued.

ing in her presence, relative to the conduct of Sir William Featherington, to give me soon after a plain statement of the whole affair: she shewed me the copies of several letters, which she had addressed to him on the subject of his vile and ungenerous conduct; but to neither of which could the guilty culprit

return an answer.

I have not given every circumstance of this iniquitous affair; and, as I before observed, there are other anecdotes in my possession, with which I would not offend the ears of my MOTHER and SISTER. Suffice it, therefore, that, in the character before you, you have by no means an exaggerated account; and I conclude my history with this wish, that the good fortune which has given to Sir William so lucrative a benefice as that of Bryarsfeldt, may so operate on his mind, as to occasion a general reformation in his conduct; and that, at some subsequent period,

Conclusion.

Charlotte shall be enabled to pen the sequel of Sir William's history, under the promising title of "THE CONTRITE VICAR; or, Virtue Triumphant."

The Duchess and Lady Charlotte joined, cordially, in the charitable wish of the Marquis; who, after receiving their thanks for the information and amusement he had afforded them, wished them a good night, promising at their next readings to give them an instance of the force of female ambition.

MRS. PERCIVAL.

"Sunt Delicta tamen quibus ignovisse velimus."

HOR. Art. Poet.

THIS lady is a fortunate heroine of the drama, who, by an easy and affluent marriage, has been enabled to quit her public profession, and live in all the comforts of independent wealth.

Her countenance was handsome, and her fine form might defy all the scrutiny and minute investigations of the statuary; who could not forbear to confess, that it came the nearest in size, proportion, and dimensions, to the famed Venus of Medicis, formerly the pride of the Florentine Gallery, as now of the Napoleon.

Like that captivating statue, the figure of Mrs. Percival, then Miss Smythe, was more inclined to the petite, than the ma

Deseription of her Person.

jestic, and yet, though so truly feminine, she made the most attractive appearance in the masculine habit than was ever witnessed before, or since, on the stage. She had the most important requisites for this attire: beautiful feet, well-turned ancles, and legs of the finest symmetry. Nature gave her such endowments, both in person and abilities, that she was expected to become the first in her profession: but she was in many respects the slave to art. Had she implicitly followed the steps of her liberal benefactress, who had so amply endowed her, she would have been a chaste, elegant, and classical actress; but being intoxicated with the applause her vocal powers produced, and which she once unfortunately overheard compared to those of the celebrated Miss Catley's, she now determined to make that lady the finished model of her imitation.

There are certain witcheries about one person, which captivate the senses irre

Her Abilities examined.

sistibly, in spite of reason, against all love of decorum, all obtruding ideas of delicacy or elegance; while practised by another they would create disgust: what is this to be attributed to, but those fine touches of genuine nature, which speak imperiously to the heart! -Ann Catley was only the daughter of a poor publican; she had no cultivation except that a music and singing-master gave her, to improve the natural warblings of her nightingale voice: Miss Smythe was accomplished; possessed a genteel as well as lovely countenance; she was not low in birth; indeed, we are told, she endeavoured to convince the world that she was descended from a nobleman, famous as well for his high descent as for his superior literary talents; but we believe it would not do.

Miss Smythe, by her imitations of one who had so long and so justly been the favourite of the town, pleased the indis