THE NOVEMBER, 1799. SKETCH OF THE MEMOIRS OF MISS HANNAH MORE. UTE have long wished to decorate our VISITOR W with the head of fome female author, whofe genius has entertained and instructed the rising genes ration. The age is not wanting in such characters, and the reader will be gratified by the delineation of them. The subject of our Memoir has attracted notice for leveral years past; her works have been numerous, and at this juncture her pen engages no inconsiderable share of public attention. Miss HANNAH MORE is a native of Bristol, where The resided for the most part of her life, and fuperintended a boarding-school of ladies, of great reip.ciability. Her sisters succeeded her in the office of teacher, and they also have lately retired. The talents, however, of Miss More, imparted to the seminary no small celebrity, and we have reason to believe that this accomplished tutoreis fent forth many valuable members of the cominunity. Her school opened about 1705. The life of literary characters, it has been frequently remarked, affords few incidents for the pen of the biographer. This is the precise case with the present lubVOL.VIII. T ject jeet of our Memoir. We shall, however, collect too gether a few anecdotes, which will serve to throw some light on this ornament of the female world. From her earliest years, we understand, that Miss MORE dedicated much of her time to the improvement of her mind. Poffesling a natural taste for the acqui. sition of knowledge, the availed herself of every oppor. tunity to gratify it. Under such circumstances, we are not to wonder at her present eminence, which could have been attained only by intense application and unwearied industry. She associated likewise with literary men, and was much benefited by their conversation. With the late Mr. Garrick she was on terms of the greatest intimacy; and Dr. Stonehouse, now deceased, a popular clergyman at Bristol, aided her in her studies, infpected her inanuscripts, and thus contributed to the perfection of her writings. It is also a certain fact, that our fair authoress learnt the Latin language for the purpose of perusing Virgil in his native tongue ! This ihews that the was not de ficient in improving her taste, and was alive to the charms of claffical beauty. Indeed, those divine an.'. cients have furnished us with admirable models of writing, in almost every department of literature. · Nor should it be forgotten, that the office of teacher is highly favourable to mental improvement. They who discharge their duty in that capacity, muft famion liarise their minds to the first principles of science, and by degrees thoroughly understand them. Besides, knowledge thus gradually and thoroughly acquired, will operate upon natural ability, and draw forth those latent seeds of genius which are the germs of intellectual excellence. We may thus reasonably account for many productions with which we should otherwise have been unacquainted. Some of the best Scorch pieces have originated in this circumstance, and such exertions are deserving of applause. We are ready to add, with cheerfulness, the tribute of our commendatiop. The The first publication of Miss MORE, was written by her in the eighteenth year of her age ; and is entitled, The Search after Happiness, a Pastoral Drama, for Young Ladies. It was extremely well received, and contains many excellent passages. The following lines we recommend to our female readers : « Euphelia fighs for flattery, dress, and show, Virtue makes beauty more divinely fair!" The authoress has, likewise, in this piece, explained her idea of the true province of Women, which sketch may not prove uninteresting in times when the rights of women have been warmly contested ; " As fome fair violet, lovelieft of the glade, T? Shoul? |