for our trueft comfort; for if already we are happy, it is a pleasure to think that we can make thathappiness un-ending; and if we are miferable, it is very confoling to think that there is a place of reft. Thus, to the fortunate, religion holds out a continuance of blifs; to the wretched, a change from pain But though religion is very kind to all men, it has promifed peculiar reward to the unhappy the fick, the naked, the houfelefs, the heavy-laden, and the prifoner, have ever most frequent promifes in our facred law. The author of our religion every where profeffes himself the wretch's friend, and unlike the falfe ones of this world, beftows all his careffes upon the forlorn. The unthinking have cenfured this as partiality, as a preference without merit to deferve it. But they never reflect that it is not in the power even of heaven itfelf to make the offer of unceafing felicity as great a gift to the happy as to the miferable. To the firit, eternity is but a single bleffing, fince at moft it but encreafes what they already poffefs. To the latter it is a double advantage; for it diminishes their pain here, and rewards them with heavenly blifs hereafter. But providence is in another refpect kinder to the poor than the rich; for as it thus makes their life after death more defirable, so it smooths the paffage there. The wretched have long familiarity with every face of terror. The man of forrows lays himself quietly down, he has no poffeffions to regret, and but few ties to stop his departure: he feels only nature's pang in the final feparation, and this is no way greater than he has often fainted under before; for after a certain degree of pain, every new breach that death opens in the conftitution, nature kindly covers with infenfibility. Thus providence has given the wretched two advantages over the happy in this life: greater felicity in dying, and in heaven all that fuperiority of pleasure which arifes from contrafted enjoyment. And this fuperiority, my friends, is no fmall advantage, and feems to be one of the pleasures of the poor man in the parable; for though he was already in heaven, and felt all the raptures it could give, yet it was mentioned as an addition to his happiness, that he had once been wretched, and now was comforted; that he had known what it was to be miferable, and now felt what it was to be happy. Thus, my friends, you fee religion does what philofophy could never do it shews the equal dealings of heaven to the happy. and the unhappy, and levels all human' enjoyments to nearly the fame standard. It gives to both rich and poor the fame happinefs hereafter, and equal hopes to afpire after it; but if the rich have the advantage of enjoying pleasure here, the poor have the endless fatisfaction of knowing what it was once to be miferable, when crowned with endless felicity hereafter; and even tho' this should be called a fmall advantage, yet being an eternal one, it must make up by duration what the temporal happiness of the great may have exceeded by intenfeness. These are therefore the confolations which the wretched have peculiar to themfelves, and in which they are above the reft of mankind; in other respects they are below them. They who would know the miseries of the poor muft see life and endure it. To declaim on the temporal advantages they enjoy, is only repeating what none either believe or practife. The men who have the neceffaries of living are not poor, and they who want them must be miferable. Yes, my friends, we must be miferable. No vain efforts of a refined imagination can foothe the wants of nature, can give elaftic sweetness to the dark vapour of a dungeon, or ease to the throbbings of a woe-worn heart. Let the philofopher from his couch of foftnefs tell us that we can refift all these. Alas! the effort by which we resist them is ftill the greateft pain! Death is flight, and any man may fuftain it; but torments. are dreadful, and thefe no man can endure. To us then, my friends, the promifes of happiness in heaven fhould be peculiarly dear; for if our reward be in this life alone, we are then indeed of all men the moft miferable. When I look round thefe gloomy walls, made to terrify, as well as to confine us, this light only ferves to fhew the horrors of the place, thofe hackles that tyranny has impofed, or crimes made neceflary; when I furvey thefe emaciated looks, and hear thofe groans, O my friends, what a glorious exchange would heaven be for thefe! To fly through regions unconfined as air, to bask in the funfhine of eternal blifs, to Ff carrol carrol over endless hymns of praife, to Remarks on the Character of Charles II. M ANY princes have practifed gallantry; many kings lived in adultery: but, for the most part, they have had fome regard to decency; fome reverence for their characters. But Charles kept no measures: he spoke and acted thofe things which are hardly to be men "He was tioned without blushing. But enough of thefe general characters. Let us now proceed to facts. Charles, it is well known, whilft abroad, entertain'd a commerce with the fex. On his resto ration, ration, Mrs. Palmer became his miftrefs: but being married to Catharine of Portugal, May 21, 1662, it was naturally expected he would break with the miftrefs, or, at least, keep his acquaintance with her as private as poffible, But marriage made no alteration in him. So far was he from making a fecret of his adultery, that he brought his lady under the queen's nofe, and insisted on her being appointed of the bed-chamber. Some perfons, it feems, remonstrated to him on the fubject; but the effect it had will be feen from the following copy of an original letter, which is known to be genuine by fome of the most respe&able perfonages in England. It was written to lord Clarendon from Hampton-Court, Thursday morning, (without the day of the month, or date of the year) in these terms; "I forgot, when you were here laft, to defire you give Brodericke good councel not to meddle any more with what concerns my lady Castlemaine, and to let him have a care how he is the author of any scandalous reports; for if I find him guilty of any fuch thing, I will make him repent it to the laft moment of his life, And now I am entered on this matter, I think it very neceffary to give you a little good councel in it, left you may think that, by making a farther ftir in the bufinefs, you may divert me from my refolution; which all the world fhall never do : and I wish I may be unhappy in this world, and in the world to come, if I fail in the leaft degree of what I have refolved; which is, of making my lady Caftlemaine of my wife's bedchamber; and whofoever I find ufe any endeavours to hinder this refolution of mine (except it be only to myself) I will be his enemy to the last moment of my life. You know how true a friend I have been to you; if you will oblige me eternally, make this bufinefs as easy to me as you can, of what opinion foever you are of; for I am refolved to go thro' this matter, let, what will come on it, which again I folemnly fwear, before Almighty God; therefore, if you defire to have the continuance of my friendship, meddle no more with this bufinefs, except it be to beat down all falfe and fcandalous reports, and to facilitate what I am fure my honour is fo much concerned in; and whofoever I find to be my lady Caftlemaine's enemy in this matter, I do promife, upon my word, to be his enemy as long as I live. You may fhew this letter to my lord lieutenant (the duke of Ormonde); and if you have both a mind to oblige me, carry yourselves like friends in this matter. CHARLES R." This letter had its effect on the lord chancellor; for it appears, by his own account, that, inftead of throwing up his poft like a man of honour and virtue, and bidding an everlafting adieu to the court of so bad a mafter; instead of doing this, he took on himself the mean and wicked office of attempting to perfuade her majefty to comply with the king's refolution with respect to his mittrefs. The queen, with a spirit which does honour to her character, in feveral conferences, abfolutely refufed: and it was not till after receiving the most fhocking treatment from his majefty, that she would vouchlafe to have any intercourfe with her. Afterwards the lady, for fome years, was all-powerful. But his majesty was far from confining himself to a fingle miftrefs; or making a fcruple of having it known, that he entertained familiarity with many. In the latter end of his days, in a progress to Winchester, he took Nell Gwyn with him and Dr. Ken's house, which he held in right of his prebend, was marked for her ufe; but the Doctor, to his honour, refused her admittance, and fhe was forced to feek other lodgings. : Mademoiselle de Keroualle (afterwards duchefs of Portsmouth) another mistress of that monarch, received a grant of the dutchy of Aubigny, from Lewis XIV. of France, which was given through a pretended regard to the king of England; though no doubt from other, and thofe, perhaps, political motives. Madame Sevigne, in one of her letters, fpeaking of this lady, fays, Mademoifelle de Keroualle has not been disappointed in any thing the propofed. She defired to be mistress to the king (of England) and she is fo: he lodges with her almost every night in the face of all the court; fhe has had a fon, who has been acknowledged, and prefented with two dutchies. She amaffes treasure; and makes herself feared and refpected by as many as the can. But fhe did not forefee that the fhould find a young actress in her way, whom the Ff2 Nell Gwyn, king found as much genius at home; but how licentious, how indelicate, was the style he permitted or demanded! Dryden's tragedies are a compound of bombaft and heroic obfcenity, inclosed in the most beautiful numbers. If Wycherly had nature, it is nature ftark-naked. The painters of that time veiled it but little more; Sir Peter Lely, scarce faves appearances but by a bit of fringe or embroidery. His nymphs, generally repofed on the turf, are too wanton and too magnificent, to be taken for any thing but maids of honour.". What more need be faid on this fubject? The witneffes are unanimous; the fact uncontroverted. Let us leave him then a warning to pofterity, of the danger arifing from bad principles in a fovereign; and the woes to be expected from men void of humanity and virtue, when in power. Their vices affect not merely themselves: they alone are not hurt by them. The community is infected as with a deadly leprofy, which defcends to pofterity; and though, by the virtue of their fucceffors, the diforder for a time may be palliated, it feldom is wholly cured: but, as opportunity offers, breaks forth with new violence, and hardly ever fails of terminating in destruction. king doats on; and he has it not in her power to withdraw him from her. He divides his care, his time, and his health, between these two. The actress is as haughty as mademoiselle : the infults her, fhe makes grimaces at her, fhe attacks her, the frequently fteals the king from her, and boats whenever he gives her the preference. She is young, indifcreet, confident, wild, and of an agreeable humour. She fings, the dances, the acts her part with a good grace. She has a fon by the king, and hopes to have him acknowledged. As to mademoiselle, the reafons thus: "This duchefs (fays fhe) pretends to be a perfon of quality; the fays, he is related to the beft families in France: whenever any person of diftinction dies, the puts herself in mourning. If the be a lady of fuch quality, why does the demean herfelf to be a courtefan? She ought to die with fhame. As for me, it is my profeffion; I do not pretend to any thing better. The king entertains me; and I am conftant to him at prefent. He has a fon by me; I pretend that he ought to acknowledge him; and I am well affured he will, for he loves me as well as mademoiselle. This creature gets the upper hand, and discountenances and embairaffes the duchefs extreamly." What a figure muft fuch a prince make in every difcerning eye! Sir William Throckmorton, in a letter to Coleman, fpeaks of the debauchery of the king's houfe, which (adds he) has made it odi-<< URN, gentle hermit of the dale, ous to all the nation and the world." He " And guide my lonely way, was not, however to be reclaimed. "In "To where yon taper cheers the vale, his last fickness, the duchefs of Portf"With hospitable ray. mouth fat in bed, taking care of him, as a wife of a husband; and, with his dying words, recommended her over and over again, to his brother. He faid he had always loved her, and he loved her now to the latt; and befought the duke, in as melting words as he could fetch out, to be very kind to her and to her fon. He recommended his other children to him; and concluded, Let not poor Nelly tarve. This was Mrs. Gwyn," [the actress abovementioned.] "Charles (fays Mr. Walpole) introduced the fashions of the court of France without its elegance. He had feen Lewis XIV. countenance Corneille, Moliere, Boileau, Le Sueur; who, forming themfelves on the models of the antients, feemed, by the purity of their writings, to have studied only in Sparta. Charles The Hermit, a Ballad. Supposed to be written by Dr. Goldsmith, Author of the Vicar of Wakefield. "For here forlorn, and loft, I tread, "With fainting steps, and slow; "Where wilds, immeasurably fpread, "Seem lengthening as I go." Forbear, my fon," the hermit cries, "To tempt the dangerous gloomi "For yonder phantom only flies "To lure thee to thy doom. "Here to the houseless child of want, "My door is open still; "And, tho' my portion is but fcant, "I give it with good will. "Then turn to-night, and freely share "Whate'er my cell bestows; "My ruthy couch, and frugal fare, My bleffing and repofe. "No flocks that range the valley free, "To flaughter I condemn : "Taught by that power that pities me, "I learn to pity them. "But "But from the mountain's graffy fide, "Nor wants that little long." No ftores beneath its humble thatch And now, when worldly crowds retire [hush, But while he spoke, a rising blush Like clouds that deck the morning skies, The lovely stranger stands confest "My father liv'd befide the Tyne, "A wealthy lord was he; And all his wealth was mark'd as mine, "He had but only me. "To win me from his tender arms, "Unnumber'd fuitors came; "Who prais'd me for imputed charms, "And felt or feign'd a flame. "Each morn the gay fantastic crowd, "With richest proffers ftrove: "Among the reft young Edwin bow'd, "But never talk'd of love. "In humbleft, fimpleft habit clad, "No wealth nor power had he; "A conftant heart was all he had, "But that was all to me. "The bloffom opening to the day, "The dews of heaven refin'd, "Could nought of purity display, "To emulate his mind. "The dew, the bloffom on the tree, "With charms inconftant shine, Their charms were his, but woe to me, "Their conftancy was mine. "For ftill I try'd each fickle heart, "Importunate and vain ; And while his paffion touch'd my heart, "I triumph'd in his pain. "Till quite dejected with my scorn, "He left me to my pride; "And fought a folitude forlorn, "In fecret, where he died. "But mine the forrow, mine the fault, “And well my life fhall pay ; "I'll feek the folitude he fought, "And stretch me where he lay. "And there forlorn, despairing hid, "I'll lay me down and die: "'Twas fo for me that Edwin did, "And fo for him will I." "Thou |