CONTENT S. N account of a novel lately published, intitled Amel a A defcription of Claremont, the feat of his grace the duke of Newcastle The JOURNAL of a Learned and Political" DEBATE on the number of feamen ibid. SPEECH of Afranius Burrhus for a reduc- Of the French increasing their marine 538, SPEECH of C. Numifius against the reduc- Seamen the palladium of our country ibid. Our conduct towards them cenfured ibid. Importance of our being mafters of the fea SPEECH of Q Opimius on the fame fide SPEECH of Servilius Prifcus in favour of The neceffity of preffing unavoidable 546 Conclufion of the remarks on proposals lately made for repealing most of the Arguments against county work houses 550 Of fettlements and certificates A letter of Diogenes, to the people of Another letter of his, to Megafthenes, ac- quainting him how he bantered and con- verted a victor, at his return from the Remarkable preamble to the late lord Cole- Marquis of Halifax's remarks on the cha- racter of K. Charles II. ibid. G, 54 A leffon for lottery adventurers. 554 F. Extracts from the fcheme laid before the ftates general of the united provinces by the late prince of Orange, for re- The author of Spectacle de Nature, on this Curious obfervations on Bees, from the attributes ought to affect us 560 FOREIGN AFFAIRS The fecond Copy of the Ode on Virtue came to late. The Verfes on reading Barclay's Apology, the About the Middle of January will be Published, NAPPENDIX to the LONDON MAGAZINE for 1751, with a A Beautiful FRONTISPIECE, a General TITLE curiously engraved, com. JAR THE LONDON MAGAZINE. For DECEMBER, 1751. An Account of a NOVEL lately publified, intitled, AMELIA. By Henry Fielding, Efq; To which are added fome general Remarks, VOL. I. HE two chief perfons in this novel are Mr. Booth, A a young half-pay officer, and his wife Amelia, a lady of good family in the West of England, and the scene opens with Mr. Booth's being unjustly committed to prifon for beating a watchman, by an ignorant and mercenary juftice of peace, where Booth had his coat ftript off of his back B by the prifoners, because he had no money to pay garnish. Soon after his commitment a beautiful young lady, finely dreffed, and full of money, was brought in, having been committed for murder by the name of Vincent, and as he had money to pay for it, the had a room in the prison by herself; but as the paffed through, Booth thought he had feen her before, and asked the keeper if her name was not Mathews. but next day would not lend him a fhilling to purchase a breakfast; so that he found himself in danger of starving in jail. Whilft poor Booth was ruminating upɔns his melancholy fituation, the fame perfon that had brought him the packet, came and told him, a lady in the houfe (as he called the prifon) defired the favour of his company. He immediately obeyed, and was conducted to the room, where he was foon convinced, that Mrs. Vincent was really his old acquaintance Mifs Mathews, who upon hearing that he had atked from her window, and presently recollected if that was her name, took a view of him who he was. Having thus met in a place where neither of them could have ever expected. to have feen the other, they give each other the history of their lives, from the time of their having laft seen one another, Mifs Mathews began by informing him, Cever in love with, which he could not that he was himself the first man fhe was have miffed obferving, if he had not been then engaged with her neighbouring young lady, whom he foon after married, and who was then his wife. She then gave him an account how the had been inveigled and debauched by a cornet of dragoons quartered in the neighbourhood, whom her father grew fo fond of, as to D him the had been perfuaded to elope from invite him to live in his house, and how by her father, and live with him in London as his mistress, on a promise that he would marry her as foon as it was in his power; but instead thereof, he had juft married a young widow of her acquaintance whe being affured of this by a letter from himhad a great jointure; and that upon her felf, the went directly to his house, where The had ftabbed him to the heart, with a penknife which the had prepared on purpose, for which he was immediately feized, and committed to that place. As Mr. Booth had no money, nor any friend in town to whom he could apply, either for bail or money, he continued the first day without any thing to eat or drink, as well as without his coat; but next morning he received a packet, from whence he did not know, with a guinea enclosed; and fufpecting it had been de livered to him by mistake, he made proclamation in the prifon to fee if any could lay claim to the packet, which several did, but none could make out their title by declaring the contents; fo he applied it to his own use, by redeeming his coat, re- E covering his fnuff-box which had been picked out of his pocket by a pretended methodist, and purchasing a dinner, to a share of which he invited a fellow prifoner, called Robinson, who had fhewn him fome civilities, and who in the afternoon won all the rest of his money at cards, 1 December, 175* As to Mr. Booth's hiftory he relates it thus: That, after many crofies and difXXX 2 appointments, 532 Account of a NovEL, intitled, AMELIA. apointments, he had, by means of Dr. Dec. and defired him to direct his answer to Paris, which they received a few days after their arrival, with the fatal news that their mother Mrs. Harris was dead, and that she had left her whole fortune to her daughter Betty, but that their fon was well, and should be taken care of, and concluding his letter with an order for 100l. upon a banker at Paris. This recruit brought them to London, from whence they let out prefently for their mother's feat in Wiltfhire, now inhabited by fifter Betty, from whom they met with nothing but hypocrify and infolence, but with the utmost kindness and hofpitality from Dr. Harrifon with whom they lodged. Soon after their arrival here, Mr. Booth had an account, that the company in which he was lieutenant, he ng an additional one, was broke, and he thereby reduced to halfpay, on which it was not poffible for him and his family to fubfift; therefore by the doctor's advice he refolved to turn farmer, and the doctor not only let him his parfoCnage farm at an easy rent, but as the stocking it did not require much money, he furnished him with what was wanted. Here his wife brought forth another fon, and he lived a moft tranquil and agreeable life, until the doctor was called upon to attend his patron's eldest fon in his travels, by which means he was deprived of the advice of that excellent friend; and being Ꭰ willing to increase his gains, in order to provide for his family, he took a leafe of a neighbouring farm; but focn found that he had a very hard bargain, by which, and by fome other mistakes, he was ruined, and forced to fly to London for fear of be ing arrested, where he had but just taken a lodging in the verge, and wrote to his Amelia, when a fray happened at night in the street, and as he endeavoured to affift the injured party, he was feized by the watch, carried to the Round-house, and in the morning committed to that prifon. liged to go with his regiment to Gibraltar, B As Amelia, while at Montpelier, had wrote feveral times both to her mother and fitter, without any anfwer, Mr. Booth at Jaft wrote to their friend Dr. Harriton, an account of their diftrels for want of money, G In the interim of this mutual relation, dinner had been ferved up, and Mifs Mathews having furnished Mr. Booth with money, they both dined with the master of the prifon and his company, which confifted of the chief of the prifoners, aud one Murphy, an attorney, whom the ma❤ fer recommended Arongly to Mifs Mathews for her lawyer, but he infifted upon having more money in hand than fhe could furnish him with. However, in a little time after, the mafter came to her, and told her, that the gentleman the thought the had killed, was not dead, nor in danger, fo that if he took proper measures the might be bailed the next day; but the waved the difcourfe, being more fond to hear ¡Mr. Booth's story, who now found that 1751. Account of a NovEL, intitled, AMELIA. that he was known, for the mafter called VOL. II.! B As it began to be lare before Mr. Booth finished his hiftory, the mafter came foon A after he had done to tell them it was locking up time, on which Mifs Mathews asked, after having called for a bowl of rack punch, if the captain and she might not fit up all night in her room, which the mafter agreed to on being paid half a guinea for the indulgence, and prefently locked them up together, where they passed the night in a manner not very confitent with the rules either of chastity or conftancy; and in this way they continued for a whole week, but Booth was all the time fo checked by his confcience, that he began to grow melancholy, whereupon the expreffed fome refentment, and then thewed him a letter she had just received figned Damon, which told her, that the writer felt inexpreffible C horrors at hearing of her confinement, upon his arrival in town that morning; that as the man the had hurt was out of all danger, the might expect his attorney with two of his tradesmen to bail her out, and his chariot to carry her wherever the pleafed. D Mr. Booth thought he knew the hand, but the did not give him time to recollect, for taking the letter she immediately shewed him what was contained in it, which was 100l. bank-bill, and prefently after the chariot with the attorney arrived, who brought her discharge from confinement. She returned her thanks to the gentleman, but would not make use of the chariot, pretending that she would not leave E fuch a place in a triumphant manner; but the truth was, he would not leave it till the had procured Mr. Booth his discharge, and offered him the bank.bill, which he would by no means accept of; but at her defire, and with her money the mafter brought him a difcharge, for the intended to have taken him along with her; in which, however, the was difappointed; for at that inftant Amelia arrived, and Mifs Mathews was obliged to go off in a hackney coach by herself. Mr. Booth, with his Amelia, went a way in the hackney coach that brought her, and upon his inquiring how the came to know where he was, he told him, that the heard it in the country, the news of G his imprisonment having been spread thro' the whole neighbourhood by her fifter. Tho' Mifs Mathews had got a new lover, who not only could, but would furnish her with every thing she could reasonably 533 Be... defire yet, as fhe was in love with Mr. Booth, and was violent in all her paffions, it was but three days before the wrote to him, to let him know where the lodged, and defiring to fee him; and upon his not obeying, he had, in three days more, another from her, with very strong expreffions of love, but equally ftrong of refentment, which made him very unealy, left her revenge thould prompt her to communicate to his wife their criminal correspondence, which he was refolved not to renew. fore his receiving this fecond letter, he had met with his old friend captain, now colonel James; for by the death of an uncle be had come to the poffeffion of a large eftate, and the command of a borough, for which he had got himself and his brother-in-law, major Bath, chofen members, and by that means had obtained a regiment, of which he had made his brother-in-law lieutenant colonel. Col. James fhewed, that neither his friendship nor generosity was altered by his good fortune; for he not only offered Mr. Booth his intereft towards obtaining a company in his regiment, but gave him a sol. Bank bill, and faid he would give him gol. more the next time he faw him. In the perplexity Mr. Booth was under, upon receiving the fecond letter from Mifs Mathews, he thought he could not do better than ask the advice of his friend col. James, to whom he opened the whole affair, and thewed him the letter; whereupon the colonel told him, that if he would give him the letter, and promise upon honour never to fee the lady again, he would pay her what money he had given, or advanced for him in prifon, and take care that the fhould never trouble him any more; which he readily agreed to; but the colonel took no notice of the gel. he had promised him, nor any notice of him the next time he faw him in the Park, at both which he was furprized, but foon found out the caufe; for by a letter from Mifs Mathews, full of upbraidings, he was informed, that col. James was his rival, and the very man who fent her the letter figned Damon, when he was in prifon; tho' with all the expence he had been at, he had never yet obtained that favour, which he had in a manner forced Mr. Booth to accept. Having thus found out the cause of the colonel's coldnek, they came to an explanation at their next meeting, and they were not only reconciled, but the colonel prefented him with the cl. he had promiled, and declared, he would take the first opportunity to follicit his preferment; foon after which, as Mr. Booth and his Amelia were walking in the Park, they met with Joe Atkinson, who was now a ferjeant in the guards. By 534 Account of a NovEL, intitled, AMELIA. By the means of Mrs. Ellifon, the land. lady of the house where they lodged, they were acquainted with one Mrs. Bennet, the widow of a young clergyman, and also with a noble lord, who visited Mrs. Ellifon as a relation, and who pretended to be vastly fond of Mr. Booth, protesting, that he would do him all the fervice in A his power, which Booth was the better pleafed with, as he had found himself in fome measure deferted by his friend col. James; which brought on a quarrel and a duel between him and col. Bath, whom he ran thro' the body, but the wound proved not to be mortal; and this occafioned a new reconciliation with col. James, and a detection that the laft breach had been occafioned by the revengeful fug, geftions of Mifs Mathews against Booth. B From the noble lord we have mentioned, Booth received many promifes, his children many prefents, and Mrs. Ellifon many vifts, at all which he took care to have Amelia prefent, and fometimes Mrs. Benmet, who had now privately married fer- C jeant Atkiníon, happened to be there. At laft his lordship fent Mrs. Ellison two tickets for the masquerade at Ranelagh, and the invited Amelia to go along with her, which Mr. Booth at first violently oppofed, having heard fomething of my lord's character from col. James; but as Mrs. Ellifon had faid, that the prefent was D defigned chiefly on his lady's account, they were both afraid, left her refufal might affront his lordship, and prevent his doing any thing for him; fo he at lait confented, and her going was refolved on, in the prefence of Mrs. Bennet, who happened by chance to be there at the time. But next morning early the maid brought him a fealed note the had received from a E chairman, in which were written these lines: Beware, beware, beware! For I apprebend a dreadful fnaré This alarmed them both: They at firft fuppofed, that fomebody had laid a plot to betray him to the bailiffs, who, as he had been informed by Mr. Atkinson, were upon the watch for him, having been employed by the attorney Murphy; but this could no way relate to virtuous innocence, which made Amelia perufe the note a fecond time, and then the recollected that it was Mrs. Bennet's hand writing, which the knew by having feen a letter of hers to Mrs. Ellifon, wrote at the time of her husband's death; upon which the went immediately to Mrs. Bennet's lodging to have the note explained, G VOL. III. Dee. Mrs. Bennet gave Amelia an account of her melancholy history, from which it ap→ peared, that Mrs. Ellifon was not a relation of my lord's, but a bawd employed by him to tempt and betray the innocent that the had been betrayed by her, which the feared had been the death of her hufband, tho' the phyficians imputed it to another caufe, and that the was convinced, there was fome fuch plot laid against her, which was the caufe of that note. After this the confeffed her being married to Mr. Atkinson, which he had fearce done, when he came in, and told Amelia of her hufband's being arrested at the fuit of Dr. Harrison. Mr. Booth had fome time before received a very angry letter from the Doctor, then at Paris, which thewed, that fome malicious tales had been wrote to the Doctor concerning him, but he thought that as foon as he faw him, he could easily convince him of their falfhood, for which he had no opportunity, as he had not heard of the Doctor's being returned to England; and he was trapanned into this arreft, while his Amelia was at Mrs. Bennet's, by a fellow in the drefs of a footman, who came running, and told him, that she was taken violently ill, and carried in to Mrs. Chenevix's toy-fhop, on which, without reflecting, he ran to fee her, and as foon as he got out of the verge, was furrounded by the bailiffs, who carried him to their fpunging-house in Gray's Inn Lane, where he was prefently attended by ferjeant Atkinson, who had been told of his being arrested by a foldier that faw it, and heard the directions given to the coachman. As Mr. Booth had not yet been informed what fort of woman Mrs. Ellifon was, he fent for her to join with the ferjeant in bailing him; but by the time he was charged with above 400). which was more than they could fwear themselves worth; and upon Mrs. Ellifon's return, the whifpered to Amelia, that if The would keep her promife, and go with her to Ranelagh that evening, he would meet with one who had both the power and the will to ferve her upon that occafion, notwithstanding the large fum her husband was charged with. This confirmed all that Mrs. Bennet, now Mrs. Atkinson, had said and upon this they both came to an open breach with Mrs. Ellifon, who now found herself detected. In the afternoon Amelia was vifited by col. James, who protefted, that he would do all in his power for her husband's relief, obliged her to accept of a sol. Bank bill, faid a great many civil things to her, and at her defire went that very evening so fee her husband, and promised to return |