gave way to a more permanent attachment. Mifs Yg, a lady of uncommon beauty, and extraordinary good temper, made fo great an impreflion upon him, that after fome intercourfe, he mar-ried her, and she proved a molt amiable wife, and a very affectionate mother. By this lady he has feveral children ftill living, whom he most tenderly loves, and to whom he approves himself the beft of fathers. After a happy union of fome years, he loft this valuable help-mate; and to testify his fincere regard for her, and the forrow he felt upon the occafion, he erected a most elegant maufoleum to her memory, on which her many virtues are infcribed. At the demise of his wife, he feemed to have no other delight than in the charming pledges fhe had left him. He was constantly feen riding in a phaeton, with a couple of fine young ladies, who appeared the miniatures of their late beautiful mother. Sorrow, however pungent, will, in time, fubfide. Theatricus, after fome months, was again vifible at the playhouse and at Ranelagh; but he viewed the various toasts, who fhone the meteors of that gay circle, with cool philofophic indifference: they infpired in him no agitations of the heart, unless it were recalling to his memory the image of his dear confort: but fuch is the frailty of human nature, or fuch was his deftiny, that at length he was again caught in the urchin's toils. Being one night in the fide-box, he obferved a remarkable fine figure enter the oppofite upper box; all eyes were upon her, and Theatricus taking a telefcopic view of her charms, they were fo magnified in his eye, that he found them irresistible. Going round into her box, he was as much pleased with the conversation she held with another lady, as he had been enraptured with her perfon. She made many just remarks upon the performers, and the performance, that he judged she might be ranked amongst dramatic critics. After the play he handed her to a coach, when the behaved with fuch elegance and ease, as rivetted the chains the had already forged for him. Upon ftrict enquiry, he found that she was then fupported by a foreign minister in great splendour; but learning at the fame time, that he would foon be recalled, Theatricus was not without hopes of fupplying his place. The event favoured his moft fanguine withes, the minifter returned home, and Mrs. G — was no longer under any reftraint. Theatricus was introduced, and a connexion foon fucceeded. This lady, though he was ftill in the prime of life, had gone through many fcenes, as well upon the stage as in real life. At Salisbury, where the was born, the eloped with a strolling player, who initiated her into the mysteries of the drama, and the was a tolerable appendage to a country company. In this fituation fhe remained for fome time, 'till quarrelling with her buskined lover, fhe came to the metropolis, and foon made acquaintance with the celebrated Charlotte H"with whom the lived, when that lady performed that capital ftroke of infamy at a boarding-school near town: a certain celebrated debauchee, had feen a young lady of family at this feminary of education, who made fo great an impreffion on him, that he was refolved, let the event be what it might, to obtain the poffeffion of this pretty innocent. He communicated his defign to Charlotte, and her fertile brain foon devifed a scheme for the young lady's deftruction: the placed a pretended niece at this fchool, who was taught to ingratiate herself with the young lady, and they foon formed an intimate acquaintance. When Charlotte found her project was fo far ripe, she went one day in her elegant carriage, to take her niece an airing, who strongly. foliciting the young lady to go with her, and having obtained the governefs's confent, after making a fhort tour, inflead of returning to the fchool, they repaired to a certain nunnery in the purlieus of St. James's: here the young lady had fweetmeats, and every thing her little heart could with. In fome white wine that the drank, a foporific powder was infused, which speedily operated-her ravisher was at hand-let the reader image to himself the sequel! This tranfaction gave Mrs. G— --an utter difguft to her fituation, and the embraced the first opportunity of changing it. She met Count Gone evening at a masquerade, an acquaintance enfued, and the alliance we have already mentioned. The connexion between Theatricus and Mrs. G, would probably have ftill continued, had not her extravagance, and her itch for play, made him refolve to break off a correspondence, however agreeable in itself, that seemed pregnant with the most alarming confequences: Mrs. G— had formed an affociation with fome nominal ladies of quality, who lived chiefly by gaming; it being a gratification to her vanity to keep fuch good company, whilft he did not reflect on ther their inducement to keep up the acquaintance. She was, according to the gameiter's phrafe, their pigeon; night after night he was their conftant bubble. For a time Theatricus fupplied her demands, but at length finding them out of all reafon, he had the fortitude to close his purfe-ftrings, and take leave of his imprudent mittrefs. Many weeks had not elapfed before he met with Mifs Ly at Mary-bone. She was the daughter of a confiderable Tradefman, who, by her father's loffes in business, was reduced to the neceffity of fupporting herself by her needle. She had received a good education, and was a very agreeable young woman. At the time of her father's failure, the received the addreffes of a young gentleman, who had a genteel employment under the government. On discovering the change in her fortune, he altered the nature of his propofals, and inftead now of talking of marriage, he talked of a fettlement: he at first treated these overtures with a becoming contempt, but at length distress compelled her to yield to them. Some months paffed in rapture and mutual fondnefs, ere a coolness on his fide enfued, which made her reflect on the precarioufnefs of her fituation; fhe now reminded him of his promife of making a fettlement; he laughed at her folly (as he called it) to think that a man would be fo filly as to comply with fuch a request, after he had completely gratified all his wishes. This treatment did but fore-run a difunion, and fhe was foon left to find another admirer; but the treatment she had met with from her first feducer, made her refolve to yield to no one who had not proved himself a man of honour to the fex. Theatricus's well known character in this respect, induced her to lif ten to him. Mifs Ly is, in many respects, the opposite to Mrs. G. So far from being extravagant, or fond of play, the has an utter averfion to cards; her favourite amusement is reading: fhe does not admire fhow or parade; when fhe goes to a play, it is in a decent difhabille, with a female friend, in the gallery or the pit. In fine, though Theatricus fupplies all her wants to the utmost extent ofher wifhes, the is a very fmall expence to him; it is with difficulty fhe can be prevailed upon to have new clothes; and the few trinkets and jewels he has presented her with the feldom wears. Mifs Ly is at once a very amiable, a very beautiful, and a very worthy female. Theatricus is ruly fenfible of her merit, and endea vours to make her hours glide in the moft agreeable manner; her domeftic concerns form the greatest object of her care, she prides herself upon the neatness of her houfe, and the regularity of her servants, which affords Theatricus an additional fatisfaction, as these attentions are congenial with his own fentiments. Mifs L -y is fuch a rara avis, in her fituation of life, that her parallel cannot, perhaps, be produced in the whole circle of female gallantry. F On the Seduction of Women. F all the evils we meet with in human fociety, none feem, to the contemplative mind, more mischievous in their effects, than the common practice of feducing women: a practice not only ungenerous, unjuft, unmanly, and cowardly, but even cruel to inhumanity. Libertines must excufe the freedom we take; fuch of them as are poffeffed of abilities, if they have a defence to make, ought to produce one in every point of view unanswerable. The prefent amazing increase of wretched prostitutes furnishes to the benevolent fpectator matter for the most afflicting concern.-That heaven's faireft, finished forms, fhould be fo frequently become a hacknied fcoff and fport for fools and madmen to defcant on, is, indeed, a lamentable thought, which only by the thoughtless can be ridiculed. Would men, would men of honour, as they ftile themselves, but reflect how much they debafe the dignity of their nature by the meanness of disguise, they muft, they cannot but be afhamed. Is it honourable, is it honeft, is it fair, or is it foul dealing, to make proteftations of inviolable love and regard to women, whofe company we are coveting on terms of compleat defolation to their peace of mind, and diametrically oppofite to the exercise of every noble, true-born feeling of the foul?-The queftion is no fooner afked than answered. Confcience has no lawyer to confult.No writs of error lie against her fentence iffuing from a court of perfect equity.—Oh more, much more than any lord high chancellor can do, she stamps on her decrees the ted faft seal of heaven. Alas! how many men are there in the world, who, with every advantage that age, education, and experience can afford, wantonly and barbaroufly make their disgraceful boasts of conqueft over innocent, unfufpecting, inexperienced, illiterate, giddy females, who, were they poffeffed, of equal qualifications with their betrayers, would not fail to A Hifiory of the fourth Seffion of the fecond Parliament of Ireland, in the Reign of bis prefent Majefly, begun on Tuesday the 12th of October, 1773, and ended June 2, 1774. (Continued from page 215.) Mer Wednesday, Feb. 23. R. Tenifon's bill was agreed to, and fent up to the Lord Lieutenant. Colonel Blaquiere (by order of his excellency) laid before the house a memorial figned by a great number of the nobility and members of parliament, in which was fet forth a number of reasons why the removal of the Custom-house down the river, and the building a bridge from the old-ferry would be of great utility to the revenue, and the embellishment of the city. This memorial was referred to a committee of the whole house. Thursday, Feb. 24.] Heads of a bill to enable Barry Denny, Efq; (a member) to leafe out part of his eftate, were presented and committed; a report was made from the felect committee on the Newry election, that neither the fitting member, Mr. Corry, nor the petitioner, Sir Richard Johnson, was duly elected, and a writ was ordered for a new election. Heads of a bill to enable Archbishops, &c. to grant leafes, were presented and committed. Sir Lucius O'Brien moved for a claufe to appropriate the money arifing from the quarterage bill, or part thereof, to the corporation for badging beggars. The question being put, the house divided, Ayes 31 Noes Majority 27 4 Tellers for the Ayes, Sir Lucius O'Brien and colonel Browne. Tellers for the Noes, Mr. Redmond Morres and Dr. Clement. The committee then fat, (Dr. Clement in the chair.) Mr. Morres moved to add, refiding in the city of Dublin and the liberties adjoining thereto after the words, merchants, fhopkeepers, and traders, in the first enacting clause. Colonel Browne moved, that the chairman do leave the chair. This motion was defended by Mr. Mafon and Mr. Barry, and oppofed by Mr. Morres, Mr. French, Mr. Meade Ogle and Mr. O'Hara. Dr. Clement declared the archbishop of Dublin and the Earl of Meath had affented to their liberties being included, May, 1775. and Mr. Jofeph Deane, that the inhabitants of Thomas Court and Donore had done the fame. Colonel Browne then withdrew his motion. Colonel Browne, Mr. Barry, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Rowley, jun. Mr. Maunfel, fen. Mr. James Browne and Mr. Daly fpoke against the amendment; and Mr. Morres and Mr. Ponfonby, and the Prime Serjeant in defence of it. At length it was carried without a divifion, and the committee having gone through the bill, the house adjourned. Friday, Feb. 25,] Heads of Mr. Denny's bill, were agreed to and fent up to the Lord Lieutenant. As were the heads of a bill for the recovery of small debts. As were also the quarterage bill, after the house had made fome amendments, and filled up the blanks in the first and fecond enacting clauses, as follow, viz, Afcertaining the intrufion and quarterage, per year, were as follow: Intr. quar. 1. s. S. Every non-freeman, having not more than three apprentices or journeymen, Every non-freeman, having more than three journeymen or apprentices, Every non-freeman, working only for himself, Every freeman, having not more than three apprentices or journeymen, for his freedom, Every freeman, having more than the above number, for admiffion to his freedom, Every freeman, working only for himself, 8 2 O 10 I Thefe relate to Dublin only, but in the other parts mentioned in the act, freemen are to pay a fine not more than 2s. and not less than is. a year for quarterage. Heads of a bill to preferve the falmon fithery, were prefented by Mr. Adderly; read, and ordered to be committed. Saturday, Feb. 26.] Heads of a bill to amend the road from Dublin to Dunleer.. Heads of a bill for quieting the poffeffions of proteftants; and heads of a bill for keeping churches in repair, were all prefented, read and ordered to be committed. Dr. Clement prefented to the house a petition from the merchants of Dublin. praying to be heard by council against removing the custom-house. Ordered, that the petitioners be heard, by council on Monday next. M m M Mr. O'Hara prefented a bill to explain and amend the tontine a&t (returned from England) which was read the first time. Monday, Feb. 28.] The order of the day being called for, there were two orders, one for going into the committee to take into confideration the meffage of his excellency, relative to the removal of the custom-houfe; and the other for the fecond reading of the bill for amending the tontine act. Mr. Barry infifted, that as the first had priority, it ought to come on first, as lawyers and witneffes were at the bar, and it was a point of great expectancy; to this it was anfwered, that the first order would engrofs the whole day, and not leave the leaft time for the other, which as it would be fooneft dispatched, ought to come on firft. Mr. Barry then replied, that he could not fee how gentlemen could decide up on the tontine bill without neceffary in formation, by which alone they could judge of the neceffity of it; he should therefore move, That the proper officer fhould lay before the house, an account of all the money fubfcribed, with the names of the fubfcribers, the fums paid in, and if any, and on what conditions. Mr. Scot faid this was out of order, which tended only to the fecond reading of the bill. Mr. Ponfonby replied, as it related to the bill, it was in order; but Mr. Barry not infifting on his motion, the bill was read, and the question put for its being committed. Mr. Barry, in a speech of an hour and fix minutes, recapitulated all the objections which had been made during the former progrefs of this bill, which have been already mentioned in this magazine. Colonel Blaquiere made a fhort reply; and after Mr. Ponsonby had faid a few words against it, and Mr. O'Neil for it, the houfe divided on the queftion, Ayes, Noes, Majority, 103 49 54 The tontine amendment bill read then a fecond time, and was ordered to be committed. A petition of the brewers of Dublin against removing the cuftom-house was prefented: as was alfo a petition, figned by between a thousand and twelve hundred inhabitants of the Earl of Meath's and other liberties, againft the removal of the custom house, and referred to the committee appointed to examine on that measure; which committee then fat, Mr. Mason chairman, and after reading the memorials and petitions referred to it, the council was called in. The council for the petitioners, against the removal of the custom-house, were Sir Samuel Bradstreet, Bart. Recorder of Dublin, and Mr. Radcliffe. The council for the memorialists were Thomas Kelly, Efq; and Barry Yelverton, Efq; king's council. The Recorder and Mr. Radcliffe spoke firit, on the great injury this meafure would be to the property of great numbers of individuals to the welt of Temple-lane flip; to the trade of Dublin by the delay, inconvenience, and expence which the merchants would incur ; and the danger to which fhipping would be thereby expofed. To prove these allegations, they proceeded to call witneffes; the firft of whom was Mr. Graydon, a pilot, and one of the haven-matters of Dublin. On his examination, on oath, he seemed to prove the facts relative to the shipping; but on his cross examination, by the council on the other fide, and by Mr. Beresford, this point remained in great meafure, a point of fpeculation, and a matter of opinion, efpecially if docks capable of holding forty or fifty fhips were conftructed by the new custom-houfe. By this time it was near nine o'clock, and as it was then impoffible to go thro all the witnesses (above forty being fummoned) and hear the reply of the other council, the farther confideration was poftponed till to-morrow, and the house adjourned. Tuesday, March 1.] Mr. W. B. Ponfonby reported from the committee the heads of a bill to enable archbishops, bifhops, &c. to grant leafes, which, after the houfe had made fome amendments, were ordered to the Lord Lieutenant. Mr. Charles Smith prefented heads of a bill for improving of wafte land, bogs, &c. which were read and committed. Mr. Barry moved for the return of the money paid into the treasury on the tontine scheme, which motion had been poftponed. The house divided, Ayes, Noes, 22 72 Majority against the motion, 50 The house went into a committee, Mr. O'Hara in the chair, on the bill for amending the tontine act. Mr. Barry moved, that inftead of, to put the English and Irish subscribers on an an equal footing, it should run, an unequal footing. This motion (which if carried would have deftroyed the bill) was defended by Mr. Barry and Mr. Huffey, and oppofed by Mr. Langrifhe, Mr. James Browne, and Mr. Bufhe, on the old arguments already so often urged, on both fides, but the bill went through the committee without any divifion. The speaker took the chair, and Mr. O'Hara reported. Ordered, that this bill be engroffed. The house then went into a committee for the farther confideration of the removal of the cuftom-house to below the dry dock on the north-fide, and building a bridge from Fleet-alley, Mr. Mafon in the chair, and spent the rest of the day in the farther examination of the haven-mafter, (Mr. Graydon) and then adjourned till to-morrow. On this examination it appeared in favour of the prefent fcite of the cuftomhoufe, that the best lying for fhips is from Batchelor's-lane to the graving bank. And that although there are two rocks between Effex-bridge and the bagnioflip, yet they might be removed. But it appeared on the other fide of the question, that in one year, out of 2440 fhips entered into the port of Dublin, only 378 were unladen at the customhoufe-quay, fo that no less than 2062 were, for want of room, obliged to be delivered lower down the river. Wednesday, March 2.] The engroffed bill for amending the tontine act was read a third time, passed and sent to the Lords. The house then went into a committee on the removal of the custom house, (Mr. Mafon in the chair) and continued till 9 o'clock in examining Mr. John Demply, (the other haven-master of Dublin) Mr. Marsden of the ballaft-office, Mr. Armstrong, pilot mafter, Mr. Jaffery, Mr. Sutton, and Mr. Abraham Wilkinfon, merchants; whofe concurrent teftimony was clearly against changing the fcite of the custom-house. The bill for quieting the poffeffion of proteftants, and the bill for the relief of foundlings, &c, preventing fires, and appointing a watch in cities; and the bill for the Dunleer road, were fent up to the Lord Lieutenant, Thursday, March 3.] Heads of a bill to enable Luke Gardiner, Elq, to make long leafes, were fent up to the Lord Lieutenant; as were the heads of a bill for the better repair of churches, Heads of a bill for holding the feffions of the town of Antrim were prefented, of committed; as were heads of a bill, for the better enforcing the laws relative to turnpike roads; and heads of a bill for granting premiums on the carriage of corn and four, coaft ways to Dublin. Dr. Clement made a report from the committee appointed to examine the state of the houfe of industry. It appeared that 391 perfons were in the house, whose maintenance required 16421. 12s. 9d. 36 a year, and that it was intirely owing to the indefatigable induftry, abilities and conduct of Mr. Benjamin Haughton, of Afh-street, that this scheme (firft planned by Dean Woodward) had been carried into execution, to the great advantage of the public, but to his own private detriment, by the neglect of his own bufinefs, having given up his whole time to this fcheme. That the corporation had not fufficient funds to recompenfe Mr. Haughton, and therefore the committee refolved, that he was worthy of the confideration of the house. These several refolutions of the committee were unanimously agreed to by the house; and several of the members expreffed their warmeft approbation of Mr. Haughton's conduct, and higheft fenfe of his abilities, and the great fervices he had rendered to the community.. Colonel Blaquiere, faid he was as fenfible of the important fervices of Mr. Haughton, as any gentleman, and would have been as glad if the prefent ftate of the revenue would have admitted of giving him a proper compenfation, but that could not be done at present; yet in the next feffions he would be the foremoft, both to acknowledge and recompenfe Mr. Haughton's great labours for the public good. Sir Lucius O'Brien moved, that the thanks of the houfe fhould be given to the Rev. Dean Woodward, for his public fervices in refpect to the beggars of this city. This motion was defended by Mr. Redmond Morres, Mr. Talbot, Mr. Daly, Mr. Barry, and Mr. French, and oppofed by Mr. Burke (who moved the previous question) Colonel Burton, Colonel Browne, and Mr. Prime Serjeant. The previous queflion being put, paffed in the negative, Ayes, Noes, 34 41 The house then went into a committee on the removal of the custom-houfe. M m 2 Mr. |