1775.

443

taken

fhivering in cold weather, a braziere or pan with burning coals was brought into his chamber, and placed near him, and by fome act of carelefinefs, was placed fo very close to him, as to fcorch him. A noble, who happened to be prefent, faid to one that ftood by him," the king burns." The other answered, it is true, but the pige, whofe office it is to bring and remove the braziere, is not here." The consequence of which was, that before the page could be found, his

mareft caufed an face were fo burnt.

that it an eryfipelas, which he died.

Philip the fourth, his fucceffor, efcaped not much better. That prince being one day hunting, was overtaken by a violent ftorm of rain. and hail; and no man prefuming to lend the king a cloak, he was fo wet before the officer could be found, who carried his own, that he took a cold, which brought on a violent and dangerous fever, from which he efcaped with great difficulty.

HARRXamples of conjugal affec

ARRIET was one of the bright

:

tion, and domeftic economy, that the island could boaft of at least this laft century. The beauty of her face, and elegance of her perfon, tho' great, were far inferior to the qualifications of her mind with a foul elevated to an angelic sphere of dignity, fhe had joined Chriftian humility, and an unreserved affability, not only towards her equals in rank and fortune, but also to her inferiors. To her husband, Alcander, fhe facrificed all her charms; and every accomplishment the was miftrefs of the used to rivet more strongly the pleasing chains with which her beauty had originally captivated his heart. He was truly fenfible of her merit and his own happinefs; and valued, as every man of fenfe will do, a virtuous wife, as the greatest bleffing heaven could bestow. He was not like the many ftupid wretches, among our modern men of

caprice and the moft odious paffions.

quality and fashion, whe are flaves to

Miferable beings! who, after the first enjoyment, and fometimes foon as the facred promife has been made at the altar, break it, and quit the lovely fair one, with more indifference than is found among the brute creation.

No wonder when fuch husbands ftray, Their wives b'example lofe their way.

Alcander was a man of generous feelings and virtue: he knew himself bleffed; and bleffed his amiable Harriet in return, with love for love. He was hardly happy but in her fight, nor the but in his. What do I hear? Some ladies exclaiming, "Oh! the unfafhionable fools! ce n'eft pas le bon ton!" They will foon find their own ways, and the bon ton greater folly. Alcander, in procefs of time, was obliged to go to Peterburgh, to take poffeffion of fome confiderable effects, which had devolved on him by the de

mife

mife of a near relation, and could not be done without his perfonal attendance. This feparation was an affect ing ftroke to his lovely Harriet. She begged to accompany him with all the rhetoric fhe was mistress of, but in vain. Alcander loved her too dearly, to let her risk the dangers of the fea, and they parted with mutual regret: the confoled herself with the hope of his happy return at the end of four months, and immediately fent for his fifter to keep her company, and help her to pass away the tedious hours of her dear husband's absence, with fome degree of contentment.

Alcander's fifter was witty, fprightly, and pretty; and her agreeable converfation greatly contributed to diffipate the gloom which fpread too feverely over Harriet's faithful breast. Many attemps were made on her virtue and chastity, and to feduce her fifter-in-law, by dignified libertines, who bafely endeavoured (fecundum ufum) to take advantage of the husband and brother's absence: but their arts and labours were vain; they were answered on both fides with fcorn and contempt, and the doors were fhut upon them. Thus prudently they guarded themselves, not only from the temptation, but even the appearance of dishonour, and against the flander of evil tongues.

Alcander's voyage fucceeded beyond his warmeft wishes; he wrote to Harriet every opportunity that offered: and the, at laft, received the good news of his having finished his affairs, and embarking at Petersburgh for London.

She daily expected his arrival, with that impatience and tranfport of heart which fo affectionate a wife could feel. One day as the was walking in the garden with Alcander's fifter, and another young lady who came on a vifit, a news paper was brought her, which contained an account of the hip in which her husband had failed, being loft in a dreadful ftorm, and all on board perished! Soon as he came to that fatal part, the inftantly fwooned away, and it was with the utmoft difficulty that he was brought to herself. Then he burst into the most mournful lamentations; and with heart

breaking fighs, and ftreams of tears, exclaimed," Is he gone! muft I never fee him more! Oh! that I had perifhed with him in the fea! clafped in his faithful arms, I could have died happy and contented!" In vain did her fifter (though herself overwhelm'd with grief) and the young lady, her friend, endeavour to affuage her forrows, by remonftrating to her, that the news might be falfe, or that it might be another fhip of the fame name, belonging to another port: "No, no, exclaimed the, I never more fhall fee the husband of my heart! the defender of my life and honour is no more!" At this inftant, Alcander entered, and flew to her arms, crying out, Yes, I am here! my dearest lovely wife, my heart's deareft bleffing, here I am! No fooner did the charming Harriet behold him, than the fell breathlefs on the ground, and his fifter fcreamed out for joy at the fight of her beloved brother-but all his care was to recover his lovely Harriet from death. The too sudden tranfition, from grief to joy, had overcome her: his diftraction at that fight, hindered him not from adminiftring the moft proper remedies for her recovery; but his well known voice, and the preffure of his lips to hers, were the fovereign balm which once more restored her to life. The fcene was then too tender to defcribe; after mutual endearments and congratulations on all fides were finished, he related his adventures, and in formed them, that the fhip in which he came from Petersburgh, had met with a violent ftorm; but being a ftout veffel, with fkilful failors, had weathered it out, and came fafe into Yarmouth; but that the other fhip, mentioned in the news-paper, was one of the fame name belonging to Newcaftle upon Tyne.

Alcander had brought home, to the value of thirty thousand poundsa genteel addition to his fortune, and he and his dear Harriet now live in the utmoft felicity, and perfect conjugal affection, amidst the love and esteem of friends, and the fmiles of a numerous and charming offspring.

L

DEBATES

FEBRUARY 7. ONFERENCE with the lords, at the

Crequent of Lord North, relative to the

propofed address to the king.

February 8. Another conference, at the request of the lords, to acquaint the commons they had agreed to the addrefs.

Lord North moved to poftpone the further confideration of the American papers to the 10th.

Mr. Fox faid, the noble lord was all hurry till he thought he had effected measures for rescuing general Gage out of the very dangerous fituation he was in; that he now imagined he had got him into a state of fecurity, he meant to proceed more coolly and deliberately, because he dreaded that the defeat and deftruction of that general and his troops would be folely attributed to his lordship's negligence and rafhnefs. He contrafted his lordship's conduct respecting the feveral petitions prefented by the American merchants; remarking that adminiftration would not wait a fingle day to hear the complaints of fo refpectable body; but now, that his favourite measure was carried, he feemed to proceed with caution and deliberation. He concluded by obferving, that he understood the measure his lordship had next in contemplation to carry into execution was the moft extraordinary that ever entered into the head of an English minifter, to prevent the New England provinces from fishing on the banks of Newfoundland.

Lord North replied, that it was impoffible for him to escape the cenfure of the honourable gentleman, let him act as he might. If he had propofed any measure to the confideration of parliament this day or to-morrow, hurrying matters precipitately would be imputed to him; now that he had given the House a respite of one day to confider and deliberate, he was charged with procraftination, and to what motive was this delay attributed? Becaufe General Gage was now in fafety. For his part, he could not fee how any refolution of either Houfe of parliament could be a means of immediate fecurity to that gentleman, if he were in danger. He was fure he was not, but was in all imaginable fafety and fecurity. As to the petitions, he denied that the House refufed to hear them; neither were they withdrawn, but were ftill properly under the confideration of the House: nor upon any

ground, could the information of one day, upon a fubject fo vaft and extenfive, be of any material fervice.

A petition of the manufacturing hofiers of the town and county of the town of Nottingham, was prefented to the House against the American acts and read; reprefenting the impending ruin of the trade and commerce of the faid flourishing town and neighbourhood; that the produce of the manufactories under their direction has hitherto, in a very great proportion, been exported to the American Colonies; that the entire ceffation of this important trade has not only fhut up in their warehouses a great part of their property in different forts of goods provided for the American market alone, but obliges them daily to difmifs from employment their dependent workmen, who have no refource but in the exercife of that trade; every day will add to the number, from the utter inability of the petitioners to proceed in the accumulation of an ufelefs ftock; and a fhort time must confign great part of the most useful but most neceffitous members of their community to abfolute idleness, and all its dreadful train of evils; they humbly recur to the wisdom of parliament, in this their alarming fitua tion; trufting that the faithful depofitaries of the people's welfare will find fome temperate and bonourable means of conciliating the differences of the British empire, which will revive the hopes of the manufacturer, and enable him to call back into the arms of industry the poor diftreffed artificer,

Referred to the fame committee as the London and Briftol petitions had been. February 9. The Houfe waited on the king with the address *.

February 10. Lord North acquainted the Houfe that he had a meffage from his majefty, which he read in his place, and de

livered in at the table.

G. R.

"His majefty being determined, in confequence of the addrefs of both Houfes of parliament, to take the moft fpeedy and effectual measures for fupporting the just rights of his crown, and the two Houses of parlia ment, thinks proper to acquaint this Houfe, that fome addition to his forces by fea and land will be neceffary for that purpote; and doubts not but his faithful commons, on whofe zeal and affection he entirely relics, 3 L will