52 Account of the PLAY of GIL BLAS. tempers. B a Feb. bufinefs, upon receiving an exprefs from Madrid, but that he had defired his fifter Aurora to entertain him till his return. Upon this there is a very natural fcene between Don Lewis and Aurora, who puts him in flutter, by telling him that the expected a vifit from a lady called Ifabella, an advocate's daughter; but the at last relieves him, by giving orders to be denied to her, and in the mean time Gil Blas brings her a billet doux directed to Don Felix at her other lodgings, defiring her to meet a lady that night at 8 o' clock in a clofe walk behind St. Anne's, which letter fhe throws upon the Bernarda having made Aurora, in floor; Gil Blas takes it up, and rethe character of Don Felix, ac- folves to keep the appointment in her quainted with Don Lewis, they dine ftead, which he does in another dress together; and the IId aft opens C of an officer, meets there Ifabella, with Gil Blas's giving Laura, in follows her to her house, but is inboy's clothes, an account of their terrupted by Don Gabriel; and the conversation at dinner, in which he lady appoints him to be with her favs, Auiora feemed the greater next day at four in the afternoon. rake of the two, fo that he was forced to give her a nod now and then to hold her hand, left Don Lewis fhould fmoke the woman by her want of conscience. In this act there are feveral diverting fcenes about fabella, who in a private converfation with Don Gabriel thews herself to be an abandoned woman of a molt violent temper; E and Aurora, in the character of Don Felix, having informed Don Lewis, that Aurora was come to town, invites him to fup at her lodgings, after his having been to pay a vifit to fabella, to whom, he had fent Gil Blas with a letter, who F by that means having feen Ifabella, the act ends with his giving Aurora an account of her being extremely handfome, which makes her extremely uneafy. D · A&t III. opens with a fcene at Aurora's other lodgings, where the G and Laura appear in their true characters: Don Lewis calls according to appointment, and is told that Don Felix was just gone out about A& IV. opens next morning at Bernarda's, where Aurora, again in the character of Don Felix, expects a vifit from Don Lewis, who enters after Gil Blas had finished the account of his adventure with Ifabella; and after Don Felix had made his excuse for not returning to Don Lewis the night before, the latter declares his paffion for Aurora. Upon this Don Felix fays, "I wish you had kept this declaration from me. I had news for you that friendship required me to tell; and now it will look like an officious concern for my fifter." She then informs him of Ifabella's inconti nency, which is confirmed in a ludi, crous manner by Gil Blas, who in forms him of her appointment with her lover that afternoon at four; whereupon Don Gabriel enters, who fancying that he had feen Ifabella burn all the love-letters he had wrote to her, gives an account of his difcovering a gallant with her the night before; and that her maid had told him he was to be a gain 1751. Account of the PLAY of GIL BLAS. 53 morning to Don Lewis, which he fuppofes to be from the Don Felix who lodged in the fame house with him; and as he was his friend, and brother to Aurora, he fends Gil Blas to tell him, that he would meet him Ano where but at his fifter's. Gil Blas having accordingly gone to the place appointed in the letter, finds there the true Don Felix, and being furprised at his calling himself fo, is frightned, and forced to promife to lead him to Aurora's lodgings, The B fcene then changes to Aurora's, where Don Lewis is told by Laura, that Aurora had that night been forced into a coach by her brother, and fent away to Madrid. Aurora then appears in the drefs and character of Don Felix, in which character Don Lewis provokes her to fight: She at last draws; and that inftant her brother, the true Don Felix, enters, conducted by Gil Blas in a terrible fright; upon which a difcovery of the whole is made: Don Felix is convinced of his filter's innocence, Don Lewis of her love, and the of his, by his declaring that it was his only wish to marry her. Then Bernarda comes in, and informs them of Don Gabriel's having laft night been wounded in feveral places, in his attempt to get Don Lewis affaffinated at the defire. of Ifabella, who had that morning robbed her father, and was gone off, leaving Don Gabriel to his fate. After which the play ends by Auro-. ra's defiring them to follow Bernarda to her other lodgings, whither fhe, after being again a woman, would follow them in a few minutes; and Don Lewis anfwers, To give me that happiness, which a falfe friend and falfer mistress promifed me in vain, gain with her that day at four, and A& V. opens with the true D F To all my follies here 1 bid adieu, Reclaim'd and fix'd by virtue, and by you, 54 A Defcription of HAMPSHIRE. A Defcription of HAMPSHIRE. With a new and accurate MAP annexed. B AMPSHIRE, or Hantfhire, H called alfo the county of Southampton, is a very confiderable A maritime county, having the fea, or British channel, on the fouth, Berkfhire on the north, Wiltshire and Dorfetfhire on the Weft, and Surrey and Suffex on the east; in length about 50 miles, in breadth 30, and in circumference about 160, exclufive of the Ifle of Wight, which belongs to this county, and of which we thall fpeak feparately. It is divided into 19 hundreds, contains 1,312,500 acres, in which are one city, upwards of 20 borough and C other market towns, 253 parishes, 9 forefts, and 29 parks, and (including 6 for the Isle of Wight) fends 26 members to parliament; the prefent knights of the thire being lord Henry Powlett and Francis Whitehead, Efq; The air of this county is, in moft parts, temperate and healthful, D and even that by the creeks of the fea, and on the borders of Suffex, is better than that in the hundreds of Effex, and on the coaft of Kent. It is well watered with rivers and brooks; and here's plenty of freshwater and fea fish, particularly lobfters, foals and flounders, as good as any in England. The foil is rich both for corn and pafture, plenteous in woods, and fruitful in all com.modities. Here is ftore of black cattle, and there are great flocks of fheep on the Downs, which are excellent meat, and yield plenty of wool; tho' their cloathing trade is not fo good as formerly. Their hogs make the beft bacon in England, being fed in the forefts during the acorn feafon, fo that it comes little fhort of that of Weftphalia. They are noted alfo for their bees, which yield ftore of excellent honey, of different natures according to the variety of the foil; that collected Feb. from the heath is the worft, but that was that his fon and fucceffor, Wil- G 1. Kingsclere, about 5 miles S. from Newbury in Berkshire, a pleafant town, feated in the woodlands, formerly a feat of the Saxon kings. It has a well frequented market on Tuesdays. 2. Whitchurch, 6 miles S. W. a fmall town with a market on Friday Yet it is an antient borough that 1751. A Defcription of HAMPSHIRE. that fends two members to parliament, their prefent reprefentatives being the Hon. Charles Wallop, Efq; and John Selwyn, jun. Efq; 3. Bafingftoke, 10 miles E. of Whitchurch, a large populous town, furrounded with woods and paftures, A rich and fertile: It is governed by a mayor recorder, 7 aldermen, 7 burgeffes, &c. and has a good market on Wednesday for all forts of grain. The inhabitants drive a great trade in malt, and of late years the manufacture of druggets, fhal- B loons, &c. has been carried on with fuccefs. 4. Andover, 6 miles S. W. of Whithurch, pleafantly feated on the fide of the Downs, and a great thorough-fare on the western road. It is a large, populous borough-C town, and has a good market on Saturdays. It fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are John Pollen and J. Griffin Griffin, Efqrs. It is well-built, and has a good trade in malt and fhalloons. Near it, in September, is kept Wey-hill fair, D one of the greatest in England, efpecially for fheep, hogs and cheefe. 5. Odiam, 6 miles E. of Bafinestoke, a (mall corporate town, with a market on Saturdays. To the north of this, on the borders of Berkshire, lies the antient Roman city Silchefter, of whofe prefent state fee our Magazine for last year, p. 505. 6. Alton, 6 miles S. of Odiam, has a great market on Saturdays. 7. Stockbridge, 7 miles S. of Andover, governed by a bailiff, conftable and ferjeant. It is a great thorough-fare, and depends chiefly upon its inns, which are very convenient, and has a market on Thurf days. It fends two members to parliament, their prefent reprefentatives being Daniel Boone, and William Chetwynd, jun. Efqrs. 8. Alresford, 8 miles S. W. of Alton, is well built, and has a confiderable market on Thursdays. E 55 house was begun, but never finished, and and clean, The city is walled round, 10. Rumfey, 8 miles S. W. of Win chester, an antient town, governed by a mayor, recorder, 6 aldermen, &c. and having a good market on Saturday. 11. Waltham, 8 miles S. E. of Win chefter, is also a market-town. 12. Petersfield, 10 m les N. E. of Waltham, a fmall well built town in a low fruitful foil, furrounded with bills. It has, a market on Saturdays, and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are John Jolliffe and William Conolly, Efqrs. 13. Fordingbridge, on the borders of Dorfetfhire, has a weekly market, and barges come up to the town by the Avon. 14. Southampton, fituate between the two rivers Tees and Itchin, 62 computed and 78 measured miles S. W. of London. It is the chief town of the county, and gives name to it. The Danih kings often reforted hither, and it was here that king Canute ordered his F chair to be fet on the thore, as the tide was 9. Winchester, 6 miles S. E. from Stockbridge, and 54 computed and 67 measured miles S. W. from London, a very antient city, much noted in the time G of the Romans, as it has been ever fince. It stands in a vale, on the banks and at the conjunction of two fmall rivers. At a little diftance from it K. Charles II. intended to build a fine palace, and inclofe a large park, 10 miles in circumference: The coming in, and forbad it to approach him, or wet the feet and clothes of as lord and mafter; which when it did, he rose up, and gave a just rebuke to his courtiers for their blafphemous flattery in making him more than human. It was a flourishing town in the time of the Normans, and was burnt by the French in the reign of Edward III. but rebuilt in a more convenient place, and strongly fortified. It had once a confiderable trade, which is now much decayed. It enjoys many privileges, and is a town and county of itself. It is encom paffed 56 A Description of the ISLE of WIGHT. paffed by a wall, and has 5 parish churches. The markets are on Tuesdays and Thurfdays, and it fends two members to parliament, the prefent ones being Peter Deimé, and Ant. Langley Swymmer, Efqrs. 15, 16. Farham, 10 miles S. E. of Southampton, and Havant, about 8 miles E. of Farham, are both fmall market A towns. Off the latter lie Haling and Thorny, two islands, with a parish church in each. Salt is made of the fea water in fevera! places along this coaft. B 17. Portsmouth, 5 miles S. E. of Farham, and 60 computed and 73 measured miles S. W. from London, lies in an island, called Portfea, 14 miles round at high water. It is joined to the continent by a bridge, is large, very populous and well built, and the streets fpacious and regular. For fome ages this has been the place of general rendezvous for our fleets at Spithead, which is near it, when at war with France. It was burnt by the French in the reign of Richard II. but was foon after rebuilt, and fet out several ships of C war, which very much annoyed the enemy, beat them at fea, entered the Sein, and burnt many of their fhips: After which the fortifications were enlarged by Edward IV. Henry VII. and VIII. and Q. Elizabeth; fo that it is now one of the best fortified towns in England, and of the greatest confequence, being furnished both with wet and dry docks, forehouses, and all neceffaries for building, repairing, rigging and fitting out men of war, with fuitable accommodations for a commiffioner and other officers to look after the navy royal; fo that it is a nursery for feamen, one of the chief Magazines of the kingdom, and a place of great trade. Tho' the town he well built, its chief beauty confifts in the E magnificence of its fortifications, harbour, docks, yards, office of ordinance, victual. ling office, &c. Over against it stands Gofport, a pretty large town, which has a market on Saturdays. The markets at Portsmouth are en Thursdays and Saturdays, and their prefent representatives in parliament are Sir Edward Hawke knt." of the Bath, and Ifaac Townsherd, Eq; 18. Ringwood, on the weft fide of New Forest, a long town, with a great market on Wednesday. D Feb. the Streight called the Needles. The pre- A Defcription of the ISLE of WIGHT. is feparated from Hampshire by a small and rapid channel. In one place it is not above a mile over to the western part of the island, and from Portsmouth not above 6. It is of an oblong form, being 20 miles in length from east to weft, and 12 miles broad from north to fouth, and about 60 in circumference. It has 36 parish churches, and 4 market towns, viz. Newport, Yarmouth, Newton and Broding; tho' according to some writers, the markets of the three last are difused, and Newport is the only market for the inland. However that be, the three first fend members to parliament, and the prefent representatives are, for Newport, Tho-' mas Lee Dummer and Ralph Jenniton, Efqs. for Yarmouth, Thomas Holmes, Efq; and col. Henry Holmes, and for Newton, Sir John Barrington, bart. and Maurice Bockland, Efq; Newport is a large, populous and well frequented mayor town, and has two very confiderable markets weekly, viz. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Cowes is a place of great note for harbouring ships, and not far from Newport is Car fbrook caftle, where K. Charles I. was imprisoned. This inland continued long in the crown, but in 1442, Henry VI. alienated it to Henry de Beaucamp, duke of Warwick, and is faid to have crowned him king of Wight with his own hands: but he dying without iffue male, the lordship of the ifle returned to the crown. As to its prefent government, it is fubject to the bishop of Winchester in ecclefiaftical matters, and under Hampshire in civil affairs; but having caftles and garifons to defend it, the crown always appoints a governor peculiar to it, as a poft of great honour, under F whom are all the governors of the caftles and garifons in the island. It is inc mpaffed with rocks, of which the most noted are the Shingles and the Needles, the Brambles and the Mixton. Thefe rocks render it almost inacceffible, and where it is approachable on the S. E. it is fortified by art. The island is well penpled, the air wholefome and delightful, and the foil fertile both for corn and pafturage; and they have plenty of hares, partidges, phgafants, fea-fowi, and other game, and are deficient in nothing but wood, winch in very scarce. 19. Chrift-church, about 7 miles S. W. of Ringwood, at the meeting of the rivers Avon and Stour, a large populous borough. town which fends members to parliament, the prefent ones being Sir Thomas Ro-G binfon, knight of the Bath, and Charles Amand Powlett, Efq; 10. Lymington, about 8 miles E. of Chrift-church, a fmall but populous fea port town, ftanding upon a hill oppofite to the Ifle of Wight in the narrow part of JOUR |