give himfelf the pleasure of an unexpected arrival.

The young lady, after the heat of the day, walked every evening on the feafhore, near which the lived, with a familiar friend, her husband's kinfwoman; and diverted herself with what objects they met there, or upon difcourfe of the future methods of life, in the happy change of their circumstances. They food one evening on the fhore together in a perfect tranquillity, obferving the fetting of the fun, the calm face of the deep, and the filent heaving of the waves, which gently rolled towards them, and broke at their feet; when at a distance her kiniwoman faw fomething float on the waters, which fhe fancied was a chett; and with a fmile told her, the faw it first, and if it came afhore full of jewels, the had a right to it. They both fixed their eyes upon it, and entertained themselves with the fubject of the wreck, the coufin till aflerting her right; but promifing, if it was a prize, to give her a very rich coral for the child of which the was then big, provided the might be godmother. Their mirth foon abated, when they obferved, upon the nearer approach, that it was a human body. The young lady, who had a heart naturally filled with pity and compaflion, made many melancholy reflections on the occafion. Who knows,' faid fhe, but this man may be the only hope and heir of a wealthy houfe; the darling of indulgent parents, who are now in impertinent mirth, and pleafing themfelves with the thoughts of offering him a bride they have got ready for him? or may he not be the matter of

a family that wholly depended upon • his life? There may, for aught we know, be half a dozen fatherless children, and a tender wife, now expofed to poverty by his death. What pleafure might he have promised himself in the different welcome he was to • have from her and them? But let us

An old woman, who had been the gen tleman's nurfe, came out about this time to call the ladies in to fupper, and found her child, as fhe always called him, dead on the fhore, her miftrefs and kinfwoman both lying dead by him. Her loud lamentations, and calling her young mafter to life, foon awaked the friend from her trance; but the wife was gone for ever.

When the family and neighbourhood got together round the bodies, no one afked any question, but the objects before them told the story.

Incidents of this nature are the more moving when they are drawn by perfons concerned in the catastrophe, notwithstanding they are often oppreffed beyond the power of giving them in a diftin&t light, except we gather their forrow from their inability to speak it.

I have two original letters written both on the fame day, which are to me exquifite in their different kinds. The occafion was this: a gentleman who had courted a most agreeable young woman, and won her heart, obtained alfo the confent of her father, to whom the was an only child. The old man had a fancy that they fhould be married in the fame church where he himself was, in a village in Weftmorland, and made them fet out while he was laid up with the gout at London. The bridegroom took only his man, and the bride her maid: they had the moft agreeable journey imaginable to the place of marriage; from whence the bridegroom writ the following letter to his wife's father.

AFTER a very pleasant journey hi

ther, we are preparing for the happy hour in which I am to be your fon. 'aflure you the bride carries it, in the eye of the vicar who married you, much beyond her mother; though he fays your open fleeves, pantaloons, and fhoulderknot, made a much better show than the finical drefs I am in. However, I

am contented to be the fecond fine man

this village ever faw, and fhall make it very merry before night, because I shall write myfelf from thence,

Your moft dutiful fon,

T. D. The bride gives her duty, and is as handfome as an angel-I am the happieft man breathing!

The

The villagers were affembling about the church, and the happy couple took a walk in a private garden. The bridegroom's man knew his mafter would leave the place on a sudden after the wed ding, and feeing him draw his piftols the night before, took this opportunity to go into his chamber and charge them. Upon their return from the garden, they went into that room: and after a little fond raillery on the fubject of their courtfhip, the lover took up a piftol, which he knew he had unloaded the night before, and prefenting it to her, faid, with the moft graceful air, whilft the looked pleated at his agreeable flattery- Now, Madam, repent of all thofe cruelties you have been guilty of to me; confider, before you die, how often you have made a poor wretch freeze under your cafement; you fhall die, you tyrant, you fhall die, with all thofe inftruments of death and deftruction about you, with that inchanting finile, thofe killing ringlets of your hairGive fire, faid fhe, laughing. He did fo; and fhot her dead. Who can fpeak his condition? But he bore it fo patiently as to call up his man. The

I

SIR,

Who two hours ago told you truly,

I was the happiest man alive, am now the moft miferable. Your daughter lies dead at my feet, killed by my hand, through a mistake of my man's charging my piftols unknown to me. Him have I murdered for it. Such is my wedding day! I will immediately follow my wife to her grave; but before I throw myself upon my fword, I command my diftraction fo far as to explain my story to you. I fear my heart will not keep together until I have ftabbed it. Poor good old man!-Remember, he that killed your daughter, died for it. In the article of death, I give you my thanks, and pray for you, though I dare not for myfelf. If it be poffible, do not curse me.

APPELLARI SOLET, SENUM LEVIUM M.T. C.

FROM MY OWN APARTMENT, OCT. 19.

T is my frequent practice to vifit places of refort in this town where I am least known, to obferve what reception my works meet with in the world, and what good effects I may promite myfelf from my labours: and it being a privilege afferted by Monfieur Montaigne, and others, of vain-glorious memory, that we writers of effays may talk of ourselves; I take the liberty to give an acount of the remarks which I find are made by fome of my gentle readers upon thefe my differtations.

I happened this evening to fall into a coffee-houfe near the Exchange, where two perfons were reading my account of the Table of Fame. The one of thefe was commenting as he read, and ex