universal topic of discourse. The fine ladies forget their cards and scandal to talk of the effects of electricity. The squires flock out of the villages to bring themselves and their dogs to be electrified; and the very boys and girls in the streets break their teeth with long hard words in describing the wonders of tricity. For fear, however, that the mere love of philosophy should not gain him a sufficient number of spectators, this High Dutch conjuror is like wise possessed of a curious puppet-show, where I suppose the whole system of electricity is exhibited by Punch, who I believe would explain it just as well as any body else, for all the philosophers seem marvellously perplexed on this subject. But however ignorant people may be with regard to particulars, do not the experiments in general seem strongly to prove the favourite ethereal fire of the ancients and the bishop of Cloyne? Perhaps not only in this but in most other instances, all the discoveries of the moderns tend only to convince one of the good sense and true philosophy of the ancients, and to prove what they have asserted." (p. 127.)

"As nonsense is often a good remedy for the spleen, I am going to tell you a nonsensical story. I remember you was once charmed with the figure of a quiet, deliberate, lank-haired puritan youth, whom I mentioned to you, but my present object is one of a totally different character, whose wig is always in an uproar, his cloaths hung upon every lock and bolt by the extreme trepidation of his pace, and who runs over every body he meets in his way. Last night, about ten o'clock, we were all startled by a most outrageous ringing at the door, which proved a servant of the aforesaid Orlando, with a letter, to which he must have an answer, before an answer could possibly be given; but I thought I might as well read the letter first, which was no other than an arrant billet doux, in which he was resolved, as somebody says in Moliere, to "prendre le Roman par la queue, et débuter par la mariage." As the man had never signified his intention before, to be sure the demand was somewhat abrupt and peremptory; however, I had a no extremely at his service, but would not

detain his emissary, who, I concluded, was to gallop on without loss of time to Deal, to ask my father's consent, and from thence to London for the approbation of my uncle. The next morning, before any soul was up, he returned with the same violence of ringing, and carried back my answer to his master, whom I expect every day to come and fly away with me in a chaise and one, unless he should meet with somebody in his way, and be married upon the road." (p. 132.)

quiet in Oxfordshire? if you are, you "Pray, dear miss Talbot, are you all ed here by the eclipse, and the strange can have no idea of the uproar occasionfrights under which people labour. One is stunned all day with the bawling of lamentable prophecies, and a form of prayer. and others, deeming it the safest place, Some run away from London, imagine should have more sense. come to it, and really such as one would beggars in the streets actually insult folks The who refuse to give them small beer, by clapping their hands, and threatening them that the day of judgment will be next Thursday. Others, as I find by a dialogue I overheard in a neighbouring court, are of opinion, that all the women in the world, only, are to die. Such are our apprehensions in the city. And I lately heard in St. James's place, that a lady, on receiving an invitation for a rout, excused herself, by thinking it really not decent to play at cards on that day; so perhaps she thinks it more decent to put it off till Sunday." (p. 181.)

Of Miss Talbot's style of writing and thinking, one letter will be a sufficient specimen. Her more active and varied mode of life might have furnished her with greater variety of anecdote than Mrs. Carter could command, but she appears to have been too good to indulge is commonly but another name. herself in satire, for which anecdote With some narrowness of opinion, and some rigidity in practice, both her heart and understanding were certainly excellent, but why fill quartos with letters such as this:

are the

quite as much beneath him as it would be for a man of quality to step out of his place in a theatre, and go to perform Some part on the stage which he felt himself qualified to appear in gracefully and with applause; an applause better neglected than gained. Indeed such sorry actors on this world's busy scene, that for the most part it is but a just kind of pride to avoid having any thing to do with them. We are reading now the life of another French hero, the famous duke d'Epernon, who seems, upon the whole, to have been a man of worth and honor; but many a scuffle must worth and honor go through if they are to be made consistent with fortune and greatness. Talking of heroes' lives, there is another very different one come out, which I have been greatly pleased with, though I fancy in the world it will be much despised-the Life of good Colonel Gardiner, who lived with as much true and honorable courage as he

died.

"You see I am writing you two letters, which I hope you will allow to be making you some amends for my former idleness. I will not give you any more extracts out of musty old French his tories, but will wholly fill this sheet with two very interesting subjects, yourself and myself. Do you know that these two very pretty selves are now within a few months of meeting, and of spending many a merry hour together. The thought pleases me most sincerely, and I look forward to spring with the most delightful expectations. At present, however, we are entering into the grave part of the year. My lord leaves us two days hence, and his absence is-what you can have no notion of, that do not know what it is to be with him three Not that I should quarters of the year. dislike to have every now and then times of the greatest solitude, if I were not haunted with fears of seeing those I am with ill or low spirited. I hope you not much know what it is to feel unea

do

siness of this kind, for they oppress one's heart much more than any sufferings of one's own, and give winter a terrifying appearance which hails and snows cannot add to. As for the gayeties and amusements of London, though I love them well enough when I am there, I never once trouble my head about them, but am rather glad to be out of the way of what would too much dissipate a Time mind naturally rather trifling. never hangs heavy on my hands, and with next month an hundred new employments come in season. My spinning manufacture is to be attended, and emulous of you, I believe I shall take some pains to waste some butter and brandy, to improv myself in the housewifely science of pye and pudding mak, ing. Some hours I propose spending with a good deal of pleasure in drawing in Indian ink, besides the slighter amusement of drawing flowers, and the trifling pastime of working a bed, which I believe will prove excellent to sleep in, for already it has composed me into many a comfortable nap as I have been in the height of my diligence after sup

per.

"

I dare not ask you to write soon again, because I so little deserve it. I will only tell you, that the receiving a letter from you will be one of the most agreeable incidents that my life is likely to be checquered with for some months. The practical inference I leave to your Adieu, ma très generosity to draw.

chére, et croyez que je suis avec toute sincerité, &c."

Because in the letters to Mrs. Vesey an ode, or elegy, by that lady is mentioned, the editor has thought proper to subjoin a piece of which he found a copy among Mrs. C.'s papers, as being probably It is Langthe one alluded to. horne's well known "Ode to Humanity."

ART. XVII. The Life of Abraham Newland, Esq. late principal Cashier at the Bank of England; with some Account of that great National Establishment. To which is added an Appendix, containing the late Correspondence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer with the Bank, and a List of the Statutes passed relative to it, from the time of its Incorporation. 8vo. pp. 172. WILLIAM Newland, a miller and baker in Bucks, had by two

wives twenty five children, one of whom was Abraham the subject of

these memoirs. He was born in Southwark, on the 23d of April, 1730, and received a common school education, learned to write well and count accurately, and in 1748, was admitted as junior clerk in the bank of England. He filled all the intervening offices with assiduity and integrity, and in 1782, was appointed chief cashier. When the bank of England was first instituted in 1694, there were only four great banks in Europe, one at Amsterdam, one at Hamburg, one at Vienna, and one at Genoa. A subscription was set on foot for 1,200,000l. which was compleated in ten days, and in 1708 the stock was doubled by a second subscription. The bank was at first carried on at Grocer's hall, but in January, 1732, an assembly of the directors resolved, that a hall should be built in Threadneedle street for the transaction of their business. This hall was compleated in 1735. The charter which was at first granted in 1694 expired, and was renewed the first time in 1696, the second in the 13th of William and Mary, the third in the eighth year of the reign of queen Anne, and a fourth time shortly after, and a fifth in 1764. One of the most important events in the history of the bank was the stoppage of the issue of specie, which took place on the 26th February, 1797, agreeably to an order of council. In October, 1795, an ounce of gold in the form of bullion was worth four guineas, whilst an ounce in the form of coin was worth only 31. 17s. 10d.; here therefore was a strong temptation to the melting down of specie. About this time great apprehension was entertained throughout the country that the French intended to attempt an invasion of the island, and it is supposed that many persons were induced to collect toge ther as much of their property as they could in the form of specie, to

secrete it from the reach of the expected plunderers. These, and perhaps other causes less precisely known, tended to diminish the quantity of circulating cash, and to produce an unusual demand on the provincial and London banks, which ultimately arrived at the bank of England, and produced so great an alarm among the directors that they applied to the ministers, stating, that they were unable to bear so great and continually increasing a drain of specie, and praying for the interference of government to relieve them from their present danger. In consequence of repeated applications of this kind, an order of council was issued on the 26th of February, 1797, empowering the bank to refuse any issues of cash. This order was followed up by a meeting at the Mansion-house, and by a declaration of the lords of the privy council, all tending to convince the public of the necessity of the conduct of government, and to remove the alarm which had been excited by so extraordinary an event. The lords also proceeded to appoint a committee, called a committee of secrecy, to inquire into the debts of the bank of England, and the funds which they possessed for paying them. Mr. Newland was examined minutely, and the information which he gave to the committee was summed up in their report. The following are some of the statements contained in this report.

"That the total amount of outstanding demands on the bank on the 25th day of February last, was 13,770,3907. and that the total amount of the funds for discharging those demands, over and above the permanent debt due from government of 11,686,8001. was, on the same that the result is, that there was, on the day of February last, 17,597,280/. and 25th day of February last, a surplus of effects belonging to the bank, beyond the total of their debts, amounting to the