Alas, Madam! who would wish for many years? What is it but to drag existence until our joys gradually expire, and leave us in a night of misery; like the gloom which blots. out the stars one by one, from the face of night, and leaves us without a ray of comfort, in the howling waste!

I am interrupted, and must leave off. You shall soon hear from me again.

No.

No. CXXXVI.

To MRS. DUNLOP.

I

Dumfries, 6th December, 1792.

SHALL be in Ayrshire, I think, next week; and, if at all possible, I shall certainly, my much-esteemed friend, have the pleasure of visiting at Dunlop-house.

Alas, Madam! how seldom do we meet in this world, that we have reason to congratulate ourselves on accessions of happiness! I have not passed half the ordinary term of an old man's life, and yet I scarcely look over the obituary of a newspaper, that I do not see some names that I have known, and which I and other acquaintances, little thought to meet with there so soon. Every other instance of the mortality of our kind makes us cast an anxious look into the dreadful abyss of uncertainty, and shudder with apprehension for our own fate. But of how different an importance are the lives

of different individuals? Nay, of what importance is one period of the same life more than another? A few years ago, I could have lain down in the dust, "careless of the voice of the morning;" and now not a few, and these most helpless individuals, would, on losing me and my exertions, lose both their," staff and shield." By the way, these helpless ones have lately got an addition, Mrs. B- having given me a fine girl since I wrote you. There is a charming passage in Thomson's Edward and Eleanora—

"The valiant, in himself, what can he suffer? Or what need he regard his single woes?" &c.

As I am got in the way of quotations, I shall give you another from the same piece, peculiarly, alas! too peculiarly apposite, my dear Madam, to your present frame of mind:

"Who so unworthy but may proudly deck him
With his fair-weather virtue, that exults

Glad o'er the summer main? the tempest comes,
The rough winds rage aloud; when from the helm
This virtue shrinks, and in a corner lies

Lamenting-Heavens! if privileged from trial,
How cheap a thing were virtue!".

I do not remember to have heard you mention Thomson's dramas. I pick up favourite quotations, and store them in my mind as ready

armour.

armour, offensive or defensive, amid the struggle of this turbulent existence. Of these is one, a very favourite one, from his Alfred:

"Attach thee firmly to the virtuous deeds
And offices of life; to life itself,

With all its vain and transient joys, sit loose."

Probably I have quoted some of these to you formerly, as indeed when I write from the heart, I am apt to be guilty of such repetitions. The compass of the heart, in the musical style of expression, is much more bounded than that of the imagination; so the notes of the former are extremely apt to run into one another; but in return for the paucity of its compass, its few notes are much more sweet. I must still give you another quotation, which I am almost sure I have given you before, but I cannot resist the temptation. The subject is religion-speaking of its importance to mankind, the author says,

""Tis this, my friend, that streaks our morning bright," &c. as in p. 259.

I see you are in for a double postage, so I shall e'en scribble out t'other sheet. We, in this country here, have many alarms of the reforming, or rather the republican spirit, of your part of the kingdom. Indeed we are a good deal in commotion ourselves. For me, I am a placeman, you know; a very humble one in

deed,

deed, Heaven knows, but still so much so as What my private sentiments are, will find out without an interpreter.

to gag me.

you

* * *

I have taken up the subject in another view, and the other day, for a pretty Actress's benefit night, I wrote an Address, which I will give on the other page, called The Rights of Woman.

THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN.

An Occasional Address spoken by Miss FONTENELLE on her Benefit-night.

WHILE Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things,
The fate of empires and the fall of kings;
While quacks of state must each produce his plan,
And even children lisp the Rights of Man;
Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention,
The Rights of Woman merit some attention.

First, in the sexes' intermix'd connexion, One sacred Right of Woman is protection.The tender flower that lifts its head, elate, Helpless, must fall before the blasts of fate, Sunk on the earth, defac'd its lovely form, Unless your shelter ward th' impending storm.

VOL. 11.

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