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into her family, and educated her liberally; but being of a capricious and uneafy difpofition herself, the made the poor orphan feel moft feverely the iron hand of authority. Catherine however bore, without repining, the petulance and ill-humour which was frequently poured upon her without provocation. Her ftate of dependance, and uncertain profpects, were frequent fubjects of animadverfion, intended, as her protectress afferted, to repress pride and teach her humility. Thus poor Catherine being obliged to contemplate the fombre colour of her fate, early acquired a melancholy caft of character. The vivacity attendant on youth, which when tempered with modefty and fweetnefs, is one of its greatest ornaments, was entirely fubdued; her fpirits were broken by unmerited afperities, and her health, finking beneath the weight of prefent ills and future uncertainties; at length, after repeated indignities, fhe befought permiffion to feek for bread in fome other fituation. To this requeft her tormentor at length agreed, though not till the had again and again repeated all her former kindneffes to her, and magnified her humble wishes of providing for herself into the baseft ingratitude for favours conferred. In the meantime Catherine, through the means of a lady who vifited her relations, was recommended into the family of a widow lady, who was, through illness, incapacitated from attending to her own domeftic concerns, where the acquitted herfelf with a fweetnefs and propriety that charmed all who had the happiness of knowing her. Mrs. Melville became fincerely attached to her, and endeavoured, by numberlefs little delicate attentions, to eradicate from her mind the painful ideas of fervitude and dependance.

Under her protection the poor orphan firft tafted ferenity, her fpirits recovered an even tenor, and her mind rapidly expanded. Four years of fweet domeftic tranquillity flew, unperceived, away. At the end of

that

that period her loved, her honoured friend, departed from this tranfitory state of being. Her fortune was not at her own difpofal, or Catherine had been amply provided for; her charities had been fo extenfive as to leave her no means of amaffing treafure; and indeed till he became acquainted with Catherine, fhe had neither motive or defire to fave. A few trifling alterations were then made in her family, which enabled her, without leffening her benevolence, to lay by a little for her deferving favourite, with which the purchafed for her a small annuity a little before her deceafe. This, with her clothes, was all the could bequeath her. Exactly at that melancholy period Mr. Selby fucceeded to the fortune we have before fpoken of, and Catherine, for whom he ever had the tendereft affection, was defired to take up her abode with him. To a proposal fo agreeable the readily and gratefully acceded, and Mr. Selby became every day more convinced of her worth and devoted to her virtues. There was in their character the moft perfect coincidence; regularity, philanthrophy, and comfort, were diffufed by the amiable Catherine around the dwelling of her brother, and, if happiness could have been perfuaded to quit the fpheres for an earthly habitation, fhe certainly would have fixed on the cottage at Clayfield.

(To be continued.)

VOL. VII.

E

EXHI

EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY,

AT

SOMERSET HOUSE.

FOR THE YEAR 1799.

Tot nos præceptoribus, tot exemplis inftruxit antiquitas, ut poffit videri nulla forte nafcendi, ætas felicior quam noftra cui docendæ priores elaboraverunt *.

QUINTILIAN.

Tings in the British metropolis, and the public

HIS is the thirty-first annual exhibition of paint

feems, by no means, difpofed to complain of fatiety. We must regard this circumftance as a proof that Englithmen are ever ready to patronife merit; and, that with the serious occupations of life, they are inclined to mingle the entertainment arifing from the contemplation of the fine arts. May this difplay of liberality and good fenfe continue to the lateft generation!

In our furvey of the prefent Exhibition, we fhall preferve the ufual order of historical productions, portraits, landscapes, views, minatures, ludicrous, and fea pieces.

Of HISTORICAL PRODUCTIONS there are few; but fome of them poffefs great merit. Among thefe may be reckoned the Nativity of our Saviour-Abraham and his Son going to facrifice, and St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, by WEST. The friendly Reception of Captain Wilfon, of the Ship Duff, and the Perfons fent out by the London Miffionary Society at Otaheite, and the Ceremony of the formal Grant of the District of Matavia for their Ufe, in the Prefence of the King, Queen, and Chiefs of that Ifland, March 16th, 1797, by

Antiquity hath taught us, by fo many mafters, and by fo many examples, that no age feems to be more fuccefsful in the production of beauties than ours; for the inftruction of which former ages have exerted themfelves.

SMIRKE,

SMIRKE, is a pleafing picture, though it does not greatly strike the attention. The Prodigal Son returning to his Father, by RIGAUD, fhews ftrongly the emotions of contrition. Three other fcripture pieces fhould not pass unnoticed, Mofes receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, by HAMILTON-Rebecca at the Well, receiving the Bracelets from Abraham's Servant, by WOODFORD, and John Preaching in the Wilderness. In this last piece the artist, by fome unaccountable mistake, has forgotten the leathern girdle which John wore round his loins.

The Bible is an inexhaustible source of instruction, and we are glad to find painters availing themfelves of the ample scope which is there given for the difplay of their talents. We must conclude this fhort sketch of historical productions, by mentioning Guifcard, as he is led to Execution, taking leave of his Father, from the Father's Revenge, a Tragedy, by the Earl of Carlisle, by WESTALL. It is an animated piece, and the emotions expreffed by the features of the father and fon, affect the feeling heart.

Of PORTRAITS there is an abundance of every defcription. There is, however, little intereft in the contemplation of them, except they are characters of celebrity. Some of the prefent portraits are well executed. We particularly recognized Mr. Kemble, Dr. Thornton, Mr. Holcroft, the Archbishop of York, Mr. Dundas, Monfieur Mailet Du Pan, Mr. Gurney, and the Duke of Rutland, The expreffion of a fine human countenance is highly pleafing, and never fails to be gazed at with pleature. In a Imall compafs it combines almoft every beauty that can charm the imagination. It is an epitome of intellectual excellence, which excites an enthufiaftic admiration.

We could not help alfo noticing an extraordinary portrait by Sir G. Beaumont, of Elizabeth Woods, of Creeting Hills, Suffolk, born of refpectable parents, in the year 1710, and now living. The catalogue informs

us that this fingular character having been, by degrees, deprived of the greateft part of her houfe, rather than quit poffeffion, perfevered in refiding, with her two daughters, in the remaining ruins, an open chimney and an oven, that ferved them as their store-room and wardrobe, having nothing to defend themselves from the weather, in a high and bleak fituation, but a screen of bushes, which they thifted according to the direction of the wind. Here they lived 16 years. At the time the sketch was made, the humanity of the neighbourhood had added a flight fhed, and they are, at present, protected from the inclemency of the weather.

The LANDSCAPES are numerous, and many of them taken from fcenes in Wales a country diftinguished for its romantic fcenery. The frequency of travelling, accounts for the quantity of this fpecies of paintings. The beauties of nature are scattered through our island with an unfparing hand; and the pencil, with a commendable industry, transfers these fairy fcenes into our domestic habitations. A Wood Scene

Mid-day-Moonlight-a Landscape, with a Farm Houfe View of Skiddaw, from the Head of Derwent Water-Beth Kellert, North Wales, and Abergavenny Bridge, clearing up after a Showery Day, are pieces of merit, which caught our attention. Others there were, and not a few, which deferve critical confideration. The landscapes indeed, in general, were executed with taste and ability. We beheld them with pleafure, and wifhed ourselves on the fpot where we might have feen with our own eyes the glorious reality.

Of the VIEWs there were feveral which interested the attention. A diftant Hail Storm coming on, and the March of Soldiers with their Baggage-A View from the Isle of Dogs-View from Nature-Brexham Ferry, Rofsfhire-a Foreft Scene in Hindofan, and a View on the Wye, between Rofs and Monmouth, together with a few others, are deferving of praife. Here, alfo, may be introduced

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