former conduct, and on other accounts, persevered in keeping up her determination not to renew the engagement. "I am, dear madam, &c.'

"In this difficulty (we borrow still from the same authentic source), Sir James Stonehouse was applied to for his timely interposition, and his assistance was promptly afforded. In the counsel of such a friend she found resolution to terminate this anxious and painful treaty. The final separation was amicably agreed upon, and the contracting parties broke off their intercourse by mutual consent. At their last conversation together, Mr. Turner proposed to settle an annuity upon her; a proposal which was with dignity and firmness rejected, and the intercourse appeared to be absolutely at an end. Let it be recorded, however, in justice to the memory of this gentleman, that his mind was ill at ease till an interview was obtained with Dr. Stonehouse, to whom he declared his intention to secure to Miss More, with whom he had considered his union as certain, an annual sum, which might enable her to devote herself to her literary pursuits, and compensate, in some degree, for the robbery he had committed upon her time. Dr. Stonehouse consulted with the friends of the parties, and the consultation terminated in a common opinion that, all things considered, a part of the sum proposed might be accepted without the sacrifice of delicacy or propriety, and the settlement was made without the knowledge of the lady, Dr. Stonehouse consenting to become the agent and trustee. It was not, however, till some time after the affair had been thus concluded, that the consent of Miss More could be obtained by the importunity of her friends.

"The regard and respect of Mr. Turner for Miss More was continued through his life; her virtues and excellences were his favorite theme among his intimate friends, and at his death he bequeathed her a thousand pounds." — Vol. 1. pp. 28, 29.

If now, there are any who are still anxious to know, if, after all this, Miss More entertained further thoughts, or was perplexed by other opportunities, of bestowing her hand and heart, it will convey to them a sensible relief to know, and having stated it in the very words of the biographer, we shall dismiss the subject, as did the lady herself, from our thoughts altogether, that

"Her correct and tender mind, which did not come out from these embarrassments without a certain degree of distress and disturbance, seemed to seek relief in the resolution which she formed and kept, of avoiding a similar entanglement. Nor did

her resolution want its trial and its testimony. Not long afterward her hand was again solicited and refused; and, as it happened in the former case, the attachment of the proposer was succeeded by a cordial respect, which was met on her part by a corresponding sentiment, and, which ended only with his existence." Vol. 1. p. 30.

A very interesting period succeeded this severe trial in the private history of Miss More. In 1773, when in her twentyeighth year, she first appeared before the public in her own name as an author. Her earliest acknowledged publication was her pastoral drama, "Search after Happiness,"-copies of which, however, in manuscript had been long before within the circle of her Bristol friends. To this succeeded two poems, the one, "Sir Eldred of the Bower," the other a legendary tale, "The Bleeding Rock." These, with her tragedy of "The Inflexible Captive," attracted the notice of the celebrated Garrick, of Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu, and others, so that in her earliest visits to the metropolis she was welcomed with the admiration which her fine talents had excited. From this period she appears to have made regular annual visits, sometimes for months together, to London. Here she soon became the favored and delighted inmate of Mr. and Mrs. Garrick, the intimate companion of Elizabeth Montagu, the desired guest of the very foremost in the circles of wit, and fashion, and nobility itself. Here, under the powerful patronage of Garrick, who "stood as the House of Lords to dramatic poets," there lying no appeal from his to any higher authority,—her tragedy of "Percy" was performed for many successive nights with brilliant success, diffusing widely her fame as an author. It brought her into vogue, to adopt the befitting word, with the gay as well as with the dignified of the London coteries. For that happened to her, which happens still to favorites in the British metropolis, and is not altogether without example, as some of our readers may have heard, and perchance have experienced, in this our own little "emporium," that when fashion has once set its seal to a name, that name for a season shall ring. It shall be in all mouths; and the poor favorite that bears it must be in all parties too, though it be to the severing of limb from limb, or of spirit from body. Just so was it with our heroine. From the time she first visited London in company with two of her sisters, in 1773 or 1774, till after the death of Dr. John

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son, in 1784, several months of each year she spent in London. Here, though averse to most public amusements, she frequently attended the theatre, to hear her friend Garrick, then in his professional glory, and was there a modest eyewitness of his power in giving splendid effect to two of her own tragedies. He seems to have delighted in introducing her to the most gifted of his own acquaintance. Invitations flowed in from every quarter, as well to the exquisite dinnerparties of the élite, as to the crowded drawing-rooms of righthonorable ladies, delighting to make happy "their troops of friends." Wherever she went, she was sure of being caressed. "If Hannah's head," says one of her sisters, in a letter of 1776, "stands proof against all the adulation and kindness of the great folks here, I will venture to say that nothing of this kind will hurt her hereafter." They who have associated her name with only her later productions, will be surprised to learn, that among her correspondents who were favored with some of her liveliest letters, was the witty Horace Walpole, afterwards Lord Orford. But this eccentric nobleman, whose genius, it must be confessed, was far in advance of his religion, was but one of a circle composed of such as Johnson and Garrick; Sir Joshua Reynolds and Edmund Burke; Barrington, the venerable prelate of Durham, who in his charities united the munificence of a prince to the simplicity and benevolence of a christian pastor; Porteus, the faithful and accomplished Bishop of London; Dean Tucker; Dr. Burney, the elegant and learned Professor of Music; Sir William Pepys; and Bryant, the Mythologist. With these must never be forgotten, for she was always dining or spending whole days with them, Mrs. Montagu, "not only," says Hannah, "the finest genius, but the finest lady I ever saw; "Mrs. Boscawen; the widow of Garrick; the elegant Duchess of Portland; Mrs. Chapone; Mrs. Carter; Mrs. Delany, the long honored protegée of old King George and his Queen; Mrs. Macaulay, the republican, whom Johnson for that reason delighted to tease; with a numerous host besides, among whom, as she occasionally met them, are to be found the names of Dr. Beattie and Mackenzie, visiters like herself to the city; and lastly, as his master was so often there, Boswell we may be certain was not wanting.

This part of her Memoirs is full of literary anecdote. Though not occupying any considerable portion of the whole

work, it abounds in wise reflections, witty observations, and agreeable anecdote, touching events, persons, and characters, with whom the author was so intimately conversant. Of Dr. Johnson, for example, there are some most pleasant notices and sayings. We know not where, not even in the pages of his own Bozzy, he appears to such advantage as in the letters and diary of Miss More. He was charmed with the talents, vivacity, and above all with the piety of his young friend. He particularly mentioned to the sister of Sir Joshua Reynolds, "how much he had been touched with the enthusiasm, evidently genuine and unaffected, which was visible in her whole manner." And in his own to her, though he had reached his three-score years and ten, he seems to have renewed the kindness and gentleness of his early days.

A few extracts from her own letters, or from those of Miss Sarah More, one of her sprightly sisters, who accompanied her to London, and seems to have taken as much delight in Hannah's fame, as if it had been her own, will afford, says her biographer, "the best picture of the intercourse and scenes in which she was now beginning to bear a part."

"From Miss Sarah More to one of her sisters.

"London, 1775.

"Tuesday evening we drank tea at Sir Joshua's, with Dr. Johnson. Hannah is certainly a great favorite. She was placed next him, and they had the entire conversation to themselves. They were both in remarkably high spirits; it was certainly her lucky night! I never heard her say so many good

*We copy with pleasure the following note by Mr. Roberts of this excellent lady. And this we do from a love of justice. For it happens too frequently, that in a family of brothers or sisters, where one is preeminently distinguished, as was the case in this, the less splendid, though probably not less useful qualities of the rest are overshadowed or forgotten.

"If there be any persons remaining who are or were in habits of social intercourse with the family of Mrs. H. More, they will readily bear testimony to the originality of humor and playfulness of imagination which enlivened the conversation and letters of this lady, Miss Sally More, who possessed also talents of another kind; some of the most valuable of the Cheap Repository Tracts being the productions of her pen. She was senior to Mrs. H. More by a very few years. The reader will doubtless peruse, with all due indulgence, the joyful effusions of an ardent and intelligent girl, who found herself suddenly introduced to the choicest society of the metropolis."— Vol. 1. p. 37.

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things. The old genius was extremely jocular, and the young one very pleasant.' Vol. 1. p. 40.

Again, the same sister writes;

"If a wedding should take place before our return, don't be surprised, between the mother of Sir Eldred and the father of my much-loved Irene; nay, Mrs. Montagu says, if tender words are the precursors of connubial engagements, we may expect great things; for it is nothing but " child," "little fool," "love," and "dearest." After much critical discourse, he turns round to me, and with one of his most amiable looks, which must be seen to form the least idea of it, he says, "I have heard that you are engaged in the useful and honorable employment of teaching young ladies," upon which, with all the same ease, familiarity, and confidence we should have done, had only our own dear Dr. Stonehouse been present, we entered upon the history of our birth, parentage, and education; showing how we were born with more desires than guineas; and how, as years increased our appetites, the cupboard at home began to grow too small to gratify them; and how, with a bottle of water, a bed, and a blanket, we set out to seek our fortunes; and how we found a great house, with nothing in it; and how it was like to remain so, till looking into our knowledge-boxes, we happened to find a little larning, a good thing when land is gone, or rather none; and so at last, by giving a little of this little larning to those who had less, we got a good store of gold in return; but how, alas! we wanted the wit to keep it. "I love you both," "I love you all five, I never was at Bristol, I will come on purpose to see you, what! five women live happily together!—I will come and see you, I have spent a happy evening, I am glad I came, - God for ever bless you, you live lives to shame duchesses." He took his leave with so much warmth and tenderness, we were quite affected at his manner.' Vol. 1. pp. 46, 47.

cried the inamorato, ·

Of a little party Miss Hannah had invited to her own lodgings, she thus writes;

The

"Mrs. Garrick offered me all her fine things, but, as I hate admixtures of finery and meanness, I refused every thing except a little cream and a few sorts of cakes. They came at seven. dramatis persona were Mrs. Boscawen, Mrs. Garrick, and Miss Reynolds; my beaux were Dr. Johnson, Dean Tucker, and last, but not least in our love, David Garrick. You know that wherever Johnson is, the confinement to the tea-table is rather a durable situation; and it was an hour and a half before I got my enlargement. However, my ears were opened, though my tongue was locked, and they all stayed till near eleven.

VOL. XVIII.-N. S, VOL. XIII. NO. I.