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tereft or reputation. He profited by the friendly recommendation, and left Cambridge unadorned with any of the honourable diftinctions which usually accompany a refidence in the two great feminaries of learning.

From Cambridge he removed to London, and was entered of the Inner Temple, where the fame temper and difpofition, joined to habits of indolence, threatened an irremoveable obftacle to his fuccefs as a Lawyer. He attended the Bar fome time unnoticed and unknown. At length, being fortunately employed in a caufe wherein the late Earl of Winchelsea and Mr. Luke Robinfon were parties, he fignalized himself in 2 manner which fhewed him little inferior to the most practifed veterans. After this event his business increafed, and he was felected to arrange the cafe of Mr. Archibald Douglas in his conteft with the Duke of Hamilton. This fervice he performed with great patience, ability, and fuccefs, as is evident by the printed copy of it. In the courfe of this fuit he had alfo an opportunity of fhewing his bravery, as it produced a duel between him and one of his opponents, which ended, however, without any ill confequence to cither party.

A high office, confiderable abilities, or a decided political conduct, generally fets the tongue of flander at liberty, and every flaw in a perfon's character is recollected and repeated with all the exaggeration and malice of inveterate prejudice. Many ftories were now circulated with officious induftry, which, had the perfon against whom they were levelled been of inferior talents, would not have been remembered. It is far from our intention to give any countenance to practes of this kind, and therefore we readily fupprefs the reports, which have been too lang received with more attention than they erve, and fhall only remark, that in the cafe of the person we are now fpeaking of, they were repeated. with uncommon virukace, and communicated with unremitting induftry. Many flips of youth were exalt ed into crimes of great magnitude, fome, we believe, upon flight grounds, and others hardly any foundation at all.

At length he arrived at the honours of his profeffion, which it cannot be faid he in any manner difgraced. In 1762 he was appoint ed one of the King's Counfel, in 1770 he was advanced to the poft of Solicitor Gene-, ral, and in March 1771 became Attorney General. It is remarkable, that he never was honoured with the notice of his Univerfity by being named (as is ufual in the like rakes) its ftanding Counfel. He was twice elected into Parliament for the borough of Tamworth, in Staffordshire, and in the Houle of Commous foon appeared with the

dignity of a British Senator. The measures of Government found an able fupporter while he continued a member of the lower affembly, and his retreat from it deprived the minifter of an affociate, whofe eloquence and abilities placed him upon a level with the firft men of the popular party.

On the 2d of June 1778, he was advanced to the dignity of Lord Chancellor, and creat ed a Peer by the title of Lord Thurlow, Baron of Athfield, in the county of Suffolk. One of the first acts he did after entering on this important office reflects fo much honour on his firmnefs and integrity, that we fhould deem ourfelves inexculeable if we omitted to notice it. The elevation of former Chancellors had generally caused confiderable alterations in the officers of the court, and particularly the commiffioners of bankruptcy were often changed to make room for the friends of the reigning prefider over the Court of Chancery. On these occafions interelt was made by thofe who were already appointed, that they might be continued. Lord Thurlow on his advancement fcarce removed any. One person only, who applied through the means of the Chancel lor's miftrefs, was turned out with difgrace, to fhew, that whoever hoped to obtain any favour through that quarter, would meet with equal difappointment.

No fooner was Lord Thurlow feated in the Houfe of Lords, than he exerted the power vefted in him as Speaker, to confine thofe who debated any matter which came under confideration, from wandering beyond the queftion before them, and to reftrict them within the due limits of it. This created fome misunderstanding at firft, and the Duke of Grafton expressed himself with a warmth bordering on indecency. The correction which he received on the spot was keen and fpirited, but at the fame time cool and determined. The fuperiority of the Chancellor was apparent to every perfon prefent, and contributed very much to eftablifh him in the opinion of the Peers, as oñe who would do his duty in fpite of every oppofition, unawed by the frowns of the most powerful, unfeduced by the flatteries of the

artful.

The behaviour of the Chancellor in the House of Lords that fellion, and fince, confirmed the authority which he had eatily obtained there. He feerned to be the perfon on whofe abilities a party might fecurely depend, and accordingly inany ranged themselves under his banner. His authority refe fo high, that in the late political contention for power, the only circumftance in which unanimity prevailed was this, that no change should be made in the Court of Chancery. When a new Miniftry could no longer be delayed, Lord Thurlow had fo much the confidenc

Airi.

of all fides, that the negociation which pre ceded the difmiffion of thofe late in power was folely intrufted to him; and, to the furprize of the world, he continued to retain his fituation, though acting in oppofition to the Minifter whose elevation he ftipulated for, but with whom he could not cordially unite. We believe this inftance is the fingle one which can be pointed out, in which fo confiderable an officer under Government has been allowed to receive the emoluments of his place when diffenting from, and oppofing the avowed measures of his minifterial .colleagues.

Lord Thurlow's character in point of integrity, is unexceptionable; he acts alfo with a generofity in many cafes highly laudable; is greatly efteemed by thole who are intimate with him; and when he quits the feals, may be able to render his country confiderable fervice in the Houfe of Lords, from the uprightness of his behaviour, and the character which he has acquired

there.

family, the circle of their life does not exten beyond domestic employments (6).

Their firft duty is the education of thei children. Their moft ardent wifh is to hav a great number of them, fince the public e teem, as well as the tenderness of their huf bands are meafured by their fecundity. Eve the poor man who earns his bread with th fweat of his brow, prays to heaven for a nu merous progeny, and the barren woma would be inconfolable, did not adoption in demnify her in fome degree for the injury o nature. Every mother fuckles the child th has brought into the world. The firft fmil of that tender creature, and an eafy child bed, repay her for the cares and pains im pofed upon her by this duty.

The overflowings of the milk, therefore, and other diforders, which drain the fources of life of the young fpoufe unobfervant of this law, are not known in this country, Mahomet has converted this cuftom, which is coeval with the world, into a precept: "Mothers fhall fuckle their children two whole years, provided they are difpofed to

The private Life of the Modern Egyptian take the breaft fo long. The mother fhall

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bitants of this country, but I have spoken very little of the women. This (a) oriental referve cannot be agreeable to an European. I am now going to give you, therefore, a general idea of the manners of the Egyptian women.

The women act a brilliant part in Europe. They appear as fovereigns on the theatre of the world. They prefide over manners, and decide on the most important events. The fate of nations is often in their hands. In Egypt, what difference! They are there only to be feen loaded with the chains of flavery. Condemned to fervitude, they have not the fmalleft influence on public affairs. Their empire is limited to the walls of the Haram; for there are buried all their graces and their charms. Confined within the bofom of their

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(2) The Egyptians never mention their wives in converfation. When they are obliged to fpeak of them, they fay the mother of fuch a one, or the miftrefs of the houfe, &c. Politeness prevents one from faying, How is madam your wife? It is neceffary to imitate their referve, and fay, How is the mother of fuch a one? Even this they would ook upon as an affront, were it not the falutation of an intimate friend or relation. I relate thefe traits, as perfectly characteristic of oriental jealoufy.

be permitted to wean her nurfe-child with the confent of the husband." Ulyffes defcending into the gloomy kingdom of Pluto, reared up faw there his mother, who had nourished

infancy.

When circumstances compel them to have recourfe to a nurse, fhe is not looked upon as a ftranger. She becomes part of the family, and paffes the reft of her life in the midft of the children fhe has fuckled. She is honoured and cherished like a fecond mother.

Racine, who poffeffed all the knowledge neceffary to difplay the brilliancy of his genius; Racine, who, from his intimate acquaitance with the chef-d'œuvres of Greece well knew the oriental manners, gives his Phedra, her nurfe for her only confidante. The unhappy queen, burning with a guilty flame, fhe could not conquer, and the fatal fecret of which burthened her mind, without her daring to reveal it, did not refolve to entraft it to the tender none until the latter addreffed her:

Cruelle, quand ma foi vous a-t-elle décue? Songez-vous qu'en naiffant mes bras vous ont recue?

The Haram is the cradle and the school of

NO T E.

(b) The compiler, Pomponius Mela, pretends that the women do all the out of door labour in Egypt, and the men take charge of the houfe, p. 59. This affertion is contra died by every writer who has travelled in that country.

infancy

infancy. The helpiefs being, juft brought fited Abraham, who offered them the ufual repaft of hofpitality. Before the departure of Telemachus, Menelaus lays to him, "I go to command the queen and her attendants to prepare a fplendid repaft with the provisions that are contained in this palace."

into the world, is not infolded in wretched fwadling clothes, the fource of a thousand diforders. Stretched out naked on a mat, expofed to the air in a fpacious apartment, he breathes without reftraint, and moves his delicate limbs at pleasure. His entrance into the new element wherein he muft pafs his life, is not marked either by grief or tears. Bathed in water every day, reared up under his inother's eye, he grows rapidly. Free in all his movements, he tries his growing ftrength; he is in conftant action, he rolls about, he gets up, and if he happens to tumble, his falls cannot be dangerous on the carpet or mat (c) which covers the floor. He is not banished his father's house at leven or eight years old, to fend him to a college, where he lofes his health and his innocence. It is true that he acquires little knowledge. His education is often limited to the art of reading and writing. But he enjoys a robuft fate of health; whilft the fear of the divinity, refpect for old age, filial piety, the love of hofpitality, virtues which every objed prefents to him in the bofom of his own family, remain deeply graven on his heart.

The girls are brought up in the fame manner. The whalebone, and the bunks to which the European women fall martyrs, are unknown to them. They are left naked, or only covered with a shift until they are fix years old. The habit they wear during the remainder of their lives does not fetter any of their limbs, and allows the whole body to affume its natural ftructure. Nothing is fo uncommon, therefore, as to fee children full of humours, or crooked perfons. It is in thefe eaftern parts of the world that man rifes in all his native majesty, and that woman difplays all the charms of her fex. It sin Georgia and in Greece that thofe welldefined features, thofe admirable forms, impressed by nature on the chef-d'œuvre of her works, are in the higheft prefervation. It is there that Apel'es would ftill find models worthy of his pencil.

The women do not folely confiue themeives to the education of their children. All the domeftic affairs are in their department. They are the houfe-keepers, and do not think it any difparagement to prepare the victuals for themselves and for their hufbads with their own hands. The ancient atom which still fubfifts makes it their daty. Thus we fee Sarah haftening to bake the cakes on the afhes, when the angels viN O T E.

(c) In Egypt the rooms are paved with rgdag ftones, which are washed, at leaft, te a week. In fummer they are covered *ha cane mat, neatly worked, and in the Ruter with a carpet.

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Subject to cuftom, whofe unalterable laws govern the countries of the East, the women are not admitted into the fociety of the men, not even at table (d), where the affemblage of the two fexes produces gaiety and bon mots, and gives a zeft to the entertainment. When the rich are defirous of dining with one of their wives, they give her previous notice. She difpofes the apartment, prepares the most delicate dishes, and receives her lord with refpect, and with the moft refined attention. The women of the lower clafs ufually remain ftanding, or feated in a corner of the room, whilst their husbands are at dinner. They frequently present him water to wash himself, and help him at table (e). Thefe cuftoms which the Europeans might justly style barbarous, and against which they might exclaim with reafon, appear fo natural in this country, that they have no idea of their being different in other climates. Such is the force of habit over the human mind. A cuftom established for ages feems to be the law of

nature.

Domestic cares leave the Egyptian women a great many leifure moments, which they employ amongst their flaves in embroidering a fafh, in making a veil, in drawing defigns on ftuff to cover a fopha, and in fpinning with the diftaff. So Homer paints the women of his time. "Andromache, however, had not yet learnt the death of Hector. She did not know that he had remained without the gates of the town. Occupied in her palace, the was embroidering a magniñcent work, whilst her flaves were heating the bath for her husband on his return from battle."

Telemachus, feeing that Penelope, in fpeaking to her fuitors, talked of affairs which feemed to be out of her sphere, says to her," O, mother! go up into your N T E S.

(d) Sarah, who prepared dinner for Abraham and his guests, did not feat herfelf at table; the remained fhut up in the tent.

(e) I dined lately with an Italian who was married to an Egyptian woman. He has adopted the manners of the country he has lived in fo long. His wife and fifter-in-law food up before me; with difficulty I prevailed on them to be feated, and place themfelves at table with us. Their timidity and embarrassment were very

gat.

apartme

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