themselves; and it will greatly derogate from the digi nity of true religion in the eyes of your children. Suffer me alfo to caution you against the most unjust and illi» beral practice, of exercifing your wit in humourous ftrokes upon your fervants before company, or while they wait at table. I do not know any thing fo evidently mean that is at the fame time fo common. It is, I think, juft fuch a cowardly thing as to beat a man who is bound; because the fervant, however happy a repartee might occur to him, is not at liberty to anfwer but at the risk of having his bones broken. In this, as in many other particulars, reason, refinement, and liberal man ners, teach exactly the fame thing with religion; and I am happy in being able to add, that religion is generally the most powerful as well as the most uniform principle of decent conduct.

I fhall have done with this particular when I have observed, that those who are engaged in public, or what I may call political life, have an excellent opportunity of making religion appear truly refpectable. What I mean is, by fhowing themselves firm and incorruptible in fup. porting those measures that appear beft calculated for promoting the intereft of religion, and the good of man. kind. In all thefe cafes, I admire that man who has principles, whose principles are known, and whom every body defpairs of being able to feduce, or bring over to the oppofite intereft, I do not commend furious and intemperate zeal. Steadinefs is a much better, and quite a different thing. I would contend with any man who should speak moft calmly, but I would alfo contend with him who fhould act moft firmly. As for your placebo's, your prudent, courtly, compliant gentlemen, : whofe vote in affembly will tell you where they dined the day before, I hold them very cheap indeed, as you very well know. I do not enter further into this argument, but conclude at this time, by obferving, that public measures are always embraced under pretence of principle; and therefore, an uniform uncorrupted public character is one of the best evidences of real principle.

The freethinking gentry tell us, upon this fubject, that "every man has his price." It lies out of my way to attempt refuting them at prefent, but it is to be hoped there are many whofe price is far above their reach. If some of my near relations, who took fo much pains to attach me to the intereft of evangelical truth, had been governed by court influence in their political conduct, it had not been in my power to have esteemed their cha racters, or perhaps to have adhered to their inftructions, But as things now ftand, I have done both from the beginning, and I hope God will enable me by his grace, to continue to do fo to the end of life.

Sir, yours, &c.

[The publisher prefumes that the following account of Mifs HANNAH MORE will be interefting and acceptable to most of his readers. The diftinguished talents of this lady, her eminent piety, her laudable exertions for promoting moral and religious truth, and the just celebrity She has acquired by her various excellent works, chiefly addreffed to the female fex, entitle her to the refpect and the thanks of every friend of human happiness.-It is highly fatisfactory to obferve, that her writings are be ginning to be more known and read in the United States. Nor would it be easy to felect publications better calculated to refine and elevate the female character.]

MEMOIRS OF MISS HANNAH MORE.

T

HE controverfy refpecting the intellectual talents of women, as compared with those of men, is hearly brought to an iffue, and greatly to the credit of the fair fex. The prefent age has produced a most brilliant conftellation of female worthies, who have not only difplayed eminent powers in works of fancy, but have greatly diftinguished themfelves in the higher branches of compofition. Great-Britain has the honour of enrolling among its literary ornaments many females, to whom the interefts of poetry, morality, and the sciences, are

greatly indebted. Among celebrated living ladies, may, with juftice, be mentioned the names of Barbauld, Robinson, Cowley, Smith, Radcliffe, Farren, Piozzi, Seward, Lee, Hays, Inchbald, Cappe, Plumptree, Trimmer, Yeardley, Williams, D'Arblay, Bennet, Linwood, Colway, Kauffman, and Siddons.

The female who is the fubject of the prefent notice is well known to the literary world, by feveral elegant, ingenious, and useful publications. A few particulars refpecting her, therefore, will not only be amufing to those who have read her works, but will also be inftructive to young perfons in the way of example.

Mifs Hannah More is the youngest of four maiden fifters, the daughters of a clergyman, diftinguished for his claffical knowledge, and goodness of heart.

Hannah, who, at an early period of life, difcovered a tafte for literature, improved her mind during her leisure hours by reading; and foon perufed not only the little paternal library, but all the books fhe could borrow from her friends, in the village of Hanham, near Briftol. The first that fell in her way was the Pamela of Richardfon, the humble fource of an innumerable offspring; and happy it would have been for the interefts of virtue and literature, had the progeny been but as innocent as the parent.

The modefty and attainments of Hannah More were fpoken of with general refpect in her native place, and at length acquired her the patronage of many refpectable perfons. In the mean time her fifters, who, being alfo clever and amiable women, had conducted a little school with great fuccefs, were now enabled, in confequence of an increafing reputation, to undertake the education of young perfons above the fituation of thofe to whofe improvement their attention had hitherto been directed. So great, at length, was their celebrity, that feveral ladies of fortune and difcernment prevailed upon them to remove to Bristol, about the year 1765, where they opened a boarding-school in Park-ftreet., This feminary, in a thort time, became the moft refpectable of its kind in

the Weft of England; and many females of rank received their education there.

Among others who had the advantage of profiting by the inftruction of the Mifs Mores, was the celebrated Mrs, Robinson, well known for her various elegant publications in prose and verse.

Mifs H. More, who had removed with the family, had the good fortune of having for a next door neighbour the. Reverend Dr. Stonehoufe; who perceiving her merits, diftinguished her by his friendship, which he manifested by his inftructions and recommendation. Both of these were of the most effential fervice to her in the cultivation of her literary taste. The Doctor was a man of extensive acquaintance, general knowledge, and elegant manners. He condefcended not only to examine the occasional effufions of her pen, but also to correct them, and through his hands all her early efforts paffed to the prefs. The first of these was entitled, "The Search after Happiness, a Poem," which was printed at Bristol under the Doctor's eye; and on its publication in London was fo favourably received, as to encourage the author to further exertions of her powers. She next publifhed "Sir Eldred of the Bower, and the Bleeding Rock; a legendary Tale;" which style of writing was become fashionable, through the fuccefs of Dr. Goldsmith's fweet ftory of Edwin and Angelina.

Mifs More now turned her attention to dramatic poetry, and produced a tragedy, entitled FATAL FALSEHOOD; which was tolerably well received; but not for much as her PERCY, a tragedy, which met with univerfal applause. She alfo wrote another tragedy, called the INFLEXIBLE CAPTIVE; which fell fhort of the merit of her other dramatic pieces. The fuccefs fhe met with, in this way, was owing, in a great measure, to the immediate and commanding patronage of Garrick, who entered warmly into her interefts, through the recommendation of Dr. Stonehouse, with whom he was very intimate.*

*The Doctor was one of the most correct and elegant preachers in the kingdom. When he entered into holy orders, he took occasion to profit by his acquaintance with Garrick, in order to procure from

She afterwards printed a small volume of " Effays for Young Ladies," in which he has recommended to them a variety of ingenious and excellent obfervations upon the most important fubjects, expreffed in elegant language. In 1782 fhe published a work, perhaps the most popular of all her pieces, entitled " Sacred Dramas; to which is added, "Senfibility, a poetical Epiftle." In this volume she has dramatized, in a very natural and feeling manner, fome of the most affecting and inftructive narratives in the facred hiftory. Many of these had been previously performed by her fifters' pupils, and given fo much fatisfaction to thofe who had feen the performances, or read the pieces, as to occafion numerous folicitations - that they might be printed. The voice of the public accorded with the fentiments of private friendship, and these dramas have not only gone through feveral large editions, but we believe they have been, and are now, frequently performed in refpectable boarding-fchools.

Her next production was in a different ftyle of compofition; it was entitled "Bas Bleu, with the Tale of Florio," 1785. This poem is fomewhat in the manner of Fontaine, and hits off the prevailing follies with great finartness and tafte. The foundation of it was the Blue Stocking club, inftituted by Mrs. Montague.

In 1788 appeared a small volume, called "Thoughts

him some valuable instructions in elocution. Being once engaged to read prayers, and to preach at a church in the city, he prevailed upon Garrick to go with him. After the service, the British Roscius asked the Doctor what particular business he had to do when the duty was over: "None," said the other. "I thought you had," said Garrick,

on seeing you enter the reading-desk in such a hurry."—" Nothing," added he, can be more indecent, than to see a clergyman set about sacred business as if he were a tradesman, and go into the church as if he wanted to get out of it as soon as possible."

He next asked the Doctor, "What books he had in the desk before him?"" Only the bible and prayer-book."-"Only the bible and prayer-book," replied the player; "why you tossed them backwards and forwards, and turned the leaves as carelessly as if they were those of a day-book and ledger."

The Doctor was wise enough to see the force of these observations, and in future he avoided the faults they were designed to reprove.