kind of fpirit, These papers

fence to any party, with an honest regard to the public intereft, and in the fame that works of that fort generally are. are yet continued by other hands.

Mr. Banks had from nature very confiderable abilities, and his poems defervedly hold the fecond rank. They are printed in two volumes 8vo. Befides the poems contained in these volumes, there are feveral other poetical pieces of his fcattered in news papers, and other periodical works to which he was an occafional contributer. He had the talent of relating a tale humorously in verfe, and his graver poems have both force of thinking, and elegance of numbers to recommend them.

Towards the fpring of the year 1751 Mr. Banks, who had long been in a very indifferent ftate of health, vifibly declined. His diforder was of a nervous fort, which he bore with great patience, and even with a chearful refignation. This fpring proved fatal to him; he died on the 19th of April at his houfe at Iflington, where he had lived feveral years in eafy circumftances, by the produce of his pen, without leaving one enemy behind him.

Mr. Banks was a man of real good nature, of an eafy benevolent difpofition, and his friends ever etteemed him as a most agreeable companion. He had none of the petulance, which. too frequently renders men of genius unacceptable to their acquaintance. He was of fo compofed a temper, that he was feldom known to be in a paffion, and he wore a perpetual chearfulnefs in his countenance. He was rather bashful, than forward; his address did not qualify him for gay company, and though le poffcffed a very extenfive knowledge of things, yet, as he had not

much

much grace of delivery, or elegance of manner, he could not make fo good a figure in converfation, as many perfons of leis knowledge, with a happier Of all authors Mr. Banks was the

As

appearance. fartheft removed from envy or malevolence. he could not bear the leaft whisper of detraction, fo he was never heard to express uneafiness at the growing reputation of another; nor was he ever engaged in literary contefts. We fhall conclude this article in the words of lord Clarendon. He that lives fuch a life, need be lefs anxious at 'how fhort warning it is taken from him *.*

Mrs. LETITIA PILKINGTON.

THIS

HIS unfortunate poetefs, the circumftances of whofe life, written by herself, have lately entertained the public, was born in the year 1712. She was the daughter of Dr. Van Lewen, a gentleman of Dutch extraction, who fettled in Dublin. Her mother was defcended of an ancient and honourable family, who have frequently intermarried with the nobility.

Mrs. Pilkington, from her earliest infancy, had a ftong difpofition to letters, and particularly to poetry. All her leisure hours were dedicated to the mufes; from a reader the quickly became a writer, and, as Mr. Pope expreffes it,

She lifp'd in numbers, for the numbers came.'

Her performances were confidered as extraordinary for her years, and drew upon her the admi* See lord Clarendon's character of the lord Falkland.

ration of many, who found more pleasure in her conversation, than that of girls generally affords. In confequence of a poetical genius, and an engaging fprightliness peculiar to her, he had many wocers, fome of whom seriously addressed her, while others meant no more than the common gallantries of young people. After the ufual ceremony of a courtship, fhe became the wife of Mr. Matthew Pilkington, a gentleman in holy orders, and well known in the poetical world by his volume of Mifcellanies, revised by dean Swift. we have few materials for Mrs. Pilkington's life, befide those furnished by herself in her Memoirs published in 1749, our readers muft depend upon her veracity for fome facts which we may be obliged to mention, upon her fole authority.

As

Our poetess, fays fhe, had not been long married, e'er Mr. Pilkington became jealous, not of her perfon, but her understanding. She was applauded by dean Swift, and many other perfons of taile; every compliment that was paid her, gave a mortal ftab to his peace. Behold the difference between the lover and the husband! When Mr. Pilkington courted her, he was not more enamoured of her perfon, than her poetry, he fhewed her verfes to every body in the enthufiafm of admiration; but now he was become a husband, it was a kind of treafon for a wife to pretend to literary accomplishments.

It is certainly true, that when a woman happens to have more understanding than her husband, the fhould be very induftrious to conceal it; but it is likewife true, that the natural vanity of the sex is difficult to check, and the vanity of a poet ftill more difficult: wit in a female mind can no more ceafe to sparkle, than fhe who poffeffes it, can ceafe to fpeak. Mr. Pilkington began to view her with fcornful, yet with jealous eyes, and in this fituation, nothing but mifery was likely to be their lot. While thefe jealoufies fubfifted, Mr. Pilking

ton,

ton, contrary to the advice of his friends, went into England, in order to ferve as chaplain to alderman Barber during his mayoralty of the city of London.

While he remained in London, and having the ftrange humour of loving his wife beft at a distance, he wrote her a very kind letter, in which he informed her, that her verfes were like herself, full of clegance and beauty; that Mr. Pope and others, to whom he had fhewn them, longed to fee the writer, and that he heartily wifhed her in London. This letter fet her heart on flame. London has very attractive charms to moft young people, and it cannot be much wondered at if Mrs. Pilkington fhould take the only opportunity she was ever likely to have, of gratifying her curiofity: which however proved fatal to her; for though we cannot find, that during this visit to London, her conduct was the leaft reproachable, yet, upon her return to Ireland, fhe underwent a violent perfecution of tongues. They who envied her abilities, faftened now upon her morals; they were induftrious to trace the motives of her going to London; her behaviour while fhe was there; and infinuated fufpicions against her chastity. These detracters were chiefly of her own fex, who fupplied by the bittereft malice what they wanted in power.

Not long after this an accident happened, which threw Mrs. Pilkington's affairs into the utmoft confufion. Her father was ftabbed, as she has related, by an accident, but many people in Dublin believe, by his own wife, though fome fay, by his own hand. Upon this melancholy occafion, Mrs. Pilkington has given an account of her father, which places her in a very amiable light. She difcovered for him the most filial tender. nefs; the watched round his bed, and feems to have been the only relation then about him, who

"

* An extravagant compliment; for Mrs. Pilkington was far from being a beauty.

deferved his bleffing. From the death of her father her fufferings begin, and the fubfequent part of her life is a continued feries of misfortunes.

Mr, Pilkington having now no expectation of a fortune by her, threw off all referve in his beha viour to her. While Mrs. Pilkington was in the country for her health, his diflike of her feems to have encreased, and, perhaps, he refolved to get rid of his wife at any rate: nor was he long waiting for an occafion of parting with her. The ftory of their feparation may be found at large in her Memoirs. The fubftance is, that he was fo indifcreet as to permit a gentleman to be found in her bed-chamber at an unfeasonable hour; for which she makes this apology. Lovers of learning I am fure will pardon me, as I folemnly declare, it was the attractive charms of a new book, which the gentleman would not lend me, but confented to stay till I read it through, that was the fole motive of my detaining him." This indeed is a poor evafion; and as Mrs. Pilkington has faid no more in favour of her innocence, they must have great charity indeed with whom the can ftand exculpated.

While the gentleman was with her, the fervants let in twelve men at the kitchen window, who, though they might, as fhe avers, have opened the chamber door, chofe rather to break it to pieces, and took both her and the gentleman prifoners. Her husband now told her, that the muft turn out of doors; and taking hold of her hand, made a prefent of it to the gentleman, who could not in honour refuse to take her, efpecially as his own liberty was to be procured upon no other terms. It being then two o'clock in the morning, and not knowing where to fteer, fhe went home with her gallant: but the fincerely affures us, that neither of them entertained a thought of any thing like love, but fat like ftatues 'till break of day.

The