All that I ever learned I acquired from this extraordinary woman. In those hours when her senses were not intoxicated, she would delight in the task of instructing me. She had only five or six pupils, and it was my lot to be her particular favourite. She always, out of school, called me her little friend, and made no scruple of conversing with me, (sometimes half the night, for I slept in her chamber,), on domestic and confidential affairs. I felt for her a very sincere affection, and I listened, with peculiar attention to all the lessons she inculcated. Once I recollect her mentioning the particular failing which disgraced so intelligent a being: she pleaded, in excuse of it, the immitigable regret of a widowed heart, and with compunction declared that she flew to intoxication as the only refuge from the pang of prevailing sorrow. I con

tinued more than twelve months under the care of Mrs. Lorrington, during which period my mother boarded in a clergyman's family at Chelsea. I applied rigidly to study, and acquired a taste for books, which has never, from that time, deserted me. Mrs. Lorrington frequently read to me afte school hours, and I to her: I sometimes indulged my fancy in writing verses, or composing rebuses; and my governess never failed to applaud the juvenile compositions I presented to her. Some of them, which I preserved and printed in a small volume shortly after my marriage, were written when I was between twelve and thirteen years of age; but as love was the theme of my poetical phantasies, I never showed them to my mother, till I was about to publish them.

It was my custom, every Sunday evening, to drink tea with my mother. During one of those, visits, a captain in the British navy, a friend of my father's, became so partial to my person and Vol. 14, No. 57.

manners that a proposal of marriage shortly after followed. My mother was astonished when she heard it, and as soon as she recovered from her surprise, inquired of my suitor how old he thought me: his reply was, " about sixteen.” My mother smiled, and informed him that I was not then quite thirteen. He appeared to be sceptical on the subject, till he was again assured of the fact, when he took his leave with evident chagrin, but not without expressing his hopes that, on his return to England, for he was going on a two years expedition, I should be still disengaged. His ship foundered at sea a few months after, and this amiable, gallant officer perished.

I had remained a year and two months with Mrs. Lorrington, when pecuniary derangements obliged her to give up her school. Her father's manners were singularly disgusting, as was his appearance; for he wore a silvery beard which reached to his breast; and a kind of Persian robe which gave him the external appearance of a necromancer. He was of the anabaptist persuasion, and so stern in his conversation that the young pupils were exposed to perpetual terror: added to these circumstances, the failing of his daughter became so evident, that even during school hours she was frequently in a state of confirmed intoxication. These events conspired to break up the establishment, and I was shortly after removed to a boarding-school at Bat

tersea.

The mistress of this seminary, Mrs. Leigh, was a lively sensible and accomplished woman, her daughter was only a few years older than myself, and extremely amiable as well as lovely. Here I might have been happy, but my father's remissness in sending pecuniary supplies, and my mother's dread of pecuniary inconvenience induced her to

I

remove me my brother nevertheless still remained under the care of the Reverend Mr. Gore, at Chelsea.

Several months elapsed, and no remittance arrived from my father. I was now near fourteen years old, and my mother began to foresee the vicissitudes to which my youth might be exposed, unprotected, tenderly educated, and without the advantages of fortune. My father's impracticable scheine had impoverished his fortune, and deprived his children of that affluence which, in their infancy, they had been taught to hope for. I cannot speak of iny own person, but my partial friends were too apt to flatter me. I was naturally of a pensive and melancholy character; my reflections on the changes of fortune frequently gave me an air of dejection which perhaps excited an interest beyond what might have been awakened by the vivacity or bloom of juvenility.

I adored my mother; she was the mildest, the most unoffending of existing mortals; her temper was cheerful, as her heart was innocent: she beheld her children as it seemed fatherless, and she resolved, by honourable means, to support them. For this purpose a convenient house was hired at Little Chelsea, and furnished, for a lady's boardingschool. Assistants of every kind were engaged, and I was deemed worthy of an occupation that flattered my self-love, and impressed my mind with a sort of domestic consequence. The English language was my department in the seminary, and I was permitted to select passages both in prose and verse for the studies of my infant pupils: it was also my occupation to superintend their wardrobes, to see them dressed and undressed by the servants or

D 2

half boarders, and to read sacred and moral lessons on saints'-days and Sunday evenings.

Shortly after my mother had established herself at Chelsea, on a summer's evening, as I was sitting at the window, I heard a deep sigh or rather a groan of anguish, which suddenly attracted my attention. The night was approaching rapidly, and I looked towards the gate before the house, where I observed a woman evidently labouring under excessive affliction; I instantly descended and approached her. She bursting into tears, asked whether I did not know her. Her dress was torn and filthy;-she was almost naked;-and an old bonnet, which nearly hid her face, so completely disfigured her features that I had not the smallest idea of the person who was then almost sinking before me. I gave her a small piece of money, and inquired the cause of her apparent agony: she took my hand and pressed it to her lips. Sweet girl," said she,

you are still the angel I ever knew you!"-I was astonished; she raised her bonnet-her fine dark eyes met mine. It was Mrs. Lorrington. I led her into the house; my mother was not at home. I took her to my chamber, and, with the assistance of a lady who was our French teacher, I clothed and comforted her. She refused to say how she came to be in so deplorable a situation; and took her leave. It was in vain that I entreated, that I conjured her to let me know where I might send to het, She refused to give me her address, but promised that in a few days she would call on me again. It is impossible to describe the wretched appearance of this accomplished woman! The failing to which she had now yielded, as to a monster that would destroy her, was evident even at the moment when she was speaking to me. I saw no more of her:

but to my infinite regret I was informed some years after, that she had died, the martyr of a premature decay, brought on by the indulgence of her propensity to intoxication, in the workhouse-of Chelsea ! (To be continued.)

AN EXCURSION

THROUGH THE COUNTY OF KENT,

Made at different times, but concluded in the month of July, 1801, in Three Letters to a Pupil.

By JOHN EVANS, A. M.

MASTER OF A SEMINARY FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF PUPILS, PULLINS ROW, ISLINGTON.

O famous Kent!

What county hath this Isle that can compare with thee!

That hath within thyself as much as thou canst wish; Nor any thing doth want that any where is good.

DRAYTON.

LETTER 1st.

MY WORTHY YOUNG FRIEND,

THE

HE amusement which you profess to have received from the perusal of my former Tours through several parts of England and Wales, encourages me to address you on the present occasion. It will afford me pleasure to know that this sketch of a neighbouring county is equally acceptable to you; topics of entertainment and instruction offer themselves to our attention, and it becomes us to appropriate every incident to our intellectual and moral improvement. I pretend not to detail what has escaped the notice of other travellers. But it shall be my province to collect interesting particu