unless Mrs. Wilkins consented to settle on them the entire of her property? Mr. Blake replied it was. Mr. Mac Namara rejoined, that her contract did not bind her to any such extent. "No," replied Mr. Blake, "I know it does not; however, tell Mrs. Wilkins that I understand she has about 5807. a year, and I will be content to settle the odd 801. on her by way of pocket money." Here, of course, the conversation ended, which Mr. Mac Namara detailed, as he was desired, to Mrs. Wilkins, who rejected it with the disdain, which, I hope, it will excite in every honourable mind. A topic, however, arose during the interview, which unfolds the motives and illustrates the mind of Mr. Blake more than any observation which I can make on it. As one of the inducements to the projected marriage, he actually proposed the prospect of a 50l. annuity as an officer's widow's pension, to which she would be entitled in the event of his decease! I will not stop to remark on the delicacy of this inducementI will not dwell on the ridicule of the anticipationI will not advert to the glaring dotage on which he speculated, when he could seriously hold out to a woman of her years the prospect of such an improbable survivorship. But I do ask you, of what materials must the man be composed who could thus debase the national liberality! What! was the recompense of that lofty heroism which has almost appropriated to the British navy the monopoly of maritime renown-was that grateful offering which a weeping country pours into the lap of its patriot's widow, and into the cradle of its warrior's

orphan-was that generous consolation with which a nation's gratitude cheers the last moments of her dying hero, by the portraiture of his children sustained and ennobled by the legacy of his achievements, to be thus deliberately perverted into the bribe of a base, reluctant, unnatural prostitution! Oh! I know of nothing to parallel the self-abasement of such a deed, except the audacity that requires an honourable Jury to abet it. The following letter from Mr. Anthony Martin, Mr. Blake's attorney, unfolded the future plans of this unfeeling conspiracy. Perhaps the Gentlemen would wish also to cushion this document? They do not. Then I shall read it. The Letter is addressed to Mrs. Wilkins.

MADAM,

"Galway, Jan. 9, 1817.

"I have been applied to professionally by Lieutenant Peter Blake to take proceedings against you on rather an unpleasant occasion; but, from every letter of your's, and other documents, together with the material and irreparable loss Mr. Blake has sustained in his professional prospects, by means of your proposals to him, makes it indispensably necessary for him to get remuneration from you. Under these circumstances, I am obliged to say, that I have his directions to take immediate proceedings against you, unless he is in some measure compen sated for your breach of contract and promise to him. I should feel happy that you would save me the necessity of acting professionally by settling the business [You see, Gentlemen, money, money,

money, runs through the whole amour], and not suffer it to come to a public investigation, particularly, as I conceive from the legal advice Mr. Blake has got, together with all I have seen, it will ultimately terminate most honourably to his advantage, and to your pecuniary loss.

"I have the honour to remain,

“Madam,

"Your very humble Servant,

"ANTHONY MARTIN."

Indeed, I think Mr. Anthony Martin is mistaken. Indeed, I think no twelve men upon their oaths will say (even admitting the truth of all he asserts) that it was honourable for a British officer to abandon the navy on such a speculation-to desert so noble a profession-to forfeit the ambition it ought to have associated-the rank to which it leads the glory it may confer, for the purpose of extorting from an old woman he never saw the purchase-money of his degradation! But I rescue the Plaintiff from this disgraceful imputation. I cannot believe that a member of a profession not less remarkable for the valour than the generosity of its spirit-a profession as proverbial for its profusion in the harbour as for the prodigality of its life-blood on the wave-a profession ever willing to fling money to the winds, and only anxious that they should waft through the world its immortal banner crimsoned with the record of a thousand victories! No, no, Gentlemen; notwithstanding the great authority of Mr. Anthony Martin, I cannot

readily believe that any man could be found to make the high honour of this noble service a base, mercenary, sullied pander to the prostitution of his youth! The fact is, that increasing ill health, and the improbability of promotion, combined to induce his retirement on half pay. You will find this confirmed by the date of his resignation, which was immediately after the battle of Waterloo, which settled (no matter how) the destinies of Europe. His constitution was declining, his advancement was annihilated, and, as a forlorn hope, he bombarded the Widow Wilkins!'

"War thoughts had left their places vacant :

In their room came, thronging, soft and amorous desires;
All telling him how fair-Young Hero was."

He first, Gentlemen, attacked her fortune with
herself, through the artillery of the Church, and
having failed in that, he now attacks her fortune
without herself, through the assistance of the law.
However, if I am instructed rightly, he has nobody
but himself to blame for his disappointment. Ob-
serve, I do not vouch for the authenticity of this
fact; but I do certainly assure you, that Mrs. Wil-
kins was persuaded of it.
You know the pro-
verbial frailty of our nature.
nant was not free from it!
that some younger, or, according to his taste, some
older fair one, weaned him from the widow. In-
deed they did not. He had no heart to lose, and
yét (can you solve the paradox ?) his infirmity was
LOVE. As the Poet says-

The gallant LieutePerhaps you imagine

"Love-STILL-Love."

No, it was not to VENUS, it was to BACCHUS, he sacrificed. With an eastern idolatry he commenced at day-light, and so persevering was his piety till the shades of night, that when he was not on his knees, he could scarcely be said to be on his legs! When I came to this passage, I could not avoid involuntarily exclaiming, Oh, Peter, Peter, whether it be in liquor or in love

"None but thyself can be thy parallel !"

I see by your smiling, Gentlemen, that you correct my error. I perceive your classio memories recurring to, perhaps, the only prototype to be found in history. I beg his pardon. I should not have overlooked

the immortal Captain Wattle,

Who was all for love and a little for the bottle."

Ardent as our fair ones have been announced to be, they do not prefer a flame that is so exclusively spiritual. Widow Wilkins, Widow Wilkins, no doubt, did not choose to be singular. In the words of the bard, and, my Lord, I perceive you excuse my dwelling so much on the authority of the muses, because really on this occasion the minstrel seems to have combined the powers of poetry with the spirit of prophecy-in the very words of the Bard,

"He asked her, would she marry him-Widow Wilkins
answer'd, No-

Then said he, I'll to the Ocean rock, I'm ready for the
slaughter,

Oh!-I'll shoot at my sad image, as its sighing in the

water

Only think of Widow Wilkins, saying-Go-Peter
Go!"