lady to accompany him to his houfe, where he introduced her to her hufband, inftantly leaving them alone that they might feel no restraint. caftle built here by William the Conqueror's eldest fon Robert, to defend the country against the Scots, whofe kings had this town in their poffeffion before the Norman conquest, and fometimes refided here. Soon after the building of the caftle, feveral, monafteries and hofpitals were built here, and it was greatly enlarged, and enriched by a confi Great was the furprise and confufion of fir George at this unexpected interview with his amiable but much injured lady, who fmiled upon him with ineffable fweetnefs, the tear glistening in her eye. Struck with a fenfe of her lovelinefs and good-derable trade on the coasts of Gernefs, a conviction of his own errors, and fhame for his paft mifconduct, he threw himself on his knees before her, entreating her forgiveness. "Best and most amiable of women! (exclaimed he) thy virtue overpowers me, and renders vice moft ab. horred Admit me again to enjoy the happiness I so foolishly neglected and abandoned. No more will I wander from fo much beauty and goodness; and to you, while I live, hall my life--" many, and by the fale of its coal to different parts of England; for which and for other merchandife, it is become the great emporium of the north parts of England, and of a great part of Scotland, and is the ineft and largest town of the north, next to York. In the reign of Edward I. a very rich burgher, being carried off by the Scots, ranfomed himself for a round fum of money, and began the firft fortifications of this place, which the townfmen Language is inadequate to exprefs finished and encompaffed with ftrong the feelings of the reconciled pair. walls, which have feven gates, and a Sir George called in Mr. Harbord to great number of turrets: but they witness the success of his scheme, and would be but a weak defence, in cafe fhare in the general joy; and fincere of a fiege, for want of outworks, and heartfelt was the pleasure of It is a borough at least as ancient as that worthy man in having thus fucking Richard II. who granted that a ceeded in his attempt to reclaim his fword fhould be carried before the friend from the paths of error, and mayor; and king Henry VI. made restore him again to domeftic felicity it a town and county incorporate of and real enjoyment. itfelf, independent of Northumberland. It is at prefent governed by a mayor, nineteen aldermen, a recorder, a fheriff, a town clerk, a DESCRIPTION of the Town of clerk of the chamber, two coroners, NEW CASTLE-UPON-TYNE. (With a View elegantly engraved.) and other officers. This town may be faid to be fituated both in the county of Northumberland and the bithopric of DurTEWCASTLE is a very ancient ham; but that part of it which is in town, exceedingly large and the latter, called Gatefide, is rather a populous, and is called Newcastle-fuburb to the town than part of it. upon-Tyne, to diftinguish it from Newcastle-under-Line, in Stafford NEV fhire. In the time of the Saxons it was called Moncafter or Monkchefter, from the monks, who all fled when it was depopulated by the Danes; and afterwaids Newcastle, from a They are both joined together by a bridge of nine arches, as large at leaft as thofe of London-bridge; and which fupports a ftreet of houfes as that formerly did. The fituation of this town is very uneven and unpleasant, especially that : that part which is moft confiderable for bufinefs, and which lies upon the river for it is built upon the declivity of a steep hill; which renders it very unfafe to ride down on horfeback. The houfes are clofe, and built mostly of ftone; though fome are of timber, the rest of brick. The upper or north part of the town, where the politer part of the inhabitants live, is much more pleasant than that next the river, and has three ftreets, which are level, wellbuilt, and fpacious. Pilgrim-ftreet, which is the principal, has fine houfes and gardens. Upon the bridge is a large iron gate, which is the extent of the liberty of the town: the arms of the bishop of Durham are carved on the eaft fide, and the arms of the town of Newcastle on the weft. This gate was of great fervice fome years ago by flopping a terrible fire, which otherwife might have confumed the houfes on the bridge, as it did thofe beyond it. The exchange is a noble and magnificent building, and the wall of the town runs parallel with it from the river, having a fpacious piece of ground before it, between the water and the wall; which being well wharfed up, and faced with freeflone, makes the longeft and largest quay for landing and lading goods that is to be feen in England, except that at Yarmouth, in Norfolk; it being much longer than that at Bristol. Ships of any moderate burden lay their broadfides to this quay; but the colliers generally take in their lading below, between the town, or at Shields, the coals being carried down to them in lighters, called keels, and the men that are employed in them are called keelme. They are very numerous, and have built a large hofpital by contribution among themfelves, for the maintenance of the poor of their fraternity; a charity which, had it not met with difcouragement, might have been a noble provifion for the poor of fo numerous a fet of people. The mayor has a house here to refide in during his mayoralty, with all neceffary offices and attendants, at the town's expenfe, with ap annual allowance of fix hundred pounds. Here is likewise a hall for the furgeons to meet in, who have fome anatomical rarities. A library, confifting of upwards of fix thoufand valuable books, was given to this corporation, in the year 1714, by Dr. Robert Thomlin, rector of Wickham, in the county of Durham, and prebendary of St. Paul's: he alfo fettled a rent-charge of five pounds a year, for ever, for buying new ones. And fir Walter Blacket, baronet, late one of their reprefentatives in parliament, has built a handfome repofitory for the reception of those books, and fettled a rent-charge of twenty-five pounds a year, for ever, for a librarian. It adjoins to St. Nicholas' church. The town is defended by an exceedingly ftrong wall. The caftle overlooks the whole town, but is now old and ruinous. The haven is fo fecure that fhips are in no danger from ftorms, when they have paffed Tinmouth bar and are within it. Befides the coal, glass, and falt trade, which fo greatly enriches this town, there are a number of merchants in it who trade to Hamburgh, Holland, Norway, and the Baltic. Travellers, when they arrive here, generally expect to find falmon in great plenty and cheap, and are not a little furprifed to find it rather fcarce. What is ufually called Newcaftle falmon is taken as far off as the Tweed, about fifty miles farther, and is brought, by land, on horfes, to Shields, where it is pickled, cured, and fent to London, and other parts of the kingdom; fo that it ought properly to be called Berwick fal mon. There are four parochial churches in Newcastle. St. Nicholas' church any more bread, till the fum was paid.-The cries of his wretched" babes, almoft expiring for want, and the tears of an affectionate wife, pierced him with unutterable anguifh. "Deareft husband, (faid the diftracted mother) fhall we fuffer thefe miferable infants to perish? Have we given them birth only to behold them die of hunger? See thefe poor victims, the fruits of our love, their cheeks already covered with the palenefs of death! For me is the principal one. It ftands on the top of a high hill, and was built by David king of Scotland. It is a very large and handsome ftructure, with a fine steeple which terminates in an uncommon manner. The four corner pinnacles are, in reality, four octagon turrets; and between them, on the fides, are four smaller of like construction. Two arches fpring from oppofite corners of the tower, and upon the crown of them both (where they crofs each other) rifes a fquare open turret, with a-I expire with grief and mifery. small spire and vane, as all the other Alas! could I but yet preferve their turrets also have. There is a great lives at the expense of my own--Run defcent from it, and a ftream of water-fly to the next town-speak our runs down from a noble conduit, which ftands far up the town, and is of great ufe to the inhabitants. There are, likewife, feveral chapels as large as churches; befides meeting-houses, and feveral well-endowed charityfchools. The Firth, fituated on the weft, without the walls, was formerly a bowling-green, but now used as a place for ladies and gentlemen to walk in. Near it is the public infirmary, a large handfome building. In another part of the town is a new hofpital for lunatics called St. Luke's Hofpital; and in the fuburb called Sandgate, is a handfome chapel, with a fpire fteeple erected not many years ago. Newcastle is fixty-five miles from Berwick, and two hundred and feventy-fix from London. THE GENEROUS PEDLAR; A TRUE STORY. diftreffes-let not a falfe fhame conceal them!-Every moment you lofe is a dagger to your dying family. Perhaps Heaven may yet be touched by our miseries-you may find some good heart who may yet relieve us." The unhappy father, covered with rags, and more resembling a spectre than a man, haftened to the town. He entreated, he folicited, he defcribed his wretched fituation, with that affecting eloquence which the bitterness of anguish muft infpire. In vain he implored compaffion.-Not one would hear him.-Not one would affift him. Rendered defperate by fuch unexpected cruelty, he entered into a wood, determined to attack the first paffenger. Dire neceffity now appeared a law, and an opportunity foon occurred.— A pedlar paffing by, he ftopped him. The pedlar made not the leaft refistance, but gave up his purfe, contain [From "Anecdotes, &c. by Mr. ing twenty crowns.- No fooner had Addifen."] N inhabitant of a village, in the the unfortunate man committed this robbery, than he felt the horrors of remorfe, and returning to the pedlar, A circle of Suabia, was reduced to he threw himfelf, all in tears, at his the most extreme poverty. For fome days his family had fubfifted only on a little oatmeal; and this being exhausted, their mifery was extreme. A baker, to whom the father owed nine crowns, refused, with unrelenting cruelty, to fupply them with feet. Take back your money ·(faid he): - believe how much it has coft me before I could be refolved to. commit this crime. My heart has been unused to guilt.-Come, I beseech you, to my cottage. You will there fee the only motives that could could lead me to this action, and when you view the deplorable condition of my family, you will forgive -you will pity me-you will be my benefactor, my preferver!" The poor honeft pedlar raised the unfortunate man, and comforted him. Unable to withstand his folicitation, or rather yielding to the feelings of his own compaffionate heart, he hesitated not to follow the peasant. But with what emotions did he enter his ruinous habitation! How moving every object! The children, almoft naked, lying on straw, dying with hunger, and the mother-what an object was the wretched mother! my, are you to good as to be my protector? Would you be my preferver? Alas! my crime renders me unworthy of this goodnefs. No! if I die with hunger, I will not take this money." The pedlar, infifting ftill, compels him to take it. The whole family kifs the benevolent hand which had thus preserved them from death. Tears only on every face can speak their grateful hearts, and the pedlar retires with that fweet delight which benevolent minds alone can taste, Oh ye! on whom Fortune smiles,--the gay, the proud, the affluent, the avaricious! after this example of benevolence in a poor pedlar, can your The peafant relates the adventure hearts be ever inacceffible to pity? to his wife, "You know (faid he) Can you henceforth behold unmoved with what eagerness I went to the the fufferings of your fellow-creatown, in the hope of finding fome, tures? Will you never feel the derelief. But ah! I met only hard light of doing good? Oh! fleep not hearts, people bufied in amaffing in the bofom of affluence. Fortune riches, or in diffipating what they is inconftant; enjoy her prefent faalready have in luxury and idle ex-vours; but forget not this important penfes. Refufed by all,-defperate, truth, that your fuperfluities, at least, furious, I went into a neigh-are the patrimony of the poor. bouring wood, can you believe it? I have laid violent hands on this ANECDOTE. good man, I have dared-Oh! I N the first night of the repre cannot tell you.". "Pity my poor fentation of the comedy of the babes (exclaimed the distracted mo- Sufpicious Hufband, Foote fat by a ther, looking with moving earneft-plain, honeft, well-meaning citizen, nefs at the pedlar); confider our miferable fituation. Alas! poverty hath not altered our fentiments. In all our mifery we have yet preferved our honefty. I befeech your mercy for ny husband; - I implore your compaflion for thefe wretched infants." O whofe imagination was ftrongly impreffed by the incidents of the play. At the dropping of the curtain, the wit complained to his neighbour of the impropriety of fuffering Ranger to go off as he came on, without being reclaimed. "Could not the author (faid he throw this youth, in the courfe of his nocturnal rambles, into fome ridiculous scene of diftress, The good pedlar, melted by this melancholy fcene, mingled his tears with thofe of thefe poor people.which might have reclaimed him? "I am your friend (faid he).— Take thefe twenty crowns-I infift upon it. Why is not my ability equal to my good withes for you? I grieve that I cannot fecure you a happier lot for the future.". What! (anfwered the peafant) inftead of treating me as your ene As he now ftands, who knows but the rogue, after all the pleasure he has given us, may spend the night in a round-houfe?" By G-d! (fays the cit) if it happens in my ward, I'll release him; for I'm fure he is too honeft a fellow to run away from his ' bail." LET |