poppies over me, and I flept for fome hours.-Kitty tapped at the door with tea, I drank it:-fhe then prefented a note which was given her privately by Julia.it was wrote by Merioneth. In it. he informed me that they were at ****, about five miles from the Priory,that he would not leave the place without feeing me, for he was fure they would make me marry fir John; that if I declined feeing him, as that evening, he would, in defiance of the confequences fuch a proceeding might occafion, return the next morning to the Priory; and concluded by entreating me to prepare for an immediate journey to Scotland.

This note was given to Julia by one of the gardeners, as the walked before breakfast, who told her he would wait in the fame place, in the evening, to receive an answer.

The neceffity for my departure grew every hour more apparent; how elfe could I avoid the two extremes of my fate? and from either of them what a small share of comfort fhould I in all probability receive! The character of Bateman is repugnant to every principle of propriety. A profeffed fportfman, a known debauchee, allying pride with meannefs, and wealth with avarice; and, to complete the whole, blending the follies of youth with the vices of maturity.-On the other hand, Merioneth himself is irrefiftible; but could I rafhly expofe him to the blind chance of the earl's forgiveness, who is fo inexorable when once offended, and fo prejudiced by the diftinctions of birth and fortune, that I am certain, were we united, he would never rettore Merioneth to his favour on any other conditions than feparating him from his wretched wife.

I determined to depart, if poffible, this afternoon, and proceeded to make the neceffary arrangements. 1 depofited my valuables in the cabi

net in my dreffing-room.-I thes, with a beating heart, penned a few lines to lady Derwent.-I inclofed my keys in the letter, and entreated her ladyfhip to take charge, for the prefent, of every thing belonging to

me.

Just as I had finished my letter, lady Derwent appeared, followed by Julia.-They inquired after my health, faid they were going to dine at Maple-mount, and thought the ride would be of fervice to me, if I would confent to go.-I declined the propofal, alleging that my fpirits were too weak for company.-My excufes were accepted, and they foon after left me.

It is impoffible to relate the various plans I conceived and adopted till the hour of dining.-Kitty brought my dinner.-I ate but little.

She informed me the family was juft gone.-She left me, and I again endeavoured to adopt fome certain plan of action; intending to leave the house while the fervants were at dinner, that my departure might not be noticed.-Fortunately, I recollected that the caravan, which goes from a neighbouring town to meet the mail, would pafs the park gate between four and five o'clock. It was now three.-I hastily collected a few changes of linen, which I difpofed of by putting in my pockets, flipped on my habit, and departed without obfervation.

I gained the road without meeting a fingle creature. The caravan soon overtook me, and I inftantly got into it. There was but one paffenger befides myfelf, and he was an elderly man.--Abforbed as I was in my own melancholy reflections, I was glad my companion made no attempts to converfe with me.

We proceeded the first ten miles without fpeaking. Fresh horses were put to the carriage, and we proceeded to ****.-I was fo ill that it was with great difficulty I could keep my feat,-this my com

panion obferved, and humanely afked why I travelled in fo weak a state. You, re not, furely, (faid he) going to London!"

"I am fearful (replied 1) that I fhall not be able to go farther than this ftage; and I wish I could gain admittance into fome decent family, for a few weeks, to recover my health."

"I think (faid he) I can ferve you: I have a fifter within a few miles of this place:-they are farmers, but though homely, they are honeft folks. If you approve of it, I will go to them and propofe it." I thanked him from the inmoft receffes of my heart, and gratefully accepted his propofal.

On our arrival at the inn, he procured me a room to which I gladly retired; ordered fome whey, and went to bed. Though finking under fatigue, both of body and mind, a numerous train of ideas prevented the repofe fo greatly needed.-I arofe unrefreshed, ordered my breakfaft in my room, for fear there fhould be any perfon near that might notice my appearance.

Before I had finished my folitary meal, my kind friend returned, accompanied by his fifter. All pecuniary matters were foon adjufted, and the referred me for her character to the mistress of the inn.

My inquiries proved quite fatisfactory, and I fimply told them that I was unfortunately taken ill on the road, in my way to London; that, owing to fome domeftic misfortunes, I fhould be obliged to conceal the place of my retreat; and entreated them all, (fhould they hear any inquiries made after me) on no account to betray me.

Oh! lady Laura, what a fituation was mine!-thus to be thrown on the mercy of ftrangers.

They all affured me I might rely upon them; and, after taking leave of my good friend, and fettling with my holtefs, i departed with my new VOL. XXVII.

acquaintance for her houfe, which is fituated about a mile from the public road.-The good folks exert themfelves to amufe me, and I think I am much better than I could have expected to be, after the fatigue both of mind and body, which I have recently experienced.-Could I only hear that all was well at the Priory, that Merioneth was restored to his friends, and lady Derwent fatisfied of my rectitude, I think I could be refigned to whatever ftate providence fhould think fit to allot me.

I make no apology for thefe long letters; I know my friend will excufe their prolixity.--Should nothing particular intervene, I intend remaining here till I hear from your lady flip. I will not injure your principles by a doubt of your fecrecy; you can, you will, enter into every particular of my fituation-Continue to favour me with your friendfhip: and, fhould Merioneth call at Twickenham,-fhould he be anxious to know the fate of Ellen, or inclined to feek me, tell him the fearch is fruidefs; tell him I love him too well to accept of his hand without the approbation of his family; tell him he is dearer to me than life; and that, to promote his intereft, I would facr fice my own.

Adieu, my dear friend! Were we differently fituated, I would ask for your protection; but, as it is. your ladyfhip's affinity to the family at the Priory places that happiness beyond the reach of "

Your affectionate ELLEN RUTLAND. (To be continued.)

town is populous, well-built, and has confiderable trade. It ftands between two hills, and has a caftle on one, and a handfome church on the other, on the gates of which are the arins of the Miltons and Humfrevilles, Lucies, and Percies. The town is divided by the Cocker into two parts, which have a communication by two ftone bridges.

The church, which was anciently a chapel of eafe to Bridgeham, a village about a mile off, though now diftinct from it, with two finall chapels of its own, was firft built in the reign of king Edward III, and rebuilt entirely from the ground, except the tower, in the year 1711, by virtue of a brief.

About two miles diftant, the ruins of Pap caftle may be difcovered, which appears to have been poffeffed by the Romans A large open veffel of green stone like a fout, was found here, curiously engraved with images, particularly of a prieft dipping a child in the water, which was the primitive mode of baptifin, and a Danifi infcription on it in Runic characters, fignifying that Eckard, one of their chieftains, was baptifed here, whole example was followed by

the rest.

The town ftands about twelve miles from the fea, and veffels of good burden may fafely come up to it; though fome affirm that no veffel can go above Workington. It has no corporation. The chief magiltrate is a bailiff, who is chofen annually by a jury of fixteen burghers, at the duke of Somerfet's courts. It fent members to parliament once in the reign of Edward I. and once in that of Edward III. but not afterwards till 1610, fince which time it has fent two. The duke of The duke of Somerfet's auditor holds a court here twice a year, and his bailiff has the only apartment habitable in the cattle, with barns and a ftable.

Cockermouth is fituated ten miles

ACCOUNT of the new TRAGEDY, called THE CONSPIRACY, per-' formed, for the first time, at the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, on Tuesday, Nov. 15.`

TH

the production of Mr. JephTHE plot of this piece, which is fon, is a story originally adopted by Metaftafio as the fable of one of his most refplendent operas, La Clemenza di Tito; and certainly the idea is happily chofen to illuftrate the benign and dignified qualities of that good monarch. In a time, therefore, like the present, the loyal Mufe of Mr. Jephfon was naturally led to adopt a fable which teaches the important leffon, that no virtues, no clemency in a fovereign, can always protect him from the violence of the paffions of those that furround him, or even the treachery of the deareft objects of his benevolence. This is the purpofe; and with this truly loyal intention he has decorated Titus with all the affecting virtues which he has received from the more durable fame of hiftory; and he places the treachery to which he had nearly fallen a victim, in a ftrong but impreffive point of view. Mr. Jephfon ftands avowedly at the head of all the courtly poets; and, though the prefent drama cannot rank with his Braganza, nor his Count of Narbonne, yet it has just pretenfions to praife. The language is always nervous and fimple; he difdains, with becoming tafte, the inflated jargon of that modern club of poets who take their aerostatic flight above the regions of intelligence: his metaphors are not frequent, nor lofty; he flies indeed once to Sirius to account for the fury that rages in the blood; but in general hisdécorations are recommended by their chastity

and