A Defcription of a TORY. is not a but every Tory is a fool. The man who maintains the "divine right in kings to govern wrong" is a fool, and alfo a genuine Tory. Becaufe all legitimate fuperiority, and all juft power is derived from God, to conclude, that all the tyrannical power that has been exercifed by wicked kings, fuch as William the Norman, Henry the Eighth, Charles the Firft and Second, James the Second, is likewife derived from God, and that fuch kings are God's vicegerents, are the real principles of a Tory, and are not only foolith but blafphemous. One may fay with the ftricteft precifion, that fuch kings are the Devil's vicegerents; for they do the Devil's work, and advance his kingdom. But the Tory is fuch an egregious fool as to contend, that thefe agents of the Devil are the reprefentatives of the all-just God; and, in neceffary confequence, that paffive obedience to them is the indifpenfable duty ciples, that in Charles the Firft's reign, provoked the honeft and fenfible part of the nation to take up arms and repel force by force: And what was the confequence? This idol of these fools the Tories, this God's vicegerent, was permitted by providence to be brought to the block; his eldeft fon, after a long miferable exile, and a vicious, profligate reign, to be poisoned; his younger fon, and all his race, to be expelled, and, by the moft folemn laws, for ever excluded from reigning over the British dominions. Wonderful it is, after the reigns of William the Third, Anne, George the First and Second, and in the 11th year of the reign of George the Third, to fee the fame foolish, absurd, blafphemous principles revived and afferted; but you have the folution above, Though every fool is not a Tory, yet every Tory is a fool." 66 Anxiety and Courage of Birds for the prefervation of their Brood. From Profeffor Reimar's Obfervations on the inftinct of Animals. THE following adventure I add, as a fight which never came under the obfervation of many naturalifts. Two Robin Red-Breafts had their neft within a fmall hollow of a rock, which was fhaded by a wide spreading oak. The female had foon done laying, and the five eggs which he had brought forth, the hatched with fuch affiduity and fondness, that both I and others, whom I introduced to that pleasure, often viewed her very near, and even touched her, without her making the leaft motion to avoid the apparent danger. This neft I had taken under my vigilant protection, and the very Robins themselves, I may fay, fcarce had the prefervation of the eggs more at heart. One day coming to vifit my little lying-in bird, and not finding her, I apprehended the had forfaken her young. This put me upon entertaining hard thoughts of her, when I faw hopping along an adjoining afcent, a VOL. VI. kind of bird of prey, which I foon dif covered to be a Cuckoo. After a rambling flight, it came and alighted on a tree not far from the place where I was ftanding. Then it was that, through the branches I got fight of the two Robins, which, very probably had been taken up with watching the cuckoo's motions. Here, it occurred to me, that it is the practice of the female cuckoo, on meeting with a neft of fome fmall bird, to lay its egg there, and I concluded within myfelf that this cuckoo was on fuch an expedition. To me it feemed ftrange that the Robins did not post themfelves in their neft, the better to defend it; but I am convinced that their instinct teaches them to keep at fome diftance, the better to put the cuckoo on a wrong fcent. However, the nearer the latter came to the neft, the Robins more alertly ftrove to mislead it, fluttering about with all the marks C of 18 My Weakness. A Tale. of anguish, and fending forth fhrieks, and as it were, ejaculations, very different from their common note. The cuckoo came fo far as to perch on a branch of the oak, which hung within, a few feet of the ground, and not above three from the neft, then fuddenly darted into a hole in the rock. This mistaken eagerness gave me to understand that the was yet unacquainted with the neft. The cuckoo being difappointed, went on leaping, from bough to bough, the Robins ftill fluttering about it, and endeavour. ing to keep it more and more at a diftance. But the cuckoo returned to the former bough, and nearer than it had been the first time, that the danger being manifeft, and not a moment to be loft for faving the blood, the two Robin Red-breafts flew to their neft with redoubled outcries, and now a very remarkable engagement enfued. One of them ruthed under the feathers of the cuckoo's tail, and fell to pecking her with unabating fury, whilft the cuckoo with her wings half fpread, ftood fhivering, and its bill open fo very wide, that the other Robin, which attacked her in front, threw itself fo far within, that nothing of the head was to be feen; and eafily might the 'cuckoo have fnapped it off, whereas the fhewed no fign of anger, and, to my apprehenfion, was rather in a kind of vertigo or fyncope, occafioned, I fuppofed, by the preffure of her burden; till at length, being fo fmartly attacked, it appeared quite fpent, and ftaggering, fell with its back towards the ground, hanging, however, by its claws, to the branch on which it had perched, with its eyes half clofed, its bill gaping very wide, and its wings ftill fpread, whilst its enemies relentlessly availed themfelves of her condition. I was but a step from the fcene of action, which I very clofely eyed, having provided myfelf with a rake, to turn the scale in favour of the Robins, on any appearance of the cuckoo's being too ftrong for them. In her helpless attitude, I was for laying hold of her, which was very eafy, had not one of the company defired me to forbear, that we might fee the iffue of fo extraordinary a conteft. I complied, yet were we difappointed; for the cuckoo after remaining thus fufpended two or three minutes, dropping almoft to the very ground, recovered its flight, and went and alighted at a little dif tance from the field of battle. She would doubtlefs have returned to the charge, but a terrible tempeft put us all on feeking the nearest shelter. During the fray, the outcries of the Robins drew together fome Tomtits and Wrens, who all the while continued only fedate fpectators, till the tempeft parted the combatants. If all instincts be common to all animals of the fame fpecies, the cuckoo must have tough work of it to compafs its ends, and depofit its egg in a foreign neft, thus ftoutly defended; and how is it that the birds, with whole neft the is faid to make fo free, do not know an heterogeneous egg, and treat it accordingly. They, however, very evidently fhew a more profound knowledge, in gueffing the Cuckoo's drift, in their artifices to defeat it and draw her to a distance from the nest, and in the dexterity and courage with which they oppofe its invafion. My Weakness, A Tale founded on Fact. WELL I will know this weak nefs that affect your fpirits fo, faid Silvia to Lucinda. If you perfift in your obitinacy, you may depend on hearing me nike a declaration of love, on your account to the tender timid Servan. -Syivia you would not furely play me fuch a trick? How can you be to Gilly? Why not? I'll certainly do it. Hold, a thought has juft popped into my head; Servan will be here prefently, and I will falute him tenderly, look languishingly at him, and even tell him that I love him; he will throw himself at my feet and fwear he is expiring for me: I will behold my flave with difdain and fay: do you imagine Sir, that I have been fpeaking my own fentiments? No, the beauteous Lucinda has dictated my words, and her heart My Weakness. A Tale. is difpofed to reward your paffion. Well, Lucinda, what do you think of my fcheme? A very fine one indeed, doubtless you expect my thanks? But there ftill remains a way to filence me. Impart to me what you call your weakneffes.---Ah Silvia !---Ah Lucinda!--fince you infist on it I muft confefs the whole to you. Being left a widow at fixteen years of age, and having experienced a difagreeable confinement, after marriage, I thought liberty the greatest bieffing, and refolved to continue fingle the remainder of my life. Decency obliging me to pass the year of mourning in retirement, I went to a relations houfe in the country. She had a nephew whom the introduced to me, whofe noble, eaty manner, and a certain Je ne fcais quoi, charmed me and infpired in my breast sentiments with which I shall reproach myself to my laft hour. Belmont foon feigned a paffion for me which he certainly never felt. I was young, unexperienced and believed him fincere be perceived my fentiments, took advantage of them, and became importunate and jealous. I facrificed every thing to him, friends, pleafures ---Tell me quickly Lucinda how long this amour "lafted ?----Six monthsSix months !--- Lord what a prodigious while, difpatch this man foon, he gives me the vapours. My relation favoured his fuit; and one day when I was in a gay humour left me alone with him under pretence of fome fudden preffing bufinefs; I would have accompanied her, but Belmont prevented me. We are very weak when we love, a single look from him determined my choice. As foon as we were alone he threw himself at my feet, exaggerated his paffion, and obliged me to confefs how much I loved him. He prefumed to give me a kifs, I was angry at his freedom he fhed tears for his offence, I forgave him. Our eyes met each other, I blushed and fighed; my blushes and fighs produced fresh importunities, and I know not what might have been the confequence, if a visitor had not fortunately freed me from the man whom I had moit reafon to fear of any in the world. As he was faking his leave of me, he dropped a paper which I picked up without his 19 perceiving it. Upon reading it I found it came from a woman, great God! from what, a woman! from my relation herfelf, who exhorted him to take advantage of my inclination in his favour, and as foon as poffible put it out of my power to refufe him my hand, as the only means he could take to make his fortune; and declared that the confented to let him play the lover till his marriage, confident that she should always preferve his affections in fpite of my charms and coquetry. I trembled at this intelligence, love, rage and jealoufy by hours tortured my heart. I meditated various schemes of vengeance, but upon mature reflection to quit the country the next day. I had to fultain the tears and reproaches of Belmont, the importunities of my acquaiutance, and my relation who carried her deceit as far as it poffibly could be carried. Beiraont, expected to accompany me on my journey; when I took leave of my relation, Í gave her the fatal billet of her lover's and with a contemptuous mile, left them both without deigning to hear a word from either. I paffed fome time at one of my eftates, avoiding all company, deteiting men, imprecating curfes on my head for having loved fuch a perfidious monfter as Belmont. He had the impudence to prefume to write to me; I returned his letters unopened; but how much did it coft my heart to break its chains. I fell fick; and upon my recovery was forced by my relations again to fee company, and mix with the polite world. The Chevalier d'Olbien, who was related to my deceafed hufband, was one of my most earneft fuitors; his deportment pleafed me without however gaining affections, at least I fancied fo; in the fpring Í refolved to travel into the country, where the Chevalier frequently vifited me. More tranquil here than in town, I examined my heart, but it was too late, to my furprize I found it wholly full of his dear idea; I avoided him, he perceived it, became melancholy, and without prefuming to atk me the reafon of my capricious behaviour acted in the fame manner himself; this conduct made an impreffion on me: his affiduities, complaifances, fame interested C 2 motives, and above all my inclination induced me to think of marrying him. One evening as I was walking in the garden, I perceived d'Olbien afleep in an alcove, the fight of him affected me fo much, that I could not ftir from the place; he had never told me that he loved me, but his eyes had fworn it a thousand times, and my heart perfectly understood their language; the fear of meeting with another Belmont made me fhed fome tears; at this inftant he awaked, and threw himself at my feet; we were both fome time incapable of fpeaking; but our hearts understood the language of each other, and our lips foon mutually fwore eternal love. When fentiment gave place to reflection, I blushed, and looked on the ground; the Chevalier abandoned himself to a defpair that furprized me, what! exclaimed he, have I been capable of deceiving!-Excufe me dear Lucinda, tell me, why this difpair, but fpare yourfelf the trouble of repeating the nonfenfe of a man whom I muit in fallibly hate. Oh Sylvia! do not hate me; you are too fatyrical, well then, what was the caufe of fo fudden a diforder? He was married- -Oh the fool, he was married truly Yes married, and parted from his wife, I'll tell you how I came to know it; diftracted at his tears, alarmed at his expreffions, I infifted on knowing the reafon of them; he informed me that his mother had obliged him to marry a rich heiress, whofe perfonal defects were as great as her fortune, that all thefe being equal to him at that time, he had obeyed her commands; but his wife being exceffively jealous, and ill-tempered, he had left her; that his wife enraged to fee herfelf forfaken by him, had obtained a feparation, and the enjoyment of her whole fortune; fome difputes relative to the fucceffion of my husband, about this time gave him an opportunity of feeing me; he fell in love with my weak charms; but not daring to difcover his paffion; he endeavoured only to divert me, and fucceeded therein too well. tears, exclaimed, alas! this is too much, why must I be the occafion of the unhappiness of all that I adore ? Ought I not to remove myself to a diftance with my fatal fecret, and feek in the arms of death, a remedy for the misfortunes that overwhelm ́me: Adieu, Madam, I go, may my ab fence intirely remove the shaft with which I have undefignedly wounded you! Forget, if poffible, that I have ever loved you, forget even that such a wretch ever existed, who is going to do his utmost to put an end to his miferable life. Having spoken thefe words, he immediately quitted me-And you let him go? Yes.-I don't understand your behaviour; you tell me that you loved him, what kind of love muft yours be? If I loved, I could not part from a lover who was dear to me, -But Sylvia, you don't confider, recollect, he was married, his love was an affront to me;-proceed pray, did he go in earnest?—Yes; when he was gone I abandoned myself to forrow the whole day; at laft my pride came to my relief, I repreffed this first emotion, and in hopes of forgetting him entirely, endeavoured to convince myself that he was certainly in the wrong. What became of him, Lucinda ? He kept his word with me too well; he immediately joined his regiment, and and was killed foon after in a bloody engagement.He was in the right; fuch an ungrateful wretch as you fhould be thoroughly punished.—I have lamented his death thefe two years, he is still fieth in my memory. I next faw Servan; and foon after was acquainted with you, for whom I have a great friendship; I have given you a proof of it by my long stay at your houfe; and for him I feel the greatest indifference. He made a declaration of his paffion; he courted me, and still courts me, but he is not a bit the nearer carrying his point than at first never, no never, will I be his. Two fuch experiments as I have made will preferve me from the folly of loving a third time. Thus I have informed you of what you was defirous of knowing; I have now a right to expe&t the fame confidence from you. With all my heart, Lucinda, my hiftory will not be long in relating, J M My Weaknefs. A Tale. I am lively, capricious, even rather wild coquettish and filly; a reafon why I am unacquainted with love. Twenty hearts enslaved without having ever loft my own, a perpetual round of vifits, affemblies, operas, inceflantly laughing, witticifms, and coquetry; fuch is my character, fuch are my adventures, my life,But you are going to be married.-Yes, my relations teize me, I obey; I marry a man whom I neither know or care about, yet I am perfuaded we fhall live together very well. I expect him to day, Servan is to introduce him to me; the marriage articles are drawn; we fhall fign them this evening. I will be free, no constraint, each our separate apartments, and acquaintance; thus I chufe to live, and will live. But let us talk a little of Servan. You don't hate him, and is it right that you fhould render yourself miferable through a fantastical whim that is beyond my conception. No, Lucinda, believe me, you do not poffefs that happy indifference which is the fource of true pleafure; fo get an husband foon, that you may taste the sweets of an happy flavery. While Sylvia was still speaking, Servan en red the room. Lucinda faluting him enquired where he had been all day.Madam, I have spent it it with the marquis d'Orfin.How long has the marquis been in town, interrupted Sylvia. He arrived this morning Madam; and has requested me to Hold your peace! Is he not capable of executing his commiffions himself? Are you his interpretor? But fair Sylvia, I was going to introduce him to you---Pfha, what ceremony, let him walk in, and do you mind your own bufinefs. The marquis enters, the astonishment of Lucinda is fo great that the cannot help fhrieking out. Sylvia pretending ignorance, enquires what is the matter with her, and Servan perceiving the marquis pale, fpeechless, and his eyes fixed on Lucinda, and requests of him an explanation of what he faw. Sylvia who knew that the Marquis d'Orfin, was the Cheyalier d'Olbien, in spite of Lucinda's figns, related to Servan all that had paffed between them. Servan grew pale in his turn; the marquis without regarding Sylvia, throws himself at 21 receive Lucinda's feet, and beg to from her either death or her hand. But tell me firft, replies this amiable woman, whence arose the report that you was dead? Defpair of poffeffing you, and honour, which permitted me not to fee you again after the confeffion of my temerity, induced me to join my regiment, which foon after was almost wholly cut to pieces in a desperate engagement, and myfelf covered with wounds, left fenfelefs on a pile of dead bodies. One of my fervants perceiving next day that I ftill breathed, removed me to a neighbouring town, where I was cured in about fix months of my wounds; when I changed my name and refolved to travel in hopes of forgetting an unhappy paffion, which I did not prefume to with you might share. Hope My mother alone knew what was become of me. In a year's time the informed me of the death of my wife, and advised me to marry again. The defire of feeing you, brought me once more back to France. I pretended to confent to the match the proposed, in order to obtain time to find you out, and know what fate you deftined me. Pardon me fair Sylvia, you know my fentiments, prior engagements are facred, and I hope every thing, Sir, I am charmed at our re-union; I have long pleaded your caufe too well, to give it up at prefent.---Well my dear Lucinda what is your determination? Are you like the Marquis? Are you faithful to your first engagements?---But Servan, Why would you leave us ?----I can't help it, Madam, it is a terrible thing to hear a sentence pronounced that we are fenfible cannot be in our favour. Adieu, Madam, continued this diftracted lover, turning to Lucinda, I will not disturb your happiness.--Servan, you shan't quit me---Lucinda I muft, I ought...I tell you, you fhan't. Your happiness is dear to me; dearer than you imagine; Sylvia is my fecond felf: Could you refufe to render my happiness compleat, by accepting her hand?--Lucinda don't difpofe of me, be contented with alleviating Servan's dilapgointment by the offer of your friendfhip, and I myfelf will undertake to heal his wounds, without any further fee |