Pfund to for the reader may bling the 1 prefent hero the Diplomatic Cicifbeo. But this will be eafily explained. His father, who gave the ton at the head of the foreign minifters, was as remarkable for his tafte and elegance in drefs, as his being the beft (gentleman) minuet dancer in Europe-but Hot lefs fo for his variegated as well as expenfive amours. He was a great favourite of George II. who took great pleafure in fecing him dance at the mafquerades in the Haymarket. The interftice on the right hand fide was invariably preserved for his majefty and his suite, and here the count ex hibited with great eclat. This was called Le Quartier Unique, as chriftened by Mifs Ah, of coquettish and flippery dubious character. This lady, it is well known, engaged the old count's affections, as he was La petite Mintonne of the day. But as her birth was equivocal, fo was the manner of her living. The count afforded her protefiion in the mon extenfive meaning of the expreffion. From her connections, indeed, it might be fuggefted that, befides the douceurs the received through the influence of his excellency, a little quadrille and brag afforded her fone fmall auxiliary affiftance. We find, at the fame time, the count had the celebrated C-mpi-ni in his divifion of enamoratas, and the W-ff-ns are fpoken of with no fmali degree of certainty as being in the fame corps. Befides thefe he had many Thaïfes of an inferior clafs, natural, or illegitimate, of Melpomene and Thalia, who ftrutted their hours bebind the ftage to make a temporary conqueft, and increate their unfortunate dramatic fifteen fhillings a But the count was week to two pounds two. too generous to let their precarious ftipends reft here, and if foft paper were fscarce with him, as will happen to les plus gros financiers, fometimes, he never failed presenting the lady with five pieces genteely wrapt up, though Britannia was not upon the inclo Jure. a In fine, the count's amours were very expentive: add to this his domeftic affairs were entirely arranged by Mrs. Mlady who had the intereft of his court frenuoufly at heart, fo long as the count made his N O T E. *It was never pofitively determined who her father and mother were, though various have been the conjectures upon the occafion: fome have afcribed to her a royal descent, believe others a plebeian extraction; but we the middle line will be nearest the mark. ufual appearance, which he did to the end, with eclat and dignity. Here the scene shifts, and from the conftant dupe of the fair fex, we find in our He had hero un cavalier fur le baut ton. read in the paternal of mistakes ther's errors, he had not only takes his fa He had allo but reafoned upon them. perufed with attention. Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his Son. He compared notes, and with truly philofophical difcrimination determined that married women were the fureft and faireft game. Having fettled this point from all the fine feelings of love, he started a knight-errant, in defpite of the windinills of Doctors Commons, and the proctors of great celebrity in the verbofe world-where they follow the old, and vulgar adage, "Leaft faid is the fooneft mended." It might be innagained that a beau garçon, who is in conftant purfuit of the female world, would frequently find himself in fuch fituations from which it would be very difficult to extricate himself; but our hero took his meafures fo judiciously, and approved himself fo complete a general in the field of Venus, that he feldom fell into the enemy's ambufcade, though frequent ftratagems were planned against him. It is true, he more than once rifqued his neck out of a two pair of down way But these are ftairs window, and has fought his from a ruelle epeé a la main. mere bagatelles in the courfe of gallantry. Our hero in thefe pursuits often met with whimfical and eccentric characters: he one evening, it being in the dusk, tumbled over a chevalier de St. Louis in going to pay his .The chevalier, refpects to lady C. who was one of the moft polite men in the world, begged his pardon for the intrusion, and that he had no reafon in the world to be jealous, for he never had kiffed her ladyship's lips, but merely to paffer la tems at a game of piquet. The Diplomatic Cicifbeo smiled at the chevalier's amazing modefty, and took up the part just preconcerted for him. But our hero's extraordinary atchievements were not confined to the male fex. Even the ladies, the mofl rational as well as refined part of the creation, fometimes afforded him matter for pleafant and jocular fpeculation. Amongst other female beautice who had her oddities, we fhall introduce Mifs H. She was co-heiress to a conderable fortune, and at the fame time an agreeable young lady. Sir William Dafhall, after having fquandered away all his money in the funds, cut down his timbers, which obftructed his views, and difpofed of his dirty acres, found himself ftill not quite eafy, his credit was very low, and his creditors became very turbulent. Mifs Ht was juft of age, and instead of having overdrawn on her guardian for her milliner's or mantuamaker's bills, or even an ill ill run of luck at the card-table, fhe had a confiderable fum in his hands, which he was now as unwilling to part with, as fhe was before backward in drawing for. But the had a relation in the law, who, it is more than probable, entertained a fneaking liking for her; old Square Toes was brought to book. Juft as Mifs Ht's affairs were in this ftate, the baronet found it convenient to make up to her, and pay his addreffes in form. A title was too formidable an affailant to withftand, and Mifs H-t fuccumbed not to Sir William, the god of Hymen, or even that of love-but to lady H- -t's fervants." Notwithstanding her ladyship's vanity and ambition, there is a very extraordinary feature in this character, that marks peculiar diftinction. Her fingular penchant, after having gratified her amours in a moderate way, like all ladies of truly philofophic difcretion, as our hero can teftify, fhe yielded to a strange propenfity which, though very extraneous, may be traced in various circles. It may be traced from St, James's to Cripplegate; but, it must be owned, is feldom met with in ladies of fo juvenile an age as lady H; but habits are contracted very inconfiftently: they spread like vapours, which first tafted may be thought falubrious, but afterwards prove completely obnoxious. Lady Hrequired conftant attention, and as conftant affiduity; and our hero was obliged to attend every forenoon, to make, what the called, her modifh ramble. This was to visit all the milliners fhops in Cran, bourn-alley and its purlieus, to purchafe every article in the different branches that prefented themselves. As to her mercer and linen draper, they had a general order with out controul for every new fashion in their way. From this hort sketch, it might be fuppofed that lady W. was conftantly the heft dreft, and most fashionable woman on the ton-No fuch thing. She never appeared with a good, or, it might be faid, a decent gown to her back-yet the had plenty; but the thought it beneath her dignity to wear any thing that was fashionable"Mopfqueezers, he would fay, wore the Devonshire browne, and lady S- was going to burn half a dozen pieces of imitative chintz, when her waiting maid and black fervant, who, by the bye, is a favourite of the whole houfe, rescued them from the flames. This would have been worse than the conflagration of a custom-houfe, and evinces that even a negro, however dark his complection, might poflefs clear and ftriking luminaries within. To quit thefe defultory amours, and pay our refpects to the lady whom we have taken the liberty to introduce as the heroine of thefe pages, we muft inform the reader that he is defcended from a noble family in the North of England. In the early part of life fhe difplayed many corporeal, as well as mental attractions, which already commanded a number of admirers, and fome profeffed lovers, which induced her friends to fend her to Douay, in Flanders, to complete her education. But convents are no fanctuaries now; for even her father-confessor, who was an athletic young fellow, who paffed for fifty, but was not in fact more than thirty, propofed an elopement with her, and her paffion had nearly yielded to her prudence, when the vigilance of the mother-abbefs prevented the execution of their design. It is true, the general opinion was not fo prevalent in her favour, as a ftrong penchant for the young friar himself, who often conferred with her in private, and had been taken by furprise in such situations, as did not befpeak a very spiritual intercourfe. Upon our heroine's departure from Douay, father Mac Swy purfued her to London, where he changed his clerical garb, and dressed en militaire; but he was foon known by his creditors, who were pretty numerous, and inftead of being the captive of Hymen, he foon found himself literally the prifoner of Plutus. This was an unlucky discovery on the one hand, though a fortunate one on the other, as his devotee no fooner learnt his fituation, than fhe fent a meffenger to liquidate all his incumbrances. But whilft he was in durance vile, his generous benefactrefs had many amateurs, and the dropt her glove, when the victor pronounced his glory by announcing his marriage in all the papers. Mc. Sy was too great a philofopher to hang or drown himself, but failed not to repeat his breviary with more than common energy, in hopes of better fortune in this world, if not beatitude in the next. Our heroine had already yielded her perfon, without ever thinking of her heart, to Mr. Lig―r, with that careless fang froid and nonchalance, that now diftinguish our modern polite ladies. In a word, he was married to all intents and purpofes, without once thinking whether he was a maid, a married woman, or a widow. But in either capacity foe was refolved to be completely in the fashion, and fhe found that a Cicifbeo was a neceflary piece of furniture in a lady's dreffing-room. Mrs, Lig-r had no fooner made this ingenious and agreeable discovery, than meeting with our hero, the thought him as proper a man as any fhe had ever had, to fill this eftimable niche in her dreffing-roomgallery of valuable curiofities: and thus the Diplomatic Cicifbeo added another plume to his beaver, which fits upon him with great eafe, and gives an additional eclat to his amorous character, A particular 1786. Account of an Hindoo Woman's burning herself. A particular Account relative to an Hindoo Woman's burning herself alive with ber deceased Husband; taken from an authentie Letter from Calcutta. G OCUL CHUNDES GOSAUL, a Bramin of superior caft, whose character as a merchant and a man of integrity was very refpectable among Europeans, and exceedingly fo with every native of this counry who had any knowledge of him; for he maintained a great many poor daily at his houfe, and in the neighbourhood where he Lived; and he extended his generofity to many Europeans, by lending them money when in diitrefs.- He was Governor Verelft's Banian; and from that circumftance, I believe, you can confirm all I have advanced in Gocul's favour. Gocul had been confined to his room about a fortnight by a fever and flux: I frequently vifited him in that time, but did not apprehend his diffolution was fo near, till laft Tuesday morning, the 20th inftant, when on fending to inquire after his health, my fervant informed me he was removed from his own houfe to the banks of a creek that runs from Collyghaut (a place held facred by the Hindoos, and where the water is taken up that is used in adminiftring paths to Hindoos in and about Calcutta) into the river Ganges, as you know is cuf tomary with them, in order to die in er near that river, or some creek that runs into i. At about nine o'clock in the evening of that day I went to fee him, where he lay on a Fly Palanquin in a boat in that creek. His fervant told me he could hear, but was not able to fpeak to any body. I went near him, and called to him by name; he knew my voice, turned about, and held out his hand to me: I took hold of it, and found it very cold: he preffed mine, and said he was obliged to me for coming to fee him. I told him he would get his death by lying expofed without covering (for he was naked to his hips) to the moift air this rainy feafon, close to a nafty muddy bank: he faid, he wished to be cold, for that he was then burning with heat, (although his hand, as obferved before, was very cold). I then put my hand to his forehead, which was alfo very cold; ftill he infifted that he was burning with heat. I begged him to allow me to order him to be carried back to his own houfe; he shook his head, but faid nothing in anfwer. I repeated the request, but he shook his head again without faying a word. I did not imagine fuch a propofition would be attended to, because it is an invariable cuftom, you know, amongst the Hindoos, when given over by their doctors, to be removed to the banks of the Ganges, or of fome creek that runs into it, which 183 and I have heard, that if a Hindoo dies in they have a very fuperftitious veneration for; his own houfe, it is razed to the ground.-Gocul's is a very large houfe, and such a circumftance would confequently be a great detriment to the eftate. 1 ftaid about a quarter of an hour with him. On coming away, he repeated his obligations to me for the vifits I paid him during his illness, and for my attention to him at that time in particular, and preffed my hand very hard at parting, for he was perfectly fentible; and I believe, if proper care had been taken of him, it was in the power of medicine to have restored his health. There was a vast number of Bramins reading and praying near him. Early the next morning I fent my fervant to ask how he was: he brought me for anfwer, that Gocul was in the fame ftate as when I left him the preceding night; and whilft I was at breakfaft, one of his dependents came to tell me he was dead. I went to see him foon after, and found him covered with a fheet. I then inquired if either of his wives (for he had two) would burn with him; but nobody there could inform me. I defired one of his dependents to let me know if either of them refolved to burn, that I might be prefent: this was about eight o'clock laft Wednefday morning. At ten o'clock the corpfe was carried to Collyghaut, a little village about a mile higher up the creek, and about 2 miles from Calcutta. Between twelve and one o'clock the fame day, Mr. Shakefpeare, who had an efteem for Gocul, whose ephew Joynerain Gofaal is Mr. Shakefpeare's Banian, called on me to let me know that Gocul's first wife Tarryaell was refolved to burn. We accordingly went together, and reached Collyghaut in time, where Gocul lay on a pile of Sandal wood and dry straw, about four feet from the ground, on the banks of the creek, as naked as when I saw him the night before. His wife, we were told, was praying on the edge of the creek, where we were informed her children (two boys and one girl, one of the boys feven years the other five, and the girl thirteen months old), were prefent with her and Kiftenchurn, Gocul's eldest brother: that at first sight of her children, the ftrong ties of human nature struggling with her refolution, drew a tear from her; but the foon recovered herself, and told her children their father was dead, and that fhe was going to die with him; that they must look up to their uncle, pointing to Kiftenchurn, who, with his fon Joynerain beforementioned, would be both father and mother to them; and that they must therefore obey them in the fame manner as they would Gocul and herfelf if living.Then turning to Kiftenchurn, fhe enjoined him him, and recommended him to enjoin Joynerain, (who was then at Dacca), to be fathers and protectors to her children, and committed them to their care. This donc, the left her children, and advanced towards the funeral pile, which was furrounded by a vall concourfe of people, chiefly, Bramins, about eight or ten feet from it, fo that there was a free paffage round the pile. Mr. Shakespeare, and I were in front of the circle, and I had a perfect view of the following scene. As foon as the appeared in the circle, I thought he was fomewhat confufed; but whether from the fight of her husband lying dead on the pile, or the great crowd of people affembled, or at feeing Europeans among them, for there were two befides Mr. Shakefpeare and myself, I cannot tell; however, the recovered herself almost inftantaneously. She then walked, unattended, gently round the pile in filence, ftrewing flowers as the went round; and when she had nearly completed the third time, at Gocul's feet fhe got upon the pile without affiftance, frewed flowers over it, and then laid herfelf down on the left fide of her husband, raising his head and putting her right arm under his neck; and turning her body to his, threw her left arm over him; and one of the Bramins raised his right leg, and put it over her legs without a fingle fyllable being uttered. They being thus clofely embraced, a blue fhawl was laid over them, and they were not seen afterwards by any body.Some dry ftraw was laid over the fhawl, and then fome light billets of Sandal wood was put on the ftraw; but all together not fufficient to prevent her raifing herself up, throw ing all off, and entirely extricating herfelf from the pile, if the had repented, or, from feeling the heat of the fire or smoke, the had been inclined to fave her life; the dry fraw which compofed a part of the pile was then lighted. During all which time, that is, from the moment Gocul's wife made her appearance in the circle to lighting the pile, there was a profound filence. But on the pile being lighted, the Bramins called out aloud, fome dancing and brandifhing cudgels or sticks, which I took to be praying, and a part of the ceremony; perhaps to prevent her cries being heard by the multitude, fo as to give them a bad impreffion of it, or deter other, women from following what the Hindoos term a laudable example. But I was fo near the pile, that notwithstanding the noife made by the Bramins, and thofe who danced ronnd it, I fhould have heard any cries or lamentations the might have made: I am convinced fre made none, and that the fmoke muit have fuffocated her in a very fhort space of time. I flaid about ten minutes after the pile was lighted, for fuch a fight was too dreadful to remain long at; befides, nothing more was to be feen except the flames, which Mr. Shakespeare and I had a perfect view of at a diftance, as we returned from the funeral pile. Gocul's wife was a tall, well-made, goodlooking woman, fairer than the generality of Hindoo women are, about twenty or perhaps twenty-two years of age at moft: she was decently dreffed in a white cloth round her waift, and an Oorney of white cloth with a red filk border thrown loosely over her head and shoulders; but her face, arms, and feet were bare. I have heard, and indeed fuppofed, that women in that fituation intoxicate themselves with bang or toddy ; but from the relation given me of what paffed between Gocul's wife, her children, and brother-in-law, as well as what Mr. Shakefpeare and I faw at the funeral pile, I am perfuaded fhe was as free from intoxication during the whole ceremony as it is poffible; for the appeared to be perfectly compofed, not in the leaft flurried, except at firft for an inftant of time, as before obferved; but went through it deliberately, with aftonishing fortitude and refolution. This barbarous cuftom, fo fhocking to Europeans, if I miftake not, was practifed by our ancestors in Britain in the times of the Druids; but whether our countrywomen in those days, who did not facrifice themfelves, were treated with the fame contempt after the death of their husbands, as the Hindoo women are, I know not; for by the religion of the Hindoos they never can marry again, or have commerce with another man, without prejudice to their cafts, which to them is as dear as life itself; but generally are reduced to perform the moft menial offices in the family of which they were before the mistress. Account of Letters concerning the Northern TH coaft of Antrim, and in particular the fingular combination of bafaltic pillars, commonly called the Giant's Causeway, have long attracted the attention of travellers, and been the fabject of research and inveftigation to philofophers. The native inhabitants of the coaft, who were the firft obfervers of this phenomenon, accounted for its production, by a theory rude and fimple, and to men ignorant of natural hiftory not very abfurd. They obferved, that the causeway was a regular mole, projecting into the sea; they difcovered, on clofer inspection, that it was built with an appearance of art and regularity, refembling the works of men, though |