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the character of the Spaniards, whofe kingdom is now almoft reduced to that degree of infignificancy, as to be numbered with those empires that fubfift only in hiftorical remembrance.

Thus have we gone through the firft volume of this perforance our opinion of it upon the whole is, that many of the reflections, are equally curious and juft; the style, in general, nervous, and flowing.

V. The Hiflory of Charles Wentworth, Efq. in a series of Leters. In Three Vols. 12mo. Pr. 7s. 6d. Becket.

THE editor of these volumes, in a very well written advertisement, declares that a part of the hiftory contained in them is founded in truth, in order to apologize for fome circumstances which might be deemed cenfurable in a performance wholly fictitious. After having told us that the letters are more replete with fentiments than incidents, he gives his own opinions concerning novel-writing, to which all rea ders of novels will not, perhaps subscribe. • Novels that meerly entertain, merit no encouragement, because they divert the mind from more useful objects; to make them a vehicle of instruction under the mask of amusement it is neceffary that they be not too interefting: wherever curiofity is greatly excited the mind becomes impatient to know the final event, a::d every moral or inftructive reflection that may be interpofed, fufpends the gratification of its curiofity, and is on that account either read with difguft, or entirely paft over.' The editor afterwards informs us, that the Letters are not diftinguished by the peculiarities of ftyle; Becaufe fuch peculiarities do not exist among the polite or learned part of mankind, who, in speaking, or writing, are governed, not fo much by their own fentiment and judgment, as by the laws of decorum, ceremony, and fashion, which, from the fervile obedience they receive, induce an apparent, but fallacious fimilarity of character, fentiment, and behaviour among us, and confound our real difpofitions.'

The hiftory begins with an account of Edward Wentworth, efq. the father of Charles, who, after having affifted at all the military operations in Germany, during the war, particu larly at the memorable battle of Dettingen, obtains, by his valour and his prudent conduct, a majority in an old regiment. After the peace he is unfortunately overheated with wine, drawn into a difpute with a young officer, which terminates in a duel, as the major cannot with honour put up with the provocations he receives. To military honour he

falls

falls a facrifice, and leaves two fons to the care of a mother, who seems, both from her maternal affection, and excellent understanding, very well qualified to undertake so important a charge. Her eldest fon, Edward, is fober, fedate, and enters himself a student at Cambridge, in order to prepare himself for ordination. Her youngest, Charles, who has an uncommon share of vivacity, and whofe paffions are too impetuous to be controuled by reason, chufes the profession of furgery. He is, therefore, placed with a Mr. S, an hofpital furgeon. His mother, upon his first entrance into the world, addreffes a very sensible letter to him: he foon, however, difagrees both with Mr. S and his family, and that dif agreement produces a second letter full of falutary admonition from Mrs. Wentworth. He then writes to his brother, turns his moral principles into ridicule, and acquaints him with an affignation he has made with a beautiful girl, having first seen her at a place to which women of difputable characters are admitted, adding that her brother had procured him an interview with her. He feems determined to take advantage of his intimacy with the lady, but profeffes that it gives him the greatest uneasiness to think that the pleasure expected from that intimacy, must be purchased, probably, at the expence of her future happiness. His brother, with a becoming fpirit, and with much good sense, dissuades him, in his answer, from following his inclination, to the deftruction of innocence. Charles, in reply, tells him that he finds himself quite unable to reflect upon moral and serious subjects, that he is already weary of his mistress, and that her reproaches on the change in his behaviour to her only excite compaffion instead of love. Some time afterwards Charles writes again to his brother to inform him that he is become extremely enamoured of a young lady whom he met with at the play; that he met her again at his aunt Clinton's, and that he finds her to be a Miss Sophia Stanhope. [This young lady is mentioned in an advantageous manner by several of the letter-writers.] Charles begins, in a little while, to be uneasy at his inferiority to Mifs Stanhope, who has both fortune and merit. Mifs Stanhope, however, foon discovers herself to be neither infenfible of his paffion, nor offended at it; and when he tells her that before he knew her he was content with the station in life which he had chofen, but that he is tormented to think of his inability to raise her to the elevated rank fhe deferves; fhe affures him that she does not fee the neceffity of an equal fortune on both fides, provided there is on each fide a fufficiency to make two people happy; yet fhe, at the fame time, declares that the cannot, being imperfectly acquainted with her own heart, or his merit, come to

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any determination about giving him her hand, fuppofing him to be ever fo rich; but adds, that as her fentiments concerning him are of the favourable kind, fhe is willing to receive his vifits, with her mother's permiffion. In a fhort time after this interview, fresh debates are carried on very warmly between Charles and Mr. S's family, who complain to Mr.. S of his irregularities, and of his treating them with difrefpe&t. In confequence of their complaints Mr. S———— propofes a feparation, and offers to return a reasonable part of the money he had received with him, and to cancel the indentures. With this view he writes to his uncle Wentworth who was his guardian, and who agrees to confult Mrs. Wentworth about his propofal. With the propofal Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth are both very well fatisfied. Mr. S then refuses to abide by his promife. Charles imputes the revolution in his mind to his unwillingness to return any of the money, and to his hopes of driving him, by ill treatment, to leave him without the payment of it.

While things are in this fituation, the brother of Mifs Jackfon, the girl whom he had feduced, and of whom he was tired, calls on Charles to let him know, that his fifter's fituation cannot be any longer concealed, and urges him to atone for the injury he had done her by marriage; adding, that her. parents threaten to abandon her in case of his refufing to make her his wife. Charles tells Mr. Jackson, that he is fincerely afflicted at the unfortunate event, as his connections with Mifs Stanhope put it abfolutely out of his power to marry Mifs Jackfon. Mr. Jackfon leaves him, breathing revenge. Struck with the ill confequences refulting from the indulgence of his criminal paffions, he promises amendment, but plunges out of one folly into another, in order to diffipate his melancholy ideas. Dining with fome friends, he becomes intoxicated; in that condition he goes to Vauxhall-Gardens. He meets Sophia and her mother, &c. and very indifcreetly joins their party, though Sophia informs him that he is particularly engaged. Imagining that the perceives his fituation, he retires, afhamed: of his unbecoming appearance. To make an apology for that appearance, he waits upon her the next day. She tells him, that the requires no account of his actions, as the is in no way intercfted in his conduct. She then gives him a letter, and quits the room. The letter is from Mifs Jackson, who charges him with feduction, after a folemn promise of marriage with the affiftance of medicinal potions. On Sophia's return to him, he fwears he never promifed to marry Mifs Jackfon, nor ever had recourfe to the unnatural proceedings imentioned in her letter. He confeffes, however, the inti

macy

macy which had been between them. Sophia affures him the has been taught to believe, that falsehood is often confirmed by oaths; advises him to repair the injury he has done Mifs Jackfon in the most laudable manner, and leaves him. Attributing this letter to Mifs Jackson's brother, he calls him a coward, and wishes he had merited more honourable fatisfaction. Our hero, upon this occafion, receives a letter from his brother, which is admirably penned. The following paffage ought to be seriously attended to by many of the gay fellows of the age; A man, who by his mifconduct has deferved an affront, has no right to refent it; and he who is base enough to affront another without caufe, is unworthy of any thing but contempt.'

Charles, now driven to despair, refolves to go on board a ship in the Downs bound to America; but finding it neceffary to gain Mr. S's confent to his refolution, that he might be furnished with proper teftimonials with regard to his proficiency in furgery, and finding alfo that he could not obtain thofe teftimonials without acquainting his uncle with his defign, whofe concurrence he had no reason to expect, he forges a letter from Mr. Wentworth to himself, wherein he makes him fay that he had confulted his mother about his proposed voyage to America, and that he had given ber confent provided Mr. S's approbation could be procured. Mr. S appeared to be furprized, but makes no objection to Charles's voyage, as his uncle and mother approve of it. He then gives him a letter to carry to his uncle. Having opened it, he finds that it will discover his defign, and therefore fuppreffes it. He makes a flight excufe to Mr. Wentworth for his visit to him, fteals his indentures, by the help of a falfe key, fets out the next morning for London, carries a letter of his own writing to Mr. S―, in his uncle's name, produces the indentures, and tells him, that he may refund what he thinks proper, as his uncle fubmits entirely to his generofity. Mr S refufes to advance any money, but joins with the furgeons of the hofpital in giving him recommendatory teftimonials. With thefe teftimonials, and with thirty guineas in his pocket, he goes on board, intending to pay for his paffage by officiating as a furgeon, and leaving his brother to plead in his behalf to his mother, to whom he is afraid to write. Before his departure, he writes a letter to Sophia, in a very pathetic and delicate ftile.

Charles, on his arrival at Barbadoes, fettles himself advan tageoufly with a furgeon of reputation there, who being from ill health, unable to attend all his patients, allows his new pupil a falary of 1501. per annum; who, by his abilities

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and application, renders himself fo neceffary to Mr. G―s, that he admits him into a partnership with him, on his promifing to undertake all the bufinefs. Charles imagines that Mifs Gs thinks favourably of him as well as her father, but he cannot bring himself to give up Sophia, tho' his hopes were very, diftant. From Barbadoes he writes to England to his brother, to gain intelligence about Mifs Jackson, that he may remit some money to her, as he can only in a pecuniary way make her any amends for his dishonourable behaviour to her. In his next letter to his brother he tells him that Mifs Gs is married to a practitioner of phyfick; and that Mr. Gs, finding his fon-in-law willing to come into partner. fhip, had given him 500l. to relinquifh his fhare of the business. With this fum and with what he had faved, our adventurer became proprietor of a privateer, which takes a large French fhip, bound from St. Domingo to Breft, richly laden with indigo, cocoa, coffee, cotton, fugar, &c. and carries her to Antigua with a Dutch fhip alfo, having on board French fugars. By these prizes he clears 4000l. On the figning of the peace he becomes a planter on the coaft of Guiana, in South America, under the dominion of the States-general of the United Provinces, though a confiderable part of it is inhabited by British fettlers. He gives an account of a revolt of the flaves in the adjacent colony of Berbice, which turns out fortunately for him, as he purchases a plantation cheaper than he could have done at another time.

During Charles's refidence in Barbadoes his brother Edward' falls in love with a Mifs Conway, the friend of Mifs Stanhope, but as he has only a fellowship, and cannot marry without injuring the lady, he will not accept of his mother's affiftance, left he should, by so doing, leffen his brother's expectations; Charles, in return, declares that he voluntarily renounces every thing but his mother's affection.

By the death of his uncle, Charles comes into the poffeffion of almost ten thousand pounds: his landed eftate, amounting to about fix hundred a year, Mr. Wentworth left to his eldeft nephew, Edward. In confequence of this acquifition Edward marries Mifs Conway; and receives a letter from his brother, which informs him that he has fold his plantations, one of them for ninety thousand, the other for a hundred thoufand guilders, and that he is preparing to revifit his native land.

Juft before Charles is expected home, Mifs Stanhope receives a letter from Mifs Jackfon. Mifs Jackfon, after a very dif folute life, into which he fell from having too great a propenfity to pleasure, feeks an asylum in the Magdalen-house, and from thence writes to Sophia to exculpate Mr. Wentworth

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