FOR MARCH, 1810. A New Series. CONTAINING A NEW SYSTEM OF BOTANY, BY DR. THORNTON; AND A SERIES OF ORIGINAL MUSIC, BY MR. HOOK. EMBELLISIIMENTS. 1. An Elegant PORTRAIT of the HONOURABLE MRS. DAMER. 2. Three WHOLE-LENGTH FIGURES in the FASHIONS of the SEASON, COLOURED. 3. An ORIGINAL SONG, set to Music for the Harp and Piano-forte; composed exclu sively for this Work, by Mr. Ноок. 4. Two elegant and new PATTERNS for NEEDLE-WORK. CONTENTS. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUS- BEAUTIES OF THE BRITISH POETS. TRIOUS LADIES. The Honourable Mrs. Damer...115 ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. ......122 Hymenæa in search of a Husband .......116 Persian Letter from Muley Cid Sadi, one of the Secretaries of his Excellency the Persian Ambassador in London, to Osman Cali Beg, his friend at Ispahan..119 History of the Oldcastle family A full explanation of the Science of Botany; by Dr. Thornton .....130 Maxims for the Conduct of Life; extracted from the works of Sir Mathew Hale....136 The Mysterious Guests...... A Completion of the Prophecies with respect to the Papal Power, from the recent acts of Bonaparte........ .......142 140 LONDON: PRINTED BY AND FOR JOHN BELL, PROPRIETOR OF THE WEEKLY MESSENGER, LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE; FOR MARCH, 1810. A NEW SERIES, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES. The Third Pumber. THE HONOURABLE MRS. DAMER. her,-than MRS. DAMER. This lady is the niece of the celebrated Horace Walpole, the last Earl of Orford, from whom she derived a very considerable fortune, and is now the owner of his beautiful villa, Strawberry-hill. Mrs. Damer was chiefly educated under the superintendance of her uncle, and much of the elegant taste, and refined knowledge, which she is known to possess, was of course obtained under his tuition. Mrs. Damer, we believe, has frequently appeared amongst her friends in the character of an authoress, but she has not hitherto made any of her writings public. If we take the most comprehensive || the talents with which Heaven has endowed survey of elegant and fashionable life, whether we look amongst that order which is not less eminent for rauk than conspicuous for the brilliant example which it af fords to society, or whether we select amongst those who, whilst they move in the splendid walks of fashion, consider it their prime distinction to cultivate the purest taste in morals, and to direct their talents to the most refined and elegant pursuits of the human understanding, in a word, whether we select from the glittering throng of nobility, of from the peaceful and sober assemblies of middle life, we should find it difficult, perhaps impossible, to discover a female who has conferred more distinction upon her rank in society, and who has employed to better purposes This lady has long been in the widowed state, and, if we mistake not, has no family living. Q2 |