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my father's death, and of our leaving Catterick, five years after their removal thither.

The whole property of Mr. Logan was laid out in goods, with which the ship was freighted, in which he sailed to the West Indies. The voyage was prosperous for some time, till at length, having crossed the Atlantic, the vessel was attacked and taken by the French, and carried into Martinico;-the goods seized, and the proprietor made prisoner on his parole. Whilst he was there, being a man of observation, and possessing. a very active mind, he obtained a great deal of information respecting the state of that island, which was afterwards transmitted to our ministry; and at times, when he had no other occupation, he employed himself in making and arranging a curious collection of sea-shells. At length, after remaining there nine months, an exchange of prisoners took place, the day of liberty arrived, and Mr. Logan was landed at Antigua, not however as a merchant, coming to establish a respectable trade; but as an unfortunate, ruined adventurer, whom the chance of war had robbed of his property, and who was now quite destitute even of the means of subsistence.

In this forlorn situation, he was happily introduced, by what is commonly, although not accurately, called an accident, (for in the great chain of causes and events, there is no such thing as accident) to Colonel Martin, a principal planter on the island, and a gentleman highly respectable for his station, his talents, and his virtues. Interested at first, by the misfortunes of the stranger,

he kindly invited him to his house, and the connexion which originated in compassion, was afterwards, on further acquaintance, improved into the most cordial and lasting friendship. After some time, fresh goods were sent from England; a store-house was opened, and considerable hopes were again entertained, of future prosperity. These, however, as may well be imagined, were years of heavy trial and anxiety to Mrs. Logan, and to good old Mrs. Maurice, whose only solace and amusement, was the rapid improvement of the little Maria. The good old lady, as she sat in her great chair by the fire-side, had much pleasure in teaching this child to repeat pieces of poetry; and the facility with which she learnt them, was truly astonishing; her ear was so quick, and her memory so retentive, that whatever was read to her slowly two or three times, was made completely her own. 1 had also my share in this amusement; and at three years and half old, her little stores were almost inexhaustible. It happened one day, that I took up Pope's "Essay on Man," which was lying in the window, and reading aloud, "Awake, my St. John !"—the child instantly continued, "leave all meaner things"-"To low ambition," the child added, "and the pride of kings." The thought instantly struck me, how clever it would be, if she could be taught to repeat the whole four epistles; and the good old lady, partly perhaps to oblige her former pupil, and partly to gratify herself, agreed to assist me in the undertaking. It was my ambition that this should be accomplished before

Maria was four years old, and it actually was accomplished. On her birth-day, when she had attained that age, she sat on the knee of Mr. Watson, my brother's tutor, and repeated the whole poem, from beginning to end, almost without making a single mistake. Respecting the wisdom of the undertaking on the part of the teachers, whatever praise may be awarded to their diligence, or admiration excited by the astonishing memory of their little scholar, it may, perhaps, be quite as well not too minutely to enquire.

CHAPTER 10.

Declining health of the Author's father....Great increase of anxiety....Fascination of theatrical representations.... Causes of a protracted rage for them....Journey into Craven....The exertions as a Magistrate of the Author's honoured father.... His last illness and death....His epitaph....Mr. Lindsey obtains Catterick....Pecuniary affairs not prosperous.

WE spent the winter of 1762, in lodgings at York, that my father, who was very ill the greater part of the time, might have the advice of the late highly celebrated Dr. Dealtry; the only relaxation in which I could be indulged, was in going two or three times to the theatre. There was a new piece acted that season, intitled "the Desert Island," the dresses, the scenery, and above all, the ingenuous simplicity of the heroine, perfectly enchanted me, and I was almost tempted to

envy the happy lot of those, who had it frequently in their power to partake of what I then esteemed, so delightful an amusement. The complete fascination would, no doubt, have worn off with the novelty which partly occasioned it; yet I can hence comprehend how it is that many persons remain through life, so wholly devoted to such gratifications. At first, to the youthful imagination all is fairy-land;-the deception is kept up by variety, till the habit is formed; and afterwards, although the original spell is broken, yet excitement of one kind or another, beyond what is yielded by the ordinary occurrences of life, becomes necessary to happiness. They commence critics, perhaps, on the merits of the dif ferent performers, or at least the discussion sup. plies them with a never-failing fund of conversation; some vague ideas of superior taste and judgment are attached to these disquisitions; and they continue their regular attendance on the theatre, partly, as it helps them to dispose of a certain portion of time, which would otherwise hang heavily upon their hands, and partly that they may figure to more advantage in conversation among their acquaintance. If this account be true, one would expect that the rage for theatrical amusements would continue longer, and obtain more generally in the middle and lower classes of society, than in the highest ranks; and the fact I apprehend, in this country at least, fully justifies the expectation. At the theatre, a duchess or a countess is nothing more than a spectator, in common with others, but at the crowded assem

bly, where hundreds appear in her train, she is herself the deity that presides there. Her taste, her accomplishments, or at any rate, her splendour and magnificence attract every eye;-her vanity here receives its highest gratification;-occurrences that shall perpetuate its triumph, are easily multiplied; and if, at last, all these should fail, the excitement of the gaming-table remains, to create an interest even by the ruin which it threatens, and to make a wretched atonement for the loss of youth, of beauty, of fame, and of peace of mind.

My father did not receive any benefit from the skill of his physician; he bore the languor of disease with great patience and fortitude: but not a day, or even an hour passed, on the part of my mother and myself, without some new anxiety; and we returned to Catterick with heavy hearts. My father could not bear the sound of many voices, and in consequence, we saw scarcely any company, except our good old friend Mrs. Maurice, who sympathized so truly in our apprehensions and anxieties, as apparently to forget her own.

In the spring of 1763, my father, being desirous of trying the air of Long Preston, and perhaps, of once more revisiting a place, where he had spent many happy days of tranquillity and usefulness, I accompanied him thither; my mother, who had some important business to finish at Catterick, being left to follow us in a few days. The journey was fatiguing in the extreme to my dear father, and very anxious and alarming to me, occasioned principally, by the awkwardness of the horses, accustomed only to a level country,

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