CHARACTER OF LORD DARNLEY. HUS perished, in the twenty-firft year of his age, Henry Tuuare, lord Darley, a prince of a high lineage. A fate fo fudden and fo immature excited a fympathy and forrow, which must have been loft in the confcioufnefs of his imperfections, if he had fallen by the ravages of disease, or the stroke of time. The fymmetry of his form recommended him to the moft beautiful princefs in Chriftendom; and her generofity and love placed him upon the throne of an ancient kingdom. But he neither knew how to enjoy his profperity, nor to ensure it. His vices did not permit him to maintain the place he had won in her affection; and he was not entitled by his ability to hold the reins of government. He was feen to the greatest advan tage in thofe games and fports which require activity and addreís. He rode with kill the war-horfe, and was dextrous in hawking and the chace; but poffeffing no difcernment of men, and no profoundness of policy, he was altogether unequal to direct an agitated monarchy, and to fupport the glory of his queen. Inftead of acting to her protection and advantage, he encouraged her misfortunes and calamities. His embecility laid him open to her enemies and his own. The exceffive facility of his na ture made him the dupe of the fhalloweft artifice; and while he was weakly credulous, he could not keep in concealment thofe fecrets which moft nearly concerned him. Driven into difficult fituations by paffion and imprudence, he was unable to extricate himself. Under the guidance of no regular principles, he was inconftant and capricious. His natural levity was prompted by his proneness to intemperance; and he was as much a stranger to decorum as to virtue. INSTANCE OF DELICATE BENEVOLENCE. Tanch, in France, were fo far reduced in life as to be comWO young ladies of a diftinguished family in the city of pelled to gain their fabfittence, with the greateft difficulty, by the labour of their hands. Nothing was left of their once fplendid fortunes, but fome wretched furniture, and an old pictare of little value. The archbishop of Anch having heard of their deplorable circumftances, inftantly repaired to thofe unfortunate ladies, and being anxious to relieve them, without woundVOL. III. 54. F ing ing their delicacy, he faid to them, with a fmiling and affable air, "I am informed, ladies, that you have in your apartments a most valuable picture. I fee it; it is by the hands of a great mafter; it particularly pleafes me; and if it be not too great a favour, I would entreat you to part with it for a penfion of co Louis d'ors, which fhall commence this moment. I have brought the first year in advance." A WITTY REPARTEE of QUEEN ELIZABETH. A Bifhop pretending to perfuade her majefty against fome measures of her government, upon the ground of several fcriptural paffages, the replied, "My lord bishop, you know a great deal of the Bible, yet you feem not to understand The Book of Kings." To the PRINTER of the WEEKLY ENTERTAINER. SIR, THE HE following anecdote I took fome time ago from "The Ancient History of the Carthagenians." By depofiting it in your Entertainer, you will, without doubt, please your readers, and will confer an obligation on Brifol, December 29, 1783. Your humble fervant, PHILAGATHUS. THE Carthagenians, fays Herodotus, failing beyond the pillars of Hercules, traded with the Lybians in the following inanner: After they got in fome creek, they landed their goods, leaving them exposed on fome point of land, and then returned to their fhips; they then caufed a great fmoke to be raised, at the fight of which the Lybians came to the place where the wares had been left; and laying down a certain quantity of gold, retired at a good diftance from them. Upon this the Cartha genians went a fecond time on fhore, and, if on viewing the gold it appeared to them fufficient, they carried it off, and failed without delay; if not, they left it, and continued on board fome time. The Lybians upon this made an addition to what they had before left; and if this proved infufficient they con tinued to increase it till the Carthagenians were fatisfied, and the bargain made.-Neither of thefe nations offered the leaft injuftice to each other; the Carthagenians did not fo much as touch the Lybian gold till it was equal in value to their wares; nor the Lybians the Carthagenian merchandize till the gold. they offered as an equivalent was accepted and taken away. ANECDOTE of the BLACKSMITH PARSON at GRETNA-GREEN. E has a particular bed in the corner of his houfe, which Heferves for the purpofe of ceremonial confummation. By the law of Scotland, it is well known, that any perfon whatever above 16 years of age may perform the facerdotal rites of marriage, which ftands valid only if they be confummated, that is, if the couple be feen in bed by two witneffes. Several laughable circumstances often happen at Gretna-Green at the conclufion of the ceremony. If a couple be married at an inn, Vulcan, when he has finished his oral part, fees them to bed, and calls in his principal Cyclops' as witneffes, when they then fign their certi heate. If a pair wait on him at his own habitation, the cercmony of confummation is then performed in the allotted bed, which has borne many hundred couples. A few months fince an Irish officer having eloped to Gretna-Green with a lady from Northamptonshire, Vulcan, when he had joined their hands, told them, as ufual, they muft confummate before he could fign their certificate; to which the jolly fon of Hibernia replied, By my faith, parfon, if that flops your figning, fign away, honey, for that part of the ceremony was over before I reached York." But the parfon infifting that it was of no avail unless done in Scotland, the officer was obliged to fubmit, and be bedded in his prefence, and that of his fervant. Anfwer, by M. Nofworthy, of Plymouth-Dock, to Tafso's Queftion, inferted November 24. PUT a = 1062.51; then will xx + x +,0625=a+ 0625: x = a+,5 = 32.1. * We have received the like answer from Arion. Answer, by Arion, of Bath, to S. M. O.'s enigmatical Lift of Ame rican Cities and principal Towns, inferted December 1., 1. Carthagena. 2. Quito. 3. Lima. 4. Mexico. 5. Rio de Janeiro. 6. Charles-Town. 7. Philadelphia. 8. New-York. 9. Boston. 10. Halifax. Itt We have received the like anfwer from Taffo, of Bristol. Answer, by Tao, of Bristol, ́to T. Roberts's Enigma, inserted May 19. L ET France boaft her genius for cooks and for drefs, And Hifpania's fam'd fons of their gold make a boast; We care not whilft Britain poffeffes her tars, With COURAGE and VALOUR to guard her fair coast. 1st We have received the like answer from Arion, of Bath. A QUESTION. Taken from Carnan's Ladies Diary, for 1784; and inferted at the Requeft of a Correspondent. Given x3y+y3x=512500 To find the values of x and y. An ANAGRAM, by S. M. O. of Shaftesbury. PA ART of a man tranfpos'd aright, An ENIGMA, by Arion, of Bath. Y birth, my age, and where I dwell, MY Surely Surely in all the world around So strange a being can't be found; You'd think me meer caprice and whim, The rich, the wife, the learn'd, the brave, And never mind one word they fay. I vifit every land and clime, POETRY. |