OF

a lady on whom fortune has beflowed youth, wealth, and beauty, little of incident is to be expected. Where thefe qualities are united, the fmooth current of life will ufually glide without much variation. From the common accidents to which the majority of the world are fubject, a perfon fo circumftanced is rom rank and riches exempt. Though e cannot on the prefent occafion amufe r readers with uncommon events, or Araordinary elevations or depreffions of fune; with remarkable incidents, or w accidents to call forth astonishment; yewe can with pleasure celebrate high bir accompanied with affability, beauty withit affectation, and youth attended by

difer on.

TiDuchefs of Devonshire is the eldeft daugr of the late Eari Spencer, by the prefen dowager of that title, who was the eld daughter of William Poyntz, of Midham, in the county of Bucks. Her Lavhip was born June 9, 1757, and expenced a very careful and exemplary atteon in her education from her excellent Fents. By the folicitude which was fhewny them, duri. g the courfe of it, he was abled to add the acquired accomplishmts of her fex to the natural graces of autiful form. At the age of 17, on th5th of June, 1774, the became the ye of his Grace William Cavendish Duhof Devonshire; a nobleman who has no inftance diminished the reputation exed to his name, or

impaired the hereditary honours of his family. Soon after their marriage we find her Grace diftinguished as the leader of fashion, and the arbitrefs of taste, treading the gay round of amusements with eafy dignity and chearful innocence; partaking of entertainments adapted to her period of life; a pattern and example to the gay, the youthful, and the noble of her fex. Untainted by the vices of the times, and untouched by the breath of calumny, a few years paffed away, during which time the Duchefs of Devonshire could only be contemplated by the world for the eatinefs of her manners, the fplendour of her appearance, ant the beauties of her perfon. In the year 1783, fshe exhi¬ bited another character, lefs obvious to the public eye, though more endearing to it, that of an affectionate and tender mother; fince which period she has increased that refpect and admiration which the world entertained for her, by the performance of domestic duties, and attention to the mild virtues of maternal affection. Retreating therefore fo honourably from the notice of the world, we thail leave her Grace to the podeffion of thofe enjoyments which, as wealth or honours cannot confer, so it will be ever out of the power of accidents to take away; and hope at an extreme diftant period, the will have the gratification of hearing what has already been faid of one of the Cavendithes of the last century, that all her fons were valiant, and all her daughters virtuous.

FRAG.

PERO was defcended on the female fide from a very ancient line in Northumberland, and tradition fays that his ancestors were from generation to generation great favourites with the Saxon kings of that district. By his own mother's fide, (who was of Shropshire) he was defcended from almost all the ceebrated hounds who fignalized themselves in the chace during the times of the Danish and Norman ufurpations. In the tree of pedigree of Pero's family, we find the name of relpo, king Canute's favourite buckhound; and alfo that of Lift, who was king Alfred's faithful companion, when that monarch was in hiding and in difguife in the Ifle of Wight. But the moft illuftrious name in the tree, and the founder of the male line, is Harpeau, who came over with William the Conqueror, and was his favourite bloodhound. And the Records of the Duke of Tallyho's Kennelaffure us, that when the Conqueror laid the northern counties in blood and defolation, Harpeau attended him, and had an amour with a beautiful female foxhound belonging to the Prior of Durham, from which union our Pero is lineally defcended. When he was but a little puppy he gave early proofs of uncommon genius, and every one foretold that he would not difgrace the illuftrious blood that flowed in his veins. He was therefore when he was very young put under the tuition of the celebrated Tom Snipe, the Duke's game-keeper. But this part of his education did not fucceed according to expectation, honeft Tom in his old days having made too free with the bottle: Pero's inftructions were confequently much neglected, and it was feared he would fall into idle habits, and that his excellent genius would remain uncultivated. To prevent fuch misfortune his guardians removed him to Wiltshire, where he finished his ftudies under the care of the learned and ingenious Peter Partridge, gamekeeper to Lord Nimrod. At first indeed he fuffered feverely from Peter's whip; but no fooner was he broke of his idle habits, than he made a moft rapid progrefs in his education, in every part of which he was without, an equal. For melody of a fine deep-toned voice, for

fwiftness of foot, unexhausted strength,

and ftaunchnefs of fcent, he was unrival led. And no wonder that these rare qualifications, fo happily blended together, procured him the favour and patronage of the Great. He has hunted with all the first nobility of the kingdom, (and indeed he always kept the belt company) and never failed to excite their efteem and admiration. He was always in at the death, on which occafions he has often been honoured by his My's attention, and one time was patted on the head by the Prince of W- -s: But this fingular honour and happiness had almoft coft him his life;-for boafting of it in the kennel with rather too much vanity, the envious hounds fet upon him, and had not the whipper-in just come in the nick of time, and played his whip among them ftoutly, he had certainly been torn limb from limb. Lord Leapgate, who was then or a hunting vifit at Lord Nimrod's, affecte with Pero's dangerous requeft, begge him of his Lordship, and his request ws granted. But no fooner did Leapste bring him home, than his own kerel were equally envious; fo true are the words of the poet,

A favourite has no friend.—

was

To remedy this inconvenience, it was ordered that Pero thould fleep in th warm ftable, and all day he was a parier-guest with his Lordship, by whofe har he fed with the choiceft viands. Bt fuch is the fallacioufnefs of worldly eroyments, with all this femblance of happies, poor Pero was truly miferable, he fervant maids, though they durft ne speak out, were his bitter enemies, andvere greatly offended, forfooth, becaufe e dirtied the ftaircafes, the hall, and the arlour; and, befides the almost daily pts to poifon him, many a fad kick an bang he got, whenever his Lordship's ck was turned.

So paffed his days, tilld age, haftened on by luxury and inacrity, for he indulged himself too mu in fleeping before the parlour fire, bught its attendant is lofs of memory infirmities with it. became notorious, d all his faculties began to be visibly mpa red; when his Lordihip, out of reat compaflion and

regard