English Monarch, a man whofe penetrating genius and jealousy of the Saxons pervaded every part of the island, turned his particular attention toward Northumberland; and by that means became acquainted with the character of Adelfrid, which, born on the wings of fame, was almost the general theme. Struck with the traits of valour, of juftice and benevolence, which it dif played, but at the fame time fearful of the influence which thefe great and amiable qualities gave him in a part of the country where the utmost danger was to be apprehended, he tore from him by the strong hand of power feveral manors, reduced the number of his knights from two to one hundred, and laitly commanded him to confine even his hunting excurfions, to a certain district; and to ufe no means to repel the Scottish marauders, without first applying to the Lord Warden of the Marches.

Adelfrid was a wife and prudent man : he faw with concern that refistance would be futile; therefore, whatever might have been his opinion of the treatment which his countrymen in general, and himself in particular, had received from the Norman, he filently fubmitted to his decree.

To a caftle fituated upon a rock, which feemed to frown imperious on the turbulent furge, he retired. His retinue, although abridged, was ftill numerous enough for the purposes of state; and although he had lot more than half of his tenants and vaffals, he still found objects fuficient to call forth every exertion of his hofpitality and benevolence.

Even in this retirement he heard the trumpet of war found at a distance: his love for his native country prompted him to arm his dependants and rufh into the battle, but he was prohibited by a mandate from the Monarch; he had, therefore, no concern in the victory that was obtained by the death of Malcolm the Scottish King, but he had the fatisfaction of receiving into his cattle fome Saxon fugitives, whom Donald, his fucceffor, had driven out of his kingdom; among whom was Edgar Atheling, a prince who was confidered as heir to the crown of England, and whofe virtues rendered him equally popular in both nations.

Edgar introduced to Adelfrid a knight

who accompanied him, by the name of Duncan, as a man of confiderable importance in the kingdom whence they had to lately retreated. The Baron converted much with him; and although he was of a faturnine calt of countenance, and had alfo a keennels and afperity in his obfervations which teemed, well to correfpond with it, yet judging that thete blemishes, if they could be to termed, had been the confequence of his misfortunes, of which Edgar had informed him his portion had been large, he became much attached to him.

The Anglo-Saxons had a strong tincture of religion, which, notwithstanding the bad example that the infamous and debauched lives of the Normans daily prefented to them, they generally preferved. Adelfrid was in this particular exemplary. He was a ftrenuous allertor of the right, and as ftrenuous a fupporter of the customs of the Church, as they had defcended to him from his ancestors.

Among thefe, he was particularly obfervant of the feftival of our Saviour's Nativity, which he did not confider. as many in thofe rude ages did, as a feafon of fin and fenfuality, but as a period when conviviality chaftened by temperance, and benevolence corrected by difcretion, ought to extend their influence to all his numerous tenants and dependants.

Ignorant as our Saxon ancestors were, the Baron was an exception from this general misfortune. He knew that more than ten centuries had elapled fince this celebration became a rite of the * Church. He alio knew what deviation there had been in this refpect from the conduct of thofe primitive times. He would gladly have reftored to it all its holiness and fimplicity; but finding that he had to combat the prejudice of ages, he was obliged to abandon his defign; and as he could not totally reform, as much as he could reprets the ribaldry and licentiouinefs which had long obtained the appellations of mirth and hilarity.

On the morning of the Nativity of our Saviour, the ftandard of the House of Adelfrid was displayed on the turret of his cattle, as a gnal for fuch of his knights, tenants, and vasiais, as inhabited its vicinity, to affemble. Divine fervice was performed in the chapel with the utmolt folemnity; as, in confequence of the orders that had been given, it was

in

in thofe of the villages that lay remote from it.

When the Baron, his family, and numerous vifitors, had paid those devotions, and performed thofe offices of religion, which the feafon demanded, the gates of the caftle were thrown open, and the perfons appointed difpenfed the ufual alms to the poor; which consisted of cloathing neceffary for the climate and the time of the year, dried provisions for their winter Itore, and a number of thrymas proportioned to the number of each family.

Thefe indigent perfons were then conducted to large booths prepared for them, where they were ferved with plenty of victuals and drink; and where, whilft the chearful fires blazed on the hearths, the harpers fung and recited the warlike deeds of their ancestors, the praises of their Barons, and particularly thofe actions of courage and beneficence for which the royal race of Adelfrid was diftinguished.

Such was the humility that had been practifed in the family of the Baron, that it had long been a cuftom for the reprefentative of it to attend with the first dish at the table of the indigent. His lady, as they were in claffes, waited at the fecond, and his eldeft fon at the third at each of which, his chamberlain or ftewards prefented them with a cup of wine, in which they drank Health and welcome" to their guests.

This was returned by fhouts of joy and univerfal benedictions.

Adelfrid, Elinor the Baronefs, and Offa their eldeft fon, having performed this ceremony, returned to the great hall, where a numerous train of knights, their ladies, and fquires, waited to receive, and pay to them thofe compli. ments which the feafon demanded.

Target, the jester of the family, did not upon this occafion appear until the found of the trumpet had thrice announced that the fealt was prepared, and part of the company had taken their

feats.

The Baron chid him for this want of attention, and asked him, Where he had been? The jefter, who according to the licence of thofe days, was indulged in

great verbal liberty, replied, «To turn a feftival into a fast.'

"How fo?" asked the Baron.

"I am," he continued, "just come from an ordinary where nothing but fifh was provided. Or, to explain, I have this fultry day been folacing myself in the river."

"What led you thither?"

"Folly! I had not wit enough to keep my feet dry, but followed a man that was a ftill greater fool than myfelf."

"What man?"

"Duncan."

"Yes!" faid Duncan advancing "This generous friend (for friend I fhall ever efteem him) faved my life at the hazard of his own! Walking near the edge of the cliff, ftraining my eyes toward the oppofite fhore, and at the fame time wrapt in thought, my uncautious feet, or rather abfent mind, betrayed me, and I fell into the river.”— "There you was the fool!" cried Target.

"This man plunged in after me!"— "There I was the fool!" faid the jefter.

"That," returned Duncan, "is far from being your real character, however you may affume it as a difguife."

"Am I the only perfon in the hall that difguifes his real character ?" Target replied to him in a whisper.

Duncan started, but was filent; the entertainment proceeded, and the conviviality which this conversation had fufpended, revived.

When the tables were removed, the fports, which confifted of recitations and fongs by the bards and minfirels attached to the family of Adelfrid, commenced. In thefe Target alfo made a conspicuous figure he was well acquainted with the kingdoms both of Scotland and England, and recollected a number of ftories and anecdotes relating to the courts and characters of each, which were equally valuable for being either feafoned with pleasantry, or tinctured with morality. Grave as Duncan was, he frequently extorted from him a fmile; and as frequently blunted the afperity of his b fervations with fallies of wit and good

They were in

humour

humour that delighted the whole com

pany.

Darkness had long enveloped the earth and ocean, fave only where the broad gleams of light from the windows of the Brilliantly illuminated caftle of Adelfrid, played upon the furface of the waves.

The younger part of the company now prepared to dance. The vaulted roof of the hall reverberated the sprightly found of the tabor and pipe, while their feet beat time to the cadences of the mufic, which echoed through the long arcades of the castle.

Edgar Atheling and the beautiful Agatha, the daughter of Adelfrid, opened the ball. Offa danced with the no lefs lovely Bertha, a ward of the Baron's. The more elderly knights and ladies were placed on feats furrounding the hall, their fquires attended by them, and even the vallals and principal domeftics filled the galleries.

Whilft thus within the caftle all were devoted to joy and hilarity; whilft every face fhone with pleasure, and every voice was attuned to the rapture of the moment, a storm raged without. Target, who had fome time fince difappeared, abruptly entered the hall. The entrance of the jetter was confidered as a fignal for the increase of mirth. The company gathered about him, ready to aim the hafts of their wit, and to receive his repartees.

He had not yet spoken a word; but the gravity of his countenance, and his agitation, which was thought to be af fumed as the prelude to fome pleafantry, caufed the juvenile part of them to falute him with a peal of laughter. This he in an inftant repreffed by exclaiming, "Spare, oh, fpare your ill-timed mirth! With jefting I have done for ever! My noble, my generous Lord Adelfrid, if ever there was a fcene calculated to excite thofe emotions of humanity and compaffion hereditary to your houfe, follow me and behold it!"

Mirth at this moment fled, the mufic ceafed, and now the company diftinctly heard the fhrieks of human voices. Target fnatched a torch and rushed out of the hall; feveral of the knights did the fame; the Baron and the rest of his male vifitors attended.

They all made toward the cliff; the wind in hoarfe murmurs raged against the towers, ramparts, and battlements; the billows with unremitting fury lafhed the refounding fhore; the rain beat; their torches were in an inftant extin

guished; yet ftill the company, joined by a numerous band of pealants, whom the ftorm and fhrieks had equally alarmed, proceeded to the cliff, guided only by thofe broad gleams of light from the windows of the caftle; when, dreadful to behold, they could difcern a veffel in the most imminent danger of dashing against the rock.

The Baron with uplifted hands and eyes invoked the affiftance of Heaven; "for," faid he, "from the fituation of thefe poor creatures, I fear all human aid will be ineffectual! Where is the man," he continued, " that will venture to affift these mariners ?"

"That will I!" faid Duncan,
"And I alfo !" exclaimed Target.
"And I!" faid Offa.

The peasants with one voice cried, "We are ready to use our utmost exertions!"

"Then follow me!" faid Target; who with the greatest agility flid down the precipice, and climbing over immense maffes of stone, led them to a place where under the fhelter of a prominent rock lay, as he knew, a small veffel belonging to the Baron.

Target, Duncan, and feveral of the men, who were mariners or fishermen, inftantly leaped on board; and, notwithstanding the contention of the clements, fuch was their skill, that they weathered the cliff, and made toward the place where they had difcerned the ship. The fhip was no longer to be feen: the hurricane increafed; the billows ran mountain high; thunder, unusual in that feafon and northern climate, feemed to rend the heavens, while the atmosphere appeared one blaze of fire.

Although their own fafety now became in a confiderable degree the object of their care, yet their humanity impelled them ftill further to explore the coaft. Guided only by the inceffant flashes of lightning, they fuffered their veffel to drive before the wind, until they came under an immenfe precipice which overhung the occan, while the rocks beneath caufed a whirlpool. In this dangerous fituation they difcovered the ship which was the object of their fearch: he was juft finking. Benevolence would not fuffer them to liften to the dictates of prudence: they run alongside of her, and one minute only elapfed, during which Target received a child, and Duncan a lady in his arms, while three or four failors leaped on board, the rest of the crew and female attendants were

inftantly

inftantly swallowed in the unfathomable abyfs.

What now was the situation of thefe fea-girt fugitives? Almost as deplorable as that from which they had efcaped! All the nautical skill of Target, and all the exertions of the pilot and mariners, aided by their intimate know. ledge of the coaft, would have been infufficient to have enabled them to fteer their veffel clear of the rocks, had not the violence of the ftorm in a fortunate minute fubfided, and the light from the caftle, which the Baron ordered to be increased, served as a beacon to guide them to the creek. By a rugged and circuitous path Duncan, aided by the mariners and peasants, carried the lady round the cliff to the castle. Target followed with the child.

Thus they arrived at the great hall, where Elinor the Barone's, Agatha, Bertha, and the ladies, who had been apprized of their approach, waited to receive them. Elinor advanced with open arms; at the fame inftant Duncan exclaimed," Matilda! my wife!" and the lady, faintly repeating "Walter," funk upon his bofom.

Target had just entered with the child in his arms; the light from the chandelier fhone full upon the face of the apparently lifeless lady, as fhe was fupported by Duncan and Elinor. Struck with her features, he ftarted: Agatha, obferving his emotion, caught the child from him, while throwing himself at the feet, and taking the hand of the fair fufferer, he cried, "My fitter! my lovely and beloved Matilda !-my fifter!"

The hall, fo lately enlivened by mirth and gaiety, was now become a scene of forrow and confufion. Adelfrid, Edgar, Offa, the Baroness, the knights, and ladies, every one spoke, every one preffed forward to offer affiftance. What affiftance was neceffary, or how to apply it, feemed likely to be a fubject of contention, until the prudent Elinor commanded filence: then ordering Matilda and her child to be conveyed to her own chamber, and attended only by Agatha and Bertha, left her lord to ufe his efforts to restore the company to a state of tranquillity.

[To be continued.]

the fingers, hands, or lower parts of the arms be injured, they fhould be immediately immerfed in cold vinegarif other parts of the body be burned or fcalded, let cloths wetted with vinegar be laid upon them, taking care that the cloths are kept continually wetted with freth vinegar; and this in flight cafes, if early and conflantly applied, will effect a cure without any other application. In two or three hours after the application of it, the patient will find eafe; but as inflammation and heat may perhaps return, and if not attended to produce a fore, the vinegar must be applied to as often as any painful fenfation comes

on.

But if it thould happen, either through neglect of uting the vinegar fpeedily, or not continuing it long enough, that the part fhould blifter and degenerate into a fore, it will readily heal by uing chalk and poultices hereafter mentioned,

In fevere burns and fealds the vinegar must be conftantly applied for ten or twelve hours, after which a bread and milk poultice must be put on and remain for eight hours, and when it is removed the fores must be covered entirely with chalk finely powdered, and as much must be ufed as will quite abforb the matter upon the fores, and appear quite dry all over them. A fresh poultice is then laid all over the whole, and the fame fort of drefling with chalk and poultice is to be repeated morning and evening till the fores are healed. In cafes where there are large blifters, they must be opened with a needle in different parts, and the water must be gently preffed out with a linen cloth, then apply vinegar, &c. as above directed.

This method will generally effect a cure without producing any fear.

AN

OF

ON the 28th of January 1761, he produced at Covent Garden his Comedy of The Married Libertine; the fatire of which was fuppofed to be levelled at a Nobleman then living, who was remarkable for his licentious gallantries. It did not meet at firit with a cordial reception, but was barely endured, and by the affistance of Love Alamode was permitted to be performed nine nights. This Comedy, it has been faid, he had an intention of reproducing with alterations. At the beginning of the following feafon he went to Dublin, and engaged at the Theatre there. In December he brought before the Irish Public his Farce of Love Alamode, which was received with as much applaufe as it had met with in London. The caft of the parts was as follows: Sir Callaghan, Mr. Barry; Squire Groom, Mr. Woodward; Beau Mordecai, Mr. Meffink; and Sir Archy, Mr. Macklin. It was performed upwards of fixteen nights that feafon.

In 1764 he joined Moffop's Company in Smock Alley, and in July firit brought out The True-Born Scotchman, fince called The Man of the World. He continued however with Moffop but a fhort time; the next season restored him to Barry's houfe in Crow Street, and he continued in Ireland until 1767, with the exception of coming to England once a year to perform for his daughter's benefit. In the feafon of 1767-8 he performed at Covent Garden, and on the 28th of November gave the Town a Farce called The Irish Fine Lady, which was disapproved, and performed only one night. At this juncture there was a divifion amongst the Managers of Covent Garden Theatre; and Mr. Macklin was fuppofed to be the chief adviser of the parties in oppofition to Mr. Colman.

In 1770 he returned again to Ireland, taking with him Mifs Younge (late Mrs. Pope), who had only acted the two preceding feafons at Drury Lane. Having therefore fo able an actress, he once more brought forward his True-Born Scotchman, in which she performed the part of VOL. XXXII. Nov. 1797.

Lady Rodolpha very much to the increase of her own reputation, and to his entire fatisfaction. The next season (1771-2) he engaged with Mr. Dawfon at Crow Street Theatre, and in the fucceeding year returned to London.

He was now seventy-three years of age; a period of life in which the Public has feldom feen an actor retaining his accustomed powers, or eager to extend his fame; but this was not the cafe with Mr. Macklin. Except fome few lapfes of memory, he experienced no debility of either mind or body. He had attended carefully to the various performers who had reprefented the principal characters in Tragedy for many years, and thought he had difcovered imperfections in most of them. He therefore propofed to lay before the Town his ideas of the manner in which Macbeth, Richard III. and (if we are not mistaken) Othello, should be performed. The task, it mult be confefled, was both arduous and hazardous, but the veteran engaged in it without any diffidence. The 23d of October was the day fixed upon for the performance of Macbeth, and curiofity and expectation drew a large audience. Mr. Macklin had against him the prejudices arifing from the admirable performance of Mr. Garrick in the character: he had alfo to contend with a treacherous memory, an utterance far from perfect, a perfon void of elegance and dignity, and a want of power to vary his features as the warring paffions required; yet, with all thefe drawbacks, he fhewed fo complete a knowledge of the character, fo juft a conception of the manner in which it should be reprefented, fo accurate an attention to propriety in the fcenes, dreffes, decorations, and other incidental parts of the performance, as afforded very general fatisfaction, and produced univerfal applaufe. Of his own reprefentation of Macbeth, there was not to much unanimity of opinion; fome perfons exprefled their difappro bation, and Mr. Reddith of Drury Lane Theatre, with Mr. Sparks, were pointed out as having hiffed; the former denied