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practices, as far as they could be collected from her. own works, and her controversies with others, are pointed out, examined, and approved or condemned. "Where much is given, and arrogated, much is re"quired." Let not my reader be prejudiced; if he will read, he will meet with the beauties as well as the deformities of the fair one: and if the judicious and discriminating reader shall be disappointed in the opinion he had formed of the lady's excellencies, and "high-toned morality," or the justice and judiciousness of the criticism, let him remember it is not the first time he has been deceived in his expectation of the excellence and the judgment of mankind. It will certainly serve to make Mrs. More better known than she has hitherto been, and to demonstrate the practicability of factitious, for a number of years, usurping the seat of genuine excellence; and to ascertain whether she has or has not been, according to the waggish Peter, "a bit of an impostor."

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The principal actions of her life, viz. her secret calumnies of Mrs. Yearsley, her quarrel with her and Mrs. Cowley, and her literary larceny from each; together with a brief narrative of the grand transaction of her history-the Blagdon holy war-are noticed. The words Blagdon war, occur oftener than I could wish; but as the event of that struggle against a powerful faction affects the interest of not only all the regular Clergy of the empire, but also of the people at large, it is hoped this inc vitable circumstance will be excused.

As to myself, I confess I am disappointed with respect to the motive, object, and mode of prosecuting the war. The Curate has certainly made out his case, as admitted by herself and her advocate, who has thrown up his brief. He has fully proved, by a variety of evidence, the extravagancies of her Teacher, which were countenanced by herself; and the pleasure she seemed to enjoy from the impious adulation of her disciples, in the effusion of their extemporaneous prayers.-On the other hand, her. transmitting "secret accusations" of the most serious nature to the Bishop is proved by Dr. Crossman's letter, the Bishop's mandate, notice to quit, Drewitt, her disciple, his personal attendance to take possession and to do duty as licensed Curate of Blagdon, is proved by all the evidence the human mind is capable of considering, and which nothing less than the utmost depravity will ever contradict. Of all this she stands convicted, yet continues contumaciously mute, ashamed to put in any defence ; but privately directs anonymous publications!

As the doctrine of the Trinity, and the Athanasian creed are known to have been two of the articles of accusation, I was in hopes the public would have been much edified by the Polemics mutually bringing forward, in a new dress, all the old arguments, pro and con, with some new matter; and that they would have proved their thesis mathematically, as well as by scripture: but these topics, to the great

disappointment and loss of the learned, have noi yet undergone the least discussion.

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I had almost forgot, and I think it material to observe, that it is not decorous, advantageous, nor creditable for the established church to be without a Knight in the number of her defenders, whilst her HOLINESS, the Non-descript Queen, has a very respectable Baronet as her advocate and counsellor, a man well skilled in the sophistry of dispute, and decomposition" of evidence and argument. It is for this reason I thought it incumbent on me to bring my troops into action, with the hopes of speedily effecting a restoration of peace: but, if this object, so desirable to the whole country, and especially to the contending parties, should, unhappily, not be accomplished, and war shall still continue, to add to the curses entailed on man, I have to request, that the Ministers and Secretaries of State to her HOLINESS, who may have occasion to introduce my name, will have the goodness to write it at full length, thus SIR ARCHIBALD MAC SARCASM, and not SIR A. lest on account of a sort of prosthetical alliteration my name should be confounded with that of my brother SIR ABRAHAM ELTON, Bart.

ARCHIBALD MAC SARCASM.

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A

REVIEW

OF THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS

OF

H. MORE.

HANNAH,

ANNAH, daughter of Jacob More and Mary his wife, was born at the Fish-Ponds, in the parish of Stapleton, in the county of Glocester, and baptized 17th Feb. 1744, as appears by the register of that parish. Her father, who had previously been a domestic in the service of Norborne Berkeley, Esq. of Stoke-House, Glocestershire, and had married his fellow-servant, Hannah's mother, was by his master's interest, appointed teacher of the charityschool at the Fish-Ponds, with a salary of 251. a year, for the instruction of twenty poor boys and ten girls, where all his own children, five daughters still living, and one son since dead, were born, and received their education. At an early age Hannah shewed some signs of genius and great application, having more than the sex's usual share of curiosity to spur her on. Whatever books came within her reach she shewed an eagerness to peruse, and of those she thought valuable in catalogues she made a list and endeavoured to procure them. Nothing, however, was observed very re

B

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markable about her, excepting a keen, penetrating look, an ambition to shine in some companies, by making a parade of her reading, and a watchful taciturnity in others. That degree of prudence allied to cunning, which has since so much distinguished her, began early to characterize her mind; and she seemed rather formed for, and inclined to, a more desultory life than that she has led the last thirty years.

About the age of fifteen she began to dabble in poetry, and some ordinary verses on the 14th of February were her first essays.

"Now all nature seemed in Love,

"And birds had drawn their Valentine."

Hannah was a brunette rather than black; but her eyes were deeply black, keen, penetrating, and perpetually wandering and rolling, as if eager to seize on and comprehend the minds and persons of all present. From valentines she advanced to songs, and though she had no voice was ambitious to be thought a singer. What boarding school education, if any, she had, I have not been able to learn; but from her father's contracted circumstances, that probably was not a long time.-She was, however, industrious, and contrived to learn some French and a little Latin. In short, Miss H. More, by her laudable smattering in every study, was now spoken of in her own neighbourhood as an accomplished young lady who knew every thing.

Their father now removed to Stoney-Hill, Bristol, where he still carried on the business of a school, and his girls opened a day school in Trinity-Street. Here our heroine began, on account

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