that of the lady who sat by him. The spectators, at these words, turned their eyes, and beheld the daughter of the virtuous earl of Southampton, rise up to assist her lord, in his great distress: a thrill of anguish ran through the assembly. After his condemnation, she threw herself at the feet of king Charles the second; and pleaded, with many tears, the merits and loyalty of her father, in order to save her husband's life. Finding all applications vain, she not only fortified herself against the fatal blow, but endea voured by her example to strengthen the resolution of her consort. On the twentieth of July, 1683, the eve of his execution, they took leave of each other with a tender and solemn composure. When this affecting scene was over, lord Russel exclaimed: "The bitterness of death is now passed!" for lady Russel was inexpressibly dear to him. He then enlarged much on her merit: said she had been an inestimable blessing to him; that she had never desired him to do a base thing for the saving of his life; that there was a signal providence of God in giving him such a wife, in whom were united noble birth and fortune, great understanding, great religion, and great kindness to him, but that her behaviour in his extremity exceeded all; that it was an unspeakable comfort to him to leave his children in the hands of such a mother; and that she had promised to take care of herself for their sakes.

Lady Russel survived her husband about forty years, and died on the twenty ninth of September, 1723, in the eighty seventh year of her age; having, through her long life, discharged, with dignified propriety, the various and important duties of her station.-Her letters have been published in one volume octavo. They display exquisite sensibility, an enlarged mind, and much reflection; but they are chiefly recommendable for the spirit of piety which they breathe.

SEWARD, Anna,-a distinguished poetess, was born at Eyam in Derbyshire, in the year 1747. She was the

daughter of the rev. Thomas Seward, rector of Eyam, and canon residentiary of Lichfield. Her conversation was peculiarly pleasing and interesting. She possessed an elegant figure; and even in advanced age, the regularity of her features, and the lively expression of her countenance, gave her the appearance of beauty, and almost of youth. Her voice was melodious, guided by a fine taste; and she excelled in reading and recitation. She did not receive a learned education: nor did her father, though himself a poet and a scholar, give much encouragement to her poetical turn, and her love of knowledge; but he early initiated her in English literature, and familiarized her with the classical writers of our nation. By extensive reading, accurate observation, and considerable intercourse with persons of learning and of talents, she acquired a high degree of intellectual improvement.

In the year 1780, her mother died; and, soon after, her father was seized with paralytic and apoplectic affections, which gradually impaired his faculties. The care of attending upon him, and of managing his affairs, devolved entirely upon miss Seward, his only surviving child; and she performed this melancholy duty with great judgment, and with the most exemplary and tender assiduity. It was her constant and very affectionate wish that she might ever

"cheer and warm

His drooping heart, and helpless form."

In 1790, this mournful scene closed by the death of Mr. Seward. His daughter remained mistress of an easy and independent fortune. She continued to inhabit the episcopal palace at Lichfield, which had long been her father's residence; and she died there, on the twenty fifth of March, 1809.

To Walter Scott, esq. she bequeathed, for publication, her poetical works; and to Mr. Constable of Edinburgh, a large collection of her letters, written between the years 1784 and 1807. "Her poems," says Mr. Scott, "contain

vivid traces of genius ;—and her elegies on major André and captain Cook, convey a high impression of the original powers of their author." Her letters, published in six volumes, small octavo, exhibit a capacious and well stored mind, and a lively fancy. They abound with anecdotes of distinguished persons; and with remarks on moral, critical, and political subjects, which, though not always just, are always ingenious. But their principal charm. is the lively and natural display of her sentiments, her feelings, and affections; her ardent love of literature, and regard to its interests; her genuine applause of contemporary merit; the enthusiastic warmth of her friendship, unextinguished by absence, or by death; and, above all, her tender solicitude for her father, and her dutiful, unwearied attention to him, during ten long years of bodily and mental decline. The style of her letters is correct and elegant; but its beauty and simplicity are much impaired, by the too frequent use which she makes of transposition, of compounded epithets, and of poetical imagery.

SOMERSET, Frances,-dutchess of, was less distinguished by her high rank, than by her great piety, virtue, and accomplishments. She was the eldest daughter of the honourable Henry Thynne, only son of Thomas, first viscount Weymouth. She married Algernon Seymour, earl of Hertford, a highly respectable nobleman; with whom, during a union for a long course of years, she lived in great harmony and conjugal affection. They had two children: George, lord Beauchamp, a very promising youth, (of whom an account is given in "True Stories, or, Interesting Anecdotes of Young Persons,") who died, on his travels, at nineteen years of age; and a daughter, who was afterwards dutchess of Northumberland.-In 1748, lord Hertford succeeded to the title and estate of his father, Charles Seymour, duke of Somerset; and died about two years afterwards.

The dutchess of Somerset, after the loss of her husband,

lived retired at Piercy Lodge, near Colnbrook; and died there on the seventh of July, 1754.

Her Correspondence with the countess of Pomfret, has been published; and several of her letters to Dr. Watts, Dr. Doddridge, Mr. Shenstone, and other distinguished persons, are contained in various collections.-To this noble lady, Thomson dedicates his Spring; and justly characterizes her, as

"fitted or to shine in courts

With unaffected grace, or walk the plain
With innocence and meditation join'd
In soft assemblage."

STRAFFORD, Thomas Wentworth,-earl of, descended from a very ancient family in Yorkshire, was born in London, on the thirteenth of April, 1593. He possessed great talents, together with uncommon vigour and elevation of mind. The powerful support which he afforded to the government of king Charles the first, and the great favour which he enjoyed with that monarch, rendered him peculiarly obnoxious to the popular party. At the first meeting of the Long Parliament, he was impeached of high treason. On his trial, he made a most noble defence, which he concluded with these remarkable words: "I thank God, I have been, by his blessing, sufficiently instructed in the extreme vanity of all temporary enjoyments, compared to the importance of our eternal duration. And so, my lords, with all humility, and with all tranquillity of mind, I submit, clearly and freely, to your judgments: and, whether that doom shall be to life or death, I shall repose myself, full of gratitude and confidence, in the arms of the great Author of my exist ence."

Whitlocke, who was himself the chairman of that committee which conducted the impeachment, observes, with his usual candour: "Certainly, never any man acted such a part, on such a theatre, with more wisdom, con

stancy, and eloquence, with greater reason, judgment, and temper, and with a better grace in all his words and actions, than did this excellent person; and he moved the hearts of all his auditors, some few excepted, to remorse and pity. His enemies despairing, by a legal prosecution, ever to obtain sentence against him, had recourse to a bill of attainder, which, with difficulty, passed both houses of parliament. The king was strongly urged to give his assent to the bill; and he was intimidated by threats: but he had solemnly assured the earl of his protection, and he felt an anxious concern to save the life of his most faithful friend and minister. Under these affecting circumstances, lord Strafford wrote a letter to him, entreating him, for the sake of public peace, to put an end to his unfortunate however innocent life, and to quiet the tumultuous people by granting them the request for which they were so importunate. "In this," added he, "my consent will more acquit you to God than all the world can do besides. To a willing mind there is no injury. And as, by God's grace, I forgive all the world with a calmness and meekness, which are of infinite contentment to my dislodging soul; so, sir, to you I can resign the life of this world with all imaginable cheerfulness, in just acknowledgment of your exceeding favours." After much agitation and doubt, the king granted a commission to four noblemen to give the royal assent, in his name, to the bill; and he sent his secretary to inform lord Strafford of the final resolution, which necessity had extorted from him. The earl, on receiving the intelligence, seemed surprised and affected; but he soon collected his courage, and, with great piety, prepared himself to suffer the fatal sentence. In passing from his apartment to Tower-Hill, where the scaffold was erected, he stopped under the windows of archbishop Laud, with whom he had long lived in intimate friendship; and entreated the assistance of his prayers, in those awful moments which were approaching. The aged primate dissolved in tears; and having pro