tic turn; and he could not help feeling a fecret defire of imitating the bold heroines who braved fortune, and every danger incident to the sex, in yielding to the amorous paffion; but ftill he was completely virtuous-a loose idea had never once entered her mind Till at the laft a cruel fpoiler came, Crept this fair rofe, and rifled all its fweetness, Then caft it like a loathsome weed away. Mifs Ry's mistress kept a genteel lodging-houfe, which turned greatly to her account, particularly in winter. At this feafon her first floor was generally occupied by fome man of fortune; and a few months after Mifs R-y was bound apprentice, Sir T Fk came to lodge there. This devotee of Venus, no fooner beheld Mifs R-y, than ftruck with the elegance of her perfon, he refolved to try every poffible means of making her his own. He had already said se veral civil things to her, as she had cafually opened him the door: to which The had always replied with a becoming decency and referve: this behaviour did but increafe his paffion; and, as he believed from thence that the was corporeally and mentally virtuous, he judged her an object worthy of his moft vigilant pur fuit. He had ere now wrote her feveral tender billets; but the confidering them rather as the effect of his gallantry than any real paffion, the had never answered them. He had alfo repeatedly offered her tickets for the play; but she had always declined accepting of them. Finding thefe direct overtures were ineffectual, he began an indirect attack. There was another young gentlewoman in the house in the fame fituation as Mifs R---y; who, tho' The poffeffed no great fhare of beauty, had fuch an uncommon portion of good nature, that every body liked and esteemed her. A very intimate acquaintance had already taken place between this young lady and Mifs R-y; and they were almoit fworn fifters. To this young lady (Mifs Peggy S-1ver) Sir Thomas made fome very polite compliments, which the answered with her ufual good humour; he then defired her to accept of a couple of tickets for the play, which the had not fo much morofenefs of temper as to refufe. Being pofJan. 1770. feffed of the tickets, he asked Miss R--y to accompany her to Romeo and Juliet, without telling her from what hand the had received them; and it happening that their miftrefs lay that night at Richmond, it was judged by both of them a very lucky opportunity. The fecond act was not yet finished and feated himself next to Mifs Ry. before Sir Thomas appeared in the pit, pected fight, that her tongue faultered, Her confufion was fo great at this unexand he had not the power of afking Miss Peggy, whether he had given her the tickets. The knight had already taken hold of her hand, and preffed it most eagerly, before Mifs R-y had recovered herself; he then poured forth a thoufand tender effufions, declaring the violence of his paffion, which was infurmountable, and intreating her to have fome pity on the most unhappy of men, whofe fate, whofe hopes, whofe joys, or whofe eternal mifery were all centered in her; and that if the molt bewitching eyes that ever nature lent to woman told truth, there was fo much foftnefs in her heart as would plead fomething in his favour, when convinced of the generous, honeft emotions of his. This declaration he uttered with fo much energy, and apparent fincerity, accompanied with feeming involuntary fighs, that he began already to pity him. However, the muitered refolution enough to tell him, "That Fortune having placed them at fo great a distance, it was impoffible he could have any honourable intentions towards her: and that if he imagined the fhould listen to any other proposals, he would find himself entirely mistaken." This renewed all his declarations of honour, love, and fincerity; and he vow ed he would marry her the next day, if the would give him her hand, and thereby make him the happiest being on earth. A girl of more experience than our heroine, might have been impofed upon by fuch an experienced fuitor, skilled in all the artifice of intrigue, all the wiles of feduction, all the deception of his fex. She returned home with her head filled with the most romantic notions of grandeur, all which she communicated to Mifs Peggy, whofe partiality in favour of her friend, encouraged her to think no sphere was too elevated for Mifs R-y to move F in, in, or any man however dignified fuperior to her merit. Thus buoyed up on every fide, the began to throw off her referve towards the knight; and he had already made her feveral prefents, earnestly intreating her, but with great refpect, to fix the happy, the nuptial day. In the mean while he propofed a tête à tête jaunt to Richmond, which he would not confent to; and Mifs Peggy was invited to be of the party. They went to the Star and Garter, where they dined; an elegant entertainment being provided, and every circumftance concurred to promote mirth, chearfulness, and festivity. The ladies were remarkably fond of Champaigne, but not knowing its force, which alone would have been fufficient to intoxicate stronger heads than theirs, without a powerful foporific infufion, which he had bribed the waiter to adminifter, they fome time after dinner both fell asleep, and remained in that ftate feveral hours. Here, reader, let your imagination fupply the place of narrative, as you cannot fail fuggefting the villainous part the knight now acted. When Mifs R-y awoke and found herself difhonoured, the raved, the cried, the fwooned ! A heart of adamant would have felt at fuch diftrefs-her cruel ra visher ftill more obdurate, coolly and infenfibly left her to the care of the waiters. The fequel was, not being able to return to her miftrefs, the found herself under the fatal neceffity of fubmitting to a fupport from Sir Thomas, who for fome time maintained her very genteelly; but meeting with a new mistress, his fickle paffion was eafily transferred, and having made no provifion for Miss R-y, fie was foon reduced to the greatest penury. A female who has once quitted the path of virtue knows no bounds of licentioufnefs, efpecially when prompted by neceffity. The famous, or rather infamous Mrs. Harding, hearing of her prefent diftrefs, made her fuch proposals as the was neceffitated to accept. This virtuous lady introduced her to Jemmy Twitcher, whofe knowledge of the fex pointed out to him inftantly the uncommon merit and accomplishments of Mifs R--y. He furnished a house in a fumptuous manner for her in Weftminfter, where the foon took up her residence, and where the still remains. The only request the made to him was that he would indulge her with the company of her dear Mifs Peggy S-Iver, which he readily granted; and they are now infeparable companions, living together upon the most amicable terms. Jemmy Twitcher, who is paffionately fond of mufic, finds fuch folace in the company of Mifs R---y's harmonious powers as no other woman was ever before able to afford him. She often fings and plays to him; and fhe has frequent concerts at her house for his entertainment, to give her ftill greater opportunities of difplaying her talents, and thereby increafing his fatisfaction. In a word, he has made her a handsome fettlement, and the fo compleatly engroffes his affections, and concenters all his defires, that there are great hopes the will be able to foften fome of the mott difagreeable features in the portrait of her lover, drawn by Churchill, in these lines, Vice, bold fubftantial vice, puts in her claim, [fhame. And ftamps him perfect in the books of Obferve his follies well, and you would fwear, Folly had been his firft, his only care; Obferve his vices, you'll that oath difown, And fwear that he was born for vice alone. Search Earth, fearch Hell, the Devil can not find An Agent, like Lothario, to his mind. Thefe particulars not appearing in our December Magazine, with the portraits of Jemmy Twitcher and Mifs R--y, our purchasers are requested to remove the print from that month to this of January, in order that it may appear in its proper place. An Extract from the Conflitution of Ireland, and Poyning's Laws explained. By a Friend to his Country. At nos neque imperium, neque divitias petimus, fed libertatem, quam nemo bonus nifi cum anima fimul amittit. their representatives; the author gives the following very judicious account of the prerogative of the crown, in calling a parliament, and the rights of the people in granting their own money. "To call, to prorogue, or to diffolve the parliament is the undoubted right of the crown whenever the King fhall think it proper, and be advised to do fo; however, every fudden prorogation or diffuiution occafions apprehenfions, and every wife administration will guard againft raifing unneceffary jealousies in the minds of the people. ties, under their respective rulers, governed by their own laws, under one monarch, who was fupreme in the ifland, fubject to no kingdom, nor foreign jurifdiction, and free to enter into any compact for themfelves "Henry II. after his landing in Ireland, received the fubmiffion of all the inhabitants. The English who were settled there (one of whom had acquired by marriage a confiderable principality and property therein) and all the Irish, king, nobles, and people, acknowledged him for their lawful fovereign, and twore al"The money of the nation is in the legiance to him. Henry in return granthands of the people, who have a righted to them the benefit of the English laws over their own property, not to be wrefted from them, whilft they remain free. When ever the exigencies of government require a fupply, it is the undoubted right of the reprefentatives of the people upon proper eftimates being laid before them, to vote a fupply to his Majesty, then to refolve themselves into a committee to adjust the quantum of that fupply, afterwards to refolve themselves into another committee of ways and means, to raife that fupply by taxes upon the people in the most equal and eafy manner, which are the foundations upon which every money bill is conftitutionally framed. and conftitution, and a modus, or right of holding parliaments of their own. "If the Commons fhould be too profufe of the peoples money, the Loids, whole property is confiderable, and who reprefent themselves, have a negative to the proceedings of the Commons; and muft give an affirmative before any bill which takes its rife by heads of a bill in the House of Commons can receive the roval affent. "The Commons have a like negative or affirmative to the proceedings of the Lords. And the King has a negative or affirmative to the proceedings of both Houses. Thus each branch of the legif, lature is a cheque upon the other two; but the ftate cannot enjoy the benefits which our conftitution affords, unless the balance upon which it depends be always kept in due poife.". The following extract conveys an his torical deduction of fome particulars, effentially neceffary to be known, to form a proper idea of our civil conftitution. "The inhabitants of this island long before Henry II. time, understood literature, and embraced Christianity, were a free state, divided into feveral principali "From his time, although many dif turbances and infurrections arofe, and feveral of the old Irith who did not come within the pale, continued to be governed by their antient Brehon law, yet the English and Irith living within the pale enjoyed the conflitution granted to them by Henry II. and alfo many privileges and franchifes, as free-born fubjects, under a Magna Charta granted to them by King John, during his refidence in Ireland, (a copy of which ftill remains in the exchequer of this kingdom) and fo continued to enjoy. the fame unto the reign of Henry VII. during which period, the king's deputies frequently held parliaments, and enacted fuch laws as they.thought advantageous for the publick, without any particular directions or authority from the crown for that purpose, "During the contests between the houfes of York and Lancaster in England, this kingdom, in which the York intereft prevailed, partook of the evils occafioned by fuch contests, which obliged Henry VII. for his own fecurity, and to secure for the future, this kingdom to the crown of England, to endeavour to alter the mode of holding parliaments, and enacting laws under his deputies: For this purpofe he fent over in the year 1493 Sir Edward Poynings, an able foldier and statesman, as his deputy, who held a parliament at Drogheda, in which twenty three acts were paffed, which appear in our printed ftatutes, and also fome others which are not printed. The third act of that parliament, though obfcurely worded, gives fome light into the caufes for paffing the fourth or famous law, which altered the F 2 mode mode of holding parliaments and paffing laws in this kingdom, but hiftory clears up what is obfcure in the recital, fo that without any forced conftruction, the true intent and meaning of that law may be known, and the mischiefs it was intended to redrefs." The author next gives the purport of feveral of Poynings' acts, which for brevity fake we omit; but pass on to his obfervations thereon. "The twenty-fecond act declares, that whereas in all likelihood if the English ftatutes were used and executed here in Ireland, it would tend to our wealth and profperity, it therefore enacts, that all tatutes late made in England, belonging to the common weal, be executed in this land. "Of which acts or ftatutes Magna Charta is certainly one, and fo are all thofe ftatutes made in England, which confirm Magna Charta, or the right and privileges of the fubject, previous to the roth of Henry VII. so that the people of Ireland, confenting to the above-mentioned laws, were not only pardoned, but had Magna Charta, and all other English acts, which were paffed to that time, and which confirmed the liberties and privileges of the people, who were also reftored to, and confirmed in the enjoyment of their antient conftitution, which they had from the time of Henry II. and this appears clearly from two acts paffed at the fame parliament held at Drogheda, under Sir Edward Poynings, in the 10th of Hen. VII. which acts are not to be feen amongt our printed statutes, but are in the original parliament roll, and remain upon record in the Roll's-Office, and are in the following words. "Imprimis, ordine eft que feint Esglis, foit frank et eit et enyoye toutz fes libertes ficome il ad efte ufe devant celts heurs. Le fieur deputie le veut. First, it is enacted, that the holy church fhall be free, and fhall have and enjoy all its liberties as it used to have before this time, to which the royal affent was given in the ufual form. The Lord deputy so wills. Item, ordine eft et accorde que le terre d'Irland, eit eut enyoie tous fes franchises & privileges ficomme il ad ette devant cets heurs. Le fieur deputie la veut. Also, it is enacted and agreed, that the land of Ireland fhall hereafter enjoy all its franchifes and privileges, as it used to do before this time. The Lord Deputy fo wills. Confider now, what were the mischiefs before Sir Edward Poynings's time, which were intended to be remedied? The holding parliaments, by the Deputy's authority, without the king's especial licence for the purpose. Enacting laws, to the contents of which the king was a ftranger. The custom of giving an asylum to the pretenders to the crown. Disobedience to the king's feals and writs. The making war and peace, without the Lord Lieutenant's licence. The power of the great lords over the people. The fuccours given to Simnel Lambert, and Perkin Warbeck. "Such were the evils which the people, upon obtaining pardon, abolished, by their confent to the above laws; to redrefs thofe evils, and to prevent the like for the future, was all that Hen. VII. and Sir Edward Poynings aimed at, or endeavoured, and this end they effectually obtained. "So that the acts which paffed under Sir Edward Poynings, inftead of enlarging, greatly abridged the power of the Lord Lieutenant and Council, inftead of abridging the conftitutional rights and liberties of the people, they strengthened, confirmed, and confiderably enlarged them, they fecured the kingdom of Ireland, under the enjoyment of its freedom to the crown of England. Few laws have been fo mifconftrued or less understood; they were intended to remove jealousies, and to establish harmony between the king and his people; they were intended to connect this kingdom for ever to the crown of Great-Britain, fo as to promote the mutual welfare, and to strengthen the security of both kingdoms; they were an act of tate: if ever there was a wife, political compact, between the crown and the people, this was one, and its true and real end fhould not be violated nor converted to purposes never intended by the contracting parties. "Is it agreeable to reason, that acts of Parliament, which gave fuch an encrease of liberty and privileges to the people, fhould be fo conftrued, as to deprive them of their most invaluable privilege, the right of taxing themselves, and giving their money freely to their Sovereign? The peoples right over their money was not called in question, nor were money bills in the contemplation of the parties, at the time of paffing thofe laws. "The acts which paised in Henry the VIIth's reign, fubsequent to those laws, are the best expofitors of his own and the peoples intention, in the former laws. laws of that parliament, of Magna Charta, and every conftitutional right of property thereby confirmed. "It appears from a view of the laws paffed under Sir Edward Poynings, that Henry the 7th being affured of inspection into all bills for the future, before they fhould obtain the fanction of laws, intended to raise the power of the commons, agreeable to his policy in England, and alfo to raise the dignity of this kingdom. "In the 14th of his reign, an act paffed to prevent the customers from defrauding him of his custom and duty, arifing upon. “Why, otherwife, (as was done by tonage and poundage. the it act) fhould the treasurer be raised in power and authority equal to the treafurer in England? "In the 15th of his reign, a money bill paffed, granting twelve pence in the pound to the King, for all merchandize imported or exported, wine and oil only excepted. "Both thofe acts paffed at the prayer of the commons, confequently the heads of those bills took their rife in the Houfe of Commons, after the meeting of parliament, and were not certified, previous to fuch meeting, probably they were certified after the parliament met; had they been certified before the parliament met, they could not have been enacted, at the prayer of the commons. "Suppofe it was dubious, (which is not admitted,) whether by the 4th of Poynings, (which enacts that no parliament be held here till the caufes, confiderations and acts be certified to England by the lieutenant and council, which being af. firmed by the king and council, and his licence thereupon, as well in affirmation of the acts, as to fummon the parliament under the great feal of England had, then a parliament to be held, and if any be held other wife to be void) a money bill ought, previous to the meeting of parliament, to be certified by the lieutenant and council; the doubt is cleared up by the 22d act of the fame parliament, which is fubfequent, and grants Magna Charta and the English ftatutes to the people, which confirmed their former privileges, their modus for holding parliaments, and their right of being taxed only by their own free confent in parliament. "Why, (as in the 16th) fhould the lords be obliged, under penalties, to appear in parliament in their robes? "If the people were not to be made more free, why were livery and wages abolished by the 6th act? or why were the English ftatutes, their antient conftitution, and Magna Charta confirmed to them by the 22d? "That the law of Poynings was intended as a restriction upon the lord lieutenant and council, and a security to the people for the enjoyment of their privileges, and was fo confidered in the reigns which followed, is farther proved from fubfequent acts of parliament, paffed in the fucceeding reigns. "By the act of the 28th of Henry VIII, ch. 4, Poynings' law is fufpended, and it recites as the reafon, for the fufpenfe thereof, the great truit and confidence that the king's highnefs hath in his deputy and council of this his land of Ireland, and in the nobles, fpiritual and temporal, and the commons his loving fubjects. "By the 11th Eliz. ch. 1, Poynings's law is again fufpended, during the adminiftration of Sir Henry Sidney, in whom the queen repofed a thorough truft and confidence. "The recital of the 11th Eliz. ch. 8, which enacts, that no bill should be certi. fied for the repeal of Poynings's law, unlefs the majority of both houfes fhould agree to fuch repeal, is remarkable, and thews the fenfe of the legislature in thofe days. Before which ftatute (meaning Poyn. "If the lieutenant and council could frame a money bill, and tranfmit it, previous to the meeting of parliament, they, and not the commons, would be the giv-ings's) when liberty was given to the ers of that money and the taxers of the people, which would be inconfiftent with the 22d law of Poynings, and the other governors under your Majeity's proge nitors to call parliaments at their pleafure, acts pafled as well to the disturb • ance |