Original letter from the younger Villiers Duke of Buckingham, upon his deathbed, to the Rev. Dr W "DEAR DOCTOR,

Always looked upon you as a man of true virtue, and know you to be a perfon of found understanding: for however I may have acted in oppofition to the principles of religion, or the dictates of reafon, I can honeftly affure you I had always the highest veneration for both. The world and I may now thake hands, for I dare affirm we are heartily weary of one another. O Doctor, what a prodigal have I been of that most valuable of all poffeffions, Time! I have fquandered it away with a profufion unparallelled; and now that the enjoyment of a few days would be worth a hecatomb of worlds, I cannot flatter myself with a prospect of half a dozen hours.

How defpicable, my dear friend, is that man who never prays to his God but in the time of diftrefs! In what manner can he fupplicate that omnipotent being, in his affliction, with reverence, whom, in the tide of his profperity, he ne ver remembered with dread? Don't brand me with infidelity, my dear Doctor, when I tell you I am almoft afhamed to offer up my petitions at the throne of grace, or of imploring that divine mercy In the next world, which I have fo fcandaloufly abufed in this!- Shall ingrati tude to man be looked upon as the black eft of crimes, and not ingratitude to God? fhall an infult offered to the King be looked upon in the most offenfive light, and yet no notice be taken when the King of kings is treated with indignity and difrepect!

The companions of my former libertinifm would fcarcely believe their eyes, my dear Doctor, were you to fhew them this epiftle. They would laugh at me as a dreaming enthufiaft, or pity me as a timcrous wretch, who was fhocked at the appearance of futurity. But whoever laughs at me for being right, or pities me for being fenfible of my errors, is more intitled to my compaffion than my refent ment.- -A future ftate may very well ftrike terror into any man who has not acted well in this life; and he must have an uncommon fhare of courage indeed, who does not fhrink at the prefence of his God.

You fee, my dear Doctor, the apprehenfion of death will foon bring the most profligate to a proper ufe of their under.

ftanding.-To what a fituation am I now reduced!-Is this odious little hut a fuitable lodging for a prince? or is this anxiety of my mind becoming the characte riftic of a Chriftian? From my rank and fortune I might have expected affluence to wait upon my life; from my religion and understanding, peace to fmile upon my end: inftead of which I am afflictedwith poverty and haunted with remorse; defpifed by my country, and, I fear, forfaken by my God!There is nothing fo dangerous, my dear Doctor, as extraordinary abilities.-I cannot be accused of vanity now, by being fenfible I was once poffeffed of uncommon qualifications, more especially as I fincerely regret that I was ever bleffed with any at all.-My rank in life made thefe accomplishments ftill more confpicuous; and, fascinated with the general applaufe which they procured, I never confidered about the proper means by which they fhould be difplayed: hence, to purchase a smile from a blockhead I despised, have I fre quently treated the virtuous with difrefpect; and fported with the holy name of Heaven, to obtain a laugh from a para cel of fools who were intitled to nothing but my contempt.

Your men of wit, my dear Doctor, generally look upon themfelves as difcharged from the duties of religion, and confine the doctrines of the golpel to people of meaner understandings: it is a fort of de rogation, in their opinion, to comply with the rules of Christianity; and they reckon that man poffeffed of a narrow genius, who ftudies to be good.- What a pity that the holy writings are not made the criterion of true judgment! or that any one thould pafs for a fine gentleman in this world, but he that feems folicitous about his happinefs in the next!

My dear Doctor, I am forfaken by all my acquaintance, utterly neglected by the friends of my bofom, and the dependents of my bounty: but no matter.I am not now fit to converse with the firft, and have no ability to ferve the latter; let me not be caft off wholly, however, by the good; favour me with a vifit, dear Doctor, as foon as poffible; writing to you gives me fome eafe; e fpecially upon a fubject I could talk of for ever. I am of opinion this is the laft vifit I fhall ever folicit from you - My diftemper is powerful; come and pray for the departing fpirit of the unhappy

[Royal Mag.] BUCKINGHAM.

From

Turks. There never perhaps was a scene more dreadful and more affecting than what paffed at the taking of this city. A bove 40,000 men fell by the edge of the fword; 60,000 were fold for flaves: nothing escaped the fury or avarice of the foldiers.

The women detefted that fruitfulness which had made them mothers, and be wailed, with tears of blood, the fate of their infants whom they held in their arms. Numbers of young virgins might be feen, perplexed and fearful, not know ing whither to fly, who wandered about like unhappy ftrangers, even in the bofom of their own country; and, in feek ing their parents, fell into an abyfs of misfortunes, and into the hands of those barbarians where they found a reception more dreadful to them than the most cruel punishment. Neither their tears, nor their cries invoking Heaven, could move the compaffion of the infolent conqueror; and the most confummate beauty became prey to the meanest Turk; though it was often taken from him by another who had more strength or more authority in the army. Most of these barbarians traded with their prifoners; but by the Sul tan's order, thofe perions of diftinction, thole princes and officers, who had been taken in arms, were led to execution. None escaped his cruelty, except the young and most beautiful of both fexes, whom he referved for the abominations of his feraglio.

Thus it was that a Greek lady of illuArious birth, named Irene, fcarce seventeen years old, fell into his hands. A bafhaw had juft made a flave of her; but ftruck with her uncommon beauty, he thought her worthy of being presented to the Sultan. The Eaft had never feen a form fo perfect: her charms were moft irrefiftibly felt by the fierce heart of Mahomet; he was forced to yield to them; be even gave himself up to this new paffion; and in order to be the lefs inter. rupted in his affiduous amour, he pafled many days without fuffering himself to be feen by his minifters, and the principal officers of his army. Irene followed him afterwards to Adrianople, where he fixed the refidence of this young Greek. As for himself, where-ever his aimies marched, and frequently even in the midst of his most important expeditions, he left the conduct of them to his generals, and eagerly returned to Irene. It was foon difcovered that war was no longer his ruling

paffion. The foldiers, accustomed to pillage while they followed him, murmured at this alteration. Thefe murmurs became contagious; the officers as well as foldiers complained of this effeminate life :* nevertheless, his fury was fo dreaded, that no one dared to mention it to him. At last, just as the difcontent of the army was on the point of breaking out, the ba fhaw Muftapha, attentive only to the du ty which he owed his mafter, was the first who apprifed him of the difcourfe which the Janifaries publicly held to the prejudice of his glory.

The Sultan, after having remained fome time in a gloomy filence, as if he would examine with himself what courfe he fhould take; by way of answer, and under the pretence of a review, ordered: Mustapha to caufe the bafhaws to affenble the next day, together with fuch troops as formed his guard, and were in the neighbourhood of the town. He went afterwards into the apartment of Irene, with whom he remained till the morn.. ing.

That young princess had never appeared to him fo charming, the Sultan also had never careffed her with fuch tendernefs. To add, if possible, new lustre to: her beauty, he exhorted her woinen to employ all their skill and all their attention: to adorn her perfon. After he was ready to appear in public, taking her by the hand, he led her into the midst of the affembly, and pulling off the veil that covered her face, he fiercely demanded of the bafhaws that furrounded him, if they had ever seen a beauty more accomplithed. All thefe officers, like good courtiers, › gave a loose to the highest encomiums, and congratulated him on his good fortune. Mahomet, then, taking in one: hand the hair of the young Greek,,and. with the other drawing his fabre, with one ftroke made her head fall at his feet;: and turning towards the grandees of the. Porte, with looks wild, and full of rage, "This fword," he cried, "can cut, whenever I pleafe, the bonds of love."

A murmur of horror ran through the whole affembly; the most mutinous trem-: bled, dreading the fame fate; every one. believed he saw that fatal weapon brandifhed over his head. But if at first they efcaped his fanguinary difpofition, it was only to make his vengeance more fure. Muftapha, in return for his faithful counfel, was facrificed the first, on a flight: pretence; the Sultan causing him to be firangled

ftrangled in the feraglio; and, in thofe wars in which he was afterwards engaged, and which continued as long as his reign, be had the cruel fatisfaction of deftroying, one after another, the greatest part of thofe Janifaries, who by their feditious clamours had interrupted his pleasures, and roufed his fury. [Thus far the Hiftorias.]

On the above story Mr Samuel Johnfon has written his tragedy of Irene, though with many alterations, especially a the catastrophe, having fuppofed Irene to be strangled in the feraglio by a hasty order of the furious Sultan, imagining her to have been acceffory to a confpiracy formed against him by fome of the Grecian captives. But, innocent though fhe is in this particular, the author has in fome measure difarmed our pity, by making her an apoftate from the Chriftian faith, from which he has drawn the most ufeful moral leffons, having introduced a ftriking contrast between her and Afpafa, another Christian virgin, who, like Abdiel, in spite of perfuafion and example, retains her integrity [xi. 117.]. But this tragedy, among others, is a remarks able instance, that the best written and most instructive plays are not the most fuccessful in the reprefentation; and that business and bustle, the shifting of fcenes, and the feu de theatre, are effential on the English stage; having been acted but nine nights, and never been fince revived; though the parts were allotted to the best performers, though the dramatio unities were strictly obferved, and though the fublimeft and most important truths were conveyed throughout in the most beautiful and harmonious language. G. M. A cafe humbly offered to the confideration of parliament.

T

HE many unlawful, arbitrary, cruel, and oppreffive acts, which for fome years paft have been committed in places generally called PRIVATE MAD-HOUSES, of which the fulleft and clearest proof can be given, call aloud, as is humbly ubmitted, for fome speedy provifion; abereby his Majefty's fubjects may be preferved against an evil that is daily in creafing; and, if permitted to go on with cat redress, may endanger the liberty of every perlon, whofe confinement may be come the intereft and convenience of eery one, wicked enough to contrive, and old enough to attempt, the feizing fuch perfon, and fhutting him or her up in VOL. XXV.

thofe dreadful places of confinement, from which neither rank nor fex have been found to be any protection.

It is certain that many unhappy perfons ought to be confined on account of madnefs, lunacy, or infanity; for which our laws have, in fome cafes provided; and in others relief is to be obtained in our public hofpitals, which are public benefits, In thefe charitable inftitutions for the re lief of maniacks, no impatient heir can be gratified, no auftere relation can be indulged, and no ties of confanguinity broke or fuppreffed. There are no ma fters or keepers to inrich, no fees for doc tors, no perquifites to fervants, and no deprivation of fortune. No perfon can be admitted there as a patient, unless the party undergoes the infpection of dif cerning and impartial governors; and if any perfon under fuch examination is found a lunatic, and admitted, the cafe is reported weekly, and the best means used for a speedy recovery, that the pas tient may again become ufeful to the community. But in private mad-houses the very contrary is the cafe in all these inftances; and the greater the fortune of the subject may be, the greater is the danger to be met with from fuch unlawful receptacles, on whatever motives the unhappy persons may be sent there.

When a perfon is forcibly taken, or artfully decoyed, into a private mad houfe, he is, without any authority, on any farther charge, than that of a mercenary relation, or a pretended friend, in-^ ftantly feized by a fet of inhuman ruf fians trained up to this barbarous profel. fion, ftripped naked, and conveyed to a dark room. If he complains, or asks the reafon of this dreadful ufage, the attend

ing fervant brutishly orders him not to rave, calls for afliftance, and ties him down to a bed, from whence he is notreleased till he fubmits to their pleasure, and even acknowledges himself in the condition that fuits the purposes of thofe who are wicked enough to be the perpetrators of such acts of inhumanity. But to carry fuch iniquitous fchemes farther into execution, the next morning a doctor is gravely introduced by the master or the keeper of the house, to receive the. report of the under-keeper or waiter; in confequence of which, and according to the general practice of fuch places, the doctor pronounces the unhappy perfon a. lunatic, and declares he must be reduced by phyfic. If the devoted victim offers to

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argue

argue against it, by alledging any proofs of fanity, a motion is made by the waiter for the doctor to withdraw; and if the patient, or rather pribuer, perfifts in vindicating his reafon, or refufes to take the dofe, he is then deemed raving mad; the banditti of the whole houfe are called in, and the forcing inftruments brought; upon which the fenfible patient mult tub. mit to take whatever is administered.

When the poor prifoner thus finds himfelf deprived of all communication with the world, and being denied the ule of pen, ink, and paper, all he can do is, to compofe himfelf, under this unhappy fituation, in hopes of a more favourable report. But any compofure, under fuch affiction, is immediately deemed a melancholy or fulky fit by the waiter; who reports it as fuch to the doctor, in the hearing of the despairing prifoner; whole mifery is then redoubled, by finding that the doctor preferibes a repetition of the dofe, and from day to day, until the pa tient is fo debilitated in body, that in time it impairs his mind. Such ufage, without a fpecious examination, or a formal warrant, is too much even for the inquifition in Spain or Portugal, and cries aloud for redrefs in a land of liberty.

If the unhappy perfons fo confined fhould have any friends, who would relieve them from fuch a flate of mifery; yet that is very difficult to be done, as fuch prifoners are feldom to be found out; because the inafter or keeper lets them bear fome fic titious names in the houfe: but if the prifoner fhould be fortunately discovered by a real friend, who fhall make a proper inquiry for him at the place of confinement, the keeper, or his fervants, will endeavour to elude his fearch, and defeat his humane intentions, by faying, they have ftrict orders to permit no perfon to fee the patient, who, they will pretend, is either very bad, and knows no body; or that he is fo very low and weak, that company makes him worfe; with many other excules and evasions.

As what has been thus flated can be fully proved, ic feems a fuficient caule for PRIVATE MAD-HOUSES to be put under proper regulations, for the fecurity of individuals, and the general benefit of fociety. In fact, it will appear, that, under thefe dreadful circumstances, the Jiberty of no Pritith fubject is fafe; becaufe any perfon may be feized, and confined by the fe keepers of private madhoufes, or their fervants, in confederacy

with any bafe or cruel relations; and it is certain, that many of his Majefty's good fubjects have been, and daily are, fo furreptitiouly feized, and now unlawfully confined in fuch private mad-houses; of which many instances may be given, fhocking to reafon and humanity; and particularly the follo ving.

12

I. Mrs S. B. wife of Major B. of dragoons, and niece to Governor D. was, in the month before Good Friday 1755, decoved away by her husband, and carried to a private mad-houle at Chellea, then kept by one Davis. This lady, after three days confinement, was moit audacionfly treated by the mafter of the house, who went to bed to her, and attempted to have carnal knowledge of her: but on her refufal, he chained her to the bed, where the remained feveral days in that condition; and in about a month the made her escape, by getting over the Duchefs of Norfolk's wall, who fent her to town in her coach. At the time this lady was confined there, he was informed by one Mrs Anne Hamilton, who was then alfo in confinement in the faid Davis's, that he was decoyed there by her hufband, and had been uted very ill by the matter of this private mad-house, and his fervants.

II. Margaret Wilfon was feized by ruffians, by her husband's order, and forced to a private mad-house, at Bethnal green, where he was moft cruelly treated; as alfo were many other perfons, then confined there, though in their perfect fenfes.

III. Mary Hind was by her husband decoyed to a private mad-house at Bethnal green, kept by a woman, where the was very ill ufed, and confined many months, till fome of her friends obtained her liberty. While he was there, several other perfons were alfo confined in this houfe, though in their perfect lenses.

IV. Mr William Brown was feized by fix men, hired for that purpose, and was by them taken to a private mad-house, at Bethnal green, where he was confined feven weeks and one day, and was cruelly treated by the mafter of the madhoufe, his keepers, and fervants. Many other perfons were confined there, at the fame time, though in their rational fenfes.

· V. Miss Clark was decoyed into a private mad-house at Chellea, then kept by one Macdonald, whofe brother married her fome thort time afterwards. It is alfo very notorious, that many other per◄

Lons