happiness, and especially the happiness of those with whom our daily intercourse is conversant; these are the proper suggestions to a rational mind from such privations of all that we loved and valued; that the tears, which sympathy and affection and sensibility will delight to shed, may not fall unavailing and unfruitful to the ground.

I hope my dear children will live to see me leave the world with that complacency, with which one who has acted no disgraceful part upon the stage, and who leaves those, in whom he prides himself as his own, may be expected to leave it, with a hope full of immortality.

Adieu, my dear girl! and accept every blissful wish for time, and eternity for your self, and both the good families at Eton and Gateacre, from

Your most affectionate father,

GILBERT WAKEFIELD.

In this interesting manner he endeavoured on all occasions to bring before his children his own enlarged views, and noble sentiments, respecting a future state. These, from too much experience, he had found most consolatory under his various trials and afflictions.

To guard against the natural effect of such

events to produce depression of spirits, he had recourse to his pen and his books, "the faithfullest friends and the pleasantest companions of a good conscience, amidst all the perturbations of terrestrial things, and all the vicissitudes of time and place."" These were continually supplying some rational amusement or offering some new object for the employment of his talents.

He proceeded to wear out the long hours of his imprisonment, "abating neither heart nor hope." One of the present writers having expressed his surprise at his perseverance in some literary projects that required considerable mental exertion, he writes

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Dorchester Gaol, May 24, 1800.

You have much obliged and gratified me by your friendly letter. My zeal for study, at which you wonder, is excited, or rather continued, by various inducements. 1. The necessity of my situation, which leaves me ho other resource. 2. The conviction of duty, which seems to impose that occupation on

""Letter to Sir J. Scott," p. 31.

every man, for which he feels himself strongly inclined. 3. The preparation which this life appears to furnish for another, in which, per haps, the same pursuits may go on, and be applied to beneficial purposes. 4. The hopes of making my studies useful, in better times, even in this life. And 5. The improvement of the intellectual faculties, which constitute the characteristic dignity of our nature.

not.

The maps will be such as I wish, I doubt

My imitation of Juvenal! Very curious! As if a man can employ a printer in no work but his own! The author, no doubt, be he who he may, has some particular affection, and confidence, towards you, and wishes you to distribute them as you think proper; and may possibly have sent copies to other friends. Indeed, the remainder of them might come down to himself at the same time, if he happened to be receiving any maps of the seat of war in Germany or Italy; or such like.

[one of the debtors] is much pleased by your remembrance of him. His affairs seem approaching to a crisis, but very slowly; as the day of our deaths, if we live to be eighty, is nearer than it was yesterday' at

noon.

* See the next chapter.

I am not always equally ardent at my studies. The want of my library is a sad inconvenience.

Yours, ever most affectionately and truly,

GILBERT WAKEFIELD,

CHAP. XI.

Imitation of Juvenal—Letters from Mr. Wakefield—Dr. Dar-' win-Scripture Lexicon, &c.

1800.

Ir has been already observed that Mr. Wakefield was accustomed occasionally to translate into English verse some passages of his favourite ancient poets.

In the spring of this year he amused himself with writing an imitation of the Tenth Satire of Juvenal, of which he printed, without his name,' a very few copies, designed as presents to his friends. This little composition has been commended by persons of acknowledged taste, and judgment, for its successful and spirited application of the characters in the original to men of distinguished station in the present day.

The circulation of these verses having been, necessarily, very limited, they are reprinted

› Which explains Mr. Wakefield's allusion to this "Imitation," in the preceding chapter.

VOL. II.