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there is a subject on which I could dwell with the truest pleasure; but I am too well instructed in your Royal Highness's character, to dare to offend you with a language which forms and customs too often impose upon princes, a necessity of hearing; I mean their own praise; to those who are most deserving, ever least welcome.

I therefore, subscribe myself,
With the profoundest respect,

May it please your Royal Highness,
Your Royal Highness's,

Most obedient,

Most devoted, and

Most humble servant,

THE AUTHOR.

B

ISAAC BICKERSTAFF.

F

Or this man little is known, and that little, unhappily, is not good. He is a native of the `kingdom of Ireland, and, we believe, went out with Lord CHESTERFIELD as a private Secretary, when his Lordship was Lord Lieutenant.

We find him also an Officer of Marines, but he left the service with imputed infamy from practices at which humanity shudders, and decency hides the head.

It hurts us to pursue the narrative-an irreclaimable depravation of appetite rendered him an exile from his country: in some foreign sink of debauchery and wretchedness, he perhaps even yet lingers, a striking monument of the absurdity of that maxim, which teaches, that an author's life may be best known in his WORKS.

The writings of BICKERSTAFF are uniformly marked with much purity and simplicity.-Had he loved as he wrote this little book were perfect—

there would not then have been ONE Page which we could wish to BLOT.

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The pieces distinguished by Asterisks are all that now distinguish

this Author.

THE MAID OF THE MILL.

LIKE PAMELA, is one of those delusions which frequently destroy the proper subordination of society. The village beauty, whose simplicity and innocence are her native charms, smitten with the reveries of rank and splendor, becomes affected and retired, disdaining her situation and every one about her. So much for the tendency of such pieces.

Dramatic exhibition has ever its force in proportion to the unacquaintance of the spectator with life— its vraisemblance is more certain and striking to the artless RUSTIC, than the cultivated inhabitants of a capital. I know no surer steps to corrupt the primitive simplicity of a village remote from the capital, than to introduce a Theatrical company-Romance among unfurnished heads makes dreadful havock indeed.

The literary merit of this piece (if it have any) is like that of the Novel from which it sprung. For laughter it has no food-Sentiment, insipid sentiment, gives it what colouring it has.-As a dramatic exhibition, the pleasure produced must be from its MUSIC.

Either as considering its Dialogue or its Air, we think it much inferior to the Author's LOVE IN A VILLAGE.

PREFACE.

THERE is scarce a language in Europe, in which there is not a play taken from our romance of Pamela: in Italian and French particularly, several writers of the first eminence have chosen it for the subject of different dramas.

The little piece now ventured into the world, owes its origin to the same source: not only the general subject is drawn from Pamela, but almost every circumstance in it. The reader will almost immediately recollect the courtship of Parson Williams -the squire's jealousy and behaviour in consequence of it; and the difficulty he had to prevail with himself to marry the girl, notwithstanding his passion for her-the miller is a close copy of Goodman Andrews-Ralph is imagined, from the wild son which he is mentioned to have had-Theodosia, from the young lady of quality, with whom Mr. B. through his sister's persuasion, is said to have been in treaty before his marriage with Pa mela-even the gipsies are borrowed from a trifling incident in the latter part of the work.

In prosecuting this plan, which he has varied from the original, as far as he thought convenient, the author has made simplicity his principal aim. His scenes, on account of the music, which could not be perfect without such a mixture, necessarily consist of serious and buffoon. He knows grossness and insipidity lay in his way: whether he has had art enough to avoid stumbling upon them, the candid public are left to determine.

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