Genealogical Account of COWPER, Earl COWPER.

"HIS noble earl is defcended from Simon Cowper, fheriff don, in the fourth year of De coward II. 1310. Sir WilCowper, another of his anceftors, who refided at the castle of Hertford, was eminent for his hofpitality and charity, making it his bufinefs, in the decline of, life, to vifit and relieve his poor neighbours at their houses, and died much lamented, Anno 1664, in the 83d year of his age.

Sir William, his grandfon, was feveral times chofen reprefentative for Hertford'; and married Sarah, daughter to Sir Samuel Holled of London, merchant, and had two fons, William his heir, and Spencer, who in the reign of queen Anne was twice chofen to parlia ment for Beera!fton, and in both parliaments of king George I. for Truro; and was attorney-general to the prince of Wales. In July 1717, he was made chief-justice of Chefter; in June 1727, chancellor of the duchy of Lancafter, and on the 24th of October following, one of the judges of the Common-Pleas; but dying on the 10th of December, 1728, left one daughter, married to colonel Martin Madan of Hertingford-bury, member of the laft parliament for Wotton-Baffet, and three fons, ift. William, clerk to the house of lords; he died in February, 1739-40, leaving iffue two fons and a daughter, of which William married August 5, 1749, Mifs Madan, eldest daughter of colonel Madan, by whom he had a fon, May 6, 1750; 2d, John was rector of great Barkhamfted in the county of Hertford, one of the July, 1766.

chaplains in ordinary to his majefty, and patentee for making out commiffions of bankruptcy; and 3d, Ashley is counfellor at law, and clerk to the house of lords.

(ift L. and E.) Sir William Cowper, 3d fon of the firft, and uncle to the laft mentioned Sir William, was twice chofen to parliament for Hertford, and twice for Beeralfton; he was one of the council to king William and queen Anne; and by the latter, in 1705, made lord-keeper of the great-feal, and the next year created lord Cowper, and was one of the commiffioners to treat of the Union. In 1707, he was appointed lord high chancellor, and upon the demife of queen Anne, was one of the lords juftices; after which he was again made lord high chancellor, and created carl Cowper; on the 6th of February, 1716, he was appointed lord high fteward for the trials of lord Derwentwater, &c. He was likewife one of the privy-council, recorder of Colchefter, lord lieutenant and cuft. rot. for the county of Hertford, and one of the governors of the Charterhouse, and died on the 10th of October, 1723. He married to his first wife Judith, daughter and heir to Sir Robert Booth of London, merchant, by whom he had an only fon that died young; but by his 2d wife Sarah, daughter to John Clavering of Chopwell in the bishopric of Durham, Efq; he left two fons and two daughters, 1. the lady Sarah, who died December 11, 1758; and 2. the lady Anne, married to James-Edward Colleton of Hains-hill in Berkshire, Efq; member of parliament for LeftАаа withien

To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE.

The following excellent remarks on that dangerous and fallacious maxim too generally adopted by the fair-fex, "That a reformed rake makes the best husband," are extracted from the Sermons to Young Women, lately published, which have been generally admired for their delicacy of fenti ment, correctness of imagination, and elegance of tafte. I imagine you will have no objection to infert them, as they are evidently calculated for the edification and inftruction of your Fair Readers, to the improvements of whofe morais and manners you have been always pleased to pay a particular attention; and by giving them a place in your next Number, you will greatly oblige

The men 1 am

that can fave you? Of miraculous you are aware.
interpofition I think not at prefent.
She can have no right to expect it,
who throws herself in the broad way
to temptation. What thofe dange-
rous connexions are, it may not be
always easy to explain, when it be-
comes a question in real life. Un-
happily for young women, it is a
queftion fometimes of very nice de-
cifion. Cafes there are, in which
nothing can be clearer. The
man that behaves with open rude-
ness, the man that avowedly laughs
at virtue, the man that impudently
pleads for vice; fuch a man is to be
fhunned like a rattle-fnake. In
this cafe, "The woman that deli-
berates is loft." What! would you
parly with the destroyer, when he
gives you warning? Then you are
not enfuared: you knowingly and
wilfully expose yourselves. If you
are poisoned, if you are loft; your
folly is without excufe, and your
deftruction without alleviation.

fpeaking of perceive their advantage
the moment it appears. I have fup-
pofed them deftitute of worth. If
they are alfo unchecked by fear,
what can preferve you? A sense of
reputation? the dread of ruin'? Per-
haps they may. But perhaps they
may not. They have often, no
doubt, come in to prevent the leaft
excefs. And, but for fuch restraints,
what would become of many a wo-
man who is not under that best one,
religious principle? The experi-
ment, however, you will own is
hazardous. Multitudes have truft.
ed to it, and have been undone.

But in this manner none will proceed, fave wretches alike licentious and imprudent. Of artful men the approaches will be filent and flow; all will be soft infinuation or elfe they will put on a blunt face of feeming good humour, the appear ance of honeft franknefs, drawing you to every scene of diffipation with a kind of obliging violence, fhould violence of any kind be neceffary. If withal they are agreeable in their perfons, or lively in their converfation; above all, if they wear the air of gentlemen, which, unfortunately for your fex, is too often the cafe; then indeed your danger is extreme. Thus far the trap is concealed. You apprehend nothing: your unfufpecting hearts begin to flide they are gone, gone before

But do thofe, who in the world's fenfe are not undone, escape, think ye, unhurt; unhurt in their health and fpirits, in their ferenity and felf-enjoyment, in their fobriety of mind and habits of felf controul? You cannot think it. Very feldom at least can you fuppofe, that, where there is much fenfibility of temper, an ill-placed paflion fhall not leave behind it, in a youthful breaft, great diforder and deep difquietude.

But how, you will afk, is the fnare to be eluded, hidden as it frequently is? Not fo hidden throughout, as to be invifible, unless indeed you will fhut your eyes. Is it not your business to enquire into the character of the man that profeffes an attachment? Or is character nothing? Is there no effential difference between a man of decency and honour, or who has all along passed for fuch, and a man who is known to lead an irregular life, or who is fufpected however to be the fmiling foe of female virtue? May you not learn, if you pleafe, with whom the perfon in queftion affociates? Or is a man's choice of company nothing?

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