Pope loaded him with honours. In 1792, he was created Apostolical Nuncio, to officiate at the coronation of the Emperor Francis, which took place at Frankfort. In 1793, he was invested with the bishoprick of Nice; and in 1794, with that of Montefiascone; and in the same year, he was raised to the dignity of Cardinal, the highest which Rome has to bestow, In 1798, he escaped only by a few minutes from the French troops which were entering Rome. After having devoted himself so long, and with such zeal to the royal cause, the Cardinal, in 1805, formed the resolution of seeking advancement from an opposite quarter. He wrote to Buonaparte, requesting to be permitted to return into France. He might plead, indeed, that this was a change rather of men than of principles, since every thing republican had long been effaced from the French government, and the despotic principles of the ancient monarchy more than reestablished. Bonaparte received with open arms a new adherent, who would throw lustre on his government and church establishment. The Cardinal was immediately made a member of the Institute, and on the 14th of October 1810, an imperial decree constituted him Archbishop of Paris, the highest dignity in the Gallican church. From this time he was never seen to miss an opportunity of appearing at the head of the clergy, to congratulate the Emperor on every success obtained by his arms. His charges inculcated in the most strenuous manner loyalty and attachment to the existing government. Attheentrance of the alliesinto France, he published an animated charge, ur. ging the people to rise against the invaders. On the 5th April, 1814, he sent in his simple adherence to the Bourbons, but without attempting to express any zeal or attachment in their cause. He experienced no favours; his name was erased from the Institute,

and he was obliged to retire to Rome, where the Pope threw him into prison for having accepted of the archbishoprick without his permission. At the end of a year he was released, and died at Rome in April 1817.

We conclude this chapter with a name, one of the brightest in the page of history, and the lustre of whose patriotism faction could never sully or obscure.-THADDEUS KOSCIUSKO was born in Poland about the year 1752. His father was of good birth, but small fortune; and the son was educated in the school of cadets at Warsaw. According to the plan of that institution, the king sent annually four of the pupils into foreign countries, to complete themselves in tactics and the military art. Kosciusko was selected as one of these four, and was sent to Paris, where he was placed in the Military Academy at Versailles. He acquired here a thorough knowledge of the technical part of the art, particularly the engineer department. On returning home he was seized with an ardent and romantic passion for a young lady, greatly his superior in rank, and succeeded in gaining her affections; but her father, on being informed of his pretensions, gave a peremptory refusal, and forbade his daughter to see him. Kosciusko now persuaded the young lady to an elopement; but while conveying her out of Poland, he was pursued and overtaken. He put himself on his defence; but finding that he could preserve his mistress only by killing her father, he chose rather to yield her up. After this painful adventure, he determined to quit for a time his native country. His active mind sought employment in America, where the war of independence had newly begun. He was well received by General Washington, who appointed him his aid-de-camp, and whom he followed in all his campaigns.

He here imbibed at once that love of liberty, and skill in war, which prepared him for the arduous theatre on which he was to act. Poland had long suffered under accumulated wrongs; but in 1791, the cup of her sufferings began to run over. The nation rose, and sought by one grand effort, to deliver herself from the foreign armies which trampled her under foot. Kosciusko, in this crisis, devoted himself to his country. Poniatowsky, from his rank, obtained the place of commander-in-chief; but Kosciusko had a high command under him, was present at every engagement, and every where distinguished himself. It was supposed by many, that if invested with the chief command, he might have obtained greater success. Even after the unfortunate issue of this contest, he did not despair. He repaired to Paris, where, by representing to the principal members of the Convention the justice of his cause, and the advantage of exciting a diversion against Prussia, he procured the funds necessary for his enterprize. About the middle of February he appeared in the south of Poland, and collecting a chosen band of followers, defeated the Prussian corps in that quarter, and made himself master of Cracow. He now issued a proclamation, inviting the Polish nation to rise and assert its independence. The cry, "Long live Kosciusko," echoed through the streets of Cracow; and an assembly of the leading men in the town-hall declared him commander-in-chief of the liberating army of Poland. He then marched upon Warsaw, and completely defeated Woronzow, who, with a Russian corps, attempted to oppose his progress. On arriving at Warsaw, he found the Russians already driven out by the exertions of the inhabitants. The cause of Poland inspired now the highest hopes; the whole country was united, and 70,000 men were under

The

stood to be already in arms. King of Prussia, however, hastened to enter Poland with his whole force, and having occupied Cracow, advanced upon Warsaw, which being unfortified, he expected to take with ease. Kosciusko, however, entrenched himself so strong in front of Warsaw, that the Prussians, alarmed by risings on their own frontier, found themselves obliged to retreat. Russia meantime was collecting all her strength for a decisive blow. At length an immense army, under the terrible and invincible Suwarrow, entered this devoted country. Kosciusko hastened to engage before all the Russian reinforcements had formed. The battle took place on the 10th of October. Never did the valour of this heroic chief shine more bright than on this glorious and fatal day. It began in favour of the Poles; but a too rash pursuit involved part of their force in the toils of the enemy, whose overwhelming numbers at length caused a total defeat. Kosciusko having three horses killed under him, was wounded in falling from the last, and obliged to surrender

"Hope, for a season, bade the world farewell,

And freedom shrieked, when Kosciusko

fell."

The Supreme National Council, indeed, published an address, in which they exhorted their countrymen "not to bury with his fate all the hopes of their country;" but the march of Suwarrow upon Prague, and the successful storm of its ramparts, soon caused the curtain to fall over all the hopes of Polish independence. Catharine did not even shew any magnanimity in the use of her guilty triumph. She threw into dungeons Kosciusko, and his friend Niemchevitch, the poet of independence, whose strains had roused his countrymen to resistance against Russian aggression. It must be mention

ed to the glory of Paul, that on his accession, he immediately liberated the Polish patriot, and even proffered wealth and dignities, which were not accepted. Kosciusko now went over to America, where he spent two years, and was treated with the highest distinction. On his return he visited Lon, don, when the Whig Club presented him with a sword, in testimony of national esteem. When Buonaparte, in 1806, entered Poland, he published a proclamation in Kosciusko's name, inviting the Poles to join him; but the hero disowned it, and declined all al

liance with one who ruled only by the sword. Similar overtures, made by the Emperor Alexander, were also rejected. He lived in proud independence, superior to fortune and to kings. His last years were spent in a retired manner at Soleure, where he distinguished himself by his generosity to the poor. He had a highly cultivated mind, and was passionately fond of poetry, particularly the works of the English poets, with which he was well acquainted. He died in October 1817, in the 65th year of his age,

THE most prominent literary character deceased in these islands during the present year, was RICHARD LOVELL EDGEWORTH. He was the son of an Irish gentleman, of good family and some fortune, who, after spending part of his life in the profession of the law. withdrew into the country. The subject of this memoir was born in 1744, and received the first rudiments of education from his mother. This lady, from some mismanagement at his birth, lost the use of her right side; and, from be. ing a sprightly and active young woman, was never after able to leave her couch. This accident led her to cultivate still more the habits of reading and reflection, to which she was already addicted to a degree very uncommon in that age, when any thing beyond reading the Bible, and casting up a week's household accounts, was considered a very idle waste of time. She seems to have conducted her son's education in a very judicious manner. Her last advice was, "My son, learn to say No;" to which she added, "Your inventive faculty will lead you eagerly

into new plans; and you may be dazzled by some new scheme, before you had finished, or fairly tried, what you had begun. Resolve to finish-never procrastinate." He received the rudiments of classical education at Warwick. There, he says, he began to observe in his schoolfellows the varieties of temper and disposition; and he derived great advantage from spending the vacations with a Mrs Dewes, in the neighbourhood, who had a great taste for reading and literature. Before going to college, a sister's marriage occurred, the festivals at the celebration of which developed all his propensities for gaiety. He spent the morning in shooting, in which he soon acquired such skill as to kill eight birds out of ten; while in the evening he was the most incessant and unwearied of the dancers. Every interval of these exercises was employed in exhibiting to his companions the most extraordinary feats of agility. In one of these frolics, he foolishly celebrated a mockmarriage with a very young lady, which was rendered of consequence only by

the alarm with which his father was seized, and the process of jactitation raised by him in the courts. Being now sent to Dublin College, Mr Edgeworth spent six months in all sorts of idleness and dissipation. His father, seeing he was doing no good, sent him to Oxford, where he recommended him to the care of Mr Elers, a man of talents, and bred a lawyer, but who ha ving unfortunately married an heiress, resigned himself to indolence, and became finally involved in his affairs. Mr Elers declared himself ready to undertake the task; but warned his friend, that he had three handsome daughters, without any fortune to leave them. The honourable nature of this declaration only increased the confidence of old Edgeworth in the care which would be taken of his son's education. So it was, however, that Richard, who was born a ladies' man, and who saw few ladies except the Miss Elerses, made love to one of them, and carried her off to Gretna Green. His father was so unreasonable as to be very angry at this step, which arose so much from his own arrangements; however, the mother at length reconciled them. Mr Edgeworth does not appear to have made a bad husband; but he makes rather too little secret in his Memoirs of the little felicity derived from this union. He says, "My wife was prudent, domestic, and affectionate; but she was not of a cheerful temper. She lamented about trifles; and the lamenting of a female with whom we live, does not render home delightful." He adds, that she had no sympathy in any of his tastes or pursuits; and that his chief support was found in the determination to bear with fortitude the evil which he had brought upon himself.

A visit to Bath during one of the vacations, introduced Mr Edgeworth for the first time into the fashionable circles. He saw the old Duke of Devonshire, who, with disgust and cha

grin painted in his countenance, exhibited a lesson of the power possessed by the smiles or frowns of princes. He saw also Beau Nash," the popular monarch of Bath," and Lord Chesterfield, who had reigned for half a century over the world of fashion. Mr E. saw only his remains, and looked in vain for that fire which he expected to see in the eye of a man of wit and genius. Shortly after, he was launched into the greater world of London, where he was introduced to a most extensive acquaintance by his intimacy with Sir Francis Delaval. This gentleman, the gayest of the gay, made it his business to amuse the fashionable world by the display of ingenious toys. Mr Edgeworth had already employed himself a good deal in mechanical contrivances, which seem even to have been his prevailing taste; and being now ready to consecrate to Sir Francis's service the fruits of his ingenuity, without claiming the merit of them, he became an inseparable companion of this important personage. The mechani. cal skill often displayed by Sir Francis, attracted the notice of men of science; while the gay and open house which he kept, rendered many of them frequent visitors. Among these are mentioned Dr Knight of the British Museum, Dr Watson, Mr Wilson, and Mr Espinasse, the electrician. Besides these, and the whole fashionable world, the house was crowded with players, gamblers, and non-descript characters of every description. Mr Edgeworth, whose mind, like a cameleon, seems always to have reflected the objects before it, does not seem to have spent his time very wisely; but he accumulated extensive information upon manners and society. The ambition of the men of haut ton in that day, seems to have been to astonish each other, and gain bets, by the exhibition of wonderful feats and contrivances; certainly at least as rational as the