the oppenness of his heart, he treated his master at dinner 'with a bottle of that wine which he had reserved for his own drinking. They entered into a conspiracy to further the plot, and Robin was sent over to engage the servants of the castle in the scheme. Alas ! Alas! there was not much need for preparation, the poor woman's own temper fought more than half the battle. (To be Continued.) Singular escape from a Nun nery. THE escape (says Sir G., Staunton, in his account of the Embassy) of an intended victim to devotion made some noise, about this time in Teneriffe. A young lady, during her noviciate, had, by uncommon accident, the opportunity of seeing a youth who inspired her with a passion inconsis tent with her former views of religious retirement. Notwithstanding the apparent freedom left to novices to alter their intentions, it is, in fact, as unsafe as it is rare.This young novice manifested no symptoms of reluctance in pursuing her original vocation, and preparations were made for the awful ceremony of taking the last solemn vow to renounce the world. On such occasions it is the custom to throw open the gates of the convent, in order to satisfy the publie that the ladies within them are equally at liberty to quit them altogether, or to continue within its walls. When the day arrived, which was to seal her doom and resign her for ever to the cloister, her relations and friends assembled, as is uusal, to be present on the occasion. In the crowd of the spectators was the young gentleman, who was disputing with heaven the fair victim. After a solemn exhortation from the pulpit, that now the final moment was arrived when she was to devote herself to God, abandoning all sublunary considerations, as well as all ties of affection, or of blood, or instantly to quit the holy place she then inhabited, for ever; she stretched out her hand to the youth, who ad-, vanced quickly to receive it, and hurrying her directly from the church; while the priests, the nuns, her relations, and the people, stood motionless with astonishment, the happy pair got soon safely to a place where they were married. The SPECULATOR. NUMBER VI. SATURDAY, Dec. 1, 1810. Noris qnam elegans formarum Specta tor Siem. TER. EUN-Act 3, Se. 5. I Promised a few weeks back, to give my readers a Speculation On COQUETRYand I now intend to fulfil that stipulation. The subject I confess has been treated on by a much abler pen than mine; nevertheless, as I do not intend to be guilty of plagiarism, I shall venture, in the hope at least, of advancing something new. To give a complete definition of the word Coquette, I believe would be out of the power of man, I shall therefore not attempt it. A Coquette is a being with which we are all acquainted, but which none of us are able properly to describe. tractions. I have no ques tion that many Females are born with the inherent seeds of Coquetry, which can never be eradicated; but it is also my opinion, that where there is one of that description, there are ten who have become so by a false Education, the folly of parents, or the flattery of a corrupted world. Nothing is more common, than upon the appearance of the first germe of beauty in a female child, than for her parents and relations to lay out and plan the future fortune of the possessor. As soon as she can lisp, her first lesson is to despise those of her equals. who lack so handsome an exterior as herself. She must not be chid, let her fault be ever so reprehensible, lest it should spoil the regularity of her fcatures; the domestical duties of an industrious girl, she must have nothing to do with, for fear of its injuring her complection; useful studies must by no means be attended to, as possibly it might damp Miss's vivacity. In short, every thing is neglected except the dancing and music master: and the time that ought to be beneficially employed is wast The species are generally to be found amidst noise and confusion; the courts of riot and revel are their usual haunts : and social peace, or domestic felicity, is their mortal aversion. The Coquette is of femenine-gender, and always is,or supposes herself possesseded away in a continual round of beauty, and superlative at- of tea and card parties, or the idle tittle-tattle of friperry and come vain and self-elated Co nonsense; and at the age ofquetts, by theoretical example. sixteen or seventeen the young lady appears on the stage of life, surrounded by a string of 'admirers, an accomplished ready made-Coquette! possessed of no one substantial qualification with just sense enough to admire her own. face, and to treat with contempt every person who refuses to pay homage to her im maculate charms. Others, from the want of a proper attention, in those who have the management of their Education, are suffered to go on and peruse every kind of trash that falls in their way; and, not being able themselves to make a just distinction between the good and bad, frequently imbibe principles of the most pernicious nature; want Another specics of Coquett's is formed by the world.-A young lady entering life, with a large share of personal advantages, and a mind tolerably cultivated, will never flatterers or admirers: they are to be found in all public places and, as nothing is so acceptable as flattery and admiration, they gain easy admittance to the ear of vanity, if they do not touch the heart; and undermine the pillars of Reason, confuse the accumulations of Sense, and leave nothing in their stead, but the phantoms Folly and Affectation! The female therefore, who barters good sense, for the flippant atttentions and praises of a Cox comical tribe of idlers, sinks from the dig they have a selection of Hero-nity of a woman, and soon beines, who have cut a considerable figure through four or five volumes of Romantic stuff, and shape their conduct as closely after those favourites, as possible; not considering that the personages, whose manners they copy, never had, or could have had, existence in real life. By such loose, and indiscriminate reading, many females who might have added lustre to their sex, be comes a Brilliant Coquette.Those who are Coquettes by nature, I shall silently pass by, as perfectly incorrigible, and employ a few minutes in inquiring, what benefit the vain beauty derives from the arts of Coquetry? It is a fixed, and immutable principle, that all mankind were created for the benefit of each other: and, if that axiom be allowed, the Coquette questionless destroys for the sake of fashion, and the want of other employ. As the Coquetts' professed object is universal homage, she seldem or ever obtains a partner for life; should she ever have had serious offers, they are re the very end of her creation : for, instead of benefitting her fellow-mortals, it is her constant study to devise plans for their torment and mortification; in truth, she is not only the common disturber of others, but a continual source of mise-jected until some future opporry to herself. Vain, suspi- tunity always considering it cious, envious, deceitful, and too early to give up her unityrannical, she takes no de- versal sway, as she is pleased light except in the exertion of to term it; and this delusory one or other of those baleful dream generally lasts for such passions. And what is her a length of time, that when she ultimate aim? Power;grant that awakes, nothing meets her eye she possesses it: like all other but a drear vacuity! The ill-gotten rank, its duration is ephemeral throng has fled, her short time withers the tenure reputation blighted, and she upon which she held it, and she quits the scene to brood over sinks into the back ground, a self-acquired misfortunes, and living monument for the finger to maraud upon the reputation of pity and contempt to point of her neighbours, bearing the at ! Is it universal admira- worst of titles that of a Splenetic old maid! Is such a character enviable ? Examine the picture, it is not by any means highly coulered, and falls far short of the original.Then, my fair Countrywomen, if you would pass through the world with happiness, let the morning of your days be em She may tion she sighs for? likely suppose herself in the possession-but her suppositions are as visionary as the foundation upon which they are built. The intriguing arts of a Coquette are speedily developed by the observing part of men, her aims and propensities are scan'd without diffi-ployed in the cultivation of the culty, and they merely follow her train as admirers, out of complisance, while in secret they detest her for her wily deceit; and Fops and Fools dance attendance at her levees, mind as well as the persson, partake of the pleasures of life, but avoid its dissipations and your meridian will be gilded with content. The care of your infant progeny will cause LADY'S MISCELLANY. NEW-YORK, December 1, 1810. "Be it our task, To note the passing tidings of the time.' The City Inspector reports the death of 33 persons in this city and suburbs during the last week. The Venus frigate, capt. Craw ford, from New York, arrived out in 3 days passage. Mr. Jackson landed the 19th of October. During the late heavy rains, the bridge lately built across the Concoche. ague at Williamsport, was entirely swept away, together with a number of mills, distilleries, &c. Melancholy Accident.We are informed that Mr. Elias White, of Westhampton, was accidentally shot Novem. ber 22d, by Mr. Jonathan Reeves, as they were hunting in the woods. They were in pursuit of a deer, and the unfor tunate man was mistaken m the thicket for the animal. He has left a numerous And destitute family. Boston, Nov. 21. Melancholy Event.-We are informed that the eight children, (Mary, Harriet, Eliza, Nancy, Caroline, John, Stoddard, and Henry) of William Hoags, late of Newton, in this state, now resident at Quebec, being sent for by their father, and being on their journey, in company with Mr. George Cook, and two boat. men, were all drowned in Lake Cham plain, on Saturday the 10th inst. There was one other person in the boat, who saved himself on a bunch of brooms. SHIPWRECKS. Charleston, Oct. 13. On the Florida shore, we have learnt by the schooner Mary-Ann, captain Baker, from St. Mary's, the following particulars : The brig George, Decone, of New. York, from Liverpool, was lost in the same gale near St. Augustine, and one of the seaman, named James Woods, was drowned; the remainder of the crew were saved. The packet sloop Intrepid, Fowler, from St. Mary's, of and bound for Sæ. vannah, with a number of passengers, encountered the same gale, and was dri ven ashore at St. Augustine bar; the vessel and cargo entirely lost, as also we are sorry to say, several of the passengers; among those who perished were Mrs. Fowler, the wife of captain F. with her three children; Miss Fisher of Savannah, sister to Mrs. Fowler, and Mrs. Batey, an elderly lady, and her fe male servant. Mrs. Beard, of St. Mary's who was on board, was providentially saved by drifting on shore on a part of the quarter deck; as was also captain Fowler and most of the crew. Our informant assures us that most, if not ali of those who were drowned might have been saved, but for the inhuman and unpardonable indifference of the inhabi tants, who would not render them any assistance. The United States gun-boat, No 159, which sailed from this port upwards of 2 months since, bound to St. Mary's, has never arrived at that port, nor has any intelligence whatever been received of her; it is supposed that she must have been lost at sea, and that all on board perished. November 12. Arrived, schooner Liberty, Fox, East Florida. By this arrival we have received accounts of the following shipwrecks |