Mrs. Pennington's troubles were of a financial description, and seem to have been brought about, for the second time, by her scape-grace brother.

Brynbella, 30 Aug. 1802.

(Franked "Kirkwall.")

Sick or well, sorry or glad, nobody sure does write such letters as our dear Mrs. Pennington. It is because nobody else writes from the heart, I suppose.... Mr. Pennington was always an honourable character, and since you are to be a dependent wife, be thankful your dependence is upon a Gentleman who, while he deems himself such, will never desert you. Be thankful too, that you have no young family. You cannot now I think, be parent of two children, and live to see the one rob the other and run away. These are sins against Nature! My heart recoils from thought of them. Poor Mrs. Weston!! I, who am a mother, must feel for her!

After long wanderings and washings, like the Lady in Hannah More's Village Politics, with hot water and cold water, salt water and fresh water, here am I returned to Brynbella, and if I thought it would divert you for a moment, I would tell you how sublime and beautiful a journey we had across this Principality from South to North. Fine Alpine scenery between Machynlleth and Bala, varying at every step; and presenting now a rough, high, uncultivated rock, and now clusters of small corn fields round a tiny village, that for aught I see need not be so poor, because the grass and grain are really plentiful. Small lakes among volcanic fragments are perpetually occurring, and our guide showed us one which had literally no bottom. From Bala Pool indeed the River Dee takes its source, and winds about with very elegant bends till it reaches Chester; but Kader Idris is the chief feature of the whole Country, and tho' far smaller than Snowdon, it is much more impressive. Our weather likewise on that day was gloomy;

The winds were high, the clouds low-hung,

And drag'd their sweepy trains along

The shaggy mountain's side.

Apropos to Verses, you must read the British Critic for last April, and what he says of Retrospection: it has entertained me exceedingly, and will amuse Genl. Smith and Dr. Randolph. I hope those two friends will join to console you; what talents and literature can do, they are, above all men I know, capable of administering: but it is a grievous thing to think how very little can be done by either talents or literature. Piety and business will effect in a month what the other two could not perform in a year. Fly to those, dear Sophia, and be not solitary or idle for an instant. Your situation is happy in that too it forces you on Company. Nor is it wise at any time to be fastidious; you may receive from very plain people very good hints, and one comes away having learn'd something where 'tis least to be expected, much oftener in this life than you would think for....

MRS. PIOZZI (ABOUT 1808)

By J. Bate after a medallion by Henning, 1808

From the Collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.

Sir Francis Burdett, a friend of Horne Tooke, had been elected for Middlesex by a large majority over Mainwaring, a magistrate who had opposed the inquiry into prison abuses. He sat for two years, when the election was declared void, but litigation went on, at an enormous expense, till 1806, when Burdett resolved not to contest another election.

The British Critic describes Retrospection as a work "perfectly singular,—a Universal History from the beginning of the Christian Era, translated into chit-chat language, alternating with passages in an elevated style"; and inclines to think that it was originally written in blank verse, but disjointed by the printer or the author, e.g. (p. 76):

"Chased many Vandals from their ancient seats,

And so increased his wild and wide domain,