1811.) 
three weeks, that he was gone to Bath, 
- whete he had been so pressed for a debt 
of honour to an immense amount, that 
he was obliged to mortgage nearly one 
Half of his fortune. I instantly wrote to 
Him, and entreated him in the most af- 
fectionate tertms to consider to whata 
State of ruin his continuing in such a 
eourse of -extravagance would reduce 
both himself and me; but to no purpose. 
Rle was deaf to my admonitions. Month 
after month did I in vain endeavour to 
find him out, tortured with all the ago- 
nies of expectation, and enduring the 
extreme of penury. My endeavours 
were ineffectual. About three weeks 
ago, I learnt, that, after squandering the 
whole of his estate, he had shot himself 
at a gaming-house at the west end of 
the town.” 
Here Melissa’s grief interrupted her 
marrative. I endeavoured to sooth it as 
well as I could, and persuaded her, tiil 
she had arranged her affairs, to consider 
my house as her own. She accepted 
my proposal with tears of gratitude, and 
continued under the care of my family, 
while I exerted myself in collecting the 
remains of her shattered fortune, so as 
to sebure her declining years from po- 
verty and distress. 
+ My figSt enquiries were directed to the 
hotel where her son lodged, at which f 
learnt, | he evening before the fatal 
might, ad delivered a packet to one 
of the waiters, addressed to his mother, 
but without a direction. This packet I 
conveyed to Melissa, who, on opening 
it, found the following billet : 
*€To your ill-judged affection I owe my 
fuin. But this night determines my fate. 
df I am unfortunate, my distress, and, my 
existence, terminate together. I leave every 
thing to you. ALTAMONT.” 
« ‘To describe the feelings of Melissa on 
reading these lines is beyond the power 
of language. For some time they de- 
prived her of reason. By degrees, how- 
ever, her tranquillity retarued; and § 
am certain, that, when the greatness of 
her grief had subsided, she enjoyed. a 
peace of mind far more exquisite than 
any pleasures which she had. hitherto 
experienced. It was a sensation spring- 
jng from a thorough conviction of the 
insufficiency of the world to afford lasting 
peace, and from a dependence on, the 
mercies of heaven, and the comforts of 
geligion. “ 
. Such was Melissa, and such sheis now, 
offer no comments on her life; but if 
you think the narrative affords.a. moral 
 Motthy of a place in your miscellany, I 
Phenomena of the 7foon. 
£23 
sincerely hope, that those whose situs 
ations it may suit, may be led to reflect 
on their conduct before it is too late. 
‘Homerton, Gerorce Fauktanp, 
Nov. 30, 1810. 
Cee ed 
Tv the Editor of the Monthly Magazines 
SIR, 
bt doker following answer to the query 
of your correspondent Copernicus, 
jun. is suggested by. your reader Ai. B. 
As the mass of matter in the satellites 
bears a very small proportion to that in 
their respective primaries, the operation of 
the gravity of the latter, must have avery 
powerful effect upon the former. Hence, 
had the satellites a rotation about their 
axis, so as to present different parts of 
their surface in succession to their prima- 
ries, their seas, if seas they had, would 
be subject to such immense tides, as 
must overwhelm and destroy the land. 
May not this be the inconvenience, of 
ruinous. consequence, rather prevented 
by the law which confines them to a sitie 
gle rotation during their periodic revolus 
tion about the primary, 
The phenomenon, the final cause of 
which is here endeavoured to be assign= 
ed, has been ascribed to the secondary’s 
being so constituted, that its centre of 
gravity is nearer to the side which looks 
to the primary than to that which is 
more distant. If this be the case, as 
seems highly probable, we are presented 
with another striking proof of the unerts 
ing wisdom of the great Author of nature, 
For, in consequence of this arrangement, 
the seas in the secondary are restrained 
from rising to too great a height over the 
land on the side next to the primaryy 
which must otherwise happen, in conse 
quence of the powertul attraction of the 
latter, 
The above conjecture rests upon the 
assumption that, there are seas in the 
secondary planets, of which some astro 
nomers are much disposed to doubt, with 
respect to our moon atleast. From any 
observations, however, that have hitherto 
been made upon the moon, there:dves 
not. appear to be am absolute necessity of 
denying the existence of an/atmosphere 
and seas upon her surfaces on the cons 
trary, the very extensive plains, visible 
upon her disc, strongly: impress the mind 
with the idea that they are fluid. . But, 
even supposing the moon to beat pres 
sent destitute of an atmosphere and seas, 
it is by no means certain that this has , 
been the case always.; She may have 
undergone some great change; she ie 
nave 
